Doorbell communication systems and methods

1. A method for using a doorbell system to detect a presence of an outside visitor and a presence of an inside visitor, the doorbell system comprising a doorbell having a housing, a speaker, a microphone, a camera, a diagnostic light, a power indicator light, a motion detector, and a button, wherein the button is configurable to enable the outside visitor to sound a chime, the method comprising:

detecting, by the doorbell system, the presence of the outside visitor while the outside visitor is located outside a building to which the doorbell is attached, wherein the building comprises a door having a lock configured to fasten the door to inhibit unauthorized entry into the building;

in response to detecting the presence of the outside visitor, detecting, by the doorbell system, the presence of the inside visitor while the inside visitor is located inside of the building; determining, by the doorbell system, whether the outside visitor is a first resident, first known guest, or first unknown guest;

determining, by the doorbell system, whether the inside visitor is a second resident, second known guest, or second unknown guest;

in response to determining the outside visitor is the first resident and the inside visitor is the second resident;

determining, by the doorbell system, whether a first appliance record associated with the outside visitor is ranked equally with a second appliance record associated with the inside visitor; and

in response to determining the first appliance record associated with the outside visitor is ranked equally with the second appliance record associated with the inside visitor, comparing, by the doorbell system, the first appliance record and the second appliance record; and

in response to determining that the first appliance record associated with the outside visitor is ranked equally with the second appliance record associated with the inside visitor,

determining, by the doorbell system, whether a first appliance of the first appliance record is defined in the second appliance record;

in response to determining that the first appliance of the first appliance record is defined in the second appliance record, comparing a ranking of the first appliance on the first appliance record and a ranking of the first appliance on the second appliance record; and

in response to determining that the first appliance has a higher ranking on the first appliance record than on the second appliance record, actuating, by the doorbell system, the first appliance as per at least one preference defined in the first appliance record.

2. The method of claim 1 ,

wherein the first resident or second resident is authorized access to the building any time of day, wherein the first known guest or second known guest is authorized access to the building at a predetermined time of day, and wherein the first unknown guest or second unknown guest is not authorized access to the building.

3. The method of claim 2 , in response to determining, by the doorbell system, the outside visitor is the first resident and the inside visitor is the second known guest or second unknown guest, the method further comprising actuating, by the doorbell system, at least one selected appliance from an appliance record associated with the outside visitor.

4. The method of claim 2 , in response to determining the outside visitor is the first resident and the inside visitor is the second resident, the method further comprising:

determining, by the doorbell system, whether a first appliance record associated with the outside visitor is ranked higher than a second appliance record associated with the inside visitor; and

in response to determining the first appliance record associated with the outside visitor is ranked higher than the second appliance record associated with the inside visitor, actuating, by the doorbell system, at least one appliance from the first appliance record.

5. The method of claim 2 , wherein a first appliance record is associated with the outside visitor and a second appliance record is associated with the inside visitor, and wherein in response to determining the outside visitor is the first resident and the inside visitor is the second resident, the method further comprising:

determining, by the doorbell system, whether a first appliance of the first appliance record is not defined in the second appliance record;

in response to determining the first appliance of the first appliance record is not defined in the second appliance record, actuating, by the doorbell system, the first appliance;

determining, by the doorbell system, whether a second appliance of the first appliance record is defined in the second appliance record;

in response to determining the second appliance of the first appliance record is defined in the second appliance record, determining, by the doorbell system, whether the second appliance is de-energized; and

in response to determining the second appliance is de-energized, actuating, by the doorbell system, the second appliance.

6. The method of claim 5 , wherein the first appliance record includes at least a first predetermined appliance setting, wherein the second appliance is a television, and wherein actuating, by the doorbell system, the second appliance comprises:

energizing, by the doorbell system, the television;

configuring, by the doorbell system, the television to receive a signal from a predetermined television channel as per the first predetermined appliance setting; and

configuring, by the doorbell system, the television to a predetermined volume as per the first predetermined appliance setting.

7. The method of claim 5 , wherein the first appliance record includes at least a first predetermined appliance setting, and wherein in response to determining the second appliance is energized, the method further comprising:

determining, by the doorbell system, whether the first appliance record is ranked higher than the second appliance record; and

in response to determining the first appliance record is ranked higher than the second appliance record, configuring, by the doorbell system, the second appliance as per the first predetermined appliance setting.

8. The method of claim 5 , wherein the first appliance record includes at least a first predetermined appliance setting and the second appliance record includes at least a second predetermined appliance setting, and wherein in response to determining the second appliance is energized, the method further comprising:

determining, by the doorbell system, whether the first predetermined appliance setting is ranked higher than the second predetermined appliance setting; and

in response to determining the first predetermined appliance setting is ranked higher than the second predetermined appliance setting, configuring, by the doorbell system, the second appliance as per the second predetermined appliance setting.

9. The method of claim 5 , wherein the first appliance and the second appliance are each selected from the group consisting of air conditioning, heating, lighting, television, and ventilation.

10. The method of claim 1 , in response to determining that the first appliance record associated with the outside visitor is ranked equally with the second appliance record associated with the inside visitor, the method comprising:

determining, by the doorbell system, whether a first appliance of the first appliance record is not defined in the second appliance record; and

in response to determining the first appliance of the first appliance record is not defined in the second appliance record, actuating, by the doorbell system, the first appliance.

