Disarming surveillance systems for authorized persons

Abstract

Deactivating one or more components of a surveillance system in response to authenticating an authorized person is disclosed and described. A method includes authenticating a user as an authorized person with permission to enter a property and, in response to authenticating the user, causing a compartment of a lockbox to open. The method includes providing a notification to a surveillance system indicating the user has been authenticated and accessed the compartment of the lockbox.

What is claimed is: 
     
         1 . A method comprising:
 authenticating a user as an authorized person with permission to enter a property;   in response to authenticating the user, causing a compartment of a lockbox to open; and   providing a notification to a surveillance system indicating the user has been authenticated and accessed the compartment of the lockbox.   
     
     
         2 . The method of  claim 1 , wherein authenticating the user comprises authenticating by scanning a scannable code, and wherein the compartment of the lockbox is configured to hold a key to the property. 
     
     
         3 . The method of  claim 1 , wherein authenticating the user comprises determining that the user is a licensed real estate professional with authority to access the property when the property is for sale. 
     
     
         4 . The method of  claim 3 , wherein authenticating the user further comprises determining the licensed real estate professional has authority to access the property at the time when the authenticating the user occurred. 
     
     
         5 . The method of  claim 1 , wherein providing the notification to the surveillance system comprises providing the notification to a server in communication with the surveillance system over a network. 
     
     
         6 . The method of  claim 1 , wherein providing the notification to the surveillance system comprises providing an indication that the compartment of the lockbox has been opened, and the user is likely to enter the property. 
     
     
         7 . The method of  claim 1 , further comprising providing a notification to an owner of the property and/or a manager of the property indicating that the user has been authenticated as an authorized user, and that the user has caused the compartment of the lockbox to open. 
     
     
         8 . The method of  claim 1 , further comprising storing a log entry comprising an identity of the user and a timestamp when the user was authenticated. 
     
     
         9 . The method of  claim 1 , further comprising, in response to causing the compartment of the lockbox to open, deactivating one or more component of a surveillance system installed at the property, wherein the one or more components comprises:
 a noise alarm;   a notification to a law enforcement official and/or a fire department official;   a notification to a surveillance monitoring service;   a notification to an owner of the property and/or a manager of the property;   a motion sensor installed at the property; or   a camera installed at the property.   
     
     
         10 . The method of  claim 1 , further comprising, in response to causing the compartment of the lockbox to open:
 activating a camera installed as part of the surveillance system installed at the property to capture a video stream of the property;   determining whether the user has entered the property;   in response to determining the user has entered the property, providing a notification to an owner of the property and/or a manager of the property with an indication that the user has entered the property; and   storing the video stream of the property such that the owner of the property and/or the manager of the property can view the video stream.   
     
     
         11 . A system comprising one or more processors configurable to execute instructions stored in non-transitory computer readable storage media, the instructions comprising:
 authenticating a user as an authorized person with permission to enter a property;   in response to authenticating the user, causing a compartment of a lockbox to open; and   providing a notification to a surveillance system indicating the user has been authenticated and accessed the compartment of the lockbox.   
     
     
         12 . The system of  claim 11 , wherein the instructions are such that authenticating the user comprises authenticating by scanning a scannable code, and wherein the compartment of the lockbox is configured to hold a key to the property. 
     
     
         13 . The system of  claim 11 , wherein the instructions are such that authenticating the user comprises determining that the user is a licensed real estate professional with authority to access the property when the property is for sale. 
     
     
         14 . The system of  claim 13 , wherein the instructions are such that authenticating the user further comprises determining the licensed real estate professional has authority to access the property at the time when the authenticating the user occurred. 
     
     
         15 . The system of  claim 11 , wherein the instructions are such that providing the notification to the surveillance system comprises providing the notification to a server in communication with the surveillance system over a network. 
     
     
         16 . Non-transitory computer readable storage media storing instructions for execution by one or more processors, the instructions comprising:
 authenticating a user as an authorized person with permission to enter a property;   in response to authenticating the user, causing a compartment of a lockbox to open; and   providing a notification to a surveillance system indicating the user has been authenticated and accessed the compartment of the lockbox.   
     
     
         17 . The non-transitory computer readable storage media of  claim 16 , wherein the instructions are such that providing the notification to the surveillance system comprises providing an indication that the compartment of the lockbox has been opened, and the user is likely to enter the property. 
     
     
         18 . The non-transitory computer readable storage media of  claim 16 , wherein the instructions further comprise providing a notification to an owner of the property and/or a manager of the property indicating that the user has been authenticated as an authorized user, and that the user has caused the compartment of the lockbox to open. 
     
     
         19 . The non-transitory computer readable storage media of  claim 16 , wherein the instructions further comprise storing a log entry comprising an identity of the user and a timestamp when the user was authenticated. 
     
     
         20 . The non-transitory computer readable storage media of  claim 16 , wherein the instructions further comprise, in response to causing the compartment of the lockbox to open, deactivating one or more component of a surveillance system installed at the property, wherein the one or more components comprises:
 a noise alarm;   a notification to a law enforcement official and/or a fire department official;   a notification to a surveillance monitoring service;   a notification to an owner of the property and/or a manager of the property;   a motion sensor installed at the property; or   a camera installed at the property.