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Google Awarded Face-To-Unlock Patent

Posted by Soulskill on from the slam-your-face-into-it-until-it-unlocks dept.

An anonymous reader writes "CNet reports that Google was awarded a patent yesterday for logging into a computing device using face recognition (8,261,090). 'In order for the technology to work, Google's patent requires a camera that can identify a person's face. If that face matches a "predetermined identity," then the person is logged into the respective device. If multiple people want to access a computer, the next person would get in front of the camera, and the device's software would automatically transition to the new user's profile. ... Interestingly, Apple last year filed for a patent related to facial recognition similar to what Google is describing in its own service. That technology would recognize a person's face and use that as the authentication needed to access user profiles or other important information.'"

5 of 194 comments (clear)

  1. Good facial recognition by i+kan+reed · · Score: 4, Insightful

    Good facial recognition has existed for several years now. Using that tech for authentication is obvious. Patents continue to suck.

    1. Re:Good facial recognition by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 5, Insightful

      It's not just "facial recognition" that they were awarded the patent on. It's the method of recognition and the technology suite behind it.
       
      I swear to god, sometimes Slashdotters come off sounding like a bunch of gimps. Normally these are the people who are made fun of around here but really, Slashdotters aren't that much better for the most part.
       
      How long until one of you wanna-bes post something like "But I thought scientists said coffee was good fer ya!?!? These scientists don't know nothing!!!"

    2. Re:Good facial recognition by h4rr4r · · Score: 3, Insightful

      Blink to unlock is a standard part of Android Jelly Bean. It has nothing to do with samsung, other than that they make at least one phone that has Jelly Bean.

    3. Re:Good facial recognition by andydread · · Score: 3, Insightful

      THIS ^^

  2. Re:Amazing by Solandri · · Score: 4, Insightful

    This is the new reality that Apple has created. No matter how mundane, obvious, or silly an idea is, you have to patent it to protect yourself. If you don't because you think it's obvious, you could be sued by someone who does patent it. And if the jury is headed by someone who is gung-ho about patents, you could lose. In the coming years, I expect to see squares, rectangles, circles, ovals, triangles, etc. all being patented because the ~$10k filing and attorney's fees are a heckuva lot cheaper than fighting a patent lawsuit.

    Oh brave new world, that has such people in it!