Body communication antenna

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-9819075-B2
Application number	US-201414576030-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Dec 18, 2014
Priority date	May 5, 2014
Publication date	Nov 14, 2017
Grant date	Nov 14, 2017

Abstract

An electromagnetic induction wireless communication system including: a magnetic antenna; an electric antenna; a tuning capacitor coupled to the magnetic antenna configured to tune the magnetic antenna; a controller configured to control the operation of the communication system; a signal source coupled to the controller configured to produce a communication signal used to drive the magnetic antenna and the electric antenna; a voltage control unit coupled to the signal source configured to produce one of an amplitude difference, phase difference, and an amplitude and a phase difference between the communication signal used to drive the magnetic antenna and electric antenna.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1. An electromagnetic induction wireless communication system comprising an electromagnetic induction antenna comprising:
a capacitor having a first plate and a second plate spaced apart from the first plate; and
an inductor including windings surrounding the first plate, wherein the capacitor and inductor are electrically connected, the capacitor is an electric field antenna, the inductor is a magnetic field antenna, and the electromagnetic induction antenna is configured to communicate by using a combination of both a reactive electric field via the electric field antenna and a reactive magnetic field via the magnetic field antenna, wherein the reactive magnetic field passes through a living body, and the reactive electric field is coupled to the living body, wherein the reactive electric field has a direction perpendicular to a surface of the living body and is available around the living body.

2. The electromagnetic induction wireless communication system of claim 1 , further comprising:
a tuning capacitor coupled to the capacitor and the inductor to create a resonating circuit that is configured to operate at a specific frequency.

3. The electromagnetic induction wireless communication system of claim 1 , further comprising a transmitter comprising:
the electromagnetic induction antenna; and
a signal source configured to produce a first communication signal used to drive the electric field antenna to produce the reactive electric field and to drive the magnetic field antenna to produce the reactive magnetic field, wherein the transmitter, when positioned at a location on the living body, is configured to communicate with a receiver positioned at another location on the living body using the combination of both the reactive electric field and the reactive magnetic field.

4. The electromagnetic induction wireless communication system of claim 1 , further comprising a receiver comprising:
the electromagnetic induction antenna; and
a signal detector connected to the electromagnetic induction antenna configured to detect a communication signal received from a transmitter positioned near the living body via the reactive electric field received by the electric field antenna and the reactive magnetic field received by the magnetic field antenna.

5. The electromagnetic induction wireless communication system of claim 1 , wherein
the electromagnetic induction antenna
is implemented in a wrist mounted device that comprises one of a display device, a remote control device, and a bridging device positioned near the living body, wherein the bridging device is in communication with one or more remote devices.

6. The electromagnetic induction wireless communication system of claim 1 , wherein the first plate of the electric field antenna is coupled to the living body and the second plate of the electric field antenna is coupled to an environment.

7. The electromagnetic induction wireless communication system of claim 1 , wherein the inductor comprises a planar coil, and the electromagnetic induction antenna is not galvanically connected to a ground.

8. The electromagnetic induction wireless communication system of claim 3 , wherein the transmitter further comprises:
a voltage control unit, coupled to the signal source, configured to produce at least one of an amplitude difference and a phase difference between communication signals used to drive the magnetic field antenna and the electric field antenna.

9. The electromagnetic induction wireless communication system of claim 3 , further comprising a transceiver comprising:
the transmitter; and
a signal detector connected to the electromagnetic induction antenna configured to detect a second communication signal.

10. The electromagnetic induction wireless communication system of claim 3 , wherein a same voltage is used to generate both the reactive electric field in a near-field region of the electric field antenna and the reactive magnetic field in a near-field region of the magnetic field antenna.

11. The electromagnetic induction wireless communication system of claim 3 , wherein the transmitter is implemented in at least one of a hearing aid device, a bridging device, a remote control device, a display device, and a wrist mounted device.

12. The electromagnetic induction wireless communication system of claim 4 , wherein the receiver is implemented in at least one of a hearing aid device, a bridging device, a remote control device, a display device, and a wrist mounted device.

13. The electromagnetic induction wireless communication system of claim 8 , wherein the transmitter further comprises:
a controller including a data processing unit and signal processing unit, wherein the controller is configured to control operation of the voltage control unit.

14. The electromagnetic induction wireless communication system of claim 9 , wherein
the signal detector is configured to detect the second communication signal received from a bridging device near the living body, wherein the second communication signal includes audio data from a remote device in communication with the bridging device.

15. The electromagnetic induction wireless communication system of claim 9 , wherein
the signal detector is configured to detect the second communication signal received from a remote control device near the living body, wherein operation of the transceiver is configured to be controlled by the second communication signal received from the remote control device.

16. The electromagnetic induction wireless communication system of claim 9 , wherein
the signal source is configured to transmit the first communication signal to a wrist mounted device positioned near the living body.

17. The electromagnetic induction wireless communication system of claim 16 , wherein
the signal detector is configured to detect the second communication signal received from the wrist mounted device positioned near the living body.

18. The electromagnetic induction wireless communication system of claim 9 , wherein the transceiver is implemented in at least one of a hearing aid device, a bridging device, a remote control device, a display device, and a wrist mounted device.

19. The electromagnetic induction wireless communication system of claim 14 , wherein
the signal source is configured to transmit the first communication signal to the bridging device positioned near the living body.

20. The electromagnetic induction wireless communication system of claim 15 , wherein
the signal source is configured to transmit the first communication signal to the remote control device positioned near the living body.

Assignees

• Nxp Bv

Inventors

• Kerselaers Anthony
• Gomme Liesbeth
• Thoen Steven

Classifications

• H01Q7/00

  Loop antennas with a substantially uniform current distribution around the loop and having a directional radiation pattern in a plane perpendicular to the plane of the loop · CPC title

• H01F2038/146

  in combination with capacitive coupling · CPC title

• H04R25/558

  Remote control, e.g. of amplification, frequency · CPC title

• G06K19/07781

  the coil being fabricated in a winding process · CPC title

• H04B13/005

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