DOORBELL COMMUNICATION AND ELECTRICAL SYSTEMS

• US 20170339262A1
• Filed: 08/10/2017
• Published: 11/23/2017
• 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
• Granted Patent: US 10,440,165 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• CPC Class Codes: G08B 13/19684 Portable terminal, e.g. mobile phone, used for viewing video remotely
• CPC Class Codes: G08B 3/10 using electric transmission; using electromagnetic transmission
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 1/0291 Door telephones
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 1/72412 using two-way short-range wireless interfaces
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 1/72418 for supporting emergency services
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 11/025 Door telephones adapted for television H04N7/186
• 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

A doorbell system can include a doorbell and a chime. The chime can emit a notification sound in response to a visitor pressing a button of the doorbell. Electrical switches can be electrically coupled between the doorbell and the chime to control the flow of electricity to the chime. In some embodiments, the switches prevent the chime from emitting notification sounds.

Claims

1. A doorbell system, comprising:

a doorbell comprising a button, wherein the button is configurable to enable a visitor to sound a chime;

a switch assembly electrically coupled to the doorbell and an external power supply; and

the chime electrically coupled to the switch assembly, wherein the chime is capable of emitting a notification sound in response to the visitor pressing the button of the doorbell.

2. The doorbell system of claim 1, wherein the switch assembly comprises:

a first electrical switch having a first open position and a first closed position, wherein the first electrical switch is arranged and configured such that the first electrical switch is capable of enabling a first electrical current to flow between the doorbell and the external power supply; and

a second electrical switch having a second open position and a second closed position, wherein the second electrical switch is arranged and configured such that the second electrical switch is capable of enabling a second electrical current to flow between the switch assembly and the chime.

3. The doorbell system of claim 2, wherein the switch assembly defines a first state and a second state, wherein the first state occurs in response to a first electricity that is less than a first threshold, and the second state occurs in response to a second electricity that is greater than the first threshold.

4. The doorbell system of claim 3, wherein in the first state the switch assembly is configured to block the first electricity from passing through at least a portion of the chime such that the chime does not emit the notification sound, and in the second state the switch assembly is configured to allow the second electricity to pass through the portion of the chime such that the chime emits the notification sound.

5. The doorbell system of claim 4, wherein the doorbell is located in a remote location relative to the chime and the switch assembly while the doorbell is electrically coupled to the switch assembly such that the doorbell controls whether the switch assembly is in the first state or the second state.

6. The doorbell system of claim 5, wherein in the first state of the switch assembly the first electrical switch is in the first closed position such that the first electrical current flows between the doorbell and the external power supply, and

wherein in the first state of the switch assembly the second electrical switch is in the second open position such that the second electrical switch blocks the second electrical current from passing through at least the portion of the chime such that the chime does not emit the notification sound.

7. The doorbell system of claim 6, wherein in the second state of the switch assembly the first electrical switch is in the first open position such that the first electrical switch blocks a third electrical current from flowing through the first electrical switch between the doorbell and the external power supply, and

wherein in the second state of the switch assembly the second electrical switch is in the second closed position such that the second electrical switch allows the second electrical current to pass through at least the portion of the chime such that the chime emits the notification sound.

8. The doorbell system of claim 7, wherein the doorbell system comprises a plastic housing, and wherein the chime and the switch assembly are located inside the plastic housing while the doorbell is located outside of the plastic housing and in the remote location relative to the plastic housing.

9. The doorbell system of claim 7, wherein the doorbell comprises a camera configured to take a picture of the visitor;

wherein the chime is an electronic chime having a speaker configured to emit the notification sound; and

wherein the switch assembly is mechanically coupled to the electronic chime.

10. The doorbell system of claim 7, further comprising an electrical circuit configured such that a third electricity passes from the external power supply to the doorbell and to the switch assembly and then back to the external power supply without entering the portion of the chime in response to the third electricity being less than the first threshold and thereby causing the second electrical switch to be in the second open position.

