# US 10,319,213 B1 · Thermal management in smart doorbells > Agents: this data is available as JSON from the patentgrep API and MCP server — see https://patentgrep.com/llms.txt - Number: US 10,319,213 B1 - Document ID: US10319213B1 - Status: Granted - Kind: B1 - Application number: 16/020,307 - Filed: 2018-06-27 - Granted: 2019-06-11 - Earliest claimed: 2018-06-27 - Assignees: Google Inc. - Applicants: Google LLC - Inventors: Brian Conner; Kelly Veit - Web page: https://patentgrep.com/patent/US10319213B1 ## CPC - G08B 25/004: {Alarm propagated along alternative communication path or using alternative communication medium according to a hierarchy of available ways to communicate, e.g. if Wi-Fi® not available use GSM} - G01K 3/005: {Circuits arrangements for indicating a predetermined temperature (fire detection G08B17/00)} - G08B 3/10: using electric transmission; using electromagnetic transmission - G08B 13/19695: {Arrangements wherein non-video detectors start video recording or forwarding but do not generate an alarm themselves} - G08B 29/02: Monitoring continuously signalling or alarm systems - H01M 10/486: {for measuring temperature} - H04N 7/186: {Video door telephones} - G01K 7/22: the element being a non-linear resistance, e.g. thermistor (G01K7/26 takes precedence) - G08B 13/19619: {Details of casing} - G08B 25/10: using wireless transmission systems {(G08B25/009 takes precedence)} - H01M 50/213: adapted for cells having curved cross-section, e.g. round or elliptic (H01M50/209, H01M50/216 take precedence) - G08B: SIGNALLING SYSTEMS, e.g. PERSONAL CALLING SYSTEMS; ORDER TELEGRAPHS; ALARM SYSTEMS - G01K: MEASURING TEMPERATURE; MEASURING QUANTITY OF HEAT; THERMALLY-SENSITIVE ELEMENTS NOT OTHERWISE PROVIDED FOR (radiation pyrometry G01J5/00) - H01M: PROCESSES OR MEANS, e.g. BATTERIES, FOR THE DIRECT CONVERSION OF CHEMICAL ENERGY INTO ELECTRICAL ENERGY - H04N: PICTORIAL COMMUNICATION, e.g. TELEVISION ## Abstract Various smart doorbell arrangements are presented. Based on a measured temperature of the smart doorbell, operation of the smart doorbell device may be altered such that more heat or less heat is generated without affecting user-facing features. Based on another measured temperature, operation of the smart doorbell may be altered such that a chime that is electrically coupled to the smart doorbell device is not sounded in response to a doorbell actuation, but that a notification of the doorbell actuation is wirelessly transmitted by the smart doorbell device. ## Claims ### Claim 1 A method for operating a smart doorbell device, the method comprising: measuring, using a temperature sensor of the smart doorbell device, a first measured temperature; determining, by the smart doorbell device, that the first measured temperature has crossed a first predefined temperature threshold; in response to determining that the first measured temperature has crossed the first predefined temperature threshold, altering operation of a component of the smart doorbell device such that user-facing functionality of the smart doorbell device is unchanged, wherein: altering the operation of the component of the smart doorbell device causes the component to generate more heat or less heat; measuring, using the temperature sensor of the smart doorbell device, a second measured temperature; determining, by the smart doorbell device, that the second measured temperature has crossed a second predefined temperature threshold; and in response to determining that the second measured temperature has crossed the second predefined temperature threshold, altering operation of the smart doorbell device such that a chime that is electrically coupled to the smart doorbell device is not sounded in response to actuation of a doorbell, but that a notification of the actuation of the doorbell is wirelessly transmitted by the smart doorbell device. ### Claim 2 (depends on 1) The method for operating the smart doorbell device of claim 1, wherein altering operation of the component of the smart doorbell device such that user-facing functionality of the smart doorbell device is unchanged comprises increasing a power level of a wireless transceiver that is located on-board the smart doorbell device. ### Claim 3 (depends on 1) The method for operating the smart doorbell device of claim 1, wherein altering operation of the component of the smart doorbell device such that user-facing functionality of the smart doorbell device is unchanged comprises activating one or more infrared light emitting diodes (IR LEDs) that illuminate a field-of-view of a camera of the smart doorbell device. ### Claim 4 (depends on 1) The method for operating the smart doorbell device of claim 1, wherein altering operation of the component of the smart doorbell device such that user-facing functionality of the smart doorbell device is unchanged comprises activating a speaker of the smart doorbell device at a frequency outside of a human hearing range to generate heat. ### Claim 5 (depends on 1) The method for operating the smart doorbell device of claim 1, further comprising: measuring a voltage of one or more batteries of the smart doorbell device; and determining, by the smart doorbell device, the second predefined temperature threshold based at least in part on the measured voltage. ### Claim 6 (depends on 1) The method for operating the smart doorbell device of claim 1, further comprising: transmitting, by the smart doorbell device via a wireless transceiver, a video stream. ### Claim 7 (depends on 6) The method for operating the smart doorbell device of claim 6, wherein the notification is linked to a video clip of the video stream transmitted by the smart doorbell device. ### Claim 8 (depends on 6) The method for operating the smart doorbell device of claim 6, wherein the video stream is continuous and the video stream is not interrupted by the doorbell of the smart doorbell device being actuated. ### Claim 9 (depends on 1) The method for operating the smart doorbell device of claim 1, further comprising: measuring, using the temperature sensor of the