Audio/video recording and communication doorbell devices including transistor assemblies, and associated systems and methods

• US 10,609,344 B1
• Filed: 09/21/2018
• Issued: 03/31/2020
• Est. Priority Date: 09/21/2018
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Amazon Technologies, Inc. (Amazon.com, Inc.)
• Original Assignee: Amazon Technologies, Inc. (Amazon.com, Inc.)
• Inventors: Tso, Robert
• Primary Examiner(s): Harold, Jefferey F
• Assistant Examiner(s): Rahman, Mustafizur
• Application Number:
  US16/138,841
• Time in Patent Office: 557 Days
• Field of Search: None
• CPC Class Codes: G05B 19/02 electric
• CPC Class Codes: G05B 2219/2642 Domotique, domestic, home control, automation, smart house
• CPC Class Codes: G07C 9/00944 Details of construction or manufacture
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 7/186 Video door telephones

Abstract

An audio/video (A/V) recording and communication doorbell device includes a transistor assembly and control circuitry. The transistor assembly is electrically coupled between an input power bus that distributes alternating current (AC) input power and/or direct current (DC) input power, and an output power bus that provides a DC output power for the A/V recording and communication doorbell device. The control circuitry is configured to cause the transistor assembly to convert AC input power and/or DC input power from the input power bus to the DC output power into the output power bus, to provide the DC output power for the A/V recording and communication doorbell device.

Claims

1. An audio/video (A/V) recording and communication doorbell device, comprising:

a transistor assembly electrically coupled between an input power bus that distributes at least one of an alternating current (AC) input power and a direct current (DC) input power, and an output power bus that provides a DC output power for the A/V recording and communication doorbell device; and

control circuitry configured to cause the transistor assembly to convert the at least one of the AC input power and the DC input power from the input power bus to the DC output power into the output power bus, to provide the DC output power for the A/V recording and communication doorbell device.

2. The A/V recording and communication doorbell device of claim 1, wherein the control circuitry is further configured to:

detect a presence of AC voltage on the input power bus; and

in response to detecting the presence of the AC voltage on the input power bus, cause the transistor assembly to emulate a bridge rectifier to convert the AC input power from the input power bus to the DC output power into the output power bus.

3. The A/V recording and communication doorbell device of claim 1, wherein the control circuitry is further configured to cause the transistor assembly to emulate a diode electrically coupled across the input power bus to rectify the AC input power into a rectified DC output power to a signaling device.

4. The A/V recording and communication doorbell device of claim 1 further comprising a button configured to be pressed to cause a signaling device to activate, wherein the control circuitry is further configured to cause the transistor assembly to short-circuit the input power bus, in response to the button being pressed, to cause the signaling device to activate.

5. The A/V recording and communication doorbell device of claim 1, wherein the control circuitry is further configured to:

detect a presence of DC voltage on the input power bus; and

in response to detection of the DC voltage on the input power bus, cause the transistor assembly to provide a DC path between the input power bus and the output power bus.

6. The A/V recording and communication doorbell device of claim 1, wherein:

the input power bus comprises a first node and a second node;

the output power bus comprises a third node and a fourth node; and

the transistor assembly comprises;

a first transistor electrically coupled between the first node and the third node,

a second transistor electrically coupled between the second node and the third node,

a third transistor electrically coupled between the first node and the fourth node, and

a fourth transistor electrically coupled between the second node and the fourth node.

7. The A/V recording and communication doorbell device of claim 6, wherein the control circuitry is further configured to cause the first transistor and the fourth transistor to operate in their respective on-states, and cause the second transistor and the third transistor to operate in their respective off-states, in response to a first DC voltage at the first node being greater than a second DC voltage at the second node.

8. The A/V recording and communication doorbell device of claim 7, wherein the control circuitry is further configured to cause the first transistor and the fourth transistor to operate in their respective off-states, and cause the second transistor and the third transistor to operate in their respective on-states, in response to the first DC voltage at the first node being less than the second DC voltage at the second node.

9. The A/V recording and communication doorbell device of claim 6, wherein the control circuitry is further configured to cause the first transistor and the fourth transistor to operate in their respective on-states, and cause the second transistor and the third transistor to operate in their respective off-states, in response to a first AC voltage at the first node being greater than a DC voltage at the third node.

10. The A/V recording and communication doorbell device of claim 9, wherein the control circuitry is further configured to cause the first transistor and the fourth transistor to operate in their respective off-states, and cause the second transistor and the third transistor to operate in their respective on-states, in response to a second AC voltage at the second node being greater than the DC voltage at the third node.

11. The A/V recording and communication doorbell device of claim 6 further comprising a button configured to be pressed to cause a signaling device to activate, wherein the control circuitry is further configured to cause the transistor assembly to short-circuit the input power bus, in response to the button being pressed, to cause the signaling device to activate.

12. The A/V recording and communication doorbell device of claim 11, wherein the signaling device is at least one of a mechanical signaling device and a digital signaling device.

13. The A/V recording and communication doorbell device of claim 6, wherein the control circuitry is configured to cause the transistor assembly to short-circuit the input power bus by causing the first transistor and the second transistor to operate in their respective on-states.

14. The A/V recording and communication doorbell device of claim 6, wherein the control circuitry is configured to cause the transistor assembly to short-circuit the input power bus by causing the third transistor and the fourth transistor to operate in their respective on-states.

15. The A/V recording and communication doorbell device of claim 6, wherein:

each of the first transistor and the second transistor comprises a p-channel metal oxide semiconductor field effect transistor (MOSFET); and

each of the third transistor and the fourth transistor comprises an n-channel MOSFET.

16. The A/V recording and communication doorbell device of claim 6, further comprising a respective diode device electrically coupled in parallel with each of the first transistor, the second transistor, the third transistor, and the fourth transistor.

17. An audio/video (A/V) recording and communication doorbell device comprising:

a full-wave rectifier circuit comprising a first two series-connected diodes in parallel with a second two series-connected diodes, the full-wave rectifier circuit electrically coupled between an input power bus and an output power bus and being configured to convert an alternating current (AC) input power from the input power bus to a direct current (DC) output power into the output power bus to power the A/V recording and communication doorbell device;

a transistor assembly comprising four transistors, each of the four transistors being connected in parallel with a respective one of the diodes of the full-wave rectifier circuit; and

control circuitry configured to;

detect a voltage at a node of the input power bus, and

based on the voltage, cause the transistor assembly to convert the AC input power from the input power bus to the DC output power into the output power bus in lieu of the full-wave rectifier circuit.

18. The A/V recording and communication doorbell device of claim 17 further comprising a button configured to be pressed to cause a signaling device to activate, wherein the control circuitry is further configured to cause the transistor assembly to short-circuit the input power bus, in response to the button being pressed, to cause the signaling device to activate.

19. The A/V recording and communication doorbell device of claim 17, wherein:

the input power bus comprises a first node and a second node;

the output power bus comprises a third node and a fourth node; and

the transistor assembly comprises;

a first transistor electrically coupled between the first node and the third node,

a second transistor electrically coupled between the second node and the third node,

a third transistor electrically coupled between the first node and the fourth node, and

a fourth transistor electrically coupled between the second node and the fourth node.

20. The A/V recording and communication doorbell device of claim 17 further comprising a button configured to be pressed to cause a signaling device to activate, wherein the control circuitry is further configured to cause the transistor assembly to short-circuit the input power bus, in response to the button being pressed, to cause the signaling device to activate.