Unlock iPhone and Mac with Heartbeat Pattern
We’re used to using passwords, fingerprints, and even facial recognition to unlock our iPhones and Macs, but what if your phone used your unique heartbeat to secure your device? Well, this isn’t science fiction, it’s a new technology that Apple is studying through a recent patent it obtained. What is it and when will it be implemented? That’s what we’re going to talk about today?
How to unlock iPhone and Mac by heart?
Just as Apple uses the electrocardiogram (ECG) feature on the Apple Watch to monitor heart rate, the new Heart Lock will allow users to unlock their Apple devices while wearing the Apple Watch and potentially have a feature on the iPhone that checks heart rate.
Apple’s new patent, highlighted in a report by Apple Insider , describes a technology that identifies users based on their unique heart rhythms, providing a secure and seamless way to authenticate a device. The patent summary states that “this (innovative technology) is directed to an electronic device with an integrated sensor to detect cardiac activity and electrical signals from the heart. Using the detected signals, the electronic device can identify or authenticate a user and perform an operation based on the user’s identity.”
How does a heart lock work?
The basic idea behind Apple’s latest patented technology is that each person’s heart has a unique rhythm, and it can be used as a biometric identifier. Apple Watch already comes with ECG sensors that help pick up these unique patterns. This process involves two points of contact with the user’s body: the sensor on the back that touches the hand wearing the watch, and the digital wheel that the user places their index finger on. When the user starts the ECG app and touches the digital wheel, the circuit is completed, allowing Apple Watch to measure the heart’s electrical signals.
By using a full ECG reading and checking the user’s heart rhythm, the patented technology will allow users to unlock their connected Apple devices as long as they continue to wear their Apple Watch. This will simplify and speed up the authentication process, enhancing security and convenience for users. Just as users can unlock their Mac with Apple Watch, they will be able to unlock their devices using heart rhythm data.
In addition to leveraging the technology behind the Apple Watch’s ECG sensor, the patent also explores the possibility of integrating ECG reading technology into iPhones. The design mentioned in the proposal suggests that Apple could turn the iPhone’s exterior design into a heart-monitoring device. By simply holding the iPhone, the user could verify their identity based on their heart rate, simplifying the ECG process.
The patent not only discusses the new iPhone’s heart rhythm unlocking system, but also hints at using heart rhythm data from an electrocardiogram to determine a user’s mood. The patent states that “in some versions, the electronic device can determine a user’s mood from cardiac signals and provide data relating to the user’s mood.” For example, during a workout, the Apple Watch or iPhone could analyze heart rhythm data and automatically adjust music to suit the user’s mood.
Apple’s latest patent is an indication of the company’s commitment to security innovation. The Heart Lock offers a unique and secure way to authenticate users on Apple devices, with the potential for additional apps to track moods. While it’s too early to know when this technology will become available to the public, it highlights an exciting future for smart devices that understand us better.