GB2285531A - A door bell answering machine - Google Patents

Abstract

A door bell and/or Intercom answering machine for recording and announcing messages to a Caller or visitor to a premises. The door bell comprising an inbuilt microphone and speaker leading to a recording device for taking and announcing messages from a Caller or Visitor. The doorbell may also comprise a means for activating an external/internal light or alarm in response to a voice input.

Description

DOORBELL ANSWERING MACHINE The present invention relates to doorbells and entry/security systems plus Intercoms together with an answering machine providing means to record a message from a caller or visitor.

In embodiment one there would be provided an electronic bell (may be with tune) with either a human voice recording or machine or computer voice. When the visitor proceeded with their message the microphone would detect this for recording and storage.

Additionally within the bell unit there would be a miniature microphone and speaker and cable telecom cable providing a link for the audio information (human voice) to the recording device (possibly positioned on the internal wall of the premises immediately behind the bell unit).

The recording device (electro/mechanical) would have either magnetic tape or a C.D. (Compact Disc) or other means to record the callers message.

There would be several modes on the recording device such as one for taking messages like an individual's name, address and/or telephone-fax number and reason for calling, via a simple message, and mode two could automatically record the voice or noise when the house/premises were vacant.

Also mode three would either play a dog's bark or the human voice (a prerecorded message for any unwanted callers) from the recording unit to the bell unit and speaker.

Another mode four would provide a simple message to say the occupant was in the toilet/having a bath or having dinner and may provide the means to record a simple message and inform the caller to come back at a more convenient time or the occupant may wish to prerecord "I will telephone you tonight or write to you or visit your office".

These messages could be made operational at night so the occupant would not have to open the door. The bell activation button would be used by the visitor to activate the speaker and microphone and microchip memory and any chosen mode.

The visitor would ring the bell - and according to which mode the recording device was on - the message would then be transmitted from the transmitter and recording device via the telecom audio cable to the speaker and then the caller would listen to the message announcement and leave his/her name and address and/or telephone-fax number and nature of enquiry or reason for calling and say which firm they had come from - of course if they were friends they would just say "John called at 1 p.m. I will telephone at 6 p.m. tonight".

This message would then be recorded onto either a magnetic tape or a compact disc or other means and the recording device would display the number of messages taken and when the occupant came in they could rewind the disc or tape and play the messages.

The recording device would have similar components to the usual answering machines we see today, although it would be more miniature and compact and would be wall mounted and taking its power front the mains via the doorbell's supply - additionally the receiver would be the microphone built into the door bell unit alongside the speaker and therefore it would operate similar to a telephone (only the caller would not have the hand set in his/her hand and would talk into the microphone mounted in the bell and a speaker would make announcements positioned alongside the microphone in the door bell unit).

Furthermore there would be a playback and rewind and means in the recording device (answering machine) to wipe the tape or compact disc clean to make way for other additional messages.

The message machine may be manually operated or automatically operated or by the means of a remote control when the occupant required the messages recorded - if any - to be played.

Also obviously there would still be either a bell and/or musical tune provided in the doorbell unit and in a bell housing unit normally positioned on an internal wall of the premises and which bell would either be electro/mechanical-electronic or electrical with bell and sounder and possibly speaker and associated circuits.

Additionally this embodiment may also activate an alarm and switch a light on.

Furthermore there would be provided circuits in the bell unit recording machine and bell sounder as would be necessary for its operation and use as a door bell and integral message answering machine.

In another embodiment there would be an intercom which would either be hand held or wall mounted this would include a microphone (receiver) and a transmitter and may be provided with telecom audio cable or may be cordless and receive incoming messages and have means to record and store this information and therefore have means to receive radio signals.

Furthermore the hand held (cordless) or wall mounted Intercom would have a speaker to play the messages from the recording machine within.

This intercom would either take its power from the mains or rechargeable batteries.

Additionally the intercom unit may have a display for showing visually the message in L.E.D. word character form.

The recording device would be built into the intercom device and the occupant of the premises would have means to rewind-replay and clean the C.D. or tape of unwanted messages.

