Patent ID: 8352740

Claim:
A system to perform an operation, the system comprising: a device that comprises: a communication interface through which said device is communicatively connectable to a machine that comprises a first component that maintains a first key that said first component does not allow to be divulged outside of said first component, said first component having a barrier that surrounds said first component such that said first component does not allow said first key to be divulged outside of said barrier, data transmitted between said device and said machine through said communication interface being observable from outside of said first component; a first data remembrance component in which is stored (a) a representation of said first key, and (b) first software that is configured to perform the operation to generate first data and that is further configured to obtain, from said first component, an indication of said machine's execution state and to provide, or not to provide, said first data to said machine depending on one or more factors that include whether said machine's execution state satisfies one or more criteria; and a processor that is connected to said first data remembrance component and that executes said first software, said first data comprising a second key, an item stored by said machine being sealed to said machine's execution state and to said second key, said second key being stored on said device but not on said machine, said device implementing a counter that is incremented each time said device provides said second key to said machine, and said device verifying that said counter has not exceeded a limit as a condition to providing said second key to said machine.