COMMUNICATION DEVICE AND SYSTEM FOR PERFORMING DATA COMMUNICATION USING A HUMAN OR ANIMAL BODY AS TRANSMISSION MEDIUM

• US 20170244495A1
• Filed: 09/15/2015
• Published: 08/24/2017
• Est. Priority Date: 09/29/2014
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Koninklijke Philips N.V.
• Original Assignee: Koninklijke Philips N.V.
• Inventors: OUZOUNOV, SOTIR FILIPOV
• Granted Patent: US 9,973,284 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 13/4072 Drivers or receivers G06F13/4086 takes precedence; for multistate logic circuits H03K19/0002
• CPC Class Codes: H04B 1/385 Transceivers carried on the body, e.g. in helmets
• CPC Class Codes: H04B 13/005 Transmission systems in which the medium consists of the human body
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 52/52 using AGC [Automatic Gain Control] circuits or amplifiers
• CPC Class Codes: Y02D 10/00 Energy efficient computing, e.g. low power processors, power management or thermal management

Abstract

The invention is directed at a communication device for performing data communication using a human or animal body as transmission medium. The communication device comprises a transceiver unit comprising at least one of a transmitter and a receiver. The communication device also comprises an electrostatic transducer for enabling data communication via a surface of the body with one or more user devices in touch with or located near (i.e. in close proximity, e.g. within a range of 0-10 mm therefrom) the body. The communication device further comprises an ultrasonic transducer for enabling data communication through the body using ultrasonic waves. Both the electrostatic transducer and the ultrasonic transducer are capacitive type transducers connected to and operated via the transceiver unit.

Claims

1. A communication device for performing data communication using a human or animal body as transmission medium, the communication device comprising a transceiver comprising at least one of a transmitter and a receiver, and wherein the communication device comprises an electrostatic transducer for enabling the data communication via a surface of the body with one or more user devices in touch with or near the body, wherein the communication device further comprises an ultrasonic transducer for enabling the data communication through the body using ultrasonic waves, and wherein both the electrostatic transducer and the ultrasonic transducer are capacitive type transducers connected to and operated via the transceiver unit.

2. The communication device according to claim 1, wherein the transceiver is configured for communication at a radio frequency within a frequency bandwidth of 100 kHz to 30 MHz.

3. The communication device according to claim 1, wherein the transceiver further comprises at least one of an encoder cooperating with the transmitter or a decoder cooperating with the receiver, wherein the at least one of the encoder or decoder is configured for encoding or decoding data in accordance with a DC-free encoding method.

4. The communication device according to claim 3, wherein the at least one of encoder or decoder is configured for encoding or decoding data in accordance with a coding method which is an element of a group comprising:

a Manchester coding method, and a bipolar coding.

5. The communication device according to claim 1, wherein each of the electrostatic transducer and the ultrasonic transducer comprises driver electronics configured for at least one of impedance matching and biasing of each respective transducer.

6. The communication device according to claim 1, wherein the ultrasonic transducer comprises a capacitive micromachined ultrasonic transducer.

7. The communication device according to claim 4, wherein the driver electronics of the ultrasonic transducer is configured for applying a direct current biasing voltage to the ultrasonic transducer for operating the transducer in a collapse mode.

8. The communication device according to claim 1, wherein the receiver comprises a low noise amplifier for amplifying signals received from the ultrasonic transducer and the electrostatic transducer.

9. The communication device according to claim 1, wherein the electrostatic transducer comprises one or more capacitive couplers for enabling the data communication using a body couple communication protocol.

10. The communication device according to claim 1, further comprising multiple transceivers, wherein each of the transceivers is connected to the ultrasonic transducer and the electrostatic transducer for enabling simultaneous communication via multiple communication channels, a number of the simultaneous communication channels being smaller than or equal to a number of the transceivers.

11. The communication device according to claim 1, wherein the transceiver comprises at least one element of a group comprising:

multiple receivers, multiple transmitters, and a multiplexer unit.

15. The method according to claim 1, wherein the transceiver further comprises at least one receiver to which each of the electrostatic transducer and the ultrasonic transducer are connected, wherein the method further comprises:

receiving a data signal via either one or both of the electrostatic transducer or the ultrasonic transducer; and

processing the data signal using the at least one receiver for obtaining data conveyed by the data signal.

16. The communication device according to claim 1, wherein the communication device is comprised by at least one in a group consisting of a wearable device, a portable device, and an implantable device.

12. (canceled)

13. (canceled)

14. A method for performing data communication between a plurality of devices using a human or animal body as transmission medium, wherein at least a first device of the plurality of devices is located on the human or animal body, and wherein at least a second device of the plurality of devices is located on or in proximity of the human or animal body, wherein the method comprises using a communication device for performing the data communication between the plurality of devices, the method comprising:

generating a data signal using a transmitter in a transceiver of the communication device; and

transmitting the data signal to at least one of the first device or the second device using at least one transducer of a plurality of transducers of the communication device;

wherein the plurality of transducers comprise an electrostatic transducer and an ultrasonic transducer, wherein the method further comprises;

selecting, by a controller of the communication device, either one or all of the transducers for transmitting the data signal, wherein the electrostatic transducer is selected when the data signal is to be transmitted to the at least second device, and wherein the ultrasonic transducer is selected when the data signal is to be transmitted to the at least first device; and

wherein the electrostatic transducer and the ultrasonic transducer are capacitive type transducers that are operated via the transceiver.