Communication apparatus using a transmission medium and method for the same

• US 20060092908A1
• Filed: 03/24/2005
• Published: 05/04/2006
• Est. Priority Date: 10/07/2004
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Electronics and Telecommunications Research Institute
• Original Assignee: Electronics and Telecommunications Research Institute
• Inventors: Kang, Sung Weon, Sung, Jin Bong
• Granted Patent: US 7,668,122 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 370/347
• CPC Class Codes: H04B 13/005 Transmission systems in which the medium consists of the human body

Abstract

Provided is communication apparatus and method using a transmission medium, in an environment where at least one transmitter and at least one receiver are connected to at least one human body which is a conductive transmission medium, in which the receiver requiring any information data requests a transmission to the transmitter or the transmitter sends a signal indicative of a transmission of required information data, and then, the transmitter provides the required information data to the receiver requiring the corresponding information data, thereby providing a communication environment without interference between the transmission means and the receiving means.

Claims

1. A communication apparatus using a transmission medium, comprising:

at least one conductive transmission medium;

at least one receiving means configured to generate a predetermined transmission request signal for requesting required information data to transmit the transmission request signal to the transmission medium; and

at least one transmission means configured to receive the transmission request signal transmitted through the transmission medium to transmit the required information data to the receiving means.

2. The communication apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the transmission medium is a human body.

3. The communication apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the transmission means comprises:

an oscillation unit configured to generate a predetermined alternative-current signal; and

a modulation unit configured to modulate the alternative-current signal based on the transmitted information data.

4. The communication apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the receiving means comprises:

an oscillation unit configured to generate a predetermined alternative-current signal; and

a demodulation unit configured to demodulate the alternative-current signal based on the received information data.

5. The communication apparatus according to claim 1, further comprising:

a duplexer connected to the transmission means and the receiving means to separate transmit/receive signals input and output from the transmission means and the receiving means; and

a predetermined electrode connected between the transmission medium and the duplexer to transfer the transmit/receive signals,

wherein a frequency division duplexing (FDD) is used for preventing an interference between the transmit/receive signals input and output from the transmission means and the receiving means.

6. The communication apparatus according to claim 1, further comprising:

a transmit/receive switch connected to the transmission means and the receiving means to separate transmit/receive signals input and output from the transmission means and the receiving means; and

a predetermined electrode connected between the transmission medium and the transmit/receive switch to transfer the transmit/receive signals,

wherein a time division duplexing (TDD) is used for preventing an interference between the transmit/receive signals input and output from the transmission means and the receiving means.

7. The communication apparatus according to claim 1, the signals output from the transmission means are modulated using any one of amplitude shift keying (ASK), frequency shift keying (FSK), and phase shift keying (PSK).

8. A communication apparatus using a transmission medium, comprising:

at least one conductive transmission medium;

at least one transmission means configured to generate a predetermined transmission notice signal for informing whether reception is available to transmit required information data and configured to transmit the transmission notice signal to the transmission medium; and

at least one receiving means configured to receive the transmission notice signal transmitted through the transmission medium to transmit a predetermined receive ready signal when reception is available,

wherein the transmission means receives the receive ready signal transmitted through the transmission medium to transmit the required information data to the corresponding receiving means.

9. The communication apparatus according to claim 8, wherein the transmission medium is a human body.

10. The communication apparatus according to claim 8, wherein the transmission means comprises:

an oscillation unit configured to generate a predetermined alternative-current signal; and

a modulation unit configured to modulate the alternative-current signal based on the transmitted information data.

11. The communication apparatus according to claim 8, wherein the receiving means comprises:

an oscillation unit configured to generate a predetermined alternative-current signal; and

a demodulation unit configured to demodulate the alternative-current signal based on the received information data.

12. The communication apparatus according to claim 8, further comprising:

a duplexer connected to the transmission means and the receiving means to separate transmit/receive signals input and output from the transmission means and the receiving means; and

a predetermined electrode connected between the transmission medium and the duplexer to transfer the transmit/receive signals,

wherein a frequency division duplexing (FDD) is used for preventing an interference between the transmit/receive signals input and output from the transmission means and the receiving means.

13. The communication apparatus according to claim 8, further comprising:

a transmit/receive switch connected to the transmission means and the receiving means to separate transmit/receive signals input and output from the transmission means and the receiving means; and

a predetermined electrode connected between the transmission medium and the transmit/receive switch to transfer the transmit/receive signals,

wherein a time division duplexing (TDD) is used for preventing an interference between the transmit/receive signals input and output from the transmission means and the receiving means.

14. The communication apparatus according to claim 8, the signals output from the transmission means are modulated using any one of amplitude shift keying (ASK), frequency shift keying (FSK), and phase shift keying (PSK).

15. A communication method using a conductive transmission medium between at least one transmission means and at least one receiving means, comprising:

(a) in the receiving means, generating a predetermined transmission request signal for requesting a transmission of required information data to transmit the transmission request signal to the transmission medium; and

(b) in the transmission means, receiving the transmission request signal transmitted through the transmission medium to transmit the required information data to the receiving means.

16. The communication method according to claim 15, wherein further comprising, after the step (b):

(b1) in the transmission means, transmitting a receive wait signal indicative of a receive wait mode to the receiving means; and

(b2) in the receiving means, receiving the receive wait signal through the transmission medium to transmit a predetermined receive ready signal when reception is available.

17. The communication method according to claim 16, wherein, in the step (b2), the transmission means transmit the required information data to the receiving means that transmit the receive ready signal in the first place.

18. The communication method according to claim 15, wherein, when the transmission means and the receiving means communicate with each other, specific transmission means and specific receiving means are designated in advance.

19. The communication method according to claim 15, wherein the receiving means performs initialization using a pre-ample before receiving the predetermined information data.

20. The communication method according to claim 15, wherein the transmission means and the receiving means selectively use any one of FDMA, TDMA, CDMA and OFDM or a combination thereof to increase a channel capacity while communicating with each other.

21. A communication method using a conductive transmission medium between at least one transmission means and at least one receiving means, comprising:

(a′

) in the transmission means, generating a predetermined transmission notice signal to transmit required information data required to transmit the transmission notice signal to the transmission medium, wherein the transmission notice signal informs whether reception is available;

(b′

) in the receiving means, receiving the transmission notice signal transmitted through the transmission medium to transmit a predetermined receive ready signal to the transmission means when reception is available; and

(c′

) in the transmission means, receiving the receive ready signal transmitted through the transmission medium to transmit the required information data to the receiving means.

22. The communication method according to claim 21, wherein, in the step (c′

), the transmission means transmit the required information data to the receiving means that transmit the receive ready signal in the first place.

23. The communication method according to claim 21, wherein, when the transmission means and the receiving means communicate with each other, specific transmission means and specific receiving means are designated in advance.

24. The communication method according to claim 21, wherein the receiving means performs initialization using a pre-ample before receiving the predetermined information data.

25. The communication method according to claim 21, wherein the transmission means and the receiving means selectively use any one of FDMA, TDMA, CDMA and OFDM or a combination thereof to increase a channel capacity while communicating with each other.