1460708938-b51c330b-8684-40c1-b699-87b989154b64

1. An optical node for an optical network transporting an optical datastream, the node comprising:
at least one port for optically coupling the node to at least one neighboring node;
a fault restoration element to adjust the operation of the node in response to a fault;
at least one optical sensor for measuring a first set of optical characteristics of the optical datastream at the node;
a signal sensor configured to receive a second set of optical characteristics of the optical datastream from an upstream optical device; and
a local controller correlating the first and second sets of optical characteristics and activating the fault restoration element if the correlated first and second sets of optical characteristics have values corresponding to a potential fault requiring activation of the fault restoration element, wherein said controller is a microprocessor having a software program residing on the microprocessor, the software program including a list of possible faults and corresponding restoration actions as a function of the first and second of optical characteristics, wherein said software program records the result of the restoration instance and communicates the result of the restoration instance to the optical network, and wherein said software program communicates a message alerting other nodes of the optical network of an upcoming restoration instance prior to the restoration instance.
2. The node of claim 1, wherein said software program includes a list of internal components likely to have failed as a function of said first and second set of optical characteristics, said software program preparing a list of components likely to have failed for each restoration instance.
3. The node of claim 1, wherein said restoration element is selected from the group consisting of: a line switcher, a redundant electrical element, and a redundant electro-optical element.
4. The node of claim 1, wherein said upstream device is an optical spectrum analyzer.
5. The node of claim 1, wherein said upstream device is an upstream node having at least one optical sensor residing in the upstream node.
6. The node of claim 5, wherein the signal sensor is an optical receiver for receiving status messages via an optical channel, whereby the upstream node communicates said second set of optical characteristics as a status message via an optical fiber.
7. An optical node for an optical network, the node comprising:
at least one input port for receiving an optical data steam having a plurality of channels;
a plurality of output ports for communicating the data stream to at least one other node via at least one optical fiber link;
a line switcher arranged to select an optical pathway for the data stream between two of the ports of the node in response to a line switch command;
a demultiplexing stage arranged to select at least one channel from said datastream, said stage including at least one redundant electro-optic element configured to replace a defective electro-optic element of said stage in response to an equipment switch command;
at least one optical sensor configured to measure a first set of optical characteristics of the channels;
a signal sensor for receiving data from an upstream device on a second set of optical characteristics of the channels upstream of the node; and
a local controller configured to generate the switch commands, the local controller comparing said first and second set of optical characteristics to detect a loss of signal in one or more of the channels, the controller initiating a line switch, based on said comparing, to isolate a line fault or an equipment switch to isolate an equipment fault, wherein said controller is a microprocessor having a software program residing on the microprocessor, the software program including a list of possible faults and corresponding restoration actions as a function of the first and second of optical characteristics, wherein said software program records the result of the restoration instance and communicates the result of the restoration instance to the optical network, and wherein said software program communicates a message alerting other nodes of the optical network of an upcoming restoration instance prior to the restoration instance.
8. The node of claim 7, wherein said software program is operable for comparing said first and said second set of optical characteristics against a problem list to determine if a fault has occurred requiring the controller to initiate a line switch or an equipment switch.
9. The node of claim 8, wherein said software program includes a fault detector detecting potential faults as a function of the problem list, a line switch engine coupled to the fault detector for activating the line switcher in response to the fault detector, and an equipment switch engine coupled to the fault detector for activating the redundant electro-optic element in the node in response to the fault detector.
10. The node of claim 7, wherein the upstream device is an optical spectrum analyzer.
11. The node of claim 7, wherein the upstream device is a neighboring node.
12. An optical node for an optical network, the node comprising:
a plurality of ports for receiving an optical data stream having a plurality of optical channels and communicating the data stream to at least one other node;
at least one fault restoration element to adjust the operation of the node in response to a fault;
at least one optical sensor configured to measure a first set of optical characteristics of the channels in the node;
at least one transceiver for communicating optical network status information via an inter-node optical communications channel with a neighboring node, the optical network status information including a second set of optical characteristics of the optical channels determined by sensors residing in at least one other node of the optical network, wherein the optical network status information includes the publication of a planned line switch or equipment switch in another node and a local controller is configured to interpret the planned line switch or equipment switch as a request to not initiate a local line switch command or an equipment switch command during a time period corresponding to the planned line switch or equipment switch; and
a local controller configured to activate the at least one fault restoration element if a comparison of the first and second sets of optical characteristics indicates a potential fault requiring activation of the fault restoration element.
