Electric field sensor device, transceiver, positional information obtaining system and information input system

• US 7,907,895 B2
• Filed: 06/29/2004
• Issued: 03/15/2011
• Est. Priority Date: 06/30/2003
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Nippon Telegraph and Telephone Corporation
• Original Assignee: Nippon Telegraph and Telephone Corporation
• Inventors: Shibata, Nobutarou, Minotani, Tadashi, Shinagawa, Mitsuru, Sasaki, Aiichirou, Ochiai, Katsuyuki, Kyuragi, Hakaru
• Primary Examiner(s): Hu; Jinsong
• Assistant Examiner(s): Kasraian; Allahyar
• Application Number:
  US10/524,485
• Publication Number:
  US 20050244166A1
• Time in Patent Office: 2,450 Days
• Field of Search: 455/41.1, 455/41.2, 455/41.3, 600/372, 600/11, 600/15, 324/228, 324/234
• US Class Current: 455/41.1
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 1/163 Wearable computers, e.g. on a belt
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/041 Digitisers, e.g. for touch screens or touch pads, characterised by the transducing means
• CPC Class Codes: H04B 13/005 Transmission systems in which the medium consists of the human body

Abstract

When a human hand (100) holds a transceiver (3a), the hand holds a bottom of an external wall surface and a side of the external wall surface of an insulating case (33). Therefore, a transmitting and receiving electrode (105) and an insulating film (107) cover not only the bottom of the external wall surface but also the side of the external wall surface of the insulating case (33). A first ground electrode (131), a second ground electrode (161), and a third ground electrode (163) are attached to upper portions of the internal wall surface of the insulating case (33) apart from the transmitting and receiving electrode (105). An insulating foam member (7a) is interposed between the insulating case (33) and a transceiver main body (30), and an insulating foam member (7b) is interposed between the transceiver main body (30) and a battery (6).

Claims

1. A transceiver comprising:

a transmitting and receiving electrode that induces an electric field in an electric field transmission medium, and receives the electric field induced in said electric field transmission medium;

a transceiver main body that generates said electric field based on information to be transmitted in said transmitting and receiving electrode, and converts said electric field generated in said transmitting and receiving electrode into reception information, thereby transmitting and receiving information via said electric field transmission medium;

a first structure that is interposed between said transmitting and receiving electrode and said electric field transmission medium;

an insulating case that accommodates said transceiver main body,

wherein said transmitting and receiving electrode is continuously provided on a bottom and a side of an external wall surface of said insulating case, so that said transmitting and receiving electrode is adapted to allow said electric field transmission medium to closely approach the bottom and the side;

a second structure that is interposed between said transceiver main body and said insulating case;

a battery that drives said transceiver main body;

a third structure that is interposed between said transceiver main body and said battery,

wherein said first, said second, and said third structures are composed of an insulator, and are equivalent to a parallel circuit of a resistor and a capacitor; and

a ground electrode that is attached to an internal wall surface of said insulating case,

wherein said transmitting and receiving electrode prevents said electric field transmission medium from being electrically coupled to said ground electrode.

2. The transceiver according to claim 1, wherein the impedance of said second structure and the impedance of said third structure are larger than the impedance of said first structure.

3. The transceiver according to claim 2, wherein said first structure is an insulating film that covers said transmitting and receiving electrode against said electric field transmission medium.

4. The transceiver according to claim 2, wherein said second structure and said third structure are insulating members.

5. A transceiver comprising:

a transceiver main body that induces an electric field based on information to be transmitted in an electric field transmission medium from a transmitting electrode, thereby transmitting the information via said electric field transmission medium;

a battery that drives said transceiver main body; and

an insulating case that accommodates said transceiver main body,

wherein said transmitting electrode is continuously provided on a bottom and a side of an external wall surface of said insulating case, so that said transmitting electrode is adapted to allow said electric field transmission medium to closely approach the bottom and the side, and said transmitting electrode is covered with an insulating film so as not to be in direct contact with said electric field transmission medium; and

a ground electrode that is attached to an internal wall surface of said insulating case,

wherein said transmitting electrode prevents said electric field transmission medium from being electrically coupled to said ground electrode.

6. The transceiver according to claim 5, further comprising an insulating member between said battery and said transceiver main body.

7. The transceiver according to claim 6, wherein said insulating member is a foam member containing air.

8. The transceiver according to claim 6, wherein said insulating member is a plurality of wooden pillars.

9. The transceiver according to claim 6, wherein said insulating member is a cushion member having predetermined gas confined therein.

10. The transceiver according to claim 5, further comprising another ground electrode that defines a reference voltage which is necessary to drive said transceiver main body, and that is attached to an external device at the outside of said insulating case.

11. A transceiver comprising:

a transceiver main body that induces an electric field based on information to be transmitted in an electric field transmission medium from a transmitting electrode, and receives information based on the electric field induced in said electric field transmission medium with a receiving electrode, thereby transmitting and receiving the information via said electric field transmission medium;

a battery that drives said transceiver main body; and

an insulating case that accommodates said transceiver main body,

wherein said transmitting electrode is continuously provided on a bottom and a side of an external wall surface of said insulating case, so that said transmitting electrode is adapted to allow said electric field transmission medium to closely approach the bottom and the side, and said transmitting electrode is covered with a first insulating film so as not to be in direct contact with said electric field transmission medium, and

said receiving electrode is provided on an external wall surface of said first insulating film, and is covered with a second insulating film so as not to be in direct contact with said electric field transmission medium; and

a ground electrode that is attached to an internal wall surface of said insulating case,

wherein said transmitting electrode prevents said electric field transmission medium from being electrically coupled to said ground electrode.

12. A transceiver comprising:

a transceiver main body that induces an electric field based on information to be transmitted in an electric field transmission medium from a transmitting electrode, and receives information based on the electric field induced in said electric field transmission medium with a receiving electrode, thereby transmitting and receiving the information via said electric field transmission medium;

a battery that drives said transceiver main body;

an insulating case that accommodates said transceiver main body,

wherein said receiving electrode is continuously provided on a bottom and a side of an external wall surface of said insulating case, so that said receiving electrode is adapted to allow said electric field transmission medium to closely approach the bottom and the side, and said receiving electrode is covered with a first insulating film so as not to be in direct contact with said electric field transmission medium, and

said transmitting electrode is provided on an external wall surface of said first insulating film, and is covered with a second insulating film so as not to be in direct contact with said electric field transmission medium; and

a ground electrode that is attached to an internal wall surface of said insulating case,

wherein said receiving electrode prevents said electric field transmission medium from being electrically coupled to said ground electrode.