A body-coupled communication apparatus (100) comprises a coupler arrangement (10) comprising a plurality of couplers (11,12,13) configured to couple signals (S) between the apparatus (100) and a body (200). Signal electronics (20) are configured to process and/or generate the signals depending on an operational mode (OT,OR,OW) of the apparatus. A routing network (40) is configured to provide variable routing of the signals (S) between the signal electronics (20) and the couplers (11,12,13) thereby providing a selection between distinct coupling modes (CT,CR,CW) of the coupler arrangement (10). A mode selector (30) is configured to switch the apparatus (100) between the operational modes (OT,OR,OW) and control the routing network (40) to select between the distinct coupling modes (CT,CR,CW) based on the operational mode (OT,OR,OW) of the apparatus.

The invention is directed at a communication device for performing data communication using a human or animal body as transmission medium. The communication device comprises a transceiver unit comprising at least one of a transmitter and a receiver. The communication device also comprises an electrostatic transducer for enabling data communication via a surface of the body with one or more user devices in touch with or located near (i.e. in close proximity, e.g. within a range of 0-10 mm therefrom) the body. The communication device further comprises an ultrasonic transducer for enabling data communication through the body using ultrasonic waves. Both the electrostatic transducer and the ultrasonic transducer are capacitive type transducers connected to and operated via the transceiver unit.

Method for sharing data (SD2) between users (11,12). The method comprises initiating body coupled communication (BCC) between first and second devices (21,22) and in response to the body coupled communication (BCC), sending a data request (Q1) from one or both of the devices (21,22) to a remote server (30). The data request (Q1,Q2) comprises first device data (ID1) and the second device data (ID2). The server (30) processes the data request (Q1) and determines shared data (SD2) based at least in part on both the first device data (ID1) and the second device data (ID2). The server sends a data response (R1) to the first device (21), wherein the data response (R1) comprises the shared data (SD2).

An on-body sensor system includes a hub configured to be attached to a surface of a user. The hub being further configured to transmit electrical power and/or data signals into the surface and to receive response data signals from the surface. The system further including at least one sensor node configured to be attached to the surface. The sensor node being further configured to receive the electrical power and data signals from the hub through the surface and to transmit the response data signals into the surface. The electrical power from the hub can power the sensor node and cause or enable the at least one sensor node to generate sensor information that is transmitted back to the hub within the response data signals.

A system including a wireless communication device and a peripheral device communicate with each other using radio frequency (RF) waves that are propagated using a user's own body as a transmission medium. The wireless communication device selectively controls the transmit output power of the peripheral device to cause the peripheral device to transmit data and information in a low-power transmission mode. This minimizes the amount of RF waves that are received at the wireless communication device as reflected RF waves, but helps to ensure that the RF waves that do reach the wireless communication device are transmitted as surface waves along the user's skin. Responsive to the receipt of the surface waves, and based on a validity of the information carried by those surface waves, the wireless communication device transitions from a locked state to an unlocked state.

A medical or dental system with at least one first transmitting and/or receiving unit and at least one second transmitting and/or receiving unit, wherein the at least two transmitting and/or receiving units are designed for the capacitive coupling of electric signals into and/or out of a human body, so that an electric path which extends through the human body of the user and/or of the person to be treated can be established for the transmission of electric signals between the at least one first transmitting and/or receiving unit and the at least one second transmitting and/or receiving unit, in order to transmit data between the at least two transmitting and/or receiving units.

An intra-body communication system for monitoring physiological changes in a patient is provided. The system can include a first device implanted into a patient's body; a second device spaced apart from the first device; and a receiver for detecting and/or decoding the signals to monitor physiological changes in the patient. The first device and second device are capable of engaging in a two-way communication through transmission of one or more signals through at least a portion of the patient's body between the first device and the second device. In one embodiment, the signal may be an optical signal.

Discussed generally herein are methods and devices including or providing a patch system that can help in diagnosing a medical condition and/or provide therapy to a user. A body-area network can include a plurality of communicatively coupled patches that communicate with an intermediate device. The intermediate device can provide data representative of a biological parameter monitored by the patches to proper personnel, such as for diagnosis and/or response.

The present disclosure relates to a transmission device and a transmission method, a reception device and a reception method, and a program that enable acquisition of accurate location information in an indoor environment. A reception device includes: an intra-body communication reception unit that receives location identification information from another device by a communication method using the human body as the communication medium, the location identification information being for identifying the location of the reception device; a location recognition unit that recognizes the current location of the reception device in accordance with the received location identification information; and a storage unit that stores the recognized current location. The present disclosure can be applied to transmission/reception devices and the like that perform communication by a communication method using the human body as the communication medium.

A tactile stimulation interface comprising a surface explored by touch by means of a finger of a user, actuators applying forces on said surface, and control means of the actuators, said control means sending, to the actuators, signals corresponding to the forces to be applied to said surface, the forces being determined by a time reversal method, means for detecting the contact of the finger with the surface and for monitoring the movement of the finger on the surface. The control means are capable, in order to produce an acoustic lubrication effect in at least one given area of the surface, of generating a signal formed from a convolution of a pulsed response returned by a continuous function representative of the acoustic lubrication effect.