# US 7,613,446 B2 · Wireless mobile phone with authenticated mode of operation including finger print based authentication > Agents: this data is available as JSON from the patentgrep API and MCP server — see https://patentgrep.com/llms.txt - Number: US 7,613,446 B2 - Document ID: US7613446B2 - Status: Granted - Kind: B2 - Application number: 10/550,925 - Filed: 2004-03-26 - Published: 2007-04-26 - Granted: 2009-11-03 - Earliest claimed: 2003-03-28 - Assignees: Varia LLC - Inventors: G. Eric Engstrom; Peter Zatloukal - Web page: https://patentgrep.com/patent/US7613446B2 ## CPC - H04M 1/67: by electronic means - G06V 40/13: Sensors therefor - H04L 63/0861: {using biometrical features, e.g. fingerprint, retina-scan (cryptographic mechanisms or cryptographic arrangements for entity authentication using biological data H04L9/3231)} - H04M 1/021: {using combined folding and rotation motions (combined with translation movement H04M1/0235)} - H04M 1/66: with means for preventing unauthorised or fraudulent calling (verifying user identity or authority in secret or secure digital communications H04L9/32) - H04M 1/72448: with means for adapting the functionality of the device according to specific conditions - H04W 12/06: Authentication - G07C 9/257: {electronically (G07C9/26 takes precedence)} - H04M 2250/12: including a sensor for measuring a physical value, e.g. temperature or motion - H04M 2250/14: including a card reading device - H04M: TELEPHONIC COMMUNICATION (circuits for controlling other apparatus via a telephone cable and not involving telephone switching apparatus G08) - G06V: IMAGE OR VIDEO RECOGNITION OR UNDERSTANDING - H04L: TRANSMISSION OF DIGITAL INFORMATION, e.g. TELEGRAPHIC COMMUNICATION (arrangements common to telegraphic and telephonic communication H04M) - H04W: WIRELESS COMMUNICATION NETWORKS (broadcast communication H04H; communication systems using wireless links for non-selective communication, e.g. wireless extensions H04M1/72) - G07C: TIME OR ATTENDANCE REGISTERS; REGISTERING OR INDICATING THE WORKING OF MACHINES; GENERATING RANDOM NUMBERS; VOTING OR LOTTERY APPARATUS; ARRANGEMENTS, SYSTEMS OR APPARATUS FOR CHECKING NOT PROVIDED FOR ELSEWHERE ## Abstract A wireless mobile phone is equipped to operate in an unauthenticated and an authenticated mode of operation, depending on whether a user has been authenticated. In one embodiment, the wireless mobile phone includes a finger print reader to enable a user's finger print to be inputted and be used for authentication. In one embodiment, the finger print reader includes a light source and sensors, and having complementary logic to process emitted light reflected off a user's finger into an input finger print. The user is authenticated using the inputted finger print. In one embodiment, the finger print reader is integrated with a power on/off switch, which may be disposed on an end surface, a side surface or a front surface of the body of the phone. ## Claims ### Claim 1 An apparatus comprising: a plurality of components; a power on/off button to power on/off the apparatus, including an input mechanism configured to facilitate input of a finger print of a user; and an operating logic configured to receive the output signals from the input mechanism, to operate the plurality of components in a first mode if the user is not successfully authenticated based at least on the output signals, to operate the plurality of components in a second mode if the user is successfully authenticated based at least on the output signals, and to switch from the second mode to the first mode responsive to a user instruction; wherein a first plurality of user functions are available in the first mode, and a second plurality of user functions comprising at least one or more of the first plurality of user functions are available in the second mode. ### Claim 2 (depends on 1) The apparatus of claim 1, wherein said input mechanism comprises a light source to emit light, and an array of light sensors to sense the emitted light reflecting off a user's finger. ### Claim 3 (depends on 2) The apparatus of claim 2, further comprising processing logic associated with the input mechanism to process the reflected light sensed into an input finger print. ### Claim 4 (depends on 1) The apparatus of claim 1, wherein the operating logic farther comprises logic to compare the output signals indicating the finger print against a reference finger print. ### Claim 5 (depends on 1) The apparatus of claim 1, further comprising a reader to facilitate provision of a reference finger print via an identity card. ### Claim 6 (depends on 5) The apparatus of claim 5, wherein the reference finger print is stored on said identity card in a manner to be read by a reader selected from the reader group consisting of an electronic reader, an optical reader, and a magnetic reader, and the reader is a corresponding selected one of the electronic reader, the optical reader and the magnetic reader. ### Claim 7 (depends on 1) The apparatus of claim 1, wherein the input mechanism further comprising one