Implementing "easy-to-use and secure" systems    What kind of technology is it? This technology allows us to implement all the processes needed for fingerprint identification, namely reading fingerprints, registering fingerprint data, and matching them with registered data, on a single chip. A fingerprint sensing circuit, an arithmetical circuit for authentication, a memory for storing registered data, and other elements are integrated on a single chip measuring 11 x 15 x 1 millimeters.        What are the features? The device is extremely compact and thin, and uses very little power, so it can be incorporated almost anywhere. Because it operates on a single button battery, the chip can be used to add fingerprint identification to a wide range of portable and handheld devices. It is a single chip and does not require other components, thus greatly improving security at modest cost.      What can it do? It can be used as a "fingerprint identification switch" that only turns on when there is a match. This markedly improves the security of keys, handheld devices, and other personal consumer products, without sacrificing convenience. Many access control systems are already available based on non-contact IC cards, RFID tags, and other wireless methods. However an unauthorized person can pose as a legitimate user if they find or steal the device, so essentially this approach sacrifices security for greater convenience. By contrast, our wireless module incorporates a fingerprint identification LSI, and thus effectively prevents any unauthorized person from using the module. Thanks to the remarkably small size and low power consumption of the fingerprint identification LSI, robust security can now be incorporated in a wide range of compact consumer electronic devices.