JP2002330202A - Portable terminal equipment with built-in fingerprint sensor - Google Patents

Abstract

PROBLEM TO BE SOLVED: To provide portable terminal equipment with built-in fingerprint sensor, with which a main body of equipment is miniaturized, a simple design is maintained, a fingerprint is highly accurately collated in a short time and key operability is improved. SOLUTION: A fingerprint sensor 1 is surrounded with a cursor key part 10 to become the center of key operation and located in the center of a control panel 20, with which a fingerprint can be registered or collated on the same condition, it is not necessary to separately set a location space or to attach a counter contact frame, the main body of equipment can be miniaturized and the design can be made simple without disturbing or adversely affecting the key operation, which is performed by the thumb of an effective hand with a cursor key as a center in the state of grasping the main body of equipment, by the location of the fingerprint sensor 1. In the state of grasping the main body of equipment to easily operate the cursor key part 10 on the control panel 20 by the thumb of the effective hand, a user highly accurately and speedily performs the detection registration and the fingerprint collation in the case of use with the fingerprint sensor 1 concerning the fingerprint of the thumb and efficiently performs key operation to the main body of equipment so that comfortable transmitting/receiving operation is enabled.

Description

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION

[0001]

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 1. Field of the Invention The present invention relates to a portable terminal device with a built-in fingerprint sensor.

[0002]

2. Description of the Related Art EC that conducts business transactions on a network
(Electronic commerce) and MC
(Mobile commerce) has become popular, it has been demanded that ordinary users can easily use these services. To meet this demand, mobile phones, PHSs (Personal Handyphones), and the like have been developed.
System) or PDA (Personal D)
It has been proposed that a mobile terminal device such as an digital assistant (personal digital assistant) access a commercial transaction by EC or MC. In this case, usually, the user is authenticated by entering a password set between the site to be traded and the user is allowed to perform business transactions, but the input of the password is complicated and time-consuming, and In some cases, the user may use multiple PINs for each, and the user may not be able to immediately remember the correct PIN, and furthermore, the PIN may be leaked and abused due to the intrusion of a cracker. possible. On the other hand, portable terminal devices such as a mobile phone, a PHS, and a PDA are used by a third party while the user is away from the seat, for example, in order for the user to carry the terminal in various places. There is a possibility that a portable terminal device taken out of the terminal device and used illegally, or misplaced or dropped, may be used illegally by a third party.

In order to solve this problem, a fingerprint indicating the biological characteristics of the user is registered and stored in advance in the mobile phone in addition to the personal identification number. A method has been proposed in which a user is authenticated by fingerprint collation, and after the authentication, a mobile phone to be used is unlocked to enable transmission and reception.

[0004]

However, in the method according to the proposal, it is necessary to separately provide a place for mounting the fingerprint sensor on the panel surface of the mobile phone, which tends to increase the size of the mobile phone and to register the fingerprint in advance. It is necessary to verify the fingerprint at the time of use with the authentication finger that has been used, which eliminates the cumbersome handling operation of switching the mobile phone with another hand and registering and verifying the fingerprint. I can't deny it. Furthermore, in order to perform fingerprint collation with high accuracy, it is necessary to place an authentication finger in contact with the sensor under the same arrangement conditions at the time of registration and at the time of collation. Depending on the shape of the mobile phone, a surrounding frame may be provided, or a cover may be required for the sensor unit, which increases the size of the mobile phone and complicates the device design.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION The present invention has been made in view of the above-described problems of downsizing the device and complicating the design when the fingerprint sensor is provided in the conventional portable terminal device. It is an object of the present invention to provide a portable terminal device with a built-in fingerprint sensor capable of performing high-accuracy fingerprint collation in a short time while maintaining a simple design.

[0006]

According to a first aspect of the present invention, there is provided a portable terminal device having a built-in fingerprint sensor for authenticating a user. At the center position of the operation panel where detection registration and detection collation are easily performed under the same conditions, the fingerprint sensor is provided, which is surrounded by a cursor button which is the center of button operation by the user and performs fingerprint registration and collation. It is characterized by having.

