Apple Patents Heart Sensors for iPhone Recognition

We already knew that many iPhone owners’ hearts give a little extra pitter-patter for their prized phones, but in the future, Apple’s handset may be able to return the love by recognizing its owner based upon the beat of his heart. Sounds a little strange, but Apple has patented a cardiac monitor for possible use in iPhones. Usually heart rate monitors are used for exercise, but this one is angled as a new type of biometrics recognition sensor that would allow the iPhone to automatically recognize its owner.

The cardiac sensors would work more seamlessly than other features, picking up your heart rate the moment you pick up the phone. No fingerprint scanning, no password, just seamless security. Apple goes so far as to say the monitor could sense a user’s mood based on his heart rate and then react to the mood. That’s just a little creepy.

Here’s a description of the hardware from Apple’s patent application: “The electronic device can include a heart sensor having several leads for detecting a user’s cardiac signals. The leads can be coupled to interior surfaces of the electronic device housing to hide the sensor from view, such that electrical signals generated by the user can be transmitted from the user’s skin through the electronic device housing to the leads. In some embodiments, the leads can be coupled to pads placed on the exterior of the housing. The pads and housing can be finished to ensure that the pads are not visibly or haptically distinguishable on the device, thus improving the aesthetic qualities of the device. Using the detected signals, the electronic device can identify or authenticate the user and perform an operation based on the identity of the user. In some embodiments, the electronic device can determine the user’s mood from the cardiac signals and provide data related to the user’s mood.”

I can just see it now–future spec sheets reading Wi-Fi, GPS, accelerometer, proximity sensor, digital compass, cardiac sensor…[via UnwiredView]