Electrical devices

• US 7,313,422 B2
• Filed: 07/18/2005
• Issued: 12/25/2007
• Est. Priority Date: 05/14/2001
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: NXP B.V. (NXP Semiconductors NV)
• Original Assignee: Innovision Research & Technology PLC (Broadcom, Inc.)
• Inventors: White, Andrew David, Borrett, Marc Adrian, Mapleston, David Bernard
• Primary Examiner(s): Feild, Joseph
• Assistant Examiner(s): DOAN, KIET M
• Application Number:
  US11/183,069
• Publication Number:
  US 20050266899A1
• Time in Patent Office: 890 Days
• Field of Search: 455/406, 455/558, 379/58, 379/466, 235/494
• US Class Current: 455/575.1
• CPC Class Codes: B23Q 1/0009 Energy-transferring means or control lines for movable machine parts; Control panels or boxes; Control parts control handles for driving or feeding mechanisms B23Q5/54
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 1/0256 wherein the modules are operable in the detached state, e.g. one module for the user interface and one module for the transceiver
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 1/0283 for providing a decorative aspect, e.g. customization of casings, exchangeable faceplate
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 1/72406 by software upgrading or downloading
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 1/72427 for supporting games or graphical animations
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 1/72445 for supporting Internet browser applications
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 1/7246 by connection of exchangeable housing parts
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 2250/22 including a touch pad, a touch sensor or a touch detector

Abstract

An electrical device such as a portable communications device, domestic or personal care appliance has a main body adapted to couple to an accessory which may be in the form of a tool attachable to the main body or a housing portion. The accessory carries a passive data storage device having a memory (59) storing control data for controlling an operation or affecting a function of the device. The passive data storage device is arranged to derive a power supply from the main body when a first coupler carried by the main body is placed in proximity to a second coupler carried by the accessory (3). Where the electrical device is a portable communications device, then the accessory may be, for example, a fascia. The coupling between the first and second couplers may be inductive or capacitive.

Claims

1. An electrical medical device comprising a main body and an accessory;

the main body having a main body controller operable to control operation of the medical device and a signal supplier operable to supply a carrier signal;

the main body and the accessory having respective first and second couplers arranged in close proximity to one another when the accessory is in the proximity of or attached to the main body to enable coupling of the carrier signal from the first coupler to the second coupler;

the accessory carrying a data storage device having a memory storing technological feature data for the accessory, a power supply deriver operable to derive a power supply from a carrier signal coupled to the second coupler, a data storage device controller operable to read data from the memory in response to derivation of a power supply by the power deriver, and a modulator operable to modulate the carrier signal in accordance with technological feature data read from the memory, the main body having a data extractor operable to extract the technological feature data from the modulation of the carrier signal and a data supplier operable to supply the data to the main body controller to affect the operation of the medical device in accordance with the technological feature data for the accessory.

2. A device according to claim 1, wherein technological feature data comprises one or more technical parameters of the accessory.

3. A device according to claim 1, wherein technological feature data comprises one or more functional parameters of the accessory.

4. A device according to claim 3, wherein the one or more functional parameters determine the operation of the medical device when the consumable item is attached or arranged in close proximity to the main body.

5. A device according to claim 1, wherein the accessory comprises a consumable item and the technological feature data comprises one or more technical parameters of the consumable item.

6. A device according to claim 1, wherein the accessory comprises a consumable item and the technological feature data comprises one or more functional parameters of the consumable item.

7. A device according to claim 2, wherein the one or more technical parameters determine the operation of the medical device when the accessory is attached or arranged in close proximity to the main body.

8. A device according to claim 1, wherein the second coupler is arranged to couple inductively to the first coupler.

9. A device according to claim 1, having at least one of the following features:

the accessory is interchangeable with another accessory;

the accessory is a user input device or user operator device;

the technological feature data stored in the accessory memory is modifiable;

the accessory additionally comprises a sensor.

