Cellular communications based intercom system and methods

• US 7,304,572 B2
• Filed: 06/29/2004
• Issued: 12/04/2007
• Est. Priority Date: 06/29/2004
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Google Technology Holdings LLC (Alphabet Inc.)
• Original Assignee: Motorola, Inc. (Motorola Solutions, Inc.)
• Inventors: Sheynman, Arnold, Charlier, Michael L., Ran, Yingchun, Liu, Dongmin, Galeev, Mikhail T.
• Primary Examiner(s): TRIEU, VAN THANH
• Application Number:
  US10/880,295
• Publication Number:
  US 20050285734A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,253 Days
• Field of Search: 340/539.1, 340/539.11, 340/539.14, 340/539.16, 340/539.17, 340/539.18, 340/539.23, 340/539.25, 340/572.1, 340/10.2, 340/531, 340/3.1, 340/3.21, 340/5.64, 340/5.7, 700/83, 700/90, 379/37, 379/42, 379/100.16, 455/456.1, 455/457, 455/422.1, 380/277, 348/14.06
• US Class Current: 340/539.14
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 63/0442 wherein the sending and receiving network entities apply asymmetric encryption, i.e. different keys for encryption and decryption cryptographic mechanisms or cryptographic arrangements for public-key encryption H04L9/30
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 63/12 Applying verification of the received information cryptographic mechanisms or cryptographic arrangements for data integrity or data verification H04L9/32
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 67/04 specially adapted for terminals or networks with limited capabilities; specially adapted for terminal portability
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 67/125 involving control of end-device applications over a network
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 67/52 specially adapted for the location of the user terminal
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 11/025 Door telephones adapted for television H04N7/186
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/41265 having a remote control device for bidirectional communication between the remote control device and client device unidirectional remote control device H04N21/42204
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/42201 biosensors, e.g. heat sensor for presence detection, EEG sensors or any limb activity sensors worn by the user input arrangements for interaction with the human body based on nervous system activity detection G06F3/015
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/42203 sound input device, e.g. microphone
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/4223 Cameras H04N23/00 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/43637 involving a wireless protocol, e.g. Bluetooth, RF or wireless LAN [IEEE 802.11] arrangements for wireless networking or broadcasting of information in indoor or near-field type systems H04B10/114
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/44218 Detecting physical presence or behaviour of the user, e.g. using sensors to detect if the user is leaving the room or changes his face expression during a TV program methods or arrangements for recognising human body or animal bodies or body parts G06V40/10; methods or arrangements for acquiring or recognising human faces, facial parts, facial sketches, facial expressions G06V40/16; methods or arrangements for recognising movements or behaviour G06V40/20; arrangements for identifying users in broadcast systems H04H60/45
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/6332 directed to client

Abstract

A method in an intercom system including detecting the presence of a visitor at a visitor monitor, communicating (224) information received at the visitor monitor in association with the visitor detected to a remotely located communications network gateway, communicating (232) the presence of the visitor from the communication network gateway to a remote terminal, and forwarding the information received from the communications network gateway to the remote terminal.

Claims

1. An intercom system, the intercom system comprising:

a visitor monitor;

a communications network gateway located remotely from the visitor monitor,

the visitor monitor communicably coupled with the communications network gateway, information received at the visitor monitor communicated to the communications network gateway,

the communications network gateway having a cellular radio transceiver and a short-range radio transceiver, the short-range radio transceiver capable of communicating over a corresponding short-range communication area,

the communications network gateway communicating information, received from the visitor monitor, from either the cellular radio transceiver or the short-range radio transceiver depending on whether an intended recipient of the information is within the short-range communication area.

2. The intercom system of claim 1,

the communications network gateway including a switch selecting one of the cellular radio transceiver and the short-range radio transceiver depending on whether the intended recipient of the information is within the short-range communication area.

3. The intercom system of claim 2,

the communications network gateway including a controller that operates the switch selecting one of the cellular radio transceiver and the short-range radio transceiver,

the controller operating the switch based on whether the intended recipient of the information has registered within the short-range communication area.