The occupant would have the option of talking to the caller/visitor if required without opening the door, and a bell would still sound either a ring bell sound or musical, and this bell unit would be either built into the intercom device or would be remote of this (for instance wall mounted in the hallway or lounge).

The external bell unit would have a receiver (microphone) for receiving the recorded message and a speaker (transmitter) for playing this message to the caller and then the caller/visitor would be requested by the recording to leave a message consisting of: A) The firm's name and address and telephone/fax number and B) Why the person had called - what reason or purpose and C) The time that they had visited perhaps and D) The Caller's name - telephone/fax number, car phone (mobile number) or address and E) What they proposed to do - call back later - telephone or write - and if calling back at what time and F) Any other message details they want to leave.

This message would then be transmitted back to a receiver in the intercom and recording machine (answering machine which would record and store until the occupant wanted to play the message (via remote control - automatically or manually with a button/switch etc.).

This embodiment would have several modes and one of which would be automatic to record all callers - visitors to the door by the means of a microphone and possibly activate a light and an alarm.

In a further embodiment there would be an external bell unit with microphone (mouthpiece) and speaker (earpiece) and means to switch from message announcements to message recordings (switching from speaker to microphone activation), then also a microchip memory interfaced via a phone cable leading from the microphone and so enabling the visitors message recording on the microchip, there would then be a speaker internally mounted in the residence which would be activated by the occupant.

This speaker would receive its messages from the microchip memory and then announce them to the householder.

There would be user interface means to allow the occupant to activate the microchip memory which in turn would transmit electronic signals message data to the speaker for transmission.

There would also be electro/mechanical components, circuits and electrical devices provided which are associated with doorbells and sounders, answering machines and intercomes and there may be also provided a P.C.B. in the bell unit and microchip-speaker area. Also a key pad user interface would be incorporated with the memory microchip.

In the fourth embodiment of the present invention there would be a door bell unit coupled to an adjacent electronic unit enclosing a microphone and speaker.

The adjoining electronic unit would have lines of communication, power lines and activation lines leading from the door bell unit to the electronic unit.

There would also be either and/or a P.C.B. a miniaturised circuit, and any other additional associated or required electro/electronic or electrical - mechanical components provided for the device's proper operation.

The electronic unit would have lines of communication with the answering machine and intercom which would provide electronic impulses of human voice data (messages and announcements) from the transmitter and receiver on the answering machine to the speaker on/or in the electronic unit and in turn the speaker would announce the pre-recorded messages, and also the microphone on/or in the electronic unit would transmit signals (electro) to the answering machine (message recording device) which would then receive and store the messages on a microchip memory, tape, or C.D. or the like for later announcement to the occupant of the residence.

The electronic unit would be externally mounted on a building's exterior wall near an entrance - doorway - porch or door and may be flush mounted or affixed so as to protrude outwardly.

Also the electronic unit housing the microphone and speaker may be positioned on the underside (rear) surface of the bell unit or be affixed in the surface or may be positioned on the door.

The occupant may also talk to the caller by the means of an intercom.

Additionally the caller may have to enter a security code or number into the intercom to make contact with the occupant.

The intercom may stand alone inside the residence or fully integrated into/or onto the outside electronic unit.

Additionally the answering machine (recording device) may be positioned independently within the residence or may be built into/or onto the doorbell unit - electronic unit - with user interface within the residence for the occupants use and may be wall mounted.

The answering machine message recording device and the intercom may be specially built for operation by the doorbell unit and may be miniaturised.

The answering machine may be electronic/electro/mechanical and would be audio and the intercom would be electronic and audio, and they would operate similar to known intercoms and answering machines in the sense that the intercom would transmit the human voice from an external bell unit and/or electronic unit and the recording device would store messages in audio form from an external bell unit from a caller for announcement to the occupant, and the answering machine would be used to transmit pre-recorded messages to the external bell unit and/or external electronic unit for the caller's attention via playing through the doorbell unit and/or electronic unit speaker.

