Challenge-response system for maintenance operations via responder for telecommunications cabinet

1. A machine-implemented method of performing a challenge-response process, comprising, in this sequence, the steps of

a) providing a first challenge-response pair on a source device, wherein the first challenge-response pair is assigned to one or more responding devices;

b) loading the first challenge-response pair from the source device to a challenging device, while the source device is operationally connected to the challenging device;

c) performing a challenge-response process between the challenging device and one of the one or more responding devices to which the first challenge-response pair is assigned, using the first challenge-response pair, which is assigned to the responding device;

d) loading one or more second challenge-response pairs from a source device to the challenging device, while the source device is operationally connected to the challenging device,

characterized in that the step of loading the first challenge-response pair from the source device to a challenging device is performed before the challenging device has received any information from one of the responding devices, to which the first challenge-response pair is assigned.

2. A machine-implemented method according to claim 1 , wherein the step of performing a challenge-response process between the challenging device and one of the one or more responding devices to which the first challenge-response pair is assigned, is performed while the challenging device is not operationally connected to the source device.

3. A machine-implemented method according to claim 1 , wherein the challenging device comprises a challenge-response pair and validity information, associated with the challenge-response pair, which validity information specifies one or more time periods during which the challenging device can validly use the associated challenge-response pair for performing a challenge-response process, and wherein the challenging device is adapted to use the associated challenge-response pair only during those time periods for performing a challenge-response process.

4. A machine-implemented method according to claim 1 , comprising, after the step of performing a challenge-response process, the additional step of the challenging device generating an access permission signal by which access is granted.

5. A machine-implemented method according to claim 1 , wherein the challenge-response process is a cryptographic process.

6. A machine-implemented method according to claim 1 , wherein the challenge-response process is performed for authenticating a responding device.

7. A machine-implemented method according to claim 1 , wherein communication between the challenging device and a responding device is performed in a wireless manner.

8. System comprising a processor, a source device, a challenging device, and a responding device, characterized by the system being operable to perform a method of performing a challenge-response process according to claim 1 .

9. System according to claim 8 , wherein the responding device is a mobile device.

10. System according to claim 8 , wherein the source device is operationally connectable to the challenging device over an internet-protocol (“IP”) connection or over a transmission control protocol/internet protocol (“TCP/IP”) connection.

11. Combination of a telecommunications cabinet and a system according to claim 8 , wherein the system is operable to perform a challenge-response process in order to control access to the interior of the telecommunications cabinet.

12. Combination of a telecommunications cabinet and a system according to claim 11 , wherein the challenging device is accommodated in the telecommunications cabinet.