• Skip to main content
  • Skip to secondary menu
  • Skip to primary sidebar
  • Skip to footer
  • Our Services
  • Contact Us
  • Newsletter
  • Top Nav Social Icons

Mobile ID World

Mobile ID World

Identification Revolution

  • Mobile ID
    • What Is Mobile ID?
    • Identity Associations
    • Premier Partners
    • FAQ
  • News
  • Solutions
    • Behavioral
    • Facial Recognition
    • Fingerprint Biometrics
    • Iris Biometrics
    • Second Factor
    • Smart Cards
    • Smartphones
    • Vital
    • Voice
    • Wearable Tech
    • Other
  • Applications
    • Access Control
    • Cloud Technology
    • Commerce
    • Enterprise
    • Healthcare
    • Identification
    • Internet of Things
    • Law Enforcement
    • Strong Online Authentication
  • Exclusive
    • Interviews
    • Featured Articles
    • Podcasts
  • Companies
  • Events

A New Kind of Laser System Could Enable In-display Face ID

July 22, 2022

A New Kind of Laser System Could Enable In-display Face ID

Another patent is hinting at Apple’s interest in bringing its Face ID system under the iPhone’s display, and describes what may be a technological breakthrough in the effort.

The hypothetical system revolves around the use of Horizontal Cavity Surface-Emitting Lasers, which could be installed under the display of an iPhone or Apple Watch and used to produce a 3D scan of a user’s face.

A couple of reports have breathlessly described the idea of the use of lasers as being, at first glance, “farfetched“, or reminiscent of some kind of weapons program. But the fact is that Apple’s pioneering Face ID system already uses laser technology, and it’s part of what makes Apple’s solution so accurate and reliable.

The current system is based on Vertical Cavity Surface-Emitting Lasers, a technology into which Apple has invested heavily. Essentially, the lasers are used to project an infrared grid onto an iPhone user’s face, enabling the generation of a three-dimensional map that can be used for biometric enrolment and authentication.

Now, Apple’s recent patent filing has attracted the attention and the engineering expertise of Patently Apple, which reports that Apple has delivered “a highly sophisticated filing that engineers in this field could appreciate.” The HCSEL system would essentially combine the advantages of VCSEL tech and “edge-emitting lasers (EEL)”, enabling a detailed and accurate 3D imaging system that could operate through a display.

Apple has a track record of exploring in-display face and fingerprint sensor technologies through IP filings, and the renowned Bloomberg analyst Mark Gurman has reported that Apple’s long-term goal is to bring both Face ID and Touch ID under the iPhone’s display.

The HCSEL system, according to Apple’s patent, would enable both modalities, in addition to further capabilities. The laser system could be used in combination with a photodetector to detect particulate matter in the air and estimate air quality; and it could gather metrics about the user’s attention to various parts of an Augmented Reality or Virtual Reality setting. It could also be integrated into a camera system to enable enhanced functionality.

None of this will necessarily end up in a real iPhone or Apple Watch, of course. Apple files a lot of patents, many of which describe technologies that have never come to fruition. But at this point it seems clear that Apple is pursuing under-display technology for its biometric systems, and this patent seems to describe a serious leap forward in that direction.

Sources: Patently Apple, Pocket-lint, Forbes

Filed Under: Carousel, Industry News Tagged With: Apple, Apple patents, Biometric, biometrics, face biometrics, Face ID, facial recognition, Fingerprint biometrics, fingerprint recognition, in-display technology, mobile biometrics, patent filings, Touch ID

Related News & Articles

Keesing Offers Free Identification Services to COVID-19 Responders

Google Officially Releases Pixel 4 Face Unlock Update

Cerence Launches New In-Car Payment Platform

Primary Sidebar

Learn About Mobile ID and Aviation

Tweets

Sponsored Links

facetec logo

FaceTec’s patented, industry-leading 3D Face Authentication software anchors digital identity, creating a chain of trust from user onboarding to ongoing authentication on all modern smart devices and webcams. FaceTec’s 3D FaceMaps™ make trusted, remote identity verification finally possible. As the only technology backed by a persistent spoof bounty program and NIST/iBeta Certified Liveness Detection, FaceTec is the global standard for Liveness and 3D Face Matching with millions of users on six continents in financial services, border security, transportation, blockchain, e-voting, social networks, online dating and more. www.facetec.com

FACEPHI is a global leader in Facial Recognition technology and in Mobile Biometrics technologies. With a strong concentration in the financial sector, FacePhi’s product is rapidly becoming a service used by banks all over the world. Its implementation doesn’t just save money, it is also a way to attract clients and build loyalty, while increasing the security of transactions for both the customer and the business. To learn more about FacePhi, visit https://www.facephi.com/en/

Recent Posts

  • NordPass Enables Biometric, TOTP-secured 2FA for Business Users
  • Mastercard Solution Certified Under UK’s Digital ID Framework
  • Transatlantic Digital Traveler Identity Project Gets High-Profile Tech Partner
  • Digital Identity Tech Demo Online Event
  • Mobile ID Comes to Another US Campus

Footer

  • About Us
  • Company Directory
  • Advertise With Us
  • Contact Us
  • Privacy Policy
  • Terms of Use
  • Archives
  • CCPA: Do not sell my personal info.

Follow Us

Copyright © 2023 MobileIDWorld