Intelligent doorbell

Abstract

Disclosed herein are embodiments of systems, devices, articles of manufacture, methods, and / or computer program products, and / or combinations and sub-combinations thereof, for a smart doorbell including a housing. In an embodiment, activation of a user interface element of a smart doorbell is detected. In response to detecting activation of the user interface element, it is determined that a doorbell ringtone is to be activated based on one or more rules such that a first signal for activating the doorbell ringtone is transmitted, and a wireless signal is transmitted to at least one video camera not included within the housing. The wireless signal causes at least one video camera to activate and provide a video stream.

Description

Technical Field

[0001] The present disclosure relates generally to signaling devices. Background Art

[0002] A doorbell is a signaling device that is typically placed near a door at the entrance of a building. The doorbell includes a button that, when pressed, plays a doorbell chime inside the building, alerting the building's occupants that a visitor is at the door. Some doorbells integrate a video camera with the doorbell in a separate unit, allowing the occupants to view who is outside the door without opening the door. However, integrating a video camera with the doorbell greatly increases the form factor of the doorbell, which makes the installation of the doorbell more difficult. In addition, such doorbells are typically battery powered. The operation of the video camera can significantly shorten the battery life. Summary of the invention

[0003] Embodiments of systems, devices, apparatus, methods, and / or computer program products for a smart doorbell including a housing are provided herein, and / or combinations and sub-combinations thereof. In an embodiment, activation of a user interface element of the smart doorbell is detected. In response to detecting activation of the user interface element, a doorbell ring is determined to be activated based on one or more rules, so that a first signal for activating the doorbell ring is sent, and a wireless signal is sent to at least one video camera not included in the housing. The wireless signal causes the at least one video camera to activate and provide a video stream.

[0004] In an embodiment, the one or more rules specify a time period during which the doorbell chime may be activated, and determining based on the one or more rules that the doorbell chime is to be activated includes determining that activation of a user interface element of the smart doorbell is detected within the time period.

[0005] In another embodiment, determining that a doorbell ringtone is to be activated based on one or more rules includes: selecting a doorbell ringtone from a plurality of doorbell ringtones based on the one or more rules, wherein the one or more rules specify which doorbell ringtone of the plurality of doorbell ringtones is to be activated based on a time period when a user interface element of the smart doorbell is activated.

[0006] In another embodiment, the determined number of times the doorbell ring is to be activated is determined based on one or more rules.Causing the first signal to be sent to activate the doorbell ring includes causing the first signal to be sent according to the number of times.

[0007] In another embodiment, determining that a doorbell ring is to be activated based on one or more rules includes: selecting a doorbell ring from a plurality of doorbell rings based on the one or more rules, wherein the one or more rules specify which of the plurality of doorbell rings is to be activated based on a user activating a user interface element of the smart doorbell.

[0008] In another embodiment, causing the first signal to be sent to activate the doorbell includes at least one of causing the first signal to be sent via a wired connection to a doorbell chime speaker external to the housing, or wirelessly sending the first signal to a wireless speaker external to the housing.

[0009] In another embodiment, the second wireless signal is sent to a display device external to the housing, causing the display device to at least one of: transition the display device itself to a powered-on state or display a video stream. BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

[0010] The accompanying drawings are incorporated herein and constitute a part of this specification.

[0011] Figure 1 A block diagram of a multimedia environment is shown in accordance with some embodiments.

[0012] Figure 2 A block diagram of a streaming media device according to some embodiments is shown.

[0013] Figure 3 A block diagram of a system including a smart doorbell communicatively coupled to a plurality of Internet of Things (IoT) devices is shown in accordance with some embodiments.

[0014] Figure 4 is a schematic diagram of an isometric view of a house in which a smart doorbell may be used, according to some embodiments.

[0015] Figure 5 is a flow chart of a method performed by a smart doorbell according to an embodiment.

[0016] Figure 6 is a flow chart of a method for determining the number of times a doorbell ring will be activated according to an embodiment.

[0017] Figure 7 An example computer system is shown that can be used to implement various embodiments.

[0018] In the drawings, like reference numbers generally refer to like or similar elements. In addition, typically, one or more left-most digits of a reference number identify the drawing in which the reference number first appears. DETAILED DESCRIPTION

[0019] Embodiments described herein may address some or all of the above-described problems associated with a doorbell / video camera combination unit. For example, a smart doorbell that does not include a video camera is described herein. The smart doorbell may include one or more wireless interfaces that are capable of wirelessly communicating with one or more Internet of Things (IoT) devices (e.g., one or more smart video cameras) upon activation of a user interface element (e.g., a button) of the smart doorbell.

[0020] For example, in an embodiment, activation of a user interface element of a smart doorbell is detected. In response to detecting activation of the user interface element, it is determined based on one or more rules that a doorbell ring is to be activated, so that a first signal for activating the doorbell ring is sent, and a wireless signal is sent to at least one video camera not included in the housing. The wireless signal causes the at least one video camera to activate and provide a video stream.

[0021] The separation of the smart doorbell and the smart video camera enables a smaller form factor, which provides flexibility in mounting location. The separation also provides flexibility in the placement of the smart video camera, enabling a user to place the smart video camera in a location with a better field of view than in a doorbell, where it may be obstructed by certain obstacles (e.g., bushes, trees, or signs). Finally, by not integrating the video camera with the doorbell, the battery life of the doorbell may be extended. Thus, the technology described herein improves the functionality of a device (e.g., a smart doorbell) because such a device is able to operate for longer periods of time due to the extended battery life.

[0022] Various embodiments of the present disclosure may use Figure 1 102. The embodiments of the present disclosure may be implemented and / or may be a part of the multimedia environment 102 shown in . However, it should be noted that the multimedia environment 102 is provided for illustration purposes only and not for limitation purposes. As will be appreciated by those skilled in the relevant art based on the teachings contained herein, embodiments of the present disclosure may be implemented using the multimedia environment 102 and / or may be part of an environment that is partly different from the multimedia environment 102 and / or in addition to the multimedia environment 102. An example of the multimedia environment 102 will now be described.

[0023] Multimedia Environment

[0024] Figure 1 A block diagram of a multimedia environment 102 according to some embodiments is shown. In a non-limiting example, the multimedia environment 102 can be for streaming media. However, the present disclosure is applicable to any type of media (instead of or in addition to streaming media), and any mechanism, means, protocol, method and / or process for distributing media.

[0025] The multimedia environment 102 may include one or more media systems 104. The media system 104 may represent a family room, kitchen, backyard, home theater, school classroom, library, car, boat, bus, airplane, movie theater, stadium, auditorium, park, bar, restaurant, or any other location or space where streaming media content needs to be received and played. One or more users 132 may operate the media system 104 to select and consume content.

