Apple patents system for identifying people when facial scans aren’t enough

The U.S. Patent and Trademark Office has approved an Apple patent application that describes a scanning product that could help identify an individual even when their face is not captured by the camera.

The Apple patent, approved November 26, explains how the system could use facial recognition technology as a first method for identification, but then recognize other body characteristics for additional verification when the facial images captured by a camera are unclear in subsequent settings.

The idea is that once a person’s face is recognized in a video feed, the newly patented technology would store other information about their body, such as walking gait and clothing. 

That information would later be available if another video feed lacks enough detail to properly identify a person’s face, such as in situations where the lighting is poor. The technology would then compare the body movements and other data to the existing record, determining whether a camera saw a second individual.

“Based on the comparison, the device can provide a notification indicating whether the identity of the second person corresponds to the identity of the first person,” the application says. “In this way, techniques may enable a device to identify a person without having a view or quality image of the face.”

The body characteristics may be collected to inform deductions about how a person moves over time based on a so-called motionprint that harnesses and stores distinctive body movements based on aggregated data, according to the patent application.

Apple describes the technology, which was first reported by 9 to 5 Mac, as “identity recognition utilizing face-associated body characteristics,” which it says will address the fact that “sometimes a video camera may not be able to perform facial recognition of a person, given a particular video feed.”

The patent application appears to suggest that Apple could roll out the system in venues other than people’s homes.

“It should be understood that, although embodiments of the present disclosure are primarily directed to performing identity recognition in a home environment setting, embodiments should not be construed to be so limited,” the application says. 

The patent application goes on to say that the technology could be used in office buildings, parking lots, public parks and warehouses.

Not all patents obtained by companies are actually deployed. Apple did not immediately respond to a request for comment.