A patent filing was spotted in the net recently that revealed major innovations for the fingerprint sensor and Home button in the iPhone and iPad. The future of these features will have something to do with security, gaming, and new functionality. Two continuation patents were also leaked, which revealed futuristic devices: an iPhone-like device with multiple displays and a wearable electronic device.
Patent for Fingerprint scanner and Home button
Apple recently filed a patent that is reportedly "one of the most complex filings of the year." This was due to its connection with "security, gaming and new functionality on the iPhone and iPad," in which the fingerprint sensor and the Home button would be greatly involved. It is still unknown if one of these improvements would be feautured in the iPhone 6s or iPhone 7.
The filings mentioned that there is going to be a "secondary fingerprint scanner" that would be "integrated within the display and a special pattern identification." Once implemented, a user can be authenticated by just rotating and twisting the finger tips on the display.
More details about the patent include:
- Secondary fingerprint scanner integrated into the display
- Fingerprint rotating and twisting gestures
- Secondary Home button use for playing a video game
- Different fingerprints for different bank accounts
- Controlling noise reduction in recorded audio with a fingerprint sensor
- An iDevice Home button used as a scroll wheel
- Banking app example: Performing a respective restricted operation based
Patent for iDevice and wearable electronic device
A "continuation patent" from Apple was filed on May 14, 2015 that revealed few changes to the company's previous granted patent. The changes have something to do with sidewall displays on an upcoming "iDevice," which resembles an iPhone. The continued patent saw changes that cover "new features and processes that Apple wants to further protect should they proceed with an iPhone with a sidewall display (or multiple displays)." This seems to imply that the future of iPhones, such as the iPhone 6s and iPhone 7, are heading this way.
Hence, a future "iPhone with a sidewall display (or multiplay displays)" is being developed or to be developed by Apple, which is currently being called as iDevice.
According to the patent, the iDevice would be a type of "an electronic device having a front region and a side region" that has the following characteristics:
- A curved flexible display layer having an array of display pixels.
- A curved transparent cover layer that covers the curved flexible display layer on the front region and the side region.
Another "continuation patent" was also filed by Apple with publication no. 20150130741. This patent was titled "Removable Clip With User Interface," and has something to do with a "wearable electronic device" in the future. Could this "wearable electronic device" be partnered with iPhone 6s and iPhone 7?
Apple has yet to make official statements about their products.
How do you imagine these devices? How would they connect with other Apple products such as the iPhone 6s and iPhone 7? Let us know in your comments below.
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