IP Library Granted Patent US 9,230,424
Granted Patent B1
US 9,230,424 · App. 14/748,054 · Granted Jan 5, 2016

Doorbell communities

Inventors: Joseph Frank Scalisi (Yorba Linda, CA); Andrew Paul Thomas (Newport Beach, CA); Gregory Saul Harrison (Aliso Viejo, CA); Desiree Mejia (Yorba Linda, CA)
Assignee: SkyBell Technologies, Inc.
G08B27/005H04L2012/2849H04N7/186H04N7/188
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Quick Facts
Patent No.
US 9,230,424
App. No.
14/748,054
Granted
Jan 5, 2016
Kind
B1
Abstract

Doorbells can send data to each other to enable a first doorbell user to warn a second doorbell user regarding a suspicious visitor. A first user can indicate a first trait of a visitor via a first remote computing device. The first user can create a user group to enable the members of the user group to use their doorbells to take pictures of suspicious visitors and to send the pictures of the suspicious visitors to other members of the user group.

Claims (42)

1. A method of using a doorbell system, wherein the doorbell system comprises a first remote computing device communicatively coupled to a first doorbell having a first camera, the method comprising:

sending a first picture, taken by the first doorbell, of a first visitor to the first remote computing device;

creating a doorbell user group comprising the first remote computing device and a second remote computing device that is communicatively coupled to a second doorbell but is not communicatively coupled to the first doorbell;

sharing the first picture of the first visitor with the doorbell user group such that the second remote computing device receives the first picture; and

analyzing information collected from the first and second doorbells, and then sending an alert in response to analytics based on the information.

2. The method of claim 1 , wherein the first remote computing device is not communicatively coupled to the second doorbell, the method further comprising receiving, by the first remote computing device, a second picture taken by the second doorbell in response to the second doorbell sending the second picture to a database configured to provide visitor information to the doorbell user group.

3. The method of claim 1 , further comprising indicating a first trait of the first visitor via the first remote computing device, and sharing the first picture of the first visitor with the doorbell user group in response to the first trait of the first visitor.

4. The method of claim 1 , further comprising indicating a first trait of the first visitor via the first remote computing device, and sending the first trait and the first picture of the first visitor to a database configured to provide information regarding the first visitor to the doorbell user group.

5. The method of claim 4 , further comprising providing a time, at which the first visitor visited the first doorbell, to the database.

6. The method of claim 1 , wherein the first remote computing device is not communicatively coupled to the second doorbell, the method further comprising receiving, by the first remote computing device, data from the doorbell user group regarding the second doorbell that comprises a second camera and regarding a third doorbell that comprises a third camera, wherein the second doorbell is coupled to a second building, and the third doorbell is coupled to a third building.

7. The method of claim 6 , wherein the doorbell system comprises a database configured to share visitor information with the doorbell user group, the method further comprising selecting via the first remote computing device to receive the visitor information from at least one of the second doorbell and the third doorbell.

8. The method of claim 7 , wherein the first doorbell is coupled to a first building, and the first building, the second building, and the third building are located apart from each other such that receiving the data comprises receiving the visitor information from a different location than a first location of the first building.

9. The method of claim 1 , wherein the first picture comprises a first video.

10. The method of claim 1 , wherein creating the doorbell user group comprises adding a first email address and a second email address to a database, wherein the first email address is associated with the first doorbell, and the second email address is associated with the second doorbell.

11. The method of claim 1 , further comprising displaying a map on the first remote computing device, wherein the map displays a second location of the second doorbell and a third location of a third doorbell, the method further comprising displaying information regarding the second doorbell in response to selecting a map icon representing the second doorbell while the map icon is displayed on the first remote computing device.

12. The method of claim 11 , further comprising selecting the map icon to add the second doorbell to the doorbell user group.

13. The method of claim 1 , further comprising selecting a first button on the first remote computing device to alert law enforcement and to alert the doorbell user group.

14. The method of claim 1 , wherein the first doorbell is coupled to a first building, the second doorbell is coupled to a second building, and a third doorbell is coupled to a third building.

15. A method of using a doorbell system, the method comprising:

coupling a first doorbell having a first camera to a first building;

configuring the first doorbell to wirelessly communicate with a first remote computing device;

joining, by the first remote computing device, a doorbell user group that comprises a second doorbell having a second camera coupled to a second building and a third doorbell having a third camera coupled to a third building, wherein the second doorbell is configured to wirelessly communicate with a second remote computing device; and

receiving, by the first remote computing device, a solicitor alert in response to the second doorbell of the second building and the third doorbell of the third building detecting a visitor.

16. The method of claim 15 , further comprising receiving, by the first remote computing device, a first visitor picture, wherein the second doorbell or the third doorbell took the first visitor picture.

17. The method of claim 15 , further comprising receiving from the doorbell user group, by the first remote computing device, a first visitor picture taken by the second doorbell even though the first remote computing device is not communicatively coupled to the second doorbell.

18. The method of claim 17 , further comprising receiving, by the first remote computing device, a first trait regarding a first visitor in response to the second remote computing device receiving the first trait.

19. The method of claim 17 , further comprising taking a second visitor picture, by the first doorbell, and sending the second visitor picture to the doorbell user group such that the second remote computing device can display the second visitor picture even though the second remote computing device is not communicatively coupled to the first doorbell.

