WO2012066267A1

WO2012066267A1 - Communication device and system

Info

Publication number: WO2012066267A1
Application number: PCT/GB2010/051909
Authority: WO
Inventors: Christos Savva
Original assignee: Christos Savva
Priority date: 2010-11-15
Filing date: 2010-11-16
Publication date: 2012-05-24
Also published as: GB201019281D0; GB2485413A

Abstract

Embodiments of the present invention relate to a system for communication. The system comprises a communication device (1) suitable for use in place of a doorbell, and a server (6). The communication device (1) is capable of connecting to the server (6) over the internet and is provided with at least one recording device (14, 15), such that when the communication device (1) is activated it encrypts a first message recorded by the recording device (14, 15) and transmits the encrypted information to the server (6).

Description

COMMUNICATION DEVICE AND SYSTEM

Field of the Invention

This invention relates to a communication device, and to a system which uses such a communication device.

Background to the Invention

Entrance signalling systems such as doorbells typically comprise a button on the exterior side of a lockable door linked by mechanical or electrical means to a bell or speaker on the interior side of the lockable door, such that pressing the button causes the bell or speaker to emit a sound. More complicated variations on this idea exist, such as intercoms which allow two people to talk without first opening the lockable door.

A still more complicated system is illustrated in GB 2354394 A, in which a doorbell unit is connected via a telecommunications link means to the internet and to a wireless communications network via a mobile telephone base station.

The system in GB2354394 A has a number of drawbacks. Firstly, it is expensive to operate, since the telecommunications link means must function as part of a mobile telephone network. It must therefore be provided with a SIM card, and money must be paid to keep that card operating on the mobile telephone network.

Secondly, complicated systems such as the one shown in GB 2354394 are also difficult to install, and frequently require new cables to be laid, for example between the doorbell unit and the telecommunications link means. In a typical house, this will result in carpets being lifted, skirting needing to be detached, and holes being drilled in walls.

And thirdly, a system such as GB 2354394 makes no provisions for the security of communications over the system, making it easy for a dishonest party to listen in on the conversation remotely. It also makes it easy for any dishonest party to interpose themselves in communications made using the system, and pose dishonestly as either a caller or the user.

Summary of the Invention

In pursuit of this aim, a presently preferred embodiment of the present invention provides a communication device for signalling a request for access to premises, the communication device being capable of connecting to a server over the internet and comprising at least one input device. When the communication device is activated it encrypts a first message and transmits the encrypted information to the server, such that the first message comprises information from the at least one input device.

In this way, the invention provides a method for securely communicating the presence and the identity of a caller to a user, without the risk of remote eavesdropping.

Encryption of the first message may be by any method suitable for preventing an eavesdropping party from understanding the message.

The communication device will typically comprise a power supply, which may be a battery, hence further reducing the difficulty of installation, or may be a mains power connection, hence reducing the need for upkeep of the communication device since no batteries will need to be changed.

The communication device can be activated by a signal from an input device, or by a signal received over the internet.

Typically, the communication device connects to the internet through an at least partially wireless connection. This is convenient for the user, as it makes installation much simpler, reducing the number of cables required. The wireless connection may be over a wireless local area network, Bluetooth® connection or any other suitable connection. Typically, therefore, the communication device comprises a wireless transmitter and receiver. The encryption is especially useful where a wireless connection is used, as eavesdropping on a wireless communication is made inherently easier by the broadcast nature of the communication.

The communication device may also connect to the internet in whole or in part over a Local Area Network or any suitable wired connection. The communication device will typically connect to the internet at least partly over an ADSL or SDHL broadband connection.

The input device may comprise a microphone. The input device may comprise a camera. The input device can then record sound and images when activated, and transmit them to the server. The input device may comprise a person detector, such that the communications device can be activated when a person is detected. The person detector may be a passive infra-red device or any other device suitable for detecting a person. The input device will typically comprise a keypad, such that the communications device can be activated by operating the keypad. The keypad may also allow a text message to be entered, which can then be transmitted to the server as part of the first message.

