Last week the U.S. Patent & Trademark Office published a patent application from Samsung that reveals their experimentation with a new identification process that differs from current competing biometric systems like Apple's Touch ID. Samsung believes that a smartwatch could learn the user's vein pattern to provide security ID for opening apps right through to authenticating credit card payments.
Wearable devices, such as smartwatches have become popular. A wearable device may capture an image of a portion or all of a user's body and may identify a user wearing the wearable device based on the captured image. For example, the smartwatch may be worn on a user's wrist to capture an image of the user's veins in order to identify a user. The smart watch may also capture an image of the user's eye in order to identify a user.
According to an aspect of Samsung's invention, there is provided a smartwatch that includes a sensor configured to capture a vein image of a user. The wearable device could also include sensors to monitor the user's temperature and pulse rate to further identify the user for security and authentication purposes.
Samsung's patent FIG. 1 is a diagram illustrating a wearable device that performs various functions through vein authentication; FIG. 24 is a diagram illustrating a process by which a wearable device displays an authentication region; and FIG. 25 is a diagram illustrating a sensor arrangement of a wearable device. The authentication process via vein ID would apply to a wide range of applications such as music, credit card payment, accessing a contact list and even instant login.
Further, Samsung notes that the smartwatch's processor would be configured to respond 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.
According to an aspect of another exemplary embodiment, there is provided a wearable device including a sensor configured to capture a vein image of a user; a display configured to display a music list; and a processor configured to: in response to a music player being selected, control the sensor to capture the vein image of the user; identify the user by comparing the captured vein image with at least one registered vein image; and control the display unit to display the music list registered with respect to the identified user.
Samsung's patent FIG. 8 is a flowchart illustrating a method by which a wearable device provides a music list; FIG. 10 is a diagram illustrating a timing of performing vein authentication.
Samsung's patent FIG. 7 is a diagram illustrating a process by which a wearable device provides a contact list.
Samsung's patent FIG. 17 is a diagram illustrating a process by which a wearable device performs payment by using registered credit card information.
Samsung's patent FIG. 13 is a diagram illustrating a process by which a wearable device displays automatically performs login.
Samsung filed their U.S. patent application back in July 2015. Considering that this is a patent application, the timing of such a product to market is unknown at this time.
In the end, Fingerprint ID can easily apply to any number of wearables device whereas vein pattern ID is a little more complicated with limited viability. While it's an interesting alternative identification methodology, it's hard to see this becoming popular. It's hard to see this method as one that could be trusted by the banks. And lastly, some guy's hands are awfully hairy and this form of ID isn't going to work, period.
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