Is the iMac notch? Apple's ambitions for Face ID on MacBooks and desktops are revealed through a patent

Is the iMac notch? Apple's ambitions for Face ID on MacBooks and desktops are revealed through a patent

Using a notch and infrared light, Apple has patented a method to add Face ID to MacBooks and desktop computers.

On those macOS-powered devices, Touch ID has been the default way of authentication ever since it was originally made available on MacBooks in 2016.

 Nothing tops the technology in terms of security, convenience, or speed. A recent patent, though, raises the possibility that Apple is developing a replacement for the touch-powered authentication system.

According to Apple Insider, a patent titled "Light Recognition Module for Detecting a User of a Computing Device" outlines how the camera above the display, which is now in a notch, may recognise the user's face and send them directly to the home screen. 

In order to prevent unauthorised users from accessing this sensitive data, the patent states that "these computer hardware may involve mechanisms and frameworks for authentication users."

Although Face ID isn't specifically mentioned in the patent, it is clear that the same technology is being discussed. According to Apple, the Face ID module will be in a partition that may be "disposed adjacent to the display layer" or even on top of the display layer.

In some instances, the split takes the form of a notch, a circle, an ellipse, a polygon, a collection of polygons, a curvilinear shape, or anything similar.

According to Apple's patent applications, the corporation has been developing Face ID for MacBooks for many years. However, a potential issue is a shortage of room. Since laptop lids are significantly thinner than iPhones, it could be challenging to fit the complicated sensors needed for Face ID.

This is acknowledged in the patent, which states that face identification technology "should be compact (or have thin profiles) despite sacrificing accuracy of human recognition." The article also offers a predefined light pattern (such as infrared light) and a light detector that can detect an upward trend of light caused by the reflection of the predetermined pattern of light from an object (such as a user) are two solutions.

The patent even makes the case that this technology, together with a notch, may be included into Apple's desktop products. Since the notch has only been found on the iPhones and MacBooks, this would be a first. Of course, whether or not this patent is implemented, we'll have to wait and see. Like any other significant tech business, Apple frequently files a lot of patent applications, but not all of them are successful.