smart doorbell device, a third measured temperature; determining, by the smart doorbell device, that the third measured temperature has crossed a third predefined temperature threshold, wherein: the third predefined temperature threshold is between the first predefined temperature threshold and the second predefined temperature threshold; and in response to determining that the third measured temperature has crossed the third predefined temperature threshold, altering operation of a second component of the smart doorbell device such that user-facing functionality of the smart doorbell device is unchanged, wherein altering the operation of the second component of the smart doorbell device causes the component to generate more heat or less heat. ### Claim 10 (depends on 1) The method for maintaining functionality of the smart doorbell device of claim 1, further comprising detecting, by the smart doorbell device, that the doorbell of the smart doorbell device has been actuated. ### Claim 11 A smart doorbell device comprising: a housing; a doorbell interface, attached with the housing, that is configured to be actuated by a user; a battery module located within the housing; one or more temperature sensors located within the housing; a wireless interface located within the housing; chime activation circuitry located within the housing; one or more processors located within the housing that receives data from the one or more temperature sensors and the doorbell interface, communicates with the wireless interface, and controls the chime activation circuitry, wherein the one or more processors are configured to: receive measured temperatures from the one or more temperature sensors; determine that a first measured temperature received from the one or more temperature sensors has crossed a first predefined temperature threshold; in response to determining that the first measured temperature has crossed the first predefined temperature threshold, alter operation of a component of the smart doorbell device such that user-facing functionality of the smart doorbell device is unchanged, wherein: altering the operation of the component of the smart doorbell device causes the component to generate more heat or less heat; determine that a second measured temperature has crossed a second predefined temperature threshold; and in response to determining that the second measured temperature has crossed the second predefined temperature threshold, alter operation of the smart doorbell device such that a chime that is electrically coupled to the smart doorbell device is not sounded in response to actuation of the doorbell interface, but that a notification of the actuation of the doorbell interface is wirelessly transmitted by the wireless interface. ### Claim 12 (depends on 11) The smart doorbell device of claim 11, wherein the one or more processors being configured to alter operation of the component of the smart doorbell device such that user-facing functionality of the smart doorbell device is unchanged comprises the one or more processors being configured to cause a power level of the wireless interface to be increased. ### Claim 13 (depends on 11) The smart doorbell device of claim 11, wherein the one or more processors being configured to alter operation of the component of the smart doorbell device such that user-facing functionality of the smart doorbell device is unchanged comprises the one or more processors being configured to activate one or more infrared light emitting diodes (IR LEDs) that illuminate a field-of-view of a camera of the smart doorbell device. ### Claim 14 (depends on 11) The smart doorbell device of claim 11, wherein the one or more processors being configured to alter operation of the component of the smart doorbell device such that user-facing functionality of the smart doorbell device is unchanged comprises the one or more processors being configured to activate a speaker of the smart doorbell device at a frequency outside of a human hearing range to generate heat. ### Claim 15 (depends on 11) The smart doorbell device of claim 11, wherein the one or more processors is further configured to determine the second predefined temperature threshold based at least in part on a measured voltage of the battery module. ### Claim 16 (depends on 11) The smart doorbell device of claim 11, further comprising a camera, attached with the housing, that captures video, wherein the wireless interface transmits a video stream captured by the camera. ### Claim 17 (depends on 16) The smart doorbell device of claim 16, wherein the notification generated by the one or more processors is linked to a video clip of the video stream transmitted by the wireless interface. ### Claim 18 (depends on 16) The smart doorbell device of claim 16, wherein the video stream is continuous and the video stream is not interrupted by the doorbell interface being actuated. ### Claim 19 (depends on 11) The smart doorbell device of claim 11, wherein the one or more processors are further configured to: determine that a third measured temperature has crossed a third predefined temperature threshold, wherein: the third predefined temperature threshold is between the first predefined temperature threshold and the second predefined temperature threshold; and in response to determining that the third measured temperature has crossed the third predefined temperature threshold, alter operation of a second component of the smart doorbell device such that user-facing functionality of the smart doorbell device is unchanged, wherein altering the operation of the second component of the smart doorbell device causes the component to generate more heat or less heat. ### Claim 20 (depends on 19) The smart doorbell device of claim 19, wherein altering the operation of the component comprises causing a power level of the wireless interface to be increased and altering the operation of the second component comprises activating one or more infrared light emitting diodes (IR LEDs) that illuminate a field-of-view of a camera of the smart doorbell device.