Apple patent leverages face vein matching for improved Face ID biometric authentication

Apple has received 50 new U.S. patents, including one for an advanced Face ID feature called “Evil Twin Proof,” which uses subepidermal imaging and face vein matching to improve biometric authentication, writes Patently Apple.

The company says that during the biometric facial recognition process, it might be hard to tell the difference between two users that share facial features, as in the case of twins. In this case, when the authentication process fails, there has to be an additional system to reduce false acceptance rates. In a keynote, Apple has named this error “Evil Twin.”

In the latest patent, Apple discusses how subepidermal imaging of multiple blood vessels in the user’s face combined with machine learning can help differentiate between twins. Face veins and vein patterns are unique, even if two people are twins. Additionally, the authentication process may include a vein matching authentication system to distinguish one twin from the other.

In other patent filings, Apple has described biometric heart monitor and depth mapping for gesture recognition, device-based digital IDs and under-display Touch ID biometrics.

Article Topics

Apple  |  authentication  |  biometric identification  |  biometrics  |  facial recognition  |  patents  |  vein recognition