DOOR BELL EXTRA INFORMATION Also in all the embodiments pre listed in this document the following additional information would either be added to any of the embodiments in that it may be included in a final model or may become simply embodiment five.

A door bell unit external with possibly light-button to activate the bell, miniature microphone for receiving-transmitting messages from a visitor to either a C.D., tape (magnetic or otherwise), or microchip memory.

There would be either a red L.E.D. to inform the caller to leave a message (possibly accompanied by the words memo and/or on-start-proceed to leave message now etc) and a green L.E.D. to inform the visitor to terminate his/her message.

Also there may be a mode on the door bell that would provide a bleep-bleep-bleep sound (audio sound) when the door bell was activated this would inform the visitor to leave a message and a continuous bleep would inform the visitor to terminate his/her message. therefore there would be a miniature speaker in the bell unit to provide the audio sound.

The bell unit external would be coupled to the answering machine (message recording device) by lines of communication - audio cable and power lines.

The answering machine may be electro/mechanical, digital with microchip memory with display panel or coupled to a speaker transmitter (audio device) to announce the message audibly - so it may be audio/visual.

Additionally it may use magnetic tape, C.D's or the like as the recording material.

The answering machine (message recording device) may include also speaker for the door bell sounder or door bell musical, tape, C.D., microchip memory, display panel, speaker, message counter (digital L.E.D.), play mode, rewind mode, scrub mode, leading to 240V mains, facilitated by a step down transformer, and mains plug in means.

The door bell unit may be assisted by any or all of the above, and may be used in tower blocks (flats) with each residence having a combined system of door bells - intercoms and coupled to answering machine recording devices in each flat.

Claims (36)

1. A doorbell with inbuilt microphone and speaker and means to record and take messages for storage and later retrieval.

2. A doorbell with a transmitter/receiver and communication means via audio cable to a wall mounted recording machine for visitors to leave messages.

3. A doorbell with speaker for playing a pre-recorded recording to a caller and means provided by a C.D. and/or magnetic tape and an electro/mechanical answering machine (message recording device) either wall mounted internally or positioned separately or built into a hand held or wall mounted intercom with built in bell sounding or musical means.

4. A doorbell that alerts the occupants and also provides optional means for a two way conversation via an intercom and which also records all voices and noises.

5. A doorbell that has different modes and messages.

6. A doorbell which is operated by mains and/or battery.

7. A doorbell that also can activate an external/internal light and alarm by the means of a microphone (noise-voice activation as an option).

8. A doorbell which is either electro/mechanical - electronic or electrical with musical tune or bell sounder with an internal message recording device (answering machine) which is either activated by a remote control, manually, or automatically to play the recorded messages to the occupant when required.

9. A doorbell with a built in internally wall mounted recording device for the storage of messages for the occupants attention and pre-recorded messages for the information of the visitor/caller.

10. A doorbell and/or message recording machine (answering machine).

11. A doorbell that operates similar to telephones and intercoms and therefore has similar components and circuits for its operation and which has an inbuilt miniature answering and message recording device for its operation and components such as microphone and speaker and receiver and transmitter for its use.

12. A doorbell comprising of activation button miniature speaker and microphone leading to audio cable and a transmitter receiver that both receives and transmits messages for playing and recording on a message recording device (answering machine).

13. A doorbell that by noise - sound or voice may activate an alarm and internal and/or external lights.

14. A doorbell which may alert the occupier and/or play a message to the visitor and/or record a message that the caller wishes to leave for the householder and/or Intercom for a two-way conversation and/or a means provided by a microphone to act as a listening device for recording voices and noises and activating an external internal light and alarm.

15. A bell with either a human voice or computer - machine generated voice for playing to the caller instructing him/ her what message to leave and that the householder was otherwise engaged.

16. A bell with a message recording device (answering machine) positioned immediately to the rear of the bell unit on the internal wall of the premises.

17. A bell (Door) with circuits in the external bell unit, internal bell sounder and message recording device (answering machine) enabling its use and operation.

