14 DAY TRIAL // Microsoft is fully committed to keeping Windows 10 Mobile alive, but at the same time, the company is also dropping new hints that more devices could be launched, including a flagship Surface Phone coming with new and never-seen-before technology.
Such a feature could be an on-screen fingerprint reader that was recently spotted in a new patent, and although there’s no confirmation that Microsoft could adopt such a feature, this documentation is the living proof that the firm is at least thinking about it.
And another patent spotted today provides us with a closer look at how the new fingerprint sensor could work if it ever reaches production, with Microsoft describing two different scenarios for such an implementation.
First of all, it says that the on-screen fingerprint sensor can work across the entire surface of the display, which could make it possible for the device to support multiple accounts and provide customized content depending on whoever logs in. This might not make sense on a phone, but it could certainly come in handy on large devices such as a Surface Hub, where different accounts with easy authentication based on fingerprints could boost productivity and collaboration.
More accurate than on existing phones
Furthermore, Microsoft says that the on-screen fingerprint reader can provide super accurate identification, making it possible for the tech to ignore touches that do not have a fingerprint.
For example, when touching the sensor with the palm, the screen is not activated, hence no accidental touches. This is indeed a substantial improvement over the current implementations of the fingerprint sensor, as is the case of the iPhone where direct skin contact activates the reader in any condition.
“The computing device can use the fingerprint information to determine which finger of the hand has contacted the display surface, which, in turn, can be used to provide a more nuanced interpretation of the touch input event(s),” Microsoft explains.
Of course, this is still in patent stage, so there’s no confirmation that it can ever make it to production, but hopefully Microsoft sees the potential of this feature and makes it available on a future device.