Doorbell System Remote Visitor Notification via Network Transmission
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Solution Overview
Problem
Conventional doorbells do not effectively alert remotely located individuals when someone is attempting to communicate, as the alerting sound may not be heard by those outside the immediate vicinity, posing a challenge for communication and surveillance systems in homes and buildings.
Innovation Solution
A doorbell system equipped with a visitor detection system comprising a camera, microphone, and motion detector, which records video and audio data and transmits it to a remote computing device or server, allowing for real-time communication and alerting of visitors through UDP and TCP protocols, with the option to pause transmission during high capacity usage and store data in a ring buffer for later retrieval.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Reliability
If a doorbell uses a local alerting sound to notify visitors, then the notification is immediate and simple, but remotely located individuals cannot hear the alert
Solution Approach 1:
The patent introduces a remote computing device and network infrastructure as intermediaries between the doorbell and the homeowner. The doorbell captures audio/video data and transmits it through a network to a remote device, enabling the homeowner to be notified of visitors even when away from the premises. This mediator approach resolves the contradiction by bridging the physical distance gap.
Solution Approach 2:
The system transitions from local spatial notification (sound waves in immediate vicinity) to remote notification across different spatial dimensions via network infrastructure. By adding the network communication dimension, the system enables notification reliability to extend beyond the immediate physical location of the doorbell.
2Loss of information
If the doorbell transmits full video and audio data continuously, then complete information is provided to the remote device, but network bandwidth is excessively consumed
Solution Approach 1:
The patent implements selective transmission where only relevant portions of video and audio data are transmitted to the remote device. The system can transmit data based on detected events, motion, or visitor presence rather than continuous full-stream transmission. This partial action approach maintains data completeness for important information while significantly reducing overall bandwidth consumption.
Solution Approach 2:
The system dynamically adjusts transmission parameters such as data sampling rate, resolution, and transmission frequency based on current conditions. When no activity is detected, transmission parameters are reduced or paused; when visitors are present, full-quality transmission is activated. This parameter adjustment resolves the contradiction between information completeness and bandwidth usage.
3Loss of information
If the doorbell stores all recorded video and audio data, then complete records are available for review, but storage capacity is quickly exhausted
Solution Approach 1:
The patent extracts and transmits only the most relevant portions of recorded data to remote storage or devices, leaving the doorbell's local storage for brief local buffering. By extracting and moving important data segments remotely, the system maintains record retention for critical events without exhausting the limited on-device storage capacity.
Solution Approach 2:
The system implements a selective retention policy where older or less important recorded data is automatically discarded or overwritten, while significant events are preserved. This allows the doorbell to maintain useful record retention within limited storage constraints by discarding redundant information and recovering only essential data for long-term retention.
Data Source
AI summary
The disclosure includes a doorbell having a visitor detection system that can comprise at least one of a camera, a microphone, and a motion detector. The method for using the doorbell can comprise recording, via the camera, video data that represents a video. The method can also comprise recording, via the microphone, audio data that represents audio. The method of using the doorbell can comprise transmitting at least a portion of the video data and at least a portion of the audio data, to a remote computing device that is communicatively coupled to the doorbell. The method can also comprise transmitting the video data and the audio data to a remote server that is communicatively coupled to the doorbell.