Individual authentication method for portable communication equipment and program product therefore

• US 20030054800A1
• Filed: 09/13/2002
• Published: 03/20/2003
• Est. Priority Date: 09/17/2001
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Lenovo Innovations Ltd Hong Kong (Lenovo Group Ltd.)
• Original Assignee: NEC Corporation
• Inventors: Miyashita, Yukio
• Granted Patent: US 7,403,765 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 455/411
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 1/67 by electronic means
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 1/724 User interfaces specially adapted for cordless or mobile telephones

Abstract

In an individual authenticating method for portable communication equipment which comprises a fingerprint sensor, an operating portion for inputting a personal identification number and controller for authenticating on the basis of fingerprint information and/or the personal identification number thus achieved whether a person to be authenticated is the identical person, the authentication of the person to be authenticated is performed by using fingerprint authentication when the importance level is lower or by using both of fingerprint authentication and personal identification number authentication when the importance level is higher. For example, plural authentication levels are set for the fingerprint authentication in accordance with the importance level of each of the plural functions provided to the portable communication equipment.

Claims

1. An individual authenticating method for portable communication equipment which comprises recognizing means for recognizing a fingerprint, inputting means for inputting a personal identification number and controlling means for controlling the operation of said recognizing means and inputting means and authenticating whether a person to be authenticated is the identical person on the basis of the fingerprint information and/or the personal identification number thus achieved, said individual authenticating method comprising:

a step of judging the importance level of each of plural functions provided to the portable communication equipment by said controlling means; and

a step of selecting fingerprint authentication or both of the fingerprint authentication and personal identification number authentication by said controlling means in accordance with the importance level.

2. The method as claimed in claim 1, wherein plural authentication levels are set for the fingerprint authentication in accordance with the importance level of each of the plural functions provided to said portable communication equipment.

3. The method as claimed in claim 2, wherein the plural authentication levels are set by changing the number of fingers to be authenticated.

4. The method as claimed in claim 2, wherein the plural authentication levels are set by changing the number of consistent feature points between feature points representing the feature of a finger to be authenticated and feature points of a pre-registered fingerprint.

5. The method as claimed in claim 1, further comprising a step of judging whether authentication of a function selected from the plural functions provided to said portable communication equipment is necessary or not by said controlling means.

6. A program product embodied on a storage portion of portable communication equipment and comprising code that, when said program product is executed, cause said portable communication equipment to perform an individual authenticating method comprising the steps of:

judging the importance level of each of plural functions provided to the portable communication equipment; and

selecting fingerprint authentication or both of fingerprint authentication and personal identification number authentication in accordance with the importance level.

7. The program product as claimed in claim 6, said individual authenticating method further comprising a step of judging whether authentication of a function selected from the plural functions provided to said portable communication equipment is necessary or not.