Patent ID: 8104084

Claim:
A method, comprising: in response to a device receiving a request, from a requestor, for challenge data, the device generating the challenge data and providing the challenge data to the requestor, wherein the device makes a plurality of functions available to requestors; the device receiving response data from the requestor, wherein the response data indicates one or more functions, from the plurality of functions that the device makes available to requestors, that the requestor is authorized to use on the device and wherein the requestor obtains the response data by: the requestor providing, to a third party that is different than the requestor and the device, the challenge data that the requestor obtained from the device and identification information that identifies the requestor, the third party authenticates, based upon the challenge data that the device provided to the requestor and the identification information, the requestor to use the one or more functions, from the plurality of functions that the device makes available to requestors, and upon the third party successfully authenticating the requestor to use the one or more functions, from the plurality of functions that the device makes available to requestors, the third party providing the response data to the requestor, wherein the response data indicates the one or more functions that the requestor is authorized to use on the device; in response to receiving the response data from the requestor, the device verifying the response data; and upon the device successfully verifying the response data, the device allowing the requestor to use the one or more functions indicated by the response data provided by the third party to the requestor.