Doorbell communication system and method

Abstract

To provide an electronic doorbell.SOLUTION: An electronic doorbell may include a housing, a visitor detection system, a battery, and a battery access door. The visitor detection system may be coupled to the housing and include at least one of a button, a camera, a microphone, and a motion detector. The battery may be slidably coupled to the housing and electrically coupled to the visitor detection system, and the battery access door may be positioned along the outer surface of the housing. In some embodiments, the battery access door is configured to move between a closed position and an open position, and thereby the battery can be slidably coupled to the housing.SELECTED DRAWING: Figure 4A

Description

[Technical field]

[0001] Various embodiments disclosed herein relate to a doorbell. Certain embodiments relate to a doorbell that includes a battery. [Background technology]

[0002] A doorbell allows a person located outside an entry point, such as a door, to alert a person inside the entry point that someone outside wants to speak to someone inside. A doorbell may include a button located near a door, such as a front door, side door, or back door of a home, office, dwelling, warehouse, building, or structure. Doorbells are sometimes used near gates or other entrances to partially enclosed areas. When pressed, a doorbell may emit a chime or other alarm sound. Summary of the Invention [Means for solving the problem]

[0003] The present disclosure includes an electronic doorbell, in some embodiments, the electronic doorbell comprises a housing and a visitor detection system coupled to the housing. The visitor detection system may include at least one of a button, a camera, a microphone, and a motion detector. In some embodiments, the electronic doorbell further comprises a battery slidably coupled to the housing and electrically coupled to the visitor detection system. The electronic doorbell may also include a battery access door located along an exterior surface of the housing, where the battery access door is configured to move between a closed position and an open position to allow the battery to be slidably coupled to the housing.

[0004] When the battery access door moves between the closed and open positions, the battery access door may pivot relative to the housing. In some embodiments, the battery access door pivots relative to a side of the housing. The battery access door may be located along a bottom side of the housing.

[0005] In some embodiments, the electronic doorbell further comprises a screw extending through the battery access door, where the screw is configured to secure the battery access door in a closed position by threading into the housing. The battery access door may include a conductive pad configured to electrically couple the visitor detection system to the battery. In some embodiments, the conductive pad comprises a negative terminal. The battery access door may also include a pair of magnets, and the screw may be located between the pair of magnets. In some embodiments, the battery access door includes a battery designation symbol located along an exterior surface of the battery access door.

[0006] The electronic doorbell may include a light coupled to the housing and electrically coupled to the battery. In some embodiments, the light is configured to illuminate in response to the visitor detection system detecting an indication of a visitor's presence. The electronic doorbell may also include a remote computing device communicatively coupled to the electronic doorbell, where the remote computing device is configured to execute a mobile application. In some embodiments, the mobile application is configured to provide an indication of battery life.

[0007] The camera may be configured to image a visitor in response to the visitor detection system detecting an indication of the presence of a visitor. In some embodiments, the electronic doorbell includes a touch pad located on a front surface of the housing, where the touch pad comprises a button.

[0008] The battery access door may be configured to be coupled to the housing by a friction fit to secure the battery access door in a closed position. In some embodiments, the electronic doorbell further comprises a charging port located along an exterior surface of the battery.

[0009] These and other features, aspects, and advantages are described below with reference to the drawings, which are intended to illustrate, but not limit, the invention, in which like reference characters indicate corresponding features consistently throughout similar embodiments. [Brief description of the drawings]

[0010] [Figure 1A] FIG. 1 is a front view of an electronic doorbell according to one embodiment. [Figure 1B] FIG. 1 is a front view of an electronic doorbell according to one embodiment. [Figure 2A] FIG. 1 is a perspective view of an electronic doorbell according to one embodiment. [Figure 2B] FIG. 1 is a perspective view of an electronic doorbell according to one embodiment. [Figure 3A] FIG. 1 illustrates a perspective view of an electronic doorbell with a battery access door in an open position, according to one embodiment. [Figure 3B] FIG. 1 illustrates a perspective view of an electronic doorbell with a battery access door in an open position, according to one embodiment. [Figure 4A] FIG. 1 illustrates an electronic doorbell with a battery partially inserted, according to one embodiment. [Figure 4B] FIG. 1 illustrates an electronic doorbell with a battery partially inserted, according to one embodiment. [Figure 5A] FIG. 2 illustrates a battery for an electronic doorbell according to one embodiment. [Figure 5B] FIG. 2 illustrates a battery for an electronic doorbell according to one embodiment. [Figure 5C] FIG. 2 illustrates a battery for an electronic doorbell according to one embodiment. [Figure 6A] FIG. 2 is a perspective view of a battery inside an electronic doorbell according to one embodiment. [Figure 6B] FIG. 2 is a perspective view of a battery inside an electronic doorbell according to one embodiment. [Figure 7A] FIG. 1 illustrates an electronic doorbell communicatively coupled to a remote computing device, according to one embodiment. [Figure 7B]FIG. 1 illustrates an electronic doorbell communicatively coupled to a remote computing device, according to one embodiment. DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS

[0011] Although specific embodiments and examples are disclosed below, the subject matter of the present invention extends beyond the specifically disclosed embodiments to other alternative embodiments and / or uses, as well as modifications and equivalents thereof. Thus, the claims appended hereto are not limited by any of the specific embodiments described below. For example, in any method or process disclosed herein, the acts or operations of the method or process may be performed in any suitable sequence and are not necessarily limited to any particular disclosed sequence. Although various operations may be described as multiple discrete operations in an order that may be useful for understanding a particular embodiment, the order of description should not be construed to imply that these operations are order dependent. Furthermore, the structures, systems, and / or devices described herein may be embodied as integrated components or as separate components.

[0012] For purposes of comparing various embodiments, certain aspects and advantages of those embodiments are described. Not necessarily all such aspects or advantages are achieved by any particular embodiment. Thus, for example, various embodiments may be implemented to achieve or optimize one advantage or group of advantages taught herein without necessarily achieving other aspects or advantages as taught or suggested herein.

[0013] 1A and 1B show front views of an electronic doorbell 10a, 10b (collectively "10"). In some embodiments, the electronic doorbell 10 includes a visitor detection system 14 coupled to a housing 12. The visitor detection system 14 may include multiple components located in multiple areas of the housing 12, as illustrated in FIG. 1A. The visitor detection system 14 may include at least one of a button 16, a camera 18, a microphone, and a motion detector 22. In some embodiments, the motion detector 22 is a passive infrared ("PIR") sensor. In some embodiments, the camera 18 also acts as a motion detector. The button 16, the camera 18, and the motion detector 22 are discussed in more detail below with reference to FIGS. 6A and 6B.

[0014] 1A and 1B also illustrate that, in some embodiments, electronic doorbell 10 includes a touch pad 54. Touch pad 54 may be located on a front surface 56 of housing 12, as shown in FIGS. 1A and 1B. Touch pad 54 may also be located in other locations on housing 12, such as on a side (and / or sides) of housing 12. In some embodiments, touch pad 54 includes buttons 16.

[0015] 2A and 2B show bottom perspective views of electronic doorbell 10 including battery access door 26. In some embodiments, battery access door 26 includes battery indicator symbol 40 located on an exterior surface 42 of battery access door 26, as illustrated in FIG 2A. Battery access door 26 may not include battery indicator symbol 40, as illustrated in FIG 2B.

[0016] The battery access door 26 may also include a screw 32. In many embodiments, the screw 32 extends through the battery access door 26 to threadably engage the access door 26 to the housing 12 in a closed position. The battery access door 26 may be opened by removing the screw 32 and pivoting the access door 26 relative to the housing 12. In some embodiments, the battery access door 26 is held in the closed position by a friction fit between the access door 26 and the housing 12. In such embodiments, the access door 26 "snaps" open and closed relative to the housing 12, and tension rather than the screw 32 is used to couple the battery access door 26 to the housing 12. As shown in FIGS. 2A and 2B, in some embodiments, the battery access door is located at the bottom of the electronic doorbell 10. As discussed further, the battery access door 26 may be located along different portions of the housing 12. The battery access door 26 may also extend across multiple sides and / or surfaces of the housing 12. For example, the battery access door 26 may be located in a corner of the housing 12, thereby covering a portion of the side and a portion of the bottom.

[0017] 3A and 3B illustrate additional bottom perspective views of the electronic doorbell 10, showing the battery access door 26 in an open position. As shown in FIG. 3A, the battery access door 26 may include a hinge along one edge that allows the door 26 to swing (pivot) open and closed relative to the housing 12. In some embodiments, the hinge is located along an edge opposite the edge shown in FIGS. 3A and 3B. The battery access door 26 may also be opened by swinging downward from a top edge of the access door 26 or swinging upward from a bottom edge of the access door 26.

