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Haptic Feedback, Fingerprint Identification, and RFID Tag Readers in Future iPhones?
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Better than it was before, Better, Stronger, Faster!
So next years multi-core iPhone 4G has:
OLED Touch Screen
Haptic feedback from the screen,
Reads rfid chips from the screen,
Has an embedded front facing camera behind or in embedded in the screen,
Has a fingerprint detector embedded in or behind the screen...
Has a solar Cell embedded in the screen layering...
...and a gravity sensor.
So next years multi-core iPhone 4G has:
OLED Touch Screen
Haptic feedback from the screen,
Reads rfid chips from the screen,
Has an embedded front facing camera behind or in embedded in the screen,
Has a fingerprint detector embedded in or behind the screen...
Has a solar Cell embedded in the screen layering...
...and a gravity sensor.
Haptic feedback will be a great addition to the next iPhones (and hopefully iPod Touches!), and it paired with fingerprint recognition seems like a perfect match. However, I just hope Apple doesn't overdo it. Memorizing all these gestures might become a pain, depending on which gesture it is. n degrees within the reference axis? But I can see it being used in very interesting ways.
I'm worried about battery life a little, though. Even with the (slightly) improved battery life of the 3GS, thousands of tiny pizoelectronic actuators vibrating at all sorts of frequencies might wear on the next iPhone's battery pretty quickly. Also, assuming that the pizoelectronic actuators are below the surface of the screen, this could signal OLED screens in the next iPhones. I know almost nothing about the technology, but its nature of being basically "printed" onto a surface means that the screen can be much thinner, an advantage if extra thickness is required for the sensors.
I'm worried about battery life a little, though. Even with the (slightly) improved battery life of the 3GS, thousands of tiny pizoelectronic actuators vibrating at all sorts of frequencies might wear on the next iPhone's battery pretty quickly. Also, assuming that the pizoelectronic actuators are below the surface of the screen, this could signal OLED screens in the next iPhones. I know almost nothing about the technology, but its nature of being basically "printed" onto a surface means that the screen can be much thinner, an advantage if extra thickness is required for the sensors.
...and a gravity sensor.
Of course, the gravity sensor would be necessary since the iPhone 4G will 'hover' and 'glide' ever so slightly over any surface it's placed on. Much like an air hockey puck hovers and glides over an air hockey table.
The haptic part sounds awesome. I love that kind of technology and would really benefit from it on the iPhone.
The fingerprint actions would be a problem. I have a skin disorder that causes the skin on my finger tips to break often resulting in my fingers being near polished. This also means I don't have any finger prints on the tips of my fingers.
Could be a slight problem if they introduced this as a secondary security feature.
The fingerprint actions would be a problem. I have a skin disorder that causes the skin on my finger tips to break often resulting in my fingers being near polished. This also means I don't have any finger prints on the tips of my fingers.
Could be a slight problem if they introduced this as a secondary security feature.
Haptic sounds like they are thinking of the technology in more than just a gimmicky manner.
The problem with typical haptic feedback is that it only tells you WHEN you touch the screen, but not WHERE, which still makes it impossible to type without looking. This sounds like it could be a solution. Basically, current methods miss the boat.
The BB Storm's "SurePress" screen is a great example of a gimmick. The whole screen is a button, giving the user the sensation of pressing a button. So while they receive feedback, they still have no clue where they are pressing. It's really a comfort feature, to get those accustomed to physical keyboards the feeling that they are pressing something. Regardless, it doesn't actually help you type in terms of "feeling" the keys because there's no way to distinguish where you are.
I hope this helps.
The problem with typical haptic feedback is that it only tells you WHEN you touch the screen, but not WHERE, which still makes it impossible to type without looking. This sounds like it could be a solution. Basically, current methods miss the boat.
The BB Storm's "SurePress" screen is a great example of a gimmick. The whole screen is a button, giving the user the sensation of pressing a button. So while they receive feedback, they still have no clue where they are pressing. It's really a comfort feature, to get those accustomed to physical keyboards the feeling that they are pressing something. Regardless, it doesn't actually help you type in terms of "feeling" the keys because there's no way to distinguish where you are.
I hope this helps.
RFID tag + iPhone = awesome
First let me point out that the iPhone is extremely unlikely to become an RFID reader.
What the iPhone is perfect for is passive or active RFID antennas. Using a Parallax RFID reader, BS2 Stamp, and some components from Radio Shack, I was able to build a keyless entry system for my car. Inside my iPhone I have stuck an inventory-style RFID tag against the battery and can now lock/unlock my car doors with my iPhone. Pretty neat and very handy if you hate carrying keys around. RFID tags are very practical for this use on account of their vast variety of shapes and sizes as well as their cheapness at around $1 per tag.
