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#Apartment Building Intercom System (the buzzer)

#Introduction The idea is simple - take an Android device (that outdated phone in your drawer will do) and turn it into a complete video intercom buzzer system.

The android-eye project makes for a fantastic starting point. It has the IP camera feature working very nicely. It just needs to add few features that are specific to the intercom system.

Needed features

1. Door bell button on the screen to notify the tenant - think scrollable list of tenants - Name and Apt #.
2. Way to alert the target tenant - email and or text and deliver the URL that they click to view the visitor.
3. Bi-directional communication - android-eye uses a browser client which is convenient (no app to install) however it does prohibit access to the microphone. So, for browser, use text to speech and read out loud the tenants text message to the visitor. It does have a nice side benefit of privacy and safety.
4. IOIO to actuate buzzing open the door.
5. Admin interface to manage the directory of tenants, their security profile and other system settings.
6. Security - mitigate loss of break-in and stolen android device - use guest wifi with security. cloud service to manage device certificates and their associated accounts to control access and trust for sendmail/sms. In case of theft, this service can revoke the stolen device's certificate and issue a new certificate for a new device.
7. Develop a secure, weather proof enclosure with access to power. lockable. expose only the main part of the screen (no home key, back key, power key etc). if the phone uses capacitive home key for example it may be a security risk.
8. Wake from sleep using motion detection.

Bluesky thoughts

1. In the world where everyone has a cell phone, is this really necessary? How about just a directory of tenants and a way to anonymously be able to contact the tenant - notification service and the Android app only serving as the door buzzer actuator.
2. Why buzz at all - do facial or even motion detection to activate
3. Visitor pins that can be given to visitors with a time limit.
4. Use OpenCV for facial recognition based buzzing
5. NSA feature - server side record of all visitors