Remote video access capability for a wireless video monitoring/cordless phone system

• US 7,933,556 B2
• Filed: 03/25/2003
• Issued: 04/26/2011
• Est. Priority Date: 12/19/2002
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: VTech Telecommunications Limited (VTech Holdings Ltd.)
• Original Assignee: VTech Telecommunications Limited (VTech Holdings Ltd.)
• Inventors: Tischler, Ralph, Ryley, Gordon
• Primary Examiner(s): Lu; Zhiyu
• Application Number:
  US10/395,126
• Publication Number:
  US 20040203386A1
• Time in Patent Office: 2,954 Days
• Field of Search: 455/462, 455/572, 455/512, 455/556.1, 455/41.2, 379/201.05, 379/406.08, 379/53, 348/143, 348/15, 348/14.02, 340/574, 358/442
• US Class Current: 455/66.1
• CPC Class Codes: G08B 13/19658 Telephone systems used to communicate with a camera, e.g. PSTN, GSM, POTS
• CPC Class Codes: G08B 13/19684 Portable terminal, e.g. mobile phone, used for viewing video remotely
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 1/725 Cordless telephones user interfaces specially adapted therefor H04M1/724
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/41407 embedded in a portable device, e.g. video client on a mobile phone, PDA, laptop constructional details of equipment or arrangements specially adapted for portable computer application G06F1/1626; arrangements specially adapted for mobile receivers in broadcast systems H04H20/57
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 7/181 for receiving images from a plurality of remote sources

Abstract

A multimode cordless telephone system that can be used for remote video monitoring. The system includes a base station, at least one camera that is in wireless communication, at least periodically, with the base station, and a cordless handset, having a viewing screen, also in wireless communication, at least periodically, with the base station, the cordless handset having a first mode that is operable when the cordless handset is within a predetermined range of the base station wherein the cordless handset operates in conjunction with the base station to provide telephonic communication and image monitoring of images captured by the cameras, and a second mode that is operable when the cordless handset is beyond the predetermined range of the base station wherein the cordless handset communicates with the base station over the public switched telephone network (PSTN) to monitor images captured by the cameras.

Claims

1. A remote monitoring system, comprising:

a cordless telephone base station;

a cordless telephone handset associated with the cordless telephone base station that is operable to be in periodic direct wireless communication with the cordless telephone base station when in a predetermined distance from the cordless telephone base station, the cordless telephone handset including a viewing screen that can display an image, the cordless telephone handset comprising a telephone interface and a modem circuit to connect directly to the PSTN and communicate over the PSTN to the cordless base station; and

at least one camera that is wirelessly coupled to the cordless telephone base station and which is operable to capture an image of a predetermined area;

wherein the cordless telephone handset is configured to (i) receive images from the at least one camera via a wireless connection with the cordless telephone base station when the cordless telephone handset is within the predetermined distance and (ii) receive images from the at least one camera via the PSTN when it is directly connected to the PSTN,

wherein the cordless telephone handset comprises a storage device and is configured to store the received images in the cordless telephone handset for later viewing, to discard the received images, and to transfer the received images for storage in the cordless telephone base station,

wherein the cordless telephone base station is configured to store the received images transferred from the cordless telephone handset,

wherein the cordless telephone handset sends control signals through the cordless telephone base station and to the at least one camera to change a viewing angle of the at least one camera, and

wherein the telephone interface comprises an RJ11 jack and a DTMF generator, and wherein the cordless telephone handset is configured to establish a modem connection over the PSTN with the cordless telephone base station when the cordless telephone dials a first telephone number that is associated with a place where the cordless telephone base station is located.

2. The system of claim 1, wherein the handset is configured to transfer the received images for storage in another storage device different from and in addition to the cordless telephone base station.

3. The system of claim 2, wherein the cordless telephone base station comprises a video camera.

4. The system of claim 1, wherein the viewing screen is a color display.

5. The system of claim 1, wherein the cordless telephone base station comprises a telephone line interface and a modem circuitry configured to communicate with the cordless telephone handset over the PSTN.

6. A method of monitoring a location within wireless range of a base station, comprising:

capturing images with one or more cameras that communicate with a cordless telephone handset via the base station using a wireless communication, wherein the cordless telephone handset comprises a storage device, a telephone interface and a modem circuit to connect directly to the PSTN and communicate over the PSTN to the base station;

receiving from a user selection to change a viewing angle of the at least one camera and sending, by the cordless telephone handset, corresponding control signals through the cordless telephone base station to the at least one camera to change the viewing angle according to the user selections;

receiving the captured images in the base station;

transmitting the captured images wirelessly from the base station to the cordless telephone handset when the cordless telephone handset is within a predetermined distance of a base station;

transmitting the captured images over the PSTN to the cordless telephone when the cordless telephone is not within the predetermined distance from the base station, which further comprising;

receiving a telephone call at the base station from the cordless telephone handset, wherein the telephone call is established over a PSTN by directly dialing, from the cordless telephone handset into a telephone number associated with a place where the base station is located, when the cordless telephone handset is beyond a predetermined range of the base station, and

transmitting the images from the base station to the cordless telephone handset after receiving the telephone call to the base station, wherein the cordless telephone handset is configured to establish a modem connection over the PSTN when the cordless telephone handset dials a first telephone number that is associated with a place where the cordless telephone base station is located;

storing a transmitted captured image at the cordless telephone handset for later viewing when a selection for storage of the transmitted captured image in the cordless telephone handset is received from a user of the cordless telephone handset; and

after the period of time, retrieving the transmitted captured image from the cordless telephone handset and displaying the retrieved image on the cordless telephone handset.

7. The method of claim 6, further comprising discarding the transmitted captured image from the cordless telephone handset after the period of time upon receiving a selection to do so from the user of the cordless telephone handset.

8. The method of claim 6, wherein the base station comprises a video camera.

9. The method of claim 6, further comprising displaying the transmitted capture image on a viewing screen of the cordless telephone handset, wherein the viewing screen is a color display.