PORTABLE APPARATUS

• US 20100255786A1
• Filed: 06/18/2010
• Published: 10/07/2010
• Est. Priority Date: 12/26/2007
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Alps Alpine Co., Ltd.
• Original Assignee: ALPS Electric Company Limited (Alps Alpine Co., Ltd.)
• Inventors: HAGA, Nobuaki, HEBIGUCHI, Hiroyuki, MATSUTA, Shigetoshi
• Granted Patent: US 8,175,527 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 455/41.200
• CPC Class Codes: H04B 13/005 Transmission systems in which the medium consists of the human body

Abstract

A portable apparatus of the present invention functions as a transmitter and/or a receiver in electric field communication in which communication is performed through a human body by converting an information signal into an electric field signal; is substantially hexahedron-shaped and provided with sides and an display surface allowing information to be viewed; and includes an outer electrode for electric field communication provided on the display surface and a human-body-side electrode for electric field communication provided on at least one of the sides.

Claims

1. A portable apparatus functioning, in electric field communication in which communication is performed through a transmission medium by converting an information signal into an electric field signal, as a transmitter for transmitting the electric field signal, as a receiver for receiving the electric field signal, or as a transmitter/receiver for transmitting/receiving the electric field signal, and being substantially hexahedron-shaped and provided with sides and a display surface allowing information to be viewed, wherein an outer electrode for electric field communication is provided on the display surface,

wherein at least one of the sides is provided with a first transmission-medium-side electrode for electric field communication, and

wherein switching control is performed such that electric field communication is possible even when at least one of the first transmission-medium-side electrodes is not made to be a transmission-medium-side electrode for electric field communication.

2. The portable apparatus according to claim 1, wherein a second transmission-medium-side electrode is provided on an opposite surface opposite the display surface, and switching control is performed such that either the second transmission-medium-side electrode or at least one of the first transmission-medium-side electrodes is made to be the transmission-medium-side electrode for electric field communication.

3. The portable apparatus according to claim 2, wherein switching control is performed such that the second transmission-medium-side electrode is made to be the transmission-medium-side electrode for electric field communication when the portable apparatus has not been operated for a predetermined period of time, and at least one of the first transmission-medium-side electrodes is made to be the transmission-medium-side electrode for electric field communication when the portable apparatus has been operated.

4. The portable apparatus according to claim 2, further comprising

detection means for detecting that the portable apparatus is being held,

wherein switching control is performed such that the second transmission-medium-side electrode is made to be the transmission-medium-side electrode for electric field communication when it has not been detected that the portable apparatus is being held, and at least one of the first transmission-medium-side electrodes is made to be the transmission-medium-side electrode for electric field communication when it has been detected that the portable apparatus is being held.

5. The portable apparatus according to claim 1,

wherein switching control is performed such that at least one of the first transmission-medium-side electrodes is made to be the outer electrode for electric field communication.

6. The portable apparatus according to claim 5, wherein when an input function is provided and an input is made to the portable apparatus and the electric field communication is performed at the same time, switching control is performed such that some of the first transmission-medium-side electrodes are made to be transmission-medium-side electrodes for electric field communication and the rest of the first transmission-medium-side electrodes are made to be outer electrodes for electric field communication.