This is only one of infinite possibilities. Go to the Parallax.com project page to get a sense of what other people are doing, and that you could be doing with your iPhone and an RFID tag.
First let me point out that the iPhone is extremely unlikely to become an RFID reader.
What the iPhone is perfect for is passive or active RFID antennas. Using a Parallax RFID reader, BS2 Stamp, and some components from Radio Shack, I was able to build a keyless entry system for my car. Inside my iPhone I have stuck an inventory-style RFID tag against the battery and can now lock/unlock my car doors with my iPhone. Pretty neat and very handy if you hate carrying keys around. RFID tags are very practical for this use on account of their vast variety of shapes and sizes as well as their cheapness at around $1 per tag.
This is only one of infinite possibilities. Go to the Parallax.com project page to get a sense of what other people are doing, and that you could be doing with your iPhone and an RFID tag.
Let's not forget its ability to decompile your molecular structure, transport that signal using cell towers (if your carrier supports it
), and land you wherever your heart's content. Star Trek anyone?
Haptic feedback is not needed. I know someone with a phone that has this input feature. To me it is annoying after only two minutes of playing with the phone. It's just a little buzz you get under your finger when you hit a key, letting you know you hit something (By the way it's not telling you whether or not the key you hit was the correct something). So in actuality, it serves little purpose other than letting your mind know for sure that you did something. It's comparable to the small electric buzzer gadget you hide in your hand and then give someone a handshake with, only about 95% less buzz. The iphone is just fine as is. The way it is made allows for almost no errors. I have had less errors on an iphone than I have on a push button phone. Auto correction is great and for the most part it doesn't even get used. Because of the way they implemented the typing technology, errors are few and far between.
Greetings, Program!
Tron... don't you understand? We don't need Users. We've advanced; they're superfluous. Be a part of me, and together the world will be ours to control!Let's not forget its ability to decompile your molecular structure, transport that signal using cell towers (if your carrier supports it
So far I have not seen any consumer grade fingerprint readers that really work, more commercial ones I have come across are weak.
I'm not a fan of tying biometrics to technology, it's bad enough our governments are starting to go down that road. I think we should draw a line somewhere before we end up as the borg or something, and the line is right about here. Together with RFID and the thing is starting to sound like an ID card or passport a little too much.
Haptic feedback is good though.
Haptic feedback is good though.
While I've always thought that a fingerprint reader would be great on the iPhone, how many of you actually touch your entire finger pad to your iPhone regularly? Typically I just use part of my finger, perhaps the tip most of the time. I guess for a specialized feature on the "home" button or something I could understand.
This (along with the other patents) would also seem a little late for the 4G iPhone, but maybe not. However, other phones have some of these features, so it wouldn't be totally out of the grain. I could definitely see this going along with another touch device...
This (along with the other patents) would also seem a little late for the 4G iPhone, but maybe not. However, other phones have some of these features, so it wouldn't be totally out of the grain. I could definitely see this going along with another touch device...
How would fingerprint authorization work on a device that is known for keeping fingerprints on it?
Couldn't one potentially "dust" for prints and try and use a "replay attack" to gain access to the device? Even with the oleophobic coating, finger prints remain, just that they are easier to wipe off.
Couldn't one potentially "dust" for prints and try and use a "replay attack" to gain access to the device? Even with the oleophobic coating, finger prints remain, just that they are easier to wipe off.
Haptic feedback? Yes please!
Just use your nose!
I've already taken a call by pressing the answer button with my nose. It's kinda hard though, you need to angle the iPhone sideways, otherwise, the proximity sensor will void the command because your forehead is right in front of it. And you might bump your glasses.
You can train by locking the thing, put it up to your face, turn it 90° left (so the phone speaker point to your left ear), and just slide the phone downward. Once you've mastered that, you can take calls like that, and it's just a one inch movement to get into the conversation posture, i.e. speaker right up to the ear.
But there are also extra gloves with conductive fiingertips, so you can actually use the touchscreen through the gloves.
Blackberry already has touch feedback technology in one of their handsets http://uk.blackberry.com/devices/features/surepress.jsp so who knows maybe we would be seeing this part of the technology available sooner than that.
Its also possible that certain aspects of the technology will be made available while other aspects remain dormant (Like the HD 720p video capability in the current 3GS chips).
