Qualcomm will be the first in delivering ultrasonic fingerprint scanners that go directly underneath the display panels. Qualcomm has announced that they will be supplying these new futuristic scanners starting in Summer 2018.
The brand new design from Qualcomm utilizes ultrasonic fingerprint detection, and the use of ultrasonic scanners opposed to capacitance will make it much easier to “see through” the display panel to take your fingerprint. The only catch with this new technology is that the design only will work on OLED panels under 1200 µm in thickness.
Quote from Qualcomm’s official press release:
“We are excited to announce Qualcomm Fingerprint Sensors because they can be designed to support sleeker, cutting-edge form factors, unique mobile authentication experiences, and enhanced security authentication,” said Seshu Madhavapeddy, vice president, product management, Qualcomm Technologies, Inc. “This provides OEMs and operators with the ability to offer truly distinct, differentiated devices with added value on truly groundbreaking new devices.”
Future Uses of Ultrasonic Fingerprint Scanners
Qualcomm’s new scanners will not only read fingerprints, they also have the ability to detect heart rate and blood flow, which is something that our traditional sensors isn’t capable of today.
These new scanners don’t even require the screen to be ON, and they say they will work underwater, where today capacitive fingerprint scanners are basically useless. Since the sensors now sits under the display there is no longer the need to have holes drilled in the device to add it, which will make it a lot easier to waterproof a unit.
For the rugged computer industry, this may a lot of interesting usage areas in the future.
Read the official press release: https://www.qualcomm.com/news/releases/2017/06/28/qualcomm-announces-advanced-fingerprint-scanning-and-authentication