4. The intercom system of claim 1,

the visitor monitor including a visitor monitor short-range radio transceiver,

the communications network gateway including a gateway short-range radio transceiver,

information communicated between the visitor monitor and the communications network gateway communicated using the gateway short-range radio transceiver and the visitor monitor short-range radio transceiver.

5. A method in an intercom system, the method comprising:

receiving information at a visitor monitor;

communicating the information received at the visitor monitor to a remotely located communications network gateway;

transmitting a message from the communications network gateway to a remote terminal in response to receiving the information at the communications network gateway using one of a cellular radio transceiver and a short-range radio transceiver depending on a proximity of the remote terminal to the communications network gateway.

6. A method in an intercom system, the method comprising:

detecting the presence of a visitor at a visitor monitor;

communicating information received at the visitor monitor in association with the visitor detected to a remotely located communications network gateway;

communicating a notification that the presence of the visitor has been detected to a remote terminal;

forwarding the information received from the communications network gateway to the remote terminal after communicating the notification if the remote terminal requests the information.

7. The method of claim 6,

detecting the presence of a visitor at a visitor monitor includes capturing image information of the visitor;

communicating the image information to the remotely located communications network gateway;

forwarding the image information received from the communications network to an image server for retrieval by the remote terminal.

8. The method of claim 6, establishing a voice communication between the communications gateway and the visitor monitor for the remote terminal after communicating the notification to the remote terminal.

9. The method of claim 8, transmitting voice communications between the visitor monitor and the remote terminal using one of a cellular radio transceiver and a short-range radio transceiver of the communications network gateway depending on a proximity of the remote terminal to the communications network gateway.

10. The method of claim 6, forwarding a voice message from the visitor monitor to a voicemail box of the remote terminal via the communications network gateway.

11. A method in an intercom system, the method comprising:

communicating information received at the visitor monitor indicating the presence of a visitor from a remotely located communications network gateway to a remote terminal;

forwarding a voice message from the visitor monitor to a voicemail box of the remote terminal via the communications network gateway if the remote terminal does not establish a voice call within a specified time interval.

12. The method of claim 11, establishing a voice call with the remote terminal from the communication network before forwarding the voice message to the voicemail box of the remote terminal.

13. The method of claim 11, communicating information received at the visitor monitor indicating the presence of the visitor from a remotely located communications network gateway includes communicating a notification message to the remote terminal.

14. A method in an intercom system image server, the method comprising:

receiving information from a source;

obtaining identification information for the source from which the information was received;

obtaining timestamp information associated with the receipt of the information;

generating a name for the information received using the identification information for the source from which the information was received and the time stamp information,

the name including the identification information for the source from which the information was received and the time stamp information.

15. The method of claim 14,

receiving the information from a communications network gateway in a message including gateway identification information,

extracting the cellular gateway identification information from the message before generating the name,

using at least a portion of the identification information for at least a portion of the name.

16. The method of claim 14,

receiving information from a communications network gateway in a message including cellular radio transceiver identification information in a message header portion,

extracting the cellular radio transceiver identification information from the message header before generating the name,

using at least a portion of the cellular radio transceiver identification information for at least a portion of the name.

17. The method of claim 14,

receiving image information from a source;

generating the name for the information received using an image format extension.

18. A method in an intercom system image server, the method comprising:

receiving a request for information from a remote device;

searching for the information requested using identification information for the remote device requesting the information.

19. The method of claim 18,

searching for the information requested includes identifying a cellular gateway associated with the identification information for the remote device, and

using identification information for the cellular gateway to locate information associated with the cellular gateway.

20. The method of claim 18,

communicating information associated with the cellular gateway to the remote device,

changing a status of the information associated with the cellular gateway to indicted that the information has been communicated to the remote device.

21. The method of claim 18,

receiving the request for information from the remote device in a message having a header including the identification information for the remote device,

searching for the information requested includes identifying a cellular gateway associated with the identification information using the identification information for the remote device and a table mapping cellular gateway identification information with identification information for remote devices.