Doorbell chime systems and methods

• US 9,160,987 B1
• Filed: 06/11/2015
• Issued: 10/13/2015
• Est. Priority Date: 07/26/2013
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: SkyBell Technologies Ip, LLC
• Original Assignee: Skybell Technologies, Inc.
• Inventors: Kasmir, Seton Paul, Scalisi, Joseph Frank
• Primary Examiner(s): Rao, Andy
• Assistant Examiner(s): WALKER, JARED T
• Application Number:
  US14/737,411
• Time in Patent Office: 124 Days
• Field of Search: 348/143
• US Class Current: 1/1
• CPC Class Codes: G08B 13/19656 Network used to communicate with a camera, e.g. WAN, LAN, Internet
• CPC Class Codes: G08B 13/19684 Portable terminal, e.g. mobile phone, used for viewing video remotely
• CPC Class Codes: G08B 15/00 Identifying, scaring or incapacitating burglars, thieves or intruders, e.g. by explosives
• CPC Class Codes: G08B 25/009 Signalling of the alarm condition to a substation whose identity is signalled to a central station, e.g. relaying alarm signals in order to extend communication range
• CPC Class Codes: G08B 3/10 using electric transmission; using electromagnetic transmission
• CPC Class Codes: G08B 7/064 indicating houses needing emergency help, e.g. with a flashing light or sound
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 12/2803 Home automation networks
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 12/2818 from a device located outside both the home and the home network access arrangements H04L12/2856; for remote control or remote monitoring of applications H04L67/025; arrangements for transmitting signals characterised by the use of a wireless eletrical link G08C17/00; telephonic communication systems adapted for combination with remote control systems H04M11/007
• 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
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 2012/2849 Audio/video appliances
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 1/0291 Door telephones
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 1/72403 with means for local support of applications that increase the functionality
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 1/72412 using two-way short-range wireless interfaces
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 11/025 Door telephones adapted for television H04N7/186
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 2250/06 including a wireless LAN interface
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 7/185 from a mobile camera, e.g. for remote control
• 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

Doorbell systems can include a doorbell and a chime. In some embodiments, the chime can be communicatively coupled to a wireless network of a building, to the doorbell, and to a remote computing device. In several embodiments, the chime facilitates communication with at least one of the doorbell, the remote computing device, and a remote sensor.

Claims

1. A method of using a doorbell system comprising a doorbell and a chime, wherein the doorbell system is configured to be coupled to a building, the method comprising:

coupling communicatively the chime to a wireless network of the building, to the doorbell, and to a remote computing device;

detecting, by the doorbell, a trigger of a button of the doorbell;

sending a visitor alert from the doorbell to the chime; and

sending the visitor alert from the chime to the remote computing device such that the chime communicatively couples the doorbell to the remote computing device.

2. The method of claim 1, wherein the visitor alert comprises a video, the method further comprising the doorbell taking the video.

3. The method of claim 1, further comprising sending the visitor alert from the doorbell to the chime while the doorbell is located outside of the building and while the chime is located inside of the building.

4. The method of claim 1, further comprising sending the visitor alert from the chime to the remote computing device via the wireless network of the building.

5. The method of claim 1, further comprising sending the visitor alert from the chime to the remote computing device in response to the doorbell system detecting that the doorbell comprises inadequate wireless performance to send the visitor alert to the remote computing device via at least one of the wireless network and a cellular network.

6. The method of claim 1, further comprising sending the visitor alert from the chime to the remote computing device in response to the doorbell system detecting that a wireless signal of the doorbell is below a threshold.

7. The method of claim 1, wherein a wire communicatively couples the doorbell to the chime, the method further comprising taking a video, by the doorbell, and then sending the video to the chime via the wire.

8. The method of claim 7, further comprising sending the video from the chime to the remote computing device via the wireless network of the building.

9. The method of claim 7, further comprising sending the video from the chime to the remote computing device while the doorbell is located outside of the building and while the chime is located inside of the building.

