Steganographic access controls

Abstract

Various features described herein may allow an authorized user to provide a guest with access to a secured location through use of an encoded image containing steganographically encoded access information. The encoded access information may be recognizable by a security system, and the security system may grant access to the secured location when the encoded image is presented to the security system. The authorized user may request the generation of the encoded image on an authorized computing device, and the encoded image may be provided to the guest on a guest computing device. When a monitoring device associated with the security system captures the encoded access information, the security system may, for example, open a door at the secured location.

1 . A method comprising:
 generating, by a computing device and based on a base media file associated with the computing device, an encoded media file that comprises steganographically concealed access information for accessing a premises; and   sending, to a user device, the encoded media file to facilitate access to the premises.   
     
     
         2 . The method of  claim 1 , wherein the computing device is a mobile device associated with the premises. 
     
     
         3 . The method of  claim 1 , further comprising:
 determining, prior to the generating, that the base media file is suitable to be encoded with the access information, based on at least one of:
 a time associated with the base media file, 
 an amount of entropy or randomness in the base media file, 
 content of the base media file, 
 a location where the base media file was captured, 
 a device that captured the base media file, or 
 previous usage of the base media file. 
   
     
     
         4 . The method of  claim 1 , wherein the generating comprises generating the encoded media file by steganographically encoding the base media file with first access information in a first portion of the base media file and second access information in a second portion of the base media file, wherein the first portion is different from the second portion. 
     
     
         5 . The method of  claim 1 , further comprising:
 selecting the base media file from a photo album associated with the computing device.   
     
     
         6 . The method of  claim 1 , wherein the generating comprises generating the encoded media file by adjusting at least one attribute of the base media file to steganographically conceal the access information. 
     
     
         7 . The method of  claim 1 , further comprising:
 receiving, from the user device, a request to obtain access to the premises, wherein the request comprises the encoded media file; and   granting, based on a comparison of the access information in the encoded media file and known access information, the access to the premises.   
     
     
         8 . An apparatus comprising:
 one or more processors; and   memory storing instructions that, when executed by the one or more processors, cause the apparatus to:
 generate, based on a base media file associated with the apparatus, an encoded media file that comprises steganographically concealed access information for accessing a premises; and 
 send, to a user device, the encoded media file to facilitate access to the premises. 
   
     
     
         9 . The apparatus of  claim 8 , wherein the apparatus is a mobile device associated with the premises. 
     
     
         10 . The apparatus of  claim 8 , wherein the instructions, when executed by the one or more processors, cause the apparatus to:
 determine, prior to generating the encoded media file, that the base media file is suitable to be encoded with the access information, based on at least one of:
 a time associated with the base media file, 
 an amount of entropy or randomness in the base media file, 
 content of the base media file, 
 a location where the base media file was captured, 
 a device that captured the base media file, or 
 previous usage of the base media file. 
   
     
     
         11 . The apparatus of  claim 8 , wherein the instructions, when executed by the one or more processors, cause the apparatus to generate the encoded media file by steganographically encoding the base media file with first access information in a first portion of the base media file and second access information in a second portion of the base media file, and wherein the first portion is different from the second portion. 
     
     
         12 . The apparatus of  claim 8 , wherein the instructions, when executed by the one or more processors, cause the apparatus to:
 select the base media file from a photo album associated with the apparatus.   
     
     
         13 . The apparatus of  claim 8 , wherein the instructions, when executed by the one or more processors, cause the apparatus to generate the encoded media file by adjusting at least one attribute of the base media file to steganographically conceal the access information. 
     
     
         14 . The apparatus of  claim 8 , wherein the instructions, when executed by the one or more processors, cause the apparatus to:
 receive, from the user device, a request to obtain access to the premises, wherein the request comprises the encoded media file; and   grant, based on a comparison of the access information in the encoded media file and known access information, the access to the premises.   
     
     
         15 . A non-transitory computer-readable medium storing instructions that, when executed, cause a computing device to:
 generate, based on a base media file associated with the computing device, an encoded media file that comprises steganographically concealed access information for accessing a premises; and   send, to a user device, the encoded media file to facilitate access to the premises.   
     
     
         16 . The non-transitory computer-readable medium of  claim 15 , wherein the computing device is a mobile device associated with the premises. 
     
     
         17 . The non-transitory computer-readable medium of  claim 15 , wherein the instructions, when executed, cause the computing device to:
 determine, prior to generating encoded media file, that the base media file is suitable to be encoded with the access information, based on at least one of:
 a time associated with the base media file, 
 an amount of entropy or randomness in the base media file, 
 content of the base media file, 
 a location where the base media file was captured, 
 a device that captured the base media file, or 
 previous usage of the base media file. 
   
     
     
         18 . The non-transitory computer-readable medium of  claim 15 , wherein the instructions, when executed, cause the computing device to generate the encoded media file by steganographically encoding the base media file with first access information in a first portion of the base media file and second access information in a second portion of the base media file, and wherein the first portion is different from the second portion. 
     
     
         19 . The non-transitory computer-readable medium of  claim 15 , wherein the instructions, when executed, cause the computing device to:
 select the base media file from a photo album associated with the computing device.   
     
     
         20 . The non-transitory computer-readable medium of  claim 15 , wherein the instructions, when executed, cause the computing device to generate the encoded media file by adjusting at least one attribute of the base media file to steganographically conceal the access information. 
     
     
         21 . The non-transitory computer-readable medium of  claim 15 , wherein the instructions, when executed, cause the computing device to:
 receive, from the user device, a request to obtain access to the premises, wherein the request comprises the encoded media file; and   grant, based on a comparison of the access information in the encoded media file and known access information, the access to the premises.