11. A method for using a doorbell system to detect a presence of an outside visitor and a presence of an inside visitor, the doorbell system comprising a doorbell having a housing, a speaker, a microphone, a camera, a diagnostic light, a power indicator light, a motion detector, and a button, wherein the button is configurable to enable the outside visitor to sound a chime, the method comprising:

detecting, by the doorbell system, the presence of the outside visitor while the outside visitor is located outside a building to which the doorbell is attached, wherein the building comprises a door having a lock configured to fasten the door to inhibit unauthorized entry into the building;

in response to detecting the presence of the outside visitor, detecting, by the doorbell system, the presence of the inside visitor while the inside visitor is located inside of the building;

determining, by the doorbell system, whether the outside visitor is a first resident, first known guest, or first unknown guest;

determining, by the doorbell system, whether the inside visitor is a second resident, second known guest, or second unknown guest;

in response to determining the outside visitor is the first resident and the inside visitor is the second resident;

determining, by the doorbell system, whether a first appliance record associated with the outside visitor is ranked equally with a second appliance record associated with the inside visitor; and

in response to determining the first appliance record associated with the outside visitor is ranked equally with the second appliance record associated with the inside visitor, comparing, by the doorbell system, the first appliance record and the second appliance record; and

in response to determining that the first appliance record associated with the outside visitor is ranked equally with the second appliance record associated with the inside visitor,

determining, by the doorbell system, whether a first appliance of the first appliance record is defined in the second appliance record;

in response to determining that the first appliance of the first appliance record is defined in the second appliance record, comparing a ranking of the first appliance on the first appliance record and a ranking of the first appliance on the second appliance record; and

in response to determining that the first appliance has a higher ranking on the second appliance record than on the first appliance record, actuating, by the doorbell system, the first appliance as per at least one preference defined in the second appliance record.

12. The method of claim 11 , wherein the first resident or second resident is authorized access to the building any time of day, wherein the first known guest or second known guest is authorized access to the building at a predetermined time of day, and wherein the first unknown guest or second unknown guest is not authorized access to the building.

13. The method of claim 12 , in response to determining, by the doorbell system, the outside visitor is the first resident and the inside visitor is the second known guest or second unknown guest, the method further comprising actuating, by the doorbell system, at least one selected appliance from an appliance record associated with the outside visitor.

14. The method of claim 12 , in response to determining the outside visitor is the first resident and the inside visitor is the second resident, the method further comprising:

determining, by the doorbell system, whether a first appliance record associated with the outside visitor is ranked higher than a second appliance record associated with the inside visitor; and

in response to determining the first appliance record associated with the outside visitor is ranked higher than the second appliance record associated with the inside visitor, actuating, by the doorbell system, at least one appliance from the first appliance record.

15. The method of claim 12 , wherein a first appliance record is associated with the outside visitor and a second appliance record is associated with the inside visitor, and wherein in response to determining the outside visitor is the first resident and the inside visitor is the second resident, the method further comprising:

determining, by the doorbell system, whether a first appliance of the first appliance record is not defined in the second appliance record;

in response to determining the first appliance of the first appliance record is not defined in the second appliance record, actuating, by the doorbell system, the first appliance;

determining, by the doorbell system, whether a second appliance of the first appliance record is defined in the second appliance record;

in response to determining the second appliance of the first appliance record is defined in the second appliance record, determining, by the doorbell system, whether the second appliance is de-energized; and

in response to determining the second appliance is de-energized, actuating, by the doorbell system, the second appliance.

16. The method of claim 15 , wherein the first appliance record includes at least a first predetermined appliance setting, wherein the second appliance is a television, and wherein actuating, by the doorbell system, the second appliance comprises:

energizing, by the doorbell system, the television;

configuring, by the doorbell system, the television to receive a signal from a predetermined television channel as per the first predetermined appliance setting; and

configuring, by the doorbell system, the television to a predetermined volume as per the first predetermined appliance setting.

17. The method of claim 15 , wherein the first appliance record includes at least a first predetermined appliance setting, and wherein in response to determining the second appliance is energized, the method further comprising:

determining, by the doorbell system, whether the first appliance record is ranked higher than the second appliance record; and

in response to determining the first appliance record is ranked higher than the second appliance record, configuring, by the doorbell system, the second appliance as per the first predetermined appliance setting.

18. The method of claim 15 , wherein the first appliance record includes at least a first predetermined appliance setting and the second appliance record includes at least a second predetermined appliance setting, and wherein in response to determining the second appliance is energized, the method further comprising:

determining, by the doorbell system, whether the first predetermined appliance setting is ranked higher than the second predetermined appliance setting; and

in response to determining the first predetermined appliance setting is ranked higher than the second predetermined appliance setting, configuring, by the doorbell system, the second appliance as per the second predetermined appliance setting.

19. The method of claim 15 , wherein the first appliance and the second appliance are each selected from the group consisting of air conditioning, heating, lighting, television, and ventilation.

20. The method of claim 11 , in response to determining that the first appliance record associated with the outside visitor is ranked equally with the second appliance record associated with the inside visitor, the method comprising:

determining, by the doorbell system, whether a first appliance of the first appliance record is not defined in the second appliance record; and

in response to determining the first appliance of the first appliance record is not defined in the second appliance record, actuating, by the doorbell system, the first appliance.