Intercom/wireless door bell for multi-handset telephone system

• US 7,738,917 B2
• Filed: 05/09/2006
• Issued: 06/15/2010
• Est. Priority Date: 03/31/2003
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: VTech Telecommunications Limited (VTech Holdings Ltd.)
• Original Assignee: VTech Telecommunications Limited (VTech Holdings Ltd.)
• Inventors: Wong, Allan Chi-Yun, Grewal, Jagjit, Kropp, Stephen G., Tischler, Ralph, Ryley, Gordon
• Primary Examiner(s): Nguyen; Duc M
• Application Number:
  US11/430,048
• Publication Number:
  US 20070042804A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,498 Days
• Field of Search: 455/90.1, 455/462, 455/550.1, 455/556.1, 455/566, 455/567, 340/539.1, 340/539.11, 340/539.16, 340/539.25, 340/825.69, 340/286.11, 348/156
• US Class Current: 455/556.1
• CPC Class Codes: G08B 13/1966 Wireless systems, other than telephone systems, used to communicate with a camera
• CPC Class Codes: G08B 13/19684 Portable terminal, e.g. mobile phone, used for viewing video remotely
• CPC Class Codes: G08B 3/10 using electric transmission; using electromagnetic transmission
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 1/0291 Door telephones
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 1/6033 for providing handsfree use or a loudspeaker mode in telephone sets arrangements for preventing acoustic echo H04M9/08
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 1/72412 using two-way short-range wireless interfaces
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 1/72502 with one base station connected to a single line
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 1/72513 On hold, intercom or transfer communication modes
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 11/025 Door telephones adapted for television H04N7/186
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 11/085 using a television receiver, e.g. viewdata system
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 7/185 from a mobile camera, e.g. for remote control
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 7/186 Video door telephones
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 7/20 Adaptations for transmission via a GHz frequency band, e.g. via satellite
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 88/02 Terminal devices

Abstract

A multi handset telephone system with a wireless telecom/doorbell module. The telecom/doorbell module has similar electronics as a cordless handset that includes audio and RF link with a base unit. A speakerphone functionality of a wireless telecom/doorbell audio processor is used to provide an intercom audio conversation. The wireless intercom/doorbell module is battery powered that is either charged by an AC adapter or by an existing doorbell wiring. The wireless intercom/doorbell module also work in parallel with the existing bell wiring. When a page key is pressed, the module pages the telephone system and shorts the doorbell wiring to make an existing bell ring. The doorbell module is coupled with a camera.

Claims

1. A cordless telephone system, comprising:

a base unit;

at least one cordless telephone handset that wirelessly communicates with the base unit, wherein the base unit and the at least one cordless telephone handset include speakerphones and displays; and

a doorbell module that comprises a video camera and is located within a range of receivable wireless communications of the base unit and the at least one cordless telephone handset, the doorbell module comprising a page button, wherein when the page button is pressed, the doorbell module transmits an RF message to activate an alert sound from the speakerphones, and the video camera is initiated to take images, which are transmitted to a video processor, compressed and transmitted to at least one of the base unit and the one or more cordless telephone handsets,

wherein the images are palettized and saved in a frame buffer prior to transmission, and

wherein each line in each palettized image is read from the frame buffer, and a line identification number and address is incorporated into the line, thus forming line data representing the image.

2. The system of claim 1, wherein the handset comprises a receive video processor that receives encoded data representing the images and decodes the encoded data to extract the video image.

3. The system of claim 1, wherein the doorbell module further comprises:

a number of keys providing choices for a user to select one or more of the base unit and the at least one cordless telephone handset to be paged.

4. The system of claim 1, wherein the doorbell module further comprises:

a text display providing choices for a user to select one or more of the base unit and the at least one cordless telephone handset to be paged.

5. The system of claim 1, wherein the doorbell module further comprises infrared illumination capabilities.

6. The system of claim 1, wherein the doorbell module is coupled with a charger for providing power to the doorbell module, and wherein the charger is configured to receive power from an existing doorbell wiring that is connected in parallel with the doorbell module.

7. The system of claim 1, wherein audio information associated with the RF message is transmitted on a first frequency and video information associated with the images is transmitted on a second frequency.

8. The system of claim 7, wherein the first frequency is one of 2.4 and 5.8 GHz and the second frequency is 900 MHz.

9. A cordless telephone system, comprising:

a first transceiver on a doorbell module for transmitting and receiving RF messages with a base unit of the cordless telephone system;

a paging button on the doorbell module, when pressed, initiating the first transceiver to transmit the RF messages to the base unit; and

a camera unit, coupled to the doorbell module, for capturing an image when the paging button is pressed, and for transmitting the image to the base unit using a second transceiver on the camera unit wherein the image is compressed prior to transmission to the base unit,

wherein the image is palettized and saved in a frame buffer prior to transmission,

wherein each line in the palettized image is read from the frame buffer, and wherein a line identification number and address is incorporated into the line, thus forming line data representing the image.

10. The cordless telephone system of claim 9, wherein the wireless telephone system comprises at least one wireless handset, wherein the at least one wireless handset comprises a speakerphone and a display, and wherein the doorbell module further comprises infrared illumination capabilities.

11. The cordless telephone system of claim 10, further comprising

a number of keys coupled to the doorbell module, for providing choices for a user to select one or more of the base unit and the at least one cordless telephone handset to be paged.

12. The cordless telephone system of claim 10, further comprising:

a text display providing choices for a user to select one or more of the base unit and the at least one cordless telephone handset to be paged.

13. The cordless telephone system of claim 9, wherein audio information associated with the RF message is transmitted on a first frequency and video information associated with the image is transmitted on a second frequency.

14. A method of communication between a doorbell intercom system and a wireless telephone system, the doorbell intercom system comprising a video camera, the wireless telephone system comprising a base unit and at least one wireless handset, each of the base unit and the at least one wireless handset comprising speakerphones and displays, the method comprising:

initiating a paging selection to establish a voice link between the doorbell intercom system and the wireless telephone system;

alerting one or more of the base unit and the at least one wireless handset through the speakerphone by transmitting an RF message from the doorbell intercom system to the wireless telephone system;

capturing an image;

compressing the image;

transmitting the compressed image to at least one of the base unit and the one or more cordless telephone handsets;

palettizing the image prior to transmission;

saving the palettized image in a frame buffer prior to transmission,

reading each line in the palettized image from the frame buffer, and

incorporating a line identification number and address into each line, thus forming line data representing the image.

15. The method of claim 14, wherein when the wireless telephone system is already in use for a telephone conversation, transmitting a different alerting tone to be heard over the telephone conversation.

16. The method of claim 14, wherein the line data representing the image is packetized and scrambled with a security code prior to transmission.