Microsoft patents a touch screen that can scan your finger prints

[GoodBytes]

And this isn't just some idea... The patent found shows Microsoft detailing a technology for touch screen devices that allows to act like a finger print reader anywhere on the screen.

In other words, phones can be made "without" a finger print reader, as it will be embedded in the touch screen.

 

 

The technology works with both LCD and OLED displays, including curved displays, and can also work on displays that doesn't have touch screen capability as it is a technology apart that is added to the display as a layer. So, I guess we could get laptops without a touch screen, but app and windows asking for finger print and you can scan yours anywhere on the display, although I don't see why you would not want to have both. But options are coo,l I guess. But anyway...

 

The patent explains:

Quote

 Fingerprint detection is achieved through a transparent cover of the electronic device. The transparent cover, such as a cover glass layer (or cover glass), may define the external surface of a display module of the electronic device. The transparent cover is also an integral component of the fingerprint sensor. The transparent cover may guide light used to illuminate ridges of the finger in contact with the transparent cover. An image of the fingerprint may then be captured (or detected) using a filter (e.g., a filter layer) to selectively allow certain rays of the light scattered by the fingerprint ridges to reach a detector.

      Thinner electronic devices may be achieved through the cover-based detection techniques. Use of the transparent cover as a waveguide (or light guide) avoids adding any thickness to those devices already relying on the transparent cover as the external surface of the display module. The remaining components of the fingerprint sensor may be arranged in a stack of thin layers or films adjacent the transparent cover. The cover-based techniques may thus be implemented in a smaller space than camera-based techniques that rely on lenses and other optical components to resolve the fingerprint ridges through the cover glass. Such optical components often involve considerable volume (e.g., thickness). The cover-based techniques may thus be useful in connection with mobile phones and other handheld or portable electronic devices where a thin profile (or form factor) is desirable.

      The cover-based fingerprint detection is compatible with a wide variety of device form factors. The filter (or filter layer) may be scaled to adjust the thickness of the fingerprint sensor. For example, the filter may include a fiber optic faceplate or other bundle of optical fibers, the length of which may be scaled to suit the application, e.g., the thickness of the electronic device. Scaling the filter thickness may thus be used to accommodate different types of display modules, which may differ considerably in thickness. For example, the thickness of the filter layer may be adjusted to accommodate devices having backlit displays (e.g., liquid crystal displays) and displays without a separate backlight unit (e.g., organic light emitting diode (OLED) displays).

      The use of the transparent cover and adjacent filter for fingerprint detection may also support fingerprint sensors of varying sizes. The lateral extent of these layers of the fingerprint sensor may be easily scaled to attain a desired size or shape. A wide fingerprint detection area may thus be achieved, which may be useful in situations in which multiple fingers are imaged simultaneously.

      Use of the transparent cover for fingerprint detection may simplify the enclosure of the electronic device. The transparent cover may thus extend across both the area of the display module, as well as the area directed to fingerprint detection. For instance, the transparent cover may extend across the entire front face of the electronic device. A separate cover or other external element to protect the other components of the fingerprint sensor is not required. The integration of the transparent cover into the fingerprint sensor may thus reduce the component count and/or complexity of the device.

      The filter (or filter layer) of the fingerprint sensor compensates for blurring that would otherwise arise due to the thickness of the transparent cover. The filter increases the resolution (or signal to noise ratio) of the fingerprint detection by filtering out light rays scattered by the finger at wide angles. The filter only allows a narrow cone of light rays, e.g., those rays that are sufficiently vertical (or transverse to the detector), to reach the detector. Blurring of the fingerprint image arising from the wide-angle rays may thus be avoided. In fiber bundle examples, the optical fibers of the filter may be configured such that the numerical aperture of each optical fiber establishes a narrow cone of acceptance. Light rays incident upon the fibers at angles outside of the acceptance cone are either reflected or absorbed, rather than guided to the detector. The optical fibers of the bundle may thus provide both filtering and image transmission functions. The diameter of each optical fiber may alternatively or additionally be used to establish a desired resolution level.

      Although described in connection with electronic devices having touchscreens, the internal support may be used in connection with a wide variety of electronic devices, including those not having a touch-sensitive display. The size and form factor of the electronic device may vary considerably. Devices may range from wearable or handheld devices, to laptop computers, and to televisions or other wall-mounted displays or other large-scale devices. The composition and other characteristics of the display module and other components of the electronic device may vary accordingly.

 

You can read the patent in full here: https://patentscope.wipo.int/search/en/detail.jsf?docId=US177135262&recNum=183&maxRec=75042&office=&prevFilter=&sortOption=&queryString=ALLNAMES%3A(Microsoft)&tab=PCTDescription

 

Source: https://mspoweruser.com/microsoft-patents-screen-fingerprint-reader/

Thanks to @TheCMan, for the news tip.

 

What do you think? I think it is pretty cool that you can tap anywhere on your phone to finger print scan. I see apps having a zone, like a square or something saying to put your finger there to scan your finger print, to not conflict with program elements, or just mostly empty space where you have a large zone to tap anywhere to scan. I think it would also make finger scanner more comfortable with big phones, and still able to do it in 1 hand. I wonder, if in the future as this kind of technology progress, and evolve to be better, we could have have phones that contentiously scans your finger as you intact with it, and if it detects a different users the device locks itself.

 

[AresKrieger]

Wait this doesn't already exist?

[79wjd]

As soon as I downloaded iOS 10 I decided Apple really needs to implement something like this. iOS 10 made the notification screen far more useful, but the problem is that if I peek into the email with 3D touch, and then decide I want to read the email I have to move my finger down to the touchID button, which is kind of a pain (and defeats the benefits of the more powerful notification screen imo).

