Door intercom

• US 6,233,328 B1
• Filed: 12/22/1997
• Issued: 05/15/2001
• Est. Priority Date: 03/30/1995
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Michael Wolf
• Original Assignee: Michael Wolf
• Inventors: Wolf, Michael
• Primary Examiner(s): Tsang, Fan
• Assistant Examiner(s): Hoosain, Allan
• Application Number:
  US08/930,841
• Time in Patent Office: 1,240 Days
• Field of Search: 379/88.1, 379/69, 379/70, 379/85, 379/67.1, 379/88.01, 379/88.18, 379/159, 379/160, 379/167, 379/168, 379/171, 379/184, 379/37, 379/34, 379/102.06, 379/215, 379/245, 340/542, 340/425.5, 340/426, 340/506, 340/543
• US Class Current: 379/159
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 1/0291 Door telephones
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 11/025 Door telephones adapted for television H04N7/186

Abstract

An automatic door answering system comprises a door intercom system, a recording machine, a telecommunication system, first, second and third interfaces, and a microprocessor-based switching device. The switching device is coupled to the door intercom system, the recording machine, and the telecommunication system by way of the first, second, and third interfaces, respectively. The switching device switches back and forth between coupling the door intercom system to a telecommunication system, coupling the door intercom system to a recording machine, and coupling the telecommunication system to the recording machine. If the recipient of a visitor is not available, the automatic door answering system establishes a communication link between the visitor and the recipient using the door intercom system and the telecommunication system. If the recipient of the visitor is not available, the automatic door answering system allows the visitor to record a message for the recipient. The message may be time-stamped to provide additional information. The recording system may also be used to play messages to the visitor and to request information from the visitor, such as the identity of the recipient. The automatic door answering system may then use the identity of the recipient to determine how to establish a telephone connection with the recipient.

Claims

1. An automatic door answering system for a facility comprising:

(A) a door intercom system servicing the facility;

(B) a recording machine located in the facility;

(C) a telecommunication system located in the facility and including at least one telecommunication device;

(D) a door answering unit, the door answering unit being provided in the form of a compact module (i) that is physically separate from the door intercom system and (ii) that is connected to the door intercom system, the recording machine, and the telecommunications system by way of first, second, and third dedicated multiwire interfaces connected to first, second, and third separate connection points on the door answering unit, respectively, the door answering unit including a microprocessor-based switching device, and the switching device switching connection of the door intercom system between the recording machine and the telecommunication system.

2. A method of automatically answering a door of a facility, the method comprising the steps of:

(A) providing an automatic door answering system for the facility comprising a door intercom system, a recording machine, a telecommunication system located in the facility and including at least one telecommunication device, and a door answering unit, the door answering unit being provided in the form of a compact module (i) that is physically separate from the door intercom system and (ii) that is connected to the door intercom system, the recording machine, and the telecommunication system by way of first, second, and third dedicated multiwire interfaces connected to first, second, and third separate connection points on the door answering unit, respectively, the door answering unit including a microprocessor-based switching device, and the switching device switching connection of the door intercom system between the recording machine and the telecommunication system;

(B) answering the door a first time upon the arrival of a first human visitor, including the steps of;

     1) determining that the first visitor has activated the automatic door answering system, and

(2) advising a human recipient that the first visitor has activated the door answering system, the human recipient being a recipient of the first visitor, including the steps of

(a) coupling the door intercom system to the telecommunication system using the switching device, and

(b) establishing a communication link between the first visitor and the recipient using the door intercom and the telecommunication system, the communication link enabling the first visitor to speak with the recipient, the door intercom establishing the portion of the communication link associated with the first visitor and the telecommunication system establishing the portion of the communication link associated with the recipient,

(C) answering the door a second time upon the arrival of a second human visitor, including the steps of

(1) determining that the second visitor has activated the automatic door answering system, and

(2) advising the human recipient of the second visitor that the second visitor has activated the door answering system, the human recipient being a recipient of the second visitor, including the steps of

(a) coupling the door intercom system to the recording machine using the switching device,

(b) recording a message on the recording machine, the message being for the recipient from the second visitor,

(c) coupling the recording machine to the telecommunication system using the switching device, and

(d) playing the recorded message for the recipient.

