METHOD AND SYSTEM OF CONTROLLING ACCESS TO ACCESS POINTS

• US 20160316178A1
• Filed: 12/08/2014
• Published: 10/27/2016
• Est. Priority Date: 12/24/2013
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: My Door View LLC
• Original Assignee: My Door View LLC
• Inventors: Hoeffner, Daren, SANTERAMO, Jeff, McDaniel, Robert
• Granted Patent: US 11,122,241 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 1/1
• CPC Class Codes: G07C 9/37 using biometric data, e.g. fingerprints, iris scans or voice recognition
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/237 Communication with additional data server
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/4126 The peripheral being portable, e.g. PDAs or mobile phones
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/64322 IP
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 7/183 for receiving images from a single remote source
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 7/186 Video door telephones

Abstract

A method and system for controlling access to access points of an establishments are described. A call may be initiated from an access box to a smart device thereby activating the smart device to stream video via the Internet from an IP camera located at the access point. An end user of the smart device may communicate with and control access to the access point using the smart device.

Claims

1. A communication network-based method of controlling access to access points at a multi-unit structure, comprising:

initiating a call by a guest through a first access box at a first access point, wherein the first access box connects to a specific end user from a plurality of end users using identifying information, a guest enters a specific end user'"'"'s identifying information into the first access box to identify the specific end user from the plurality of end users;

credentialing the specific end user from the plurality of end users based on coding information entered into the first access box by the guest;

activating a smart device connected with the specific end user at a second position with the call, wherein the smart device is incapable of establishing communication with the first access box prior to receiving the call;

streaming video from an IP camera at the first access point to the smart device via the Internet; and

allowing the specific end user at the second position to verify or communicate with the guest using the smart device, and optionally unlocking the first access point to allow the guest to proceed from the first access point.

2. The method as claimed in claim 1,

wherein the call has identifying information previously credentialed to the smart device, and an application on the smart device activates upon the smart device receiving the previously credentialed identifying information.

3. The method as claimed in claim 1, wherein the end user is credentialed such that the end user'"'"'s identifying information is matched with a directory connected with the first access box, the first access box has a phone number connected with each of the plurality of end users.

4. The method as claimed in claim 1, wherein the first access box calls the smart device.

5. The method as claimed in claim 1, wherein the first access box routes calls to the smart device through a third party communication line.

6. The method as claimed in claim 1, wherein an application on the smart device is activated by caller identification information specific to the first access box.

7. The method as claimed in claim 2, wherein an identifier affiliated with the call that is recognized by the smart device to cause an application on the smart device to be activated, and whereby the application allows the smart device to communicate with the first access box.

8. The method as claimed in claim 1, further comprising:

allowing the end user to download an application compatible with the smart device.

9. The method as claimed in claim 1, wherein the smart device is connected to the IP camera via an accessed IP address via the Internet.

10. The method as claimed in claim 1, further comprising:

initiating a call by the guest through a second access box and a third access box, wherein each of the second and third access boxes have respective access points.

11. The method as claimed in claim 2, further comprising:

synchronizing the application on the smart device and a directory including the end user'"'"'s identifying information via a code entered into the smart device, the code incorporating credentialing information that connects the first access point and the smart device.

12. The method as claimed in claim 1, wherein the smart device is one of a smartphone, a computer, a tablet, or a set-top box.

13. The method as claimed in claim 1, further comprising the step of:

assigning the IP camera to the first access box.

15. The method as claimed in claim 1, further comprising the step of:

placing a second access box at a second access point.

17. The method as claimed in claim 1, the call from the first access box activates the application on the smart device thereby causing the video to be displayed thereon.

18. The method as claimed in claim 1, wherein the first access point is at a border of a building, the building being one of an office, a house, an apartment, a loft, a condominium, or a townhouse.

19. The method as claimed in claim 1, wherein the first access point is at a border of a building, the border being one of an elevator, a gate, or a door.

20. The method as claimed in claim 17, wherein an application on the smart device identifies the first access box from the phone number.

26. The method as claimed in claim 1, wherein the first access box identifies the first access point by a telephone number connected to the first access point.

27. The method as claimed in claim 1, wherein the video is received by the smart device via a communication path that includes the Internet.

14. (canceled)

16. (canceled)

21. A communication network-based method of controlling access to access points at a multi-unit structure, comprising:

initiating a call by a guest through a first access box at a first access point, wherein the first access box can connect to a specific end user from a plurality of end users using identifying information, a guest enters a specific end user'"'"'s identying information into the first access box to identify the specific end user from the plurality of end users;

credentialing the specific end user from the plurality of end users based on the information entered into the first access box by the guest;

activating a smart device at a second position with the call, wherein the smart device is incapable of establishing communication with the first access box prior to receiving the call;

streaming video from an IP camera at the first access point to the smart device via the Internet; and

launching an application on the smart device from the call from the first access box and displaying the streamed video on the smart phone, wherein the call can be answered by the specific end user after viewing the video.

22. (canceled)

23. (canceled)

24. (canceled)

25. (canceled)

28. A communication network-based system for controlling access to access points, comprising:

a first access box capable of (a) allowing a call to be placed by a guest to a specific end user from a plurality of end users using identifying information, (b) allowing a guest to enter a specific end user'"'"'s identifying information into the first access box, (c) identifying the specific end user from the plurality of end users from the specific end user'"'"'s identifying information, and (d) credentialing the specific end user from the plurality of end users based on the information entered into the first access box by the guest, wherein the first access box is at a first access point at a first location;

an IP camera;

an Internet access port from the IP camera to a smart device;

the smart device configured to acquire video data from the IP camera and to allow communication between the smart device and the first access box; and

an application on the smart device that enables the smart device to acquire video data from the IP camera upon receiving the call from the first access box.

29. The system as claimed in claim 28, wherein the IP camera comprises a camera and encoder.

30. The system as claimed in claim 28, wherein the smart device is configured to identify the first location upon receipt of the call from the first access box.

31. The system according to claim 28, wherein the Internet access port comprises a wireless transceiver.

33. The system as claimed in claim 28, further comprising:

a plurality of IP cameras.

35. The system according to claim 28, further comprising:

a plurality of access boxes.

32. (canceled)

34. (canceled)