11. The doorbell system of claim 10, wherein the electrical circuit is configured such that a fourth electricity passes from the external power supply to the doorbell and to the switch assembly, wherein the fourth electricity is diverted from the switch assembly through the portion of the chime and then back into the switch assembly in response to the fourth electricity being greater than the first threshold and thereby causing the second electrical switch to be in the second closed position, wherein the doorbell and the switch assembly are in series in the electrical circuit.

12. The doorbell system of claim 10, wherein the switch assembly is configured to block electrical power from entering the portion of the chime in response to the first electricity being less than the first threshold, and wherein the switch assembly is configured to divert the electrical power from the switch assembly into the portion of the chime in response to the second electricity being greater than the first threshold.

13. A doorbell system having a doorbell and a chime, wherein the chime is capable of emitting a notification sound in response to a visitor pressing a button of the doorbell, the doorbell system comprising:

a first electrical switch having a first open position and a first closed position, wherein the first electrical switch is arranged and configured such that the first electrical switch is capable of enabling a first electrical current to flow between the doorbell and the external power supply; and

a second electrical switch having a second open position and a second closed position, wherein the second electrical switch is arranged and configured such that the second electrical switch is capable of enabling a second electrical current to flow between the second electrical switch and the chime.

14. The doorbell system of claim 13, wherein the first electrical switch electrically couples the doorbell and an external power supply such that the first electrical switch is configured to close a first circuit that comprises the doorbell and the external power supply, and

wherein the second electrical switch electrically couples to the chime to the doorbell such that the second electrical switch is configured to close a second circuit that comprises the doorbell, the chime, and the external power supply.

15. The doorbell system of claim 14, wherein the first electrical switch and the second electrical switch define a first state and a second state, wherein the first state occurs in response to a first electricity that is less than a first threshold, and the second state occurs in response to a second electricity that is greater than the first threshold,

wherein in the first state the second electrical switch blocks the first electricity from passing through at least a portion of the chime such that the chime does not emit the notification sound, and in the second state the second electrical switch allows the second electricity to pass through the portion of the chime such that the chime emits the notification sound.

16. The doorbell system of claim 15, wherein the first electrical switch and the second electrical switch are mechanically coupled to the chime while the first electrical switch and the second electrical switch are located remotely relative to the doorbell and are electrically coupled to the doorbell such that the doorbell controls whether the first electrical switch and the second electrical switch are in the first state or the second state,

wherein in the first state the first electrical switch is in the first closed position such that the first electrical current flows between the doorbell and the external power supply,

wherein in the first state the second electrical switch is in the second open position such that the second electrical switch blocks the second electrical current from flowing between the second electrical switch and the portion of the chime such that the chime does not emit the notification sound during the first state,

wherein in the second state the first electrical switch is in the first open position such that the first electrical switch blocks a third electrical current from flowing through the first electrical switch between the doorbell and the external power supply,

wherein in the second state the second electrical switch is in the second closed position such that the second electrical current flows between the second electrical switch and the portion of the chime such that the chime emits the notification sound during the second state, and

wherein the external power supply comprises a transformer configured to be electrically coupled to a building power supply.

17. The doorbell system of claim 15, wherein the chime comprises a digital chime having a first printed circuit board that comprises electronic components, wherein the first printed circuit board is configured to enable the chime to emit the notification sound from a speaker based on digital music data, the doorbell system further comprising a remote computing device in wireless communication with the doorbell to send the digital music data to the doorbell.

18. The doorbell system of claim 15, wherein the doorbell is configured such that pressing the button of the doorbell causes the second electricity to be greater than the first threshold to cause the second state.

19. The doorbell system of claim 15, wherein the doorbell comprises a first printed circuit board configured to block the second electricity from entering at least a portion of the first printed circuit board of the doorbell in response to the visitor pressing the button, wherein the first printed circuit board comprises electronic components.

20. The doorbell system of claim 15, wherein the doorbell system is configured to maintain the second electricity above the first threshold for a predetermined amount of time in response to the second electricity being greater than the first threshold, and wherein the doorbell system comprises a housing, and wherein the chime, the first electrical switch, and the second electrical switch are located inside the housing while the doorbell is located outside of the housing and in a remote location relative to the housing, further comprising a remote computing device in wireless communication with the doorbell to send the predetermined amount of time to the doorbell.