13. The node of claim 12, wherein the optical network status information includes a channel map of active channels throughout the optical network.
14. The node of claim 12, wherein said at least one restoration element includes:
a line switcher arranged to select an optical pathway for the data stream between two ports of the node in response to a line switch command; and
a demultiplexing stage arranged to select at least one channel from said data stream, said stage including at least one redundant electro-optic element configured to replace a defective electro-optic element of said stage in response to an equipment switch command;
wherein the local controller is configured to generate the switch commands, the local controller comparing said first and said second set of optical characteristics to detect a loss of signal in one or more of the channels, the controller initiating a line switch to isolate a line fault or an equipment switch to isolate an equipment fault.
15. A wavelength division multiplexing optical network, comprising:
a first node containing a first optical sensor, a first transceiver for receiving and transmitting data on an inter-node channel, and a first local microprocessor for controlling a first line switcher and a first set of redundant electrical elements, the first local microprocessor transmitting a first status report on the optical characteristics of the channels in said first node via said first transceiver;
a second node containing a second optical sensor, a second transceiver for receiving and transmitting data on the inter-node channel, and a second local microprocessor for controlling a second line switcher and a second set of redundant electrical elements, the second local microprocessor transmitting a second status report on the optical characteristics of the channels in said second node via said second transceiver;
a primary optical fiber line linking said first and said second nodes; and
a protection optical fiber line linking said first and said second nodes;
wherein each local microprocessor determines whether to perform a line switch or an equipment switch as a function of the optical power characteristics of the local node correlated with the status reports from the other nodes of the optical network via the inter-node channel, wherein each local microprocessor records the result of any line switch or equipment switch and communicates the result of the line switch or equipment switch to the other local microprocessor, and wherein each local microprocessor communicates a message alerting the other local microprocessor of an upcoming line switch or equipment switch prior to the line switch or equipment switch.
16. A wavelength division multiplexing optical ring network, comprising:
a first node containing a first optical sensor, a first transceiver for receiving and transmitting data on a first inter-node channel, and a first local microprocessor for controlling a first line switcher and a first set of redundant electrical elements, the first local microprocessor transmitting status reports on the optical characteristics of the channels in said first node via said first transceiver;
a second node containing a second optical sensor, a second transceiver for receiving and transmitting data on the first inter-node channel, a third transceiver for receiving and transmitting data on a second inter-node channel, and a second local microprocessor for controlling a second line switcher and a second set of redundant electrical elements, the second local microprocessor transmitting status reports on the optical characteristics of the channels in said second node via said second transceiver;
a third node containing a third optical sensor, a fourth transceiver for receiving and transmitting data on the second inter-node channel, and a third local microprocessor for controlling a second line switcher and a third set of redundant electrical elements, the third local microprocessor transmitting status reports on the optical characteristics of the channels in said third node via said fourth transceiver;
a first primary optical fiber line linking said first and said second nodes;
a first protection optical fiber line linking said first and said second nodes;
a second primary optical fiber line linking said second and third nodes;
a second protection optical fiber line linking said second and third nodes; and
at least one additional optical element linking said nodes into an optical ring;
wherein each of the microprocessors determines whether to perform a line switch or an equipment switch in the node which it resides as a function of the optical characteristics sensed at the local node and the status reports received from the other nodes.
17. A method of fault detection and isolation in a node of a wavelength division multiplexing optical network comprising a plurality of nodes coupled to each neighboring node by at least two fibers, each node having at least one local optical sensor for each channel linked to a local tributary network, at least one transceiver for communicating data to each neighboring node that it is coupled to, and a local microprocessor for controlling a local line switcher and redundant demultiplexing elements residing in the node, the method comprising the steps of:
sensing the optical power characteristics of all of the optical channels traversing the node;
sensing the optical power characteristics of each channel linked to the local tributary network;
receiving reports on the optical characteristics of the optical channels in neighboring upstream nodes;
updating a status list of measured channel characteristics in the node and in neighboring upstream nodes;
determining if the power level of one of the channels drops below a predetermined level;
waiting a preselected period of time to receive a status update from the upstream nodes;
selecting an equipment switch decision if a correlation of the channel power distribution between the node and upstream nodes indicates a likelihood that a failure has occurred in an electro-optic element in the node;
notifying downstream nodes that an equipment switch will be made; and
activating redundant electro-optic elements in the node.
