DOORBELL COMMUNITIES

• US 20180047269A1
• Filed: 10/25/2017
• Published: 02/15/2018
• Est. Priority Date: 06/23/2015
• Status: Abandoned Application

• Current Assignee: SkyBell Technologies Ip, LLC
• Original Assignee: Skybell Technologies, Inc.
• Inventors: Thomas, Andrew Paul, Scalisi, Joseph Frank, Harrison, Gregory Saul, Mejia, Desiree
• Application Number:
  US15/793,720
• Publication Number:
  US 20180047269A1
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 16/955 using information identifiers, e.g. uniform resource locators [URL]
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/04817 using icons graphical or visual programming using iconic symbols G06F8/34
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/04842 Selection of displayed objects or displayed text elements G06F3/0482 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: G06V 10/95 structured as a network, e.g. client-server architectures
• CPC Class Codes: G06V 20/52 Surveillance or monitoring of activities, e.g. for recognising suspicious objects recognising microscopic objects G06V20/69
• CPC Class Codes: G06V 40/172 Classification, e.g. identification
• CPC Class Codes: G06V 40/20 Movements or behaviour, e.g. gesture recognition recognition of facial expressions G06V40/16
• CPC Class Codes: G07C 9/00174 Electronically operated locks; Circuits therefor; Nonmechanical keys therefor, e.g. passive or active electrical keys or other data carriers without mechanical keys mechanical locks with electric permutation E05B49/00; arrangements for sensing or reading record carriers G06K7/00; electronic switching H03K17/00
• CPC Class Codes: G07C 9/253 visually
• CPC Class Codes: G08B 13/19684 Portable terminal, e.g. mobile phone, used for viewing video remotely
• 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 19/00 Alarms responsive to two or more different undesired or abnormal conditions, e.g. burglary and fire, abnormal temperature and abnormal rate of flow
• CPC Class Codes: G08B 27/003 Signalling to neighbouring houses
• 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: G08C 17/02 using a radio link
• 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 12/282 based on user interaction within the home receiver circuitry for displaying additional information being controlled by a remote control apparatus H04N21/42204
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 12/2823 Reporting information sensed by appliance or service execution status of appliance services in a home automation network device-related reporting H04L43/065; arrangements in telecontrol or telemetry systems for selectively calling a substation from a main station, in which substation desired apparatus is selected for applying a control signal thereto or for obtaining measured values therefrom H04Q9/00
• 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 2012/2847 : characterised by the type of home appliance used
• 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 7/181 : for receiving images from a plurality of remote sources
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 7/186 : Video door telephones

Abstract

Doorbells can send data to each other to enable a first doorbell user to warn a second doorbell user regarding a suspicious visitor. A first user can indicate a first trait of a visitor via a first remote computing device. The first user can create a user group to enable the members of the user group to use their doorbells to take pictures of suspicious visitors and to send the pictures of the suspicious visitors to other members of the user group.

Claims

1. A method of using a doorbell system, wherein the doorbell system comprises a first remote computing device communicatively coupled to a first doorbell having a first camera, the method comprising:

sending a first picture, taken by the first doorbell, of a first visitor to the first remote computing device;

creating a doorbell user group comprising the first remote computing device and a second remote computing device that is communicatively coupled to a second doorbell but is not communicatively coupled to the first doorbell; and

sharing the first picture of the first visitor with the doorbell user group such that the second remote computing device receives the first picture.

2. The method of claim 1, further comprising sending, by the doorbell system, an alert to the doorbell user group in response to a selection of a first button on the first remote computing device.

3. The method of claim 2, wherein the alert comprising at least one of a video and an image taken by the first doorbell.

4. The method of claim 1, further comprising sending, in response to a selection of a first button on the first remote computing device, a communication to at least a portion of the doorbell user group,

wherein the communication is configured to cause the first and second doorbells to simultaneously record videos to capture evidence regarding an emergency situation in a neighborhood of the first and second doorbells.

5. The method of claim 4, further comprising recording comments regarding the videos from the doorbell user group such that members of the doorbell user group can read the comments.

6. The method of claim 1, further comprising recording comments regarding the first picture from the doorbell user group such that members of the doorbell user group can read the comments.

7. The method of claim 1, further comprising sending, in response to a selection of a first button on the first remote computing device, a communication to at least a portion of the doorbell user group,

wherein the communication is configured to cause the first and second doorbells to simultaneously emit an alarm sound in response to an emergency situation.

8. The method of claim 7, wherein the communication is configured to cause the first and second doorbells to simultaneously emit lights in response to the emergency situation.

