Face ID technology on iPhone X has gained immense popularity. At first, the innovation was treated with a grain of salt, but over time, users got used to it and were very pleased with the technology.
Periodically Apple makes hints about their plans to add the feature to other devices, for example, Mac. The company's new patent speaks of something similar, but in a different context.
The patent talks about how “a computer can use a facial recognition algorithm to make a 3D map of a user's face.” The new patent talks about how the Mac could be controlled with hand, head and body gestures.
PrimeSense employees are listed as investors. Apple bought PrimeSense in 2013 after it developed the Kinect sensor for Microsoft.
The information in the patent is sketchy and blurry, but it looks like Apple wants to add Face ID technology to the Mac so that users can control the computer with gestures. Obviously, the company is working to empower the technology.
The technology is unlikely to become a reality anytime soon. However, Face ID technology should appear already in the new iPad Pro 2018.