In a preferred embodiment, the communication device comprises at least one output device. In such embodiments, the communication device can receive and decrypt an encrypted second message, such that the second message comprises information for the at least one output device.

It may be that the communication device comprises a speaker, and the second message comprises sound for reproduction by the speaker. It may be that the communication device comprises a screen, and the second message comprises images for display on the screen.

It may be that the communication device comprises a control for a lock, and the second message comprises instructions for the control to operate. Operating the control may then lock or unlock the lock, allowing or barring access to a building, storage space or some other space. Again, the use of encryption is especially valuable where the communication device comprises a control for a lock, as the encryption prevents dishonest parties from triggering the lock without the permission of the user.

The present invention also extends to a system comprising a server and a

communication device as described in any preceding claim, suitable for connecting to the server, in use. The server may be a single computer, or a collection of computers such as a cloud server.

The system will typically further comprise a mobile phone, such that the server can connect to the mobile phone. A user can then communicate with the server and the communication device, to receive and send messages wherever the user is, through a mobile phone. The server will typically connect to the mobile phone through a mobile phone network. The network will typically be a generation 3, 3.5, 4 or 5 network capable of carrying video, but may be any suitable current or future network. On older networks, it may be that only sound or text are sent to the mobile phone. Alternatively, the server may connect to the mobile phone through the internet, or any other suitable connection.

The system may also comprise a personal computer, personal digital assistant, or any other computer suitable for connecting to the internet. If this is the case the computer will function in the system in the same fashion as the mobile phone, as described above and below. The computer may be used as well as or instead of the mobile phone.

It may be that the server decrypts the first message. Alternatively, it may be that the server transmits the first message to a mobile phone still encrypted. It may be that the mobile phone decrypts the first message. It may be that the server stores the first message for later retrieval. The first message may be stored encrypted or decrypted.

In a preferred embodiment, the server can transmit an encrypted second message to the communication device, such that the communication device receives the second message and decrypts it. In such embodiments, the second message may be encrypted by the server, or by a mobile phone. Typically, the system will be capable of exchanging first and second messages simultaneously, so as to provide the user with two way communication with the communication device. Advantages of these embodiments are set out hereafter, and further details and features of each of these embodiments are defined in the accompanying dependent claims and elsewhere in the following detailed description.

Brief Description of the Drawings

Various aspects of the teachings of the present invention, and arrangements embodying those teachings, will hereafter be described by way of illustrative example with reference to the accompanying drawings, in which:

Fig. 1 is a diagram showing a communication device in use according to the invention; and

Fig. 2 is a block diagram showing the components of communication device according to the invention. Detailed Description of Preferred Embodiments

Figure 1 is a diagram showing a communication device 1 in use according to the invention. The communication device 1 is intended to function in place of a doorbell, and so is typically installed next to a lockable door. For example, the communication device 1 may be installed on the outside of a building, next to the main entrance.

The communication device 1 is connected to a router 2 wirelessly, through a Wireless Local Area Network (WLAN) 3. The router 2 is in turn connected to a modem 4, which provides a connection to the internet 5. The connection to the internet 5 may be through any suitable connection, such as ADSL or SDHL, and may be provided over fibre optic cable, copper wires, or any other suitable medium, including wirelessly.

When activated, the communication device 1 sends messages, which may include audio and visual content, over the internet 5 to a server 6. The server 6 stores data from the communication device. The server 6 is in turn capable of connecting to a mobile phone 7 over a mobile phone network 8 or the internet 5.

