Audio/video recording and communication devices

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-11245876-B2
Application number	US-201916598987-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Oct 10, 2019
Priority date	Feb 27, 2017
Publication date	Feb 8, 2022
Grant date	Feb 8, 2022

Abstract

An audio/video recording and communication device configured as a doorbell has a housing with a support structure and a removable faceplate. A flexible translucent membrane of the faceplate supports a button aligned with a mechanical switch when the removable faceplate is attached to the housing such that a plurality of light emitting elements are positioned around the mechanical switch transmit light through the translucent membrane. A removable battery casing is configured to hold at least one battery and has a release button physically coupling with a detent of the support structure to retain the removable battery casing within the support structure. The removable battery casing may be removed from the device for recharging without removing the device from a surface on which it is mounted.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1. An audio/video recording and communication device (A/V device), comprising:
a housing including a support structure and a removable faceplate;
a processor within the housing;
an image sensor communicatively coupled with the processor and positioned by the support structure;
at least one speaker positioned by the support structure;
a switch positioned by the support structure and responsive to input to activate a doorbell; and
a removable battery:
sized and shaped to fit within a cavity formed by the support structure,
having a release button that physically couples with a detent of the support structure to retain the battery within the cavity when the removable faceplate is removed from the A/V device while the support structure is mounted at a surface, the release button being covered by the removable faceplate when both the removable battery and the removable faceplate are coupled with the A/V device, and
being removable while the support structure is mounted at a mounting surface and the removable faceplate is removed from the housing.

2. The A/V device of claim 1 , the release button comprising a leaf spring to maintain engagement of the release button with the detent.

3. The A/V device of claim 1 , further comprising:
a flexible translucent membrane secured within an aperture of the removable faceplate and supporting a button aligned with the switch when the removable faceplate is attached to the A/V device; and
a plurality of light emitting elements positioned around the switch by the support structure and operable to transmit light through the flexible translucent membrane.

4. The A/V device of claim 3 , further comprising a flex circuit electrically coupling the processor to (a) the switch, (b) the at least one speaker, and (c) the plurality of light emitting elements.

5. The A/V device of claim 1 , the removable faceplate having a speaker grill aligned with the speaker when the removable faceplate is coupled to the A/V device.

6. The A/V device of claim 1 , further comprising a motion sensor communicatively coupled with the processor.

7. The A/V device of claim 1 , further comprising a flexible switch cover coupled with the support structure and covering the switch when the removable faceplate is removed from the A/V device.

8. The A/V device of claim 1 , the removable faceplate covering the removable battery when the removable faceplate is coupled to the housing and the removable battery is installed in the cavity.

9. An audio/video recording and communication device (A/V device), comprising:
a processor;
a support structure;
an image sensor communicatively coupled with the processor and positioned by the support structure;
a switch positioned by the support structure and responsive to input to activate a doorbell;
a plurality of light emitting elements positioned by the support structure and around the switch and operable to transmit light through a flexible translucent membrane; and
a removable faceplate having the flexible translucent membrane attached to the removable faceplate within an aperture formed by the removable faceplate, the flexible membrane movably holding a button aligned with the switch when the removable faceplate is attached to the A/V device.

10. The A/V device of claim 9 , further comprising a flex circuit electrically coupling the processor to (a) the switch, and (b) the plurality of light emitting elements.

11. The A/V device of claim 9 , the removable faceplate having a speaker grill located in alignment with a speaker when the removable faceplate is coupled to the A/V device, the speaker being positioned by the support structure.

12. The A/V device of claim 9 , further comprising a flexible switch cover coupled with the support structure and covering the switch when the removable faceplate is removed from the A/V device.

13. The A/V device of claim 9 , further comprising an optically transparent lens mounted on the support structure in alignment with the image sensor.

14. An audio/video recording and communication device (A/V device), comprising:
a processor;
a support structure;
an image sensor communicatively coupled with the processor and positioned by the support structure;
at least one speaker positioned by the support structure;
a switch positioned by the support structure and responsive to input to activate a doorbell;
a removable faceplate having a speaker grill aligned with the speaker when the removable faceplate is coupled to the A/V device; and
the removable faceplate including a flexible membrane attached to the removable faceplate within an aperture formed by the removable faceplate, the flexible membrane movably holding a button aligned with the switch when the removable faceplate is attached to the A/V device.

15. The A/V device of claim 14 , further comprising a removable battery sized and shaped to fit within a cavity defined by the support structure.

16. The A/V device of claim 15 , the removable battery being accessible upon removal of the removable faceplate from the A/V device when the A/V device is mounted at a mounting surface.

17. The A/V device of claim 14 , further comprising a flex circuit electrically coupling the processor to (a) the switch, (b) the at least one speaker, and (c) the image sensor.

18. The A/V device of claim 14 , further comprising a flexible switch cover coupled with the support structure and covering the switch when the removable faceplate is removed from the A/V device.

19. The A/V device of claim 14 , further comprising a flexible translucent membrane attached to the removable faceplate within an aperture formed by the removable faceplate and supporting a button aligned with the switch when the removable faceplate is attached to the A/V device.

Assignees

• Amazon Tech Inc

Inventors

• Siminoff Mark
• Sacre Spiro
• Siminoff James
• Modestine John
• Lemberger Elliott

Classifications

• H04N23/51

  Housings · CPC title

• H02J7/70

  characterised by the mechanical construction · CPC title

• H04R27/00

  Public address systems (circuits for preventing acoustic reaction H04R3/02; circuits for distributing signals to loudspeakers H04R3/12; {monitoring or testing arrangements for public address systems H04R29/007}; amplifiers H03F) · CPC title

• H04R1/023

  Screens for loudspeakers · CPC title

• H04R2410/00

  Microphones · CPC title