A series of patents filed by Apple outline its plans to overhaul the Apple TV remote amid rumors of a major upgrade. The company hints at new features like built-in fingerprint scanners for custom profiles, and automated parental controls.
All three patents (1, 2, 3) published today by the U.S. Patent and Trademark Office “mentions a device capable of collecting biometric information from a user, associating that data to a profile and remotely configuring a second device based on that information,” explains AppleInsider.
Each patent describes ways in which an intelligent remote control for a TV or set-top box such as the Apple TV could detect users using either fingerprint scanners like Touch ID, or facial recognition cameras. It can then trigger custom profiles that deliver personalized content and settings.
That might include things like favorite channels, shows, and movies; predefined volume controls; and even custom brightness and contrast settings. The profile may also be able to determine access rights to content stored locally, or give users the ability to hide personal content from other users.
These profiles could give each member of the family with their own accounts with instant access to their own content. And for those with children, it could ensure that parental controls are activated when they use the device, and that they are restricted from accessing mature content.
Like on the iPhone, the fingerprint scanner could be integrated into a button — such as the power button — so users are automatically detected as they power up their device, Apple explains. There’s also a possibility for multiple configurations for each user, which could be activated using fingerprint sequences.
Like any Apple patent, there’s no guarantee the inventions described in these three will ever make their way into future devices. However, we are confident Apple is working on an all-new Apple TV with significant improvements, and recent reports have promised it will ship with a fancy remote control.
A May report from The New York Times claimed the new remote will have a built-in touchpad that will be used for scrolling, as well as simple gestures that’ll make it much easier to navigate Apple TV’s user interface.
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