Mobile terminal with personal authentication function and mobile terminal system

• US 20040192256A1
• Filed: 03/25/2004
• Published: 09/30/2004
• Est. Priority Date: 03/28/2003
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Sharp Kabushiki Kaisha (Hon Hai Precision Industry Co., Ltd.)
• Original Assignee: Sharp Kabushiki Kaisha (Hon Hai Precision Industry Co., Ltd.)
• Inventors: Kuwajima, Hidenori
• Granted Patent: US 7,454,194 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 455/411
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 63/0861 using biometrical features, e.g. fingerprint, retina-scan cryptographic mechanisms or cryptographic arrangements for entity authentication using biological data H04L9/3231
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 12/06 Authentication
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 12/082 using revocation of authorisation
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 12/65 Environment-dependent, e.g. using captured environmental data
• CPC Class Codes: Y04S 40/20 Information technology specific aspects, e.g. CAD, simulation, modelling, system security

Abstract

A mobile terminal of the present invention have a personal authentication function and a communication function for bi-directionally communicating with a communication base station. The mobile terminal includes a personal authentication information storing section, an identity information inputting section for inputting identity information of a current user, a personal authentication section which checks authenticity of the inputted identity information, and an informing section which transmits the result of the check of the authenticity of the identity information to the communication base station.

Claims

1. A mobile terminal having a personal authentication function and a communication function for bi-directionally communicating with a communication base station, comprising:

a personal authentication information storing section for storing personal authentication information;

an identity information inputting section for inputting identity information of a current user of the mobile terminal for identification of an authentic user of the mobile terminal;

a personal authentication section which checks authenticity of the identity information inputted from the identity information inputting section on the basis of the personal authentication information stored in the personal authentication information storing section for personal authentication; and

an informing section which transmits an authentication result to the communication base station if the personal authentication is failed as the result of the check of the authenticity of the identity information by the personal authentication section.

2. A mobile terminal as set forth in claim 1, wherein the personal authentication information stored in the personal authentication information storing section is fingerprint information,

wherein the identity information inputting section comprises a fingerprint inputting section which inputs a fingerprint of the current user of the mobile terminal,

wherein the personal authentication section checks authenticity of the fingerprint inputted from the fingerprint inputting section on the basis of the fingerprint information stored in the personal authentication information storing section.

3. A mobile terminal as set forth in claim 1,

wherein the personal authentication information stored in the personal authentication information storing section is facial image information,

wherein the identity information inputting section comprises a camera for picking up a facial image of the current user of the mobile terminal,

wherein the personal authentication section checks authenticity of the facial image picked up by the camera on the basis of the facial image information stored in the personal authentication information storing section.

4. A mobile terminal as set forth in claim 1, further comprising:

an authentication result storing section for storing an authentication failure result if the personal authentication is failed with the identity information; and

an authentication failure control section which performs a control operation if the personal authentication is failed with the identity information,

wherein the authentication failure control section controls the informing section to transmit the authentication failure result stored in the authentication result storing section to the communication base station when the current user makes an attempt at transmission control.

5. A mobile terminal as set forth in claim 1, further comprising:

an authentication result storing section for storing an authentication failure result if the personal authentication is failed with the identity information; and

an authentication failure control section which performs a control operation if the personal authentication is failed with the identity information,

wherein the authentication failure control section controls the informing section to transmit the authentication failure result stored in the authentication result storing section to the communication base station when the personal authentication is failed a predetermined number of times.

6. A mobile terminal as set forth in claim 1, further comprising a function disabling section which disables some or all of communication functions after the informing section transmits the authentication result to the communication base station.

7. A mobile terminal system with a personal authentication function comprising:

a mobile terminal as recited in any of claims 1 to 6; and

a communication base station which bi-directionally communicates with the mobile terminal,

wherein the communication base station comprises;

an owner information storing section which stores owner information including a name and a wire phone number of an owner of the mobile terminal; and

an owner-addressed authentication result informing section which, upon reception of a personal authentication failure result from the mobile terminal, transmits the personal authentication failure result to the owner with reference to the owner information stored in the owner information storing section.

8. A mobile terminal system as set forth in claim 7, wherein the communication base station further comprises a predetermined-organization-addressed authentication result informing section which, upon reception of the personal authentication failure result from the mobile terminal, transmits the personal authentication failure result to a predetermined organization.

9. A mobile terminal system as set forth in claim 7, wherein the communication base station further comprises a positional information adding section which adds positional information indicative of a position of the mobile terminal communicating with the communication base station to the personal authentication failure result when the owner-addressed authentication result informing section or the predetermined-organization-addressed authentication result informing section transmits the personal authentication failure result to the owner or the predetermined organization.

10. A mobile terminal system as set forth in claim 8, wherein the communication base station further comprises a positional information adding section which adds positional information indicative of a position of the mobile terminal communicating with the communication base station to the personal authentication failure result when the owner-addressed authentication result informing section or the predetermined-organization-addressed authentication result informing section transmits the personal authentication failure result to the owner or the predetermined organization.

11. A method of authenticating a user of a mobile terminal having a personal authentication function and a communication function for bi-directionally communicating with a communication base station, comprising the steps of:

storing personal authentication information in the mobile terminal;

inputting identity information of a current user of the mobile terminal;

checking authenticity of the inputted identity information by comparing the inputted identity information to the stored personal authentication information; and

transmitting an authentication result to the communication base station if the inputted identity information differs from the stored personal authentication information.

12. The method of claim 11, wherein,

said step of storing personal authentication information in the mobile terminal comprises the step of storing fingerprint information;

said step of inputting identity information of a current user of the mobile terminal comprises inputting a fingerprint of the current user of the mobile terminal; and

said step of checking authenticity of the inputted identity information comprises the step of comparing the inputted fingerprint to the stored fingerprint information.

13. The method of claim 11 wherein,

said step of storing personal authentication information in the mobile terminal comprises the step of storing a facial image;

said step of inputting identity information of a current user of the mobile terminal for identification of an authentic user of the mobile terminal comprises capturing an image of the current user of the mobile terminal; and

said step of checking authenticity of the inputted identity information comprises the step of comparing the stored facial image to the captured image of the current user of the mobile terminal.

14. The method of claim 11 comprising the additional steps of:

storing an authentication failure result if the inputted identity information differs from the stored personal authentication information;

performing a control operation if the inputted identity information differs from the stored personal authentication information; and

transmitting the authentication failure result to the communication base station when the current user makes an attempt at transmission control.

15. The method of claim 14 wherein said step of transmitting the authentication failure result to the communication base station comprises the step of transmitting the authentication failure result to the communication base station when the number of stored authentication failure results is equal to a predetermined number.

16. The method of claim 11, comprising the additional step of at least partially disabling the communication function after transmitting the authentication failure result to the base station.

17. The method of claim 11 including the additional steps of:

storing owner information, including a name and a wire phone number of an owner of the mobile terminal, in the base station; and

upon reception by the base station of a personal authentication failure result from the mobile terminal, transmitting the personal authentication failure result to the owner.

18. The method of claim 11 including the additional step of:

upon reception by the base station of a personal authentication failure result from the mobile terminal, transmitting the personal authentication failure result to a predetermined organization.