Apple plans to add Face ID to its desktops and laptops

Apple intends to introduce the iPhone's Face ID facial biometric authentication system into its Mac computer line, including notebooks and desktops.

Just as Touch ID fingerprint recognition began to appear on the iPhone, then extended to the iPad, and finally to the MacBook Pro and MacBook Air, Face ID will also enter Apple's Mac computer series.

There have been rumors before that Apple has said that Face ID will be used in more Apple devices, but a new patent application from Apple explicitly states for the first time that it will be introduced into a certain type of MacBook.

Apple's patent, 20200097747, entitled "Light Recognition Module for Identifying Users of Computing Devices," mainly involves adding Face ID facial recognition to MacBooks, although it doesn't mention these terms, it just says that light Identification module and laptop.

Apple's patent application highlights how users store sensitive information, and the added functionality of laptops means people can use them for more complex tasks. However, this can lead to privacy issues.

"By performing these complex functions, these computing devices may collect and / or store sensitive data related to these users," Apple said.

To prevent unauthorized users from accessing this sensitive data, these computing devices may include systems and mechanisms to authenticate users.

It is also important that the authentication system and mechanism must be done on the device. "Because of the limited space available inside these computing devices, these authentication schemes should be compact (or have a thin profile) without sacrificing the accuracy of user identification," it continued.

Apple's solution is to deploy "light pattern recognition modules that can be incorporated into computing devices (eg, laptops, desktop computers, etc.)."

"In particular," the patent explains, "the light pattern recognition module includes a light detector capable of projecting a predetermined light pattern (e.g., infrared light) and detecting a light pattern reflected from an object (e.g., a user)."

The patent then details how to use a spot projector and how to interpret the results.

But in short, Face ID facial recognition will appear on the MacBook, and it will have a notch design, although it may not be exactly the same as on the iPhone.

Apple proposes that the Face ID facial recognition function module will be located in a separate layer, which may be "adjacent to the display layer" or above it.

In some examples, the separation layer is a notch design, a circle, an oval, a polygon, a curve shape, or the like.

The patent drawings show a MacBook Pro with a notch design, which is similar to the notch design on the iPhone.

However, although the text of this patent is primarily related to laptops, one of the drawings shows the Face ID facial recognition feature and notch design used in the iMac's case.