Sep 22, 2016 07:35 AM EDT By Vinay Patel, UniversityHerald Reporter

Microsoft is gearing up to get rid of its Lumia smartphone lineup in favor of its own Surface brand. However, there's more than just the name that is slated to undergo some radical overhaul as new technologies are expected to appear in the upcoming smartphone range.

It's no secret that Windows Phone sales aren't quite impressive. Microsoft's mobile OS claimed a trivial 0.6 percent worldwide during Q2 2016, and with no new Lumia phone in the offing, it looks like the platform is on the verge of being pushed to the wall.

That being said, the Redmond based tech giant is still counting on Windows 10 Mobile, and if rumors doing rounds are anything to go by, a new Surface Phone could be in the works at Microsoft. Though there's no word regarding the purported device at the moment, it's likely to feature a fingerprint sensor built in.

Microsoft has filed a patent with the World Intellectual Property Organization (WIPO) for what it terms as 'Fingerprint Detection with Transparent Cover,' BetaNews reported.

New Patent for Fingerprint Technology

Apparently, the upcoming Microsoft Surface Phone will be the first in the lineup to feature a fingerprint scanner.

 Meanwhile, other leading handset manufacturers are no strangers to the feature. In fact, the feature has been predominant for flagship smartphones since its mainstream debut a couple of years back. This explains why Microsoft is incorporating a new fingerprint technology for its impending smartphone lineup.

The said patent was submitted by the software makers back in February 2015 and was published just last month. Along with its speculated release, this positions the Surface Phone as the device featuring new scanning technology.

The Surface Phone's fingerprint sensor will reportedly be different. Unlike most current devices that either place the scanner at the rear of the device or integrate it with the home button, Microsoft will be incorporating the scanner on the Surface Phone's display, ChristianPost reported.

Here's How It Works

According to the patent, Microsoft is planning to use a filter and wave guide just below the screen's glass to scan for fingerprints. In other words, whenever you key in your fingerprints on your Surface Phone's screen, the sensors on the glass side would then be able to scan the varied ridges of the unique fingerprint.

Moreover, the patent shows that the Surface Phone will come with a transparent cover coupled with a light source at its edge. The light source will be designed to squeeze light into the transparent cover. This would then instruct the light to interact with the fingerprint ridges.

The purported Surface Phone would then encompass a filter that will reportedly go along with the transparent cover. It is designed to let the light scattered by the fingerprint ridge to penetrate selectively.

Moreover, by integrating the new fingerprint scanning technology into its upcoming Surface Phones, Microsoft will be able to spawn a thinner and lighter design as the said technology would free up the space occupied by a separate fingerprint sensor.

The patent further states that the new technology would be compatible with either AMOLED or LED displays.

Microsoft Surface Phone Release Date

The purported Surface Phone is likely to be running the company's Windows 10 Mobile, and is expect to hit the store shelves sometime next year.

Watch the video clip below for more details on Microsoft's upcoming Surface Phone:

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