Android Question Front Door Intercom

[tsteward]

I am wanting to write an app where I can mount an old phone outside my front door connected to my WiFi.

• Maybe use the proximity sensor to wake the display.
• Show A doorbell button
• Pressing the doorbell button will take a photo of the person and save it to dropbox.
• Then automatically make a video call to my phone where ever I am. Perhaps using Skype or similar. Or direct video chat of some sort.
• On completion of call the app must re appear with the door bell button.

Any ideas how I might achieve this or library's to use?
I know there is a Skype library but it is very limited.

 

[Beja]

Hi.. You didn't say what happens after the photo shot and video call.. Will you open the door, or the app is just takes the photo and show the guy on your phone?

 

[tsteward]

No plans to open the door at this stage. Maybe in the future.

App is just to go back to waiting for the next button press. As per last point.

Perhaps person answering phone has choice of video or just audio call.

 

[Erel]

It looks like skype works with intents: http://stackoverflow.com/questions/10132556/how-to-start-a-skype-call-from-an-android-app

Maybe you can use it to start a video call.

 

[tsteward]

Ok for anyone wanting to know here is how to start a skype call. Now to move onto the rest of my app

Sub Process_Globals
    Dim Sky As Intent
End Sub

Sub Globals
    Private Button1 As Button
End Sub

Sub Activity_Create(FirstTime As Boolean)
    Activity.LoadLayout("doorbell")
    Sky.Initialize(Sky.ACTION_VIEW, "skype:usersSkypeID?call&video=true")
    Sky.SetComponent("com.skype.raider")
    Sky.PutExtra("confirm","Yes")
End Sub

Sub Button1_Click
    StartActivity(Sky)
End Sub

 

[tsteward]

Now how do I automatically close skype after a call and return to my app?
I don't think I can

How else might I achieve my goal?

 

[Erel]

You can call StartActivity from a service to bring back your activity to the front. You can do it after 30 seconds (I don't see any way to know when the call ends).