Apple might add Touch ID to an Apple TV smart home remote

(Pocket-lint) - Apple could reinvent the Apple TV distant again, by integrating its Touch ID exertion into the controller, according to a caller patent. 

As archetypal spotted by Patently Apple, Apple has been granted a patent for a "remote covering television, location devices, doors, appliances and more" with biometric authentication. It's assumed this distant would beryllium for Apple TV, but Apple could besides beryllium imagining a HomeKit distant with Touch ID.

The disorder stems from the information the patent is really a inferior patent - not a plan patent - truthful determination are nary images of the instrumentality included.

Instead, the patent describes Apple's thought - chiefly the "a biometrics strategy being included with a remote". The distant would diagnostic 1 oregon 2 Touch ID sensors and could beryllium utilized for the Apple TV oregon astute location automation. It mightiness besides diagnostic aggregate biometric authentication types.

Here's the abstract for the patent:

"An physics instrumentality having astatine slightest 1 operational setting, specified arsenic a powerfulness setting, with astatine slightest a archetypal authorities and a 2nd state. The physics instrumentality whitethorn besides see an entree controller that tin person authorities information and authorization information from an outer root specified arsenic a distant control. The entree controller whitethorn alteration a authorities of the operational mounting upon receipt of due authorization information received from oregon related to the output from astatine slightest 1 biometric sensor associated with the distant control."

The patent besides mentions imaginable integration with parental power features to restrict what children tin bash with the remote.

Just support successful caput that Apple's patents bash not ever travel to fruition successful the signifier of a user merchandise you tin buy. Nevertheless, it is absorbing to spot what the Cupertino-based institution is envisioning, including immoderate imaginable moves it could beryllium readying successful the astute location industry.

Writing by Maggie Tillman. Originally published connected 29 December 2021.