[0026] Each media system 104 may include one or more media devices 106, each of which is coupled to one or more display devices 108. It should be noted that unless otherwise specified herein, the terms "coupled," "connected to," "attached," "linked," "combined," and similar terms may refer to physical, electrical, magnetic, logical, and the like connections.

[0027] The media device 106 may be a streaming device, a DVD or Blu-ray device, an audio / video playback device, a cable box, and / or a digital video recording device, for example only. The display device 108 may be a monitor, a television (TV), a computer, a smart phone, a tablet, a wearable device (e.g., a watch or glasses), a home appliance, an Internet of Things (IoT) device, and / or a projector, for example only. In some embodiments, the media device 106 can be part of, integrated with, operably coupled to, and / or connected to its corresponding display device 108.

[0028] Each media device 106 can be configured to communicate with a network 118 via a communication device 114. The communication device 114 can include, for example, a cable modem or a satellite television transceiver. The media device 106 can communicate with the communication device 114 via a link 116, which can include a wireless (e.g., WiFi) and / or wired connection.

[0029] In various embodiments, network 118 can include, but is not limited to, wired and / or wireless intranets, extranets, the Internet, cellular, Bluetooth, infrared and / or any other short-range, long-range, local, regional, global communication mechanisms, means, methods, protocols and / or networks, and any combination thereof.

[0030] The media system 104 may include a remote control 110. The remote control 110 can be any component, part, means and / or method for controlling the media device 106 and / or the display device 108, such as a remote control, a tablet, a laptop, a smart phone, a wearable device, an on-screen control, an integrated control button, an audio control, or any combination thereof, for example only. In an embodiment, the remote control 110 communicates wirelessly with the media device 106 and / or the display device 108 using cellular, Bluetooth, infrared, Wi-Fi, etc., or any combination thereof. The remote control 110 may include a microphone 112, which will be further described below.

[0031] The multimedia environment 102 may include a plurality of content servers 120 (also referred to as content providers, channels, or sources 120). Figure 1 Only one content server 120 is shown in FIG. 1 , but in practice the multimedia environment 102 may include any number of content servers 120 . Each content server 120 may be configured to communicate with the network 118 .

[0032] Each content server 120 may store content 122 and metadata 124. Content 122 may include any combination of music, videos, movies, television programs, multimedia, images, still pictures, text, graphics, game applications, advertisements, program content, public service content, government content, local community content, software, and / or any other content or data object in electronic form.

[0033] In some embodiments, metadata 124 includes data about content 122. For example, metadata 124 may include associated or auxiliary information indicating or relating to writers, directors, producers, composers, artists, actors, summaries, chapters, productions, history, years, trailers, alternate versions, related content, applications, and / or any other information related to or associated with content 122. Metadata 124 may also or alternatively include links to any such information related to or associated with content 122. Metadata 124 may also or alternatively include one or more indexes to content 122.

[0034] The multimedia environment 102 may include one or more system servers 126. The system servers 126 are operable to support the media devices 106 from the cloud. It should be noted that the structural and functional aspects of the system servers 126 may reside in whole or in part in the same or different system servers 126.

[0035] The system server 126 may include a smart doorbell configuration component 128. The smart doorbell configuration component 128 may be configured to maintain and provide one or more rules for determining whether to activate a specific doorbell ringtone. The smart doorbell configuration component 128 may also be configured to store and provide one or more doorbell ringtones. Such one or more doorbell ringtones may be stored as one or more audio files. The smart doorbell configuration component 128 may also include a biometric-based user identification application that is configured to identify a user based on the user's biometrics (e.g., using facial recognition technology, retinal scanning technology, fingerprint reading technology, etc.). For example, the smart doorbell configuration component 128 may receive a user's facial image and / or an indication of the user's facial features, a user's retinal image and / or an indication of the user's retinal features, and / or an image of one or more fingerprints of the user and / or an indication of one or more fingerprint features of the user, and perform facial, retinal and / or fingerprint recognition on the user to identify the user. One or more rules may include one or more rules based on the user, which specifies whether to activate a specific doorbell ringtone based on the identified user. The smart doorbell configuration component 128 can provide a smart doorbell (e.g., smart doorbell 302, as described below with reference to Figure 3 The following will refer to the rules and / or instructions for identifying users. Figure 3 Additional details about the smart doorbell 302 are described.

[0036] The system server 126 may also include an audio command processing module 130. As described above, the remote control 110 may include a microphone 112. The microphone 112 may receive audio data from a user 132 (as well as other sources such as a display device 108). In some embodiments, the media device 106 may be audio responsive, and the audio data may represent spoken commands from the user 132 to control the media device 106 as well as other components in the media system 104 (e.g., the display device 108).

[0037] In some embodiments, audio data received by microphone 112 in remote control 110 is sent to media device 106, which is then forwarded to audio command processing module 130 in system server 126. Audio command processing module 130 is operable to process and analyze the received audio data to identify spoken commands of user 132. Audio command processing module 130 may then forward the spoken commands back to media device 106 for processing.

[0038] In some embodiments, the audio data may alternatively or additionally be processed by the audio command processing module 216 (see Figure 2) processing and analysis. The media device 106 and the system server 126 can then collaborate to select one of the spoken commands to be processed (either the spoken command recognized by the audio command processing module 130 in the system server 126 or the spoken command recognized by the audio command processing module 216 in the media device 106).

[0039] Figure 2 A block diagram of an example of a media device 106 according to some embodiments is shown. The media device 106 may include a streaming module 202, a processing module 204, a storage / buffer 208, and a user interface module 206. As described above, the user interface module 206 may include an audio command processing module 216.

[0040] The media device 106 may also include one or more audio decoders 212 and one or more video decoders 214 .

[0041] Each audio decoder 212 can be configured to decode audio in one or more audio formats, such as, but not limited to, AAC, HE-AAC, AC3 (Dolby Digital), EAC3 (Dolby Digital Plus), WMA, WAV, PCM, MP3, OGG GSM, FLAC, AU, AIFF and / or VOX, just as examples.

[0042] Similarly, each video decoder 214 can be configured to decode video in one or more video formats, such as, but not limited to, MP4 (MP4, m4a, m4v, f4v, f4a, m4b, m4r, f4b, mov), 3GP (3gp, 3gp2, 3g2, 3gpp, 3gpp2), OGG (ogg, oga, ogv, ogx), WMV (wmv, wma, asf), WEBM, FLV, AVI, QuickTime, HDV, MXF (OP1a, OP-Atom), MPEG-TS, MPEG-2PS, MPEG-2TS, WAV, Broadcast WAV, LXF, GXF, and / or VOB, just as examples. Each video decoder 214 may include one or more video codecs, such as but not limited to H.263, H.264, H.265, AVI, HEV, MPEG1, MPEG2, MPEG-TS, MPEG-4, Theora, 3GP, DV, DVCPRO, DVCPRO, DVCProHD, IMX, XDCAM HD, XDCAM HD422 and / or XDCAM EX, as examples only.

