Apple patent filing hints that Face ID could eventually come to the Mac

Some Mac users (such as me) have long wishes that Face ID would come to the Mac. A new Apple patent filing (number US 20230409075 A1) shows that the company is at least looking into technology that could make this happen.

About the patent filing

The patent filing — which is dubbed “Electronic Device Including a Camera Disposed Behind a Display” — generally relates to electronic devices including a camera and a display, and, in particular, to electronic devices including a front-facing camera disposed behind a front-facing display.

In the patent filing, Apple notes that Some electronic devices include a display which displays an image to a user and a camera which captures image of scene in which the user is present. However, in some electronic devices, the camera reduces the potential size of the display, as the camera occupies a portion of the front surface of the electronic device preventing the portion from being occupied by the display.

Apparently, the tech giant wants to overcome such limitations. If it does, that could pave the way for a Mac and a standalone external monitor with Face ID.

Summary of the patent filing

Here’s Apple’s abstract of the patent filing: “In one implementation, an apparatus includes a display having a front surface and a back surface. The display includes a plurality of pixel regions that emit light from the front surface to display a displayed image and a plurality of apertures that transmit light from the front surface to the back surface. 

“The apparatus includes a camera disposed on a side of the back surface of the display. The camera is configured to capture a captured image. The apparatus includes a processor coupled to the display and the camera. The processor is configured to receive the captured image and apply a first digital filter to a first portion of the captured image and a second digital filter, different than the first digital filter, to a second portion of the captured image to reduce image distortion caused by the display.