or more capacitors, and one or more sensors coupled to the one or more capacitors to sense electrical interactions with the user's finger, and to output signals indicating the user's fingerprint. ### Claim 8 A method comprising: sensing by an apparatus activation of a power on button by a user; receiving by the apparatus, through said activation, finger print input from the user, the power on button including input mechanism for the user to input the user's finger print; processing by the apparatus the sensed interactions into output signals indicating the received finger print input; authenticating by the apparatus the user based on at least the output signals; operating by the apparatus a plurality of components of the apparatus in a first mode, wherein a first plurality of user functions are available while the operating the plurality of components in the first mode, if the user is not successfully authenticated; operating by the apparatus, the plurality of components in a second mode, wherein a second plurality of user functions are available while the operating the plurality of components in the second mode, if the user is successfully authenticated; and switching back by the apparatus from the second mode to the first mode responsive to a user instruction; wherein the second plurality of user functions comprising at least one or more of the first plurality of user functions. ### Claim 9 (depends on 8) The method of claim 8, wherein said receiving of finger print input from the user further comprising emitting light using a light source, sensing the emitted light reflecting off the user's finger using a plurality of optical sensors, and processing the reflected light sensed into a finger print input. ### Claim 10 (depends on 9) The method of claim 9, wherein the authenticating further comprises comparing the output signals indicating the inputted finger print against a reference finger print. ### Claim 11 (depends on 10) The method of claim 10, wherein the method further comprises retrieving the reference finger print from an identity card. ### Claim 12 (depends on 8) The method of claim 8, wherein the authenticating further comprising authenticating the user's fingerprint with one or more sensors coupled to one or more capacitors to sense electrical interactions with the user's finger, and to output signals indicating the user's fingerprint. ### Claim 13 A wireless mobile phone comprising: a power on/off button to power the wireless mobile phone on or off, including an input mechanism to capture finger print of a user activating the power on/off button; a plurality of components coupled to each other configured to facilitate wireless telephony communication by a user, with the components being equipped to operate in at least a selected one of a first mode and a second mode, wherein a first plurality of user functions are available while the components are configured to operate in the first mode, and a second plurality of user functions are available while the components are configured to operate in the second mode; and operating logic configured to operate the components in said first mode without authentication of the user, and to operate the components in said second mode if the user is successfully authenticated based at least in part on the captured finger print; wherein the second plurality of user functions comprising at least one or more of the first plurality of user functions, and the operating logic is further configured to be responsive to a user instruction to switch from the second mode to the first mode. ### Claim 14 (depends on 13) The wireless mobile phone of claim 13, wherein the plurality of components further comprising optical or capacitive sensors to capture the user's finger print. ### Claim 15 A method, comprising: sensing by a wireless mobile phone, activation of a power button of a wireless mobile phone by a user; capturing by the wireless mobile phone, through said activation, finger print of the user; authenticating by the wireless mobile phone, the user based at least in part on the captured finger print; operating by the wireless mobile phone, a plurality of components of the wireless mobile phone to facilitate wireless telephony communication by the user, in a first mode, wherein a first plurality of user functions are available while the operating the plurality of components in the first mode, if said authenticating of the user is unsuccessful; operating by the wireless mobile phone, the components in a second mode, wherein a second plurality of user functions are available while the operating the plurality of components in the second mode, if the authenticating of the user is successful; and switching the wireless mobile phone from the second mode to the first mode responsive to a user instruction; wherein the second plurality of user functions comprising at least one or more of the first plurality of user functions. ### Claim 16 (depends on 15) The method of claim 15, wherein the capturing comprises capturing the user's finger print with optical or capacitive sensors.