Doorbell communication systems and methods
View Patent ↗Doorbells often include a button to enable visitors to ring a chime to summon building occupants. In some embodiments, doorbells include a camera to take pictures of visitors. In several embodiments, doorbells include covers that are light filters. These light filters can cover infrared light sources such as infrared light emitting diodes. The light filters can pass infrared light while blocking visible light. In several embodiments, a front portion of a camera assembly fits through a hole in a light filter. Light filters can help secure camera assemblies and can form a portion of a doorbell's outer housing.
1. A doorbell configured to wirelessly communicate with a remote computing device, the doorbell comprising:
an inwardly facing side configured to be mounted towards a wall of a building;
an outwardly facing side;
a camera system comprising a lens and a field of view;
a light filter located on the outwardly facing side of the doorbell, wherein the light filter comprises a hole, at least a first portion of the camera system protrudes through the hole, the light filter wraps around at least a majority of a perimeter of the camera system, the lens is located at least partially inside the hole, and at least a majority of the field of view is unobstructed by the light filter; and
a light source located behind the light filter to at least partially illuminate the field of view of the camera system.
2. The doorbell of claim 1 , wherein the light source comprises an infrared light source located behind the light filter such that a first infrared light emitted by the infrared light source can exit the doorbell by traveling outward through the light filter to at least partially illuminate the field of view of the camera system,
wherein the light filter is configured to at least partially block a first visible light traveling towards the doorbell to visibly obscure an interior portion of the doorbell, wherein the interior portion comprises the infrared light source.
3. The doorbell of claim 1 , wherein the light filter is configured to allow an infrared light to exit the doorbell by passing through the light filter, and the light filter is configured to at least partially block a visible light from entering the doorbell by passing through the light filter.
4. The doorbell of claim 3 , wherein the light filter has a visible light transmission of less than 50 percent.
5. The doorbell of claim 1 , wherein the light filter has a visible light transmission of less than 50 percent and an infrared light transmission of at least 50 percent.
6. The doorbell of claim 1 , wherein the lens is located at least partially inside the hole of the light filter such that the light filter helps secure the camera system to the doorbell.
7. The doorbell of claim 1 , wherein a second portion of the camera system is located outwardly relative to the light filter, and a third portion of the camera system is located inwardly relative to the light filter.
8. The doorbell of claim 1 , wherein the light source comprises a first light emitting diode that faces outwardly from behind the light filter while the camera system faces outwardly through the hole in the light filter such that a first portion of a visible light can travel into the camera system without passing through the light filter by passing through the hole but a second portion of the visible light is at least partially blocked by the light filter prior to reaching the light emitting diode.
9. The doorbell of claim 1 , further comprising a light emitting diode located behind the light filter such that a first diode light emitted by the light emitting diode can exit the doorbell by traveling outward through the light filter to at least partially illuminate the field of view of the camera system,
wherein the light filter is configured to at least partially block a first visible light traveling towards the doorbell to visibly obscure an interior portion of the doorbell, wherein the interior portion comprises the light emitting diode.
10. The doorbell of claim 9 , further comprising a button assembly located on the outwardly facing side of the doorbell.
11. The doorbell of claim 10 , further comprising an outer housing that contains a printed circuit board having electrical components configured to wirelessly communicate with the remote computing device, wherein at least a portion of the camera system protrudes through the outer housing, and at least a portion of the button assembly protrudes through the outer housing, wherein the light filter forms a portion of the outer housing.
12. The doorbell of claim 11 , wherein the light filter forms the portion of the outer housing by covering the interior portion such that the outer housing is water resistant.
13. A doorbell comprising:
a housing having a first side configured to be coupled to a wall of a building, wherein the housing contains a printed circuit board having electrical components configured to wirelessly communicate with a remote computing device;
a camera system capable of facing outward from the housing, wherein the camera system comprises a lens, a field of view, and a viewing orientation;
a doorbell button assembly coupled to the housing;
a light filter having a hole, wherein a first portion of the camera system protrudes through the hole; and
a light source located behind the light filter such that a first source light emitted by the light source can exit the doorbell by traveling outward through the light filter to at least partially illuminate the field of view of the camera system, wherein the light filter is configured to at least partially block a first visible light traveling towards the doorbell to visibly obscure an interior portion of the doorbell, wherein the interior portion comprises the light source.
14. The doorbell of claim 13 , wherein the light filter forms a portion of the housing such that the light filter covers the interior portion of the doorbell.
15. The doorbell of claim 14 , wherein the light filter forms the portion of the housing such that at least a majority of an exterior surface of the light filter is coplanar with at least a majority of an outwardly facing side of the doorbell, wherein the doorbell button assembly faces outward through an opening in the outwardly facing side.
16. The doorbell of claim 13 , wherein the first portion of the camera system protrudes through the hole such that a second portion of the camera system is located outward relative to the light filter and a third portion of the camera system is located inward relative to the light filter.
17. The doorbell of claim 16 , wherein the light filter surrounds at least a fourth portion of the camera system that passes through the hole in the light filter, the light filter couples the camera system to the outer housing, the camera system comprises a front outward-most portion, and the light filter is located outward relative to the light source and inward relative to the front outward-most portion of the camera system.
18. The doorbell of claim 17 , wherein the light source comprises at least one light emitting diode.
19. The doorbell of claim 17 , wherein the light filter has a visible light transmission of less than 50 percent and an infrared light transmission of at least 50 percent.
20. The doorbell of claim 13 , wherein the light filter covers the interior portion of the doorbell, wherein the interior portion comprises a light emitting diode oriented within 30 degrees of the viewing orientation of the camera system such that a first diode light emitted by the light emitting diode can exit the doorbell by traveling outward through the light filter to at least partially illuminate the field of view of the camera system.
21. The doorbell of claim 20 , wherein the light filter has a visible light transmission of less than 50 percent and an infrared light transmission of at least 50 percent.
22. The doorbell of claim 20 , wherein the camera system comprises a front outward-most portion, and the light filter is located outward relative to the light source and inward relative to the front outward-most portion of the camera system.
23. The doorbell of claim 1 , wherein the light filter couples the camera system to the doorbell.
24. The doorbell of claim 1 , wherein the hole of the light filter couples the lens of the camera system to the doorbell.
25. The doorbell of claim 1 , wherein the light filter wraps around the perimeter of the camera system.
26. The doorbell of claim 13 , wherein the light filter helps secure the camera system to the doorbell.
27. The doorbell of claim 13 , wherein the hole of the light filter helps secure the camera system to the doorbell.
28. The doorbell of claim 13 , wherein the light filter wraps around a perimeter of the camera system.