Granted Patent B1

US 8,842,180 · App. 14/142,839 · Granted Sep 23, 2014

Abstract

Claims (61)

1. A method for using a doorbell system, the method comprising:

obtaining a doorbell that comprises a speaker, a microphone, a camera, and an outer housing;

connecting the doorbell electrically to an electrical power supply of a building;

connecting the doorbell electrically to a sound output device located inside of the building;

connecting the doorbell communicatively to a remote computing device;

receiving a first alternating current into the doorbell from the power supply of the building;

converting at least a first portion of the first alternating current into a first direct current, wherein the converting occurs within the outer housing of the doorbell;

using the first direct current to provide a first electrical energy to the camera;

draining the first direct current to the sound output device located inside of the building, wherein the first direct current provides a first electrical power that is less than a triggering threshold of the sound output device such that the sound output device does not emit a notification sound in response to the first electrical power,

while draining the first direct current to the sound output device such that first direct current provides the first electrical power that is less than the triggering threshold, detecting the presence of a visitor that is located outside of the building to which the doorbell is attached;

then after the detecting step, using the doorbell to supply a second electrical power to the sound output device, wherein the second electrical power is greater than the triggering threshold of the sound output device such that the sound output device emits the notification sound in response to the second electrical power;

while using the doorbell to supply the second electrical power to the sound output device, initiating a transmission of a notification to the remote computing device to notify a user of the visitor's presence;

then after transmitting the notification to the remote computing device, using the doorbell to supply the first electrical power to the sound output device such that the sound output device does not emit a notification sound in response to the first electrical power; and

while using the doorbell to supply the first electrical power to the sound output device, continuing to transmit the notification to the remote computing device to notify the user of the visitor's presence.

2. The method of claim 1 , wherein the second electrical power comprises a second alternating current.

3. The method of claim 2 , wherein the power supply comprises a transformer with a maximum available electrical power, and the second electrical power is at least ninety percent of the maximum available electrical power.

4. The method of claim 1 , further comprising using the first direct current to provide a second electrical energy to a printed circuit board of the doorbell while draining the first direct current to the sound output device, wherein the method further comprises using the printed circuit board to provide a third electrical energy to the microphone and the speaker.

5. The method of claim 4 , wherein the doorbell comprises a rectifier configured to convert the first portion of the first alternating current into the first direct current.

6. The method of claim 4 , wherein the doorbell comprises a battery, wherein the method further comprises using the first direct current to charge the battery of the doorbell while draining the first direct current to the sound output device.

7. The method of claim 1 , further comprising converting at least the first portion of the first alternating current into the first direct current while using the doorbell to supply a second alternating current to the sound output device, wherein the second alternating current supplies a second electrical power to the sound output device, wherein the second electrical power is greater than the triggering threshold of the sound output device such that the sound output device emits the notification sound in response to the second electrical power.

8. The method of claim 1 , wherein the doorbell comprises a battery and a printed circuit board, wherein the method further comprises using the battery to supply a third electrical power to the printed circuit board while using the doorbell to supply a second alternating current to the sound output device, wherein the second alternating current supplies a second electrical power to the sound output device, wherein the second electrical power is greater than the triggering threshold of the sound output device such that the sound output device emits the notification sound in response to the second electrical power.

9. The method of claim 1 , wherein the power supply comprises a transformer with a maximum available electrical power, and the first electrical power is less than ten percent of the maximum available electrical power.

10. The method of claim 9 , wherein the first electrical power is less than five percent of the maximum available electrical power.

11. The method of claim 1 , wherein the sound output device comprises a chime configured to emit the notification sound.

12. A method for replacing a first doorbell with a second doorbell, wherein the first doorbell comprises a switch configured to close a circuit between a transformer and a sound output device to enable the sound output device to emit a notification sound, the method comprising:

detaching the first doorbell from a first wire that is electrically connected to the transformer;

detaching the first doorbell from a second wire that is electrically connected to the sound output device;

obtaining the second doorbell, wherein the second doorbell comprises a speaker, a microphone, a camera, and an outer housing, wherein the speaker, the microphone, and the camera are coupled to the outer housing;

connecting the second doorbell electrically to the first wire that is electrically connected to the transformer;

connecting the second doorbell electrically to the second wire that is electrically connected to the sound output device;

connecting the second doorbell communicatively to a remote computing device;

receiving a first alternating current into the second doorbell from at least one of the first wire and the second wire;

