Doorbell antenna
View Patent ↗Doorbells can communicate wirelessly with remotely located computing devices. In some embodiments, doorbells include an antenna configured to enable the doorbells to communicate wirelessly with remotely located computing devices. The antenna can exit the back side of a doorbell and enter a hole of a building such that the antenna is located in the same hole as electrical wires that provide electricity to the doorbell.
1. A doorbell configured to wirelessly communicate with a remotely located computing device, the doorbell comprising:
an outer housing;
a button configurable to enable a visitor to sound a chime, wherein the button is coupled to the outer housing;
an antenna coupled to the outer housing and configurable to enable the doorbell to wirelessly communicate with the remotely located computing device; and
a first bracket configured to couple the doorbell to a wall, wherein the antenna extends from the outer housing such that a portion of the antenna is located on an opposite side of the first bracket relative to the outer housing such that the antenna extends into a hole in the wall.
2. The doorbell of claim 1 , wherein the outer housing comprises a back side configured to face towards the wall to which the doorbell is mounted, and wherein a portion of the antenna is located inside the hole in the wall.
3. The doorbell of claim 2 , wherein the hole comprises at least one electrical wire that electrically couples the doorbell to an external power supply, and the antenna is configured to run alongside a portion of the electrical wire.
4. The doorbell of claim 2 , wherein the antenna exits the back side of the outer housing and is configured to extend at least one inch into the hole.
5. The doorbell of claim 1 , wherein the antenna extends into the hole through the first bracket.
6. The doorbell of claim 1 , wherein the antenna extends into the hole through the first bracket while the first bracket is located between the hole and the outer housing.
7. The doorbell of claim 1 , further comprising a second metal bracket coupled to the first bracket, wherein a majority of the doorbell is located between the second metal bracket and the first bracket such that the second metal bracket is configured to hinder decoupling the doorbell from the wall.
8. The doorbell of claim 7 , wherein the second metal bracket surrounds a portion of the doorbell while the antenna exits the back side of the outer housing and is located at least partially inside the hole of the wall.
9. The doorbell of claim 7 , further comprising a lock that secures the first bracket to the second metal bracket.
10. The doorbell of claim 2 , wherein the outer housing comprises a metal plate that is outwardly visible and reduces a first signal strength of a first wireless communication in a first direction, wherein the antenna extends from the outer housing in a second direction away from the metal plate such that the doorbell is capable of wirelessly communicating with the remotely located computing device without relying on communicating via the first direction.
11. The doorbell of claim 2 , wherein the outer housing comprises a metal case that is outwardly visible and at least partially surrounds the doorbell, wherein the metal case reduces a first signal strength of a first wireless communication in a first direction, wherein the antenna extends from the outer housing in a second direction away from the metal case such that the doorbell is capable of wirelessly communicating with the remotely located computing device without relying on communicating via the first direction.
12. The doorbell of claim 2 , wherein the antenna comprises a bendable metal protrusion that is placed at least partially into the hole such that a portion of the bendable metal protrusion is located inside the hole of the wall while the doorbell is mounted to the wall, wherein the hole comprises at least one electrical wire that electrically couples the doorbell to an external power supply.
13. The doorbell of claim 12 , wherein the antenna runs alongside a portion of the electrical wire.
14. The doorbell of claim 1 , further comprising a camera, wherein the antenna is configured to wirelessly communicate pictures taken by the camera from the doorbell to the remotely located computing device.
15. The doorbell of claim 1 , further comprising a speaker and a microphone coupled to the outer housing, wherein the speaker is configured to emit a first sound from the remotely located computing device, the microphone is configured to record a second sound from the visitor, and the antenna is configured to wirelessly communicate the second sound.
16. The doorbell of claim 1 , further comprising a wireless communication system configured to send a first alert to the remote computing device in response to detecting the visitor, wherein the antenna is electrically coupled to the wireless communication system while the wireless communication system is located inside the outer housing of the doorbell, the antenna extends from a back side of the doorbell into the hole of the wall to which the doorbell is coupled, and the antenna extends into the hole while running alongside an electrical wire that provides electricity from an external power supply to the doorbell.
17. The doorbell of claim 16 , wherein the chime comprises a speaker located inside the outer housing.
18. The doorbell of claim 16 , wherein the chime is located remotely relative to the doorbell.
19. The doorbell of claim 16 , further comprising a bracket system configured to couple the doorbell to the wall, wherein the bracket system wraps around at least a portion of the doorbell such that the bracket system is configured to secure the doorbell to the wall.
20. The doorbell of claim 19 , further comprising a lock that secures a first portion of the bracket system to a second portion of the bracket system such that unlocking the lock facilitates removing the doorbell from the wall.
21. The doorbell of claim 1 , wherein the outer housing comprises a back side configured to face towards the wall to which the doorbell is mounted, wherein the antenna exits the back side of the outer housing and is configured to extend away from the outer housing at least one inch into the hole in the wall while running alongside at least one electrical wire that electrically couples the doorbell to an external power supply.
22. The doorbell of claim 21 , further comprising a lock that secures the outer housing to a bracket configured to couple the doorbell to the wall.
23. A doorbell configured to wirelessly communicate with a remotely located computing device, the doorbell comprising:
an outer housing;
a button configurable to enable a visitor to sound a chime, wherein the button is coupled to the outer housing;
an antenna coupled to the outer housing and configurable to enable the doorbell to wirelessly communicate with the remotely located computing device; and
a metal plate that is outwardly visible, wherein the antenna extends away from the metal plate, and wherein a portion of the antenna is located inside a hole of a wall to which the doorbell is mounted.
24. The doorbell of claim 23 , wherein the metal plate reduces a first signal strength of a first wireless communication in a first direction, wherein the antenna extends from the outer housing in a second direction away from the metal plate such that the doorbell is capable of wirelessly communicating with the remotely located computing device without relying on communicating via the first direction.
25. The doorbell of claim 24 , further comprising a mounting bracket that couples the doorbell to the wall of a building, wherein the antenna extends from the outer housing, past the mounting bracket, and into the hole in the wall, wherein the hole comprises at least one electrical wire that electrically couples the doorbell to an external power supply, and the antenna is configured to run alongside a portion of the electrical wire inside the hole.
26. The doorbell of claim 23 , further comprising a camera, wherein the antenna is configured to wirelessly communicate pictures taken by the camera from the doorbell to the remotely located computing device.
27. The doorbell of claim 26 , further comprising a speaker and a microphone coupled to the outer housing, wherein the speaker is configured to emit a first sound from the remotely located computing device, the microphone is configured to record a second sound from the visitor, and the antenna is configured to wirelessly communicate the second sound.