[0007] According to such means, the fingerprint sensor for authenticating the user is the center of the button operation by the user at the center position of the operation panel where registration and collation of the fingerprint in the apparatus body are easily performed under the same conditions. It is arranged surrounded by the cursor button, and it is not necessary to separately set the arrangement space of the fingerprint sensor and attach the contact frame, and hold the cursor with the hand and press the cursor button with the operation finger. The arrangement of the fingerprint sensor does not disturb or adversely affect the user's button operation of the device main body performed at the center, miniaturization of the device main body and simplicity of design are maintained, and operation of button operation of the device main body The performance is improved.

[0008] Similarly, in order to achieve the above object, the invention according to claim 2 is characterized in that, in the invention according to claim 1, a thumbprint of a thumb for operating a cursor button of a hand of the user holding the apparatus main body is provided. The fingerprint sensor is detected and registered in advance by a fingerprint sensor, and the fingerprint of the thumb is detected and collated by the fingerprint sensor during use.

According to such a means, in addition to the operation of the first aspect of the present invention, the user grasps the main body of the apparatus with a squeezed hand in a state where the user can easily operate the cursor button of the operation panel with the thumb. The fingerprint of the thumb of the hand is detected and registered by the fingerprint sensor in advance, and when using the portable terminal device, the user can use the fingerprint of the thumb of the hand under the same conditions as the registration without changing the device body. By performing high-precision and quick detection and collation with the fingerprint sensor, the operability of the user's button operation on the apparatus main body is further improved and the efficiency is improved.

[0010] Similarly, in order to achieve the above object, a third aspect of the present invention is characterized in that, in the first aspect of the present invention, the cursor button and the fingerprint sensor are integrally modularized. Is what you do.

According to such a means, in addition to the function of the first aspect, the cursor button and the fingerprint sensor are
Since the apparatus is integrally modularized, the structure of the apparatus main body becomes simpler and more rigid.

[0012]

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS First Embodiment A first embodiment of the present invention will be described with reference to FIGS. 1 to 3 when a portable terminal device is a portable telephone. FIG. 1 is an explanatory view showing the overall configuration of the present embodiment, FIG. 2 is an explanatory view showing the principle of the configuration of the main part of the present embodiment, and FIG. 3 is an explanatory view showing the configuration of the main part of the present embodiment. is there.

In this embodiment, as shown in FIG. 1, a display 16 on which various images are displayed at the time of transmission / reception operation is provided above an operation panel 20 of the mobile phone 15,
As shown in FIG. 2, a cursor button section 10 including a cursor up button 2, a cursor down button 3, a cursor right button 4, and a cursor left button 5 is disposed substantially at the center of the operation panel 20 adjacent to the display 16. Has been established. The cursor is surrounded by the cursor up button 2, the cursor down button 3, the cursor right button 4, and the cursor left button 5. Is provided with a fingerprint sensor 1 for detecting
A button key portion 17 for inputting information is provided at the lower part of.

In this embodiment, the cursor button section 10
The fingerprint sensor 1 provided so as to be surrounded by the cursor button unit 10 has a configuration as shown in FIG.
Cursor right button 4 and cursor left button 5
Thus, the cursor is sandwiched in a direction perpendicular to the longitudinal direction of the operation panel 20 so as to be surrounded by the cursor up button 2, the cursor down button 3, the cursor right button 4, and the cursor left button 5 at a substantially central position of the operation panel 20. The fingerprint sensor 1 is provided. This fingerprint sensor 1 includes a piezoelectric sheet,
It has a function of piezoelectrically detecting a pressing force of a finger of a user disposed in contact with the piezoelectric sheet due to unevenness of a fingerprint as an electric signal. Although not shown, the mobile phone 15
Compares a fingerprint memory storing the electrical signal of the fingerprint detected by the fingerprint sensor 1 as fingerprint data, fingerprint data registered in the fingerprint memory in advance, and fingerprint data of a user detected during use, A fingerprint authentication circuit for determining fingerprint authentication and an operation control circuit for supplying power to the mobile phone and setting a transmission / reception mode based on an authentication signal from the fingerprint authentication circuit are provided.

