APPARATUS WITH WIRELESS COMMUNICATION MODULE

• US 20110175568A1
• Filed: 09/17/2009
• Published: 07/21/2011
• Est. Priority Date: 09/25/2008
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Koninklijke Philips Electronics N.V. (Koninklijke Philips N.V.)
• Original Assignee: Koninklijke Philips Electronics N.V. (Koninklijke Philips N.V.)
• Inventors: Tol, Jeroen Jacob Arnold, Decre, Michael Marcel Jose, Martens, Hubert Cecile Francois, Leijssen, Jacobus Josephus
• Granted Patent: US 9,259,592 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 320/108
• CPC Class Codes: A61N 1/00 Electrotherapy; Circuits therefor A61N2/00 takes precedence; irradiation apparatus A61N5/00
• CPC Class Codes: A61N 1/0529 Electrodes for brain stimulation
• CPC Class Codes: A61N 1/0534 Electrodes for deep brain stimulation
• CPC Class Codes: A61N 1/36082 Cognitive or psychiatric applications, e.g. dementia or Alzheimer's disease
• CPC Class Codes: A61N 1/37276 characterised by means for reducing power consumption during telemetry
• CPC Class Codes: A61N 1/3787 from an external energy source

Abstract

The invention relates to an electronic apparatus (100) comprising a charging module (20) for receiving external energy (RF1) and for transferring it to a rechargeable energy storage (10) in a “charging state”. Moreover, the apparatus comprises a processing module which can be operated in a working state that is enabled if the charging module (20) is in the charging state and the apparatus is in a standard operating mode. The processing module may for example be a communication module (30) that can communicate wirelessly in its working state. In the standard operating mode, communication with the apparatus (100) is thus only possible if the apparatus (100) is simultaneously charged. The communication module (30) can therefore be completely switched off during the residual time, thus reducing power consumption and avoiding erroneous communication or misuse.

Claims

1. An electronic apparatus that is operable in a “

standard operating mode”

(SOM), particularly a rechargeable active implantable medical device (100), comprising;

a rechargeable energy storage (10);

a “

charging module”

(20) that can assume a “

charging state”

(CS) in which it receives external energy (RF1) and can transfer such energy to the energy storage (10);

a “

processing module”

(30, 40) operable in a “

working state”

(WS) which is, while the apparatus is in the standard operating mode, only enabled if the charging state is assumed.

2. The apparatus (100) according to claim 1, characterized in that the processing module comprises a “

communication module”

(30) that is adapted to communicate wirelessly in its working state (WS).

3. The apparatus (100) according to claim 1, characterized in that the charging module (20) and/or the processing module (30) comprises an antenna (21, 31) and a receiver (22, 32) that can selectively be decoupled from each other in times of inactivity.

4. The apparatus (100) according to claim 1, characterized in that the charging module (20) assumes a charging state (CS) when external energy is available.

5. The apparatus (100) according to claim 1, characterized in that the charging module (20) is adapted to enter and/or to leave the charging state (CS) in dependence on a handshaking procedure with an external charging device (200).

6. The apparatus (100) according to claim 1, characterized in that the charging module (20) is adapted to detect a “

working-state-enable”

(WE) code and that the working state (WS) is active during the standard operating mode (SOM) only if such a code has been detected.

7. The apparatus (100) according to claim 6, characterized in that the “

working-state-enable”

(WE) code is individual for the charging module (20) and/or for a particular session.

8. The apparatus (100) according to claim 1, characterized in that the apparatus is adapted to assume an “

autonomous operation mode”

(AOM) in which the working state (WS) is continuously or intermittently active independent of the charging state (CS).

9. The apparatus (100) according to claim 1, characterized in that the charging module (20) is adapted to detect a “

mode-switching”

code (MS) and to switch the apparatus (100) from the standard operating mode (SOM) into another mode (AOM) or vice versa upon detection of such a code.

10. The apparatus (100) according to claim 1, characterized in that the apparatus is adapted to interrupt the standard operating mode (SOM) at predetermined times by a “

time-window operating mode”

(TOM) in which the working state (WS) is active.

11. The apparatus (100) according to claim 1, characterized in that the processing module (30, 40) can consume more power during the working state (WS) than during the residual time.

12. The apparatus (100) according to claim 1, characterized in that it the processing module (40) is adapted for generating electrical stimuli on and/or for sensing sensor signals from external electrodes (44).

14. An electronic system (1000), comprising:

an electronic apparatus (100) according to claim 2 with an energy storage (10), a charging module (20), and a communication module (30);

a charging device (200) for energy transfer to the charging module (20);

a communication device (300) for a wireless communication with the communication module (30).

13. A method for operating an electronic apparatus (100) with a rechargeable energy storage (10), a charging module (20), and a processing module (30, 40), the method comprising the following steps that are executed during a “

standard operating mode”

(SOM) of the apparatus;

making the charging module (20) temporarily assume a “

charging state”

in which it receives external energy (RF1) and can transfer such energy to the energy storage (10);

enabling a “

working state”

of the processing module (30, 40) only if the charging state is assumed.