9. The system of claim 1, wherein the first doorbell is coupled to a first building, and a remote sensor is configured to detect an unauthorized intrusion of the first building, the method further comprising sending an alert sent to the doorbell user group in response to the remote sensor detecting the unauthorized intrusion.

10. The method of claim 9, wherein the alert comprising at least one of a video and an image taken by the first doorbell.

11. The method of claim 1, further comprising sending an alert to members of the doorbell user group in response to detecting, by a remote burglar detection system, a burglary of the first building.

12. The method of claim 11, wherein the alert comprising at least one of a video and an image taken by the first doorbell.

13. The method of claim 1, wherein the first remote computing device is not communicatively coupled to the second doorbell, the method further comprising receiving a second picture taken by the second doorbell in response to the second doorbell sending the second picture to a database configured to provide visitor information to the doorbell user group.

14. The method of claim 1, further comprising receiving a first trait of the first visitor from the first remote computing device, and sharing the first picture of the first visitor with the doorbell user group in response to the first trait of the first visitor.

15. The method of claim 1, further comprising displaying a map on the first remote computing device, wherein the map displays a second location of the second doorbell and a third location of a third doorbell, the method further comprising displaying information regarding the second doorbell in response to receiving a selection by a user of a map icon representing the second doorbell while the map icon is displayed on the first remote computing device.

16. The method of claim 15, further comprising adding the second doorbell to the doorbell user group in response to detecting the user selecting the second doorbell on the first remote computing device.

17. The method of claim 1, wherein the first doorbell is coupled to a first building, the second doorbell is coupled to a second building, and a third doorbell is coupled to a third building, the method further comprising analyzing information collected from the first, second, and third doorbells, and then sending an alert in response to facial recognition of the information.

18. The method of claim 17, wherein the facial recognition is configured to detect the visitor having visited the first, second, and third buildings.

19. A method of using a doorbell system communicatively coupled to a first doorbell coupled to a first building, a second doorbell coupled to a second building, and a third doorbell coupled to a third building, the method comprising:

coupling communicatively, by the doorbell system, the first doorbell to a first remote computing device;

receiving, by the doorbell system, information from the first, second, and third doorbells; and

analyzing, by the doorbell system, the information collected from the first, second, and third doorbells.

20. The method of claim 19, further comprising sending an alert to the first remote computing device in response to facial recognition of the information.

21. The method of claim 19, further comprising sending an alert to the first remote computing device in response to determining by analyzing the information via facial recognition that the first, second, and third doorbells have taken images of a same visitor.

22. The method of claim 19, further comprising creating a doorbell user group comprising the first remote computing device and a second remote computing device that is communicatively coupled to the second doorbell but is not communicatively coupled to the first doorbell, the method further comprising sending an alert to the doorbell user group in response to facial recognition of the information.

23. The method of claim 19, further comprising sending an alert to the first remote computing device in response to identifying, by the doorbell system, abnormal behaviors correlated with crime.

24. The method of claim 19, further comprising sending an alert to the first remote computing device in response to determining a number of visits of a visitor to a group of buildings comprising the first, second, and third buildings.

25. The method of claim 19, further comprising sending an alert to the first remote computing device in response to analyzing a combination of the information and a database of past criminal activity in an area of the first, second, and third buildings.

26. The method of claim 19, further comprising predicting, by the doorbell system based at least partially on the information, a likelihood of future criminal activity.

27. The method of claim 19, further comprising predicting, by the doorbell system based at least partially on the information and on a database of past criminal activity in an area of the first, second, and third buildings, a likelihood of future criminal activity.

28. The method of claim 19, further comprising determining, by the doorbell system based at least partially on the information and on a database of past criminal activity in an area of the first, second, and third buildings, a safety score of the area.

29. The method of claim 28, further comprising sending the safety score to a third party in a manner configured to enable the third party to display a safety metric based at least partially on the safety score with real estate listings.

30. A doorbell system comprising:

a first doorbell having a first camera coupled to a first building, wherein the first doorbell is communicatively coupled to a first remote computing device;

a second doorbell having a second camera coupled to a second building, wherein the second doorbell is communicatively coupled to a second remote computing device; and

a doorbell user group comprising a database having images taken by the first camera and the second camera, wherein the doorbell system is configured to share the images with members of the doorbell user group,

wherein the doorbell user group is communicatively coupled to the first remote computing device and the second remote computing device, and

wherein the first doorbell is not communicatively coupled to the second remote computing device, and the second doorbell is not communicatively coupled to the first remote computing device while the doorbell system is configured such that the first remote computing device receives, due to the doorbell user group, a first visitor picture taken by the second doorbell.