1 A call centre for an alarm monitoring system comprising means to receive an alarm call, means to make a telephone call to a subscriber's telephone number in response to said alarm call, and means to send a further call to a specified telephone number if the call to the subscriber is not suitably answered.
2. A call centre according to Claim 1 comprising means to derive information for making the telephone call to the subscriber from a databank in the call centre.
3. A call centre according to Claim 1 wherein the means to send a further call operates if the call to the subscriber is not answered within a predetermined time interval.
4. A call centre according to Claim 3 comprising means to effect the further call to the specified number also when instructed by an operator.
5. A call centre according to any preceding claim wherein information on the specified number is held in a databank in the call centre.
6. A call centre according to any preceding claim wherein information in a databank in the call centre is used to effect the further call to the specified telephone number.
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7. A call centre according to any preceding claim comprising means to connect an operator into the telephone call to the subscriber's telephone number in response to said alarm call.
8. A call centre according to Claim 7 comprising means to send to the operator, additional information held at the databank of the call centre.
9. A call centre according to any preceding claim comprising means to connect an operator into the further call to the specified telephone number.
10. A call centre according to Claim 9 comprising means to send, to the operator, additional information held at the databank of the call centre.
11. A call centre according to any preceding claim comprising means to send to the location of the specified telephone number, additional information held at the databank of the call centre.
12. A call centre according to any of Claims 8, 10 or 11 wherein the sending means comprises means to send the information by fax or electronically.
13. A call centre according to any of Claims 8, 10, 11 or 12 wherein the additional information comprises some or all of the subscriber information in the databank of the call centre.
14. A call centre according to any preceding claim wherein the means to send a further call comprises means to send a call to a Police station specified in the subscriber information.
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15. A call centre according to any preceding claim comprising speech processor means to send a speech message seeking a pre-agreed security number or code when the telephone call to the subscriber's telephone number is answered.
16. A call centre according to any preceding claim comprising speech processor means to analyse a response when the telephone call to the subscriber's telephone number is answered to determine if it contains the pre-agreed security number or code.
17. A call centre according to any preceding claim wherein the means to send an further call operates if the call to the subscriber is answered incorrectly.
18. A call centre for an alarm monitoring system substantially as hereinbefore described with reference to, and/or as illustrated in, any one or more of the Figures of the accompanying drawings.
19. An alarm monitoring system incorporating a call centre according to any one or more of Claims 1 to 18.
20. Method of operating for an alarm monitoring system comprising receiving an alarm call, making a telephone call to a subscriber's telephone number, in response to said alarm call, and sending a further call to a specified telephone number if the call to the subscriber is not answered.
21. A method according to Claim 21 comprising deriving information for making the telephone call to the subscriber from a databank in the call centre.
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22. A method according to Claims 20 or 21 comprising sending a further call operates if the call to the subscriber is not answered within a predetermined time interval.
23. A method according to any of Claims 20 to 22 comprising effecting the further call to the specified number also when instructed by an operator.
24. A method according to any of Claim 20 to 23 wherein information on the specified number is held in a databank in the call centre.
25. A method according to any of Claims 20 to 24 wherein information in a databank in the call centre is used to effect the further call to the specified telephone number.
26. A method according to any of Claims 20 to 25 comprising connecting an operator into the telephone call to the subscriber's telephone number in response to said alarm call.
27. A method according to Claim 26 comprising sending, to the operator, additional information held at the databank of the call centre.
28. A method according to any of Claims 20 to 27 comprising means to connecting an operator into the further call to the specified telephone number.
29. A method according to Claim 28 comprising sending, to the operator, additional information held at the databank of the call centre.
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30. A method according to any of Claims 20 to 29 comprising sending, to the location of specified telephone number, additional information held at the databank of the call centre.
31. A method according to any of Claims 27, 29 or 30 comprising sending the information by fax or electronically.
32. The method according to any of Claims 27, 29, 30 or 31 wherein the additional information comprises some or all of the subscriber information in the databank of the call centre.
33. A method according to any of Claims 20 to 32 wherein sending a further call comprises sending a call to the Police station specified in the subscriber information.
34. A method according to any of Claims 19 to 33 comprising providing processor means to send a speech message seeking a pre-agreed security number or code when the telephone call to the subscriber's telephone number is answered.
35. A method according to any preceding claim comprising providing speech processor means to analyse a response when the telephone call to the subscriber's telephone number is answered to determine if it contains pre- agreed security number or code.
36. A method of operating a call centre for an alarm monitoring system substantially as hereinbefore described with reference to, and/or as illustrated in, any one or more of the Figures of the accompanying drawings.
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37. A method of operating an alarm monitoring system incorporating a call centre according to any one or more of Claims 20 to 36.
38. A computer program product directly loadable into the interval memory of the digital computer comprising software portions for performing the steps according to the method of any one or more of Claims 20 to 35 when said product is run on a computer.
39. A computer program product stored on a computer usuable medium, comprising: computer readable program means for causing a computer to receive an alarm call; computer readable program means for causing a computer to make a telephone call to a subscriber's telephone number in response to said alarm call; computer readable program means for causing a computer to send a further call to a specified telephone number if the call to the subscriber is not answered.
40. Electronic distribution of a computer program according to Claims 34 or 37.
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