Thank you for this. My unlock is much more consistent now.
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Agreed. This would be a great implementation.
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Apple's Plans to Enhance Touch ID with Trackpad Capabilities and Display Integration Revealed
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Thank you for this. My unlock is much more consistent now.
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Agreed. This would be a great implementation.
I find this troubling.
They are patenting ideas or concepts.
They haven't patented the sensor and or technology only.
They want to patent how a person may use a fingerprint scanner built into a screen.
As someone heavily involved with technology, I find it very troubling.
Build something and patent it.
Innovation happens when someone tries to build a better mousetrap.
Innovation is stifled when someone can patent the idea of a building better mousetrap.
They are patenting ideas or concepts.
They haven't patented the sensor and or technology only.
They want to patent how a person may use a fingerprint scanner built into a screen.
As someone heavily involved with technology, I find it very troubling.
Build something and patent it.
Innovation happens when someone tries to build a better mousetrap.
Innovation is stifled when someone can patent the idea of a building better mousetrap.
Using this movement tech to control games would be nice, but a more practical use would be to use it for text editing.
This would be great for moving the cursor around a text block, instead of having to just rely on the pop up magnifying glass.
This would be great for moving the cursor around a text block, instead of having to just rely on the pop up magnifying glass.
I was unaware that patents relied on building hardware. Can you enlighten us as to how that works?
Why does your involvement in technology matter? Can you cite some examples where the progress of technology is general has been hampered by patents?
Speaking in slogans does not help anyone understand what you're getting at. Patents protect specific implementations of ideas in a specific class of product, not just better mousetraps. What's the problem with that?
BTW, a patent doesn't necessarily mean a competitor can't use the idea too. It just means they may have to compensate the patent holder for it. Again, how is that a problem?
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Bingo! What a fantastic idea. The selection tool in iOS is adequate unless you're trying to position the cursor in exactly one spot. Using the fingerprint sensor would be fantastic.
The current implementation of Touch ID is just the tip of the iceberg. Getting Touch ID into the screen, which we are touching any time we use our device, only makes sense. Imagine swipe to unlock that reads your print as you swipe. Let alone the cool ass **** described here like e-mail that is print protected directly from the icon. The home button is just the beginning.
The point is that Apple is once again trying to patent ideas that have existed before. Read some of the claims and you'll see.
No detailed implementation. No details at all. Just general ideas and gestures. It's like a poster child for why smarter countries don't allow software patents at all.
There is NOTHING in the patent claims about movement requiring an authorized fingerprint. They're not scanning the print every millisecond to see if it's a valid one. They're simply watching the movement of the print, which is exactly what at least one previous phone did.
As noted above, they already exist. For example, Validity will even put a sensor in your Home button, and...
"With built in touch-based navigation functionality, Validity sensors also greatly enhance smartphone and tablet user functionality. Full 360 degree cursor control is provided as is scrolling, simplifying navigation and selection with today's larger touch-based devices."
Sometimes I really miss the optical trackpad on the Incredible. You could scroll like crazy with the tiniest of thumb movements.
Exactly. What's really ironic here is that the best one-handed usage is often via a trackpad. Then the screen size doesn't matter.
After years of touting touch-screen-only, Apple is slowly winding its way around until it comes back to doing exactly what other smartphones had already figured out as a very useful alternative input method: a cursor pad.
I keep saying that the best smartphones should support multiple types of entry to fit various needs. E.g. touch, pad, stylus.
So in your 20/30/60 year touch tech specialist opinion, is it understandable that Apple is working with the US Patent system as it's existing in the US right now or not?
If you're asking if the US system is screwed up, the answer is yes.
Unfortunately, every company is now having to file patents for self-protection. I'm going through this myself right now.
First off, generic software patents favor companies who can afford to constantly resubmit minor changes until the USPTO gives up and allows the patent, figuring that it can always be invalidated later on.
Secondly, I've said many times that I do not believe that gestures and gesture vocabularies should be patentable. Especially the ones that Apple keeps trying to grab that mimic real life, like circular motions for scrolling up and down. Hello! Ever used a window crank in a car?
Erm, Apple have been doing that (the old way) before these other guys made phones.
Too bad Apple pretty much dissed button and cursor pad driven phones, then
Because yes, they make a lot of sense to allow quick cursor / scrolling movement, while keeping required finger motion to a minimum, and not obscuring what you're looking at.
Perfect secondary input device for laptops, and for smartphones, especially with larger screens. In fact, this patent application could be an excellent indication that Apple wants to move to a much larger screen, but keep one-handed usage.