3. A method according to claim 2, wherein the automatic door answering system is further provided with a speech recognition system, wherein the telecommunication system comprises a plurality of telephone connections assigned to a plurality of different human individuals, one of the plurality of different human individuals being the recipient, and wherein the step of establishing the communication link between the first visitor and the recipient further comprises the steps of:

requesting the first visitor to orally identify the recipient,

determining the identity of the recipient by using the speech recognition system to interpret the oral identification of the recipient given by the first visitor,

determining which one of the plurality of telephone connections is assigned to the recipient based upon the interpreted oral identification of the recipient,

using the one of the plurality of telephone connections which is assigned to the recipient to establish the communication link.

4. A method according to claim 3, wherein the step of recording the message on the recording machine further comprises the step of recording a time at which the message is recorded.

5. A method according to claim 2, further comprising the step of playing a recorded message to the first and second human visitors using the recording machine.

6. A door answering unit comprising:

(A) a first interface, the first interface connecting a first connection point on the door answering unit to a door intercom system for a facility;

(B) a second interface, the second interface connecting a second connection point on the door answering unit to a recording machine located in the facility;

(C) a third interface, the third interface connecting a third connection point on the door answering unit to a telecommunication system located in the facility and including at least one telecommunication device, wherein the first, second, and third connection points are separate from one another; and

(D) a microprocessor-based switching device, the switching device switching connection of the door intercom system between the recording machine and the telecommunication system; and

wherein the door answering unit is provided as a separate module which is suitable for use in upgrading an existing door intercom system.

7. An automatic door answering system for a facility comprising:

(A) a door intercom system servicing the facility;

(B) a recording machine located in the facility;

(C) a telecommunication system and located in the facility including at least one telecommunication device;

(D) a door answering unit, the door answering unit being provided in the form of a compact module (i) that is physically separate from the door intercom system and (ii) that is connected to the door intercom system, the recording machine, and the telecommunication system, wherein the door answering unit is connected to the door intercom system and the telecommunication system by respective dedicated multiwire interfaces connected to first and separate connection points on the door answering unit without passing through the recording machine, the door answering unit including a microprocessor-based switching device, and the switching device switching connection of the door intercom system between the recording machine and the telecommunication system.

8. A method of automatically answering a door, the method comprising the steps of:

(A) providing an automatic door answering system comprising a door intercom system, a recording machine, a telecommunication system that includes a plurality of telephone connections assigned to a plurality of individuals, and a door answering unit, the door answering unit being provided in the form of a compact module that (i) includes a speech recognition system, (ii) is physically separate from the door intercom system and (iii) that is connected to the door intercom system, the recording machine, respectively;

the door answering unit further including a microprocessor-based switching device, and the switching device switching connection of the door intercom system between the recording machine and the telecommunication system;

(B) answering the door a first time upon the arrival of a first human visitor, including the steps of;

(1) determining that the first visitor has activated the automatic door answering system, and

(2) advising a human recipient that the first visitor has activated the door answering system, the human recipient being a recipient of the first visitor, including the steps of

(a) coupling the door intercom system to the telecommunication system using the switching device, and

(b) establishing a communication link between the first visitor and the recipient using the door intercom and the telecommunication system, the communication link enabling the first visitor to speak with the recipient, the door intercom establishing the portion of the communication link associated with the first visitor and the telecommunication system establishing the portion of the communication link associated with the recipient, wherein the communication link is established by (i) determining the identity of the recipient by using the speech recognition system to interpret the oral identification of the recipient given by the first visitor, and (ii) determining which of the plurality of telephone connections is assigned to the recipient based upon the interpreted oral identification of the recipient; and

(C) answering the door a second time upon the arrival of a second human visitor, including the steps of

(1) determining that the second visitor has activated the automatic door answering system, and

(2) advising the human recipient of the second visitor that the second visitor has activated the door answering system, the human recipient being a recipient of the second visitor, including the steps of

(a) coupling the door intercom system to the recording machine using the switching device,

(b) recording a message on the recording machine, the message being for the recipient from the second visitor,

(c) coupling the recording machine to the telecommunication system using the switching device, and

(d) playing the recorded message for the recipient.