Portable telecommunication device including a fingerprint sensor and related methods

A portable telecommunication device having enhanced security and comprising:

• a portable housing;
• a radio transceiver within said housing;
• an integrated circuit fingerprint sensor carried by said housing, said integrated fingerprint sensor comprising
• a substrate,
• at least one electrically conductive layer adjacent said substrate and comprising portions defining an array of electric field sensing electrodes;
• and
• a z-axis anisotropic dielectric layer adjacent said at least one electrically conductive layer and opposite said substrate, for focusing an electric field at each of the electric field sensing electrodes, the z-axis being normal to the at least one electrically conductive layer;
• storing means within said housing for storing data related to at least one fingerprint for at least one authorized user;
• matching means carried by said housing for determining an authorized user based on matching of a sensed fingerprint from said integrated circuit fingerprint sensor with stored data in said storing means and for permitting use of said radio transceiver by the authorized user;
• and
• a rechargeable battery carried by said housing for powering said radio transceiver, said integrated circuit fingerprint sensor, said storing means and said matching means.

A portable telecommunication device having enhanced security and comprising:

• a portable housing;
• a radio transceiver within said housing;
• an integrated circuit fingerprint sensor carried by said housing, said integrated fingerprint sensor comprising
• a substrate,
• at least one electrically conductive layer adjacent said substrate and comprising portions defining an array of electric field sensing electrodes;
• and
• a z-axis anisotropic dielectric layer adjacent said at least one electrically conductive layer and opposite said substrate, for focusing an electric field at each of the electric field sensing electrodes, the z-axis being normal to the at least one electrically conductive layer;
• remote authorization request means carried by said housing for transmitting a request for authorization signal to a remote device based upon a sensed fingerprint from said integrated circuit fingerprint sensor and for permitting use of said radio transceiver based upon a received authorization signal from the remote device;
• and
• a rechargeable battery carried by said housing for powering said radio transceiver, said integrated circuit fingerprint sensor and said remote authorizing request means.

A portable telecommunication device having enhanced security and comprising:

• a portable housing to be held in a hand of a user;
• a radio transceiver within said housing;
• an integrated circuit fingerprint sensor carried by said housing, said integrated fingerprint sensor comprising
• a substrate,
• at least one electrically conductive layer adjacent said substrate and comprising portions defining an array of electric field sensing electrodes;
• and
• a z-axis anisotropic dielectric layer adjacent said at least one electrically conductive layer and opposite said substrate, for focusing an electric field at each of the electric field sensing electrodes, the z-axis being normal to the at least one electrically conductive layer;
• user identification means carried by said housing for transmitting a user identification signal to a remote device based upon a sensed fingerprint from said integrated circuit fingerprint sensor;
• and
• a rechargeable battery carried by said housing for powering said radio transceiver, said integrated circuit fingerprint sensor and said user identification means.

A method for enhancing security of a portable telecommunication device of a type comprising a radio transceiver within a portable housing the method comprising the steps of:

• providing an integrated circuit fingerprint sensor carried by the housing, the integrated circuit fingerprint circuit comprising
• a substrate,
• at least one electrically conductive layer adjacent said substrate and comprising portions defining an array of electric field sensing electrodes;
• and
• a z-axis anisotropic dielectric layer adjacent said at least one electrically conductive layer and opposite said substrate, for focusing an electric field at each of the electric field sensing electrodes, the z-axis being normal to the at least one electrically conductive layer;
• sensing a fingerprint using the integrated circuit fingerprint sensor;
• operating an authorization circuit carried by the housing for permitting use of the radio transceiver based upon the integrated circuit fingerprint sensor sensing a fingerprint of an authorized user;
• and
• powering the radio transceiver, the integrated circuit fingerprint sensor and the authorization circuit from a rechargeable battery carried by the housing.

A method for identifying a user of a portable telecommunication device of a type comprising a radio transceiver within a portable housing the method comprising the steps of:

• providing an integrated circuit fingerprint sensor carried by the housing, the integrated circuit fingerprint circuit comprising
• a substrate,
• at least one electrically conductive layer adjacent said substrate and comprising portions defining an array of electric field sensing electrodes;
• and
• a z-axis anisotropic dielectric layer adjacent said at least one electrically conductive layer and opposite said substrate, for focusing an electric field at each of the electric field sensing electrodes, the z-axis being normal to the at least one electrically conductive layer;
• sensing a fingerprint using the integrated circuit fingerprint sensor;
• operating a remote authorization request circuit carried by the housing for transmitting a user identification signal to a remote device using the radio transceiver and based upon the integrated circuit fingerprint sensor sensing a fingerprint;
• and
• powering the radio transceiver, the integrated circuit fingerprint sensor and the remote authorization request circuit from a rechargeable battery carried by the housing.