Communication system, communication method and program

• US 20070002815A1
• Filed: 06/13/2006
• Published: 01/04/2007
• Est. Priority Date: 06/14/2005
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Sony Corporation (Sony Group Corp.)
• Original Assignee: Sony Corporation (Sony Group Corp.)
• Inventors: Kubono, Fumio, Ishibashi, Yoshihito, Kusakabe, Susumu
• Granted Patent: US 7,612,651 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 370/338
• CPC Class Codes: G07C 2009/00809 with data transmission through the human body
• CPC Class Codes: G07C 9/28 the pass enabling tracking or indicating presence

Abstract

A communication system for communicating, by use of a dielectric material including a human body as a communication medium, with a communication terminal worn on said communication medium, includes: a plurality of communication means, disposed in contact with or in proximity of said communication medium, for communicating with said communication terminal via said communication medium in contact with or in proximity thereof, detection means for detecting reception levels of a signal transmitted from said communication terminal and received via the plurality of said communication means; association means, by comparing respective reception levels of a signal transmitted from a same communication terminal and received via different ones of the plurality of said communication means, for associating said communication terminal having transmitted said signal with one of the plurality of said communication means, on the basis of a result of the comparison.

Claims

1. A communication system for communicating, by use of a dielectric material including a human body as a communication medium, with a communication terminal worn on said communication medium, comprising:

a plurality of communication means, disposed in contact with or in proximity of said communication medium, for communicating with said communication terminal via said communication medium in contact with or in proximity thereof;

detection means for detecting reception levels of a signal transmitted from said communication terminal and received via the plurality of said communication means;

association means, by comparing respective reception levels of a signal transmitted from a same communication terminal and received via different ones of the plurality of said communication means, for associating said communication terminal having transmitted said signal with one of the plurality of said communication means, on the basis of a result of the comparison.

2. The communication system according to claim 1, further including:

recognition means for recognizing said communication medium that makes contact with or approaches said communication means, wherein said association means specifies said communication medium that wears said communication terminal, on the basis of a result of recognition by said recognition means.

3. The communication system according to claim 1, wherein said association means associates said communication terminal having transmitted said signal with one of the plurality of said communication means having received said signal the signal reception level of which is maximum.

4. A communication method of a communication system for communicating, by use of a dielectric material including a human body as a communication medium, with a communication terminal worn on said communication medium, said communication system equipped with a plurality of communication means disposed to make contact with or in proximity of said communication medium for communicating with said communication terminal via said communication medium, said method comprising:

a detection step for detecting reception levels of a signal transmitted from said communication terminal and received by the plurality of said communication means; and

an association step, by comparing respective reception levels of the signal transmitted from the same communication terminal and received respectively by different communication means, for associating said communication terminal having transmitted said signal with one of the plurality of said communication means, on the basis of a result of the comparison,.

5. A program to be executed by a computer for controlling a communication system for communicating, by use of a dielectric material including a human body as a communication medium, with a communication terminal worn on said communication medium, said communication system equipped with a plurality of communication means disposed making contact with or in proximity of said communication medium for communicating with said communication terminal via said communication medium, including:

a detection step for detecting reception levels of a signal transmitted from said communication terminal and received by the plurality of said communication means; and

an association step, by comparing respective reception levels of the signal transmitted from the same communication terminal and received respectively by different communication means, for associating said communication terminal having transmitted said signal with one of the plurality of said communication means, on the basis of a result of the comparison.