Method and apparatus for remote doorbell answering
First Claim
1. A method of responding to actuation of a dwelling'"'"'s doorbell switch in such a manner as to make it appear to the person actuating the switch that said doorbell switch actuation is being responded to by someone within said dwelling, the method comprising the steps of:
- detecting actuation of said doorbell switch by said person;
reading a signal indicating whether or not someone within said dwelling has answered the doorbell within a predetermined period of time, said reading step including delaying for said predetermined period of time and then determining that a response to said doorbell switch has not occurred;
if said signal indicates that noone within said dwelling answered said doorbell within said predetermined period of time, audodialing a telephone number associated with a remote telephone located somewhere other than inside said dwelling; and
establishing a communication connection between said remote telephone and an audio transducer situated adjacent said doorbell switch;
whereby, said person actuating said doorbell switch is put in communication with a second person at a remote telephone who can respond to actuation of the doorbell switch as if the second person were within said dwelling and responding through an intercom.
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Accused Products
Abstract
An apparatus for providing remote answering of a doorbell includes a circuit for receiving a doorbell signal indicative that a doorbell switch has been actuated. An autodialing circuit is coupled to and responsive to the receiving circuit and a telephone line for dialing a telephone number responsive to the doorbell signal. An alerting circuit generates an alert signal to be transmitted over the telephone line to the telephone number dialed by the autodialing circuit, so that the alert signal may alert a party answering the remote telephone to the fact that the party is responding to a doorbell rather than a normal telephone call. An audio speaker is physically situated near the doorbell switch, for reproducing audio signals from the telephone line which are generated at the remote telephone. An audio microphone is also physically situated near the doorbell switch, for generating electrical signals responsive to sounds made near the doorbell switch and transmitting the signals to the telephone line to the remote telephone. The apparatus further includes a switching network for coupling the door speaker and microphone to a local telephone set and a remote telephone set selectively in any combination.
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Citations
18 Claims
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1. A method of responding to actuation of a dwelling'"'"'s doorbell switch in such a manner as to make it appear to the person actuating the switch that said doorbell switch actuation is being responded to by someone within said dwelling, the method comprising the steps of:
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detecting actuation of said doorbell switch by said person; reading a signal indicating whether or not someone within said dwelling has answered the doorbell within a predetermined period of time, said reading step including delaying for said predetermined period of time and then determining that a response to said doorbell switch has not occurred; if said signal indicates that noone within said dwelling answered said doorbell within said predetermined period of time, audodialing a telephone number associated with a remote telephone located somewhere other than inside said dwelling; and establishing a communication connection between said remote telephone and an audio transducer situated adjacent said doorbell switch; whereby, said person actuating said doorbell switch is put in communication with a second person at a remote telephone who can respond to actuation of the doorbell switch as if the second person were within said dwelling and responding through an intercom. - View Dependent Claims (2, 3, 4, 5)
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6. An apparatus for providing remote answering of a dwelling'"'"'s doorbell, comprising in combination;
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detecting means for detecting actuation of a doorbell switch; means for waiting for a predetermined time period after detecting actuation of said doorbell switch; means for determining if said doorbell switch actuation has been responded to within said predetermined time period; dialing means for autodialing a predetermined telephone number associated with a remote telephone located somewhere other than inside said dwelling if said determining means indicates that said doorbell has not been responded to within said predetermined time period. - View Dependent Claims (7, 8, 9, 10, 11, 12, 13, 14, 15, 16, 17, 18)
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Specification