AUTOMATIC TOUCH IDENTIFICATION SYSTEM AND METHOD THEREOF

• US 20100264209A1
• Filed: 04/21/2010
• Published: 10/21/2010
• Est. Priority Date: 04/21/2009
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Koninklijke Philips N.V.
• Original Assignee: Technology Innovators, Inc.
• Inventors: TESSIER, Paul
• Granted Patent: US 8,297,499 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 235/380
• CPC Class Codes: G06K 7/08 by means detecting the change of an electrostatic or magnetic field, e.g. by detecting change of capacitance between electrodes
• CPC Class Codes: G06K 7/10326 the antenna being of the very-near field type, e.g. capacitive
• CPC Class Codes: G08B 21/245 Reminder of hygiene compliance policies, e.g. of washing hands

Abstract

An automatic identification system for communicating identifying information by coupling signals through the human body is provided. The system includes a battery powered identification device that transmits an identifying signal via a modulated carrier. The identification device is coupled to the body of the user via a coupling plate. The signal from the identification device is received by a reading device that is also coupled to the body of the user via a coupling plate. The reading device may display and/or enunciates the identifying information to the user. The coupling technique, carrier frequency, and construction of the devices are such that the identification information is not inadvertently radiated or coupled to unintentional users or receivers.

Claims

1. An identification system for transmitting or receiving information via a user, comprising:

an identification device for transmitting identifying information via the user, wherein the identification device includes a first coupling module configured to couple the identification device to the user by a capacitive type connection or a galvanic type connection, and

a reading device for receiving the identifying information from the identification device via the user, wherein the reading device includes a second coupling module configured to couple the reading device to the user by a capacitive type connection or a galvanic type connection,

wherein the first coupling module of the identification device transmits the identifying information to the reading device via the user over a carrier frequency having a frequency less than or equal to about 3 MHz.

2. The system of claim 1, wherein the identification device further comprises:

a controller for determining a transmission period, duration and content of the identifying information.

3. The system of claim 2, wherein the identification device further comprises:

a touch detector for determining if the user has touched or is in close proximity with the identification device, wherein the touch detector is connected to the controller.

4. The system of claim 1, wherein the reading device further comprises:

a display and enunciating module for;

displaying the identifying information received from the identification device on a visual display, or

enunciating the identifying information received from the identification device through a speaker or headphones.

5. The system of claim 1, wherein the reading device is adapted to derive information from the identifying information received from the identification device.

6. The system of claim 5, wherein the reading device further comprises:

a display and enunciating module for;

displaying the identifying information received from the identification device or the information derived from the identifying information on a visual display, or

enunciating the identifying information received from the identification device or the information derived from the identifying information through a speaker or headphones.

7. The system of claim 1, wherein the reading device is adapted to communicate over a network, the reading device further comprises:

a communication module for communicating with a computing device over a network, wherein the computing device or the reading device is configured to derive information from the identifying information received from the identification device.

8. The system of claim 7, wherein the reading device is integrated with a personal digital assistant (PDA);

and

the network is a wireless LAN.

9. The system of claim 7, wherein the reading device is integrated with a cell phone;

and

the network is a cell phone infrastructure.

10. The system of claim 7, wherein the reading device is integrated with a real-time locating system (RTLS) tag;

and

the network is a RTLS infrastructure.

11. The system of claim 1, wherein the first coupling module includes a coupling plate with largest dimension equal to or less than about 1/2600 of a wavelength of the carrier frequency.

12. The system of claim 1, wherein the carrier frequency is between about 1 MHz and about 3M Hz.

13. The system of claim 1 wherein the reading device provides reading device identifying information;

and

the identifying information from the identification device and the reading device identifying information from the reading device are communicated over a network to a computing device.

14. The system of claim 1, wherein the identification device further comprises:

a sensor for gathering sensor data from the identification device, wherein the sensor data is used for monitoring activities or environment of the user.

15. A method of verifying identifying information from an identification device, the method comprising:

coupling an identification device to a user via one or more of a capacitive coupling and a galvanic connection using a first coupling module;

coupling a reading device to the user via one or more of a capacitive coupling and a galvanic connection using a second coupling module;

transmitting, by the first coupling module, identifying information from the identification device to the reading device via the user over a carrier frequency having a frequency less than or equal to about 3 MHz; and

receiving, at the reading device, the identifying information transmitted by the identification device via the user.

16. The method of claim 15, further comprising:

establishing a network connection between the reading device and a computing device; and

sending, by the reading device, the identifying information to the computing device over the network connection.

17. The method of claim 16, further comprising:

using, by the computing device, the identifying information for an application;

or

storing the identifying information in an electronic storage.

18. The method of claim 16, further comprising:

sending, by the computing device, the identifying information to the reading device via the network connection.

19. The method of claim 15, further comprising:

establishing a network connection between the reading device and a computing device;

deriving information from the identifying information received from the identification device using the reading device or the computing device, and

sending, by the reading device, the identifying information or the information derived from the identifying information by the reading device to the computing device over the network connection.

20. The method of claim 19, further comprising:

using, by the computing device, the identifying information or the information derived from the identifying information for an application;

or

storing the identifying information or the information derived from the identifying information in an electronic storage.

21. The method of claim 19, further comprising:

sending, by the computing device, the identifying information or the information derived from the identifying information to the reading device via the network connection.

22. A method for using an automatic identification system to control a computer sign-on/sign-off system, the method comprising:

coupling an identification device to a user via one or more of a capacitive coupling and a galvanic connection using a coupling module;

coupling a reading device to a computing device;

transmitting identifying information from the identification device to the reading device via the user when the user establishes one or more of a capacitive coupling and a galvanic connection with the reading device;

transmitting, by the reading device, the identifying information received from the identification device to the computing device;

displaying a logon screen to the user if the identifying information received from reading device contains valid identifying information;

logging on the user;

monitoring keyboard activity using the computing device;

disabling a display device of the computing device if the keyboard is inactive for a pre-determined amount of time;

detecting keyboard activity using the computing device;

checking the identifying information sent by the reading device; and

enabling the display device of the computing device if the identifying information remains unchanged;

or

logging off the user if the identifying information received from the reading device has changed.