The firmware code for the upcoming smart speaker of Apple, HomePod was released on Friday. Naturally, developers have been going through it. One developer, Steve Troughton-Smith found a lot of mystery in the firmware code. In the code, BiometricKit part has repeatedly mentioned facial recognition, which concluded that the iPhone 8 is likely to have this feature.
HomePod Firmware
The BiometrciKit is the framework that is reposnsible for
Smith explains that the code indicates the existence of infra-red face unlock in BiometricKit, which is the framework responsible for Touch ID
BiometricKit code in the emergence of the “FaceDetect”, and the design of a variety of scenes, including the face by too close, too far, the camera appeared in multiple faces and so on. From the code is not difficult to see, iPhone 8 will use the infrared sensor to shoot the user’s face, rather than through the traditional camera visual light.
The developer also surprised to find that the code also contains the iPhone 8 development code “Pearl”, and D22 render the map is also among the code. This rendering chart has a simple line, but it is very similar to the previous iPhone 8 appearance.
In March of this year, Apple once again from the US Patent and Trademark Office to obtain a new patent for facial recognition. It can identify the face of the external staff, the most important thing is that this is not static state recognition.
Apple’s patent name “with depth of field information to enhance facial recognition and detection”, patent number 9589177. This patent is about computer vision, they will call the software and hardware technology, for the external controller to identify the identity or action. This technology is Apple’s 13 acquisition of an Israeli company owned, the patent is the earliest application of the company.
