System and method for remote home monitoring utilizing a VoIP phone

• US 8,687,626 B2
• Filed: 03/07/2008
• Issued: 04/01/2014
• Est. Priority Date: 03/07/2008
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: CenturyLink Intellectual Property LLC (Lumen Technologies, Inc.)
• Original Assignee: CenturyLink Intellectual Property LLC (Lumen Technologies, Inc.)
• Inventors: Hawkins, Johnny D.
• Primary Examiner(s): Nawaz, Asad
• Assistant Examiner(s): PATEL, PARTHKUMAR
• Application Number:
  US12/044,792
• Publication Number:
  US 20090225750A1
• Time in Patent Office: 2,216 Days
• Field of Search: 370/352, 370/338, 379/93.05, 379/45, 705/1, 726/27, 340/309.7, 348/14.09, 709/204
• US Class Current: 370/353
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 12/66 Arrangements for connecting between networks having differing types of switching systems, e.g. gateways
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 65/61 for supporting one-way streaming services, e.g. Internet radio
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 7/183 for receiving images from a single remote source

Abstract

A system and method for remote monitoring through a voice over Internet Protocol phone. An indicator configured to activate a video interface of the VoIP phone is received. A determination is made whether the indicator authorizes the video interface. The video interface of the VoIP phone is activated in response to determining the indicator authorizes the video interface. Video communications are sent and received between the VoIP phone utilized by a receiving party and a communications device utilized by a calling party. An action is performed in response to recognizing a response from the receiving party.

Claims

1. A method for remote monitoring through a voice over Internet Protocol (VoIP) phone at a premises the method comprising:

receiving a call to the VoIP phone over a public switched telephone network (“

PSTN”

) from a calling device utilized by a calling party at a location remote from the premises;

prompting the calling party for a pass code;

receiving, from the calling party, the pass code;

determining whether the pass code is correct;

receiving, at the VoIP phone, an indicator from the calling device via the PSTN, the indicator configured to activate a video interface of the VoIP phone;

determining whether the indicator authorizes the video interface;

activating the video interface of the VoIP phone in response to determining the indicator authorizes the video interface, without requiring user interaction by a receiving party at the VoIP phone;

playing a monitor alert with the VoIP phone;

sending and receiving video communications between the VoIP phone utilized by the receiving party and the calling device;

monitoring the VoIP phone through the video communications;

performing an action in response to recognizing a response from the receiving party; and

receiving a command from the calling device to terminate the video communications; and

terminating the video communications in response to the command.

2. The method according to claim 1, wherein the indicator is the pass code and wherein determining whether the indicator authorizes the video interface comprises determining whether the pass code is correct.

3. The method according to claim 1, further comprising:

dialing the VoIP phone; and

entering the pass code.

4. The method according to claim 1, further comprising:

establishing a connection from the communications device to the VoIP phone automatically based on a preference of the calling party; and

playing a message within the video communications through the VoIP phone to the receiving party by the calling device.

5. The method according to claim 4, wherein the performing further comprises:

receiving the response to the message;

determining the action linked with the response; and

performing the action linked with the response.

6. The method according to claim 5, wherein the message is a question whether the receiving party has taken a medication, and wherein the response indicates whether the receiving party has taken the medication for performing the action.

7. The method according to claim 1, wherein the response is a facial gesture or a body gesture.

8. The method according to claim 1, wherein the response is a voice response indicating the action to be performed.

9. The method according to claim 1, wherein the action is a message sent to one or more recipients.

10. The method according to claim 1, wherein the action is a call linked between the VoIP phone and one or more recipients.

11. The method according to claim 1, wherein the performing further comprises:

searching a video image retrieved by the VoIP phone for the response; and

determining the response based on previously provided user input.

12. The method according to claim 1, further comprising:

receiving user input configuring the VoIP phone to perform the action when the response is recognized.

13. A VoIP monitoring system at a premises, said system comprising:

a function trigger for intercepting an incoming call over a public switched telephone network (PSTN”

) from a calling device utilized by a calling party at a location remote from the premises, the incoming call destined for the VoIP monitoring system, the function trigger configured to receive a user selection from the calling party via the PSTN to enable a video interface of the VoIP monitoring system; and

logic configured to prompt the calling party for a pass code, receive the pass code from the calling party, and determine whether a pass code entered by the calling party is correct and whether an indicator received from the calling party authorizes video communications with the VoIP monitoring system, wherein the logic plays a monitor alert, enables the video interface to perform the video communications based on the user selection without requiring user interaction from a receiving party at the VoIP monitoring system, monitors the VoIP monitoring system through the video communications, performs an action in response to recognizing a response from the receiving party during the video communications, receives a command from the caller to terminate the video communications, and terminates the video communications in response to the command.

14. The system according to claim 13, wherein the video interface further comprises:

a video camera for recording audio and video signals from a receiving party.

15. The system according to claim 13, further comprising:

a handset configured to wirelessly communicate the video communications to the VoIP monitoring system for communicating with the calling party.

16. The system according to claim 13, wherein the VoIP monitoring system is a VoIP phone in communication with another communications device enabled to perform the video communication.

17. The system according to claim 16, wherein the VoIP monitoring system plays a message received from the calling device.

18. A VoIP phone at a premises, the VoIP phone comprising:

a processing unit for processing a set of instructions; and

a memory configured to store the set of instructions, wherein the set of instructions comprises;

instructions to receive a call to the VoIP phone over a public switched telephone network (“

PSTN”

) from a calling device utilized by a calling party at a location remote from the premises;

instructions to prompt the calling party for a pass code;

instructions to receive the pass code from the calling party;

instructions to determine whether the pass code is correct;

instructions to receive an indicator from the calling device, the indicator configured to activate a video interface of the VoIP phone;

instructions to determine whether the indicator authorizes the video interface;

instructions to signal the VoIP phone to play a monitor alert;

instructions to activate the video interface of the VoIP phone in response to determining the indicator authorizes the video interface, without requiring user interaction by a receiving party at the VoIP phone;

instructions to send and receive video communications between the VoIP phone utilized by the receiving party and a communications device utilized by a calling party;

instructions to monitor the VoIP phone through the video communications;

instructions to perform an action in response to recognizing a response from the receiving party;

instructions to receive a command from the calling device to terminate the video communications; and

instructions to terminate the video communications in response to the command.

19. The VoIP phone according to claim 18, wherein the set of instructions is configured to play a message from the calling device to the receiving party.

20. The VoIP phone according to claim 18, wherein the indicator is the pass code configured to command the home communication device to enter a monitor mode and wherein determining whether the indicator authorizes the video interface comprises determining whether the pass code is correct.