Patent ID: 7316030

Claim:
A method for authenticating at least one Personal Security Device (PSD) vis-à-vis at least a first Remote Computer System over a first network using at least one Client as a host to said at least one PSD, said method comprising: a) generating or retrieving, in said at least first Remote Computer System, a first authentication challenge as a PSD-formatted challenge, b) encapsulating on said first Remote Computer System said PSD-formatted challenge into an agreed upon communications protocol thus producing an encapsulated challenge, c) transmitting said encapsulated challenge from said at least first Remote Computer System to said at least one Client over said first network using said agreed upon communications protocol, d) decapsulating on said Client said encapsulated challenge thus separating said PSD-formatted challenge from said encapsulated challenge, e) routing on said Client said PSD-formatted challenge including said first authentication challenge to a PSD interface which is in processing communication with said PSD, independently of the origin and integrity of said encapsulated challenge, f) challenging said at least one PSD with said first authentication challenge, thereby generating a first authentication response as a PSD-formatted response on said PSD, g) transmitting said PSD-formatted response from said at least one PSD to said Client through said PSD interface, h) encapsulating on said Client said PSD-formatted response into said agreed upon communications protocol thus producing an encapsulated response, i) transmitting said encapsulated response from said Client to said at least first Remote Computer System over said first network using said agreed upon communications protocol, j) decapsulating on said at least first Remote Computer System said encapsulated response thus separating said PSD-formatted response from said encapsulated response, k) converting on said at least first Remote Computer System said PSD-formatted response into a higher-level formatted first authentication response, and l) authenticating, in said at least first Remote Computer System, said first authentication response.