Figure 2 is a block diagram showing the components of communication device 1 . The communication device 1 comprises a central controller 1 1 and a power supply 12. The central controller 1 1 coordinates and controls the other components of the

communication device 1 . The communication device 1 also comprises various input devices: a keypad 13, a camera 14, a microphone 15 and a person detector 16. The communication device 1 can operate in two detection modes. In the first detection mode, operating the keypad 13 sends a signal to the central controller 1 1 , causing the communication device 1 to connect to the server 6 and begin transmitting information. In the second detection mode mode, the person detector is operational. The person detector is a passive infrared device which monitors the movements of warm objects such as human bodies near the communication device 1 . As soon as the person detector 16 detects a person, it sends a signal to the central controller, causing the communication device 1 to connect to the server 6 and begin transmitting information.

When connected to the server 6, the communication device 1 records images and sound using the camera 14 and the microphone 15. These are encrypted by the encryption unit 17 and then transmitted by the wireless transmitter 18 to the router 2. Turning back to Figure 1 , the encrypted images and sound are transmitted over the internet 5 to the server 6, where they are decrypted and stored. The server then connects to the mobile phone 7 via the mobile phone network 8 or the internet 5. The user receives a video call on their mobile phone 7 which connects them to the server 6, so that they can watch the images and sound transmitted from the communication device 1 . As the images and sound are stored on the server 6, the user can pause and rewind them as they are played on the mobile phone 7. Once the user has viewed the images and sound, they can choose for them to remain on the server 6 for future use, or for the images and sound stored on the server 6 to be deleted.

The user can then choose from a number of options. Firstly, the user can choose to simply ignore the message from the server 6. Secondly, the user can reply to the message from the server 6 by establishing two-way communication with the communication device 1 . The user's voice and their image are transmitted from their mobile phone 7 to the server 6, and the server 6 encrypts this information and sends it over the internet 5 to the communication device 1 . The user's voice is then played by the speaker 19, and their image is displayed by the screen 20 in the communication device 1 . With two-way communication established, the user can talk to any person standing near the communication device 1 . The user can also

communicate by transmitting sound only, to be played by the speaker 19 without an accompanying image on the screen 20, or text only, where the user types a text message into their phone which is transmitted and displayed on the screen 20.

Thirdly, the user can operate the lock control 21 in the communication device 1.

Operating the lock control 21 causes a lock to open. Where the lock is attached to a door, this will permit the person near the communication device 1 to enter a building. However, other uses can be made for the lock control 21 . For example, if the caller is making a delivery, especially a bulky delivery which is too big for conventional letter boxes, the lock control may unlock a safe intended to store that bulky delivery until the user can retrieve it. A further embodiment of communication device 1 is provided with multiple lock controls 21 , so that more than one lock can be opened. Fourthly, the user can choose for the communication device to play a pre-recorded message. The user can also connect to the communication device 1 and the server 6 at any time, using a mobile phone 7, the communication device 1 , or some other internet enabled computer. When connected, the user can review data stored on the server 6 and change settings to alter the way that the communication device 1 and the server 6 behave. For example, the communication device can be switched between the first and second detection modes, as explained above.

The user may also choose how frequently they are notified by the server. There are four notification modes available:

1 . Always - The server 6 connects to the mobile phone 7 whenever a person is detected by the person detector 16 or the keypad is operated.

2. On Call - The server 6 connects to the mobile phone 7 whenever the keypad is operated.

3. Periodically - The server 6 stores information sent by the communication device 1 and connects to the mobile phone 7 at intervals specified by the user.

4. Never - The server 6 stores information from the communication device 1 and waits for the user to contact it.

If the server 6 is set to On Call mode and the communication device 1 is set to the second detection mode, then the server 6 will store the images and sound sent to it by the communication device 1 whenever the person detector 16 detects a person, but the server 6 will only contact the user in the event that the keypad 13 is operated.

In the event that the server 6 cannot connect to the mobile phone 7, the server may be configured to transmit a text message or email notifying the user of any connections by the communication device. Also, the server may be configured to repeatedly try to connect to the mobile phone, at intervals specified by the user, until successful.

