Patent ID: 7801611

Claim:
A physically secure programmer with atomic power up credentialing using a cellular network, comprising: a security certificate uniquely assigned by a security server and maintained in an internal memory; a cellular transceiver programmed to perform data exchange over a cellular network; boot sequence circuitry programmed to perform transparent and atomic power up credentialing with the security server, comprising: a security module programmed to provide the security certificate to the security server over a transient connection via the cellular transceiver, wherein the security server registers the security certificate against a roster of security certificates stored on the security server; a registration module programmed to await registration by the security server only if the transient connection was established; and one of an enabled status and a disabled status automatically assigned respectively following successful and unsuccessful registration of the security certificate; power up circuitry programmed to complete the atomic power up only if the enabled status is assigned and to terminate operation if the disabled status is assigned; a data exchange transceiver programmed to establish a data connection over the cellular network with at least one external device other than the security server subsequent to completion of the atomic power up; telemetry circuitry programmed to initiate and conduct a data exchange session via the cellular transceiver with at least one external device other than the security server subsequent to the completion of the atomic power up; and power down circuitry programmed to perform deregistration of the security certificate with the security server and to power down upon deregistration of the security certificate.