The invention relates to a method for managing a wireless link between a first device and a second device. The method includes the steps of polling an activity of a first wireless interface of the first device during a first predetermined lapse of time, suspending the wireless link and polling an activity of a first body-coupled communication interface of the first device during a second predetermined lapse of time when no activity is detected on the first wireless interface of the first device during the first predetermined lapse of time, and resuming the wireless link when at least one polling packet comprising a resume request is detected by the first body-coupled communication interface of the first device during the second predetermined lapse of time.

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.

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.

An electromagnetic induction wireless transceiver including: a magnetic antenna; and a signal source configured to produce a communication signal used to drive the magnetic antenna to produce electromagnetic induction fields, wherein the transceiver when connected to a first location on a body is configured to communicate with another electromagnetic induction wireless transceiver connected to a second location on the body.

The present disclosure relates to an antenna and a communication apparatus that enables both near field communication using a magnetic field and near field communication using an electric field. The communication apparatus includes a first near field communication unit that performs communication in a non-contact manner using a magnetic field, a second near field communication unit that performs communication in a non-contact manner using an electric field, and an antenna shared by communication of the first near field communication unit and communication of the second near field communication unit. The present disclosure is applicable, for example, to near field communication in which communication using a magnetic field is performed in a non-contact manner, a communication apparatus that enables near field communication using an electric field in a non-contact manner, and the like.

A garment includes a passive human body communication (HBC) component that includes, for example, a storage element. The garment has conductive cuffs and a flexible conductive trace connecting the cuffs to the HBC component. When a user wearing the garment touches the electrodes of an HBC interface on an external host device, the host device powers the HBC component and may send or receive data from the HBC component. The power and the data travel over the user's body from the interface electrodes to the cuffs, and at least partially through the conductive trace from the cuffs to the HBC component.

An external device transfers a key to an implantable medical device over a proximity communication and then establishes a first far field communication session with the implantable medical device where the key is used for the first communication session. This first communication session may occur before implantation while the implantable medical device is positioned outside of the sterile field so that using a proximity communication is easily achieved. Once the implantable medical device is passed into the sterile field for implantation, the external device may then establish a second far field communication session with the implantable medical device where the last key that was used for the first communication session is again used for the second communication session which avoids the need for another proximity communication to occur within the sterile field.

Provided is a gate apparatus including a sensor that detects a pedestrian; multiple human body communication electrodes for performing human body communication; and a control unit that determines a position of the pedestrian according to information on the pedestrian detected by the sensor, performs outputting of a connection confirmation request packet through a human body communication electrode corresponding to the determined position, receives a connection confirmation response packet transmitted from a human body communication terminal and performs analysis processing on the received connection confirmation response packet, and performs opening and closing control of a gate opening and closing unit, in which the control unit stores in the connection confirmation request packet an output electrode identifier of a communication electrode that performs packet outputting, and determines whether or not the output electrode identifier and an electrode identifier of the electrode that receives the connection confirmation response packet agree with each other.

Systems and methods for communicating between medical devices. In one example, an implantable medical device comprising may comprise one or more electrodes and a controller coupled to the electrodes. The controller may be configured to receive a first communication pulse at a first communication pulse time and a second communication pulse at a second communication pulse time via the one or more electrodes. The controller may further be configured to identify one of three or more symbols based at least in part on the time difference between the first communication pulse time and the second communication pulse time.

Provided is a wearable, self-contained drug infusion or medical device capable of communicating with a host controller or other external devices via a personal area network (PAN). The medical device utilizes a PAN transceiver for communication with other devices in contact with a user's body, such as a physiological sensor or host controller, by propagating a current across the user's body via capacitive coupling. The wearable nature of the medical device and the low power requirements of the PAN communication system enable the medical device to utilize alternative energy harvesting techniques for powering the device. The medical device preferably utilizes thermal, kinetic and other energy harvesting techniques for capturing energy from the user and the environment during normal use of the medical device. A system power distribution unit is provided for managing the harvested energy and selectively supplying power to the medical device during system operation.