Patent Document ID: 6141436
Application ID: 09047773
Patent Status: 1

Claim One:
1. A cellular telephone comprising: circuitry including: a transmitter coupled to a microphone transducer, and a receiver coupled to an earpiece transducer; a housing for carrying the circuitry, the housing having a front surface disposed opposite a rear surface and a side surface disposed between the front surface and the rear surface, wherein the housing is adapted to be held by a hand, having fingers and a thumb, of a person against a head of the person to permit the person to listen to acoustic signals generated by the earpiece transducer in signal communication with the front surface and to generate acoustic signals for input into the microphone transducer in signal communication with the front surface while the cellular telephone is in use; and a fingerprint identification system including a scanner for scanning an image of a fingerprint of a finger or the thumb of the hand, wherein the scanner is ergonomically positioned on the housing on any of the rear surface of the housing and the side surface of the housing where the finger or thumb naturally rests on the housing when the person holds the housing while the cellular telephone is in use.