Apple patent shows future iPhones could keep data private by tracking eyes

       One of the issues with using a mobile device like an iPhone or iPad is the need to keep the displayed content private. A user may need to view sensitive information such as financial data or medical details, but in a public place, it is difficult to prevent others from seeing any data displayed on the screen. It seems possible to do this by setting up a physical barrier to hide the screen, or by actively blocking the view of others with one's hand, but the nature of doing so attracts more unwanted attention. It is also possible to use screen filters to block light at extreme viewing angles, but this may worsen the overall visual quality of the user.

　　In a patent application titled "Gaze Display Encryption" published by the U.S. Patent and Trademark Office on Thursday, Apple proposes a method of manipulating the contents of a display so that only the active user knows exactly what is being displayed, while deceiving the surrounding audience. The system centers on Apple detecting the user's gaze on the device screen. In this way, the device will know exactly what part of the display needs to be truly displayed and unobstructed. In the remaining part of the display that the user is not actively looking at, the system still displays an image, but it contains useless and unintelligible information that cannot be understood by the observer.

　　As the user changes their viewing position, the screen updates to discover the new gaze area and overwrites the previously seen data with false content. In this way, the user will always see what they want, and the data will only be partially visible, making it difficult for surrounding viewers to peek, read, or understand. In addition, in the patent, Apple suggests that the unreadable portion of the display may contain content that visually matches the rest of the display, but the information in it may be false. By making it visually similar to real information, this helps to further conceal the user's current reading position on the screen and minimizes the chance that bystanders will realize that there is some kind of visual encryption.

　　Apple files numerous patent applications every week, but there is no guarantee that the patented design will appear in future products or services.