In the cursor button section 10, a contact 5a is attached to the cursor left button 5, as shown in FIG.
A cursor left button switch 9, which is normally in an OFF state, is arranged on the substrate 6 so as to face the cursor left button 5, and the contact 5a is connected to the contact of the cursor left button switch 9 by pressing the cursor left button 5. Cursor left button switch 9
When the N state is reached, the cursor is moved to the left on the display 16. Also, cursor right button 4
A contact 4a, which is normally in an OFF state, is disposed on the substrate 6 so as to face the cursor right button 4, and the contact 4a is moved by pressing the cursor right button 4. When the cursor right button switch 8 is turned on, the cursor is moved to the right on the display 16 when connected to the contact point of the right button switch 8.

Similarly, the contact 3a is connected to the cursor lower button 3.
Is attached, and usually OF is opposed to the cursor lower button 3.
The cursor lower button switch 7 in the F state is arranged on the substrate 6, and the contact 3a is connected to the contact of the cursor lower button switch 7 by the pressing operation of the cursor lower button 3, and the cursor lower button switch 7 is in the ON state. , The cursor is moved downward on the display 16. A contact (not shown) is attached to the cursor upper button 2,
A cursor up button switch (not shown), which is normally in an OFF state, is disposed opposite to the cursor up button 2.
When the contact is connected to the contact of the upper button switch and the cursor upper button switch is turned on,
The cursor is configured to move upward on the display 16.

The operation of this embodiment having such a configuration will be described. A registrant who registers a fingerprint as a user of the mobile phone 15 performs fingerprint registration in advance on the mobile phone 15, but at the time of this fingerprint registration, the user sets the mobile phone 15 in a normal use state by a hand. When grasped, the registrant's thumb is placed opposite the fingerprint sensor 1,
Cursor up button 2, cursor down button 3, which is the center of button operation,
The cursor right button 4 and the cursor left button 5 become operable with the thumb of the hand. As described above, when the user places his / her thumb against the fingerprint sensor 1 while holding the mobile phone 15 in the normal use state, the piezoelectric sheet of the fingerprint sensor 1 responds to the unevenness of the fingerprint. As a result, a piezoelectric signal corresponding to the two-dimensional position of the detection surface of the fingerprint sensor 1 is detected as fingerprint data, and the detected fingerprint data is stored in a fingerprint memory to register a fingerprint with the user.

In this way, when the user who has registered the fingerprint of the thumb of his / her hand in advance wants to perform the transmission / reception operation with the mobile phone 15, the user holds the mobile phone 15 with his / her hand. Hold the thumb of the hand which is gripped in a normal use state and opposed to the fingerprint sensor 1,
, The fingerprint is collated under exactly the same contact conditions as at the time of registration. The fingerprint data detected by the fingerprint sensor 1 at the time of this collation is transferred to the fingerprint authentication circuit, and the fingerprint authentication circuit compares the transferred fingerprint data with the registered fingerprint data previously registered and stored in the fingerprint memory. Is determined as to whether or not they match, and if it is determined that they match, an authentication signal is output from the fingerprint authentication circuit.
The authentication signal is input to the operation control circuit. The operation control circuit turns on the power of the mobile phone 15 based on the authentication signal from the fingerprint authentication circuit and sets the transmission / reception operation mode in the mobile phone. Cursor button part 1 of telephone 15
By operating 0 and the button key unit 17, the cursor on the display 16 can be moved up and down, left and right, document creation processing, document conversion processing, alternative processing, determination processing, clear processing, end-of-call processing, etc. , The transmitting and receiving operation is performed using the mobile phone 15.

On the other hand, when the user places his / her thumb on the fingerprint sensor 1 in contact with the fingerprint sensor 1 at the time of collation, the thumb is detected by the sensor 1 and transferred to the fingerprint authentication circuit. If the fingerprint authentication circuit determines that the fingerprint data does not match the registered fingerprint data, the authentication signal is not output from the fingerprint authentication circuit, the operation control circuit does not set the transmission / reception mode to the mobile phone, and the user On the other hand, the transmission / reception operation by the mobile phone 15 is prohibited.

