Doorbell communication systems and methods

• US 9,179,109 B1
• Filed: 05/30/2015
• Issued: 11/03/2015
• Est. Priority Date: 12/06/2013
• 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:
  US14/726,517
• Time in Patent Office: 157 Days
• Field of Search: 348/143
• US Class Current: 1/1
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 1/3287 by switching off individual functional units in the computer system
• 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: H04L 2012/2849 Audio/video appliances
• 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 11/025 Door telephones adapted for television H04N7/186
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 2250/52 including functional features of a camera constructional features concerning the integration of cameras in portable phones H04M1/0264
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 23/632 for displaying or modifying preview images prior to image capturing, e.g. variety of image resolutions or capturing parameters
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 23/651 for reducing power consumption by affecting camera operations, e.g. sleep mode, hibernation mode or power off of selective parts of the camera
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 23/661 Transmitting camera control signals through networks, e.g. control via the Internet
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 5/77 between a recording apparatus and a television camera
• 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

A doorbell system can include a remote computing device and a doorbell that has a camera. The doorbell can enter a camera sleep mode wherein the camera is configured not to record. The remote computing device can be used to override a power setting of the doorbell to enable the doorbell to record a video. Then, the remote computing device can receive the video that was recorded by the doorbell.

Claims

1. A method of using a doorbell system, wherein the doorbell system comprises a remote computing device and a doorbell having a camera, the method comprising:

coupling communicatively the doorbell and the remote computing device;

detecting, by the doorbell system, an indication of a presence of a visitor;

entering, by the doorbell, a camera sleep mode wherein the camera is configured to not record;

opening a doorbell control application on the remote computing device;

overriding, by the remote computing device via a wireless communication, a power setting of the doorbell to force the doorbell to exit the camera sleep mode and enter a camera recording mode, wherein the camera recording mode consumes more power than the camera sleep mode; and

receiving a first video, by the remote computing device, from the doorbell at least partially in response to remotely overriding the power setting of the doorbell.

2. The method of claim 1, further comprising displaying the first video on the remote computing device during the camera recording mode, wherein the doorbell enters the camera recording mode without detecting a visitor and without detecting a press of a button of the doorbell.

3. The method of claim 1, wherein after the overriding, the method further comprises sending, at least partially by the remote computing device, a signal to the doorbell that causes the doorbell to enter the camera sleep mode.

4. The method of claim 3, wherein the wireless communication and the signal are sent via a server.

5. The method of claim 1, further comprising exiting the camera recording mode and entering the camera sleep mode in response to closing the doorbell control application on the remote computing device.

6. The method of claim 1, further comprising automatically overriding the power setting of the doorbell in response to opening the doorbell control application on the remote computing device.

7. A method of using a doorbell system, wherein the doorbell system comprises a remote computing device and a doorbell having a camera, the method comprising:

coupling communicatively the doorbell and the remote computing device;

detecting, by the doorbell system, an indication of a presence of a visitor;

entering, by the doorbell, a camera sleep mode in which the camera is configured to not record;

exiting, by the doorbell, the camera sleep mode and entering a camera recording mode in response to receiving, by the doorbell, a first wireless communication session from the remote computing device; and

receiving, by the remote computing device, a first video recorded by the camera of the doorbell.

8. The method of claim 7, further comprising exiting the camera recording mode and entering the camera sleep mode within a predetermined time from a termination of the first wireless communication session.

9. The method of claim 7, wherein receiving the first video is at least partially in response to the doorbell receiving the first wireless communication session from the remote computing device.

10. The method of claim 7, further comprising starting the first wireless communication session and thereby causing the entering the camera recording mode in response to opening a doorbell control application on the remote computing device prior to selecting a button of the doorbell control application to view the first video.

11. The method of claim 10, further comprising receiving the first video with the remote computing device in response to opening the doorbell control application prior to selecting the button to view the first video.

12. The method of claim 10, further comprising terminating the first wireless communication session in response to closing the doorbell control application on the remote computing device.

13. The method of claim 7, further comprising starting the first wireless communication session and thereby causing the entering the camera recording mode in response to opening a doorbell control application on the remote computing device;

receiving the first video with the remote computing device in response to opening the doorbell control application and then erasing the first video from the remote computing device in response to closing the doorbell control application without selecting a first button of the doorbell control application to view the first video;

saving the first video on a data storage system that is located remotely relative to the doorbell and the remote computing device;

sending the first video from the data storage system to the remote computing device after erasing the first video from the remote computing device in response to selecting a second button of the doorbell control application; and

then

displaying the first video on the remote computing device.

