Patent ID: 8312118

Claim:
A method for remote maintenance of a technical device by a maintenance technician by a maintenance computer, comprising the steps of: establishing a remote data connection between the maintenance computer and the technical device to be maintained; transmitting electronic access information describing a scope of intended access to data stored in the technical device from the maintenance computer to the technical device to be maintained, said data being understood to be confidential by an operating personnel for the technical device; transmitting an electronic identifier identifying the maintenance technician from the maintenance computer to the technical device to be maintained; determining an approval by said operating personnel of an access to the technical device dependent on the access information describing the scope of the intended access to the data and the identifier; generating electronic authentication information by the technical device dependent on the determination of the approval; transmitting said authentication information from the technical device to the maintenance computer; with said maintenance computer, conducting said remote maintenance of said technical device, said maintenance computer receiving from said technical device confidential data which was authorized based on said approval; and automatically deleting electronic data from the maintenance computer that has been transmitted from the technical device to the maintenance computer and stored in the maintenance computer dependent on termination of the access.