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US Patent 6211799 - Method and apparatus for transbody transmission of power and information

US Patent Issued on April 3, 2001
Estimated Patent Expiration Date: Icon_subject November 6, 2017Estimated Expiration Date is calculated based on simple USPTO term provisions. It does not account for terminal disclaimers, term adjustments, failure to pay maintenance fees, or other factors which might affect the term of a patent.
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Abstract

Capacitive coupling is used to transmit data and power through a user's body. In one implementation, a transmitter carried by the user transmits power and data to a receiver, which is also carried on the user's body. The signal that the transmitter applies to the user's body not only contains a data component, but also powers the receiver and enables it to detect and decode the data. In other implementations, the transmitter or the receiver is physically displaced from the user's body (although both receiver and transmitter are coupled to environmental ground), and data and power are transmitted when the transmitter and receiver become sufficiently proximate--via the user's body--to permit capacitive coupling. The disclosed approach is amenable to a wide variety of applications, ranging from "interbody" exchange of digital information between individuals through physical contact (e.g., a handshake) to "intrabody" data transfer (e.g., between a paging device worn in the shoe and a wristwatch display device) to devices that permit communication between the user and his or her immediate environment.

Other References

  • Zimmerman, Personal Area Networks (PAN): Near-Field Intra-Body Communication, MIT Thesis (1995). p. 1-8

Inventors

Application

No. 965465 filed on 11/06/1997

US Classes:

341/33, Capacitive actuation340/10.51, Programming (e.g., read/write)340/870.37, Capacitive transmitter345/156, DISPLAY PERIPHERAL INTERFACE INPUT DEVICE455/100Body attached or connected

Field of Search

341/33, Capacitive actuation341/32, Magnetic or inductive actuation341/34, Pressure sensitive actuation345/156, DISPLAY PERIPHERAL INTERFACE INPUT DEVICE455/100, Body attached or connected708/132, Having supplemental environment related input708/141, Including specific nonkeyboard-type information entry708/143, Nonmechanical key actuation340/825.22, Program control340/825.27, With information storage340/10.51, Programming (e.g., read/write)340/870.3, With particular transmitter (e.g., piezoelectric, dynamo)340/870.37Capacitive transmitter

Examiners

Primary: Horabik, Michael
Assistant: Edwards, Timothy Jr.

Attorney, Agent or Firm

US Patent References

4069659, Electronic switch activated by current flow through the human body
Issued on: 01/24/1978
Inventor: Harris ,   et al.
5204672, Keyless entry system
Issued on: 04/20/1993
Inventor: Brooks
5796827, System and method for near-field human-body coupling for encrypted communication with identification cards
Issued on: 08/18/1998
Inventor: Coppersmith, et al.
5874725, Non-contact IC card with phase variation detector
Issued on: 02/23/1999
Inventor: Yamaguchi
5914701, Non-contact system for sensing and signalling by externally induced intra-body currents
Issued on: 06/22/1999
Inventor: Gersheneld, et al.
5953425Personal area network security lock and recharger combination apparatus for equipment access and utilization
Issued on: 09/14/1999
Inventor: Selker

Foreign Patent References

  • 2 129 176 GB 05/21/1984

International Class

H03K 017/94

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