A concept of Surface Phone

Microsoft is internally testing different technologies for its upcoming mobile device. Most of the unique technologies such as the Lumia McLaren 3D touch has been cancelled by the Redmond giant. The rumour has it that Microsoft is testing a mobile device with a foldable display and it could be called Surface Phone.

Patents have been a big business for Microsoft and the company is filing a lot of patents these days. Published on September 7, 2017, a new patent shows a mobile device from Microsoft with the fingerprint image sensing technology. Although phone with fingerprint reader isn’t a new thing but Microsoft has modified the technology.

In the patent, Microsoft is calling the technology as off-surface image sensing. The patent shows a mobile device with a special display wherein the fingerprint sensor can detect the object (finger) without being in contact with the surface of the display, it is referred as “off-surface image sensing.”

The device uses the cover glass as a waveguide, Microsoft notes that the “light received from the object can be transmitted through the waveguide display to an image sensor within the electronic device”. Not only the fingerprint but many other objects can also be captured using the technology, however, it is apparently designed for fingerprint scanning.

The system can sense a fingerprint within several millimetres from the mobile display, Microsoft believes that this system can lead to faster logins. Microsoft gives an example of a mobile device ” authenticate a user and initiate the login process before the user’s finger even contacts the device”. If the fingers are not hygienic or potentially dirty or infectious, this system will help the user.

About The Author

Mayank Parmar

Mayank Parmar is an entrepreneur who founded Windows Latest. He is the Editor-in-Chief and has written on various topics in his seven years of career, but he is mostly known for his well-researched work on Microsoft's Windows. His articles and research works have been referred to by CNN, Business Insiders, Forbes, Fortune, CBS Interactive, Microsoft and many others over the years.