Communication between portable apparatus and counterpart apparatus

• US 8,483,611 B2
• Filed: 08/08/2012
• Issued: 07/09/2013
• Est. Priority Date: 04/03/2008
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Polar Electro Oy
• Original Assignee: Polar Electro Oy
• Inventors: Granqvist, Niclas, Kemppainen, Juhani
• Primary Examiner(s): LE, DINH THANH
• Application Number:
  US13/569,474
• Publication Number:
  US 20120302165A1
• Time in Patent Office: 335 Days
• Field of Search: 455/456.3, 455/440, 455/121, 455/41.2, 455/41.3, 455410-411, 455/415, 455/558, 607/60
• US Class Current: 455/41.1
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 5/0002 Remote monitoring of patients using telemetry, e.g. transmission of vital signals via a communication network A61B5/07 takes precedence; transmission systems for measured values G08C; transmission H04B; transmission of digital information H04L; wireless communication networks H04W
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 5/0006 ECG or EEG signals
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 5/02438 with portable devices, e.g. worn by the patient
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 5/222 combined with detection or measurement of physiological parameters, e.g. heart rate
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 12/50 Secure pairing of devices
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 8/005 Discovery of network devices, e.g. terminals
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 84/18 Self-organising networks, e.g. ad-hoc networks or sensor networks
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 88/06 adapted for operation in multiple networks or having at least two operational modes, e.g. multi-mode terminals

Abstract

A portable apparatus, a counterpart apparatus and communication method are disclosed. The communication method comprises: communicating wirelessly an identifier from a portable apparatus to a counterpart apparatus by an induction-based magnetic field; executing a pairing protocol utilizing the identifier between the radio transceiver of the portable apparatus and a radio transceiver of the counterpart apparatus by electric radiation; and communicating information between the radio transceiver of the portable apparatus and the radio transceiver of the counterpart apparatus by electric radiation.

Claims

1. A counterpart apparatus comprising:

an induction-based receiver configured to wirelessly obtain an identifier from a portable apparatus by a magnetic field, the induction-based receiver being configured to wirelessly obtain heart activity data from the portable apparatus using induction-based technology in which the magnetic field is predominantly used to communicate the heart activity data; and

a radio transceiver coupled to the induction-based receiver and configured to execute a pairing protocol between the radio transceiver and the portable apparatus using radio-based technology in which electric radiation is predominantly used to execute the pairing protocol, the radio transceiver executing the pairing protocol using the identifier, the radio transceiver being configured to communicate information with the portable apparatus based on execution of the pairing protocol using the radio-based technology.

2. The counterpart apparatus of claim 1, wherein the induction-based receiver comprises a kilohertz-range receiver, a radio-frequency identification tag reader, or a near field communication receiver.

3. The counterpart apparatus of claim 1, wherein the radio transceiver comprises a proprietary transceiver, or a Bluetooth transceiver.

4. The counterpart apparatus of claim 1, wherein the identifier comprises an identifier associated with the radio transceiver of the portable apparatus, an identifier associated with the portable apparatus, an identifier of the induction-based transmitter, an identifier defining a transmission channel of the induction-based transmitter, a medium access control address of the radio transceiver, or a part of a medium access control address of the radio transceiver.

5. The counterpart apparatus of claim 4, wherein the induction-based receiver is configured to wirelessly receive a predetermined number of the least significant bits of the medium access control address of the radio transceiver.

6. The counterpart apparatus of claim 1, wherein the information comprises information specific to a user of the portable apparatus, information specific to the portable apparatus, or information specific to the counterpart apparatus.

7. The counterpart apparatus of claim 1, wherein the counterpart apparatus comprises an electronic circuit, a computer, an exercise apparatus, or a health club apparatus.

8. A counterpart apparatus comprising:

an induction-based receiver configured to wirelessly obtain an identifier from a portable apparatus by a magnetic field, the induction-based receiver being configured to wirelessly obtain the identifier encoded within a stream of heart activity data from the portable apparatus using induction-based technology in which the magnetic field is predominantly used to communicate the identifier and the heart activity data; and

a radio transceiver coupled to the induction-based receiver and configured to execute a pairing protocol between the radio transceiver and the portable apparatus using radio-based technology in which electric radiation is predominantly used to execute the pairing protocol, the radio transceiver executing the pairing protocol using the identifier, the radio transceiver being configured to communicate information with the portable apparatus based on execution of the pairing protocol using the radio-based technology.

9. A counterpart apparatus comprising:

an induction-based receiver configured to wirelessly obtain an identifier from a portable apparatus by a magnetic field, the induction-based receiver being configured to wirelessly obtain heart activity data from the portable apparatus using induction-based technology in which the magnetic field is predominantly used to communicate the heart activity data;

the counterpart apparatus comprising an exercise apparatus, or a health club apparatus; and

a radio transceiver coupled to the induction-based receiver and configured to execute a pairing protocol between the radio transceiver and the portable apparatus using radio-based technology in which electric radiation is predominantly used to execute the pairing protocol, the radio transceiver executing the pairing protocol using the identifier, the radio transceiver being configured to communicate information with the portable apparatus based on execution of the pairing protocol using the radio-based technology.