 

Also, I thought Apple already had some patent like this. 

[PRTI]

How about a eye scanner?

[That Norwegian Guy]

M$ keeps pumping out those NSA wet dreams

[suicidalfranco]

meh, Qualcomm sense-ID solution seems the better implementation so far, also Xiaomi rumoured to be the first one to implement it 

https://www.qualcomm.com/products/snapdragon/security/sense-id

http://www.technobuffalo.com/2016/09/16/xiaomi-mi-5s-embedded-fingerprint-scanner/

[Sauron]

As far as I'm concerned phones could be made without a fingerprint sensor regardless  I'd rather not give MS my unique fingerprints and I still consider good passwords more secure by a long shot.

[GoodBytes]

4 hours ago, keNNySOC said:

How about a eye scanner?

It's already there. Microsoft showcased the first phone with iris scanner which also work in a pitch black room, and if you were glasses (As long as your prescriptions aren't too strong), last year with the Lumia 950 / 950 XL. Pretty good for a first gen product.

[PRTI]

Just now, GoodBytes said:

It's already there. Microsoft showcased the first phone with iris scanner which also work in a pitch black room, and if you were glasses (As long as your prescriptions aren't too strong), last year with the Lumia 950 / 950 XL. Pretty good for a first gen product.

Nice nice...

 

BUT

 

how about a DNA scanner? bet you can't make that

[GoodBytes]

1 minute ago, keNNySOC said:

Nice nice...

 

BUT

 

how about a DNA scanner? bet you can't make that

Considering that we have the technology for medical devices for those who need to measure their sugar level. It probably can be done, but you'll probably pass out if you unlock your device a lot due to lack of blood. l

 

 

(Yes, it is a joke for those who already hit the reply button to correct me on this)

[Misanthrope]

4 hours ago, That Norwegian Guy said:

M$ keeps pumping out those NSA wet dreams

Hey come on now, even though they can be compelled by a secret court order you should totally trust MS will only use this for good besides Google is way more evil so it's totally ok. 

[79wjd]

8 minutes ago, Misanthrope said:

Hey come on now, even though they can be compelled by a secret court order you should totally trust MS will only use this for good besides Google is way more evil so it's totally ok. 

Good thing Apple seems to care about people's security/privacy. Not that it really matters, the government already has my fingerprints on file.

[PRTI]

1 minute ago, djdwosk97 said:

Good thing Apple seems to care about people's security/privacy. Not that it really matters, the government already has my fingerprints on file.

Teen fingerprints erase allot faster than old dude fingerprints

 

So teens are technically perfect for a murder and a robbery...

[Nowak]

14 minutes ago, djdwosk97 said:

Good thing Apple seems to care about people's security/privacy. Not that it really matters, the government already has my fingerprints on file.

Apple's record isn't clean either, they record everything you say to Siri and store it on a server for up to two years. Also, OS X (at least Yosemite, anyway) has a tendency to phone home by default.

Even Canonical and Ubuntu has privacy issues. The only real way to guarantee your privacy nowadays is to disconnect yourself from the internet, which is really shitty.

[VerticalDiscussions]

How many patents do companies claim and end up never being used...

 

(The technology doesnt exist yet), doesnt seem to favour the purpose of patenting something then xD!

[Doobeedoo]

My phone will notice me now. 

[matrix07012]

[AlTech]

12 hours ago, VerticalDiscussions said:

How many patents do companies claim and end up never being used...

 

(The technology doesnt exist yet), doesnt seem to favour the purpose of patenting something then xD!

This might be a unique selling point for future Windows Phones .

 

There's hope yet!

[AlTech]

19 hours ago, GoodBytes said:

And this isn't just some idea... The patent found shows Microsoft detailing a technology for touch screen devices that allows to act like a finger print reader anywhere on the screen.

In other words, phones can be made "without" a finger print reader, as it will be embedded in the touch screen.

 

 

The technology works with both LCD and OLED displays, including curved displays, and can also work on displays that doesn't have touch screen capability as it is a technology apart that is added to the display as a layer. So, I guess we could get laptops without a touch screen, but app and windows asking for finger print and you can scan yours anywhere on the display, although I don't see why you would not want to have both. But options are coo,l I guess. But anyway...

 

The patent explains:

 

You can read the patent in full here: https://patentscope.wipo.int/search/en/detail.jsf?docId=US177135262&recNum=183&maxRec=75042&office=&prevFilter=&sortOption=&queryString=ALLNAMES%3A(Microsoft)&tab=PCTDescription

 

Source: https://mspoweruser.com/microsoft-patents-screen-fingerprint-reader/

Thanks to @TheCMan, for the news tip.

 

What do you think? I think it is pretty cool that you can tap anywhere on your phone to finger print scan. I see apps having a zone, like a square or something saying to put your finger there to scan your finger print, to not conflict with program elements, or just mostly empty space where you have a large zone to tap anywhere to scan. I think it would also make finger scanner more comfortable with big phones, and still able to do it in 1 hand. I wonder, if in the future as this kind of technology progress, and evolve to be better, we could have have phones that contentiously scans your finger as you intact with it, and if it detects a different users the device locks itself.

 

If this were to come to a Windows Phone (hint hint. Surface Phone) then the market share might rise . Yay.

[Kozworth]

More than likely MS will try to tie your fingerprint to all the data they collect through Win 10 serving you personalized ads on whatever computer you log into.  Seems to follow their new business model nicely anyway. 

 

Cool tech, worrisome that its coming from MS