[0043] Reference now Figure 1 and Figure 2Both, in some embodiments, the user 132 can interact with the media device 106 via, for example, the remote control 110. For example, the user 132 can interact with the user interface module 206 of the media device 106 using the remote control 110 to select content, such as movies, television programs, music, books, applications, games, etc. The streaming module 202 of the media device 106 can request the selected content from the content server 120 via the network 118. One or more content servers 120 can send the requested content to the streaming module 202. The media device 106 can send the received content to the display device 108 to play the content to the user 132.

[0044] In a streaming embodiment, the streaming module 202 may transmit content to the display device 108 in real time or near real time as the content is received from one or more content servers 120. In a non-streaming embodiment, the media device 106 may store content received from one or more content servers 120 in the storage / buffer 208 to later play the content on the display device 108.

[0045] Smart doorbell

[0046] like Figure 2 As further shown in FIG. 1 , the media device 106 may include a smart doorbell command module 218. The smart doorbell command module 218 may be configured to receive a command from a smart doorbell (e.g., smart doorbell 302, as described below with reference to FIG. 1 ). Figure 3 ) and performs one or more actions, including but not limited to activating a doorbell chime, switching itself to a powered-on state, displaying a video stream, etc. Additional details about the media device 106 will be described below with reference to IoT devices 304, 306, and 308, as described below with reference to Figure 3 as described.

[0047] Figure 3 is a block diagram of a system 300 according to some embodiments, the system 300 includes a smart doorbell 302 communicatively coupled to a plurality of IoT devices. Figure 3As shown, system 300 includes a smart doorbell 302 and IoT devices 304, 306, and 308. Smart doorbell 302 is also an IoT device. IoT devices 304, 306, and 308 may be examples of media devices 106. System 300 may also include a wireless access point (WAP) 310. As described below, the use of WAP 310 may be optional, and smart doorbell 302 and IoT devices 304, 206, and 308 may communicate with each other (e.g., via Wi-Fi) without using WAP 310. Although only four IoT devices (including smart doorbell 302) are shown for illustration purposes, it should be understood that system 300 may include any number of IoT devices, including tens, hundreds, or even thousands of IoT devices.

[0048] As used herein, the term "IoT device" is intended to broadly encompass any device capable of digitally communicating with another device. For example, a device capable of digitally communicating with another device can include an IoT device, as the term is used herein, even if such communication is not conducted over the Internet.

[0049] Each of the IoT devices 304, 306, and 308 may include a device such as a smartphone, a laptop, a notebook, a tablet, a netbook, a desktop computer, a video game console, a set-top box, an OTT streaming player, or a media device 106. In addition, each of the IoT devices 302, 304, and 306 may include a so-called "smart home" device, such as a smart light bulb, a smart switch, a smart refrigerator, a smart washing machine, a smart dryer, a smart coffee machine, a smart alarm clock, a smart smoke alarm, a smart carbon monoxide detector, a smart security sensor, a smart indoor or outdoor video camera, a smart door lock, a smart thermostat, a smart window sensor, a smart motion sensor, a smart plug, a smart TV, a smart speaker, a smart remote control, or a voice controller. Smart doorbell 302 is an example of a "smart home" device. In addition, each of the IoT devices 304, 306, and 308 may include a wearable device, such as a watch, a fitness tracker, a health monitor, a smart pacemaker, or an extended reality headset. However, these are examples only and are not meant to be limiting.

[0050] The smart doorbell 302, IoT devices 304, 306 and 308, and / or WAP 310 may be communicatively connected to a local area network (LAN) 312 via suitable wired and / or wireless connections. In an embodiment, LAN 312 is implemented using a hub-and-spoke or star topology. For example, according to such embodiments, each of the smart doorbell 302 and IoT devices 304, 306 and 308 may be connected to a router via a corresponding Ethernet cable, WAP 310 or IoT device hub. The router may include a modem that enables the router to serve as an interface between an entity connected to the LAN 312 and an external wide area network (WAN) (e.g., the Internet). In an alternative embodiment, LAN 312 is implemented using a mesh network topology. For example, according to such embodiments, one or more of the smart doorbell 302 and IoT devices 304, 306 and 308 may be directly linked to the other three IoT devices, enabling it to communicate directly using unassociated media access control (MAC) frames without the need for a router or WAP 310. The unassociated MAC frame may be unassociated with the WAP 310 (i.e., such a MAC frame does not specify the basic service set (BSS) identifier (ID) of the WAP 310), and is a locally managed MAC frame (e.g., during the setup of the mesh network, a user or network administrator may set the universal / local (U / L) bit of the MAC address included in the MAC frame to a value of 1). When the mesh network is used, the WAP 310 may not be used, and therefore there is no need to connect to the Internet. One advantage of such an approach is that the devices of the mesh network are able to establish communication links with each other more quickly in situations such as when power is restored after a power outage. Conventional approaches require that the hub and / or access point (e.g., WAP 310) be powered on and establish an Internet connection before the mesh network is operational. This adds unnecessary delays to the use of mesh network devices. Another advantage of utilizing such a mesh network is that a specific device (e.g., a smart video camera) may be commanded (e.g., by the smart doorbell 302) to perform a specific operation (e.g., provide and / or record a video stream) without the WAP 310 and / or the Internet. Another advantage is achieved when the devices of the mesh network are battery powered. In this case, there is no interruption in usage even during a power outage, as such devices continue to operate as expected without a WAN or Internet connection. It should be noted that these are examples only, and other technologies for implementing the LAN 312 may be used.

[0051] like Figure 3As further shown, the smart doorbell 302 may include one or more user input interface elements 314, one or more output devices 316, a frame generator 318, an energy storage device 320, and one or more wireless interfaces 322. These components are included in the housing of the smart doorbell 302. The housing may be made of any material, including but not limited to plastic, metal, metal compounds, etc. The smart doorbell 302 may be configured to be placed and attached to any plane, including but not limited to doors, door frames, sidings (e.g., vinyl, aluminum, brick, etc.), windowsills, moldings, etc. The smart doorbell 302 may be attached to a plane via adhesives, fasteners (e.g., one or more screws, bolts, etc.). The smart doorbell 302 may be powered via an energy storage device 320. The energy storage device 320 may include a battery (e.g., a non-rechargeable or rechargeable battery), a capacitor, and / or the like. In some aspects, the smart doorbell 302 may be installed to replace a traditional doorbell. In these aspects, the smart doorbell 302 can be coupled to a transformer via one or more wires, which in turn is coupled to a power source (e.g., an alternating current (AC) power source) of a premises (e.g., a residence, an office building, etc.) where the smart doorbell 302 is installed. The transformer and / or the power source can be used to charge the energy storage device 320.

