Patent ID: 8782396

Claim:
A method for authenticating a device using an authentication station, said device providing a capability to accept a challenge value from the authentication station and return a response value to the challenge value to the authentication station that depends on fabrication characteristics of the device, the method comprising: identifying the device, including accepting identification data at the authentication station from the device to be authenticated; determining authentication data characterizing one or more pairs of challenge and response values associated with the identified device that were previously obtained by a trusted authority in communication with the device, wherein said determining of the data includes securely receiving the data characterizing the one or more pairs of challenge and response values directly from the device at the authentication station and does not require communication between the authentication station and the trusted authority after identifying the device; providing a first challenge value from the authentication station to the device; accepting a first response value at the authentication station from the device; determining whether the pair of the first challenge value and the first response value sufficiently match the authentication data.