Short range communications for body contacting devices

• US 8,634,773 B2
• Filed: 10/14/2008
• Issued: 01/21/2014
• Est. Priority Date: 10/12/2007
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Cochlear Limited
• Original Assignee: Cochlear Limited
• Inventors: Meskens, Werner
• Primary Examiner(s): Yun, Eugene
• Application Number:
  US12/251,453
• Publication Number:
  US 20090124201A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,925 Days
• Field of Search: 455/41.1, 455/41.2, 455/41.3, 455/575.1, 455/575.6, 455 901- 903, 455/550.1, 455/569, 381/328, 381/330, 381/380, 381/381
• US Class Current: 455/41.2
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 5/0028 Body tissue as transmission medium, i.e. transmission systems where the medium is the human body
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 5/0031 Implanted circuitry
• CPC Class Codes: A61N 1/36038 Cochlear stimulation
• CPC Class Codes: A61N 1/37217 characterised by the communication link, e.g. acoustic or tactile
• CPC Class Codes: H04B 13/005 Transmission systems in which the medium consists of the human body
• CPC Class Codes: H04R 2225/51 Aspects of antennas or their circuitry in or for hearing aids
• CPC Class Codes: H04R 2460/03 Aspects of the reduction of energy consumption in hearing devices
• CPC Class Codes: H04R 25/558 Remote control, e.g. of amplification, frequency
• CPC Class Codes: H04R 25/607 of earhooks

Abstract

A communication system for wirelessly transmitting at least one signal, the system comprising: a first device configured to receive and modulate the at least one signal, the first device having a first conductive element operatively adapted to contact a first human body and a second conductive element isolated from the first human body, wherein the first and second elements operate to wirelessly transmit the modulated signal; and a second device having a first conductive element operatively adapted to contact a second human body, and a second conductive element isolated from the second human body, wherein the first and second elements operate to receive the transmitted modulated signal from the first device.

Claims

1. A communication system for wirelessly transmitting at least one signal, the system comprising:

a first device configured to receive and modulate the at least one signal, the first device having a first conductive element operatively adapted to contact a first human body, the first conductive element configured to wirelessly transmit the modulated signal by conduction through at least the first human body, the first device further including a second conductive element isolated from the first human body, the second conductive element configured to wirelessly transmit the modulated signal by EM signal propagation, the first device further including a modulator unit in communication with the first and second conductive elements, the modulator unit configured to receive the at least one signal, modulate the at least one signal, and provide the at least one modulated signal to the first and second conductive elements; and

a second device having a first conductive element operatively adapted to contact a second human body, the first conductive element of the second device configured to receive the modulated signal wirelessly transmitted by conduction through at least the first human body from the first conductive element of the first device, the second device further including a second conductive element conductively isolated from the second human body, the second conductive element of the second device configured to receive the modulated signal wirelessly transmitted by EM signal propagation from the second conductive element of the first device.

2. The system of claim 1, wherein the second device is further configured to demodulate the received signal and to output the at least one signal.

3. The system of claim 1, wherein the first human body and the second human body are the same human body.

4. The system of claim 1, wherein the modulated signal is transmitted in at least one of the decimeter or centimeter frequency bands.

5. The system of claim 1, wherein the first and second conductive elements of the first device are connected by a first impedance matching circuit and wherein the first and second conductive elements of the second device are connected by a second impedance matching circuit.

6. The system of claim 5, wherein the impedance matching circuits each comprises a balun.

7. The system of claim 1, wherein the first and second devices are components of a medical device system.

8. The system of claim 7, wherein the second device is implanted in a recipient of the medical device system.

9. The system of claim 1, wherein the first device is a hearing prosthesis.

10. A transmitter device for wirelessly transmitting at least one signal to a receiver, the transmitter device comprising:

a first module configured to receive the at least one signal;

a second module configured to modulate the at least one signal; and

a third module comprising;

a first conductive element operatively adapted to contact a human body, wherein the first conductive element is positioned on an outer portion of the transmitter device, and

a second conductive element, wherein the second conductive element is positioned inside of the transmitter device such that it is configured to be conductively isolated from the human body when the first conductive element of the transmitter device is in contact with the human body,

wherein the first and second elements operate to wirelessly transmit the modulated signal to the receiver.

11. The transmitter of claim 10, wherein the modulated signal is transmitted in at least one of the decimeter and centimeter frequency bands.

12. The transmitter of claim 10, wherein the first and second conductive elements are connected by an impedance matching circuit.

13. The transmitter of claim 12, wherein the impedance matching circuit comprises a balun.

14. The transmitter of claim 10, wherein the transmitter is a component of a medical device system.

15. The transceiver of claim 10, wherein the transceiver is in contact with an ear of the human body and the receiver is in contact with a hand of the human body.

20. The method of claim 14, wherein the first device is a hearing prosthesis.

16. A method for wireless communication between a first device and a second device, comprising:

receiving at least one signal at the first device for transmission to the second device;

modulating at the first device the at least one signal; and

wirelessly transmitting to the second device the modulated signal via first and second conductive elements, the first conductive element contacting a human body at an outer portion of the first device and a second conductive element positioned inside the first device and conductively isolated from the human body.

17. The method of claim 16, further comprising:

receiving by the second device the transmitted modulated signal.

18. The method of claim 17, further comprising:

demodulating the received signal at the second device; and

outputting by the second device the at least one signal.

19. The method of claim 16, wherein wirelessly transmitting the modulated signal comprises:

transmitting the modulated signal in at least one of the decimeter and centimeter frequency bands.

21. A wireless communications device comprising:

a first conductive element comprising a conductive plate associated with an outer housing of the wireless communications device such that the first conductive element is configured to be in operative contact with a human body;

a second conductive element inside the outer housing of the wireless communications device and configured to be operatively isolated from the human body when the first conductive element is in operative contact with the human body; and

circuitry inside the wireless communications device connected to the first and second conductive elements and configured to at least one of wirelessly transmit and receive a signal via both the first and second conductive elements.

22. The wireless communications device of claim 21, wherein the circuitry inside the wireless communications device connected to the first and second conductive elements includes an impedance matching device.

23. The wireless communications device of claim 22, wherein the wireless communications device is one of a behind-the-ear hearing aid device or an in-the-ear hearing aid device.