[0052] One or more user input interface elements 314 may include any input interface element suitable for activating the doorbell ringtone when activated. The examples of one or more user input interface elements 314 include but are not limited to buttons, motion detectors, microphones, etc. In the example where one or more user input interface elements 314 include buttons, the user can activate the doorbell ringtone by pressing the button. In the example where one or more user input interface elements 314 include motion detectors, the user can activate the doorbell ringtone by moving near the motion detector so that the motion detector detects the movement of the user. In the example where one or more user input interface elements 314 include microphones, the user can activate the doorbell ringtone by making a sound or by saying the activation stage.

[0053] After activating one or more user input interface elements 314, one or more output devices 316 may be activated to provide an indication that a user input has been received and / or an indication that a doorbell ring tone has been activated. Examples of one or more output devices 316 include, but are not limited to, one or more light emitting diodes (LEDs), speakers, and the like. For example, when activating one or more user input interface elements 314, a signal may be provided to one or more LEDs so that one or more LEDs are activated. In another example, the signal may cause a doorbell ring tone to be played through a speaker. For example, a doorbell ring tone may be stored and maintained as an audio file in the memory of the smart doorbell 302. Alternatively, the doorbell ring tone may be retrieved from a remote source, such as one or more IoT devices 304, 306, and / or 308 or one or more system servers 126 (e.g., a smart doorbell configuration component 128 of one or more system servers 126). In aspects where the smart doorbell 302 is connected to the AC power source of the house in which it is installed, a doorbell chime unit installed in the house can also be activated when one or more user input interface elements 314 are activated, and the doorbell chime unit is also coupled to one or more wires used to connect the smart doorbell 302 to the AC power source.

[0054] In some aspects, one or more commands may be sent to one or more IoT devices 304, 306, and / or 308 upon activation of one or more user input interface elements 314. Such commands may be included in a MAC frame that is sent via one or more wireless interfaces 322 and received by the smart doorbell command module 218 of such IoT devices. The MAC frame may be generated by a frame generator 318. Examples of such commands may include a command to activate one or more smart indoor video cameras and / or one or more smart outdoor video cameras and cause such one or more smart cameras to provide a video stream, or a command to a mobile device to cause the mobile device to display an application notification that someone is at the user's door (e.g., a home security application notification or a smart doorbell application notification). In another example, such commands may include a command to a smart display device (e.g., a switch command) that powers on a smart display device (e.g., a smart TV, a smart monitor, etc.), plays a doorbell ringtone via a speaker associated therewith, and / or causes the smart display device to display one or more video streams provided by one or more smart cameras. For example, the command may include a command to switch to a video input coupled to the streaming device. The streaming device may include an application that receives a video stream from one or more smart cameras and displays such a video stream via a smart display device. Alternatively, the application may be executed on the smart display device itself. In this case, the command may cause the smart display device to launch the application. In another example, such a command may include a command to one or more smart speakers that causes these smart speakers to power on and / or play a doorbell ringtone. In the aspect where the doorbell ringtone is stored in the memory of the smart doorbell 302, the doorbell ringtone to be played can be sent to the intended smart device via a MAC frame.

[0055] The frame generator 318 can be configured to generate various types of MAC frames. For example, the frame generator 318 can be configured to generate a beacon MAC frame (also referred to herein as a beacon or beacon signal). Each beacon signal can be generated periodically, or can be generated in response to a specific event (e.g., a change in the power state or operation of the smart doorbell 302). The beacon signal can uniquely identify the smart doorbell 302 (e.g., via a unique MAC address assigned to it) and can be broadcast to multiple other IoT devices (e.g., IoT devices 304, 306, and / or 308) and / or WAP 310. The beacon signal can be used by IoT devices (e.g., IoT devices 304, 306, and / or 308) and / or WAP 310 to discover the smart doorbell 302 and / or determine whether the smart doorbell 302 is running. The payload of the beacon signal may also include data indicating one or more specific states of the smart doorbell 302 (e.g., power state, operating state, etc.), one or more wireless communication protocols supported by it, an indication of the power source used by it (e.g., whether the smart doorbell 302 is battery-powered or powered via a wired power source (e.g., AC power), etc.).

[0056] Another type of MAC frame that may be generated by the frame generator 318 is a group broadcast MAC frame. The group broadcast MAC frame may be configured to simultaneously deliver commands and / or any other type of data to a group of IoT devices (e.g., IoT devices 304, 306, and / or 308). Such a MAC frame may specify a group MAC address corresponding to a plurality of IoT devices included in the group.

[0057] Another type of MAC frame that can be generated by the frame generator 318 is a unicast MAC frame. Unicast MAC frames can be reliably delivered to a specific target MAC address. Such frames can be acknowledged by the receiving device via the PHY-ACK protocol. Such MAC frames can specify a MAC address that uniquely identifies a single device (e.g., one of the IoT devices 304, 306, or 308 or the WAP 310) to which the unicast MAC frame is directed. Unicast MAC can also be used to deliver commands and / or any other type of data to a target IoT device.

[0058] One or more wireless interfaces 322 include components suitable for enabling the smart doorbell 302 to communicate wirelessly with other devices via corresponding wireless protocols. For example, as described above, one or more wireless interfaces 322 can be configured to send and / or receive MAC frames. The one or more wireless interfaces 322 may include, for example but not limited to, one or more of the following: a Wi-Fi interface that enables the smart doorbell 302 to wirelessly communicate with one or more IoT devices 304, 306 and / or 308 and / or WAP 310 or other devices with long-range Wi-Fi capabilities according to one or more wireless network protocols based on the IEEE (Institute of Electrical and Electronics Engineers) 802.11 family of standards; a cellular interface that enables the smart doorbell 302 to wirelessly communicate with remote devices via one or more cellular networks; a Bluetooth interface that enables the smart doorbell 302 to wirelessly communicate with other Bluetooth-enabled devices (e.g., one or more IoT devices 304, 306 and / or 308 and / or WAP 310); or a Zigbee interface that enables the smart doorbell 302 to wirelessly communicate with other Zigbee-enabled devices (e.g., one or more IoT devices 304, 306 and / or 308 and / or WAP 310).

[0059] Each of the IoT devices 304, 306, and 308 may include components similar to those illustrated for the smart doorbell 302. Thus, for example, each of the IoT devices 304, 306, and 308 may include a frame generator, an energy storage device, one or more wireless interfaces, and other components.