[0018] The battery access door 26 may also include a pair of magnets 38, as shown in FIG. 3A, and a conductive pad 34, as shown in both FIG. 3A and FIG. 3B. In some embodiments, the pair of magnets 38 are located on either side of the screw 32, but are used in conjunction with the screw to couple the battery access door 26 to the housing 12 of the electronic doorbell 10. The pair of magnets 38 may also double as a conductive path, such as to conduct electricity. In some embodiments, the pair of magnets 38 are not included, as shown in FIG. 3B. The conductive pad 34 may be a negative terminal 36, and may be intended to contact the battery 24 located inside the electronic doorbell 10 as shown. FIGS. 3A and 3B also show that the battery access door 26 may be located along the bottom surface 30 of the electronic doorbell 10.

[0019] 4A and 4B show a side perspective view of the electronic doorbell 10 with the battery 24 partially inserted. Although the battery 24 is shown protruding from the bottom surface 30 of the electronic doorbell 10, in some embodiments the battery 24 is inserted into the electronic doorbell 10 through the side surface 28 of the doorbell 10. In that case, the battery access door 26 would also be located along the side surface 28 of the electronic doorbell 10 and would be sized to allow for lateral insertion of the battery 24. FIGS. 4A and 4B also show the negative terminal 36 located at the bottom (relative to the electronic doorbell 10) of the battery 24. In some embodiments, the negative terminal 36 is located near the top of the battery 24 and thus the top of the electronic doorbell 10.

[0020] 5A, 5B, and 5C show some embodiments of the battery 24 of the electronic doorbell 10. As shown in FIGS. 5A-5C, in some embodiments, the battery 24 includes a positive terminal 37 and a negative terminal 36. The battery 24 may include any type of suitable battery, including but not limited to lithium ion, alkaline, and any other suitable type. In some embodiments, the battery 24 is about 122 mm high, about 32 mm wide, and about 8.5 mm thick. The battery 24 may have any other dimensions to be compatible with the electronic doorbell 10, including embodiments not shown or explicitly discussed in this disclosure.

[0021] In many embodiments, the battery 24 is rechargeable. FIG. 5C shows a side view of the battery 24, including a charging port 58 located on the side of the battery 24. The charging port 58 may be located anywhere on the battery 24. In some embodiments, the charging port 58 is configured to receive a MicroUSB connection. The charging port 58 may also be configured to receive other types of connections, such as USB, USB-C, a lighting cable, etc.

[0022] 6A and 6B show schematic perspective views of the battery 24 inside the electronic doorbell 10 to illustrate the size of the battery 24 compared to the size of the housing 12. The housing 12 of the electronic doorbell 10 may be approximately 135 mm high, approximately 42 mm wide, and have a thickness of approximately 35.5 mm. Of the approximately 35.5 mm thickness, approximately 20.5 mm may comprise the area of ​​the housing 12 that accommodates the battery 24.

[0023] 6A and 6B also include a button 16, a camera 18, and a motion detector 22. As previously described, the button 16 may be integrated into a touch pad 54 located on a front surface 56 of the housing 12, as shown in FIGS. 6A and 6B. The button 16 may be located anywhere on the touch pad 54 and / or may comprise substantially the entire surface of the touch pad 54. In some embodiments, touching and / or pressing the button 16 activates a chime. Touching and / or pressing the button 16 may also initiate an alert to a user, such as the user's remote computing device 46 (shown in FIGS. 7A and 7B).

[0024] In some embodiments, the camera 18 is located toward the top of the electronic doorbell 10, as shown in FIGS. 6A and 6B. The camera 18 may be located toward the center, bottom, or any other location on the housing 12 of the electronic doorbell 10 that allows the camera 18 to view the area surrounding the doorbell 10. In some embodiments, the camera 18 is configured to capture an image of a visitor when the presence of a visitor is detected. The image may be a still image or a video. In some embodiments, an alert sent to the user's remote computing device 46 when a visitor is detected includes an image of the visitor. As discussed above, the camera 18 may also act as a motion detector.

[0025] In some embodiments, the electronic doorbell 10 has a dedicated motion detector 22. The motion detector may be a PIR sensor or any other suitable type of motion detector. Although shown located near the bottom of the housing 12, the motion detector 22 may be located anywhere along the housing 12, including in the middle, near the top, etc. In some embodiments, the motion detector 22 is integrated into a touch pad 54, as illustrated in FIG. 6B. The motion detector 22 may be communicatively coupled to a remote computing device 46 such that the electronic doorbell 10 sends an alert to the remote computing device 46 when motion is detected by the motion detector 22. Activating the motion detector 22 (e.g., via sensing motion) may also activate the camera 18 to capture an image substantially simultaneously or shortly after the motion detector 22 senses motion.

