It looks like Apple will finally do it. This year’s iPhone (iPhone 12s?) It will probably support two biometric authentication methods – facial recognition and fingerprints stored in the device’s secure enclave. Immediately Face ID and Touch ID. Fingerprint verification is in great demand these days. Due to mandatory masks, smartphones no longer recognize their owners. Will Apple be able to use the fingerprint boom to enrich itself or not? Apple has gone so long towards this goal that it would be fair if, after the presentation of the iPhone 12s, wearing masks became optional and the boom subsided.
On March 17, Samsung unveiled the new Galaxy A series, a mid-range smartphone that supports both biometric authentication methods – fingerprint comparison and face recognition. Samsung Galaxy A52, Samsung Galaxy A52 5G and Samsung Galaxy A72. And on March 18, the US Patent and Trademark Office released Apple’s patent application describing another way to read fingerprints from a screen that under-screen fingerprint scanners could use. Coincidence? That is unlikely.
What is the difference between an optical fingerprint scanner and an ultrasonic one?
The clarity and contrast of the image entering the fingerprint sensors located under the screen are the most important conditions for its correct and stable operation. When using the reflections generated by oblique light to read fingerprints, the image’s clarity and contrast are dramatically increased. To achieve this effect, several layers are placed over the fingerprint sensor – a light-emitting layer, above it – a transparent layer that transmits light directed at the required angle and also receives and transmits its reflection to the sensor. There are a few more layers in this sandwich, and it all looks very cool.
I will not delve into the intricacies (optics is not my speciality); for those who are interested in them, I recommend looking into the patent application. Off-axis angled light, tested under various conditions, provides the precision required for the finger scanner’s reliable operation.
Judging by the fact that engineers and scientists at Apple had to work on improving the clarity and contrast of the image of fingerprints transmitted to the sub-screen sensors, there were serious problems with clarity and contrast. Qualcomm’s sub-screen fingerprint sensors use a different method – ultrasonic , which does not have this problem. Apple has been dealing with this issue since at least 2013. They started with the ultrasound method, but in 2018 came to the conclusion that it was impossible to eliminate its fundamental shortcomings, and they are working on a more promising optical method. The method is promising, but many difficulties had to be overcome on the way to its implementation.
iPhone Touch ID Returns?
The patent application, the publication of which everyone was so happy about, was sent to the US Patent and Trademark Office on August 25 last year. In 2021, Apple is said to unveil new iPhones at their usual time. In September. August 25 is a year and two to three weeks before the presentation. By this time, the stage of testing the late prototypes of all four models of the 2021 generation has already been left behind.
The end of August is no longer the time for fundamental changes. Does this mean there won’t be Touch ID on iPhone 12s, / 12s mini / 12s Pro / 12s Pro Max? Not. Sometimes patent applications are filed with the patent office for exactly what patents were actually invented to protect the copyright of inventions. In this particular case, everything could be like this. After trying different ways to improve the reliability of sub-screen sensors, Apple engineers and scientists found this solution, and it worked. The application was sent to the patent office, the multilayer fragment, ensuring the accuracy of fingerprint reading, was approved as an integral part of the new iPhones’ design. At the end of December, strictly on schedule, the iPhone 12s of all kinds entered the home stretch. At the same time, the first rumours about finger scanners appeared on the screen of new iPhones.