Visitor reception system with improved security by limiting visitors authorized to enter, outdoor unit and communication terminal included in the same

• US 20070085662A1
• Filed: 10/12/2006
• Published: 04/19/2007
• Est. Priority Date: 10/14/2005
• Status: Abandoned Application

• Current Assignee: Sanyo Electric Company Limited (Panasonic Holdings Corporation)
• Original Assignee: Sanyo Electric Company Limited (Panasonic Holdings Corporation)
• Inventors: Koizumi, Michiaki, Matsumoto, Fumiaki
• Application Number:
  US11/546,412
• Publication Number:
  US 20070085662A1
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 340/10.100
• CPC Class Codes: G07C 9/253 visually
• CPC Class Codes: G07C 9/27 with central registration
• CPC Class Codes: G07C 9/28 the pass enabling tracking or indicating presence

Abstract

In order to improve security by limiting visitors authorized to enter, a visitor reception system includes an outdoor unit and a communication terminal capable of communicating with the outdoor unit. The outdoor unit includes a short-range communication portion to communicate with a mobile phone, a communication I/F to communicate with the communication terminal, and a control portion to obtain a telephone number from a mobile phone through the short-range communication portion and transmit the obtained telephone number to the communication terminal through the communication I/F. The communication terminal includes an EEPROM to store a telephone number, a first communication I/F to communicate with the outdoor unit, and a control portion to receive the telephone number of a mobile phone from the outdoor unit through the first communication I/F and give notification of a visitor on condition that the received telephone number is stored in EEPROM.

Claims

1. A visitor reception system comprising an outdoor unit installed outdoors and a communication terminal capable of communicating with said outdoor unit,

said outdoor unit including

a first communication portion to communicate with a radio terminal within a prescribed distance,

a second communication portion to communicate with said communication terminal,

an identification information obtaining portion to obtain identification information of said radio terminal from said radio terminal through said first communication portion, and

an identification information transmission portion to transmit said obtained identification information to said communication terminal through said second communication portion in response to obtaining of said identification information by said identification information obtaining portion,

said communication terminal including

an identification information registration portion to register identification information,

a third communication portion to communicate with said outdoor unit,

an identification information reception portion to receive the identification information of said radio terminal from said outdoor unit through said third communication portion, and

a notification portion to give notification of a visitor in response to reception of said identification information by said identification information reception portion, on condition that said received identification information is registered in said identification information registration portion.

2. An outdoor unit capable of communicating with a communication terminal, comprising:

a first communication portion to communicate with a radio terminal within a prescribed distance;

a second communication portion to communicate with said communication terminal;

an identification information obtaining portion to obtain identification information of said radio terminal from said radio terminal through said first communication portion; and

an identification information transmission portion to transmit said obtained identification information to said communication terminal through said second communication portion in response to obtaining of said identification information by said identification information obtaining portion.

3. A communication terminal capable of communicating with an outdoor unit installed outdoors, comprising:

an identification information registration portion to register identification information;

a communication portion to communicate with said outdoor unit;

an identification information reception portion to receive identification information of a radio terminal within a prescribed distance from said outdoor unit through said communication portion; and

a notification portion to give notification of a visitor in response to reception of said identification information by an identification information reception portion, on condition that said identification information is registered in said identification information registration portion.

4. The communication terminal according to claim 3, further comprising:

an instruction accepting portion to accept an input of an instruction; and

a call portion to enable a call with a visitor through said communication portion, on condition that a permission instruction is accepted by said instruction accepting portion.

5. The communication terminal according to claim 4, wherein

said registration portion registers identification information to be registered permanently and identification information to be registered temporarily in a distinguishable manner and includes a deletion portion to delete said received identification information in response to acceptance of the permission instruction by said instruction accepting portion if said received identification information is identification information registered temporarily in said registration portion.

6. The communication terminal according to claim 3, further comprising an image data reception portion to receive image data obtained by picking up an image of a visitor from said outdoor unit through said communication portion, wherein

said registration portion can register image data in association with said identification information, and

said notification portion includes a display portion to display said received image data and the image data registered in association with said received identification information at the same time.

7. The communication terminal according to claim 3, wherein

said registration portion includes a registration identification information reception portion to receive identification information for registration via a network and registers said received identification information for registration.

8. A visitor reception system comprising an outdoor unit installed outdoors and a plurality of communication terminals capable of communicating with said outdoor unit,

said outdoor unit including

a first communication portion to communicate with a radio terminal within a prescribed distance,

a second communication portion to communicate with said communication terminal,

an identification information obtaining portion to obtain identification information of said radio terminal from said radio terminal through said first communication portion, and

an identification information transmission portion to transmit said obtained identification information to said plurality of communication terminals through said second communication portion, in response to obtaining of said identification information by said identification information obtaining portion,

each of said plurality of communication terminals including

an identification information registration portion to register identification information,

a third communication portion to communicate with said outdoor unit,

an identification information reception portion to receive the identification information of said radio terminal from said outdoor unit through said third communication portion, and

a notification portion to give notification of a visitor in response to reception of said identification information by said identification information reception portion, on condition that said identification information is registered in said identification information registration portion.

9. A visitor reception system comprising:

a registration portion to register beforehand identification information for identifying a radio terminal;

an identification information obtaining portion to communicate with a radio terminal carried by a visitor to obtain identification information of said radio terminal; and

a notification portion to give notification of a visitor in response to obtaining of said identification information by said identification information obtaining portion, on condition that said identification information is registered in said identification information registration portion.

10. The visitor reception system according to claim 9, further comprising an image pickup portion to pick up an image of a visitor to output image data, wherein

said registration portion can register image data in association with said identification information, and

said notification portion includes a display portion to display the image data output by said image pickup portion and the image data registered in association with said obtained identification information at the same time.