[0026] The electronic doorbell 10 may also include a microphone (not shown). In some embodiments, the microphone is used to detect the presence of a visitor by sound detection, e.g., detecting noises made by a visitor. The microphone may be communicatively coupled to a camera 18, where the camera 18 is configured to capture images when sound is detected by the microphone, as well as to a motion detector 22. The microphone may also be used to facilitate communication between the visitor and another person located remotely from the electronic doorbell 10, for example.

[0027] 7A and 7B illustrate a remote computing device 46 communicatively coupled to the electronic doorbell 10. As previously discussed, the remote computing device 46 may be used with the electronic doorbell 10 to monitor the area surrounding the doorbell 10, for example, by using at least one of the camera 18, the motion detector 22, the button 16, and the microphone. In some embodiments, the remote computing device 46 comprises a mobile application 48. The mobile application 48 may be configured to display alerts from the electronic doorbell 10, such as images taken by the camera 18. The mobile application 48 may also display an indication 50 of battery life. In some embodiments, the indication 50 comprises an amount of battery life remaining in the battery 24 as a percentage. The indication 50 may also comprise an amount as an amount of time, for example, the indication 50 may indicate that 12 hours remain until the battery needs to be recharged.

[0028] In some embodiments, the electronic doorbell 10 includes at least one light. The at least one light may be located anywhere on the housing 12 of the doorbell 10, including the top, bottom, sides, and front. The at least one light may be communicatively coupled to at least one of the motion detector 22, the button 16, and the microphone, such that the at least one light illuminates when a visitor is detected. Detection includes, but is not limited to, motion detection, button press, and sound detection. The at least one light may be communicatively coupled to the remote computing device 46 such that a user can remotely operate the at least one light via the mobile application 48. In some embodiments, the at least one light illuminates when an emergency situation is indicated, such as from an alarm (e.g., fire, carbon monoxide, home security, etc.) within the home and / or from the mobile application 48 of the remote computing device 46.

[0029] interpretation None of the steps described herein are required or essential. Any of the steps may be adjusted or modified. Other or additional steps may be used. Any portion of any of the steps, processes, structures, and / or devices disclosed or illustrated in an embodiment, flowchart, or example herein may be used in combination, with or in place of any other portion of any of the steps, processes, structures, and / or devices disclosed or illustrated in a different embodiment, flowchart, or example. The embodiments and examples provided herein are not intended to be discrete and separate from one another.

[0030] The section headings and subheadings provided herein are not limiting. The section headings and subheadings do not denote the complete scope or limit the embodiments described in the section to which the heading or subheading pertains. For example, the section entitled "Topic 1" may include embodiments that are not related to Topic 1, and embodiments described in other sections may be applied to and combined with embodiments described in the "Topic 1" section.

[0031] Some of the devices, systems, embodiments, and processes use computers. Each of the routines, processes, methods, and algorithms described in the previous sections may be embodied in code modules executed by one or more computers, computer processors, or machines configured to execute computer instructions and may be fully or partially automated. The code modules may be stored in any type of non-transitory computer-readable storage medium or tangible computer storage, such as hard drives, solid-state memory, flash memory, optical disks, and / or the like. The processes and algorithms may be partially or wholly implemented in application-specific circuits. The results of the disclosed processes and process steps may be stored persistently or otherwise in any type of non-transitory computer storage, such as volatile or non-volatile storage.

[0032] The various features and processes described above may be used independently of one another or may be combined in various ways. All possible combinations and subcombinations are intended to fall within the scope of the present disclosure. In addition, certain methods, events, states, or process blocks may be omitted in some implementations. The methods, steps, and processes described herein are also not limited to any particular sequence, and the blocks, steps, or states associated therewith may be performed in other sequences, as appropriate. For example, the tasks or events described may be performed in orders other than those specifically disclosed. Multiple steps may be combined in a single block or state. Example tasks or events may be performed sequentially, in parallel, or in other manners. Tasks or events may be added or removed from the disclosed example embodiments. The example systems and components described herein may be configured differently than as described. For example, elements may be added, removed, or rearranged from the disclosed example embodiments.