As described above, according to the present embodiment, the fingerprint sensor 1 includes the cursor up button 2, the cursor down button 3, and the cursor right button 4, which are the centers of operations by the thumb of the user's hand.
And the center of the operation panel 20, which is easily surrounded by the cursor left button 5 and easy to register and collate fingerprints in the apparatus main body under the same conditions, is separately set in the arrangement space of the fingerprint sensor 1. And installation of the connecting frame is unnecessary,
The arrangement of the fingerprint sensor 1 does not disturb or adversely affect button operations centered on the cursor button with the thumb of the thumb while the device body is gripped by the thumb, and the size of the device body is reduced. And the simplicity of the design can be maintained, and the operability of button operation of the apparatus main body can be improved. Further, the user holds the cursor button section 10 of the operation panel 20 so as to easily operate the apparatus main body with the thumb of the thumb and registers the fingerprint of the thumb of the thumb and uses the portable terminal device 15. Fingerprint collation at the time can be performed with high accuracy and speed under the same contact conditions without changing the device main body, and the button operation on the device main body by the user is efficiently performed, which is comfortable. It is possible to perform a complicated transmission and reception operation.

[Second Embodiment] A second embodiment of the present invention will be described with reference to FIG. FIG. 4 shows a second embodiment of the present invention.
It is explanatory drawing which shows the structure of the principal part of embodiment.

In the present embodiment, as shown in FIG. 4, a ring-shaped button integrally includes a cursor up button operation section 2b, a cursor down button operation section 3b, a cursor right button operation section 4b, and a cursor left button operation section 5b. A cursor button unit 10A is provided. The cursor button unit 10A has contacts (not shown) corresponding to the cursor up button operation unit 2b, contacts 3a corresponding to the cursor down button operation unit 3b, and cursor right button operation. The contact 4a corresponds to the part 4b, and the contact 5a corresponds to the cursor left button operation part 5b.
Are arranged respectively.

A cursor left button switch 13, which is normally in an OFF state, is disposed on the substrate 6 so as to face the contact 5a, and the contact 5a is set to a cursor left button switch by a pressing operation of the cursor left button operation section 5b. When the cursor left button switch 13 is turned on, the cursor moves to the left on the display 16. On the other hand, the cursor right button switch 12, which is normally in the OFF state, is disposed on the substrate 6 so as to face the contact 4a. When the cursor right button switch 12 is turned on, the display 1
6 is configured to move the cursor to the right.

Similarly, normally, O
The cursor lower button switch 11 in the FF state is disposed on the substrate 6, and the contact 3a is connected to the contact of the cursor lower button switch 11 by the pressing operation of the cursor lower button operation unit 3b. When turned on,
The cursor is configured to move downward on the display 16. Further, a cursor up button switch (not shown), which is normally in an OFF state, is arranged on the substrate 6 so as to face a contact (not shown), and the contact is moved by a pressing operation of the cursor up button operation section 2b. When the cursor up button switch is turned on, the cursor is moved up on the display 16.

The ring-shaped cursor button section 10
A fingerprint sensor 1 is provided, which is surrounded by A and includes a piezoelectric sheet, and piezoelectrically detects a pressing force due to the unevenness of a fingerprint of a user's finger placed on and in contact with the piezoelectric sheet as an electric signal. The configuration of the other parts of the present embodiment is the same as that of the first embodiment already described, and therefore will not be described repeatedly.

In the present embodiment, fingerprint detection by the fingerprint sensor 1 at the time of fingerprint registration of the user, registration and storage of fingerprint data in the fingerprint memory, registration of the fingerprint of the user by the fingerprint sensor 1 when the mobile phone is used are performed. The detection and authentication of the fingerprint by the fingerprint authentication circuit, and the setting of the transmission / reception mode of the mobile phone based on the authentication determination by the fingerprint authentication circuit by the operation control circuit are performed in the same manner as in the first embodiment described above. A duplicate description of these operations will not be given.

According to the present embodiment, in addition to the effects obtained in the first embodiment already described, the number of components of the cursor button section 10A is reduced, and the entire apparatus main body has a simpler and more rigid structure. It becomes possible to do.

