Backup doorbell communication system and method

1. A backup doorbell communication method for communicating between a video doorbell and a doorbell sound output device when communication between the video doorbell and a remote server fails, the video doorbell and the doorbell sound output device both being located at the same site and communicatively connected to a wireless local area network (WLAN) at the site, the method comprising:

detecting that a front button of the video doorbell has been pressed;

in response to the detecting, attempting to send a message to the remote server via the WLAN and the Internet;

in response to determining, at the video doorbell, that the message was not received by the remote server, sending, from the video doorbell via the WLAN, a packet to the doorbell sound output device, the packet identifiable as being from the video doorbell, the packet including an instruction to play an audio tone; and

generating the audio tone in response to the instruction, by the doorbell sound output device.

2. The backup doorbell communication method of claim 1 , further comprising determining that the message was not received by the remote server because the WLAN is not connected to the Internet.

3. The backup doorbell communication method of claim 1 , further comprising determining that the message was not received by the remote server because no acknowledgement was received from the remote server.

4. A backup doorbell communication method, comprising:

detecting a button press at a video doorbell; and

in response to determining, at the video doorbell, that communication between the video doorbell and a remote server via a wireless local area network (WLAN) is unavailable, sending a broadcast message from the video doorbell via the WLAN to a sound output device, wherein the broadcast message includes an instruction to the sound output device to emit sound indicating the button of the video doorbell has been pressed;

wherein the video doorbell and the sound output device are both located at the same site and communicatively connected to the WLAN at the site.

5. The backup doorbell communication method of claim 4 , wherein detecting the button press comprises detecting operation of a switch indicating that a front button of the video doorbell has been pressed.

6. The backup doorbell communication method of claim 5 , wherein the broadcast message further includes an instruction to the sound output device to emit sound indicating communication between the video doorbell and the remote server is unavailable.

7. The backup doorbell communication method of claim 4 , wherein the broadcast message is broadcast via the WLAN and not specifically addressed to the sound output device.

8. The backup doorbell communication method of claim 4 , the determining that communication between the video doorbell and the remote server via the WLAN is unavailable comprising:

sending, in response to detecting the button press, a message to the remote server via the WLAN; and

determining that a response to the message is not received from the remote server thereby indicating that the communication between the video doorbell and the remote server via the WLAN is unavailable.

9. The backup doorbell communication method of claim 4 , further comprising:

determining that the WLAN is not connected to the Internet; and

determining that the communication between the video doorbell and the remote server via the WLAN is unavailable because the WLAN is not connected to the Internet.

10. The backup doorbell communication method of claim 4 , further comprising detecting motion of an object in front of the video doorbell, wherein the broadcast message includes an instruction to the sound output device to emit sound indicating movement of the object at the video doorbell.

11. The backup doorbell communication method of claim 10 , wherein the motion is detected by a motion detector of the video doorbell.

12. The backup doorbell communication method of claim 10 , wherein detecting the motion comprises processing images from a camera of the video doorbell.

13. The backup doorbell communication method of claim 10 , wherein detecting the motion comprises processing infrared signals from a pyroelectric infrared detector of the video doorbell.

14. A doorbell, comprising:

a processor;

a wireless local area network (WLAN) transceiver communicatively coupled with the processor;

at least one detector communicatively coupled with the processor; and

a memory, communicatively coupled with the processor, storing machine readable instructions that, when executed by the processor, control the doorbell to:

receive a signal indicating input detected by the at least one detector;

determine when communication between the doorbell and a remote server via the WLAN transceiver is unavailable; and

in response to determining when communication between the doorbell and the remote server via the WLAN transceiver is unavailable, broadcast a broadcast message, identifiable by a sound output device located at a same site as the doorbell, via the WLAN transceiver over a WLAN, wherein the broad cast message directs the sound output device to generate a sound to indicate one or both of (a) that the front button of the doorbell has been pressed, and (b) that the motion is detected in front of the doorbell.

15. The doorbell of claim 14 , wherein the broadcast message is broadcast over the WLAN and not specifically addressed to the sound output device.

16. The doorbell of claim 14 , the at least one detector comprising one or more of a switch configured to close when a front button of the doorbell is pressed, a pyroelectric infrared detector configured to generate an output signal processable by the processor to determine motion in front of the doorbell, and a camera configured to capture images processable by the processor to determine motion in front of the doorbell.

17. The doorbell of claim 16 , the memory further comprising machine readable instructions stored in the memory that, when executed by the processor, control the doorbell to:

send an activity message to the remote server via the WLAN transceiver to indicate one or both of (a) that the front button of the doorbell has been pressed, and (b) that the motion is detected in front of the doorbell; and

determine that a response to the activity message is not received from the remote server indicating that the communication between the doorbell and the remote server is unavailable because the response is not received.

18. The doorbell of claim 14 , further comprising machine readable instructions stored in the memory that, when executed by the processor, control the doorbell to determine that the WLAN is not connected to the Internet, and determine that the communication between the doorbell and the remote server is unavailable because the WLAN is not connected to the Internet.