In a new patent application by Apple, the company appears to be looking to incorporate user face recognition via front-facing cameras on its devices, according to an Apple Insider article.

The filing points to possible solution for enabling multiple users access to the same device, such as an iPad, and have the device automatically alter settings, features and applications to the preferences of each specific user.

As incorporating face recognition for automated preference setting on devices is not a new idea, Apple’s patent application details a new kind of facial recognition that would be dependable and robust without being too taxing on the processor and battery life.

The Apple solution focuses on high information portions of the face such as the eyes, mouth and nose and their relative position on a user’s face to be able to identify a user without having to be too taxing on the device.

In addition to being able to identify a user, the low-power consumption of the Apple solution would mean it could potentially run in the background at all times enabling the device to automatically detect a user and change settings by simply being held by a user as opposed to a user having to turn on a face scanning application. Beyond altering the settings, the same function could also automatically lock-out the device should a unauthorized user pickup the device.

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