Patent ID: 7043635

Claim:
A coded identification system, the system comprising an electronic computer, a specific electronic communications device that is operable to be in communication with the electronic computer, and at least one electronic communications device that is operable to be in communication with the electronic computer, wherein the electronic computer includes data relating to the specific electronic communications device, including a permanent identification code, a mask code and an identification code enabling electronic communication between the electronic computer and the specific electronic communications device, and wherein the permanent identification code is input to the at least one electronic communications device and transmitted to the electronic computer, the electronic computer generates a pseudo-random string and transmits this to the specific electronic communications device, the mask code is applied to the pseudo-random string so as to generate a volatile identification code in accordance with predetermined rules, the volatile identification code is transmitted back to the electronic computer by the specific electronic communications device or the at least one electronic communications device, the electronic computer checks the volatile identification code transmitted thereto against a volatile identification code obtained by applying the mask code to the pseudo-random string in accordance with the predetermined rules, and in which a positive identification is made when the volatile identification codes are found to match by the electronic computer, wherein the pseudo-random string comprises a first array of characters; each character having a given numerical position in the first array (first, second, third etc.), and wherein the mask code comprises a second array of numbers, each number having a given numerical position in the second array (first, second, third etc.), the predetermined rules for applying the mask code to the pseudo-random string so as to generate the volatile identification code being sequentially to select numerical positions in the first array on the basis of the numbers in the second array, taken in positional order, and to return the characters thereby selected from the first array in sequence so as to form a third array, this third array forming the volatile identification code.