OTHER PUBLICATIONS
Chinese Office Action and English translation thereof mailed Aug. 6, 2004 in corresponding Chinese application No. 02151495.X. Japanese Office Action mailed Nov. 22, 2005 in corresponding Japanese patent application No. 2001-358464.
* cited by examiner
Primary Examiner—Joseph Mancuso
Assistant Examiner—Jonathan Schaffer
(74) Attorney, Agent, or Firm—Nixon & Vanderhye PC.
An electronic device stores a plurality of user's fingerprints in such a manner that each of a plurality of functions is stored in correspondence to any one of the fingerprints. Every time before using a function, the electronic device recognizes a user using a fingerprint corresponding to the function. For example, when the right thumb, right index finger and right middle finger are respectively stored in correspondence to an individual recognition function, imaging execution function and copy quantity setting function, at least three fingerprints are checked while the user is recognized by the electronic device, the copy quantity is set and imaging is accomplished. In such a manner that a user is multiply identified by a plurality of fingerprints during using the electronic device, the accuracy in recognizing a user and security can be enhanced with the structure as simple as the conventional one.
17 Claims, 8 Drawing Sheets
