Google's influence on Motorola started to show as the latter filed a patent for a throat tattoo that will work with the Moto X or other Android devices. The tattoo will not work to notify users of new messages but work as a throat mic that will transmit voice to the handset.
According to Motorola, the tattoo mic is ideal when using a smartphone in a noisy environment. It will be able hear the user's voice better and allow for clearer conversations. The tattoo sticker will carry its own transceiver, microphone, signal processor, and antenna. The phone manufacturer, for some reason, will also equip it with a small screen.
The mic tattoo will be capable of communicating with the compatible device using Wi-Fi, Bluetooth, or NFC. It will also be capable of eliminating background noise that often makes phone conversations difficult.
"An electronic skin tattoo to affix to a body surface for providing auxiliary voice input to a mobile communication device, comprising: a microphone; a transceiver for wireless communication with the mobile communication device; a power supply; and a controller coupled to the power supply, the transceiver and the microphone, the controller operable to receive an initialization signal from the mobile communication device to initiate reception of an audio stream picked up from the microphone and transmit via the transceiver audio signals for the mobile communication device," the Motorola patent described the tattoo mic.
"An auxiliary voice input for a mobile communication device, including an electronic tattoo comprising: an adhesive capable of affixing to a body surface; a microphone for detecting audio; a transceiver for wireless communication with the mobile communication device; a signal processor coupled to the transceiver and the microphone, and operable for comparing received audio signal output by the microphone to a predetermined pattern, and control transmission of an initialization signal to the mobile communication device as a wake-up," the patent read.
Motorola's patent also imply that the tattoo mic may serve as a response detector that will be able to recognize user's skin resistance. It implies that it might have an option to be a lie detector that will know when one speaks false. The handset manufacturer has not commented why it will have a tattoo mic also work as a lie detector.
There is no word yet on how the tattoo mic will be implemented or if it will really go into production.
