Human body communication system and communication device

• US 20060252371A1
• Filed: 03/22/2006
• Published: 11/09/2006
• Est. Priority Date: 04/18/2005
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Sony Corporation (Sony Group Corp.)
• Original Assignee: Sony Corporation (Sony Group Corp.)
• Inventors: Yanagida, Toshiharu
• Granted Patent: US 7,664,476 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 455/41.100
• CPC Class Codes: H04B 13/005 Transmission systems in which the medium consists of the human body

Abstract

Disclosed herein is a human body communication system for communicating data via an electric field formed by intervention of a human body, the human body communication system including: a transmitter for generating the electric field by transmitting a potential difference signal corresponding to transmission data from a transmitting electrode; and a receiver for receiving the data by reading the potential difference signal in the electric field by a receiving electrode; wherein the transmitter and the receiver use the potential difference signal in a frequency band such that a quasi-electrostatic field formed within the human body is dominant over a radiation field formed outside the human body when the transmitting electrode and the receiving electrode are each disposed in very close vicinity to the human body.

Claims

1. A human body communication system for communicating data via an electric field formed by intervention of a human body, said human body communication system comprising:

a transmitter for generating said electric field by transmitting a potential difference signal corresponding to transmission data from a transmitting electrode; and

a receiver for receiving the data by reading the potential difference signal in said electric field by a receiving electrode;

wherein said transmitter and said receiver use the potential difference signal in a frequency band such that a quasi-electrostatic field formed within the human body is dominant over a radiation field formed outside the human body when said transmitting electrode and said receiving electrode are each disposed in very close vicinity to the human body.

2. The human body communication system as claimed in claim 1,

wherein said transmitter and said receiver use a frequency band of 3 MHz and lower.

3. The human body communication system as claimed in claim 2,

wherein said transmitter and said receiver use a frequency band that enables a desired data rate to be obtained.

4. The human body communication system as claimed in claim 3,

wherein said transmitter and said receiver use a frequency band of 500 kHz and higher.

5. The human body communication system as claimed in claim 1,

wherein at least one of said transmitter and said receiver has a communication electrode formed with one of a conductive nonwoven fabric and a conductive cloth.

6. The human body communication system as claimed in claim 1,

wherein the communication electrode of at least one of said transmitter and said receiver is formed by a signal electrode for transmitting or receiving the potential difference signal and a ground electrode drawn out from a ground of a wiring board.

7. The human body communication system as claimed in claim 6,

wherein said signal electrode is disposed in proximity to a surface of the human body, and said ground electrode is disposed so as to be opposed to said signal electrode.

8. The human body communication system as claimed in claim 1,

wherein an area of the output electrode of said transmitter is larger than an area of the input electrode of said receiver.

9. A communication device for transmitting data via an electric field formed by intervention of a human body, said communication device comprising:

a transmission signal processing section for generating a transmission data signal using a predetermined transmission frequency band; and

a transmitting electrode for generating the electric field by making a potential difference corresponding to the transmission data signal;

wherein a frequency band such that a quasi-electrostatic field formed within the human body is dominant over a radiation field formed outside the human body when said transmitting electrode is disposed in very close vicinity to the human body is used as the transmission frequency band.

10. The communication device as claimed in claim 9,

wherein a frequency band of 3 MHz and lower is used as said transmission frequency band.

11. The communication device as claimed in claim 10,

wherein a frequency band that enables a desired data rate to be obtained is used as said transmission frequency band.

12. The communication device as claimed in claim 11,

wherein a frequency band of 500 kHz and higher is used as said transmission frequency band.

13. The communication device as claimed in claim 9,

wherein a surface of said transmitting electrode which surface is opposed to the human body is formed by one of a conductive nonwoven fabric and a conductive cloth.

14. The communication device as claimed in claim 9,

wherein said transmitting electrode is formed by a signal electrode for transmitting a potential difference signal and a ground electrode drawn out from a ground of a wiring board.

15. The communication device as claimed in claim 14,

wherein said signal electrode is disposed in proximity to a surface of the human body, and said ground electrode is disposed so as to be opposed to said signal electrode.