[0060] In some aspects, the smart doorbell 302 can use one or more rules 324 to determine whether a doorbell ringtone should be played when one or more user input interface elements 314 are activated, select a specific doorbell ringtone from multiple doorbell ringtones when one or more user input interface elements 314 are activated, and / or determine the number of times a specific doorbell ringtone is to be played. For example, one or more rules 324 can specify one or more time periods during which the doorbell ringtone can be activated. As described above, if one or more user input interface elements 314 are activated within the one or more time periods, then, a signal can be sent to activate the doorbell ringtone (e.g., via a speaker of the smart doorbell 302 and / or a doorbell ringtone unit located in the house) and / or various signals (including one or more commands) can be sent to one or more IoT devices 304, 306, and / or 308 to activate such devices to provide and / or display one or more video streams. For example, a user may desire not to activate the doorbell ringtone at certain times (e.g., when the user is sleeping or busy with other things). Such one or more rules 324 may also specify a specific doorbell tone to be played based on time. For example, one or more rules 324 may specify that a first doorbell tone is played during the day, while a second doorbell tone is played at night. In another example, one or more rules 324 may specify that a specific doorbell tone is played at a specific time of the year (e.g., playing a holiday-themed doorbell tone during a specific holiday (e.g., Halloween, Christmas, etc.)). One or more rules 324 may also specify the number of times the doorbell tone is activated so that the doorbell tone is played that number of times. In an example where the doorbell tone is a two-tone sound (e.g., "ding dong"), one or more rules 324 may specify the number of times the two-tone sound is played. In another example, one or more rules 324 may also specify the duration of playing the doorbell tone. For example, in an example where the doorbell tone is a song, one or more rules 324 may specify the number of seconds of the song to be played.

[0061] In some aspects, one or more rules 324 can be user-based, wherein the determination of whether a doorbell tone should be played when one or more user input interface elements 314 are activated, the selection of a specific doorbell tone from a plurality of doorbell tones when one or more user output interface elements 314 are activated, and / or the number of times a specific doorbell tone is to be played is based on the user who activated the one or more user input interface elements 314. For example, if a first user activates one or more user input interface elements 314, a first doorbell tone may be played. If a second user activates one or more user input interface elements 314, a second doorbell tone may be played. If a third user activates one or more user input interface elements 314, a doorbell tone may not be played. If a fourth user activates one or more user input interface elements 314, a specific doorbell tone may be activated a specific number of times and / or played for a specific duration. It should be noted that one or more rules 324 can be time-based or user-based.

[0062] In order to determine which user is at the door, a smart camera can be used to obtain an image of the user's face and / or the user's facial features. The smart camera can be activated via a mobile sensor coupled thereto, which monitors the user's movement. The image and / or facial features can be provided to a facial recognition application that detects the user and / or determines the user's identity based on the image and / or facial features. The facial recognition application can be executed on the smart camera. Alternatively, the facial recognition application can be executed on another device (e.g., another IoT device or one or more system servers 126 (e.g., a smart doorbell configuration component 128 of one or more system servers 126)). In this example, the smart camera can provide indications of images and / or facial features to other devices, and / or receive indications of detected or identified users via network 118. The indication of the detected user can be provided to the smart doorbell 302 from the smart camera or from a device including a facial recognition application via network 118. The smart doorbell 302 can use the indication and one or more rules 324 to determine a detected user activating one or more user input interface elements 314, and determine whether a doorbell tone should be played when one or more user input interface elements 314 are activated, select a particular doorbell tone from a plurality of doorbell tones when the user input interface element 314 is activated, and / or determine a number of times a particular doorbell tone will be played based on the detected user.

[0063] In an embodiment, for example, a user may specify one or more rules 324 via a user interface of an application (e.g., a home security application or a smart doorbell application) for controlling and / or configuring the smart doorbell 302. In another embodiment, one or more rules 324 may be determined using machine learning-based techniques. For example, the smart doorbell configuration component 128 may include a machine learning model that analyzes user behavior, such as when a user answers the door when a visitor activates one or more user input interface elements 314, whether a user answers the door when a specific visitor activates one or more user output interface elements 314, whether a user configures different doorbell chimes at different times of the day or year, etc. Such behavior may be determined via one or more IoT devices (e.g., a smart door lock associated with a door on which the smart doorbell 302 is installed, a smart security sensor, a smart motion detector, etc.) that monitor user behavior. Based on such behavior, the machine learning model learns when a doorbell chime is activated and / or which doorbell chime will be activated.

[0064] One or more rules 324 may be maintained and stored in the memory of the smart doorbell 302. Alternatively, one or more rules 324 may be received and / or retrieved from a remote source, such as one or more IoT devices 304, 306, and / or 308 or a smart doorbell configuration component 128 of one or more system servers 126.

[0065] Figure 4 is a schematic diagram of an isometric view of a house 400 that may use a smart doorbell according to some embodiments. Figure 4 As shown in FIG. 4 , the house 400 includes a smart doorbell 402, a first smart camera 404A, a second smart camera 404B, a smart TV 406, a smart speaker 408, and a wired doorbell ring unit 410. The smart doorbell 402 is as described above with reference to FIG. Figure 3 The first smart camera 404A, the second smart camera 404B, the smart TV 406 and the smart speaker 408 can be as described above. Figure 3 Examples of IoT devices 304, 306, and 308. Figure 4 As shown in FIG. 4 , the premises 400 may include a house or other structure including a plurality of rooms. The smart doorbell 402 may include a button 414, which is as described above with reference to FIG. Figure 3 The smart doorbell 402 may include a housing 403 that does not include a video camera, thereby allowing the smart doorbell 402 to have a relatively small form factor and also providing the user with the flexibility to install the video camera at a location other than the smart doorbell 402. For example, Figure 4As shown, the first smart camera 404A is installed near one side of the door 416, and the smart doorbell 402 is installed near the other side of the door 416. In another example, the second smart camera 404B is installed on a wall of the house 400 different from the wall where the first smart camera 404A and the smart doorbell 402 are installed.

