Method and apparatus for authenticated on-site testing, inspection, servicing and control of life-safety equipment and reporting of same using a remote accessory

A method for authenticating a test of a life safety system to ensure compliance thereof with a regulatory code, a control unit of the life safety system coupled to a server through a network, the method comprising:

• establishing an interactive wireless connection between a remote wireless accessory and the server through the network, the interactive wireless connection associated with performing the test, the remote wireless accessory readable by an operator activating components of the life safety system;
• inputting information about an impending activation of one of the components of the life safety system to the server through the remote wireless accessory;
• outputting information about the activated one of the components of the life safety system from the server to the remote wireless accessory if the activation of the one of the components is independently detected by the control unit and transferred to the server, the independent detection by the control unit determining one of:
• authenticated compliance and authenticated non-compliance of the one of the components with a corresponding section of the regulatory code;
• and
• generating an authenticated report associated with the test when all of the components of the life safety system are determined to be one of compliant and non-compliant.

A remote device for wirelessly interacting with a fire alarm system, including fire alarm condition sensors, during a test of the fire alarm system, the remote device comprising:

• a wireless network interface;
• an information display;
• and
• a controller coupled to the wireless network interface and the information display, the controller configured to:
• establish a connection over the wireless network interface with one or more of a component of the fire alarm system and an authentication server;
• and
• exchange information over the established connection corresponding to ones of the fire alarm condition sensors, the information including one or more of information corresponding to ones of the fire alarm condition sensors:
• on which activation is impending;
• that are registering as active with the fire alarm system during activation;
• and that require additional information to be input to comply with a regulatory code.

An authentication server for coupling to a fire alarm system through a network, including fire alarm condition sensors, during a test of the fire alarm system, the authentication server comprising:

• a network interface;
• and
• a controller coupled to the network interface configured to:
• establish a first connection over the network interface with a remote accessory and second connection over the network interface with the fire alarm system;
• receive information over the established first connection corresponding to an impending activation of one of the fire alarm condition sensors during the performance of the test;
• receive information over the established second connection corresponding to ones of the fire alarm condition sensors registering as active with the fire alarm system during the test;
• transmit information over the established first connection corresponding to the ones of the fire alarm condition sensors registering as active with the fire alarm system during the test;
• receive authentication information over the established first connection, the authentication information corresponding to the activation of the one of the fire alarm condition sensors that was impending;
• and
• transmit an authenticated report over the established first connection, the authenticated report including the authentication information associated with all of the fire alarm condition sensors at the completion of the test.