New patented Face ID under the screen

A patent recently granted to Apple refers to a new method for Face ID technology under the screen and the ability to integrate additional sensors into the iPhone screen. It seems that this patent will provide an advanced version of the technology Dynamic Island It will move it steps forward and it will be more flexible and interactive.

The first solution to integrate Face ID into the screen resulted in the well-known notch starting from the iPhone X, which occupied most of the top part of the status bar on the iPhone screen.

With the release of the iPhone 14 Pro models, Apple has taken a different approach by integrating two slots inside the screen itself. These cutouts are designed to blend into one capsule-shaped piece, and Apple has taken advantage of this wonderfully by expanding their appearance and displaying relevant information inside them under the name of the interactive or dynamic island.

But the ultimate goal of Apple is to achieve a “one-piece glass panel” design, where the screen occupies the entire iPhone interface without any holes or notch, and this requires finding alternative ways to hide components and sensors at the bottom of the screen, such as Face ID sensors and the front camera.

Although Apple has many patents related to the Face ID and Touch ID fingerprint under the screen, the possibility of completely hiding it is still some way away.

And a patent awarded to Apple recently seems to illustrate the significant advances in the island's dynamic capabilities.

Patented Face ID under the screen

Apple highlighted a portion of the patent detailing advanced dynamic island technologies. In it, she mentioned:

FirstThe patent identifies a wide range of sensors that can be integrated into the screen, and perform tasks and gestures without actually touching the screen. It says:

Sensors hidden under the display can include those for a fingerprint, sensors for measuring connected and non-contact XNUMXD gestures, referred to as “air gestures,” pressure sensors, and sensors for position, orientation, and motion such as accelerometers, and magnetic sensors. Such as compass sensors, gyroscopes, inertial measurement units that contain some or all of these sensors, health sensors, and more.

In addition to the aforementioned sensors, the sensors under the screen can also include optical sensors such as self-mixing sensors, light sensors, lidar detection that measures time of flight, and humidity sensors to “gather information about the environment and surroundings of the device.” gaze tracking and other sensors.”

SecondThe patent describes a new approach to dynamic island placement, using a series of small, transparent windows. These windows can be effectively resized and positioned around the screen by selectively turning different pixels on and off, and this allows more flexibility in the placement of the dynamic island and sensors underneath. According to the patent:

It describes a new approach to interactive island design using transparent windows. These windows can be moved in a random direction and can also be randomly rotated to make the design more uniform. Transparent windows can also have a transparent gradient with the opaque area surrounding the screen and have non-linear edges.

In simpler terms, a dynamic island can be designed in a more flexible and customizable way using these transparent windows that can be moved, rotated and shaped in different ways.

Also according to the patent, Apple states that the screens used in its devices usually contain 13 layers and that light transmission through these layers can be reduced by up to 80%. As a result, to improve the functionality of the sensors placed within the display, Apple may need to reduce the number of layers in those areas, which may allow for better and improved performance of the sensors.

The new approach described in the patent appears to describe a way to mask the areas where the sensors are placed within the screen, so that they are not visible to the naked eye. Additionally, this method should not affect the performance of sensors, such as touch sensitivity, and should allow for improved light transmission.

The patent suggests that this can be achieved by distributing the sensors in a way that allows adjacent pixels to be turned off, thus increasing light transmission.

Sources:

9to5mac|patentlyapple