IP Library Granted Patent US 11,575,858
Granted Patent B2
US 11,575,858 · App. 17/187,130 · Granted Feb 7, 2023

Video device with electromagnetically reflective elements

Inventors: Erik Stefans (Philadelphia, PA); Michael Rekstad (Philadelphia, PA); Henry Homza (Philadelphia, PA); Abraham Thomas (Philadelphia, PA); Michael Jou (Philadelphia, PA); Kenneth Egan (Philadelphia, PA); David Urban (Cinnaminson, NJ)
Assignee: Comcast Cable Communications, LLC
H04N7/186G08B13/1966G08B13/19619G08B13/19626
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Quick Facts
Patent No.
US 11,575,858
App. No.
17/187,130
Granted
Feb 7, 2023
Kind
B2
Abstract

An apparatus, such as a doorbell, may include a doorbell housing. The doorbell housing may include a front surface facing exterior of a premises and a rear surface facing interior of the premises. A camera, doorbell activator, motion sensor, and/or light source may be at least partially positioned within the doorbell housing. An antenna may be positioned within the doorbell housing. The antenna may be configured to send a wireless signal comprising data to a data receiving device inside the premises. A reflective member may be positioned within the doorbell housing and configured to reflect at least a portion of the wireless signal that is sent toward the front surface of the doorbell housing.

Claims (34)

1. An apparatus comprising:

a doorbell housing having a front surface facing exterior of a premises and a rear surface facing an interior of the premises;

a camera disposed inside the doorbell housing;

an antenna positioned within the doorbell housing and configured to send a wireless signal, comprising video data from the camera, to a data receiving device inside the premises; and

a reflective member positioned within the doorbell housing and configured to reflect at least a portion of the wireless signal that is sent toward the front surface of the doorbell housing.

2. The apparatus of claim 1 , wherein at least a portion of the reflective member is positioned between the antenna and the front surface of the doorbell housing.

3. The apparatus of claim 1 , wherein the reflective member is configured to reflect the at least the portion of the wireless signal towards at least one of the rear surface of the doorbell housing or the interior of the premises.

4. The apparatus of claim 1 , wherein the reflective member extends from a first vertical position in the doorbell housing to a second vertical position in the doorbell housing and wherein at least a portion of the antenna is positioned within the doorbell housing between the first vertical position and the second vertical position.

5. The apparatus of claim 1 , wherein the reflective member is substantially U-shaped.

6. The apparatus of claim 1 , wherein the reflective member extends around a plurality of sides of the antenna.

7. The apparatus of claim 1 , wherein the reflective member comprises a substantially planar surface positioned between the antenna and the front surface of the doorbell housing.

8. The apparatus of claim 1 , wherein the doorbell housing further comprises a first side wall and a second side wall, wherein a first portion of the reflective member is positioned between the antenna and the first side wall and a second portion of the reflective member is positioned between the antenna and the second side wall, and wherein at least one of the first portion or the second portion of the reflective member are configured to reflect at least a second portion of the wireless signal that is sent by the antenna.

9. The apparatus of claim 1 , further comprising a trim plate coupled to the doorbell housing, wherein at least a portion of an inner surface of the trim plate is configured to reflect another portion of the wireless signal.

10. The apparatus of claim 1 , further comprising a doorbell activator positioned along the front surface of the doorbell housing.

11. An apparatus comprising:

a housing comprising a front surface and a rear surface;

a doorbell activator positioned along the front surface of the housing;

an antenna positioned within the housing and configured to send a wireless signal comprising data; and

a reflective member positioned within the housing and configured to reflect at least a portion of the wireless signal that is sent toward the front surface of the housing away from the front surface of the housing.

12. The apparatus of claim 11 , further comprising at least one of a camera or a microphone disposed at least partially within the housing, wherein the data comprises at least one of video data from the camera or audio data from the microphone.

13. The apparatus of claim 11 , wherein at least a portion of the reflective member is positioned between the antenna and the front surface of the housing.

14. The apparatus of claim 11 , wherein the reflective member extends from a first vertical position in the housing to a second vertical position in the housing and wherein the antenna is positioned within the housing between the first vertical position and the second vertical position.

15. The apparatus of claim 11 , wherein the front surface is configured to face an exterior of a premises and the rear surface is configured to face an interior of the premises, and wherein the reflective member is configured to reflect the at least the portion of the wireless signal towards the interior of the premises.

16. The apparatus of claim 11 , wherein the housing further comprises a first side wall, wherein a first portion of the reflective member is positioned between the antenna and the first side wall and configured to reflect at least a second portion of the wireless signal that is sent by the antenna.

17. An apparatus comprising:

a doorbell housing;

a camera positioned along an outer surface of a first side of the doorbell housing;

a doorbell activator positioned along the outer surface of the first side of the doorbell housing;

an antenna positioned within the doorbell housing and configured to send a wireless signal comprising video data from the camera; and

a reflective member positioned within the doorbell housing and extending between the antenna and the first side of the doorbell housing, wherein the reflective member is configured to reflect at least a portion of the wireless signal sent by the antenna toward the first side of the doorbell housing.

18. The apparatus of claim 17 , wherein the reflective member extends from a first vertical position in the doorbell housing to a second vertical position in the doorbell housing and wherein at least a portion of the antenna is positioned within the doorbell housing between the first vertical position and the second vertical position.

19. The apparatus of claim 17 , wherein the reflective member comprises a substantially planar portion positioned between the antenna and the first side of the doorbell housing.

20. The apparatus of claim 17 , wherein a front surface of the doorbell housing is configured to face exterior of a premises and a rear surface of the doorbell housing is configured to face interior of the premises, and wherein the reflective member is configured to reflect the at least the portion of the wireless signal towards the interior of the premises.

21. The apparatus of claim 17 , wherein the reflective member further comprises a first portion extending between the antenna and a first side wall of the doorbell housing and a second portion extending between the antenna and a second side wall of the doorbell housing, wherein at least one of the first portion or the second portion is configured to reflect at least another portion of the wireless signal sent toward the first side wall or the second side wall of the doorbell housing.

Assignments (1)
ASSIGNMENT OF ASSIGNOR'S INTEREST Recorded May 20, 2022
From: STEFANS, ERIK; REKSTAD, MICHAEL; HOMZA, HENRY; THOMAS, ABRAHAM; JOU, MICHAEL; EGAN, KENNETH; URBAN, DAVID
To: COMCAST CABLE COMMUNICATIONS, LLC
Reel/Frame 059972/0573 →
Continuity (1)
Related Publication 20220279148A1 · Sep 1, 2022
Cited By (1)
US 1,120,793