IT Home News on May 29, technology media patentlyapple released a blog post yesterday (May 28), reporting that Apple has been approved for a new patent involving the next generation of Face ID technology, from diffractive optical elements (DOE) to more advanced “metasurface optical components” (MOE).
According to a blog post, Apple’s existing Face ID relies on diffractive optical elements (DOEs) to generate dot-like illumination patterns for 3D mapping of the target area.
Apple’s new patent revolutionizes Face ID: smaller components, lower cost, and higher accuracy
Apple’s new patent revolutionizes Face ID: smaller components, lower cost, and higher accuracy
Traditional structured light projectors typically require multiple optical components, including DOEs and collimating lenses, to split the beam and project a dot-like pattern. Although these projection modules are small enough to be embedded in smartphones, there is still a need for further shrinkage.
The patent proposes a metasurface optical element (MOE) design scheme, which integrates beam splitting and collimation functions in a single flat element, which can not only reduce the size of the projection module, reduce the production cost, but also simplify the assembly process and reduce the impact of manufacturing errors.
Apple’s new patent revolutionizes Face ID: smaller components, lower cost, and higher accuracy
Apple’s new patent revolutionizes Face ID: smaller components, lower cost, and higher accuracy
Source: patentlyapple
The new patent also reveals that the MOE technology simultaneously adjusts the optical axis tilt angle of the projection module so that it better overlaps with the camera’s field of view (FOV). This design ensures that the dot pattern covers the camera’s field of view, improving the accuracy of 3D mapping. In addition, the device can be activated alternately by the controller for spot lighting and flood lighting, which can be flexibly adapted to the needs of different scenarios.
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