Samsung patents under-screen fingerprint reader; expected to arrive on the upcoming Galaxy phone

Samsung seems to have some big plans for its Galaxy S9. While earlier reports have pointed out to an almost bezel-less display, a new report by LetsGoDigital, shows that Samsung's new and innovative approach to the old fingerprint reader.

Samsung Galaxy S8

The report points to a new patent application for an in display fingerprint scanner by Samsung Electronics Co. Ltd.. The same was submitted in April 2017 and was approved this month by the World Intellectual Property Organisation (WIPO).

While Apple skipped on the fingerprint reader with its pricey iPhone X, Samsung seems to have innovated and created an even better approach to the recent problem of tackling full screen displays.

According to the patent, Samsung has installed a the fingerprint sensor between the top-most layer of the cover glass and the second layer of the touch sensor. Below the touch sensor, sits the third layer, which is the display panel.

By placing the sensor between the first two layers, Samsung seems to have created a rather big fingerprint reading area covering the entire display. So the new technology will basically read your fingerprint from almost anywhere on the display.

The entire display will be connected to a processor or chipset, that would be able to store at least one registered fingerprint. But the cool part begins here.

The placement of the fingerprint reader according to the patent. Image: LetsGoDigital

With an entire display capable of reading a fingerprint, Samsung has plans to make its software respond accordingly.

When a user touches the Gallery app icon, the fingerprint sensor embedded into the display authenticates and then opens the Gallery with the private photos visible. If an unknown user taps on the same Gallery icon, the Gallery opens without the private photos on display.

According to the patent, Samsung has plans to use this cool new feature for a multitude of native apps. Indeed it will reduce the need for a dedicated space on the device (bezels, or the back cover) for fingerprint authentication. The idea also hints at the possibility of a truly bezel-less device since the only area that needs bezels is the receiver and the front-facing camera.