The user may record a message to be played every time the keypad 13 is operated, or every time the person detector 16 detects a person. This message might, for example, ask the person to state their name and reason for calling, so it could be recorded and transmitted to the server 6. The message is then stored on the server 6, and transmitted to the communications device 1 whenever necessary. If the mobile phone 7 is connected to the internet 5, for example via another modem, the server 6 may be configured to connect to the mobile phone 7 through the internet 5.

The communication device 1 and the server 6 may be configured to communicate using encryption based on the Pretty Good Privacy standard, Symmetrical Key Algorithms, Asymmetrical Key Algorithms, the Advanced Encryption Standard, Transport Layer Security, the Kish Cypher, Kish and Sethuraman encryption, the Hardware Secuirty Module standard, Public Key Infrastructure based on RSA encryption algorithms, HyperText Transfer Protocol Secure, or any other suitable encryption method or standard.

The communication device 1 can also be configured by the user to transmit information from the camera 14 and the microphone 15 to the server 6 at predetermined times, the information being encrypted as described above. The server 6 then stores the information for later retrieval. This would effectively turn the communication device into a "web cam". The communication device 1 and server 6 may be configured to record images and sound continuously.

The communication device 1 can be configured to connect directly to a modem without the need for a router, where the modem is suitable for receiving wireless

communications using WLAN, for example because the modem incorporates a wireless router, or through a standard such as Wi-Fi direct®.

In a second embodiment of the invention, the server 6 stores the information received from the communication device 1 without decrypting it, and transmits the still encrypted information to the mobile phone 7. In such embodiments, the mobile phone 7 would handle the decryption of the information.

In a third embodiment of the invention, the communication device 1 comprises an internal memory connected to the central controller 1 1. The internal memory is used to store pre-recorded messages from the user, and to store information from the camera 14 and the microphone 15 in the event that a connection to the server cannot be established.

Claims

1 . A communication device for signalling a request for access to premises, the communication device being capable of connecting to a server over the internet and comprising at least one input device,

wherein when the communication device is activated it encrypts a first message and transmits the encrypted information to the server, such that the first message comprises information from the at least one input device.

2. A communication device as claimed in claim 1 , wherein the communication device connects to the internet through an at least partially wireless connection.

3. A communication device as claimed in claim 1 or claim 2, wherein the input device comprises a microphone.

4. A communication device as claimed in any preceding claim, wherein the input device comprises a camera.

5. A communication device as claimed in any preceding claim, wherein the input device comprises a person detector, such that the communications device can be activated when a person is detected.

6. A communications device as claimed in any preceding claim, the communication device comprising at least one output device,

wherein the communication device can receive and decrypt an encrypted second message, such that the second message comprises information for the at least one output device.

7. A communication device as claimed in claim 6, wherein communication device comprises a speaker, and the second message comprises sound for reproduction by the speaker.

8. A communication device as claimed in claim 6 or claim 7, wherein

communication device comprises a screen, and the second message comprises images for display on the screen.

9. A communication device as claimed in any of claims 6 to 8, wherein communication device comprises a control for a lock, and the second message comprises instructions for the control to operate.

10. A system comprising:

a server; and

a communication device as described in any preceding claim, suitable for connecting to the server, in use.

1 1 . A system as claimed in claim 10, the system further comprising a mobile phone, such that the server can connect to the mobile phone.

12. A system as claimed in claim 10 or claim 1 1 , wherein the server decrypts the first message.

13. A system as claimed in claim 10 or claim 1 1 , wherein the mobile phone decrypts the first message.

14. A system as claimed in any of claims 10 to 13, wherein the server stores the first message.

15. A system as claimed in any of claims 10 to 14, wherein the server can transmit an encrypted second message to the communication device, such that the

communication device receives the second message and decrypts it.

16. A system as claimed in claim 15, wherein the server encrypts the second message.

17. A system as claimed in claim 15, wherein a mobile phone encrypts the second message.