Apple is working to introduce biometric FaceID to iMac and MacBook, new patent filing indicates

It will use a light pattern recognition module to determine the face of the user

A patent filed by Apple indicates that the company is considering adding FaceID biometric authentication to its Mac range, including both desktops and laptops.

The US Patent & Trademark Office published the details on Thursday, showing that it was filed by the iPhone maker in September 2019.

Entitled "Light Recognition Module for Determining a User of a Computing device", the patient talks about a biometric FaceID system that will use a light pattern recognition module to determine the face of the user sitting in front of the device.

When the user looks at the device screen to unlock it, a light emitter will project a predetermined pattern of light at the user face. The pattern of light reflected back by the user's face will be used by a light detecting sensor to verify the identity of the user.

The technique looks similar to Face ID system, which is currently available on certain iPhone and iPad models. It works by taking an infrared picture of the user's face and generating a depth map.

Drawings in the patent application show that a "notch" cutout above the screen will include all components for the biometric FaceID system in iMac, much like an iPhone's FaceID system.

The "notch" was originally launched in 2017 in iPhone X, may people criticised Apple at that time for its "bad" iPhone design.

Since then, all of Apple's new iPhones have adopted the notch cutout to house the front camera and Face ID sensors.

Apple's new patent design also shows that in case of MacBooks, some components of the biometric FaceID system will rest at the top of the display, while others will be integrated into the Touch Bar area in the keyboard.

Although Apple's patent describes this FaceID system and techniques with relation to authenticating and recognising users, they could also be applicable to capturing emotions, face gestures, encrypting data generating emoji, differentiating different users, and supplementing passwords, according to PatentlyApple.

However, it is important to note that many of Apple's patent applications don't necessarily result in real products.

The company has filed many patent applications in past years for gadgets that have not been launched, such as a wearable device with a screen that wraps around the wrist of the user or iPhones featuring wraparound displays.