Apple has received a patent that allows it to offer an alternative form of biometric authentication on its MacBook and Mac computers. Currently, Apple supports unlocking Mac computers through Touch ID on select models and introduced Face ID on the iPhone X in 2017. Face ID utilizes sensors to securely authenticate a user through facial recognition. While Apple has not indicated plans to add Face ID to future MacBook models, recent laptops have a display notch similar to the ones on Apple smartphones since 2017.
Patently Apple discovered that the company’s latest patent related to facial recognition on computers was granted on August 15, almost four years after it was filed in September 2019. The 34-page US patent 11727718-B2 credits Paul Wang, Keith Hendren, Adam Garelli, Antonio Clarke, Joshua Daigle, and Dinesh Mathew as the inventors of the technology.
Photo Credit: Apple/ US Patent Office
The patent document includes various diagrams of a hardware module capable of light pattern recognition. Figure 4D illustrates the hardware module, which is located at the top of the display on a computer resembling a MacBook in figure 1A and a desktop Mac computer in figure 10.
Figure 4D’s module appears similar to the Face ID sensor array on recent iPhone models, offering advanced depth mapping for secure facial recognition. The patent module indicates that the bracket assembly housing the module comprises a camera, flood illuminator, second camera, ambient sensor indicator, camera indicator, and light dot projector.
It’s important to note that although Apple introduced a notch on its MacBook models, the company has not announced plans to bring Face ID support to future MacBook and Mac models. Hardware required to support Face ID could need more space than the thin lid of the MacBook, considering the thickness of an iPhone as an indicator of the space such a system might occupy on a laptop, especially models like the MacBook Air.
The patent document suggests that Apple has also considered placing the facial recognition array in another location instead of the display notch depicted in earlier diagrams.
Photo Credit: Apple/ US Patent Office
Another diagram shows a MacBook equipped with a different system that may not require a display notch. Figure 8A depicts a module emitting infrared light (IR) to identify the user. This section could be concealed on the device under a panel, and figure 7 illustrates where the module might be located on a MacBook.
Apple is known for keeping features secret until they are officially unveiled at launch events, making it unlikely that we will receive confirmation about this feature and whether it will eventually be implemented in Apple computers in the future — apart from leaks and rumors.
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Deepak Sen is a tech enthusiast who covers the latest technological innovations, from AI to consumer gadgets. His articles provide readers with a glimpse into the ever-evolving world of technology.
