Apple has recently been granted a patent that has the potential to bring biometric authentication to its MacBook and Mac computers. Currently, Apple allows users to unlock their Mac computers using Touch ID on select models. However, the company introduced Face ID on the iPhone X in 2017, which uses advanced sensors to securely authenticate users through facial recognition. While it is unclear if Apple plans to incorporate Face ID into future MacBook models, the presence of a display notch on recent laptops suggests the possibility.
The patent, discovered by Patently Apple, was filed in September 2019 and granted on August 15. The 34-page patent, labeled as 11727718-B2, credits Paul Wang, Keith Hendren, Adam Garelli, Antonio Clarke, Joshua Daigle, and Dinesh Mathew as the inventors of this technology.
The patent document details a hardware module capable of light pattern recognition. The module, illustrated in figure 4D, is positioned at the top of the computer display, resembling a MacBook in figure 1A and a desktop Mac computer in figure 10. This module appears to resemble the Face ID sensor array found in recent iPhone models, utilizing advanced depth mapping for secure facial recognition. The module’s bracket assembly consists of a camera, flood illuminator, second camera, ambient sensor indicator, camera indicator, and light dot projector.
It is important to note that although Apple has introduced a display notch on its MacBook models, there is no official announcement regarding the inclusion of Face ID support in future MacBook and Mac models. The addition of the necessary hardware for Face ID could require more space than the thin lid of a MacBook, especially in models like the MacBook Air where available space is limited.
The patent document also explores the possibility of locating the facial recognition array in a different position rather than the display notch shown in the diagrams. An alternative diagram depicts a MacBook equipped with a different system that uses infrared light (IR) for user identification. This section could potentially be concealed under a panel on the device, as shown in figure 7.
Apple is notorious for keeping features secret until official launch events, making it unlikely for confirmation on this feature’s inclusion in future Apple computers until an official announcement or leaks and rumors surface.
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