Systems and methods for short range wireless communication

• US 7,933,554 B2
• Filed: 12/28/2004
• Issued: 04/26/2011
• Est. Priority Date: 11/04/2004
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: U.S. Army Medical Research And Materiel Command
• Original Assignee: The United States Of America As Represented By The Secretary Of The Army
• Inventors: Lanza, John F., Hoyt, Reed W.
• Primary Examiner(s): Milord; Marceau
• Application Number:
  US11/022,651
• Publication Number:
  US 20060084380A1
• Time in Patent Office: 2,310 Days
• Field of Search: 455/41.2, 455/41.1, 455/100, 455/556.1, 455/575.5, 380/99.08, 310/90, 310/268, 310/51, 360/98.07
• US Class Current: 455/41.2
• CPC Class Codes: H04B 5/24 Inductive coupling
• CPC Class Codes: H04B 5/266 One coil at each side, e.g. with primary and secondary coils
• CPC Class Codes: H04B 5/48 Transceivers
• CPC Class Codes: H04B 5/72 for local intradevice communication
• CPC Class Codes: H04B 5/73 for taking measurements, e.g. using sensing coils

Abstract

A magnetic induction data transmission network comprising a master hub, at least one sensor node communicatively coupled to the master hub and a magnetic induction coil preferably adapted to be worn about a bodypart of a subject such as an individual'"'"'s waist or neck. In at least one embodiment of the invention, the magnetic induction coil preferably includes a connector which serves as an intermediary between the coil and the hub to allow data communication.

Claims

1. A personal area network for transmitting and receiving data via magnetic induction, comprising:

a magnetic induction antenna belt;

a primary transceiver for inclusion in a belt buckle attached to said belt;

an adapter for inclusion in said belt buckle, said adapter for electronically coupling said primary transceiver to said magnetic induction antenna belt and

a plurality of secondary transceivers in communication with said primary transceiver to allow said primary transceiver to communicate with said plurality of secondary transceivers via said antenna belt, said plurality of secondary transceivers being located in proximity to said primary transceiver, and at least one of said secondary transceivers being coupled to a physiological sensor attached to a body part.

2. The personal area network of claim 1, wherein said magnetic induction antenna belt has a magnetic induction coil that conducts a current in the milliampere range.

3. The personal area network of claim 1, wherein data transmission and reception between said primary and secondary transceivers occurs over a maximum distance range of two to three meters.

4. The personal area network of claim 1, wherein said primary transceiver is the master hub and includes a magnetic induction transceiver.

5. The personal area network of claim 1, wherein said primary transceiver is magnetically coupled to at least one sensor node.

6. The personal area network of claim 1, wherein said at least one sensor node and said magnetic induction coil are misaligned by an angle of plus or minus forty-five degrees.

7. The personal area network of claim 1, wherein said coilbelt includes at least one wire forming at least one revolution around an individual'"'"'s waist.

8. The personal area network of claim 7, wherein said at least one wire is manufactured of ribbon cable.

9. The personal area network of claim 7, wherein said at least one wire is manufactured of Mylar cable.

10. The personal area network of claim 1 wherein said at least one sensor node includes a physiological sensor.

11. The personal area network of claim 1, wherein at least one secondary transceiver is coupled to a sensor node.

12. The personal area network of claim 11, further comprising a connector residing at a transaction point of said magnetic induction coil, said connector serving as an intermediary between said coil and said hub.

13. The personal area network of claim 12, wherein said connector includes

a plug terminal including a set of plug pins;

and

a receptacle terminal including a set of receptacle pins;

wherein each of said plug pins corresponds to a receptacle pin.

14. The personal area network of claim 13, wherein at least one wire is connected to one of said plug pins and said master hub and at least one wire is connected to one of said receptacle pins and said master hub.

15. The personal area network of claim 14, wherein at least one wire is connected to one of said receptacle pins and one of said plug pins.

16. The personal area network of claim 14, wherein at least one wire is connected to one of said receptacle pins and one of said plug pins, said one of said plug pins being offset from said one of said receptacle pins by one greater position.

17. The personal area network of claim 14, wherein at least one wire is connected to one of said receptacle pins and one of said plug pins, said one of said receptacle pins being offset from said one of said plug pins by one greater position.

18. The personal area network of claim 1, wherein said belt buckle is a part of said hub and allows fastening and unfastening of said magnetic induction coilbelt.