Doorbell communication systems and methods

• US 9,055,202 B1
• Filed: 02/12/2015
• Issued: 06/09/2015
• Est. Priority Date: 07/26/2013
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: SkyBell Technologies Ip, LLC
• Original Assignee: Skybell Technologies, Inc.
• Inventors: Scalisi, Joseph Frank, Kasmir, Seton Paul
• Primary Examiner(s): Rao, Andy
• Assistant Examiner(s): WALKER, JARED T
• Application Number:
  US14/621,132
• Time in Patent Office: 117 Days
• Field of Search: 348/143, 348/151
• US Class Current: 1/1
• CPC Class Codes: G01J 1/0214 Constructional arrangements for removing stray light
• CPC Class Codes: G06V 20/52 Surveillance or monitoring of activities, e.g. for recognising suspicious objects recognising microscopic objects G06V20/69
• CPC Class Codes: G08B 3/10 using electric transmission; using electromagnetic transmission
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 11/025 Door telephones adapted for television H04N7/186
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 23/45 for generating image signals from two or more image sensors being of different type or operating in different modes, e.g. with a CMOS sensor for moving images in combination with a charge-coupled device [CCD] for still images
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 23/56 provided with illuminating means
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 23/631 Graphical user interfaces [GUI] specially adapted for controlling image capture or setting capture parameters
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 23/661 Transmitting camera control signals through networks, e.g. control via the Internet
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 7/183 for receiving images from a single remote source
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 7/186 Video door telephones
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 7/188 Capturing isolated or intermittent images triggered by the occurrence of a predetermined event, e.g. an object reaching a predetermined position signal generation from motion picture films H04N5/253

Abstract

Doorbells can detect visitors using a visitor detection system that includes a camera assembly, a motion detector assembly, or an infrared detector assembly. The visitor detection system can have a first sensor configured to detect a first indication suggestive of a visitor and a second sensor configured to detect a second indication suggestive of a visitor. A wall can separate the first sensor from the second sensor to divide the field of view of the visitor detection system such that the first sensor is configured to detect the first indication within a first portion of the field of view and the second sensor is configured to detect the second indication within a second portion of the field of view.

Claims

1. A doorbell system comprising a doorbell, wherein the doorbell system comprises:

a button configurable to enable a visitor to sound a chime;

a visitor detection system having at least one of a camera assembly, a motion detector assembly, and an infrared detector assembly, wherein the visitor detection system is configurable to detect the visitor within a field of view of the visitor detection system;

an outer housing coupled to the visitor detection system, wherein the visitor detection system comprises a first sensor configurable to detect a first indication suggestive of the visitor within the field of view, and a second sensor configurable to detect a second indication suggestive of the visitor within the field of view; and

a wall that separates the first sensor from the second sensor, wherein the wall divides the field of view such that the first sensor is configured to detect the first indication within a first portion of the field of view and the second sensor is configured to detect the second indication within a second portion of the field of view, wherein the button, the first sensor, and the second sensor face outward towards the field of view,

wherein an outer surface of the wall faces outward, and the outer surface of the wall is located further outward than an outer surface of the first sensor and an outer surface of the second sensor.

2. The doorbell system of claim 1, wherein the wall protrudes outward towards the field of view such that the wall hides a third portion of the field of view from the first sensor and hides a fourth portion of the field of view from the second sensor to enable the doorbell system to distinguish between a third indication detected in the third portion and a fourth indication detected in the fourth portion.

3. The doorbell system of claim 1, wherein the wall is located at least partially between the first sensor and the second sensor.

4. The doorbell system of claim 1, wherein the first sensor comprises a first infrared detector and the second sensor comprises a second infrared detector, wherein the first infrared detector is configurable to detect a first infrared signature within the first portion of the field of view and the second infrared detector is configurable to detect a second infrared signature within the second portion of the field of view.

5. The doorbell system of claim 1, wherein the first sensor comprises a first motion detector and the second sensor comprises a second motion detector, wherein the first motion detector is configurable to detect a first motion within the first portion of the field of view and the second motion detector is configurable to detect a second motion within the second portion of the field of view.

6. The doorbell system of claim 1, wherein the first sensor comprises a first camera and the second sensor comprises a second camera, wherein the first camera is configurable to detect a first image within the first portion of the field of view and the second camera is configurable to detect a second image within the second portion of the field of view.

7. The doorbell system of claim 1, wherein the wall is configurable to prevent the first sensor from detecting the second indication suggestive of the visitor from the second portion of the field of view, and wherein the wall is configurable to prevent the second sensor from detecting the first indication suggestive of the visitor from the first portion of the field of view.

8. The doorbell system of claim 1, wherein when the doorbell is attached to a building, the first sensor is horizontally spaced from the second sensor.

9. The doorbell system of claim 1, wherein the first sensor and the second sensor are recessed within the outer housing while the doorbell is attached to a building, and the button protrudes outward from the outer housing.

10. The doorbell system of claim 1, wherein an outer surface of the button is located further outward than the outer surface of the wall.

11. The doorbell system of claim 1, wherein the visual detection system further comprises the camera assembly, wherein each of the camera assembly, the first sensor, and the second sensor face outward, wherein an outer surface of the camera assembly protrudes further outward than an outer surface of the first sensor, and wherein the outer surface of the camera assembly protrudes further outward than an outer surface of the second sensor.