18. A method of coordinating the action of the nodes of an optical network to perform a fault detection and isolation network function, each node of the network system creating status reports of fault detection and isolation between optical network nodes, each node including at least one local optical sensor for measuring optical characteristics of the datastream at the local node, at least one transceiver for communicating data to each neighboring node that it is coupled to via a fiber optic link, and each node having a local controller for controlling at least one local restoration element, the method comprising the steps of:
sensing a first set of optical characteristics of the datastream at a first node;
updating a channel map of active channels at the first node based on the sensed optical characteristics;
communicating the updated channel map to a neighboring second node via the fiber optic link;
sensing a second set of optical characteristics of the datastream at the second node;
comparing the second set of optical characteristics to the channel map to determine if a fault has occurred requiring the controller at the second node to activate a restoration element; and
communicating a message alerting the first node of an upcoming activation of the restoration element prior to the activation of the restoration element.
The claims below are in addition to those above.
All refrences to claim(s) which appear below refer to the numbering after this setence.

1. 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 that is transmitted over a wireless data channel by a wireless communication module included in an alarm system in response to the alarm system detecting an alarm event, the alarm data indicating the alarm event;
in response to receiving the alarm data:
enabling an operator at a monitoring station to handle the alarm event;
identifying a number that is available for the operator handling the alarm event to receive a wireless voice call; and
sending, over the wireless data channel to the wireless communication module, the identified number to enable the wireless communication module to place a wireless voice call, over a wireless voice channel that is decoupled from the wireless data channel, to the identified number; and

coordinating establishment of a voice communication session, over the wireless voice channel, between a communication device used by the operator handling the alarm event and the wireless communication module included in the alarm system by enabling the wireless voice call to be routed, at the monitoring station, to the communication device used by the operator handling the alarm event.
2. The method of claim 1 wherein:
the alarm system is a security system installed in a building, the security system being configured to receive a signal from at least one sensor and detect an alarm event based on the received signal, and
coordinating establishment of the voice communication session, over the wireless voice channel, between the communication device used by the operator handling the alarm event and the wireless communication module included in the alarm system includes coordinating establishment of a voice communication session with the security system to enable the operator to listen in on an area in the building and communicate with a person who is in the area in the building.
3. The method of claim 1 wherein enabling the wireless voice call to be routed, at the monitoring station, to the communication device used by the operator handling the alarm event comprises sending, to the monitoring station, an electronic communication that includes data that enables the monitoring station to associate an incoming call placed to the identified number with the alarm data.
4. The method of claim 3 wherein sending, to the monitoring station, an electronic communication that includes data that enables the monitoring station to associate an incoming call placed to the identified number with the alarm data comprises sending, to the monitoring station, an electronic communication that includes data that enables identification of an incoming call identifier temporarily assigned to the alarm system.
5. The method of claim 1 wherein sending, over the wireless data channel to the wireless communication module, the identified number comprises sending, over the wireless data channel to the wireless communication module, a confirmation message that indicates receipt of the alarm data and that includes the identified number, the communication module included in the alarm system being configured to place the voice call to the identified number included with the confirmation message in response to receiving the confirmation message.
6. The method of claim 1 wherein sending, over the wireless data channel to the wireless communication module, the identified number comprises sending, over the wireless data channel to the wireless communication module, a command to initiate a voice call to the monitoring station that includes the identified number, the communication module included in the alarm system being configured to place the voice call to the identified number in response to receiving the command.
7. The method of claim 1 wherein:
the wireless data channel is a GSMGPRS data channel; and
the wireless voice channel is a GSM voice channel.
