It wouldn't be a normal week without an iPhone rumour or two, so it's a pleasure to report that Apple itself has fuelled the latest scuttlebutt by filing a patent application for some intriguing new features.
The 2 July US filing suggests that future iPhones may include fingerprint recognition in the touchscreen for not just security purposes, but also as a new means of control.
Touch sensitive
It posits that the device will be able to determine which finger is touching the screen and react accordingly.
So, for example, a long touch of the index finger might send users to the home screen, while a shorter touch might just jump up one level in a menu or folder.
In-car entertainment?
Such a move would also make it possible to operate the music player without looking at the screen - the middle finger could trigger it to skip ahead, with the index finger putting it into reverse.
However, while the use of fingerprint recognition is now out in the open, we can't see it making it into the iPhone anytime soon.
Via MacRumors
Your comments (5) Click to add a new comment
thedogsjim
July 5th
5. Must be going mad or Techradar have updated the link to that 2 July US filing. My surfing history has me going here yesterday:
http://appft.uspto.gov/netacgi/nph-Parser?Sect1=PTO2&Sect2=HITOFF&p=1&u=/netahtml/PTO/search-bool.html&r=1&f=G&l=50&co1=AND&d=PG01&s1=20090167704&OS=20090167704&RS=20090167704
Today, it seems to go to, as you have all said, fingerprint patent which didn't even show up on a search os the US patents office yesterday.
I must be going mad...
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khsbenny
July 4th
4. Apple will always be developing the new iPhone. Same with all other manufactures.
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mcdragon
July 4th
3. @thedogsjim: interesting point, however I am not sure if the patent application you read is the same as the one that is linked in the article. The word fingerprint with derivations appears 287 times (including the title). The word finger with derivations, including "fingerprint", if course, appears 319 times.
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trevgc
July 4th
2. I think you need to read it then. As it seems you haven't. It mentions fingerprint or fingerprints more than a few times!
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thedogsjim
July 4th
1. Has anyone actually bothered reading the patent application? Or bothered to search the US Patent office site?
The linked patent application is all about offering tactile feedback to touching the screen.
The word 'finger' is mentioned 14 times whilst the word 'fingerprint' appears NOWHERE.
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