MAGNETIC FIELD DATA MODEM

• US 20140254646A1
• Filed: 10/19/2012
• Published: 09/11/2014
• Est. Priority Date: 10/25/2011
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Koninklijke Philips N.V.
• Original Assignee: Koninklijke Philips N.V.
• Inventors: Harwell, Robert, Harris, Otis Robert
• Granted Patent: US 9,331,886 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 375/222
• CPC Class Codes: H04B 5/263 Multiple coils at either side
• CPC Class Codes: H04B 5/72 for local intradevice communication
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 27/36 Modulator circuits; Transmitter circuits
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 27/38 Demodulator circuits; Receiver circuits

Abstract

A magnetic field modem (26) includes an electro-magnetic radiation shielded (90) transmitter section (34) and a receiver section (36). The electro-magnetic radiation shielded (90) transmitter section (34) modulates data and transmits the data via a magnetic field through a radio frequency shield (20). The receiver section (34) receives the magnetic field through the radio frequency shield (20) and demodulates the data. The transmitter section includes an oscillator (40), a modulator (50), an amplifier (70), a magnetic transducer (80), and a non-ferrous magnetic shield (90). The oscillator (40) generates a carrier signal. The modulator (50) connects to the oscillator (40) and modulates the carrier signal with the data. The amplifier (70) connects to the modulator (50) and amplifies the modulated carrier signal. The magnetic transducer (80) connects to the amplifier (70) and converts the modulated carrier signal into a modulated magnetic signal. The non-ferrous magnetic shield (90) shields the magnetic transducer (80) and blocks emitted electro-magnetic radiation.

Claims

1. A magnetic field modem comprising:

an electro-magnetic radiation shielded transmitter section which modulates data and transmits the data via a modulated magnetic field through a radio frequency shield; and

a receiver section which receives the magnetic field through the radio frequency shield and demodulates the data.

2. The magnetic field modem according to claim 1, wherein the transmitter section further includes:

an oscillator which generates a carrier signal;

a modulator connected to the oscillator which modulates the carrier signal with the input data;

an amplifier connected to the modulator which amplifies the modulated carrier signal;

a magnetic transducer connected to the amplifier which converts the modulated carrier signal into a modulated magnetic signal; and

a non-ferrous magnetic shield which shields the magnetic transducer and blocks emitted electro-magnetic radiation.

3. The magnetic field modem according to claim 2, wherein the transmitter section further includes:

an input data port which receives the input data; and

a controller connected to the data modulator and the input data port which makes received input data available to the modulator.

4. The magnetic field modem according to claim 1, wherein the receiver section further includes:

a magnetic transducer which receives the transmitted modulated magnetic field through the radio frequency shield and converts the received modulated magnetic field to a modulated data signal; and

a demodulator which demodulates the data signal to recover the input data.

5. The magnetic field modem according to claim 1, wherein the receiver section further includes:

a controller connected to the demodulator, the controller receives the demodulated input data from the demodulator and stores the input data in a buffer for transmission; and

an output data port which transmits the input data from the buffer.

6. The magnetic field modem according to claim 1, wherein the receiver section further includes:

a channel filter connected to the magnetic transducer which filters unwanted noise from the modulated data signal; and

an amplifier connected to the channel filter.

7. The magnetic field modem according to claim 1, wherein the receiver section and transmitter section are configured in separated units for simplex communication.

8. The magnetic field modem according to claim 1, wherein the modem includes an in-room unit including a receiver section and transmitter section and an out-of-room unit including a receiver section and a transmitter section.

9. The magnetic field modem according to claim 8, wherein the transmit section and the receive section in at least one of the in-room and out-of-room units share components.

10. The magnetic field modem according to claim 1, wherein the magnetic transducer includes a tuned loop.

11. The magnetic field modem according to claim 1, wherein further including:

an in-room patient monitor device and the transmit section transmits patient monitoring data.

12. The magnetic field modem according to claim 1, wherein at least one of the in-room and the out-of-room modems is mounted on a stand.

13. The magnetic field modem according to claim 1, wherein at least one of the in-room and the out-of-room modems is mounted on the shield.

14. The magnetic field modem according to claim 1, wherein the shield includes a copper sheet.

15. The magnetic field modem according to claim 1, wherein the shield includes a non-ferrous conductive mesh.

16. A magnetic resonance suite including:

a room shielded by a radio frequency shield;

a magnetic resonance scanner which scans patients; and

a magnetic field modem according to claim 1.

17. A method for communicating data through a RF shield comprising:

with a first modem unit on a first side of the RF shield;

receiving first data,

generating a magnetic field modulated with the first data,

transmitting the modulated magnetic field through the RF shield;

with a second modem unit on a second side of the RF shield;

receiving the modulated magnetic field,

demodulating the first data from the received magnetic field to recover the first data, and

outputting the recovered first data.

18. The method for communicating data through a RF shield according to claim 17, further including:

shielding radio frequency electro-magnetic radiation emitted from at least the first modem unit.

19. The method for communicating data through a RF shield according to claim 17, further including:

with the second modem unit;

receiving second data,

generating a magnetic field modulated with the second data,

transmitting the modulated magnetic field through the RF shield;

with the first modem unit;

receiving the modulated magnetic field,

demodulating the second data from the received magnetic field to recover the second data, and

outputting the recovered second data.