Outdoor messaging display for home automation/security systems

• US 9,934,659 B2
• Filed: 07/01/2016
• Issued: 04/03/2018
• Est. Priority Date: 07/01/2016
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: EchoStar Technologies International Corporation (Echostar Corporation)
• Original Assignee: EchoStar Technologies International Corporation (Echostar Corporation)
• Inventors: Hieb, Eric
• Primary Examiner(s): Casillashernandez, Omar
• Application Number:
  US15/201,114
• Publication Number:
  US 20180005495A1
• Time in Patent Office: 641 Days
• Field of Search: 34053911
• CPC Class Codes: G08B 13/19682 Graphic User Interface [GUI] presenting system data to the user, e.g. information on a screen helping a user interacting with an alarm system
• CPC Class Codes: G08B 13/19684 Portable terminal, e.g. mobile phone, used for viewing video remotely
• CPC Class Codes: G08B 13/19695 Arrangements wherein non-video detectors start video recording or forwarding but do not generate an alarm themselves
• CPC Class Codes: G08B 3/10 using electric transmission; using electromagnetic transmission
• CPC Class Codes: G08B 5/228 combined with other devices having a different main function, e.g. watches
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 12/282 based on user interaction within the home receiver circuitry for displaying additional information being controlled by a remote control apparatus H04N21/42204
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 12/2825 Reporting to a device located outside the home and the home network access arrangements H04L12/2856; for remote control or remote monitoring of applications H04L67/025; telephonic communication systems adapted for combination with telemetering systems H04M11/002
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 2012/2841 Wireless

Abstract

An outdoor messaging display for a home automation system can include an arrival detection device for detecting a visitor'"'"'s arrival. The system can also include a display device attached near a door that is capable of displaying text to the visitor. The system can also include a home automation controller that can receive a notification from the arrival detection device indicating that a visitor has arrived or has been detected. The home automation controller can send an alert to a device of the resident indicating that the visitor has arrived or been detected. The home automation controller can receive a message from the resident and output the message to the output display for the visitor to read.

Claims

1. A system, comprising:

an arrival detection device capable of detecting arrival of a visitor at a premises;

a display device attached to the premises at a door of the premises, the display device capable of displaying text to the visitor of the premises; and

a home automation controller, the home automation controller being communicatively coupled to the arrival detection device and the display device, the home automation controller comprising;

a processor; and

a memory having stored thereon instructions, which when executed by the processor, cause the processor to;

receive a notification from the arrival detection device indicating that a visitor has arrived at the premises;

send an alert to a device of a resident of the premises, the alert comprising an indication that the visitor has arrived at the premises;

receive a message from the device of the resident of the premises;

send instructions to the display device attached to the premises comprising an output message of text for display to the visitor based on the message received from the device of the resident of the premises, the output message of text including a coupling code, the coupling code comprising a number to which the visitor can text an opt-in message;

receive, from a mobile device of the visitor, the opt-in message using the coupling code;

receive, from the mobile device of the visitor, a first visitor message using the coupling code; and

transmit the first visitor message to the device of the resident of the premises.

2. The system of claim 1, wherein the memory of the home automation controller has stored thereon further instructions, which when executed by the processor, cause the processor to:

receive a second output message from the device of the resident; and

transmit the second output message to the mobile device of the visitor.

3. The system of claim 2, wherein the memory of the home automation controller has stored thereon further instructions, which when executed by the processor, cause the processor to:

in response to receiving the opt-in message using the coupling code, couple the mobile device of the visitor to the home automation controller; and

upon expiration of a threshold period of time, decouple the mobile device of the visitor from the home automation controller.

4. The system of claim 1, wherein the arrival detection device is one of a doorbell, a motion detector, and a proximity sensor.

5. The system of claim 1, wherein the display device is one of an LED display device, an LCD display device, and a plasma display device.

6. The system of claim 1, wherein the device of the resident is remote from the premises.

7. The system of claim 1, wherein the device of the resident is a television within the premises.

8. The system of claim 1, wherein the alert to the device of the resident comprises one or more predefined responses for selection by the resident to display as the output message.

9. The system of claim 1, wherein the alert to the device of the resident is sent via short message service (SMS).

10. The system of claim 1, wherein the display device comprises a keyboard, and wherein the memory of the home automation controller has stored thereon further instructions, which when executed by the processor, cause the processor to:

receive a second visitor message from the display device entered via the keyboard; and

transmit the second visitor message to the device of the resident.

11. A method, comprising:

receiving, at a controller, a notification from an arrival detection device indicating that a visitor has arrived at a premises;

sending, by the controller, an alert to a device of a resident of the premises, the alert comprising an indication that the visitor has arrived at the premises;

receiving, by the controller, a message from the device of the resident of the premises in response to the alert, the message comprising a message to display to the visitor;

sending instructions to a display device attached to the premises at a door of the premises, the instructions comprising an output message of text for display to the visitor based on the message received from the device of the resident of the premises, the output message of text including a coupling code, the coupling code comprising a number to which the visitor can text an opt-in message;

receive, from a mobile device of the visitor, the opt-in message using the coupling code;

receive, from the mobile device of the visitor, a first visitor message using the coupling code; and

transmit the first visitor message to the device of the resident of the premises.

12. The method of claim 11, further comprising:

receiving, by the controller, a second output message from the device of the resident; and

transmitting, by the controller, the second output message to the mobile device of the visitor.

13. The method of claim 12, further comprising:

in response to receiving the opt-in message using the coupling code, couple the mobile device of the visitor to the controller; and

upon expiration of a threshold period of time, decouple the mobile device of the visitor from the controller.

14. The method of claim 11, wherein the arrival detection device is one of a doorbell, a motion detector, and a proximity sensor.

15. The method of claim 11, wherein the display device is one of an LED display device, an LCD display device, and a plasma display device.

16. The method of claim 11, wherein the device of the resident is remote from the premises.

17. The method of claim 11, wherein the device of the resident is a television within the premises.

18. The method of claim 11, wherein the alert to the device of the resident comprises one or more predefined responses for selection by the resident to display as the output message.

19. The method of claim 11, wherein the alert to the device of the resident is sent via short message service (SMS).

20. The method of claim 11, wherein the display device comprises a keyboard, the method further comprising:

receiving a second visitor message from the display device entered via the keyboard; and

transmitting the second visitor message to the device of the resident.