18. A bell with miniature components and circuits making operationally compact and enabling it to be a listening device, message player and recorder, intercom, and providing sufficient means to activate lights and alarms at night by using sound as the method.

19. A doorbell with message recording means (answering machine) with inbuilt digital L.E.D. display for showing the message on a panel to the user.

20. A doorbell with recording means provided by a mini C.D.

within a message recording device (answering machine).

21. A doorbell in combination with an answering machine (message recording device) and/or intercom.

22. A doorbell unit with a circuit and/or electrical components and/or electronic components within so designed as to enable (i) the speaker to play the recorded message from the answering machine via the external doorbell unit and then (ii) activate the microphone in the external doorbell unit to allow the recording of the visitors message on the answering machine (recording device) for eventual retrieval when convenient to the occupier of the residence,

23. A doorbell unit (external) and answering machine (internal) with miniature electrical/electronic components and associated circuitry enabling its enclosure in compact containers that are suitably strong, insulated and waterproof, so as to allow its practical operation in all conditions and situations.

24. A doorbell with answering machine, message announcement and recording means and with electro/mechanical components contributing to its operation.

25. A doorbell with a P.C.B. microchip memory, speakers, microphones, associated circuitry, electro/mechanical components, bell sounder unit, message recording and announcing capabilities, intercom, phone cable, user interface unit, transmitters and receivers.

26. A doorbell unit including in combination a button and/or switch and/or knob and/or dial within the external bell unit to activate the bell sounder or to activate the speaker and the microphone in the unit and finally the key pad switch/button or knob to activate the microchip memory and speaker and user interface.

27. A doorbell unit with activation means, communication lines, speakers, microphones, user interface, microchip memory, key pad and associated circuitry - along with means to record and announce messages, plus the user being able to choose which mode to set the door bell recording and announcing device to and hence the button on the bell would activate the system according to the mode it had been set at.

28. A doorbell unit and sounder enclosing miniature circuitry and/or a P.C.B. and/or electronic components and in combination an intercom and answering machine (message recording device) so enabling message recording and announcements via the external doorbell unit.

29. A doorbell unit with adjacent electronic unit housing electronic components and/or P.C.B. and associated circuitry - lines of communication from bell unit to electronic unit and to answering machine - intercom and visa versa.

30. A door bell and/or electronic unit with transmitter - receiver and microphone and speaker and an answering machine intercom with a receiver and transmitter and speaker and using mains power lines of communication - electronic signals - impulses providing user interface and using either a CD and/or tape (audio) or microchip memory for the storage and recording of incoming electronic audio signals via a receiver and transmitter.

31. A door bell and electronic unit positioned adjacent - stand alone - integrated - or in or on its rear underside surface or on the door and all positioned around a doorway - door entrance or porch or the like.

32. A door bell unit - electronic unit - answering machine (message recording and announcing device) intercom and bell sounder all enclosing (and facilitating a system that announces messages to a visitor to a residence and records and stores messages by various means for the use of the visitor for later attention of the occupant of the residence) electronic components and mechanical devices and/or electrical components and/or a P.C.B. (printed circuit boards) for the essential operation of the door bell answering machine and either stand alone and coupled together by power lines - lines of communication, activation lines and audio cable or fully integrated into one unit positioned internally and externally.

33. A door bell answering machine that is a security device in that the occupant of the residence does not have to answer the door to visitors at any time.

34. A door bell with microphone and speaker coupled to a message recording-receiving device utilising either C.D., magnetic tape, microchip memory, and either announcing the message to the occupant audibly or visually (by human voice or digitally by the use of L.E.D's etc.), with message counter, playback, rewind mode, scrub mode, leading to mains supply (either hard wired or plug).

35. A door bell that has a speaker which plays a bleep-bleep-bleep sound informing the visitor to proceed with his/her message, and a continuous bleep sound informing the visitor to terminate his/her message.

36. A door bell with a red L.E:D., informing the visitor to commence with his/her message and a green L.E.D. informing the visitor to terminate his/her message visa versa and with a microphone coupled to a bell sounder and message recording device, etc.