Device contact avoidance for body area network

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-2016294486-A1
Application number	US-201514721358-A
Country	US
Kind code	A1
Filing date	May 26, 2015
Priority date	Mar 30, 2015
Publication date	Oct 6, 2016
Grant date	—

Abstract

A device and a method provide for transmitting, via a communication interface operating in a low frequency body area network (BAN) communication mode, a low frequency, on-body signal to another device; determining whether to continue a BAN communication with the other device based on whether an on-body BAN signal is received from the other device that is responsive to the low frequency, on-body signal; and switching the communication interface to a high frequency BAN communication mode based on a determination that the on-body BAN signal is received, wherein the high frequency BAN communication mode configures the communication interface to transmit and receive an on-body signal within a frequency band different from a frequency band of the low frequency BAN communication mode.

First claim

1 . A method comprising:
transmitting, by a first device operating in a low frequency body area network (BAN) communication mode, a low frequency, on-body signal to a second device, the low frequency, on-body signal comprising a flag indicating that the low frequency, on-body signal is intended as an on-body communication; determining, by the first device, whether to continue a BAN communication with the second device based on whether an on-body BAN signal is received from the second device that is responsive to the low frequency, on-body signal; and operating, by the first device, in a high frequency BAN communication mode, based on determining that the on-body BAN signal is received, wherein operating in the high frequency BAN communication mode configures the first device to transmit and receive an on-body signal within a frequency band different from a frequency band of the low frequency BAN communication mode.

2 . The method of claim 1 , wherein the low frequency, on-body signal is an initial signal to establish a BAN session with the second device.

3 . The method of claim 1 , wherein the transmitting occurs subsequent to an establishment of a BAN session with the second device, and wherein during the BAN session and prior to the first device transmitting the low frequency, on-body signal to the second device, the first device and the second device each is operating in the high frequency BAN communication mode and each of the first device and the second device has transmitted at least one high frequency signal.

4 . The method of claim 3 , further comprising:
determining, by the first device, whether to verify an on-body connectivity with the second device pertaining to the BAN session; and wherein the transmitting the low frequency, on-body signal to the second device comprises: switching, by the first device, from the high frequency BAN communication mode to the low frequency BAN communication mode based on determining to verify the on-body connectivity with the second device.

5 . The method of claim 1 , wherein the low frequency BAN communication mode and the high frequency BAN communication mode operate within different transmitter power ranges.

6 . The method of claim 1 , further comprising:
receiving, by the second device, the low frequency, on-body signal; and transmitting, by the second device, the on-body BAN signal to the first device, in response to receiving the low frequency, on-body signal from the first device, wherein when transmitting, by the second device, the second device operates in the low frequency BAN communication mode, and wherein the on-body BAN signal is a low frequency, on-body signal.

7 . The method of claim 1 , further comprising:
receiving, by the second device, the low frequency, on-body signal; and transmitting, by the second device, the on-body BAN signal to the first device, in response to receiving the low frequency, on-body signal from the first device, wherein when transmitting, by the second device, the second device operates in the high frequency BAN communication mode, and wherein the on-body BAN signal is a high frequency, on-body signal.

8 . The method of claim 1 , further comprising:
transmitting, by the first device operating in the high frequency BAN communication mode, a high frequency, on-body signal in response to receiving the on-body BAN signal from the second device; and discontinuing, by the first device, the BAN communication with the second device based on determining that the on-body BAN signal is not received from the second device that is responsive to the low frequency, on-body signal.

9 . A device comprising:
a communication interface, wherein the communication interface is configured to operate in a low frequency body area network (BAN) communication mode and a high frequency BAN communication mode; a memory, wherein the memory stores instructions; and a processor, wherein the processor is configured to execute the instructions to:
transmit, via the communication interface operating in the low frequency BAN communication mode, a low frequency, on-body signal to another device, the low frequency, on-body signal comprising a flag indicating that the low frequency, on-body signal is intended as an on-body communication;
determine whether to continue a BAN communication with the other device based on whether an on-body BAN signal is received from the other device that is responsive to the low frequency, on-body signal; and
switch the communication interface to the high frequency BAN communication mode based on a determination that the on-body BAN signal is received, wherein the high frequency BAN communication mode configures the communication interface to transmit and receive an on-body signal within a frequency band different from a frequency band of the low frequency BAN communication mode.

10 . The device of claim 9 , wherein the low frequency, on-body signal is an initial signal to establish a BAN session with the other device.

11 . The device of claim 9 , wherein a transmission of the low frequency, on-body signal to the other device occurs subsequent to an establishment of a BAN session with the other device, and wherein during the BAN session and prior to the transmission, the communication interface operates in the high frequency BAN communication mode, and wherein the processor is further configured to execute the instructions to:
transmit, via the communication interface operating in the high frequency BAN communication mode, a high frequency, on-body signal to the other device.

12 . The device of claim 11 , wherein the low frequency BAN communication mode and the high frequency BAN communication mode operate within different transmitter power ranges, and wherein the processor is configured to execute the instructions to:
transmit, via the communication interface operating in the high frequency BAN communication mode, an initial, high frequency, on-body signal to the other device, wherein the initial, high frequency, on-body signal is an initial signal to establish the BAN session.

13 . The device of claim 9 , wherein the communication interface comprises:
a transmitter; a receiver; and switch logic, wherein the switch logic is configured to control when the communication interface operates in the low frequency BAN communication mode and when the communication interface operates in the high frequency BAN communication mode, and wherein the processor is further configured to execute the instructions to: discontinue the BAN communication with the other device based on a determination that the on-body BAN signal is not received from the other device.

14 . The device of claim 9 , wherein the on-body BAN signal is a low frequency, on-body signal, and wherein the processor is further configured to execute the instructions to:
receive, via the communication interface operating in the low frequency BAN communication mode, the low frequency, on-body signal, from the other device.

15 . The device of claim 9 , wherein the on-body BAN signal is a high frequency, on-body signal, and wherein the processor is further configured to execute the instructions to:
receive, via the communication operating in the high frequency BAN communication mode, the high frequency, on-body signal, from the other device.

Assignees

• Sony Mobile Communications Inc

Inventors

• Bolin Thomas
• Midholt Magnus
• Thorn Ola
• Bengtsson Erik
• Bengtsson Henrik

Classifications

• H04B13/005 Primary

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

• H04L5/0048

  Allocation of pilot signals, i.e. of signals known to the receiver (allocation of control signalling H04L5/0053; use of control signalling H04L5/0091) · CPC title

• H04L63/0492

  by using a location-limited connection, e.g. near-field communication or limited proximity of entities · CPC title

• H04W72/0453

  Resources in frequency domain, e.g. a carrier in FDMA · CPC title

• H04W8/005

  Discovery of network devices, e.g. terminals · CPC title