Apple patents fingerprint sensor within display panel, plans for future iPhones

Several rumours have been taking the rounds for a while now, suggesting the future Apple device is set to come in a glass body and edge-to-edge OLED display that includes an integrated Touch ID fingerprint sensor within the display itself.

It is now official that the future iPhone could in fact come with this integration as a patent called 'Capacitive fingerprint sensor including an electrostatic lens' was recently published on the official US Patents and Trademark website. The patent's description section read, 'A capacitive fingerprint sensor, including: a dielectric structure having a contact surface and a sensor surface; an array of capacitive sensing elements held on or near the sensor surface of the dielectric structure; and an electrostatic lens formed within the dielectric structure.'

The description further goes on to explain how exactly the fingerprint sensor integrated within the display will work. The drawings also suggest that the device might not consist of a Home button. Apple had originally filed this patent back in September 2014. However, the patent was only approved earlier this month.

Apple explains how they plan on offering increased accuracy and security.

The effectiveness of biometric security systems may be affected by the accuracy with which the unique biometric data on which they are based is able to be detected.

In the case of fingerprint identification systems, this means that improved detection resolution may lead to improved security for the secure device. Thus, improving detection resolution is a significant issue in such systems, the patent read.