Patent ID: 8533464

Claim:
A computer-implemented method for a first user device to verify an association with a second user device through a secret handshake protocol, the method comprising: maintaining information about a reusable identification handle for the first user device in a memory of the first user device, wherein the information about the reusable identification handle is provided by a trusted third party device; maintaining information about a reusable property credential for the first user device in the memory of the first user device, wherein the information about the reusable property credential is provided by the trusted third party; maintaining information about a matching reference for verifying an association with another user device by the first user device in the memory of the first user device, wherein the information about the matching reference is provided by the trusted third party; transmitting, by the first user device, information based on the reusable identification handle and based on the reusable property credential to the second user device; receiving, by the first user device, first information based on a reusable identification handle for the second user device; receiving, by the first user device, second information based on a reusable property credential for the second user device; performing, by the first user device, a first comparison of a combination of the first information and the second information with the matching reference to determine whether the property credential for the second user device matches the first user device matching reference; performing, by the first user device, a second comparison of the first information with information published on a revocation list to determine whether the second user device's credentials have been revoked from usage, the second comparison being performed without revealing the second user device's credentials to either the first user device or the second user device; and based on the first comparison and the second comparison, determining, by the first user device, whether or not to verify the association of second user device with the first user device.