10. The method of claim 1, further comprising coupling communicatively the chime to a doorlock via the wireless network of the building.

11. The method of claim 1, further comprising coupling communicatively the chime to a remote sensor via the wireless network of the building, wherein the remote sensor comprises at least one of a fire alarm, a smoke alarm, a carbon monoxide detector, a motion sensor, a glass-break sensor, and a burglar alarm, and wherein the remote sensor is located remotely relative to the doorbell and the chime.

12. The method of claim 11, further comprising sending a second alert from the chime to the remote computing device in response to receiving, by the chime, a communication from the remote sensor.

13. The method of claim 1, further comprising coupling communicatively the chime to a remote sensor, wherein the remote sensor comprises at least one of a fire detector, a smoke detector, and a carbon monoxide detector, the method further comprising sending a second alert from the chime to the remote computing device in response to receiving, by the chime, a communication from the remote sensor.

14. The method of claim 1, further comprising detecting, by a microphone of the chime, an alarm sound emitted by a remote sensor, and then sending a second alert from the chime to the remote computing device in response to detecting the alarm sound.

15. The method of claim 1, further comprising detecting, by a microphone of the chime, an alarm sound emitted by a remote smoke detector, and then sending a second alert from the chime to the remote computing device in response to detecting the alarm sound.

16. The method of claim 1, further comprising detecting, by a microphone of the chime, an alarm sound emitted by a remote motion sensor device, and then sending a second alert from the chime to the remote computing device in response to detecting the alarm sound.

17. The method of claim 1, further comprising detecting, by a microphone of the chime, glass breaking, and then sending a second alert from the chime to the remote computing device in response to detecting the glass breaking.

18. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

detecting an adverse event with the chime, wherein the adverse event comprises at least one of a motion, breaking glass, fire, a fire alarm sound, and smoke; and

sending an adverse event alert to the remote computing device in response to detecting the adverse event, wherein the adverse event alert comprises a notification of the adverse event.

30. The method of claim 8, further comprising displaying the video on a display of the remote computing device.

19. A doorbell system comprising:

a chime;

a remote computing device communicatively coupled to the chime;

a doorbell communicatively coupled with the remote computing device via the chime;

a first communication from the doorbell to the chime, wherein the first communication comprises a visitor alert; and

a second communication from the chime to the remote computing device, wherein the second communication comprises the visitor alert.

20. The doorbell system of claim 19, wherein the visitor alert comprises a video taken by a camera of the doorbell.

21. The doorbell system of claim 20, wherein the chime is plugged into a power outlet of a building.

22. The doorbell system of claim 20, wherein the remote computing device comprises a display configurable to display the video.

23. The doorbell system of claim 19, further comprising a sound emitted by a speaker of the chime in response to the doorbell detecting an indication of a presence of a visitor.

24. The doorbell system of claim 19, wherein the chime comprises a speaker configurable to play a sound file from the remote computing device.

25. The doorbell system of claim 19, wherein the chime comprises a light configurable to illuminate.

26. The doorbell system of claim 19, wherein the chime comprises:

a motion detector;

a camera assembly; and

a microphone configurable to receive an audible message spoken by a user.

27. The doorbell system of claim 26, wherein the chime comprises:

a thermometer;

a humidity sensor; and

a communication system configurable to communicatively couple the chime to at least one of the doorbell and the remote computing device.

28. The doorbell system of claim 19, further comprising a remote sensor having at least one of a fire detector, a smoke detector, and a carbon monoxide detector, wherein the remote sensor is communicatively coupled to the chime, the doorbell system further comprising a third communication from the remote sensor to the chime.

29. The doorbell system of claim 19, further comprising a microphone of the chime, a remote sensor, an alarm sound emitted by the remote sensor, and a third communication sent from the chime to the remote computing device in response to the microphone of the chime detecting the alarm sound.