On August 13, Thursday, a patent has been published by Apple and it is a technology for facial scanning. Facial recognition algorithms have equipped big networks such as Facebook and Google, and now, tech giant Apple seems to be looking into incorporating the technology to upcoming iPhone models. The patent has been filed on February 13, 2014.

According to a report from Fortune, the new technology will enable iPhone users for easier photo-sharing. The facial scanner will identify faces of the user's contacts in photos present in his galleries and other synced folders. It will then enable the user to send the photos to any of the contacts who are included there. The user can choose how he would like the photo to be sent.

The proponents, Richard H. Salvador and Steve G. Salvador, wrote on the patent abstract that, "a user interface may be presented indicating faces along with the available forms of communication for the corresponding person." The statement further elaborated that the technology may indicate how many people there are to send the photo to, based on how many faces are recognized to be contacts. They also stated that the user may opt for one or more modes of communication.

Another feature of the technology, if indeed incorporated in the phone, is the "relational database". This allows the user to share photos with people related to him. For example, the user wants to share photos of a baby to his parents and aunt. The database will store that information and select the contacts from that. Of course, pictures are going to be used for identification.

Apple has been adding some notable upgrades to its gadgets. Recently, the iPad Mini 4 has been reported to come with a split-screen mode, whereas the newly-released iPhone 6 has come with a finger sensor. If the new technology will indeed be equipping the succeeding iPhone models, it may just be what the company needs to keep sales from dropping. The bulk of Apple's revenues is brought in by iPhone sales.