HTC files patent for face unlock technology
HTC has just patented face unlock technology, which (in case you're wondering) is basically the same new feature that Google has already included in Android 4.0, Ice Cream Sandwich. More specifically, the patent covers "a method for unlocking a locked computing device" via biometric information. But how can HTC patent something that Google is already including in Android, and which other Android manufacturers (like Samsung) are already using?
To put it simply, HTC's patent covers one more step that's not currently included in Google's use of the technology: namely, if the device fails to recognize your face, and you have to enter the password, the device will subsequently store the new image and add it to the allowed list.
However, perhaps more importantly, this patent opens the door for yet more petty patent lawsuits, so I'm not sure how I feel about this. In any case, it will be interesting to see if HTC includes this enhancement of Android's existing face unlock feature in the HTC EVO 4G LTE.
[Unwired via Pocketables]
