We’ve been hearing a lot about the 3D camera system in the iPhone 8 being capable of facial recognition to allow automatic login without Touch ID or passcode. A new patent application published today suggests that Apple also wants to bring this capability to future Macs.
But Apple has more in mind that just a simple unlock function …
The patent describes how Macs in sleep mode could use their camera to look for faces. This would presumably be a feature added to Power Nap, where a sleeping Mac is still able to carry out certain background activities without using much power.
If your Mac spots a face, it then uses facial recognition to wake the Mac if the user is identified.
Essentially, the Mac can remain in sleep mode while doing the easy bit – just figuring out whether or not any face is in view – and then enter a higher powered mode to run the facial recognition part before fully waking the machine.
The patent describes a number of variations on the theme. For example, by monitoring how far a user is from the machine, it could enter a lighter or deeper sleep mode based on how likely you are to want to use it soon.
As ever with Apple patents, you never know which ones it will actually use, but this one sounds to me like a winner.
Via Patently Apple; image: TOT
