How IP Intercoms Communicate with Smartphones

IP Intercoms for Mobile Applications

By Bob Mesnik

Smart IP intercom devices are making it easier to control access to your home, business, school, or any other organization.  They use your smartphone to see the person at the door, talk to them, and allow entry (or not).

There are single-button intercoms and multi-tenant intercoms. Both versions have built-in IP cameras. The IP intercom systems can use local intercom servers as well as remote cloud servers to provide the communication path between the intercom and the smartphone. These systems utilize various protocols such as VoIP SIP protocol, audio over IP, IP video, or other protocols to establish the connection between all the devices.

Here’s how the latest IP intercoms work.

Single Button Intercom Systems

The intercom server allows you to connect to smartphones associated with a single apartment.  They are simple to configure, but you do need to know something about your network.

These IP intercom systems, with IP cameras, can connect to smartphones on your local network, or smartphones outside your facility using a VoIP SIP service.  For example, IP Intercoms from Baudisch connect to smartphones on your local Wi-Fi network using an Intercom server (PBX server). To connect to a remote smartphone, a cloud server such as an Internet SIP cloud service is added.  These systems are very easy to set up.  The Loxone Intercom server is an example of an intercom server that can be used to connect to remote smartphones as well as control other smart home devices such as security systems, door locks, lights, IP surveillance cameras, and thermostats.

Multi-tenant Intercom Systems

Apartment houses or large organizations require IP intercoms that provide a lookup screen with all the people you can contact.  These systems utilize remote cloud servers. The intercom provides unique identification for each set of smartphones assigned to each of the apartments or departments.

The remote server provides the communication path between the multi-apartment intercom and the smartphones.  It also provides the telephone switching function (private PBX) required to reach the unique set of smartphones assigned to each apartment.

How IP intercoms Communicate with Smartphones

Whether you are using a single button intercom or a multi-tenant panel, special protocols are used to communicate to your smartphone.  One of the most popular is Session Initiation Protocol (SIP), which is mostly used with VoIP phones.  This is a peer to peer type application layer of a TCP/IP network.  SIP is responsible for signaling and session management and controls the end to end connection of a call between computer type devices (like VoIP phones or IP intercoms). For more detail about this protocol take a look at our article, How Networked Attached Amplifiers and IP Intercoms Work.

Once the connection or channel between the peers has been established, communication can begin. SIP is then used as the signaling portion of the protocol to handle audio and video communication.  In some applications, IP video is sent using a different protocol. The smartphone app is now able to notify the user that someone is at the door, display the video, provide the two-way audio communication, and allow a special command to be sent to the Intercom that opens the electric lock at the door.

Summary

IP Intercoms provide manual access to your home or organization.  The intercoms provide two-way audio and video that can be displayed on your smartphone.  They connect to your smartphones over Wi-Fi or the Internet.  Special protocols are used to provide a communication path between the intercom and smartphone.  They can be integrated with other security systems such as IP camera systems and door access control systems.

To learn more about IP intercoms, please contact us.  We have a lot of experience with IP intercoms and will make sure you select the right one for your application.  We can be reached at 1-800-431-1658 in the USA, or at 914-944-3425 everywhere else, or use our contact form.