Patent ID: 8452961

Claim:
A method for authentication between electronic devices in a home network including a first device storing personal identity information for at least one user of the home network, comprising: 1) generating a binding associating purchaser information, a secret device code, and certificate information for a newly purchased second device prior to installation of the second device in the home network, including: receiving purchaser information from a credit entity in response to a sale of the second device; receiving a pre-determined device identification information for the second device obtained at the point of sale of the second device; binding ownership of the second device to the user via an external registration entity using the purchaser information from the credit entity and the pre-determined device identification information from the second device obtained by a device ownership manager; wherein binding ownership of the second device includes: associating the purchaser information with a secret code associated with the pre-determined device identification for the second device and generating temporary certificate information for the second device including personal identification information for the purchaser of the second device; and 2) providing, after the second device is installed in the home network, the temporary certificate information to the second device for the second device to authenticate itself with the home network, including: receiving a request from the second device installed in the home network, the request providing the secret code of the second device; and in response to the request from the second device returning a reply to the home network that includes the temporary certificate information to permit an authentication of the second device within the home network based on matching purchaser identification information in the temporary certificate with the previously stored personal identity information of the first device trusted by the home network.