10. A device according to claim 1, wherein the memory is modifiable, the main body comprises a modulator operable to modulate the carrier signal in accordance with data to be written to the memory of the accessory and the accessory has a writer operable to derive the data from the modulated carrier signal and to write the derived data into the memory.

11. A device according to claim 10, wherein the data storage device controller has a use information deriver operable to obtain information regarding use of the medical device and is operable to cause the carrier signal to be modulated in accordance with the use data so as to enable the writer in the data storage device to write the use data into the memory.

12. An electrical medical device according to claim 1 configured as an electrical medical care device for administering patient needs, wherein the accessory is a patient needs device and the technological feature data comprises patient needs data;

the data extractor is operable to extract patient needs data from the modulation of the carrier signal; and

the data supplier is operable to supply the patient needs data to the main body controller to affect the operation of the device to administer said patient needs.

13. A device according to claim 12, wherein said device automatically administers said patient needs responsive to said patient needs data.

14. A device according to claim 12, wherein said patient needs data comprises drug or treatment dispensing data, and said operation of the device dispenses a drug or treatment in accordance with said drug or treatment dispensing data.

15. A device according to claim 14, wherein said device is a drug or treatment dispenser.

16. A device according to claim 12, wherein said device is drug or treatment dispenser unit responsive to said patient needs data to automatically dispense a drug or treatment in accordance therewith.

17. A device according to claim 12, wherein said patient needs device is at least one of:

associated with an individual patient;

kept proximal to said individual patient; and

attached to said individual patient.

18. A device according to claim 12, wherein said main body is a portable device.

19. A patient needs device operative with an electrical medical care device according to claim 12, carrying a data storage device storing patient needs data.

20. A main body for an electrical medical care device according to claim 12 responsive to patient needs data from said patient needs device to affect the operation of the electrical medical care device to administer said patient needs.

21. An accessory comprising a data storage device having a memory storing technological feature data for the accessory, a power supply deriver operable to derive a power supply from a carrier signal coupled to a first coupler, a data storage device controller operable to read data from the memory in response to derivation of a power supply by the power deriver, and a modulator operable to modulate the carrier signal in accordance with technological feature data read from the memory, said coupling of the carrier signal configured to occur when the accessory is arranged in close proximity to or attached to a separate medical device comprising a second coupler operable to transmit the carrier signal and wherein, as a result of the modulation of the carrier signal in accordance with the technological feature data, the operation of the separate medical device is affected.

22. An accessory according to claim 21, having at least one of the following features:

the accessory is interchangeable with another accessory;

the accessory is a user input device or user operator device;

the technological feature data stored in the accessory memory is modifiable;

the accessory additionally comprises a sensor.

23. An accessory according to claim 21, wherein the memory is modifiable, the separate medical device comprises a modulator operable to modulate the carrier signal in accordance with data to be written to the memory of the accessory and the accessory has a writer operable to derive the data from the modulated carrier signal and to write the derived data into the memory.

24. A device according to claim 23, wherein the data storage device controller has a use information deriver operable to obtain information regarding use of the accordance with the use data so as to enable the writer in the data storage device to write the use data into the memory.

25. An electrical medical device comprising a main body and an accessory;

the main body having control means for controlling operation of the medical device and signal supplying means for supplying a carrier signal;

the main body and the accessory having respective first and second coupling means arranged in close proximity to one another when the accessory is in the proximity of or attached to the main body to enable coupling of the carrier signal from the first coupling means to the second coupling means;

the accessory carrying a data storage device having a memory storing technological feature data for the accessory, power supply deriving means for deriving a power supply from a carrier signal coupled to the second coupling means, control means for reading data from the memory in response to derivation of a power supply by the power deriving means, and modulating means for modulating the carrier signal in accordance with technological feature data read from the memory, the main body having data extraction means for extracting the technological feature data from the modulation of the carrier signal and data supplying means for supplying the data to the control means of the main body to affect the operation of the medical device in accordance with the technological feature data for the accessory.