US 9,426,432 B2Granted

Remote interactive identity verification of lodging guests

OwnerJoseph Frank Scalisiinventor

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Abstract

A method for using a doorbell to remotely identify a visitor, comprising the use of a doorbell apparatus that comprises a speaker, a microphone, a camera, and a button with an audible response to a visitors input, further using the doorbell to detect the visitor while the visitor is located outside of a secured lodging, and within a detectable range of the doorbell, further using the doorbell to take a video of the visitor while the visitor accepts lodging terms, recording the video to validate that the visitor accepted the lodging terms and sending the video of the visitor from the doorbell to a remote computing device for displaying images of the visitor on the remote computing device for the purposes of verifying the identity of the visitor and then enabling the visitor to control the lock in response to the identity verification.

Claims20

Dependent claims

A method for using a doorbell to identify a visitor, the method comprising:

obtaining the doorbell that comprises a speaker, a microphone, a camera, and a button, wherein the button is configurable to enable the visitor to sound a chime;
recording a first image of a first guest in a remote database prior to the first guest approaching the doorbell, recording a second image of a second guest in the remote database prior to the second guest approaching the doorbell, and recording a third image of a third guest in the remote database prior to the third guest approaching the doorbell;
using the doorbell to detect the visitor after the visitor has approached the doorbell while the visitor is located outside of a building to which the doorbell is attached, wherein the building comprises a door having a lock, wherein the lock is configured to fasten the door to inhibit unauthorized entry into the building, wherein the first guest is scheduled to rent the building during a first rental period, the second guest is scheduled to rent the building during a second rental period, and the third guest is scheduled to rent the building during a third rental period, wherein the doorbell detects the visitor at a time within the first rental period, and wherein the second rental period is chronologically closest to the first rental period;
using the doorbell to take an identification image of the visitor after the visitor has approached the doorbell;
sending an alert to a remote computing device in response to the doorbell detecting the visitor, wherein the alert is configured to notify a user of the remote computing device regarding a presence of the visitor outside of the building;
sending the first image of the first guest and the second image of the second guest from the remote database to the remote computing device and sending the identification image of the visitor from the doorbell to the remote computing device;
displaying the first image and the identification image on the remote computing device, and then displaying the second image on the remote computing device in response to recording that the visitor is not the first guest;
recording whether the visitor is shown in both the second image and the identification image;
and
enabling the visitor to control the lock in response to recording that the second image and the identification image show the visitor.

7 more elements

A method for using a doorbell to identify a visitor, the method comprising:

obtaining the doorbell that comprises a speaker, a microphone, a camera, and a button, wherein the button is configurable to enable the visitor to sound a chime;
recording a first image of the visitor in a remote database prior to the visitor approaching the doorbell;
using the doorbell to detect the visitor after the visitor has approached the doorbell while the visitor is located outside of a building to which the doorbell is attached, wherein the building comprises a door having a lock, wherein the lock is configured to fasten the door to inhibit unauthorized entry into the building;
using the doorbell to take a second image of the visitor after the visitor has approached the doorbell;
sending an alert to a remote computing device in response to the doorbell detecting the visitor, wherein the alert is configured to notify a user of the remote computing device regarding a presence of the visitor outside of the building;
sending the first image of the visitor from the remote database to the remote computing device and sending the second image of the visitor from the doorbell to the remote computing device;
displaying the first image and the second image of the visitor simultaneously on the remote computing device and then recording whether the visitor is shown in both the first image and the second image;
prompting the user of the remote computing device to determine that the visitor is shown in both the first image and the second image;
using the remote computing device to record that the user determined that the visitor is shown in both the first image and the second image;
and
enabling the visitor to control the lock in response to recording that the first image and the second image show the visitor.

8 more elements

A method for using a doorbell to identify a visitor, the method comprising:

obtaining the doorbell that comprises a speaker, a microphone, a camera, and a button, wherein the button is configurable to enable the visitor to sound a chime;
recording a first image of the visitor in a remote database prior to the visitor approaching the doorbell;
using the doorbell to detect the visitor after the visitor has approached the doorbell while the visitor is located outside of a building to which the doorbell is attached, wherein the building comprises a door having a lock, wherein the lock is configured to fasten the door to inhibit unauthorized entry into the building;
using the doorbell to take a second image of the visitor after the visitor has approached the doorbell;
sending an alert to a remote computing device in response to the doorbell detecting the visitor, wherein the alert is configured to notify a user of the remote computing device regarding a presence of the visitor outside of the building;
sending the first image of the visitor from the remote database to the remote computing device and sending the second image of the visitor from the doorbell to the remote computing device;
displaying the first image and the second image of the visitor simultaneously on the remote computing device and then recording whether the visitor is shown in both the first image and the second image;
prompting the user of the remote computing device to determine that the visitor is shown in both the first image and the second image;
using the remote computing device to record that the user determined that the visitor is shown in both the first image and the second image;
enabling the visitor to control the lock in response to recording that the first image and the second image show the visitor;
and
taking at least one additional image of the visitor on each occasion the visitor unlocks the lock;
associating a timestamp and a date with each additional image;
recording the additional images, the timestamps, and the dates in the remote database;
and enabling the remote computing device to display the additional images, the timestamps, and the dates.

12 more elements

Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.

Facts

Application: 14/957,495Filed 2 Dec 2015 · division
Priority: 10 Oct 2014
Published: US 2016/0094815 A131 Mar 2016
Granted: 23 Aug 2016
Term ends: Not estimatedThe source records don’t support an estimate.

Classification11 codes

H04N 7/186
For receiving images from a single remote source: video door telephones
G06V 40/172
Human faces, e.g. facial parts, sketches or expressions: classification, e.g. identification
G07C 9/00571
Electronically operated locks; Circuits therefor; Nonmechanical keys therefor, e.g. passive or active electrical keys or other data carriers…:…
G07C 9/00904
Specially adapted for particular uses: for hotels, motels, office buildings or the like

Family

Application14/512,277Parent of this division · filed 10 Oct 2014
US 2016/0094815 A1Pre-grant publication · published 31 Mar 2016
US 9,235,943 B2Parent of this division
US 2015/0363989 A1Published application
US 9,426,432 B2This patent

From the US filing history. Foreign family members aren’t listed.