DOORBELL COMMUNICATION SYSTEMS AND METHODS

• US 20170084132A1
• Filed: 07/20/2016
• Published: 03/23/2017
• Est. Priority Date: 07/26/2013
• Status: Abandoned Application

• Current Assignee: SkyBell Technologies Ip, LLC
• Original Assignee: Skybell Technologies, Inc.
• Inventors: Scalisi, Joseph Frank
• Application Number:
  US15/214,451
• Publication Number:
  US 20170084132A1
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• CPC Class Codes: G08B 13/19619 Details of casing
• CPC Class Codes: G08B 13/1966 Wireless systems, other than telephone systems, used to communicate with a camera
• CPC Class Codes: G08B 13/19695 Arrangements wherein non-video detectors start video recording or forwarding but do not generate an alarm themselves
• CPC Class Codes: G08B 15/00 Identifying, scaring or incapacitating burglars, thieves or intruders, e.g. by explosives
• CPC Class Codes: G08B 25/009 Signalling of the alarm condition to a substation whose identity is signalled to a central station, e.g. relaying alarm signals in order to extend communication range
• CPC Class Codes: G08B 3/10 using electric transmission; using electromagnetic transmission
• CPC Class Codes: G08B 7/064 indicating houses needing emergency help, e.g. with a flashing light or sound
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 12/2803 Home automation networks
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 12/2818 from a device located outside both the home and the home network access arrangements H04L12/2856; for remote control or remote monitoring of applications H04L67/025; arrangements for transmitting signals characterised by the use of a wireless eletrical link G08C17/00; telephonic communication systems adapted for combination with remote control systems H04M11/007
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 12/2825 Reporting to a device located outside the home and the home network access arrangements H04L12/2856; for remote control or remote monitoring of applications H04L67/025; telephonic communication systems adapted for combination with telemetering systems H04M11/002
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 2012/2841 Wireless
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 2012/2849 Audio/video appliances
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 11/025 Door telephones adapted for television H04N7/186
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 7/186 Video door telephones

Abstract

An electronic doorbell can include an outer housing configurable to couple to a building. The doorbell can also include a camera coupled to the outer housing and a microphone coupled to the outer housing. The doorbell can also include a button coupled to the outer housing. The electronic doorbell can be configurable to wirelessly communicate with an appliance located within the building.

Claims

1. An electronic doorbell, comprising:

an outer housing configurable to couple to a building;

a camera coupled to the outer housing, the camera configurable to capture an image;

a microphone coupled to the outer housing, the microphone configurable to audibly detect a noise; and

a button coupled to the outer housing, the button configurable to enable a visitor to sound an electronic chime, wherein the electronic doorbell is configurable to wirelessly communicate with an appliance located within the building.

2. The electronic doorbell of claim 1, wherein the electronic doorbell is configurable to display the image captured by the camera on a display screen of the appliance.

3. The electronic doorbell of claim 1, wherein the electronic doorbell is configurable to emit the noise detected by the microphone on a speaker of the appliance.

9. The electronic doorbell of claim 1, wherein the electronic doorbell is configurable to receive a wireless notification from the appliance whereby when the electronic doorbell receives the wireless notification at least one of the camera and microphone changes from a sleep mode to an alert mode that consumes more power than the sleep mode.

10. The electronic doorbell of claim 1, wherein the electronic doorbell is configured to allow two-way audio communication between the appliance and the electronic doorbell via a communication hub.

4. The electronic doorbell of 1, wherein the electronic doorbell is configurable to wirelessly transmit a visitor alert to the appliance, wherein the visitor alert comprises one of a notification that a visitor is present at the electronic doorbell and a notification that the visitor has left a message via the electronic doorbell.

5. The electronic doorbell of claim 4, wherein the visitor alert is sent from the doorbell to the appliance via the wireless network of the building.

6. The electronic doorbell of claim 4, wherein the visitor alert comprises an audible notification emitted by a speaker of the appliance.

7. The electronic doorbell of claim 4, wherein the visitor alert comprises a visual notification displayed by a display screen of the appliance, and wherein the visual notification comprises at least one of a video and a still image.

8. The electronic doorbell of claim 7, wherein the visual notification comprises the video, and wherein the video is sent from the doorbell to the appliance via the wireless network of the building.

11. An electronic doorbell system, comprising:

an electronic doorbell having an outer housing configurable to couple to a building, a camera coupled to the outer housing, a microphone coupled to the outer housing, and a button coupled to the outer housing, the button configurable to enable a visitor to sound an electronic chime;

an appliance configurable to wirelessly communicate with the doorbell; and

a visitor alert received by the appliance, wherein the visitor alert comprises one of a notification that a visitor is present at the electronic doorbell and a notification that the visitor has left a message via the electronic doorbell.

12. The electronic doorbell system of claim 11, wherein the appliance is located within the building, and the appliance comprises at least one of a refrigerator, range, microwave, dishwasher, laundry machine, dryer, and vacuum.

13. The electronic doorbell system of claim 12, further comprising a communication hub that communicatively couples the electronic doorbell to the appliance;

the electronic chime communicatively coupled to the communication hub; and

a remote computing device communicatively coupled to the communication hub.

14. The electronic doorbell system of claim 13, further comprising a first audible message received by the microphone of the electronic doorbell, wherein the first audible message is emitted by a speaker of the appliance.

15. The electronic doorbell system of claim 14, further comprising a second audible message received by a microphone of the appliance, wherein the second audible message is emitted by a speaker of the electronic doorbell.

16. The electronic doorbell system of claim 15, further comprising a third audible message received by a microphone of the remote computing device, wherein the third audible message is emitted by the speaker of the appliance and the speaker of the electronic doorbell, and wherein the first audible message and second audible message are emitted by the speaker of the remote computing device.

17. An electronic doorbell system, comprising:

an electronic doorbell having an outer housing configurable to couple to a building, a camera coupled to the outer housing, a microphone coupled to the outer housing, and a button coupled to the outer housing, the button configurable to enable a visitor to sound an electronic chime; and

an audible message received by at least one of a speaker of a remote computing device and a speaker of an appliance located within a building to which the electronic doorbell is coupled, wherein the audible message is not emitted by a speaker of the electronic doorbell.

18. The electronic doorbell system of claim 17, wherein the audible message comprises at least one of a predetermined word and a predetermined message.

19. The electronic doorbell system of claim 17, further comprising an action performed by the electronic doorbell, wherein the action is performed in response to the system receiving the audible message.

20. The electronic doorbell system of claim 19, wherein the action comprises at least one of recording an image with the camera of the electronic doorbell, recording a noise with the microphone of the electronic doorbell, emitting a predetermined message from the speaker of the electronic doorbell, and illuminating a light coupled to the building.