Thats the very basic concept at the core of the patent system- you cant patent an idea. So I think we can rest easy knowing the patent attorneys, judges etc who decide these things are aware of it, and will give it due regard.
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I wish this in screen touch id would be in iphone 6, but I just cant see apple putting it in the home button for just one generation - seems strange. I think it would be iphone 7 at the earliest, but I am hopeful that I am wrong.
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If you have this experience, you probably have some very good insight and points. But I would advise not trying to argue them on here - its just going to frustrate you and your points will be lost in the sea of everyone else's opinions.
If you believe the system is flawed, and have some practical experience as to why it is, why not write a paper, or submission to government, or join some of the existing ones. Then you might have a chance of changing the situation, rather than beating your head up against the wall of all of us macrumors people who wont listen to you anyway as it is too stressful to try to challenge our ill considered opinions at this point.
So, track-pad integration ?
Maybe meaning track-pads can be smaller and now be a strip, this overall maybe more lighter, and smaller laptop sizes ?
This who'e "one button" thing, weather be be "easy or complex" . (Apple like the "easy" term), is just way of out base..
You have one button, physical, but can no many things based on pressure, which direction etc....
Tell me again about the "simplicity of a Mac" ?
Back in the old days it was, right up until Apple introduced Gestures.
I would argue that today, with one button, and yes you even though you can turn them off in software, the fact it even exist at first sounded cool, but then Apple starting piling crap on as "how many gestures can we do out of a single button", "and at the same time, confuse the user"
Well.. Apple's been successful here alright...
I don't believe Surface has al these gestures, and for good reason...... I wondered why Apple never looked at it from a "better point of view"
Apple is now doing the same with Touch ID, and now combined with a track-pad.... How bad can this get .....
Apple's personally, is going down a rabbit hole..
Its got a cool technology, that started off ok, but they suddenly realize they didn't have to stop there....
I don't mind touch, just as long they aren't over-blown with all these gestures you can do to accomplish everything.
When will Apple get to the "middle finger only" gesture :O
You gotta hand to Apple, their the only company, that when they set out on a technology, they go wild, incorporating everything, but the kitchen sink, into it.. regardless, weather all users like it or not, and provider the ability to disable it in software.
Maybe meaning track-pads can be smaller and now be a strip, this overall maybe more lighter, and smaller laptop sizes ?
This who'e "one button" thing, weather be be "easy or complex" . (Apple like the "easy" term), is just way of out base..
You have one button, physical, but can no many things based on pressure, which direction etc....
Tell me again about the "simplicity of a Mac" ?
Back in the old days it was, right up until Apple introduced Gestures.
I would argue that today, with one button, and yes you even though you can turn them off in software, the fact it even exist at first sounded cool, but then Apple starting piling crap on as "how many gestures can we do out of a single button", "and at the same time, confuse the user"
Well.. Apple's been successful here alright...
I don't believe Surface has al these gestures, and for good reason...... I wondered why Apple never looked at it from a "better point of view"
Apple is now doing the same with Touch ID, and now combined with a track-pad.... How bad can this get .....
Apple's personally, is going down a rabbit hole..
Its got a cool technology, that started off ok, but they suddenly realize they didn't have to stop there....
I don't mind touch, just as long they aren't over-blown with all these gestures you can do to accomplish everything.
When will Apple get to the "middle finger only" gesture :O
You gotta hand to Apple, their the only company, that when they set out on a technology, they go wild, incorporating everything, but the kitchen sink, into it.. regardless, weather all users like it or not, and provider the ability to disable it in software.
You must have a problem with the entire US Patent System then. Every company that is worth anything takes advantage of the US Patent System now. Heck even some that aren't worth anything.
iPads are computers.
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Perhaps Apple should fix the Touch ID so that it reliably scans with at least a 60% success rate. Only then should they move on to more ambitious goals. But for now, the darn thing is the coolest yet least functional feature I have ever seen. ever. And I've seen some pretty nice features.
what rubbish. unless you're fingers are covered in...gunk...it works fine.
Simply filing a patent doesn't mean they're planning anything. Apple has thousands of patents on things they will never ever use.
That's one thing I like about Google Maps on other devices. They usually have onscreen +/- buttons for one handed use.
Or used to. The latest Google Maps (on both Android and iOS) has a new hidden zoom method:
Double-tap and hold, then slide that finger up and down to zoom/unzoom.
It's a bit tricky to learn to hold down your finger on the second tap, but it works.
I thought the same thing at first, but it actually does make sense. You bring up multitasking with your home button, so without moving your finger you can scroll through your applications and select it without moving your thumb off the button.