Samsung may have found another way to unlock your smartphone

No passwords, fingerprints, or facial recognition.

Samsung has released a patent in Europe detailing work on a palm print image process system that could be used in future smartphones.

Currently, Samsung’s Galaxy smartphones can be unlocked using fingerprint ID. However, the document reveals a new type of system that may be more secure, as it requires at least three feature coordinates from a palm image.

The device's new recognition system, or palm print recognition, works by obtaining biometric information from a palm print and authenticating the lines, wrinkles, and skin texture seen on the palm.

This method seems to be more secure as it would scan a bigger area than just the finger.

For it to work, the smartphone needs a camera, at least one processor, and memory that would store and run recognition software.

A smartphone’s camera would be used to capture the palm. Once the picture is in the system, it extracts at least three feature points, with these points helping the system to understand how the palm is oriented and analyze the palm print.

Why could palm recognition replace fingerprint identification? Because it uses the larger area of the hand, it could be more accurate than fingerprint scanning, which can sometimes be harder to use due to a cut or other damage to the skin.

The document also reveals that other biometric information, including blood vessel shape, fingerprint, and finger shape, can be extracted from a palm scan, according to Patently Apple. In the future, this type of recognition system could be expanded to other sectors, such as AI devices, smart homes, and cars.

At the beginning of this year, during the Consumer Electronics Show (CES) held in Las Vegas, Samsung presented its plan to bring “AI for All," by incorporating artificial intelligence into many of its devices, from everyday devices such as smartphones to smart homes and cars.

The company also emphasized the importance of security and privacy. However, as with many patents, it’s not certain if the company will actually implement palm recognition in the future.

When it comes to safety and security, one of the recently reported concerns was related to Samsung phone users whose passwords apparently sit “in plain text” after they copy them from their password manager.