BIOLOGICAL-BODY-ATTACHED DATA COMMUNICATION DEVICE

• US 20090247883A1
• Filed: 03/27/2009
• Published: 10/01/2009
• Est. Priority Date: 03/31/2008
• Status: Abandoned Application

• Current Assignee: NEC System Technologies Limited (NEC Corporation)
• Original Assignee: NEC System Technologies Limited (NEC Corporation)
• Inventors: Matsui, Osamu, Ohmoto, Yoshihisa, Miyazaki, Shinichi, Kamiya, Hiroshi
• Application Number:
  US12/413,306
• Publication Number:
  US 20090247883A1
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 600/483
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 2560/0209 adapted for power saving
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 2562/0219 Inertial sensors, e.g. accelerometers, gyroscopes, tilt switches
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 5/0006 ECG or EEG signals
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 5/113 occurring during breathing
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 5/6887 mounted on external non-worn devices, e.g. non-medical devices

Abstract

A biological-body-attached data communication device has a communication unit communicating with an external device via a biological body as a medium, a data processing unit transmitting/receiving data with the external device via the communication unit, an attachment detection unit like a heartbeat sensor detecting whether or not the biological-body-attached data communication device is attached to the biological body, and a power source unit. When the attachment detection unit detects that the device is attached to the biological body, the power source unit supplies operational power to the communication unit and the data processing unit, and when the attachment detection unit detects that the device is not attached to the biological body, the power source units terminates or suppresses power supply to those units. Accordingly, power consumption is suppressed, and draining of the power source is prevented.

Claims

1. A biological-body-attached data communication device which is attached to a biological body and which communicates with an external device via the biological body as a communication medium the device comprising:

a communication unit that performs communication via the biological body as a medium;

a data processing unit that performs data communication with the external device via the communication unit;

an attachment detection unit that detects whether or not the data communication device is attached to the biological body; and

a power source unit, and wherein

when the attachment detection unit is detecting that the data communication device is attached to the biological body, the power source unit supplies operational power to the communication unit, the data processing unit, and the attachment detection unit, and when the attachment detection unit is detecting that the data communication device is not attached to the biological body, the power source unit terminates or suppresses power supply to at least the communication unit.

2. The biological-body-attached data communication device according to claim 1, wherein:

the attachment detection unit comprises a heartbeat sensor; and

the power source unit supplies power to the data processing unit and the communication unit when the heartbeat sensor is detecting a heartbeat, and terminates or suppresses power supply to at least the communication unit when the heartbeat sensor does not detect a heartbeat.

3. The biological-body-attached data communication device according to claim 2, wherein the heartbeat sensor comprises:

a magnet;

an elastic member that supports the magnet in a manner that the magnet can resonates with a vibration of a body surface;

an antenna that generates induced electromotive force originating from the vibration of the magnet; and

a circuit that outputs the induced electromotive force of the antenna.

4. The biological-body-attached data communication device according to claim 1, wherein the attachment detection unit comprises an acceleration sensor that detects an acceleration when the data communication-device is attached to the biological body.

5. The biological-body-attached data communication device according to claim 1, wherein the attachment detection unit comprises a thermal sensor or a temperature sensor.

6. The biological-body-attached data communication device according to claim 1, further comprising a biological information collection unit that collects biological information of a person that attaches the data communication device, and wherein:

the power source unit terminates or suppresses power supply to the biological information collection unit when the attachment detection unit is detecting that the data communication device is not attached to the biological body; and

the communication unit transmits-data collected by the biological information collection unit to the external device.

7. The biological-body-attached data communication device according to claim 1, further comprising a memory unit that stores user setting information for setting a computer to be a predetermined setting condition, and authentication information, and wherein

when a communication with the computer which is the external device becomes possible, the data processing unit transmits the authentication information to the computer, when authentication successes, the data processing unit saves restore setting information transmitted from the computer and indicating the setting condition of the computer at this time in the memory unit, transmits the user setting information stored in the memory unit to the computer, and transmits the saved restore setting information to the computer in response to a notification from the computer to the effect that a process is completed.

8. The biological-body-attached data communication device according to claim 1, further comprising a memory unit that stores data processing result information which is a process result of a data processing by a computer, and authentication information, and wherein

when a communication with the computer which is the external device becomes possible, the data processing unit transmits the authentication information to the computer, when authentication successes, the data processing unit transmits the data processing result information stored in the memory unit to the computer, and when receiving a process result of a present data processing from the computer, stores the received process result of the present data processing in the memory unit as data processing result information.

9. A biological-body-attached data communication device which is attached to a biological body and which communicates with an external device via the biological body as a communication medium, the device comprising:

a communication means for performing communication via the biological body as a medium;

a data processing means for performing performs data communication with the external device via the communication means;

an attachment detection means for detecting whether or not the data communication device is attached to the biological body; and

a power source means, and wherein

when the attachment detection means is detecting that the data communication device is attached to the biological body, the power source means supplies operational power to the communication means, the data processing means, and the attachment detection means, and when the attachment detection means is detecting that the data communication device is not attached to the biological body, the power source means terminates or suppresses power supply to at least the communication means.