Doorbell communication systems and methods

Abstract

The disclosure includes a doorbell system having a doorbell, a doorbell housing, a visitor detection system, and a chime. The visitor detection system can be coupled to the doorbell housing and can include at least one of a camera and a motion detector. The doorbell can also comprise a first low-energy transceiver and a first high-energy transceiver that can be coupled to the doorbell housing. The first and second low-energy transceivers and the first and second high-energy transceivers can be configured to transmit data.

The following is claimed: 
     
         1 . A doorbell system comprising a doorbell, wherein the doorbell comprises:
 a doorbell housing;   a visitor detection system coupled to the doorbell housing, the visitor detection system including at least one of a camera and a motion detector;   a first low-energy transceiver coupled to the doorbell housing; and   a first high-energy transceiver coupled to the doorbell housing, wherein the first low-energy transceiver and the first high-energy transceiver are configurable to transmit data.   
     
     
         2 . The doorbell system of  claim 1 , further comprising a chime communicatively coupled to the doorbell, the chime comprising:
 a chime housing;   a second low-energy transceiver coupled to the chime housing; and   a second high-energy transceiver coupled to the chime housing, wherein the second low-energy transceiver and the second high-energy transceiver are configurable to transmit data to the first low-energy transceiver and the first high-energy transceiver.   
     
     
         3 . The doorbell system of  claim 2 , further comprising a Wi-Fi communication hub communicatively coupled to at least one of the doorbell and the chime. 
     
     
         4 . The doorbell system of  claim 3 , wherein the Wi-Fi communication hub comprises a Wi-Fi router. 
     
     
         5 . The doorbell system of  claim 3 , wherein the first low-energy transceiver comprises a first Bluetooth low-energy transceiver and the second low-energy transceiver comprises a second Bluetooth low-energy transceiver, and the first high-energy transceiver comprises a first Wi-Fi transceiver and the second high-energy transceiver comprises a second Wi-Fi transceiver. 
     
     
         6 . The doorbell system of  claim 5 , wherein the doorbell is powered by a battery located within the doorbell housing. 
     
     
         7 . The doorbell system of  claim 3 , further comprising a remote computing device communicatively coupled to at least one of the doorbell, the chime, and the Wi-Fi communication hub. 
     
     
         8 . The doorbell system of  claim 7 , wherein at least one of the first low-energy transceiver and the second low-energy transceiver are configured to activate in response to a first request from the remote computing device, and the first high-energy transceiver and the second high-energy transceiver are configured to activate in response to a second request from the remote computing device. 
     
     
         9 . The doorbell system of  claim 3 , wherein the first high-energy transceiver and the second high-energy transceiver are configured to activate in response to a second event detected by the visitor detection system. 
     
     
         10 . The doorbell system of  claim 3 , wherein the doorbell comprises a light source that illuminates light, and wherein at least one of the first low-energy transceiver and the second low-energy transceiver are configured to activate in response to a request from the remote computing device to change a color of the light. 
     
     
         11 . The doorbell system of  claim 3 , wherein at least one of the first high-energy transceiver and the second high-energy transceiver are configured to activate in response to the doorbell detecting a presence of a visitor. 
     
     
         12 . A method of using a doorbell system comprising a doorbell having a visitor detection system, a first low-energy transceiver, and a first high-energy transceiver, the doorbell system comprising a chime communicatively coupled to the doorbell, the chime having a second low-energy transceiver and a second high-energy transceiver, the method comprising:
 activating at least one of the first low-energy transceiver and the second low-energy transceiver in response to a first event; and   activating at least one of the first high-energy transceiver and the second high-energy transceiver in response to a second event.   
     
     
         13 . The method of  claim 12 , wherein the doorbell system further comprises a remote computing device communicatively coupled to at least one of the doorbell and the chime, and wherein the first event comprises a first request from the remote computing device and the second event comprises a second request from the remote computing device. 
     
     
         14 . The method of  claim 12 , further comprising:
 activating both the first low-energy transceiver and the second low-energy transceiver in response to the first event; and   deactivating the first high-energy transceiver and the second high-energy transceiver in response to activating both the first low-energy transceiver and the second low-energy transceiver.   
     
     
         15 . The method of  claim 12 , further comprising:
 activating both the first high-energy transceiver and the second high-energy transceiver in response to the second event; and   deactivating the first low-energy transceiver and the second low-energy transceiver in response to activating both the first high-energy transceiver and the second high-energy transceiver.   
     
     
         16 . A method of using a doorbell system comprising a doorbell having a visitor detection system, a first low-energy transceiver, and a first high-energy transceiver, the doorbell system comprising a chime communicatively coupled to the doorbell, the chime having a second low-energy transceiver and a second high-energy transceiver, the method comprising:
 activating the first low-energy transceiver;   activating the second low-energy transceiver; and   transmitting data between the first low-energy transceiver and the second low-energy transceiver to thereby enable communication between the doorbell and the chime.   
     
     
         17 . The method of  claim 16 , further comprising:
 deactivating the first high-energy transceiver in response to activating the first low-energy transceiver; and   deactivating the second high-energy transceiver in response to activating the second low-energy transceiver.   
     
     
         18 . The method of  claim 17 , further comprising:
 activating the first low-energy transceiver in response to the doorbell performing at least one of sending a first transmission that is less than a predetermined transmission threshold and receiving a second transmission that is less than the predetermined transmission threshold; and   activating the second low-energy transceiver in response to the chime performing at least one of sending the first transmission that is less than the predetermined transmission threshold and receiving the second transmission that is less than the predetermined transmission threshold.   
     
     
         19 . A method of using a doorbell system comprising a doorbell having a camera, a motion detector, a first low-energy transceiver, and a first high-energy transceiver, the doorbell system comprising a chime communicatively coupled to the doorbell, the chime having a second low-energy transceiver and a second high-energy transceiver, the method comprising:
 activating the first high-energy transceiver;   activating the second high-energy transceiver; and   transmitting data between the first high-energy transceiver and the second high-energy transceiver to thereby enable communication between the doorbell and the chime.   
     
     
         20 . The method of  claim 19 , further comprising:
 deactivating the first low-energy transceiver in response to activating the first high-energy transceiver; and   deactivating the second low-energy transceiver in response to activating the second high-energy transceiver.   
     
     
         21 . The method of  claim 20 , further comprising:
 activating the first high-energy transceiver in response to the doorbell performing at least one of sending a first transmission that is greater than a predetermined transmission threshold and receiving a second transmission that is greater than the predetermined transmission threshold; and   activating the second high-energy transceiver in response to the chime performing at least one of sending the first transmission that is greater than the predetermined transmission threshold and receiving the second transmission that is greater than the predetermined transmission threshold.