Apple Files Patent For Touchscreen Fingerprint Sensor

The next generation of iPhones and iPads may feature a fingerprint scanner integrated directly into the device’s touchscreen display. AppleInsider revealed a new patent (U.S. Patent #20150036065) published by the U.S. Patent and Trademark Office for a “Fingerprint Sensor in an Electronic Device.”

Apple, Inc. initially filed for patent #20150036065 back in August 2014. However, the patent was just recently granted in February 2015.

Cybersecurity has become a top concern for consumers, as more and more reports continue to surface of large-scale breaches. The traditional method of securing a system or account via a password isn’t foil-proof, as hackers can often “guess” password through brute force attacks. But while passwords can be guessed, a fingeprint is practically impossible to duplicate. This has prompted many tech companies, Apple included, to offer fingerprint locking mechanisms for users.

Of course, fingerprint scanning isn’t a new technology by any means. When Apple purchased the biometric company AuthenTec back in 2012 for $356 million, analysts and consumers alike knew it was only a matter of time before the iPhone and iPad received this technology. Fast forward to September 2013, and the company’s Vice President of Marketing Phil Schiller officially announced Apple’s “Touch ID” fingerprint recognition feature for the iPhone 5S, iPhone 6, iPhone 6S, iPad Air 2, and the iPad Mini 3.

Apple’s existing Touch ID system is integrated into devices’ home button. The recent patent publication involves a new type of fingerprint scanning technology that’s built directly into the touchscreen. This opens up a whole new world of possibilities, as users could strengthen the security of their device by potentially locking it with all give fingers instead of just one, or another idea is to lock the device using your palm print.

Patent #20150036065 states the following in the abstract:

“A fingerprint sensor is incorporated in a display stack in an electronic device. A single fingerprint can be captured at one time at a single pre-defined fixed location on a display. Alternatively, a single fingerprint can be acquired at one time at any location on a display. Alternatively, multiple touches on the display can be acquired substantially simultaneously where only one fingerprint is captured at a time or where all of the fingerprints are acquired at the same time. The fingerprint sensor can be implemented as an integrated circuit connected to a bottom surface of a cover sheet, near the bottom surface of the cover sheet, or connected to a top surface of a display. Alternatively, the fingerprint sensor can be implemented as a full panel fingerprint sensor.”