Mobile terminal device

• US 6,798,335 B2
• Filed: 08/15/2002
• Issued: 09/28/2004
• Est. Priority Date: 08/28/2001
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: NEC Corporation, NTT Docomo Incorporated (Nippon Telegraph and Telephone Corporation)
• Original Assignee: NEC Corporation, NTT Docomo Incorporated (Nippon Telegraph and Telephone Corporation)
• Inventors: Yazaki, Hidetoshi, Maeda, Fukiko, Miyashita, Yukio
• Primary Examiner(s): Horabik, Michael
• Assistant Examiner(s): JENKINS, KIMBERLY YVETTE
• Application Number:
  US10/219,575
• Publication Number:
  US 20030044090A1
• Time in Patent Office: 775 Days
• Field of Search: 340/5.53, 340/426.28, 340/545.1, 455/574, 455/343, 455/128, 200/50-- 5, 200/50.3
• US Class Current: 340/5.53
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 1/67 by electronic means
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 52/0254 detecting a user operation or a tactile contact or a motion of the device
• CPC Class Codes: Y02D 30/70 in wireless communication networks

Abstract

Time elapsed from the time when the sensor cover is opened and power supply to the fingerprint sensor is turned from off to on is counted and when there is no fingerprint image read-in command within a specified period of time power supply to the fingerprint sensor is turned off. Even if power supply to the fingerprint sensor is turned off, when a fingerprint image read-in command executes power supply to the fingerprint sensor is turned on and read-in of a fingerprint image commences. If a fingerprint image read-in command executes when the sensor cover is closed, that command is invalidated. In such a configuration, the opening and closing of a sensor cover works in synchronicity with on/off control of power supply for a fingerprint sensor and even when the sensor cover is open, wasteful electricity consumption through power supply continuing if the fingerprint sensor is not used within a specified period of time is prevented.

Claims

1. A mobile terminal device comprising a fingerprint sensor for reading in a fingerprint image and a sensor cover covering the fingerprint sensor wherein the sensor cover is manually opened or closed over the fingerprint sensor, which is characterized by comprising;

a detection means for detecting whether or not the sensor cover is open or closed;

a first control means that operates in accordance with the result detected by the detection means and turns on power supply to the fingerprint sensor when the sensor cover is in an open condition and turns off power supply to the fingerprint sensor when the sensor cover is in a closed condition;

a counting means for counting time elapsed from the point in time at which the sensor cover is detected as being open;

a fingerprint image read-in command generating means for generating a fingerprint image read-in command in response to manual operation;

a monitoring means for monitoring whether or not a fingerprint image read-in command is generated;

a reset/restart means that resets and restarts the count during the counting process if a fingerprint image read-in command is generated while the counting is being performed; and

a second control means that turns power supply to the fingerprint sensor off when there is no fingerprint image read-in command within a specified period of time from the commencement of counting by the counting means, even when the sensor cover is in an open condition.

2. A mobile terminal device as claimed in claim 1, which further comprises a third control means that turns power supply to the fingerprint sensor on when a fingerprint image read-in command is generated by the fingerprint image read-in command generating means even though power to the fingerprint sensor is off moreover the sensor cover is in an open condition as detected by the second control means.

3. A mobile terminal device as claimed in claim 2, which further comprises a means to invalidate a fingerprint image read-in command when a fingerprint image read-in command is generated by the fingerprint image read-in command generating means at times when the result detected by the detection means indicates that the sensor cover is closed.