8. The method of claim 1 wherein:
the alarm data is transmitted by the wireless communication module as Internet Protocol packets over a wireless data channel configured to transport Internet Protocol packets, and
the voice communication session includes exchanging cellular voice communications over a wireless voice channel configured to transport cellular voice communications.
9. The method of claim 1 wherein:
the alarm data is transmitted by the wireless communication module as a Short Message Service (SMS) message over a wireless data channel configured to transport SMS messages, and
the voice communication session includes exchanging cellular voice communications over a wireless voice channel configured to transport cellular voice communications.
10. 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;
after receiving the alarm data over the data communication channel, receiving a voice call separate from the alarm data, the voice call being received from the communication module included in the alarm system over a voice communication channel that is decoupled from the data communication channel;
accessing, by a processor at a monitoring station, data that enables association of alarm information received over the data communication channel with voice calls received over the voice communication channel;
associating, at the monitoring station, the alarm data received over the data communication channel with the voice call received over the voice communication channel based on the accessed data that enables association of alarm information received over the data communication channel with voice calls received over the voice communication channel;
enabling an operator at the monitoring station to handle the alarm event; and
routing, at the monitoring station, the voice call to a communication device used by the operator handling the alarm event based on the association of the alarm data received over the data communication channel with the voice call received over the voice communication channel, thereby establishing 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.
11. The method of claim 10:
wherein enabling an operator at the monitoring station to handle the alarm event comprises assigning an operator to process the alarm event and sending the alarm data to a device associated with the operator;
wherein accessing data that enables association of alarm information received over the data communication channel with voice calls received over the voice communication channel comprises:
identifying a number associated with the wireless communication module based on the voice call, and
accessing data that enables identification of alarm systems based on numbers associated with wireless communication modules;

wherein associating, at the monitoring station, the alarm data received over the data communication channel with the voice call received over the voice communication channel based on the accessed data that enables association of alarm information received over the data communication channel with voice calls received over the voice communication channel comprises:
identifying the voice call as being from the alarm system based on the identified number associated with the wireless communication module and the accessed data that enables identification of alarm systems based on numbers associated with wireless communication modules, and
identifying the operator assigned to process the alarm data associated with the alarm system; and

wherein routing, at the monitoring station, the voice call to a communication device used by the operator handling the alarm event based on the association of the alarm data received over the data communication channel with the voice call received over the voice communication channel comprises routing, at the monitoring station, the voice call to a communication device used by the identified operator assigned to process the alarm data associated with the alarm system.
12. The method of claim 11:
wherein accessing data that enables identification of alarm systems based on numbers associated with wireless communication modules comprises accessing data that enables identification of customer account numbers based on numbers associated with wireless communication modules;
wherein identifying the voice call as being from the alarm system based on the identified number associated with the wireless communication module and the accessed data that enables identification of alarm systems based on numbers associated with wireless communication modules comprises identifying the voice call as being from a customer account number associated with the alarm system based on the identified number associated with the wireless communication module and the accessed data that enables identification of customer account numbers based on numbers associated with wireless communication modules; and
wherein identifying the operator assigned to process the alarm data associated with the alarm system comprises identifying the operator assigned to process the alarm data for the customer account number associated with the alarm system.
13. The method of claim 10, further comprising, in response to receiving the alarm data over the data communication channel, sending, over the data communication channel, a confirmation message indicating receipt of the alarm data, the communication module included in the alarm system being configured to place the voice call in response to receiving the confirmation message.
14. The method of claim 13, wherein sending, over the data communication channel, the confirmation message indicating receipt of the alarm data comprises sending, over the data communication channel, a confirmation message that includes a number that is available to receive a voice call, the communication module included in the alarm system being configured to place the voice call to the number included with the confirmation message.
15. The method of claim 14:
wherein receiving the voice call separate from the alarm data comprises receiving a voice call placed to the number included with the confirmation message;
wherein accessing data that enables association of alarm information received over the data communication channel with voice calls received over the voice communication channel comprises accessing data that associates the number included with the confirmation message with the alarm system; and
wherein associating, at the monitoring station, the alarm data received over the data communication channel with the voice call received over the voice communication channel based on the accessed data that enables association of alarm information received over the data communication channel with voice calls received over the voice communication channel comprises associating, at the monitoring station, the alarm data received over the data communication channel with the voice call received over the voice communication channel based on the accessed data that associates the number included with the confirmation message with the alarm system.
