Methods of providing body area network communications when a user touches a button of a wireless electronic device, and related wireless electronic devices and wearable wireless electronic devices

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-2016013872-A1
Application number	US-201414328832-A
Country	US
Kind code	A1
Filing date	Jul 11, 2014
Priority date	Jul 11, 2014
Publication date	Jan 14, 2016
Grant date	—

Abstract

Methods of providing communications between a wearable first wireless electronic device and a second wireless electronic device are provided. The methods include establishing a Body Area Network (BAN) link, through a human body of a user that is wearing the wearable first wireless electronic device, between the wearable first wireless electronic device and the second wireless electronic device, when the user touches a conductive button on the second wireless electronic device. Related wireless electronic devices and wearable wireless electronic devices are also provided.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1 . A method of providing communications between a wearable first wireless electronic device and a second wireless electronic device, the method comprising:
establishing a Body Area Network (BAN) link, through a human body of a user that is wearing the wearable first wireless electronic device, between the wearable first wireless electronic device and the second wireless electronic device, when the user touches a conductive button on the second wireless electronic device.

2 . The method of claim 1 , further comprising automatically transmitting authentication information that unlocks a display screen of the second wireless electronic device, via the BAN link, from the wearable first wireless electronic device to the second wireless electronic device, when the user touches the conductive button on the second wireless electronic device.

3 . The method of claim 2 , further comprising receiving, at the wearable first wireless electronic device, the authentication information from the second wireless electronic device via a short-range radio link, before establishing the BAN link.

4 . The method of claim 3 , wherein receiving the authentication information from the second wireless electronic device via the short-range radio link comprises:
receiving the authentication information from the second wireless electronic device via a Bluetooth link between the wearable first wireless electronic device and the second wireless electronic device before establishing the BAN link.

5 . The method of claim 1 , further comprising:
receiving, at the wearable first wireless electronic device, a signal from the second wireless electronic device via the BAN link; and initializing a BAN circuit of the wearable first wireless electronic device in response to receiving the signal via the BAN link.

6 . The method of claim 1 , further comprising:
receiving, at the wearable first wireless electronic device, authentication information that is configured to unlock a display screen of the second wireless electronic device, from the second wireless electronic device; detecting removal of the wearable first wireless electronic device from the human body of the user; and automatically deleting the authentication information from the wearable first wireless electronic device in response to detecting the removal of the wearable first wireless electronic device from the human body of the user.

7 . The method of claim 2 , wherein automatically transmitting the authentication information comprises:
automatically transmitting the authentication information via the BAN link through a transmission medium provided by the human body of the user wearing the wearable first wireless electronic device to the second wireless electronic device, using a frequency between about 10.0 Megahertz (MHz) and about 40.0 MHz.

8 . The method of claim 7 ,
wherein the second wireless electronic device comprises a mobile telephone, wherein the wearable first wireless electronic device is worn on an arm of the user, wherein the mobile telephone is held by a hand of the user, and wherein automatically transmitting the authentication information comprises automatically transmitting the authentication information through the arm on which the wearable first wireless electronic device is worn by the user to the mobile telephone that is held by the hand of the user.

9 . A wearable first wireless electronic device, comprising:
a Body Area Network (BAN) transceiver circuit configured to provide communications with a second wireless electronic device via a BAN link through a human body of a user that is wearing the wearable first wireless electronic device, when the user touches a conductive button on the second wireless electronic device.

10 . The wearable first wireless electronic device of claim 9 , wherein the BAN transceiver circuit is configured to automatically transmit authentication information that unlocks a display screen of the second wireless electronic device, via the BAN link, from the wearable first wireless electronic device to the second wireless electronic device, when the user touches the conductive button on the second wireless electronic device.

11 . The wearable first wireless electronic device of claim 10 , further comprising:
a short-range radio transceiver circuit that is configured to receive the authentication information from the second wireless electronic device before the wearable first wireless electronic device establishes the BAN link with the second wireless electronic device.

12 . The wearable first wireless electronic device of claim 11 , wherein the short-range radio transceiver circuit comprises a Bluetooth transceiver circuit configured to receive the authentication information from the second wireless electronic device via a Bluetooth link between the wearable first wireless electronic device and the second wireless electronic device before the wearable first wireless electronic device establishes the BAN link.

13 . The wearable first wireless electronic device of claim 9 ,
wherein the BAN transceiver circuit is configured to receive a signal from the second wireless electronic device via the BAN link, wherein the wearable first wireless electronic device further comprises a processor, and wherein the processor is configured to wake the BAN transceiver circuit from a sleep mode in response to receiving the signal via the BAN link.

14 . The wearable first wireless electronic device of claim 9 , further comprising:
a short-range radio transceiver circuit that is configured to receive authentication information that is configured to unlock a display screen of the second wireless electronic device, from the second wireless electronic device, before the wearable first wireless electronic device establishes the BAN link with the second wireless electronic device; a processor; a memory; and a sensor configured to detect removal of the wearable first wireless electronic device from the human body of the user, wherein the processor is configured to automatically delete the authentication information from the memory in response to detection by the sensor of the removal of the wearable first wireless electronic device from the human body of the user.

15 . The wearable first wireless electronic device of claim 9 , further comprising first and second electrodes that are spaced apart from each other,
wherein the BAN transceiver circuit is configured to provide the communications via the BAN link through the first and second electrodes, and wherein the first and second electrodes are configured to provide the communications through the human body of the user by imposing an electric field on the human body of the user.

16 . A first wireless electronic device, comprising:
a Body Area Network (BAN) transceiver circuit configured to provide communications with a wearable second wireless electronic device via a BAN link through a human body of a user that is wearing the wearable second wireless electronic device, when the user touches a conductive button on the first wireless electronic device.

17 . The device of claim 16 , further comprising:
a display screen; and a processor that is configured to unlock the display screen using authentication information, wherein the BAN transceiver circuit is configured to receive the authentication information from the wearable second wireless electronic device, via the BAN link, when the user touches the conductive button on the first wireless electronic device.

18 . The device o

Assignees

• Sony Corp

Inventors

• Åstrand Per
• Bolin Thomas
• Begic Stjepan
• Bengtsson Henrik
• Rodzevski Alexandar

Classifications

• H04W4/80

  Services using short range communication, e.g. near-field communication [NFC], radio-frequency identification [RFID] or low energy communication · CPC title

• H04B13/005 Primary

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

• G06F21/35 Primary

  communicating wirelessly · CPC title

• H04L63/0853

  using an additional device, e.g. smartcard, SIM or a different communication terminal (cryptographic mechanisms or cryptographic arrangements for entity authentication involving additional secure or trusted devices H04L9/3234) · CPC title

• H04W12/06

  Authentication · CPC title