Best Way to Make a Smartphone Compatible Video Door Intercom?

B

biz123

Member
What's the best way, you think, to make a video door intercom which lets you talk with and see visitors, from your smartphone?

My original plan was to make a customer door unit which included a camera, intercom, and button.

However, I could not figure out how to connect such a device to Android and iOS devices. A custom device with no screen cannot have an Android or iOS app because it would break their Compatibility Definition Document. Connecting the custom device to the internet is an option, though I can't figure out a way to make it not be expensive.

The best method I could come up with is to use existing technology. Simply place an iOS or Android device, outside, in a theft-resistent and weatherproof enclosure.

What do you think?
 
There are IP video camera already have two way audio built in. when door bell rang, just start app, watch and talk.
 
fwd03 said:
There are IP video camera already have two way audio built in. when door bell rang, just start app, watch and talk.
Click to expand...

Good idea, but...

1. How would the person ring the doorbell on this device?
2. How would you connect it to an Android or iOS device so that it alerts you when the doorbell is rung?
 
Run a SIP soft phone client on the smartphone for the intercom to call... Or use an intermediary VoIP server and it can actually call the phone. You could probably even do some scripting on the phone system to have it push a notification to the smartphone using pushover or something like that.
 
Work2Play said:
Run a SIP soft phone client on the smartphone for the intercom to call... Or use an intermediary VoIP server and it can actually call the phone. You could probably even do some scripting on the phone system to have it push a notification to the smartphone using pushover or something like that.
Click to expand...

Thank you for the tips.

Are you referring to using a normal iP camera? Also, would this solution be able to send a video alert to the smartphone? Also, I haven't seen an iP cameras with a doorbell like button.
 
Google SIP door station. Or even just Door Station. A popular one with SIP and a camera is the 2N Helios but its pretty spendy.

Or I know Grandstream and Mobotix and probably others make cameras with a SIP client on them. Some cameras also have alarm inputs - perhaps you could wire up a doorbell to the alarm contacts to initiate a phone call.
 
Work2Play said:
Google SIP door station. Or even just Door Station. A popular one with SIP and a camera is the 2N Helios but its pretty spendy.

Or I know Grandstream and Mobotix and probably others make cameras with a SIP client on them. Some cameras also have alarm inputs - perhaps you could wire up a doorbell to the alarm contacts to initiate a phone call.
Click to expand...

Thank you for the tip. My goal, however, is to make the door station cost less than $200 for the customer. The only solution I see is to use an existing Android device as the door station. Please correct me if I'm wrong.

What I envision is an outdoor unit which looks just like any other doorbell. The only difference is that there is a two way intercom and a camera with an LED light, like on the iPhone. Not the gigantic ip cameras I see.
 
OK - well, on one hand, I applaud your determination here - but this is your second thread about this and it seems you have a TON of research you need to do... It seems like you have a product in mind that you want to develop and productize without much clue about the steps in between, including what the product will be or how it'll work. And to be frank about it, I don't really want to design a product for you to go sell unless I get a cut!

The other thing I'll mention - there's a specific market for this type of stuff... most people don't want a rigged DIY doorbell. Did you consider that there's a reason that these cost more? They integrate with phone systems or intercoms or remote viewing stations.

But this is something I've kinda wanted to do for a while, so I spent a little more time tinkering with it after my post... and if I were trying to do this on the super cheap, here's what I'd probably do... I'd look at the chinese manufacturers and see about getting something like this camera unit - for about $50, it ain't bad at all assuming you can access the speaker, video and Microphone directly... meaning normal audio in/out connections and dry contact for the push button. From there, I'd go grab this video encoder (I already have one actually) and I'd hook the doorbell button into the alarm contacts and the audio/video in and the audio out directly to the encoder... now I'd have multiple video streams capable - for feeding a DVR or in-home touchscreens, and I'd have a sip-compatible arrangement that upon trigger of the "alarm" contacts (the button press) it could initiate a SIP call to my office phone and either SIP or a direct call to my cell phone. Using something like Bria for the cell phone should get you a video call so you can see who's there.

In fact, I just might do that - just for fun... but I'm much less worried about what happens when I'm not home - I'm just tired of people being impatient while I work my way to the door (big house) and I'd prefer that, when people are sleeping (young kids, wife who works nights) it just rings the grandstream video phone on my desk rather than playing throughout the house.
 
Work2Play said:
OK - well, on one hand, I applaud your determination here - but this is your second thread about this and it seems you have a TON of research you need to do... It seems like you have a product in mind that you want to develop and productize without much clue about the steps in between, including what the product will be or how it'll work. And to be frank about it, I don't really want to design a product for you to go sell unless I get a cut!

The other thing I'll mention - there's a specific market for this type of stuff... most people don't want a rigged DIY doorbell. Did you consider that there's a reason that these cost more? They integrate with phone systems or intercoms or remote viewing stations.

But this is something I've kinda wanted to do for a while, so I spent a little more time tinkering with it after my post... and if I were trying to do this on the super cheap, here's what I'd probably do... I'd look at the chinese manufacturers and see about getting something like this camera unit - for about $50, it ain't bad at all assuming you can access the speaker, video and Microphone directly... meaning normal audio in/out connections and dry contact for the push button. From there, I'd go grab this video encoder (I already have one actually) and I'd hook the doorbell button into the alarm contacts and the audio/video in and the audio out directly to the encoder... now I'd have multiple video streams capable - for feeding a DVR or in-home touchscreens, and I'd have a sip-compatible arrangement that upon trigger of the "alarm" contacts (the button press) it could initiate a SIP call to my office phone and either SIP or a direct call to my cell phone. Using something like Bria for the cell phone should get you a video call so you can see who's there.

In fact, I just might do that - just for fun... but I'm much less worried about what happens when I'm not home - I'm just tired of people being impatient while I work my way to the door (big house) and I'd prefer that, when people are sleeping (young kids, wife who works nights) it just rings the grandstream video phone on my desk rather than playing throughout the house.
Click to expand...

Work2Play, thank you for your input. I've just sent you a PM.
 
Keep us updated. I have been looking at either simple voice system or video intercom, but price has been a barrier. Also, potability would be nice. We are always running around, in back yard, garage. It would be nice to avoid having a dozen devices built into walls, but a portable unit. Existing ICs are a bit pricey, but then you get what you pay for...
 
So, what do you guys think of that? Does it seem like it fulfills the market need or would you want something better?

For me, I'd want something that's powered not by batteries so I can integrate it with my home NVR and ideally have SIP compatibility so it can ring the SIP video phone on my desk... And I can think of a few other features that might improve on it as well...
 
gatchel said:
It doesn't exist yet....
Click to expand...

Yes but the question was how to bring a product like this to market.

Work2Play said:
So, what do you guys think of that? Does it seem like it fulfills the market need or would you want something better?

For me, I'd want something that's powered not by batteries so I can integrate it with my home NVR and ideally have SIP compatibility so it can ring the SIP video phone on my desk... And I can think of a few other features that might improve on it as well...
Click to expand...

I agree on the SIP compatibility, but it is just a software issue and it may already use it underneath its app layer. Optional external power input could be supported, but it would require additional internal components and regulatory testing. I think that a majority of basic customers would want the batteries for ease of self-install. I don't think it is suitable for DVR use because of the intended camera angle. An overhead camera would be preferable or at least a fish-eye lens. For the features it has at the proposed price it would be a definite step forward for the market.
 
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