Alarm system with two-way voice

A method of coordinating establishment of a voice communication session between an alarm system and an operator handling an alarm event for the alarm system, the method comprising:

• receiving alarm data over a data communication channel, the alarm data being transmitted by a communication module included in an alarm system in response to the alarm system detecting an alarm event and the alarm data indicating the alarm event;
• based on receiving the alarm data over the data communication channel, enabling an operator located at a central monitoring station to handle the alarm event detected by the alarm system;
• accessing, by a processing device, voice communication information used in establishing, over a voice communication channel that is decoupled from the data communication channel, a voice communication session with a communication device used by the operator handling the alarm event;
• and
• facilitating establishment of a voice communication session, over the voice communication channel, between the communication device used by the operator handling the alarm event and the communication module included in the alarm system by transmitting, over the data communication channel to the communication module included in the alarm system, the accessed voice communication information, thereby enabling the communication module included in the alarm system to use the accessed voice communication information to initiate the voice communication session with the communication device used by the operator handling the alarm event,
• wherein the data communication channel is a wireless data channel;
• and
• wherein the voice communication channel is a wireless voice channel.

An alarm server comprising:

• at least one processor;
• and
• at least one computer-readable storage medium coupled to the at least one processor having stored thereon instructions which, when executed by the at least one processor, causes the at least one processor to perform operations comprising:
• receiving alarm data, the alarm data being transmitted by a communication module included in an alarm system in response to the alarm system detecting an alarm event and the alarm data indicating the alarm event;
• based on receiving the alarm data, enabling an operator located at a central monitoring station to handle the alarm event detected by the alarm system;
• accessing, by a processing device, voice communication information used in establishing a voice communication session with a communication device used by the operator handling the alarm event;
• and
• facilitating establishment of a voice communication session between the communication device used by the operator handling the alarm event and the communication module included in the alarm system by transmitting, to the communication module included in the alarm system, the accessed voice communication information, thereby enabling the communication module included in the alarm system to use the accessed voice communication information to initiate the voice communication session with the communication device used by the operator handling the alarm event,
• wherein accessing voice communication information used in establishing the voice communication session with the communication device used by the operator handling the alarm event comprises accessing a number available for the operator handling the alarm event to receive a voice call using the communication device, and
• wherein transmitting, to the communication module included in the alarm system, the accessed voice communication information comprises transmitting, to the communication module included in the alarm system, a confirmation message that indicates receipt of the alarm data and that includes the accessed number, the communication module included in the alarm system being configured to place a voice call to the accessed number included with the confirmation message in response to receiving the confirmation message.

An alarm server comprising:

• at least one processor;
• and
• at least one computer-readable storage medium coupled to the at least one processor having stored thereon instructions which, when executed by the at least one processor, causes the at least one processor to perform operations comprising:
• receiving alarm data over a data communication channel, the alarm data being transmitted by a communication module included in an alarm system in response to the alarm system detecting an alarm event and the alarm data indicating the alarm event;
• based on receiving the alarm data over the data communication channel, enabling an operator located at a central monitoring station to handle the alarm event detected by the alarm system;
• accessing, by a processing device, voice communication information used in establishing, over a voice communication channel that is decoupled from the data communication channel, a voice communication session with a communication device used by the operator handling the alarm event;
• and
• facilitating establishment of a voice communication session, over the voice communication channel, between the communication device used by the operator handling the alarm event and the communication module included in the alarm system by transmitting, over the data communication channel to the communication module included in the alarm system, the accessed voice communication information, thereby enabling the communication module included in the alarm system to use the accessed voice communication information to initiate the voice communication session with the communication device used by the operator handling the alarm event,
• wherein the data communication channel is a wireless data channel;
• and
• wherein the voice communication channel is a wireless voice channel.