AuthenTec was developing finger print sensors EMBEDDED in the touchscreen.
Link or reference? I think you're mixing in something that Apple was working on before (combination screen and scanner).
As for fingerprint sensors, they've been used in handhelds since at least the turn of the century. They're like a fad that shows up every few years.
As I've mentioned before, the first "retina" screen phone (the 2007 Toshiba Portege G900) had a fingerprint sensor that could be used not only for unlocking, but also for scrolling.
The Toshiba smartphone also had a mode where each of your fingers could be assigned to launch a different application when scanned.
Apple's recent patents indicate that they'd most likely use a sensor to authenticate tickets, payments, etc. Of course, you'd probably still want a PIN as a backup in case you cannot use your fingers for some reason.