In each of the above embodiments, a portable telephone has been described as a portable terminal device. However, the present invention is not limited to the portable terminal of these embodiments, and may be, for example, a PDA (Personal Digital Assistant). It is also possible to adopt a fold-type mobile terminal device that is normally folded and carried as a mobile terminal device to which the device is applied, and is used after releasing the fold during transmission / reception. Further, in each of the above embodiments, the case where the fingerprint sensor is provided with the piezoelectric sheet and the pressing force due to the unevenness of the fingerprint of the user's finger arranged in contact with the fingerprint sensor is piezoelectrically detected has been described. The present invention is not limited to these embodiments described above, but includes a sensor plate and is based on the capacitance set on the sensor plate by the unevenness of the fingerprint of the user's finger placed in contact with the sensor plate. It is also possible to detect fingerprints capacitively. Furthermore, in each of the above embodiments, the case where the cursor button unit and the fingerprint sensor are respectively assembled to the substrate has been described. However, the present invention is not limited to these embodiments. It is also possible to adopt a configuration in which the button unit and the fingerprint sensor are integrally modularized.

[0029]

According to the portable terminal device with a built-in fingerprint sensor according to the first aspect of the present invention, a fingerprint sensor for authenticating a user is built-in. It is arranged at the center position of the operation panel where it is easy to perform detection and collation under the same conditions, surrounded by the cursor button which is the center of button operation by the user, separately setting the arrangement space of the fingerprint sensor and the contact frame The body is not required to be attached, and the arrangement of the fingerprint sensor does not disturb or adversely affect the operability of the buttons, mainly the cursor buttons, with the operating fingers while holding the main body of the device with the hand. The size of the apparatus main body and the simplicity of the design are realized, and the operability of button operation of the apparatus main body can be improved.

According to the second aspect of the present invention, in addition to the effect obtained by the first aspect of the present invention, the user grasps the main body of the apparatus with his / her hand and presses the cursor button of the operation panel with the hand of the hand. By grasping the main body of the device in a state that is easy to operate with the thumb and detecting and registering the fingerprint of the thumb of the hand with the fingerprint sensor in advance, when using the portable terminal device, the same as when registering without changing the device main body Under the conditions, the fingerprint of the thumb of the squeeze can be accurately and quickly collated with the fingerprint sensor, and the operability of the button operation on the apparatus body can be made more efficient and improved.

According to the third aspect of the present invention, in addition to the effect obtained by the first aspect of the present invention, since the cursor button and the fingerprint sensor are integrally modularized, the structure of the main body of the apparatus is further improved. It can be simple and robust.

[Brief description of the drawings]

FIG. 1 is an explanatory diagram showing an overall configuration of a first embodiment of the present invention.

FIG. 2 is an explanatory diagram showing a configuration principle of a main part of the embodiment.

FIG. 3 is an explanatory diagram showing a main configuration of the embodiment.

FIG. 4 is an explanatory diagram showing a configuration of a main part of a second embodiment of the present invention.

[Explanation of symbols]

1. Fingerprint sensor 2. Cursor up button 3. Cursor down button 4. Cursor right button 5. Cursor left button 6.
..Substrate, 7..cursor down button switch, 8..cursor right button switch, 9..cursor left button switch, 10.
・ Cursor button part, 11 ・ ・ Cursor lower button switch, 12
··· Cursor right button switch, 13 ··· Cursor left button switch, 15 ··· Mobile phone, 16 ··· Display, 1
7. Button key section.

──────────────────────────────────────────────────続 き Continued on the front page (51) Int.Cl. ⁷ Identification symbol FI theme coat ゛ (Reference) H04M 1/21 H04M 1/21 M 1/67 1/67 1/725 1/725 H04Q 7/38 H04B 7 / 26 109H F term (reference) 5B019 DA06 DB10 GA03 HA10 HB02 HC08 5B085 AE26 5K023 AA07 GG03 MM00 MM25 5K027 AA11 BB09 HH23 HH26 5K067 AA35 BB04 EE02 HH24

Claims (3)

[Claims] 1. A portable terminal device with a built-in fingerprint sensor that has a built-in fingerprint sensor that authenticates a user. A portable terminal device with a built-in fingerprint sensor, wherein the fingerprint sensor is provided, which is surrounded by a cursor button, which is the center of button operation by a user, and performs fingerprint registration and detection and collation. 2. A fingerprint of a thumb for operating the cursor button of a hand of the user gripping the apparatus body is registered in advance by the fingerprint sensor, and a fingerprint of the thumb is collated by the fingerprint sensor during use. The portable terminal device with a built-in fingerprint sensor according to claim 1. 3. The portable terminal device with a built-in fingerprint sensor according to claim 1, wherein the cursor button and the fingerprint sensor are integrally formed as a module.