20. The method of claim 15 , wherein the doorbell user group comprises a database having a first visitor picture taken by the second doorbell of the second building, the method further comprising taking, by the first doorbell of the first building, a second visitor picture, and determining, by a portion of the doorbell system, that the first visitor picture and the second visitor picture show a visitor.

21. The method of claim 20 , further comprising labeling the visitor with solicitor information such that members of the doorbell user group can see the first visitor picture associated with the solicitor information.

22. The method of claim 21 , further comprising alerting the members regarding at least a portion of the solicitor information.

23. The method of claim 15 , further comprising sending an alert to members of the doorbell user group in response to detecting the visitor at the first building.

24. The method of claim 15 , further comprising adding solicitation information regarding the visitor to the doorbell user group.

25. The method of claim 15 , further comprising sending an alert to members of the doorbell user group in response to detecting, by a remote burglar detection system, a burglary of the first building.

26. A doorbell system comprising:

a first doorbell having a first camera coupled to a first building, wherein the first doorbell is communicatively coupled to a first remote computing device;

a second doorbell having a second camera coupled to a second building, wherein the second doorbell is communicatively coupled to a second remote computing device;

a doorbell user group comprising a database having images taken by the first camera and the second camera, wherein the doorbell user group is communicatively coupled to the first remote computing device and the second remote computing device; and

a solicitor alert sent to the doorbell user group in response to a visitor being detected by the first doorbell at the first building and by the second doorbell at the second building.

27. The system of claim 26 , wherein the first doorbell is not communicatively coupled to the second remote computing device, and the second doorbell is not communicatively coupled to the first remote computing device while the system is configured such that the first remote computing device receives a first visitor picture taken by the second doorbell via the doorbell user group.

28. The system of claim 27 , further comprising a second visitor picture taken by the first doorbell and displayed by the second remote computing device.

29. The system of claim 26 , further comprising a remote sensor configured to monitor the first building and detect an unauthorized building intrusion, and an alert sent to the doorbell user group in response to the remote sensor detecting the unauthorized building intrusion.

30. The system of claim 26 , further comprising a third doorbell having a third camera coupled to a third building, wherein the third doorbell is communicatively coupled to a third remote computing device, and wherein the solicitor alert is sent to the doorbell user group in response to the visitor being detected by the third doorbell at the third building.

Assignments (11)
SECURITY INTEREST Recorded Oct 8, 2025
From: SKYBELL TECHNOLOGIES IP, LLC
To: LGXK LLC
Reel/Frame 073056/0418 →
SECURITY INTEREST Recorded Dec 20, 2019
From: SB IP HOLDINGS LLC; SKYBELL TECHNOLOGIES, INC.; SKYBELL TECHNOLOGIES IP, LLC
To: STAR MOUNTAIN DIVERSIFIED CREDIT INCOME FUND III, LP
Reel/Frame 051395/0958 →
RELEASE OF SECURITY INTEREST Recorded Dec 16, 2019
From: SB LOAN SERIES I, LLC, C/O HUTTON VENTURES LLC
To: SKYBELL TECHNOLOGIES, INC.
Reel/Frame 051307/0025 →
ASSIGNMENT OF ASSIGNOR'S INTEREST Recorded Dec 16, 2019
From: SKYBELL TECHNOLOGIES, INC.
To: SKYBELL TECHNOLOGIES IP, LLC
Reel/Frame 051312/0521 →
RELEASE OF SECURITY INTEREST Recorded Jul 23, 2019
From: ALARM.COM INCORPORATED
To: SKYBELL TECHNOLOGIES, INC.
Reel/Frame 049841/0078 →
RELEASE OF SECURITY INTEREST Recorded Jul 23, 2019
From: ALARM.COM INCORPORATED
To: SKYBELL TECHNOLOGIES, INC.
Reel/Frame 049841/0168 →
SECURITY INTEREST Recorded Jul 18, 2019
From: ARROW ELECTRONICS, INC.
To: ALARM.COM INCORPORATED
Reel/Frame 049801/0245 →
SECURITY INTEREST Recorded Jul 16, 2019
From: SKYBELL TECHNOLOGIES, INC.
To: SB LOAN SERIES I, LLC, C/O HUTTON VENTURES LLC
Reel/Frame 049771/0731 →
SECURITY INTEREST Recorded Oct 5, 2018
From: SKYBELL TECHNOLOGIES, INC.
To: ALARM.COM INCORPORATED
Reel/Frame 047761/0265 →
SECURITY INTEREST Recorded Jun 8, 2018
From: SKYBELL TECHNOLOGIES, INC.
To: ARROW ELECTRONICS, INC.
Reel/Frame 046330/0809 →
ASSIGNMENT OF ASSIGNOR'S INTEREST Recorded Nov 10, 2015
From: SCALISI, JOSEPH FRANK; HARRISON, GREGORY SAUL; THOMAS, ANDREW PAUL; MEJIA, DESIREE
To: SKYBELL TECHNOLOGIES, INC.
Reel/Frame 037006/0476 →
Continuity (3)
Continuation In Part 14743849 · Jun 18, 2015
Continuation In Part 14726517 · May 30, 2015
Provisional Application 62143032 · Apr 4, 2015