Information processing unit

• US 7,623,847 B2
• Filed: 05/30/2007
• Issued: 11/24/2009
• Est. Priority Date: 12/19/2003
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Fujitsu Limited
• Original Assignee: Fujitsu Limited
• Inventors: Inamitsu, Kazutoyo, Yamashita, Naoto
• Primary Examiner(s): Tran; Tuan A
• Application Number:
  US11/806,177
• Publication Number:
  US 20070232369A1
• Time in Patent Office: 909 Days
• Field of Search: 455410-411, 455/463, 4555561- 2, 455/557, 455/575.1, 455/575.3, 455/90.3, 455563-565, 455423-425, 455/528, 455/66.1, 455/550.1, 455344-349, 455/26.1, 379 9302- 3, 379/433.01, 379/433.1, 379/433.13, 379/440, 379/445, 382115-127, 382312-315, 396/15, 713185-186, 340 552- 553, 340/5.61, 340/5.8, 340 581- 582, 235379-380, 235/382, 235/382.5
• US Class Current: 455/411
• CPC Class Codes: G06V 40/13 Sensors therefor
• CPC Class Codes: G06V 40/1335 Combining adjacent partial images (e.g. slices) to create a composite input or reference pattern; Tracking a sweeping finger movement
• CPC Class Codes: G06V 40/63 by static guides
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 1/67 by electronic means
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 2250/12 including a sensor for measuring a physical value, e.g. temperature or motion telephones including GPS signal receivers H04M2250/10

Abstract

An information processing unit, such as a mobile phone, equipped with a fingerprint sensor and reconciles size reduction with operability at a high level. Adjacent to an operation panel is a V-shaped groove which contains a first slope stretching away from the operation panel and slanting downward and a second slope stretching further away from the operation panel and slanting upward, where the V-shaped groove contains a fingerprint sweep sensor which detects a fingerprint on a finger moved along the first slope and the second slope.

Claims

1. An information processing unit which comprises a casing equipped with an operation section,

the casing comprises, adjacent to the operation section, a groove which contains a first slope stretching away from the operation section and slanting downward and a second slope stretching further away from the operation section than the first slope and slanting upward,

the groove comprises a fingerprint sweep sensor which detects a fingerprint;

and

the first slope and the second slope have mutually different lengths,

wherein an entire sensing surface of the fingerprint sweep sensor protrudes above an inner surface of the groove, and

wherein a finger moves downward along the first slave and the finger moves upward along the second stove.

2. The information processing unit according to claim 1, wherein the information processing unit is a portable telephone.

3. The information processing unit according to claim 1, wherein the entire sensing surface of the fingerprint sweep sensor which protrudes above an inner surface of the groove is an edge of the sensing surface of the fingerprint sweep sensor.