Facility for tying a door intercommunication system with a video camera to an integrated services digital network

• US 6,049,598 A
• Filed: 08/28/1997
• Issued: 04/11/2000
• Est. Priority Date: 04/03/1996
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Alcatel SA (Nokia Corporation)
• Original Assignee: Alcatel SA (Nokia Corporation)
• Inventors: Schneider, Gerhard, Peters, Wolfgang
• Primary Examiner(s): Kuntz, Curtis A.
• Assistant Examiner(s): Ramakrishnaiah, Melur
• Application Number:
  US08/919,833
• Time in Patent Office: 957 Days
• Field of Search: 379/90.01, 379/93.17, 379/102.06, 379/167, 379/53, 379/54, 348/14, 348/15, 348/16, 348/143, 348/156, 348/159, 348/152, 348/161, 340/825.31, 340/825.34
• US Class Current: 379/102.06
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 11/025 Door telephones adapted for television H04N7/186
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 7/148 Interfacing a video terminal to a particular transmission medium, e.g. ISDN

Abstract

A telephone system with a video camera is connected to an integrated services digital network (ISDN) via a facility (EIN). To that end, the facility (EIN), for example, comprises an audio unit (AUD1) for coupling the audio signals from the door intercommunication system to the digital network (ISDN), a video unit (VID1) for coupling the video signals from the video camera to the digital network (ISDN), a control unit (CTRL) for transmitting a request signal to establish a switched connection for transmitting the video and audio signals via the digital network (ISDN) in case of an activation of the door intercommunication system, and to receive control signals and transmit the control signals without breaking the switched connection to at least one remotely controllable unit (UNIT) and to an ISDN video telephone with programmed call forwarding. From his ISDN video telephone the occupant of an apartment is able to identify a visitor to his apartment through a video image and to activate the door opener by means of control signals without breaking the switched connection, and switch over to a second video camera and a second intercom station inside the apartment, and in this way check on the visitor even after he has entered the apartment, or communicate with him via the ISDN video telephone.

Claims

1. A facility (EIN) for tying a door intercommunication system with a video camera to an integrated services digital network (ISDN), said facility (EIN) comprising

an audio unit (AUD1) for coupling audio signals of the door intercommunication system to the digital network (ISDN),

a video unit (VID1) for coupling video signals of the video camera to the digital network (ISDN), and

a control unit (CTRL) for transmitting a request signal for establishment of a switched connection for transmitting the video and audio signals over the digital network (ISDN) in the event of an operation of the door intercommunication system as well as for receiving control signals and for transmitting the control signals to at least one remotely controllable unit (UNIT) without breaking the switched connection.

2. A facility (EIN) as claimed in claim 1, characterized in that the audio unit (AUD1) contains two transformers, and that the video unit (VID1) contains an optocoupler.

3. A facility (EIN) as claimed in claim 1, characterized in that the control unit (CTRL) comprises a memory for storing video images and a comparator for comparing stored video images with the video signals from the video camera, and that a request signal is only transmittable depending on the result of the comparison.

4. A facility (EIN) as claimed in claim 1, characterized in that it comprises a second video unit (VID2) for connection to a second video camera (CAM) and a switch for switching from transmission of the video signals from the first video camera to transmission of the video signals from the second video camera (CAM) without breaking the switched connection.

5. A facility (EIN) as claimed in claim 1, characterized in that it comprises a second audio unit (AUD2) for connection to a hands-free unit and a switch for switching from transmission of the audio signals from the door intercommunication system to transmission of the audio signals from the hands-free unit without breaking the switched connection.

6. A facility (EIN) as claimed in claim 1, characterized in that the control unit (CTRL) comprises a programmable memory for storing at least one directory number which can be automatically dialed in the event of an operation of the door intercommunication system.

7. A facility (EIN) as claimed in claim 6, characterized in that the control unit (CTRL) comprises a number filter which authorizes only predetermined directory numbers to retrieve video and/or audio signals over a switched connection, to pass control signals on to the at least one remotely controllable unit (UNIT), and/or to program a number for call forwarding.

8. A facility (EIN) as claimed in claim 6, characterized in that over the switched connection, the video and audio signals are transmitted and received in at least one user information channel and the control signals are received in a signaling channel.

9. A facility (EIN) as claimed in claim 1, characterized in that

the control unit (CTRL) comprises

a memory for storing audio signals and

a comparator for comparing the stored audio signals with the signals from the door intercommunication system for purposes of identifying a person speaking at the door, and that

a request signal is only transmittable if the result of the comparison identifies the person speaking.

10. A facility (EIN) as claimed in claim 1, characterized in that it comprises an ISDN video telephone or a computer with an ISDN-PC adapter card for establishing the switched connection.

11. A facility (EIN) as claimed in claim 1, characterized in that the control unit (CTRL) comprises a memory for storing the video and/or audio signals of the door intercommunication system.