Apple patent hints at under-display Touch ID for iPhones, iPads, Macs

Apple has been granted yet another patent (number 11,073,712) that involves Touch ID being built under the screen of future iPhones and perhaps iPads and Macs, as well. If realized, future devices could include both Face ID and Touch ID.

About the patent

Touch ID is an electronic fingerprint recognition feature, designed and released by Apple that allows users to unlock Apple devices, make purchases in the various Apple digital media stores (the iTunes Store, the App Store, and the Apple BookStore), and authenticate Apple Pay online or in apps.

In the past Touch ID required a physical button. The goal of the patent is to enable it under the display of a device. That could be an iPhone screen, iPad screen, or touchpad on a Mac laptop.

Summary of the patent

Here’s Apple’s abstract of the patent: “Systems and methods for through-display imaging. A display includes an imaging aperture defined through an opaque backing. An optical imaging array is aligned with the aperture. Above the aperture, the display is arranged and/or configured for increased optical transmittance. For example, a region of the display above, or adjacent to, the imaging aperture can be formed with a lower pixel density than other regions of the display, thereby increasing inter-pixel distance (e.g., pitch) and increasing an area through which light can traverse the display to reach the optical imaging array.”