Apple Patent Describes Logo-Based Biometric Sensor, Potential Apple Pencil Charger

A newly granted patent helps to illustrate how Apple might change things up for an upcoming iPhone model with respect to Touch ID and a new peripheral, reports Patently Apple.

The patent describes a system in which a conductive connector is embedded beneath the Apple logo on the back of an iPhone device. It could perform a range of functions: As the patent explains, it would “at least partially define an electrical path which may constitute a skin conductivity sensor, a heart rate monitor, or any other suitable biometric sensor.”

That, of course, could offer a new location for Touch ID, and one that would open up more real estate on the front of the device for a full-size display. But it’s worth noting that the patent was first filed way back in 2013, and the latest industry rumors point more sharply to an in-display fingerprint scanning system, possibly based on ultrasonic technology, for Apple’s next iPhone.

Still, the other biometric capabilities enabled by this system could come into play, particularly for fitness tracking applications. Meanwhile, another configuration of the system described in the patent demonstrates “an electrical path constituting a battery charging circuit,” which Patently Apple notes could be moved to the side of a mobile device “to act as an Apple Pencil charger.” Alluding to rumors that Apple may offer a “higher-end iPhone in the $1000 dollar range,” it’s a possibility worth considering for an upcoming device.

Source: Patently Apple