Door knock access control

A non-transitory computer-readable medium storing software comprising instructions executable by one or more computers which, upon such execution, cause the one or more computers to perform operations comprising:

• maintaining, in memory, a plurality of first acoustic signatures each of which (i) represents a different pre-programmed acoustic signature representing a knocking pattern and (ii) has corresponding permissions that indicate allowed actions and an action criteria for performance of the action, at least a first permission for a first maintained acoustic signature from the plurality of first acoustic signatures indicating different allowed actions than a second permission for a second maintained acoustic signature from the plurality of first acoustic signatures;
• receiving knock data that (i) was captured by a microphone and (ii) encodes a second acoustic signature representing a knock;
• determining whether a similarity between any of the first acoustic signatures from the plurality of first acoustic signatures and the second acoustic signature satisfy a similarity criterion;
• determining, as a matching first acoustic signature, the first acoustic signature for which the similarity criterion with the second acoustic signature is satisfied;
• after determining the matching first acoustic signature, accessing the permissions for the matching first acoustic signature, the permissions indicating different allowed actions than other permissions for a different acoustic signature;
• in response to determining the matching first acoustic signature, determining whether data for the knock data satisfies an action criterion for the permission for the matching first acoustic signature;
• and
• in response to determining whether the data for the knock data satisfies the action criterion for the permission for the matching first acoustic signature, performing a monitoring system action for the permission using data for the matching first acoustic signature.

A method for monitoring a property, the method comprising:

• maintaining, in memory, a plurality of first acoustic signatures each of which (i) represents a different pre-programmed acoustic signature representing a knocking pattern and (ii) has corresponding permissions that indicate allowed actions and an action criteria for performance of the action, at least a first permission for a first maintained acoustic signature from the plurality of first acoustic signatures indicating different allowed actions than a second permission for a second maintained acoustic signature from the plurality of first acoustic signatures;
• receiving knock data that (i) was captured by a microphone and (ii) encodes a second acoustic signature representing a knock;
• determining whether a similarity between any of the first acoustic signatures from the plurality of first acoustic signatures and the second acoustic signature satisfy a similarity criterion;
• determining, as a matching first acoustic signature, the first acoustic signature for which the similarity criterion with the second acoustic signature is satisfied;
• after determining the matching first acoustic signature, accessing the permissions for the matching first acoustic signature, the permissions indicating different allowed actions than other permissions for a different acoustic signature;
• in response to determining the matching first acoustic signature, determining whether data for the knock data satisfies an action criterion for the permission for the matching first acoustic signature;
• and
• in response to determining whether the data for the knock data satisfies the action criterion for the permission for the matching first acoustic signature, performing a monitoring system action for the permission using data for the matching first acoustic signature.