16. The method of claim 10, further comprising:
determining that the alarm system from which the alarm data was received has a two-way voice feature; and
in response to determining that the alarm system from which the alarm data was received has the two-way voice feature, holding the alarm data,
wherein associating, at the monitoring station, the alarm data received over the data communication channel with the voice call received over the voice communication channel based on the accessed data that enables association of alarm information received over the data communication channel with voice calls received over the voice communication channel comprises associating, at the monitoring station, the held alarm data received over the data communication channel with the voice call received over the voice communication channel, and
wherein enabling the operator at the monitoring station to handle the alarm event and routing, at the monitoring station, the voice call to a communication device used by the operator handling the alarm event comprises, in response to associating the held alarm data received over the data communication channel with the voice call received over the voice communication channel, identifying an available operator and routing the held alarm data and the voice call to the available operator.
17. The method of claim 16, wherein holding the alarm data comprises, when a call from the wireless communication module included in the alarm system is not received in a predetermined and configurable amount of time, initiating processing of the alarm data.
18. The method of claim 16 wherein holding the alarm data comprises, when a call from the wireless communication module included in the alarm system is not received in a predetermined and configurable amount of time, sending, to the wireless communication module included in the alarm system, a command indicating that the monitoring station is waiting to receive a voice call.
19. The method of claim 10, further comprising:
determining that the alarm system from which the alarm data was received has a two-way voice feature; and
in response to determining that the alarm system from which the alarm data was received has the two-way voice feature, transmitting a command to initiate a voice call to the monitoring station.
20. The method of claim 19, wherein transmitting the command to initiate a voice call to the monitoring station comprises transmitting a command that includes a number that is available to receive a voice call, the communication module included in the alarm system being configured to place the voice call to the number included with the command.
21. The method of claim 20:
wherein receiving the voice call separate from the alarm data comprises receiving a voice call placed to the number included with the command;
wherein accessing data that enables association of alarm information received over the data communication channel with voice calls received over the voice communication channel comprises accessing data that associates the number included with the command with the alarm system; and
wherein associating, at the monitoring station, the alarm data received over the data communication channel with the voice call received over the voice communication channel based on the accessed data that enables association of alarm information received over the data communication channel with voice calls received over the voice communication channel comprises associating, at the monitoring station, the alarm data received over the data communication channel with the voice call received over the voice communication channel based on the accessed data that associates the number included with the command with the alarm system.
22. The method of claim 10:
wherein accessing data that enables association of alarm information received over the data communication channel with voice calls received over the voice communication channel comprises accessing data that enables identification of an incoming call identifier temporarily assigned to the alarm system; and
wherein associating, at the monitoring station, the alarm data received over the data communication channel with the voice call received over the voice communication channel based on the accessed data that enables association of alarm information received over the data communication channel with voice calls received over the voice communication channel comprises associating, at the monitoring station, the alarm data received over the data communication channel with the voice call received over the voice communication channel based on the accessed data that enables identification of the incoming call identifier temporarily assigned to the alarm system.
23. The method of claim 22:
wherein accessing data that enables identification of the incoming call identifier temporarily assigned to the alarm system comprises receiving, from an intermediary alarm server, an electronic communication that includes data that enables identification of an incoming call identifier temporarily assigned to the alarm system; and
wherein associating, at the monitoring station, the alarm data received over the data communication channel with the voice call received over the voice communication channel based on the accessed data that enables identification of the incoming call identifier temporarily assigned to the alarm system comprises associating, at the monitoring station, the alarm data received over the data communication channel with the voice call received over the voice communication channel based on the received electronic communication that includes data that enables identification of the incoming call identifier temporarily assigned to the alarm system.
24. The method of claim 22 wherein associating, at the monitoring station, the alarm data received over the data communication channel with the voice call received over the voice communication channel based on the accessed data that enables identification of the incoming call identifier temporarily assigned to the alarm system comprises monitoring for a voice call received at an incoming call port associated with the incoming call identifier temporarily assigned to the alarm system.
