Method and system for monitoring a location

1. A method, comprising:

receiving from an electronic device a request to access an audio/video device located remotely from the electronic device via an Internet-Protocol (IP) based network, the audio/video device including a camera, microphone and speaker;

determining whether the received request is for monitoring a location via the audio/video device or for engaging in a two-way communication session, wherein the audio/video device is present at the location to be monitored;

in accordance with a determination that the received request is for monitoring the location:

capturing video data by the camera of the audio/video device; and

automatically transmitting the video data captured by the audio/video device to the electronic device via a one way communication; and

in accordance with a determination that the received request is for engaging in a two-way communication session, exchanging audio or video data between the electronic device and the audio/video device via the IP-based network.

2. The method as recited in claim 1 further comprising the audio/video device authenticating the electronic device.

3. The method as recited in claim 2 , wherein the authenticating is based on at least one of: determining a location of the electronic device; an identity of the electronic device; a password entered at the electronic device; and a biometric parameter sampled at the electronic device.

4. The method as recited in claim 1 , wherein the audio/video device is one of a Personal Digital Assistant (PDA) and a mobile phone.

5. The method as recited in claim 1 , wherein the two-way communication session is one of a voice call, a Voice over Internet Protocol (VoIP) call, a push-to-talk session, a data session, an Internet session, a file download, a web-browsing session, a net-meeting session, a voice conference, and a video conference.

6. The method as recited in claim 1 , wherein the request is received via an internet-protocol.

7. The method as recited in claim 1 , wherein audio/video device provides no audible alert signal in response to the received request from the electronic device.

8. The method of claim 1 , wherein receiving the request from the electronic device comprises receiving a request via an intermediate communication device over a wireless communication network.

9. The method of claim 8 , wherein the intermediate communication device is configured to communicatively couple to the electronic device via a wide area wireless communication network and communicatively couple to the audio/video device via a local area wireless communication network or a short range wireless communication network.

10. An audio/video device, comprising:

a receiver adapted to receive from an electronic device a request to access the audio/video device via an Internet-Protocol (IP) based network, wherein the audio/video device is located remotely from the electronic device;

a processor adapted to determine whether the received request is for monitoring a location via the audio/video device or for engaging in a two-way communication session, wherein the audio/video device is present at the location to be monitored;

a microphone and a camera adapted to capture video data of the location upon the determination that the request is for monitoring the location;

a speaker; and

a transmitter adapted to: (1) in accordance with a determination that the received request is for monitoring the location, automatically transmit the video data captured by the audio/video device to the electronic device via a one way communication, and (2) in accordance with a determination that the received request is for engaging in a two-way communication session, exchanged audio or video data with the electronic device via the IP-based network.

11. The audio/video device as recited in claim 10 , wherein the processor is further adapted to authenticate the electronic device.

12. The audio/video device as recited in claim 10 further comprising a microphone adapted to capture audio data, and wherein the transmitter is further adapted to automatically transmit the captured audio data to the electronic device in response to the determination that the received request is for monitoring the location.

13. The audio/video device as recited in claim 10 , wherein the receiver receives the request via an internet-protocol.

14. The audio/video device as recited in claim 10 , wherein the audio/video device is one of a Personal Digital Assistant (PDA) and a mobile phone.

15. The audio/video device as recited in claim 10 , wherein the audio/video device is configured to capture environment data at the location, and the environment data includes at least a temperature of the location.

16. The audio/video device of claim 10 , wherein the audio/video device is configured to capture infrared movement occurring at the location.

17. The audio/video device of claim 10 , wherein the receiver is configured to receive the request from the electronic device via an intermediate communication device over a wireless communication network.

18. The audio/video device of claim 17 , wherein the receiver is configured to communicatively couple to the intermediate communication device via a local area wireless communication network or a short range wireless communication.

19. A monitoring device comprising:

a receiver adapted to receive from an electronic device a request to access the monitoring device via an Internet-Protocol (IP) based network, wherein the monitoring device is located remotely from the electronic device;

a processor adapted to determine whether the received request is for monitoring a location via the monitoring device or for engaging in a two-way communication session, wherein the monitoring device is present at the location to be monitored;

a camera adapted to capture video data of the location upon the determination that the request is for monitoring the location;

a speaker;

one or more telemetry sensor devices adapted to capture sensing data upon the determination that the request is for monitoring the location; and

a transmitter adapted to in accordance with a determination that the received request is for monitoring the location, automatically transmit the video data captured by the camera via a one way communication and transmit the sensing data captured by the one or more telemetry sensor devices to the electronic device.

20. The monitoring device as recited in claim 19 , further comprising a microphone adapted to capture audio data, and wherein the transmitter is further adapted to automatically transmit the captured audio data to the electronic device in accordance with a determination that the received request is for monitoring the location, and in accordance with a determination that the received request is for engaging in a two-way communication session, audio or video data is exchanged between the electronic device and the monitoring device via the IP-based network.