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Google Patents Frowns and Winks To Unlock Your Phone

Posted by timothy on from the your-tic-is-your-password dept.

Excelcia writes "Users could soon be asked to pull a series of faces to unlock their Android phones or tablets. Google has filed a patent suggesting users stick out their tongue or wrinkle their nose in place of a password. Requiring specific gestures could prevent the existing Face Unlock facility being fooled by photos. The software could monitor if there were changes in the angle of the person's face to ensure the device was not being shown a still image with a fake gesture animated on top."

21 of 89 comments (clear)

  1. This sucks.. by Hsien-Ko · · Score: 4, Funny

    ......for Botox users.

    1. Re:This sucks.. by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 2, Funny

      Nicholas Cage, too.

    2. Re: This sucks.. by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 5, Funny

      The only problem is no phone will be safe from Jim Carey.

  2. fooled by video instead? by AndroSyn · · Score: 3, Interesting

    Why wouldn't you just be able to play a video back to it of the subject making the required facial expression?

    1. Re:fooled by video instead? by ArcadeMan · · Score: 2

      Easier to take a static photo of someone with a good optical zoom than to film them while they're doing the facial expression in question.

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    2. Re:fooled by video instead? by squiggleslash · · Score: 4, Funny

      Let's hope nobody completely ruins Google's idea here by creating some kind of device you wear all the time that records everything you're looking at, allowing you to record someone's expression without them thinking twice about it...

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  3. :( *sadface* by nitehawk214 · · Score: 4, Insightful

    This is me frowning at your use of stupid patents.

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    1. Re::( *sadface* by gandhi_2 · · Score: 2

      A mushroom stamp to unlock... On The Internets!

      [ Patent Approved! ]

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  4. Beards... costume parties... by HockeyPuck · · Score: 2

    Grow/Shave facial hair... change your glasses... (what if you switch between contacts and glasses).....

    I have a feeling that the Clowns would frown at this feature... and nobody likes a sad clown.

    1. Re:Beards... costume parties... by hawguy · · Score: 2

      The existing face unlock handles those fine as long as you do additional captures.

      And in the real world? Crashed on a mountainbike the other day and had to call the mountain crew for an extraction. Ooops I forgot to do an additional capture with a bad facial cut and blood and sand/gravel embedded on my face. Phone doesn't recognize me. (Yes full face helmet was on... and very likely saved the face, teeth, jaw... but you can still scrape and cut up your face a bit.)

      And if all else fails, there's the pattern/pin/password backup lock it requires you to have.

      Which I won't have committed to memory since I haven't used it since purchasing the phone 11 months ago and setting up facial recognition.

      My phone lets me make an emergency call without unlocking it. I believe there are some apps that allow additional numbers (i.e. Mountain Rescue, your wife, etc) to be set as emergency contacts that can be dialed without unlocking.

  5. Seriously? by sl4shd0rk · · Score: 4, Funny

    I'm imagining a roomful of Google Glass testers who look like they have Tourrets.

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  6. Good. by tool462 · · Score: 3, Funny

    Finally a use for patents I can support. This will prevent anybody else from implementing this incredibly stupid idea.

    And on a side note, if Google did get this to work would they be able to have the phone automatically call 911 if you were having a stroke?

    1. Re:Good. by oodaloop · · Score: 2

      The emergency call button is always outside of the login window. Pull out your phone and check.

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  7. suicide. by geekymachoman · · Score: 3, Informative

    I'm gonna really kill myself if in 5-10, whatever years this becomes reality. Out of embarrassment of watching others do that.

    Imagine it.

  8. OCD leaves me by __aaeihw9960 · · Score: 3, Interesting

    with a super awesome facial tic. I am constantly lining the bridge of my nose up with opposite corners of squares when I'm walking around (OR MY FAMILY WILL DIE). So it constantly looks like I'm winking.

    It's been mildly inconvenient so far in life, but apparently now it will be SUPER useful to unlock my phone constantly! Thank you science and technology for making me feel less like a social outcast!

    1. Re:OCD leaves me by oodaloop · · Score: 2

      Christ, man, nobody is talking about making it mandatory or anything! Just don't use it!

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  9. Where is Google again? by Minwee · · Score: 2

    Oh, right. Mountain View, California, where the temperature sometimes drops as low as 4 degrees Celsius in the deepest part of Winter.

    Nobody who lived anywhere with actual weather would assume that everybody would want their face uncovered just to use their phone.

  10. Re:I'm patenting the fart gesture by oodaloop · · Score: 4, Funny

    Would it work if it's just in the general direction?

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  11. Wink? by rossdee · · Score: 2

    Nudge Nudge
    Wink Wink
    Say no more!

  12. Microsoft not worried. by Richy_T · · Score: 2

    The next release of their OS has been programmed to recognize the facepalm.

  13. Surely this patent by Fuzzums · · Score: 2

    will raise an eye brow...

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