[0066] When the button 414 is pressed, the smart doorbell 402 can cause one or more signals to be sent to one or more smart devices. For example, the smart doorbell 402 can cause a power signal to be sent to the wired doorbell ring unit 410, which causes the wired doorbell ring unit 410 to play a doorbell ring. In such examples, both the wired doorbell ring unit 410 and the smart doorbell 402 can be coupled via one or more wires connected to a transformer, which is coupled to the power supply of the house 400. In such examples, when the button 414 is pressed, a switch (e.g., a relay or a solid-state switch) coupled to the transformer can be activated. When the switch is activated, a doorbell circuit including the smart doorbell 402, the transformer, and the wired doorbell ring unit 410 is completed, so that power can flow from the transformer to the wired doorbell ring unit 410. The smart doorbell 402 can also send a wireless signal to one or more of the first smart camera 404A, the second smart camera 404B, the smart TV 406, and the smart speaker 408. For example, the smart doorbell 402 can send a wireless signal to the first smart camera 404A and / or the second smart camera 404B, which activates the first smart camera 404A and / or the second smart camera 404B and provides a corresponding video stream to a display device (e.g., a smart TV 406) or a mobile device. The smart doorbell 402 can also send a wireless signal to the smart TV 406, so that the smart TV 406 turns on and / or displays one or more video streams. The smart doorbell 402 can also send a wireless signal to the smart speaker 408, so that the smart speaker 408 activates and / or plays a doorbell ringtone. In an embodiment, the smart doorbell 402 can broadcast the same wireless signal (e.g., via a group broadcast MAC frame) to the first smart camera 404A, the second smart camera 404B, the smart TV 406, and / or the smart speaker 408. In another embodiment, the smart doorbell 402 may send a different wireless signal (e.g., via a unicast MAC frame) to each of the first smart camera 404A, the second smart camera 404B, the smart TV 406, and / or the smart speaker 408. In another embodiment, the smart doorbell 402 may send a wireless signal for a specific smart device via another smart device, which relays the wireless signal to the specific smart device. For example, in order to provide a wireless signal to the smart TV 406, the smart doorbell 402 may send a wireless signal to the smart speaker 408, and the smart speaker 408 may relay the wireless signal to the smart TV 406.

[0067] Figure 55 is a flow chart of a method 500 performed by a smart doorbell according to an embodiment. The smart doorbell includes a housing. The method 500 can be performed by processing logic, which can include hardware (e.g., circuits, dedicated logic, programmable logic, microcode, etc.), software (e.g., instructions executed on a processing device), or a combination thereof. It should be understood that not all steps disclosed herein need to be performed. In addition, a person of ordinary skill in the art will understand that some steps can be performed simultaneously or in parallel. Figure 5 The different orders are shown.

[0068] Method 500 by reference Figure 3 Smart doorbell 302 and Figure 4 402, which are two examples of smart doorbells. However, method 500 is not limited to these example embodiments.

[0069] At 502 , the smart doorbell 302 may detect activation of a user interface element (eg, one or more user input interface elements 314 ) of the smart doorbell 302 .

[0070] In response to detecting activation of the user interface element, steps 504, 506, and 508 may be performed. In 504, the smart doorbell 302 may determine that the doorbell ring is to be activated based on one or more rules 324. For example, as described herein, one or more rules 324 may specify a time period during which the doorbell ring may be activated. The smart doorbell 302 may determine that the doorbell ring is to be activated based on one or more rules 324 by determining that activation of the user interface element of the smart doorbell 302 is detected within the time period. In another example, also as described herein, the smart doorbell 302 may determine that the doorbell ring is to be activated based on one or more rules 324 by selecting a doorbell ring from a plurality of doorbell rings based on one or more rules 324, wherein the one or more rules 324 specify which of the plurality of doorbell rings is to be activated based on the time period during which the user interface element of the smart doorbell 302 is activated. In another example, as further described herein, the smart doorbell 302 can determine that a doorbell chime is to be activated based on one or more rules 324 by selecting a doorbell chime from a plurality of doorbell chimes based on one or more rules 324, wherein the one or more rules 324 specify which of the plurality of doorbell chimes is to be activated based on a user activating a user interface element of the smart doorbell 302.

[0071] At 506, the smart doorbell 302 may cause a first signal to be sent to activate the doorbell ring. Figure 4As shown, causing the first signal to be sent to activate the doorbell ring includes at least one of the following: the smart doorbell 402 causes the first signal to be sent to a doorbell ring speaker (e.g., wired doorbell ring unit 410) outside the housing 403 via a wired connection (e.g., by completing a doorbell circuit), or the smart doorbell 402 wirelessly sends the first signal to a wireless speaker (e.g., smart speaker 408) outside the housing 403. As described above with reference to Figure 3 As described, the first signal may be transmitted wirelessly via one or more wireless interfaces 322 .

[0072] At 508, the smart doorbell 302 can send a wireless signal to at least one video camera not included in the housing (e.g., one or more IoT devices 304, 306, and / or 308), wherein the wireless signal causes the at least one video camera to activate and provide a video stream. Figure 4 , the smart doorbell 402 can send a wireless signal to at least one of the first smart camera 404A or the second smart camera 404B that is not included in the housing 403, wherein the wireless signal activates at least one of the first smart camera 404 or the second smart camera 404B and provides a corresponding video stream.

[0073] In the embodiments, reference Figure 4 The smart doorbell 402 can also send a second wireless signal to a display device (e.g., a smart TV 406) outside the shell 403, which causes the display device to execute at least one of the video streams (e.g., provided via the first smart camera 404A and / or the second smart camera 404B) to switch itself to a powered state or display.

[0074] Figure 6 6 is a flow chart of a method 600 for determining the number of times a doorbell chime will be activated according to an embodiment. The method 600 can be performed by processing logic, which can include hardware (e.g., circuits, dedicated logic, programmable logic, microcode, etc.), software (e.g., instructions executed on a processing device), or a combination thereof. It should be understood that not all steps disclosed herein need to be performed. In addition, one of ordinary skill in the art will understand that some steps can be performed simultaneously or in parallel. Figure 6 The different orders are shown.

[0075] Method 600 by reference Figure 3 Smart doorbell 302 and Figure 4 4, which are two examples of smart doorbells. However, method 600 is not limited to these example embodiments.

[0076] At 602 , the smart doorbell 302 may determine, based on one or more rules 324 , the number of times the determined doorbell chime is activated.

[0077] In 604, the smart doorbell 302 may cause the first signal to be sent according to the number of times. Figure 4 , the smart doorbell 402 can cause the first signal to be sent to the wired doorbell ring unit 410 according to the number of times (e.g., by repeatedly completing the doorbell circuit according to the number of times), or the smart doorbell 402 can wirelessly send the first signal to a wireless speaker (e.g., the smart speaker 408) according to the number of times.

[0078] Computer System Example

[0079] For example, one or more well-known computer systems (e.g., Figure 7 700) to implement various embodiments. For example, a combination or sub-combination of computer systems 700 can be used to implement one or more of media device 106, remote control 110, one or more content servers 120, one or more system servers 126, smart doorbell configuration component 128, smart doorbell command module 218, smart doorbell 302, IoT devices 304, 306, and 308, WAP 310, one or more user input interface elements 314, one or more output devices 316, frame generator 318, energy storage device 320, one or more wireless interfaces 322, one or more rules 324, smart doorbell 402, first smart camera 402A, second smart camera 402B, smart TV 406, and smart speaker 408. Similarly or alternatively, for example, one or more computer systems 700 can be used to implement any of the embodiments discussed herein, as well as combinations and sub-combinations thereof.

