Patent ID: 7801334

Claim:
A fingerprint recognition apparatus comprising; a fingerprint sensor unit for obtaining a fingerprint image of a finger that contacts a fingerprint contact surface disposed on the fingerprint sensor unit; a control unit for performing a fingerprint recognition process on the basis of the fingerprint image obtained by the fingerprint sensor unit; a sterilizing light source for irradiating sterilizing light onto the fingerprint contact surface, a sensor unit disposed around the fingerprint contact surface to detect an exposure state of the fingerprint contact surface; and a sterilizing light source controller for controlling the sterilizing light source such that the sterilizing light source is selectively turned on/off depending on information detected by the sensor unit, wherein the sterilizing light source controller controls the sterilizing light source such that the sterilizing light source is turned on toward the fingerprint contact surface for a predetermined duration when it is determined, depending on the information detected by the sensor unit, that a user's finger is detached from the fingerprint contact surface after contacting the fingerprint contact surface, and wherein the sterilizing light source controller controls the sterilizing light source such that the sterilizing light source is turned off when it is determined, depending on the information detected by the sensor unit, that a user's finger accesses the fingerprint contact surface before the predetermined duration has passed since the sterilizing light source was turned on.