Granted Patent B2

US 7,429,924 · App. 11/559,373 · Granted Sep 30, 2008

Abstract

Claims (45)

1. An automatic doorbell driver, comprising:

a. coupling means for coupling said automatic doorbell driver to a conventional doorbell system wherein said conventional doorbell system comprises a primary load;

b. power extracting means for extracting power from said conventional doorbell system in an amount sufficiently large so as to permit operation of said automatic doorbell driver but sufficiently small so as to prevent inadvertent energization of said primary load of said conventional doorbell system;

c. sensing means for sensing an object in a proximity zone; and

d. switching means responsive to said sensing means for coupling power to, and thereby controlling the energization and de-energization of, said primary load of said conventional doorbell system;

whereby said automatic doorbell driver can easily convert said conventional doorbell system into an automatic doorbell system.

2. The automatic doorbell driver of claim 1 , wherein said power extracting means comprises energy storing means for storing energy in a sufficient amount so as to permit continued operation of said automatic doorbell driver and continued operation of said primary load of said conventional doorbell system when said switching means is coupling power to said primary load of said conventional doorbell system.

3. The automatic doorbell driver of claim 2 , wherein said energy storing means comprises a capacitor.

4. The automatic doorbell driver of claim 1 , wherein said power extracting means comprises power sharing means for sharing power between said automatic doorbell driver and said primary load of said conventional doorbell system in sufficient amounts so as to permit continued operation of said automatic doorbell driver and continued operation of said primary load of said conventional doorbell system when said switching means is coupling power to said primary load of said conventional doorbell system.

5. The automatic doorbell driver of claim 4 , wherein said power sharing means comprises a voltage limiting circuit.

6. The automatic doorbell driver of claim 1 , wherein said sensing means comprises a motion sensor.

7. The automatic doorbell driver of claim 1 , wherein said sensing means has an adjustable range.

8. The automatic doorbell driver of claim 1 , further comprising logic means for controlling said automatic doorbell driver including said sensing means.

9. The automatic doorbell driver of claim 1 , further comprising feedback means for informing said object in said proximity zone that said primary load of said conventional doorbell system has been energized.

10. The automatic doorbell driver of claim 1 , wherein said switching means comprises a transistor.

11. The automatic doorbell driver of claim 1 , further comprising an ambient light sensor for sensing ambient light.

12. The automatic doorbell driver of claim 1 , further comprising a radio frequency transmitter for communicating with a remote radio frequency receiver.

13. An automatic doorbell driver, comprising:

a. coupling means for coupling said automatic doorbell driver to a conventional doorbell system wherein said conventional doorbell system comprises a primary load;

b. power supply means for supplying power in a sufficient amount to operate said automatic doorbell driver;

c. a sensor selected from the group consisting of an audible sound sensor, a capacitive sensor, an infrared sensor, a microwave sensor, a radio frequency sensor, a visible light sensor, and an ultrasonic sensor; and

d. switching means responsive to said sensor for coupling power to, and thereby controlling the energization and de-energization of, said primary load of said conventional doorbell system.

14. An automatic doorbell driver, comprising:

a. coupling means for coupling said automatic doorbell driver to a conventional doorbell system wherein said conventional doorbell system comprises a primary load;

b. power supply means for supplying power in a sufficient amount to operate said automatic doorbell driver;

c. sensing means for sensing an object in a proximity zone;

d. switching means responsive to said sensing means for coupling power to, and thereby controlling the energization and de-energization of, said primary load of said conventional doorbell system; and

e. a circuit selected from the group consisting of a discrete logic circuit, an application specific integrated circuit, a microprocessor circuit, and a state machine circuit.

15. An automatic doorbell driver, comprising:

a. coupling means for coupling said automatic doorbell driver to a conventional doorbell system wherein said conventional doorbell system comprises a primary load;

b. power supply means for supplying power in a sufficient amount to operate said automatic doorbell driver;

c. sensing means for sensing an object in a proximity zone;

d. switching means responsive to said sensing means for coupling power to, and thereby controlling the energization and de-energization of, said primary load of said conventional doorbell system; and

e. a means for continuously powering said primary load of said conventional doorbell system when said switching means is not coupling power to said primary load of said conventional doorbell system whereby said automatic doorbell driver is compatible with an electronic primary load.

16. A method for automatically driving a primary load of a conventional doorbell system, said method comprising:

a. extracting power from said conventional doorbell system in an amount sufficiently large so as to permit operation of a sensing means coupled to said conventional doorbell system but sufficiently small so as to prevent inadvertent energization of said primary load of said conventional doorbell system;

b. sensing an object in a proximity zone; and

c. automatically coupling power to and thereby activating said primary load of said conventional doorbell system when said object is sensed within said proximity zone.

17. The method of claim 16 , further comprising providing feedback informing said object in said proximity zone that said primary load of said conventional doorbell system has been energized.

18. A method for powering a doorbell system secondary load coupled to a conventional doorbell system wherein said conventional doorbell system comprises a primary load, said method comprising:

a. extracting power from said conventional doorbell system in an amount sufficiently large so as to permit operation of said secondary load but sufficiently small so as to prevent inadvertent energization of said primary load of said conventional doorbell system; and

b. storing energy in a capacitor in a sufficient amount so as to permit continued operation of said secondary load and continued operation of said primary load of said conventional doorbell system when said primary load of said conventional doorbell system is energized.

19. A method for powering a doorbell system secondary load coupled to a conventional doorbell system wherein said conventional doorbell system comprises a primary load, said method comprising:

a. extracting power from said conventional doorbell system in an amount sufficiently large so as to permit operation of said secondary load but sufficiently small so as to prevent inadvertent energization of said primary load of said conventional doorbell system; and

b. sharing power between said secondary load and said primary load of said conventional doorbell system in sufficient amounts so as to permit continued operation of said secondary load and continued operation of said primary load of said conventional doorbell system when said primary load of said conventional doorbell system is energized.

Assignments (8)