[0080] Computer system 700 may include one or more processors (also referred to as central processing units or CPUs), such as processor 704. Processor 704 may be connected to a communications infrastructure 706 or bus.

[0081] The computer system 700 may also include one or more user input / output devices 703 , such as a monitor, keyboard, pointing device, etc., which may communicate with the communication infrastructure 706 via one or more user input / output interfaces 702 .

[0082] One or more processors 704 may be a graphics processing unit (GPU). In an embodiment, a GPU may be a processor that is a dedicated electronic circuit designed to process math-intensive applications. A GPU may have a parallel structure that is efficient for processing large blocks of data in parallel, such as math-intensive data common to computer graphics applications, images, videos, etc.

[0083] The computer system 700 may also include a main memory 708, such as a random access memory (RAM). The main memory 708 may include one or more levels of cache. The main memory 708 may store control logic (ie, computer software) and / or data thereon.

[0084] The computer system 700 may also include one or more secondary storage devices or memories 710. For example, the secondary storage 710 may include a hard disk drive 712 and / or a removable storage device or drive 714. The removable storage drive 714 may be a floppy disk drive, a tape drive, an optical drive, an optical storage device, a tape backup device, and / or any other storage device / drive.

[0085] The removable storage drive 714 can interact with the removable storage unit 718. The removable storage unit 718 may include a computer usable or readable storage device having computer software (control logic) and / or data stored thereon. The removable storage unit 718 may be a floppy disk, a magnetic tape, an optical disk, a DVD, an optical disk, and / or any other computer data storage device. The removable storage drive 714 can read from and / or write to the removable storage unit 718.

[0086] Secondary memory 710 may include other means, devices, components, tools, or other methods for allowing computer programs and / or other instructions and / or data to be accessed by computer system 700. Such means, devices, components, tools, or other methods may include, for example, a removable storage unit 722 and an interface 720. Examples of removable storage unit 722 and interface 720 may include a program cartridge and cartridge interface (e.g., as found in video game devices), a removable storage chip (e.g., an EPROM or PROM) and associated socket, a memory stick and USB or other port, a memory card and associated memory card slot, and / or any other removable storage unit and associated interface.

[0087] The computer system 700 may also include a communication or network interface 724. The communication interface 724 may enable the computer system 700 to communicate and interact with any combination of external devices, external networks, external entities, etc. (individually and collectively referenced by reference numeral 728). For example, the communication interface 724 may allow the computer system 700 to communicate with an external or remote device 728 via a communication path 726, which may be wired and / or wireless (or a combination thereof) and may include any combination of a LAN, a WAN, the Internet, etc. Control logic and / or data may be sent to and from the computer system 700 via the communication path 726.

[0088] The computer system 700 may also be any of a personal digital assistant (PDA), a desktop workstation, a handheld or laptop computer, a netbook, a tablet computer, a smartphone, a smart watch or other wearable device, an appliance, part of the IoT, and / or an embedded system, to name a few non-limiting examples, or any combination thereof.

[0089] Computer system 700 can be a client or server, accessing or hosting any applications and / or data through any delivery paradigm, including but not limited to remote or distributed cloud computing solutions; local or internal software ("in-house" cloud-based solutions); "as a service" models (e.g., content as a service (CaaS), digital content as a service (DCaaS), software as a service (SaaS), hosted software as a service (MSaaS), platform as a service (PaaS), desktop as a service (DaaS), framework as a service (FaaS), backend as a service (BaaS), mobile backend as a service (MBaaS), and infrastructure as a service (IaaS), etc.); and / or a hybrid model including any combination of the examples described above or other services or delivery paradigms.

[0090] Any applicable data structures, file formats, and schemas in computer system 700 may be derived from standards, including but not limited to JavaScript Object Notation (JSON), Extensible Markup Language (XML), another markup language (YAML), Extensible Hypertext Markup Language (XHTML), Wireless Markup Language (WML), message packages, XML User Interface Language (XUL), or any other similar representation of functionality, alone or in combination. Alternatively, proprietary data structures, formats, or schemas may be used alone or in combination with known or open standards.

[0091] In some embodiments, a tangible, non-transitory device or article of manufacture including a tangible, non-transitory computer-usable or readable medium having control logic (software) stored thereon may also be referred to herein as a computer program product or program storage device. This includes, but is not limited to, computer system 700, main memory 708, auxiliary memory 710, and removable storage units 718 and 722, as well as tangible articles of manufacture embodying any combination of the foregoing. When executed by one or more data processing devices (e.g., computer system 700 or one or more processors 704), the control logic may cause these data processing devices to operate as described herein.

[0092] Based on the teachings contained in this disclosure, it is obvious to a person skilled in the relevant art how to use the Figure 7 It is apparent that data processing devices, computer systems, and / or computer architectures other than those shown can be used to make and use the embodiments of the present disclosure. In particular, the embodiments can be operated with software, hardware, and / or operating system implementations other than those described herein.

[0093] in conclusion

[0094] It should be understood that the detailed description, rather than any other part, is intended to be used to interpret the claims. The other parts can set forth one or more but not all exemplary embodiments contemplated by the inventors, and therefore, are not intended to limit the present disclosure or the appended claims in any way.

[0095] Although the present disclosure describes exemplary embodiments of exemplary fields and applications, it should be understood that the present disclosure is not limited thereto. Other embodiments and modifications thereto are possible and within the scope and spirit of the present disclosure. For example, without limiting the generality of this paragraph, the embodiments are not limited to the software, hardware, firmware, and / or entities shown in the drawings and / or described herein. In addition, the embodiments (whether or not explicitly described herein) have significant utility for fields and applications beyond the examples described herein.

[0096] Embodiments are described herein with the aid of functional building blocks, which illustrate implementations of specified functions and their relationships. For ease of description, the boundaries of these functional building blocks are arbitrarily defined herein. As long as the specified functions and relationships (or their equivalents) are properly performed, alternative boundaries can be defined. In addition, alternative embodiments can use different orders to perform functional blocks, steps, operations, methods, etc. as described herein.

[0097] "One embodiment", "embodiment", "exemplary embodiment" or similar phrases mentioned herein indicate that the described embodiments may include specific features, structures or characteristics, but not every embodiment must include the specific features, structures or characteristics. In addition, these phrases do not necessarily refer to the same embodiment. In addition, when describing specific features, structures or characteristics in conjunction with an embodiment, such features, structures, or characteristics are incorporated into other embodiments within the cognitive scope of technicians in the relevant field, regardless of whether or not explicitly mentioned or described herein. In addition, some embodiments can be described using the expressions of "coupling" and "connection" and their derivatives. These terms are not necessarily synonymous with each other. For example, some embodiments can be described using the terms "coupling" and / or "connection" to indicate that two or more elements are in direct physical or electrical contact with each other. However, the term "coupling" can also mean that two or more elements are not in direct contact with each other, but still cooperate or interact with each other.

