Patent ID: 8619245

Claim:
A system for enabling an authenticating device comprising: an enabling target; an authenticating device having a first enabling mode and a second authenticating mode and including: an illuminator for illuminating the enabling target or an object to be authenticated; a sensor for sensing radiation from the illuminated target or object; storage for storing an enabling pre-determined expected value and an authenticating pre-determined expected value; a processor for accessing the storage and controlling the illuminator and the sensor; and the processor for operating the authenticating device in the enabling mode to control the illuminator to illuminate the enabling target and sense radiation from the illuminated enabling target, compare the sensed radiation from the illuminated enabling target with the enabling pre-determined expected value and, if the radiation from the illuminated enabling target and the enabling pre-determined expected value match, to switch the authenticating device into the authenticating mode to control the illuminator to illuminate the object and sense radiation from the object, to compare the sensed radiation from the object with the authenticating pre-determined expected value and, if the radiation from the illuminated enabling target and the authenticating pre-determined expected value match, provide an indication of an authentication match.