Doorbell camera with battery at chime

Abstract

Doorbell camera systems are provided to include a doorbell camera subsystem and a chime subsystem both coupled to receive power from an alternating current power source. The doorbell camera subsystem may include, among other features, a camera module and a doorbell button. The chime subsystem may include, among other features, a current compensation network and chime driver circuitry operative to be coupled to a chime. The current compensation network is operative to dynamically adjust current consumption of the chime subsystem and current consumption of the doorbell camera subsystem during both a standby mode and a doorbell event mode.

What is claimed is: 
     
         1 . A doorbell camera system, comprising:
 a camera subsystem including a doorbell button and a camera module, wherein the doorbell camera system is configured to operate in a doorbell event mode during a button press event and operate in a standby mode when no doorbell button press event occurs;   a chime subsystem including a chime and chime driver circuitry electrically coupled to the chime, wherein the chime driver circuitry is configured to activate the chime to produce a sound during the button press event in response to a press on the doorbell button; and   a rechargeable battery coupled to a power source, wherein the rechargeable battery is configured to be charged by the power source and supply power to at least a subset of the doorbell camera system.   
     
     
         2 . The doorbell camera system of  claim 1 , wherein the subset of the doorbell camera system includes the chime, and the chime driver circuitry is configured to control usage of the power by the chime during the doorbell event mode. 
     
     
         3 . The doorbell camera system of  claim 1 , wherein:
 the subset of the doorbell camera system is configured to be powered only by the rechargeable battery;   in the doorbell event mode, the power source supplies the power to the battery, and the battery supplies the power to the subset of the doorbell camera system; and   in the standby mode, the power source supplies power to the battery.   
     
     
         4 . The doorbell camera system of  claim 1 , wherein the subset of the doorbell camera system is configured to be powered concurrently by the rechargeable battery and the power source. 
     
     
         5 . The doorbell camera system of  claim 1 , wherein the rechargeable battery is located away from the camera subsystem and in proximity with the chime. 
     
     
         6 . The doorbell camera system of  claim 1 , wherein the camera subsystem includes a first processor, and the chime subsystem includes a second processor operative to activate the chime driver circuitry in response to the button press event of the doorbell button to activate the chime to produce the sound. 
     
     
         7 . The doorbell camera system of  claim 6 , wherein the first processor is operative to communicate with the second processor, and wherein the first processor is operative to inform the second processor of the button press event. 
     
     
         8 . The doorbell camera system of  claim 6 , wherein the first processor is operative to communicate with the second processor via power line communications circuitry or via wireless communications circuitry. 
     
     
         9 . The doorbell camera system of  claim 1 , further comprises a current compensation network, wherein the current compensation network is operative to dynamically balance current consumption of the chime subsystem with current consumption of the camera subsystem during both the standby mode and the doorbell event mode. 
     
     
         10 . The doorbell camera system of  claim 9 , wherein the camera module is driven by a first camera voltage, and the chime is driven by a second chime voltage, and the current compensation network is configured to control each of the first camera voltage and the second chime voltage within a respective voltage range. 
     
     
         11 . The doorbell camera system of  claim 9 , wherein the current compensation network comprises:
 variable resistor circuitry coupled to the power source; and   a switch that is coupled in series with the variable resistor circuitry.   
     
     
         12 . The doorbell camera system of  claim 9 , wherein the current compensation network comprises:
 a comparator having a first input, a second input, and an output;   a first resistor coupled to a direct current (DC) power source;   a switch coupled to the output and the first resistor;   a second resistor coupled to the DC power source and the first input; and   a reference voltage coupled to the second input,   wherein the comparator is operative to:
 turn ON the switch when a voltage signal on the first input exceeds the reference voltage; and 
 turn OFF the switch when the voltage signal on the first input does not exceed the reference voltage. 
   
     
     
         13 . The doorbell camera system of  claim 9 , wherein the camera subsystem has first current consumption, and the chime subsystem has second power consumption, and wherein the current compensation network has third power consumption, and is operative to dynamically adjust the third current consumption such that a sum of the second current consumption and the third current consumption is substantially equal to the first current consumption of the camera subsystem during both the standby mode and the doorbell event mode. 
     
     
         14 . The doorbell camera system of  claim 1 , wherein during the doorbell button press event, the chime subsystem consumes a first level of current, and wherein during the standby mode in which there is no doorbell button press event, the chime subsystem consumes a second level of current, wherein the second level of current is less than the first level of current. 
     
     
         15 . The doorbell camera system of  claim 1 , wherein the camera subsystem further includes a first power conditioning circuitry coupled to the power source, and the camera module is configured to receive power from the first power conditioning circuitry. 
     
     
         16 . The doorbell camera system of  claim 15 , further comprising AC power source line, wherein:
 the camera subsystem includes first power line communications circuitry coupled to a first processor of the camera subsystem;   the chime subsystem includes second power line communications circuitry coupled to a second processor of the chime subsystem; and   the first and second power line communications circuitry are coupled to the AC power source line.   
     
     
         17 . The doorbell camera system of  claim 15 , wherein the first power conditioning circuitry comprises a rectifier and a buck converter. 
     
     
         18 . The doorbell camera system of  claim 1 , wherein:
 the subset of the doorbell camera system includes the chime;   the chime subsystem further includes a second power conditioning circuitry coupled to the power source and a battery charging circuitry coupled to the second power conditioning circuitry, wherein the battery charging circuitry is configured to receive power from the second power conditioning circuitry and charge the rechargeable battery with the received power; and   the chime driver circuity is coupled to the battery charging circuitry and is operative to uses the power supplied by the rechargeable battery to activate the chime.   
     
     
         19 . The doorbell camera system of  claim 1 , wherein the camera subsystem supplies uninterrupted DC power, derived from AC power received via the power source, to the camera module regardless of whether the chime is activated. 
     
     
         20 . The doorbell camera system of  claim 1 , wherein the camera subsystem further includes a light emitting diode (LED) configured to illuminate through a peripheral edge of the doorbell button.