Patent ID: 8578153

Claim:
A method of securely changing control of a device from an old manager to a new manager, wherein the device obeys commands from a manager only if the commands are verifiable utilizing a device key known to the device, said method comprising the steps of: initiating the change of control by the old manager, said initiating step including changing a first device key in use between the old manager and the device to a second device key, and sending the second device key from the old manager to the new manager, wherein the step of changing the first device key in use between the old manager and the device to a second device key includes: sending a first encrypted command from the old manager to the device to change the first device key to the second device key, the first encrypted command including the first device key and a first secret parameter known by the old manager; calculating by the device, the second device key utilizing the first device key and the first secret parameter received from the old manager; and calculating by the old manager, the second device key utilizing the first device key and the first secret parameter known by the old manager; and completing the change of control by the new manager, said completing step including changing the second device key in use between the new manager and the device to a third device key; wherein upon completion of the change of control, the new manager does not know the first device key and the old manager does not know the third device key.