Point-to-point visual communications in a security monitoring system

1. A monitoring system that is configured to monitor a property, the monitoring system comprising:

a camera located at an entry point of the property;

a display located at the entry point of the property; and

a controller that is configured to:

receive, from a user, a request to access the property using the entry point;

in response to the request to access the property using the entry point, generate a first image and transmit authentication data to a computing device of the user;

control the display to display the first image;

receive a second image captured by the camera;

determine whether the second image includes a representation of data that is based on processing the first image in combination with the authentication data; and

based on determining whether the second image includes the representation of data that is based on processing the first image in combination with the authentication data, grant or deny the user access to the property using the entry point.

2. The monitoring system of claim 1 , wherein the controller is configured to:

determine whether the second image includes a representation of data that is based on processing the first image in combination with the authentication data by determining that the second image includes the representation of data that is based on processing the first image in combination with the authentication data; and

grant or deny the user access to the property using the entry point by granting the user access to the property based on determining that the second image includes the representation of data that is based on processing the first image in combination with the authentication data.

3. The monitoring system of claim 1 , wherein the controller is configured to:

determine whether the second image includes a representation of data that is based on processing the first image in combination with the authentication data by determining that the second image does not include the representation of data that is based on processing the first image in combination with the authentication data; and

grant or deny the user access to the property using the entry point by denying the user access to the property based on determining that the second image does not include the representation of data that is based on processing the first image in combination with the authentication data.

4. The monitoring system of claim 1 , wherein the computing device is configured to process the first image in combination with the authentication data and output the second image on a display of the computing device.

5. The monitoring system of claim 1 , wherein the controller is configured to:

in response to the request to access the property, identify an expected visitor who is expected to visit the property; and

based on identifying the expected visitor who is expected to visit the property, identify, from among multiple computing devices, the computing device of the expected visitor.

6. The monitoring system of claim 1 , wherein the first image and the second image are QR codes.

7. The monitoring system of claim 1 , wherein the computing device communicates wirelessly using point-to-point visual communication with the camera and the display.

8. The monitoring system of claim 1 , comprising:

a sensor that is located at the entry point and that is configured to collect biometric data, wherein the controller is configured to:

receive, from an additional user, an additional request to access the property;

obtain, from the sensor, the biometric data of the additional user;

generate a third image and transmit additional authentication data to an additional computing device of the additional user;

control the display to display the third image;

receive a fourth image captured by the camera;

determine whether the fourth image includes an additional representation of data that is based on processing the third image in combination with the additional authentication data; and

based on determining whether the fourth image includes the additional representation of data that is based on processing the third image in combination with the additional authentication data and based on the biometric data of the additional user, grant or deny the additional user access to the property using the entry point.

9. The monitoring system of claim 8 , wherein the controller is configured to:

in response to the additional request to access the property, identify an additional expected visitor who is expected to visit the property;

access biometric data of the additional expected visitor;

compare the biometric data of the additional expected visitor to the biometric data of the additional user; and

grant or deny the additional access to the property using the entry point based further on comparing the biometric data of the additional expected visitor to the biometric data of the additional user.

10. The monitoring system of claim 1 , wherein the controller is configured to determine, from among multiple authentication protocols, an authentication protocol for determining whether to grant the user access to the property based on an armed status of the monitoring system.

11. A method comprising:

a camera located at an entry point of the property;

a display located at the entry point of the property; and

a controller that is configured to:

receiving, by a controller and from a user, a request to access a property using an entry point of the property;

in response to the request to access the property using the entry point, generating a first image and transmitting authentication data to a computing device of the user;

controlling, by the controller, a display to display the first image, the display being located at the entry point of the property;

receiving a second image captured by a camera located at the entry point of the property;

determining, by the controller, whether the second image includes a representation of data that is based on processing the first image in combination with the authentication data; and

based on determining whether the second image includes the representation of data that is based on processing the first image in combination with the authentication data, granting or denying, by the controller, the user access to the property using the entry point.

12. The method of claim 11 :

wherein determining whether the second image includes a representation of data that is based on processing the first image in combination with the authentication data comprises determining that the second image includes the representation of data that is based on processing the first image in combination with the authentication data; and

wherein granting or denying the user access to the property using the entry point comprises granting the user access to the property based on determining that the second image includes the representation of data that is based on processing the first image in combination with the authentication data.

13. The monitoring system of claim 11 :

wherein determining whether the second image includes a representation of data that is based on processing the first image in combination with the authentication data comprises determining that the second image does not include the representation of data that is based on processing the first image in combination with the authentication data; and

wherein granting or denying the user access to the property using the entry point comprises denying the user access to the property based on determining that the second image does not include the representation of data that is based on processing the first image in combination with the authentication data.

14. The method of claim 11 , wherein receiving the second image comprises receiving the second image displayed on a display of the computing device, the computing device being configured to process the first image in combination with the authentication data and output the second image.

15. The method of claim 11 , comprising:

in response to the request to access the property, identifying an expected visitor who is expected to visit the property; and

based on identifying the expected visitor who is expected to visit the property, identifying, from among multiple computing devices, the computing device of the expected visitor.

16. The method of claim 11 , wherein the first image and the second image are QR codes.

17. The method of claim 11 , further comprising communicating, by the computing device, wirelessly using point-to-point visual communication with the camera and the display.

18. The method of claim 11 , comprising:

receiving, from an additional user, an additional request to access the property;

obtaining, from a sensor that is located at the entry point and that is configured to collect biometric data, the biometric data of the additional user;

generating a third image and transmitting additional authentication data to an additional computing device of the additional user;

controlling the display to display the third image;

receiving a fourth image captured by the camera;

determining whether the fourth image includes an additional representation of data that is based on processing the third image in combination with the additional authentication data; and

based on determining whether the fourth image includes the additional representation of data that is based on processing the third image in combination with the additional authentication data and based on the biometric data of the additional user, granting or denying the additional user access to the property using the entry point.

19. The method of claim 18 , further comprising:

in response to the additional request to access the property, identifying an additional expected visitor who is expected to visit the property;

accessing biometric data of the additional expected visitor;

comparing the biometric data of the additional expected visitor to the biometric data of the additional user; and

granting or denying the additional access to the property using the entry point based further on comparing the biometric data of the additional expected visitor to the biometric data of the additional user.

20. The method of claim 11 , further comprising determining, from among multiple authentication protocols, an authentication protocol for determining whether to grant the user access to the property based on an armed status of the monitoring system.