Patent ID: 7366497

Claim:
A mobile terminal provided with lock function and an authentication unit, in which manipulation of the mobile terminal is inhibited when the lock function is locked and the lock function is unlocked to allow a manipulation of the mobile terminal when a user is authenticated as a legitimate user by the authentication unit, the mobile terminal comprising: a control circuit which starts supply of an electric power to the authentication unit only in response to an incoming call when the lock function is locked and unlocks the lock function when a user is authenticated as a legitimate user by the authentication unit, wherein said control circuit supplies the electric power to the authentication unit over a predetermined period of time only in response to the incoming call, unlocks the lock function when the user is authenticated as a legitimate user within the predetermined period of time by the authentication unit, and stops the supply of the electric power to the authentication unit when the authentication by the authentication unit is not carried out within the predetermined period of time.