Samsung has filed for a patent with the US Patent and Trademark Office (USPTO) for a wearable device that would identify users by scanning their veins. The patent, called ‘Wearable Device and Method of Operating the Same’, describes a method for scanning a user’s vein layout and then comparing it with the vein layout of a registered user.
The patent, which was filed in July 2015, states, “A wearable device comprising: a sensor configured to capture a vein image of a user; and a processor configured to: in response to a function or an application being selected by the user, control the sensor to capture the vein image of the user wearing the wearable device; identify the user by comparing the captured vein image with at least one registered vein image; and in response to determining that the identified user has an execution authority for the selected function or application, execute the function or the application.”
Yesterday, it was reported that Samsung had also filed for a patent that allows its phones' S-pen to be used as a kickstand. Patent diagrams show that users will be able to pull the stylus out halfway out of its slot and then bend it by 90 degrees. When it is bent, it is automatically locked in position and allows users to position the device in portrait or landscape mode. When the S-pen is straightened, the lock is disengaged and allows the stylus to be removed or reinserted back into the device. In addition, there are reports that the company has also applied for another patent for an S-Pen case that would allow the stylus to be used with non-Note devices. The patent diagrams suggest that the case would cover the entire display of the device with a screen, instead of having an open ‘window’. It is possible that the screen may contain a digitiser layer that would allow the S-Pen to work, as this layer would not be present in non-Note devices.