System and Method to Automatically Begin a Video Chat Session

• US 20130135467A1
• Filed: 11/30/2011
• Published: 05/30/2013
• Est. Priority Date: 11/30/2011
• Status: Abandoned Application

• Current Assignee: Ademco Inc. (Resideo Technologies, Inc.)
• Original Assignee: Honeywell International Inc.
• Inventors: Martin, Christopher D., Piel, Kevin G.
• Application Number:
  US13/308,029
• Publication Number:
  US 20130135467A1
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 348/143
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 7/141 between two video terminals, e.g. videophone telephonic communication systems combined with television receiver for reception of entertainment or information matter H04M11/085

Abstract

An expanded, Internet enabled regional monitoring system can facilitate communications with a displaced smart phone. In response to a predetermined condition, such as a request to disarm the monitoring system, a video chat session can automatically be initiated with the smart phone.

Claims

1. An apparatus comprising:

a regional monitoring system which includes a camera having a selected field of view; and

control circuits carried by the system, and responsive to a locally generated manual input, the control circuits initiate a wireless communication to a communications device at a displaced location.

2. An apparatus as in claim 1 where the control circuits include a programmable processor and executable software to initiate the communication by transmitting a pre-stored identifier for the device.

3. An apparatus as in claim 2 where the control circuits and camera provide at least one of audio and visual communications with the device.

4. An apparatus as in claim 3 where the pre-stored identifier comprises an identification number of a wireless communications device or a plurality of devices.

5. An apparatus as in claim 4 where the device is selected from a class which includes at least a smart phone, a pad computer, a wirelessly enabled computer.

6. An apparatus as in claim 1 where the camera is carried on a housing along with a user input device.

7. An apparatus as in claim 1 where the control circuits communicate with at least one ambient condition detector.

8. An apparatus as in claim 7 where the detector is selected from a class which includes at least a glass break detector, a motion detector, a gas detector, and a fire detector.

9. An apparatus as in claim 1 where the control circuits include circuitry to receive and store incoming executable control programs being downloaded from a displaced source.

10. An apparatus as in claim 1 where the control circuits include other circuitry to implement at least one of visual communications, or audio communications between at least a portion of the monitoring system and the device.

11. An apparatus as in claim 8 where the control circuits include circuitry to receive and store incoming executable control programs being downloaded from a displaced source.

12. An apparatus as in claim 11 where the control circuits include other circuitry to implement at least one of visual communications, or audio communications between at least a portion of the monitoring system and the device.

13. An apparatus as in claim 12 where the wireless communication is initiated automatically in response to at least one of the manual input or automatically due to an event indicated by a security sensing device.

14. An apparatus as in claim 13 where the security sensing device can be selected from a class which includes at least a glass break detector, a motion detector, a smoke detector, or a gas detector.

15. An apparatus as in claim 4 wherein if the first device is busy or unavailable, a communication is automatically initiated with the second device, or another device in the plurality until a successful communication results.