South Korean tech giant Samsung Electronics recently patented a new biometric camera rumoured to feature 3D facial recognition technology. As per a listing on the US Patent and Trademark Office (USPTO), Samsung had filed a patent for 3D biometric sensing technology in 2014. The same was recently authenticated by the agency.
Last year, Apple had unveiled the world’s first commercial infra-red 3D scanning technology on its anniversary edition iPhone X. The company considers it to be the safest way to log in to a device.
According to various sources, Samsung’s new technology may well feature in the next generation Galaxy S10 and Note 9 smartphones. The patent leaks confirm that the biometric camera will sport iris recognition and a Near Infrared (NIR) technology. The latter will use the light source to capture sharp images during ambient light challenges. As the technology is based on infrared, the camera will also be used as a proximity sensor or night vision camera.
The patent also shows that the biometric camera will feature Extended Depth of Field (EDOF) technology, a bandpass filter and an imaging sensor. The EDOF sensor will be used to analyse the depth (x,y and z axis) of any subject, the bandpass filter extra ambient light and the imaging sensor converts the optical image to an electronic signal for image authentication.
However, Samsung is not likely to use their four-years-old patent in its current line-up of products.Furthermore, as per the patent, Samsung’s face unlock can be achieved in two ways – by a physical component or by a software. The physical component uses infrared lights, which projects millions of dots on the subject’s face and creates a 3D design. On the other hand, the software uses an ultra high resolution image to analyse various points on the face.
