Human body communication device and operating method of the same

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-11509403-B2
Application number	US-202016816109-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Mar 11, 2020
Priority date	Mar 14, 2019
Publication date	Nov 22, 2022
Grant date	Nov 22, 2022

Abstract

Provided are a human body communication device and an operating method of the same. The human body communication device according to an embodiment of the inventive concept includes a first electrode, a second electrode, a transmitting circuit, a receiving circuit, a ground electrode, and a switch. The transmitting circuit generates a first signal in a transmitting mode and transmits the first signal to the first electrode. The receiving circuit receives a second signal from the first electrode in the receiving mode. The receiving circuit includes a differential amplifier that amplifies a difference between a voltage level of a first input terminal depending on the second signal and a voltage level of a second input terminal. The switch electrically connects the second electrode and the ground electrode in the transmitting mode, and electrically connects the second electrode and the second input terminal in the receiving mode.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1. A human body communication device comprising:
a first electrode configured to transmit a first signal to a human body in a transmitting mode and receive a second signal from the human body in a receiving mode;
a second electrode spaced apart from the first electrode;
a transmitting circuit configured to generate the first signal in the transmitting mode and transmit the first signal to the first electrode;
a receiving circuit configured to receive the second signal from the first electrode in the receiving mode and include a differential amplifier for amplifying a difference between a voltage level of a first input terminal depending on the second signal and a voltage level of a second input terminal;
a ground electrode electrically connected to the transmitting circuit and the receiving circuit; and
a switch configured to electrically connect the second electrode and the ground electrode in the transmitting mode and electrically connect the second electrode and the second input terminal in the receiving mode,
wherein the second electrode is electrically disconnected from the transmitting circuit in both of the transmitting mode and the receiving mode.

2. The human body communication device of claim 1 , wherein the switch disconnects the second electrode and the second input terminal in the transmitting mode and disconnects the second electrode and the ground electrode in the receiving mode.

3. The human body communication device of claim 1 , further comprising a controller configured to determine the transmitting mode and the receiving mode, control the transmitting circuit to transmit the first signal in the transmitting mode, and control the receiving circuit to receive the second signal in the receiving mode.

4. The human body communication device of claim 1 , further comprising a controller configured to generate a first switch control signal in the transmitting mode and a second switch control signal in the receiving mode,
wherein the switch electrically connects the second electrode and the ground electrode, based on the first switch control signal, and electrically connects the second electrode and the second input terminal, based on the second switch control signal.

5. The human body communication device of claim 1 , wherein, in the transmitting mode, a voltage level of the ground electrode is equal to a voltage level of the second electrode.

6. The human body communication device of claim 1 , wherein, in the receiving mode, a voltage level of the second electrode is different from a voltage level of the ground electrode, and is equal to the voltage level of the second input terminal.

7. The human body communication device of claim 1 , wherein the receiving circuit further comprises a filter configured to filter the second signal, and
wherein the differential amplifier receives the filtered second signal through the first input terminal.

8. The human body communication device of claim 1 , wherein the first electrode and the second electrode face each other with respect to the ground electrode.

9. The human body communication device of claim 1 , wherein a distance between the first electrode and the second electrode is greater than a distance between the first electrode and the ground electrode.

10. The human body communication device of claim 1 , wherein the first electrode is configured to be in contact with a living body, and the second electrode is configured to be spaced apart from the living body.

11. A human body communication device comprising:
a first electrode;
a second electrode facing the first electrode; and
a communication circuit unit between the first electrode and the second electrode,
wherein the communication circuit unit comprising:
a transmitting circuit configured to transmit a first signal to the first electrode in a transmitting mode;
a receiving circuit configured to receive a second signal from the first electrode in a receiving mode, including a differential amplifier for amplifying a difference between a voltage level of the second signal and a voltage level of the second electrode; and
a ground electrode electrically connected to the transmitting circuit and the receiving circuit, the ground electrode configured to provide a reference ground to the transmitting circuit and the receiving circuit, and to be electrically connected to the second electrode when the transmitting circuit transmits the first signal,
wherein the second electrode is electrically disconnected from the transmitting circuit in both of the transmitting mode and the receiving mode.

12. The human body communication device of claim 11 , further comprising a case provided with an upper hole to which the second electrode is coupled and a lower hole to which the first electrode is coupled, the case accommodating the communication circuit unit.

13. The human body communication device of claim 11 , wherein an area of the second electrode is wider than an area of the first electrode.

14. The human body communication device of claim 11 , wherein a distance between the first electrode and the second electrode is greater than a distance between the first electrode and the ground electrode.

15. The human body communication device of claim 11 , wherein the communication circuit unit further comprises a switch configured to electrically connect the second electrode and the ground electrode when the transmitting circuit transmits the first signal, and electrically connect the second electrode and the differential amplifier when the receiving circuit receives the second signal.

16. The human body communication device of claim 15 , wherein the second signal is provided to a first input terminal of the differential amplifier, and
wherein, when the receiving circuit receives the second signal, the switch electrically connects the second electrode and a second input terminal of the differential amplifier.

17. The human body communication device of claim 15 , wherein the communication circuit unit further comprises a controller configured to generate a first switch control signal when the transmitting circuit transmits the first signal, and generate a second switch control signal when the receiving circuit receives the second signal, and
wherein the switch electrically connects the second electrode and the ground electrode, based on the first switch control signal, and electrically connects the second electrode and the differential amplifier, based on the second switch control signal.

18. A method of operating a human body communication device, the method comprising:
determining a transmitting mode for transmitting a first signal to a human body to through a first electrode or a receiving mode for receiving a second signal from the human body through the first electrode;
electrically connecting a second electrode to only a ground electrode during the transmitting mode, the second electrode facing the first electrode, the first electrode being closer to the human body than the second electrode;
transmitting the first signal to the first electrode in the transmitting mode;
receiving the second signal at a first input terminal of a differential amplifier through the first electrode in the receiving mode; and
electrically connecting the second electrode to a second input terminal of the differential amplifier in the receiving mode.

19. The method of claim 18 , further comprising:
generating a switch control signal when the transmitting mode is determined,
wherein the electrically connecting of the second e

Assignees

• Electronics & Telecommunications Res Inst

Inventors

• Kang Tae Wook
• Kim Sung Eun
• Oh Kwang Il
• Kim Hyuk
• Park Mi Jeong
• Park Hyung-Il
• Byun Kyung Jin
• Lee Jae-Jin
• Lim In Gi

Classifications

• H04B1/44

  Transmit/receive switching · CPC title

• H04B13/005 Primary

  Transmission systems in which the medium consists of the human body · CPC title