14. The method of claim 13, wherein the data storage system comprises a server, and the method further comprises associating a date with the first video on the server and displaying the date of the first video on the remote computing device.

15. A method of using a doorbell system, wherein the doorbell system comprises a remote computing device and a doorbell having a doorbell camera, the method comprising:

coupling communicatively the doorbell and the remote computing device;

detecting, by the doorbell system, an indication of a presence of a visitor;

opening a doorbell control application on the remote computing device;

sending, automatically, a first signal from the remote computing device to the doorbell in response to opening the doorbell control application; and

exiting, by the doorbell, in response to the first signal, a camera sleep mode in which the doorbell camera is configured to not record and entering, by the doorbell, a camera recording mode, wherein the camera recording mode consumes more power than the camera sleep mode.

16. The method of claim 15, further comprising exiting the camera recording mode and entering the camera sleep mode in response to closing the doorbell control application on the remote computing device.

17. The method of claim 15, further comprising recording, by the doorbell, a first video in response to the first signal, wherein the recording is prior to a user selecting a button on the remote computing device, wherein the button is configured to cause the doorbell control application to display the first video;

and receiving, with the remote computing device, the first video prior to selecting the button.

18. The method of claim 15, further comprising recording, by the doorbell, a first video in response to the first signal, and in response to closing the doorbell control application on the remote computing device, automatically erasing the first video from the remote computing device without displaying the first video on the remote computing device.

19. The method of claim 15, further comprising recording, by the doorbell, a first video in response to the first signal, wherein the recording is prior to a user selecting a button on the remote computing device, wherein the button is configured to cause the doorbell control application to display the first video;

and receiving, with the remote computing device, the first video, wherein in response to not selecting the button, automatically erasing the first video from the remote computing device without displaying the first video on the remote computing device.

20. A method of using a doorbell system, wherein the doorbell system comprises a remote computing device and a doorbell having a doorbell camera, the method comprising:

sending a first signal from the remote computing device to the doorbell in response to waking the remote computing device prior to opening a doorbell control application on the remote computing device; and

exiting, by the doorbell, in response to the first signal, a camera sleep mode in which the doorbell camera is configured to not record and entering a camera recording mode, wherein the camera recording mode consumes more power than the camera sleep mode.

21. The method of claim 20, further comprising recording, by the doorbell camera, a first video in response to the first signal.

22. The method of claim 21, further comprising recording the first video with the doorbell camera and receiving the first video with the remote computing device prior to opening the doorbell control application.

23. The method of claim 22, further comprising displaying the first video with the remote computing device while waiting for a live video from the doorbell.

24. The method of claim 20, further comprising:

recording, by the doorbell camera, a first video in response to the first signal prior to opening the doorbell control application;

recording, by the doorbell camera, a second video in response to the opening the doorbell control application; and

displaying at least a portion of the first video on the remote computing device while waiting to receive the second video with the remote computing device.

25. The method of claim 24, further comprising displaying the second video with the remote computing device after the remote computing device receives the second video and before the remote computing device finishes displaying the first video such that the first video is configured to provide preliminary information while the doorbell system waits for updated information of the second video.

26. The method of claim 20, further comprising:

recording, by the doorbell camera, a first video;

recording, by the doorbell camera, a second video;

sending the second video, rather than the first video, to the remote computing device in response to the second video being more recent than the first video; and

displaying at least a portion of the second video on the remote computing device while waiting to receive an even more recent video with the remote computing device.

27. The method of claim 26, wherein the even more recent video is a live video, wherein the method further comprises ending the displaying of the portion of the second video and then displaying the live video in response to the live video being ready to display.

28. The method of claim 26, further comprising the doorbell system sending the second video to the remote computing device in response to opening the doorbell control application.

29. The method of claim 26, further comprising the doorbell system sending the even more recent video to the remote computing device in response to opening the doorbell control application.

30. The method of claim 26, further comprising the doorbell system sending the second video to the remote computing device in response to opening the doorbell control application, and the doorbell system sending the even more recent video to the remote computing device in response to a user selecting a button of the doorbell control application on the remote computing device.