12. The doorbell system of claim 11, wherein the camera assembly comprises a fisheye lens, wherein a first location of the fisheye lens protrudes further outward than an outer surface of the button, and wherein the outer surface of the button protrudes further outward than a second location of the fisheye lens.

13. The doorbell system of claim 11, wherein when the doorbell is attached to a building, the camera assembly is positioned between the button and the first sensor such that the button is positioned lower than the camera assembly, and the camera assembly is positioned lower than the first sensor.

14. The doorbell system of claim 13, wherein the first sensor is spaced a first distance from the camera assembly, and the camera assembly is spaced a second distance from the button, and wherein the second distance is greater than the first distance.

15. The doorbell system of claim 1, wherein the outer housing comprises a first outer portion and a second outer portion, wherein the first outer portion defines a first color and the second outer portion defines a second color that is different from the first color, wherein each of the wall, the first sensor and the second sensor are surrounded by the first outer portion.

16. The doorbell system of claim 15, wherein the visitor detection system further comprises the camera assembly, and wherein the camera assembly is surrounded by the first outer portion.

17. The doorbell system of claim 16, wherein the button is surrounded by the second outer portion.

18. A method for using a doorbell system comprising a button configurable to enable a visitor to sound a chime, a first motion sensor configurable to detect a first indication suggestive of the visitor within a field of view of the doorbell system, a second motion sensor configurable to detect a second indication suggestive of the visitor within the field of view, and an outer housing having a backside configured to be coupled to a building and having a frontside facing outward towards the field of view, the method comprising:

orienting the button of the doorbell system such that the button faces outward from the frontside of the outer housing;

orienting the first motion sensor to face outward from the frontside of the outer housing;

orienting the second motion sensor to face outward from the frontside of the outer housing;

placing a wall at least partially between the first motion sensor and the second motion sensor such that the wall is configured to hide a first portion of the field of view from the first motion sensor and to hide a second portion of the field of view from the second motion sensor;

configuring the doorbell system to distinguish between motions detected in different sections of the field of view by associating the first indication detected by the first motion sensor with a first area of the field of view and associating the second indication detected by the second motion sensor with a second area of the field of view; and

configuring the doorbell system to ignore the first indication in response to associating the first indication with the first area of the field of view.

19. A doorbell system comprising:

a button configurable to enable a visitor to sound a chime;

a first motion sensor configurable to detect a first indication suggestive of the visitor within a field of view of the doorbell system;

a second motion sensor configurable to detect a second indication suggestive of the visitor within the field of view;

an outer housing having a backside configured to be coupled to a building and having a frontside facing outward towards the field of view, wherein the button of the doorbell system is oriented such that the button faces outward from the frontside of the outer housing, the first motion sensor is oriented such that the first motion sensor faces outward, and the second motion sensor is oriented such that the second motion sensor faces outward; and

a wall located at least partially between the first motion sensor and the second motion sensor such that the wall is configured to hide a first portion of the field of view from the first motion sensor and to hide a second portion of the field of view from the second motion sensor,

wherein the doorbell system is configured to distinguish between motions detected in different sections of the field of view by associating the first indication detected by the first motion sensor with a first area of the field of view and associating the second indication detected by the second motion sensor with a second area of the field of view, and wherein the doorbell system is configured to ignore the first indication in response to associating the first indication with the first area of the field of view.

20. The doorbell system of claim 19, wherein at least a portion of the wall is located further outward than the first sensor and the second sensor.

21. The doorbell system of claim 19, wherein the first sensor comprises a first infrared detector and the second sensor comprises a second infrared detector, wherein the first infrared detector is configurable to detect a first infrared signature within the first portion of the field of view and the second infrared detector is configurable to detect a second infrared signature within the second portion of the field of view.

22. The doorbell system of claim 19, wherein the first motion sensor comprises a first camera and the second motion sensor comprises a second camera, wherein the first camera is configurable to detect a first image within the first portion of the field of view and the second camera is configurable to detect a second image within the second portion of the field of view.

23. The doorbell system of claim 19, wherein the wall is configurable to prevent the first sensor from detecting the second indication suggestive of the visitor from the second portion of the field of view, and the wall is configurable to prevent the second sensor from detecting the first indication suggestive of the visitor from the first portion of the field of view.

24. The doorbell system of claim 19, wherein the first sensor is configurable to detect the first indication within the first portion of the field of view and the second sensor is configurable to detect the second indication within the second portion of the field of view.

25. The doorbell system of claim 19, wherein the doorbell is coupled to a building, the first sensor and the second sensor are recessed within the outer housing, and an outer surface of the button protrudes outward from the outer housing.

26. The doorbell system of claim 19, further comprising a camera assembly having a fisheye lens.

27. The doorbell system of claim 19, wherein when the doorbell is attached to a building, the camera assembly is positioned between the button and the first sensor such that the button is positioned lower than the camera assembly, and the camera assembly is positioned lower than the first sensor.

28. The doorbell system of claim 19, wherein the outer housing comprises a first outer portion and a second outer portion, wherein the first outer portion defines a first color and the second outer portion defines a second color that is different from the first color, wherein the wall, the first sensor, and the second sensor are surrounded by the first outer portion.

29. The doorbell system of claim 28, wherein the visitor detection system further comprises a camera assembly, the camera assembly is surrounded by the first outer portion, and the button is surrounded by the second outer portion.