Security monitoring methodology using digital audio

A method of processing signals received from security systems, comprising:

• receiving two or more audio input signals from two or more audio sensors;
• summing the two or more audio input signals;
• digitizing the summed two or more audio input signals;
• compressing the digitized signals as data;
• buffering the compressed data;
• detecting the compressed data to determine when a triggering event occurred;
• and
• transmitting the compressed data to disparate locations in response to the determination of the triggering event in substantially real-time,
• wherein the transmitted compressed data comprises not only audio data which corresponds in time to the triggering event but also buffered audio date which corresponds in time to a predetermined amount of time preceding the triggering event.

A security control system, comprising:

• remote sensor devices to detect when a triggering event has occurred, wherein at least two of said remote sensor devices simultaneously monitor audio;
• controller devices for processing input data from the remote sensor devices for storage as multiple data streams, and for routing the data streams over networks, wherein at least two of said input data comprises audio data;
• memory devices for buffering the input data;
• and
• network interfaces providing communications between the controller and one or more networks,
• wherein each one of the controller devices is connected to a plurality of the sensor devices;
• and
• wherein, upon detection of a triggering event, the controller devices transmit not only the audio data streams which correspond in time to the triggering event, but also the buffered audio data streams which correspond in time to a predetermined amount of time preceding the triggering event.