VIDEO COMMUNICATION METHOD FOR RECEIVING PERSON AT ENTRANCE

• US 20070103542A1
• Filed: 12/29/2006
• Published: 05/10/2007
• Est. Priority Date: 10/15/2002
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: SB IP Holdings LLC (Skybell Technologies, Inc.)
• Original Assignee: Revolutionary Concepts, Inc.
• Inventors: Carter, Ronald
• Granted Patent: US 8,139,098 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 348/14.60
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 11/00 Telephonic communication systems specially adapted for combination with other electrical systems
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 11/025 Door telephones adapted for television H04N7/186
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 7/142 Constructional details of the terminal equipment, e.g. arrangements of the camera and the display
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 7/185 from a mobile camera, e.g. for remote control

Abstract

A method for receiving a person at an entrance comprises the steps of detecting the presence of a person at the entrance with a proximity sensor located proximate the entrance, transmitting video of the person at the entrance recorded using a camera located proximate the entrance to a computerized controller running a software application, and providing a graphic user interface to a remote peripheral device by which a user of the remote peripheral device may view the video of the person at the entrance.

Claims

1. A method for receiving a person at an entrance, comprising the steps of:

(a) detecting the presence of a person at the entrance;

(b) transmitting, to a computerized controller running a software application, video of the person at the entrance recorded using a camera located proximate the entrance; and

(c) providing, with the application software running at the computerized controller, a graphic user interface to a remote peripheral device by which a user of the remote peripheral device may view the video of the person at the entrance.

2. The method of claim 1, further comprising the step of saving, in accordance with the application software running at the computerized controller, the video of the person at the entrance in a database in association with a timestamp.

3. The method of claim 1, wherein the video is viewed using the remote peripheral device in real-time.

4. The method of claim 1, wherein the video is viewed using the remote peripheral device after the person at the entrance has left.

5. The method of claim 1, wherein the video is streamed to the remote peripheral device.

6. The method of claim 1, further comprising the step of transmitting, to the computerized controller running the software application, audio of the person at the entrance recorded using a microphone located proximate the entrance;

wherein the graphic user interface provided to the remote peripheral device further enables a user of the remote peripheral device to hear the audio of the person at the entrance.

7. The method of claim 1, further comprising the step of playing a recorded greeting to the person at the entrance upon the detection of the person at the entrance.

8. The method of claim 7, further comprising determining, by a user with the remote peripheral device, the recorded greeting that is played through a graphical user interface.

9. The method of claim 8, wherein the recorded greeting is selected by the user from a plurality of recorded greetings.

10. The method of claim 8, wherein the recorded greetings are seasonal greetings.

11. The method of claim 8, wherein the recorded greeting includes audio and video.

12. The method of claim 1, further comprising the step of posting, by the user from the remote peripheral device, a video greeting for presentation to a person at the entrance.

13. The method of claim 1, wherein said remote peripheral device comprises a cell phone.

14. The method of claim 1, wherein said remote peripheral device comprises a video phone.

15. The method of claim 1, wherein said remote peripheral device comprises a computer.

16. The method of claim 1, wherein said remote peripheral device comprises a personal digital assistant.

17. The method of claim 1, wherein the entrance comprises an entrance of a residence or a business.

18. The method of claim 1, further comprising remotely actuating the camera located proximate the entrance using the remote peripheral device.

19. The method of claim 18, wherein said step of remotely actuating the camera includes zooming an image of the person at the entrance.

20. The method of claim 18, wherein said step of remotely actuating the camera includes remotely moving the camera to change the view of the camera.

21. The method of claim 1, wherein the presence of the person at the entrance is accomplished with a proximity sensor located proximate an entrance.