[0033] Conditional language used herein, such as, among others, "can," "could," "might," "may," "for example," and the like, is generally intended to convey that a particular embodiment includes certain features, elements, and / or steps, while other embodiments do not, unless specifically stated otherwise or understood otherwise within the context as used. Thus, such conditional language is not generally intended to imply that features, elements, and / or steps are somehow required for one or more embodiments, or that one or more embodiments necessarily include logic for determining whether those features, elements, and / or steps are included or performed in any particular embodiment, with or without author input or prompting. Terms such as "comprises," "includes," "having," and the like, are synonymous and are used inclusively in an open-ended manner and do not exclude additional elements, features, acts, operations, etc. Additionally, the term "or" is used in its inclusive sense (and not its exclusive sense), so that, for example, when used to join a list of elements, the term "or" means one, some, or all of the elements in the list. Conjunctions such as the phrase "at least one of X, Y, and Z," unless specifically stated otherwise, are otherwise understood in the context in which they are commonly used to convey that an item, term, etc. may be either X, Y, or Z. Thus, such conjunctive language is not generally intended to imply that a particular embodiment requires that at least one of X, at least one of Y, and at least one of Z, respectively, be present.

[0034] The term "and / or" means that "and" applies to some embodiments and "or" applies to some embodiments. Thus, A, B, and / or C can be replaced with A, B, and C written in one sentence and A, B, or C written in another sentence. A, B, and / or C means that some embodiments can include A and B, some embodiments can include A and C, some embodiments can include B and C, some embodiments can include only A, some embodiments can include only B, some embodiments can include only C, and some embodiments can include A, B, and C. The term "and / or" is used to avoid unnecessary redundancy.

[0035] The term "about" is used to mean "approximately." For example, the present disclosure includes "The battery may be approximately 122 mm in height." In this context, "about" indicates that the battery may have a height of exactly or approximately 122 mm. The height of the battery may range from 110 mm to 135 mm and fall within the scope of the embodiments described in the present disclosure.

[0036] The term "substantially" is used to mean "completely" or "nearly completely." For example, the disclosure includes "The buttons may make up substantially the entire surface of the touch pad...." In this context, the term "substantially" indicates that the buttons may make up the entire surface or nearly the entire surface of the touch pad. The buttons may make up more than half of the touch pad and fall within the boundaries of "substantially" as used in the disclosure.

[0037] Although certain illustrative embodiments have been described, these embodiments are presented by way of example only and are not intended to limit the scope of the invention(s) disclosed herein. Thus, nothing in the foregoing description is intended to imply that any particular feature, characteristic, step, module, or block is necessary or essential. Indeed, the novel methods and systems described herein may be embodied in a variety of other forms, and various omissions, substitutions, and changes in the form of the methods and systems described herein may be made without departing from the spirit of the invention(s) disclosed herein.

Claims

1. A housing and a visitor detection system coupled to the housing, the visitor detection system configured to detect the presence of a visitor; a battery slidably coupled to the housing; and a battery access door located along an exterior surface of the housing, the battery access door configured to move between a closed position and an open position, the battery access door including a conductive pad configured to couple to the battery in a predetermined manner so as to electrically couple the battery to a visitor detection system.

2. 10. The electronic doorbell of claim 1, wherein the battery access door pivots relative to the housing when the battery access door moves between the closed and open positions.

3. The electronic doorbell of claim 2 , wherein the battery access door pivots relative to a side of the housing.

4. The electronic doorbell of claim 2 , wherein the battery access door is located along a bottom surface of the housing.

5. 10. The electronic doorbell of claim 1, further comprising a screw extending through the battery access door, the screw configured to threadably engage the housing to secure the battery access door in the closed position.

6. The electronic doorbell of claim 1 , wherein the conductive pad comprises a negative terminal.

7. The electronic doorbell of claim 1 , wherein the battery access door includes a pair of magnets.

8. The electronic doorbell of claim 7 , wherein the pair of magnets functions as a conductive path.

9. 2. The electronic doorbell of claim 1, wherein the indication of the presence of the visitor comprises an indication from the group consisting of motion, sound, tactile, and visual.

10. The electronic doorbell of claim 1 , further comprising a light emitter coupled to the housing and electrically coupled to the battery.

11. The electronic doorbell of claim 10 , wherein the light is configured to illuminate in response to the visitor detection system detecting the indication of the presence of the visitor.

12. The electronic doorbell of claim 1 , further comprising a remote computing device communicatively coupled to the electronic doorbell, the remote computing device configured to run a mobile application.

13. The electronic doorbell of claim 12 , wherein the mobile application is configured to provide an indication of battery life.

14. 10. The electronic doorbell of claim 1, wherein the battery access door is configured to be coupled to the housing by a friction fit to secure the battery access door in the closed position.

15. The electronic doorbell of claim 1 further comprising a charging port located along an exterior surface of the battery.

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