25. The method of claim 10 wherein:
the data communication channel is a wireless data channel; and
the voice communication channel is a wireless voice channel.
26. The method of claim 25 wherein:
the wireless data channel is a GSMGPRS data channel; and
the wireless voice channel is a GSM voice channel.
27. The method of claim 25 wherein:
the alarm data is transmitted by the wireless communication module as Internet Protocol packets over a wireless data channel configured to transport Internet Protocol packets, and
the voice communication session includes exchanging cellular voice communications over a wireless voice channel configured to transport cellular voice communications.
28. The method of claim 25 wherein:
the alarm data is transmitted by the wireless communication module as a Short Message Service (SMS) message over a wireless data channel configured to transport SMS messages, and
the voice communication session includes exchanging cellular voice communications over a wireless voice channel configured to transport cellular voice communications.
29. The method of claim 10 wherein:
the alarm system is a security system installed in a building, the security system being configured to receive a signal from at least one sensor and detect an alarm event based on the received signal; and
establishing the 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 includes establishing a voice communication session with the communication module included in the security system that enables the operator to listen in on an area in the building proximate to the at least one sensor and that enables the operator to communicate with a person who is in an area in the building proximate to the at least one sensor.
30. 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 that is transmitted over a wireless data channel by a wireless communication module included in an alarm system in response to the alarm system detecting an alarm event, the alarm data indicating the alarm event;
in response to receiving the alarm data:
enabling an operator at a monitoring station to handle the alarm event;
identifying a number that is available for the operator handling the alarm event to receive a wireless voice call; and
sending, over the wireless data channel to the wireless communication module, the identified number to enable the wireless communication module to place a wireless voice call, over a wireless voice channel that is decoupled from the wireless data channel, to the identified number; and

coordinating establishment of a voice communication session, over the wireless voice channel, between a communication device used by the operator handling the alarm event and the wireless communication module included in the alarm system by enabling the wireless voice call to be routed, at the monitoring station, to the communication device used by the operator handling the alarm event.
31. The alarm server of claim 30 wherein:
the alarm system is a security system installed in a building, the security system being configured to receive a signal from at least one sensor and detect an alarm event based on the received signal, and
coordinating establishment of the voice communication session, over the wireless voice channel, between the communication device used by the operator handling the alarm event and the wireless communication module included in the alarm system includes coordinating establishment of a voice communication session with the security system to enable the operator to listen in on an area in the building and communicate with a person who is in the area in the building.
32. The alarm server of claim 30 wherein enabling the wireless voice call to be routed, at the monitoring station, to the communication device used by the operator handling the alarm event comprises sending, to the monitoring station, an electronic communication that includes data that enables the monitoring station to associate an incoming call placed to the identified number with the alarm data.
33. The alarm server of claim 30 wherein sending, to the monitoring station, an electronic communication that includes data that enables the monitoring station to associate an incoming call placed to the identified number with the alarm data comprises sending, to the monitoring station, an electronic communication that includes data that enables identification of an incoming call identifier temporarily assigned to the alarm system.
34. 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;
after receiving the alarm data over the data communication channel, receiving a voice call separate from the alarm data, the voice call being received from the communication module included in the alarm system over a voice communication channel that is decoupled from the data communication channel;
accessing, by a processor at a monitoring station, data that enables association of alarm information received over the data communication channel with voice calls received over the voice communication channel;
associating, at the monitoring station, the alarm data received over the data communication channel with the voice call received over the voice communication channel based on the accessed data that enables association of alarm information received over the data communication channel with voice calls received over the voice communication channel;
enabling an operator at the monitoring station to handle the alarm event; and
routing, at the monitoring station, the voice call to a communication device used by the operator handling the alarm event based on the association of the alarm data received over the data communication channel with the voice call received over the voice communication channel, thereby establishing 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.
35. The alarm server of claim 34:
wherein enabling an operator at the monitoring station to handle the alarm event comprises assigning an operator to process the alarm event and sending the alarm data to a device associated with the operator;
wherein accessing data that enables association of alarm information received over the data communication channel with voice calls received over the voice communication channel comprises:
identifying a number associated with the wireless communication module based on the voice call, and
accessing data that enables identification of alarm systems based on numbers associated with wireless communication modules;