Today the US Patent & Trademark Office published a patent application from Microsoft that relates to adding a fingerprint reader to a future version of Surface Headphones that would allow a user to be authenticated on multiple devices, be it a Surface Book 3, Surface Studio desktop or future Surface Neo (dual display tablet) and/or Surface Duo (dual display smartphone).
Microsoft's begins their patent filing by noting that currently there are a large number of electronic devices that do not have built-in function of fingerprint authentication. This means, there may still be a need to equip those devices with external fingerprint authentication apparatus to facilitate user's secure and convenient login.
Headset nowadays, as an essential audio input/output (I/O) accessory for majority of electronic devices, provides a possible platform to accommodate the fingerprint authentication module or integrate the fingerprint authentication function. This enables a single user to listen to an audio source privately, and meanwhile login his/her account or device in a secured way.
Implementations of the subject matter described herein provide a "dual-mode" headset that is equipped with a fingerprint authentication apparatus. The headset can be coupled to an electronic device, such as personal computers (PCs) and tablets, and functions as a typical audio accessory to receive sound.
In addition, by means of the associated fingerprint authentication apparatus, the headset also facilitates the user to log in his/her own account on that device.
While patent FIG. 1 below illustrates Surface headphones with a wired connection, Microsoft is quick to point out that wireless connections such as Bluetooth, Wi-Fi, or optical communication are also possible.
In use with their wireless Surface Headphones, Microsoft notes that "the fingerprint reader (#120) could be an integrated or embedded component in the headphones. To be convenient, that would likely translate to being on the exterior surface of one the ear cups.
Microsoft originally filed for this patent back in Q4 2019. The U.S. Patent Office published it earlier this morning.
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