Public communications intercom system

• US 8,345,845 B2
• Filed: 02/22/2011
• Issued: 01/01/2013
• Est. Priority Date: 02/22/2011
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Boyce Technologies, Inc.
• Original Assignee: Boyce Technologies, Inc.
• Inventors: Boyce, Charles, Boyce, David
• Primary Examiner(s): TIEU, BINH KIEN
• Application Number:
  US12/932,256
• Publication Number:
  US 20120213351A1
• Time in Patent Office: 679 Days
• Field of Search: 379/167.03, 379/167.04, 379/167.05, 379/167.06, 379/167.07, 379/167.11, 379/167.14, 379/167.15, 379/428.01, 379/430, 379/453, 379/454, 52/27, 52/275
• US Class Current: 379/167.04
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 1/0291 Door telephones

Abstract

An improved public intercom system is described which has a sealed enclosure including an extruded chassis having a front wall and a rear wall. The front wall has an interface panel and a viewing panel mounted within cutouts. A plurality of axially aligned module cover plates supporting system components are mounted over cutouts in the rear wall. The interface includes a speaker, a microphone, a call initiation means, and a camera positioned to acquire images of the area in front of the interface panel. One of the cover plates including an outer surface with heat dissipation protrusions, with a blower located on said rear wall being oriented to direct air across the protrusions to extract heat from the chassis interior. A two-way communication means is mounted on a module plate and programmed to initiate a call to a pre-programmed receiver responsive to a command from the call initiation means.

Claims

1. An improved enclosure for a publicly usable intercom comprised of:

a) an monolithic chassis having a front wall, a rear wall, and an interior cavity, said front wall having a cutout to receive an interface panel, and said rear wall having a plurality of cutouts to insert system modules into said cavity;

b) a mounting plate hinged to said chassis;

c) a plurality of watertight covers releasibly attached over said rear wall cutouts; and

d) upper and lower caps attachable to said chassis.

2. The enclosure of claim 1, wherein said rear wall includes a rear face and said mounting plate includes a front face spaced from the rear face if said rear wall, defining an air passageway between said mounting plate and rear wall.

3. The enclosure of claim 1, wherein said front wall is curved with rearwardly extending side edges, and said rear wall has side edges integral with said side edges.

4. The enclosure of claim 1, wherein said chassis is extruded aluminum.

5. The enclosure of claim 1, wherein said chassis further includes a cutout to receive a curved transparent viewing plate.

6. An improved public intercom system comprised of:

a) a sealed enclosure including an extruded chassis having a front wall a rear wall, an interior cavity, and end caps attachable to said chassis, said front wall having a cutout to receive an interface panel, and said rear wall having a plurality of cutouts to receive module cover plates;

b) an interface panel mounted in said front wall interface panel cutout; and

c) a plurality of module cover plates attached over said rear wall cutouts for accessing intercom component within said cavity.

7. The system of claim 6, further including a blower located on said rear wall oriented to direct air across said cover plates to extract heat from said enclosure interior.

8. The system of claim 7, wherein said blower is located adjacent the lower end of said rear wall and at least one plate includes protrusions located above and adjacent to said blower.

9. The system of claim 6, further including a fan located within said enclosure to circulate air within said enclosure.

10. The system of claim 7, further including a mounting plate hinged to said enclosure, said mounting plate being spaced from said enclosure rear wall to provide an air passageway, said blower directing air upwardly through said passageway.

11. An improved public intercom system comprised of:

a) an extruded chassis having a curved front wall with rearwardly extending side edges, a rear wall with side edges integral with said side wall, and end caps attachable to said chassis, and an interior cavity defined by said walls, said front wall having a cutout to receive an interface panel, and said rear wall having a plurality of aligned cutouts to receive module cover plates;

b) an interface panel mounted in said front wall interface panel cutout, said interface panel including a speaker, a microphone, a call initiation means, and a camera positioned to acquire images of the area in front of the interface panel;

c) a plurality of module cover plates attached over said rear wall cutouts to provide access to modular intercom components, one of said cover plates including an outer surface with heat dissipation protrusions;

d) a modular, two-way communication means mounted on one of said module plates within said cavity, said communication means being programmed to initiate a call to a pre-programmed telephone number upon receipt of a command from the call initiation means; and

e) a blower located on said rear wall adjacent said plate with protrusions, said blower being oriented to direct air across said protrusions to extract heat from said enclosure interior.

12. The system of claim 11, further including a transparent viewing plate and first and second surveillance cameras mounted within said chassis behind said transparent plate, said cameras being angled toward opposite sides of said enclosure.

13. The system of claim 11, further including video data storage means to store images received from one or more cameras.

14. The system of claim 11, further including an uninterruptable power supply operatively associated with system components and powered from an external power source.

15. The system of claim 11, wherein said two-way communication means is a VoIP phone and said system further includes an Internet connection to said VoIP phone and said camera.

16. The system of claim 11, further including a wireless access point enabling wireless communication with other intercoms.

17. The system of claim 11, further including a pair of spaced telecoils driven by an audio induction loop driver to assist the hearing impaired, one of said telecoils being mounted in said interface panel, and one of said telecoils being mounted in the upper end of said enclosure.

18. An improved public intercom system comprised of:

a) an extruded aluminum chassis having a curved front wall, a rear wall integral with said side wall, and a cavity defined by said front and rear walls, said front wall having cutouts to receive an interface panel and a transparent viewing plate, and said rear wall having a plurality of axially aligned cutouts to receive module cover plates;

b) an interface mounted in said front wall interface panel cutout, said interface panel including a speaker, a microphone, a call initiation means, and a camera positioned to acquire images of the area in front of the interface;

c) a plurality of module cover plates attached over said rear wall cutouts to provide access to modular intercom components;

d) a VoIP phone mounted on the inner surface of one of said module plates, said VoIP phone being programmed to initiate a call to a pre-programmed telephone number upon receipt of a command from the call initiation means;

e) heat dissipation means to remove heat from the interior of said chassis;

f) a transparent viewing plate mounted in said chassis viewing plate cutout;

g) first and second surveillance cameras mounted within said chassis cavity behind said transparent plate, said cameras being angled toward opposite sides of said enclosure;

h) modular video recording means mounted within said cavity to store images received from said interface panel camera and said surveillance cameras; and

i) an uninterruptable power supply powered from an external power source mounted within said cavity and operatively associated with system components.

19. The system of claim 18, further including a wireless access point enabling wireless Internet communication.

20. The system of claim 18, further including a pair of spaced telecoils driven by an audio induction loop driver/amplifier to assist the hearing impaired, one of said telecoils being mounted in said interface panel, and one of said telecoils being mounted in the upper end of said chassis.