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Rumors about the return of Touch ID are nothing new. There have also been plenty of patents. Now Apple seems to be working on a new method to integrate Touch ID into the display.
Apple's latest patent regarding Touch ID describes a technology that can be used on OLED screens. This patent, too, is written quite complicatedly, making it difficult to analyze. But at its core, it's about Touch ID 2.0—the under-display fingerprint sensor. The technology would enable fingerprint recognition at any location on the display. Patent #10541280, titled "Character recognition on a computing device," states:
The approximate touch position may be determined by capacitive touch sensors and one or more finer details may be resolved by optical touch sensors. The touch screen may include a spatial filter configured to focus the light emitted by the OLEDs and/or the reflected light captured by the OLEDs for enhanced optical touch sensing. Emitted light may be reflected from an object (e.g., a finger) that is near or touching the touch screen.
Work on Touch ID 2.0 continues
According to the patent, capacitive touch sensors are used in the OLED screen. According to the patent, the sensors can distinguish fingers from other objects based on various optical properties. Apple points out in the patent that the technology can also be used in other devices, such as a notebook. This could, for example, result in a MacBook with touch and fingerprint recognition. On the whole, Apple seems to be continuing to work on the comeback of Touch ID. One thing is certain: the well-known analyst Ming-Chi Kuo has already promised an iPhone with Touch ID under the display in combination with Face ID. But when and if such a device will actually appear remains to be seen. What is clear, however, is that Apple is actually pursuing the implementation of Touch ID 2.0. In what form the fingerprint sensor will ultimately appear is probably the most exciting question. (Photo by Rost-9 / Bigstockphoto)
- Apple Patent: Touch ID 2.0 is already in use
- Apple Patent: Touch ID in the display remains current
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