[0098] The breadth and scope of the present disclosure should not be limited by any of the above-described exemplary embodiments, but should be defined only in accordance with the following claims and their equivalents.

Claims

1. A computer-implemented method performed by a smart doorbell including a housing, the computer-implemented method comprising: detecting activation of a user interface element of the smart doorbell; as well as In response to detecting activation of the user interface element: Determining based on one or more rules that a doorbell chime is to be activated; causing a first signal to be sent to activate the doorbell ring; as well as A wireless signal is transmitted to at least one video camera not included in the housing, wherein the wireless signal causes the at least one video camera to activate and provide a video stream.

2. The computer-implemented method of claim 1 , wherein: The one or more rules specify a time period during which the doorbell ring can be activated, and wherein determining that the doorbell ring is to be activated based on the one or more rules comprises: It is determined that activation of the user interface element of the smart doorbell is detected within the time period.

3. The computer-implemented method of claim 1 , wherein: Determining that a doorbell ring is to be activated based on the one or more rules includes: A doorbell ringtone is selected from a plurality of doorbell ringtones based on the one or more rules, wherein the one or more rules specify which doorbell ringtone of the plurality of doorbell ringtones is to be activated based on a time period when a user interface element of the smart doorbell is activated.

4. The computer-implemented method of claim 3, further comprising: Determining a determined number of times the doorbell chime is to be activated based on the one or more rules, wherein causing the first signal to be sent to activate the doorbell chime comprises: The first signal is sent according to the number of times.

5. The computer-implemented method of claim 1 , wherein: Determining that a doorbell ring is to be activated based on the one or more rules includes: A doorbell chime is selected from a plurality of doorbell chimes based on the one or more rules, wherein the one or more rules specify which doorbell chime of the plurality of doorbell chimes is to be activated based on a user activating a user interface element of the smart doorbell.

6. The computer-implemented method of claim 1 , wherein: Causing the first signal to be sent to activate the doorbell ring includes at least one of: causing the first signal to be sent via a wired connection to a doorbell chime speaker external to the housing; or The first signal is wirelessly transmitted to a wireless speaker external to the housing.

7. The computer-implemented method of claim 1 , further comprising: The second wireless signal is sent to a display device outside the housing, so that the display device performs at least one of the following: switching the display device itself to a powered-on state; or Display the video stream.

8. A system comprising: one or more memories; as well as at least one processor, each processor coupled to at least one of the one or more memories and configured to perform operations including: detecting activation of a user interface element of the smart doorbell; as well as In response to detecting activation of the user interface element: Determining based on one or more rules that a doorbell chime is to be activated; causing a first signal to be sent to activate the doorbell ring; as well as A wireless signal is sent to at least one video camera not included in the housing of the smart doorbell, wherein the wireless signal causes the at least one video camera to activate and provide a video stream.

9. The system according to claim 8, wherein: The one or more rules specify a time period during which the doorbell ring can be activated, and wherein determining that the doorbell ring is to be activated based on the one or more rules comprises: It is determined that activation of the user interface element of the smart doorbell is detected within the time period.

10. The system according to claim 8, wherein: Determining that a doorbell ring is to be activated based on the one or more rules includes: A doorbell ringtone is selected from a plurality of doorbell ringtones based on the one or more rules, wherein the one or more rules specify which doorbell ringtone of the plurality of doorbell ringtones is to be activated based on a time period when a user interface element of the smart doorbell is activated.

11. The system of claim 10, wherein the operations further comprise: Determining a determined number of times the doorbell chime is to be activated based on the one or more rules, wherein causing the first signal to be sent to activate the doorbell chime comprises: The first signal is sent according to the number of times.

12. The system according to claim 8, wherein: Determining that a doorbell ring is to be activated based on the one or more rules includes: A doorbell chime is selected from a plurality of doorbell chimes based on the one or more rules, wherein the one or more rules specify which doorbell chime of the plurality of doorbell chimes is to be activated based on a user activating a user interface element of the smart doorbell.

13. The system according to claim 8, wherein: Causing the first signal to be sent to activate the doorbell ring includes at least one of: causing the first signal to be sent via a wired connection to a doorbell chime speaker external to the housing; or The first signal is wirelessly transmitted to a wireless speaker external to the housing.

14. The system of claim 8, the operations further comprising: The second wireless signal is sent to a display device outside the housing, so that the display device performs at least one of the following: switching the display device itself to a powered-on state; or Display the video stream.

15. A non-transitory computer-readable medium having instructions stored thereon, which, when executed by at least one computing device, cause the at least one computing device to perform operations comprising: detecting activation of a user interface element of the smart doorbell; as well as In response to detecting activation of the user interface element: Determining based on one or more rules that a doorbell chime is to be activated; causing a first signal to be sent to activate the doorbell ring; as well as A wireless signal is sent to at least one video camera not included in the housing of the smart doorbell, wherein the wireless signal causes the at least one video camera to activate and provide a video stream.

16. The non-transitory computer readable medium of claim 15, wherein: The one or more rules specify a time period during which the doorbell ring can be activated, and wherein determining that the doorbell ring is to be activated based on the one or more rules comprises: It is determined that activation of the user interface element of the smart doorbell is detected within the time period.

17. The non-transitory computer readable medium of claim 15, wherein: Determining that a doorbell ring is to be activated based on the one or more rules includes: A doorbell ringtone is selected from a plurality of doorbell ringtones based on the one or more rules, wherein the one or more rules specify which doorbell ringtone of the plurality of doorbell ringtones is to be activated based on a time period when a user interface element of the smart doorbell is activated.

18. The non-transitory computer readable medium of claim 17, the operations further comprising: Determining a determined number of times the doorbell chime is to be activated based on the one or more rules, wherein causing the first signal to be sent to activate the doorbell chime comprises: The first signal is sent according to the number of times.

19. The non-transitory computer readable medium of claim 15, wherein: Determining that a doorbell ring is to be activated based on the one or more rules includes: A doorbell chime is selected from a plurality of doorbell chimes based on the one or more rules, wherein the one or more rules specify which doorbell chime of the plurality of doorbell chimes is to be activated based on a user activating a user interface element of the smart doorbell.

20. The non-transitory computer readable medium of claim 15, wherein: Causing the first signal to be sent to activate the doorbell ring includes at least one of: causing the first signal to be sent via a wired connection to a doorbell chime speaker external to the housing; or The first signal is wirelessly transmitted to a wireless speaker external to the housing.

Images