Doorbell communities

• US 9,230,424 B1
• Filed: 06/23/2015
• Issued: 01/05/2016
• Est. Priority Date: 12/06/2013
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: SkyBell Technologies Ip, LLC
• Original Assignee: Skybell Technologies, Inc.
• Inventors: Scalisi, Joseph Frank, Thomas, Andrew Paul, Harrison, Gregory Saul, Mejia, Desiree
• Primary Examiner(s): Rao, Andy
• Assistant Examiner(s): Walker, Jared
• Application Number:
  US14/748,054
• Time in Patent Office: 196 Days
• Field of Search: 348/143, 348/152, 348/153, 348/156, 348/159
• US Class Current: 1/1
• 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 27/003 Signalling to neighbouring houses
• CPC Class Codes: G08B 27/005 with transmission via computer network
• 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 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

Doorbells can send data to each other to enable a first doorbell user to warn a second doorbell user regarding a suspicious visitor. A first user can indicate a first trait of a visitor via a first remote computing device. The first user can create a user group to enable the members of the user group to use their doorbells to take pictures of suspicious visitors and to send the pictures of the suspicious visitors to other members of the user group.

Claims

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

sending a first picture, taken by the first doorbell, of a first visitor to the first remote computing device;

creating a doorbell user group comprising the first remote computing device and a second remote computing device that is communicatively coupled to a second doorbell but is not communicatively coupled to the first doorbell;

sharing the first picture of the first visitor with the doorbell user group such that the second remote computing device receives the first picture; and

analyzing information collected from the first and second doorbells, and then sending an alert in response to analytics based on the information.

2. The method of claim 1, wherein the first remote computing device is not communicatively coupled to the second doorbell, the method further comprising receiving, by the first remote computing device, a second picture taken by the second doorbell in response to the second doorbell sending the second picture to a database configured to provide visitor information to the doorbell user group.

3. The method of claim 1, further comprising indicating a first trait of the first visitor via the first remote computing device, and sharing the first picture of the first visitor with the doorbell user group in response to the first trait of the first visitor.

4. The method of claim 1, further comprising indicating a first trait of the first visitor via the first remote computing device, and sending the first trait and the first picture of the first visitor to a database configured to provide information regarding the first visitor to the doorbell user group.

5. The method of claim 4, further comprising providing a time, at which the first visitor visited the first doorbell, to the database.

6. The method of claim 1, wherein the first remote computing device is not communicatively coupled to the second doorbell, the method further comprising receiving, by the first remote computing device, data from the doorbell user group regarding the second doorbell that comprises a second camera and regarding a third doorbell that comprises a third camera, wherein the second doorbell is coupled to a second building, and the third doorbell is coupled to a third building.

7. The method of claim 6, wherein the doorbell system comprises a database configured to share visitor information with the doorbell user group, the method further comprising selecting via the first remote computing device to receive the visitor information from at least one of the second doorbell and the third doorbell.

8. The method of claim 7, wherein the first doorbell is coupled to a first building, and the first building, the second building, and the third building are located apart from each other such that receiving the data comprises receiving the visitor information from a different location than a first location of the first building.

9. The method of claim 1, wherein the first picture comprises a first video.

10. The method of claim 1, wherein creating the doorbell user group comprises adding a first email address and a second email address to a database, wherein the first email address is associated with the first doorbell, and the second email address is associated with the second doorbell.

11. The method of claim 1, further comprising displaying a map on the first remote computing device, wherein the map displays a second location of the second doorbell and a third location of a third doorbell, the method further comprising displaying information regarding the second doorbell in response to selecting a map icon representing the second doorbell while the map icon is displayed on the first remote computing device.

12. The method of claim 11, further comprising selecting the map icon to add the second doorbell to the doorbell user group.

13. The method of claim 1, further comprising selecting a first button on the first remote computing device to alert law enforcement and to alert the doorbell user group.

14. The method of claim 1, wherein the first doorbell is coupled to a first building, the second doorbell is coupled to a second building, and a third doorbell is coupled to a third building.

15. A method of using a doorbell system, the method comprising:

coupling a first doorbell having a first camera to a first building;

configuring the first doorbell to wirelessly communicate with a first remote computing device;

joining, by the first remote computing device, a doorbell user group that comprises a second doorbell having a second camera coupled to a second building and a third doorbell having a third camera coupled to a third building, wherein the second doorbell is configured to wirelessly communicate with a second remote computing device; and

receiving, by the first remote computing device, a solicitor alert in response to the second doorbell of the second building and the third doorbell of the third building detecting a visitor.

16. The method of claim 15, further comprising receiving, by the first remote computing device, a first visitor picture, wherein the second doorbell or the third doorbell took the first visitor picture.

17. The method of claim 15, further comprising receiving from the doorbell user group, by the first remote computing device, a first visitor picture taken by the second doorbell even though the first remote computing device is not communicatively coupled to the second doorbell.

18. The method of claim 17, further comprising receiving, by the first remote computing device, a first trait regarding a first visitor in response to the second remote computing device receiving the first trait.

19. The method of claim 17, further comprising taking a second visitor picture, by the first doorbell, and sending the second visitor picture to the doorbell user group such that the second remote computing device can display the second visitor picture even though the second remote computing device is not communicatively coupled to the first doorbell.

20. The method of claim 15, wherein the doorbell user group comprises a database having a first visitor picture taken by the second doorbell of the second building, the method further comprising taking, by the first doorbell of the first building, a second visitor picture, and determining, by a portion of the doorbell system, that the first visitor picture and the second visitor picture show a visitor.

21. The method of claim 20, further comprising labeling the visitor with solicitor information such that members of the doorbell user group can see the first visitor picture associated with the solicitor information.

22. The method of claim 21, further comprising alerting the members regarding at least a portion of the solicitor information.

23. The method of claim 15, further comprising sending an alert to members of the doorbell user group in response to detecting the visitor at the first building.

24. The method of claim 15, further comprising adding solicitation information regarding the visitor to the doorbell user group.

25. The method of claim 15, further comprising sending an alert to members of the doorbell user group in response to detecting, by a remote burglar detection system, a burglary of the first building.

26. A doorbell system comprising:

a first doorbell having a first camera coupled to a first building, wherein the first doorbell is communicatively coupled to a first remote computing device;

a second doorbell having a second camera coupled to a second building, wherein the second doorbell is communicatively coupled to a second remote computing device;

a doorbell user group comprising a database having images taken by the first camera and the second camera, wherein the doorbell user group is communicatively coupled to the first remote computing device and the second remote computing device; and

a solicitor alert sent to the doorbell user group in response to a visitor being detected by the first doorbell at the first building and by the second doorbell at the second building.

27. The system of claim 26, wherein the first doorbell is not communicatively coupled to the second remote computing device, and the second doorbell is not communicatively coupled to the first remote computing device while the system is configured such that the first remote computing device receives a first visitor picture taken by the second doorbell via the doorbell user group.

28. The system of claim 27, further comprising a second visitor picture taken by the first doorbell and displayed by the second remote computing device.

29. The system of claim 26, further comprising a remote sensor configured to monitor the first building and detect an unauthorized building intrusion, and an alert sent to the doorbell user group in response to the remote sensor detecting the unauthorized building intrusion.

30. The system of claim 26, further comprising a third doorbell having a third camera coupled to a third building, wherein the third doorbell is communicatively coupled to a third remote computing device, and wherein the solicitor alert is sent to the doorbell user group in response to the visitor being detected by the third doorbell at the third building.