Unlock your phone using your EAR

Forget fingerprint identification, Amazon has developed a way to unlock phones using the shape of a user's ear.

 

The ear is as unique as a fingerprint and could be used to unlock phones

Amazon has received a patent for technology that would see a smartphone scan a user's ear to unlock itself.

A smartphone's front-facing camera would be used to scan the user's ear shape, which can be as unique as a person's fingerprint.
The image would then be matched with the saved image and outline of the user's ear, unlocking the device.

The smartphone would take a photograph of the ear

The abstract of the patent paper said: "An electronic device can attempt to capture at least one image including at least a portion of a user's ear when the user utilises the electronic device for certain purposes, such as to receive a call or listen to an audio file."
Researchers have previously said the ear is one of the most reliable biometric identification devices as it does not change much as someone ages.

It would then process the image to try to match it to the user

The next version of Android - Android M - will add fingerprint recognition to phones, following Apple's Touch ID system which was launched on the iPhone 5S.
Amazon could try to use to ear-unlocking system to differentiate itself from two of the big players in the smartphone market.
There is also a possible alternative use for the ear recognition technology - automatic speaker-phone volume adjustment based on the distance from the phone to the user's ear.