《知识产权》是一个系列节目，我们试图澄清当今科技界最热门的专利、版权和相关知识产权问题。

本周二，谷歌获得了一项使用图像识别技术访问设备的专利，但这可能不是你所想的。实用专利US 8261090的标题是“基于面部识别登录到计算设备”，但其权利要求的覆盖范围特别限于使用图像识别功能来区分多个用户。即，最广泛的权利要求叙述了从设备照相机接收两个用户的图像捕获并在识别出第二用户后提示第一用户注销的方法。

1. A method of logging a first user in to a computing device comprising: receiving a first image of the first user via a camera operably coupled with the computing device; determining an identity of the first user based on the received first image; if the determined identity of the first user matches a first predetermined identity, then, based at least on the identity of the first user matching the first predetermined identity, logging the first user in to the computing device; receiving a second image of a second user via the camera operably coupled with the computing device; determining an identity of the second user based on the received second image; and if the determined identity of the second user matches a second predetermined identity, then, issuing a prompt to confirm that the first user should be logged off of the computing device and that the second user should be logged on to the computing device; receiving a valid confirmation from the first or second user in resp***e to the prompt; in resp***e to receiving the valid confirmation, logging the first user off of the computing device and logging the second user in to the computing device.

你可以看到，它实际上更多的是关于用户管理和切换，而不是Android的通用人脸解锁功能。事实上，值得注意的是，虽然专利的标题和书面细节明确提及使用面部特征来区分用户，最广泛的权利要求并不涉及解锁设备，也不要求图像识别元素与用户的面部相关——只要求它必须是用户的某个图像。我们不能说谷歌将无法获得全面的专利覆盖面解锁，但很明显，它没有完全达到这一点。