converting at least a first portion of the first alternating current into a first direct current, wherein the converting occurs within the outer housing of the second doorbell;

using the first direct current to provide a first electrical energy to at least a second portion of the second doorbell;

draining the first direct current to at least one of the first wire and the second wire;

arranging and configuring the second doorbell to detect the presence of a visitor located outside of the building to which the doorbell is attached; and

arranging and configuring the second doorbell to simultaneously transmit a first notification to a remote computing device to notify a user of the visitor's presence, wherein during the transmission of the first notification the doorbell supplies the sound output device with a first electrical power that is less than a triggering threshold of the sound output device such that the sound output device does not emit a notification sound in response to the first electrical power; and transmit a second notification to the sound output device located inside of the building to notify a user of the visitor's presence, wherein the second notification comprises supplying the sound output device with a second electrical power that is greater than the triggering threshold of the sound output device such that the sound output device emits the notification sound in response to the second electrical power.

13. The method of claim 12 , wherein the second doorbell receives the first alternating current via the first wire and the second doorbell drains the first direct current via the second wire.

14. The method of claim 12 , wherein the second doorbell receives the first alternating current via the second wire and the second doorbell drains the first direct current via the first wire.

15. The method of claim 12 , wherein the second portion of the second doorbell comprises a printed circuit board connected electrically to the speaker, the microphone, and the camera, wherein the printed circuit board is located inside of the outer housing, wherein the method further comprises using the first direct current to provide a second electrical energy to the speaker, the microphone, and the camera via the printed circuit board.

16. A method for using a doorbell system, the method comprising:

obtaining a doorbell that comprises a speaker, a microphone, a camera, and an outer housing, wherein the speaker, the microphone, and the camera are coupled to the outer housing of the doorbell;

connecting the doorbell electrically to an electrical power supply of a building;

connecting the doorbell electrically to a sound output device located inside of the building;

connecting the doorbell communicatively to a remote computing device;

receiving a first alternating current into the doorbell from the power supply of the building;

converting at least a first portion of the first alternating current into a first direct current, wherein the converting occurs within the outer housing of the doorbell;

using the first direct current to provide a first electrical energy to the camera;

draining the first direct current to the sound output device located inside of the building, wherein the first direct current provides a first electrical power that is less than a triggering threshold of the sound output device such that the sound output device does not emit a notification sound in response to the first electrical power;

detecting the presence of a visitor that is located outside of the building to which the doorbell is attached; and

in response to detecting the presence of the visitor, transmitting a first notification to the remote computing device to alert a first user of the visitor's presence, wherein during the transmission of the first notification the doorbell supplies the sound output device with the first electrical power; and transmitting a second notification to the sound output device located inside of the building to alert a second user of the visitor's presence, wherein the second notification comprises supplying the sound output device with a second electrical power that is greater than the triggering threshold of the sound output device such that the sound output device emits the notification sound in response to the second electrical power.

17. The method of claim 1 , wherein the visitor is a first visitor and the steps of claim 1 are performed during a first predetermined period of time, in response to a second predetermined period of time, the method further comprising:

while draining the first direct current to the sound output device such that first direct current provides the first electrical power that is less than the triggering threshold, detecting the presence of a second visitor that is located outside of the building to which the doorbell is attached;

then after detecting the second visitor, using the doorbell to continue supplying the first electrical power to the sound output device such that the sound output device does not emit a notification sound in response to the first electrical power;

while using the doorbell to supply the first electrical power to the sound output device, initiating a transmission of a notification to the remote computing device to notify the user of the second visitor's presence;

then after initiating the transmission of the notification of the second visitor's presence to the remote computing device, using the doorbell to continue supplying the first electrical power to the sound output device such that the sound output device does not emit a notification sound in response to the first electrical power; and

while using the doorbell to supply the first electrical power to the sound output device, continuing to transmit the notification to the remote computing device to notify the user of the second visitor's presence.

18. The method of claim 1 , wherein the first predetermined period of time is from sunrise to sunset, and wherein the second predetermined period of time is from sunset to sunrise.

19. The method of claim 12 , wherein the remote computing device is a smart phone.

20. The method of claim 16 , wherein the first user and the second user are the same, and wherein the remote computing device is a smart phone.

21. The method of claim 16 , wherein the first user and the second user are different, and wherein the remote computing device is a smart phone.

Assignments (11)