A three-level encoding transmitter is disclosed in which a transmitter circuit is configured to receive an input data signal including binary data and transmit an encoded data signal. The transmitter circuit can include an inverter circuit configured transmit first and second voltages for each logical level of the binary data. A transmission control circuit can cause the inverter circuit to transmit the voltages or deactivate the inverter circuit based on a first control signal. The transmitter circuit can further include an idle circuit configured to transmit an idle voltage between the first and second voltages when there is no data transmission. The idle circuit may transmit the idle voltage based on a second control signal. The first and second control signals may be configured to only be active when the other is inactive.

A method and a device for making available electric charge in order to charge an electronic card including a near-field communication module by way of a terminal. The terminal has what is known as a reader mode in which it is able to supply power to the card in near-field mode and receive data from the card. The method includes the following steps, on the terminal, set to reader mode, so as to generate an electromagnetic field able to charge such an electronic card: initializing the communication between the terminal and the card; receiving a message from the card, the message containing at least one datum telling the terminal that it should maintain the electric charge; and maintaining the electric charge while remaining in reader mode.

Implantable medical devices (IMD), such as but not limited to leadless cardiac pacemakers (LCP), subcutaneous implantable cardioverter defibrillators (SICD), transvenous implantable cardioverter defibrillators, neuro-stimulators (NS), implantable monitors (IM), may be configured to communicate with each other. In some cases, a first IMD may transmit instructions to a second IMD. In order to improve the chances of a successfully received transmission, the first IMD may transmit the instructions several times during a particular time frame, such as during a single heartbeat. If the second IMD receives the message more than once, the second IMD recognizes that the messages were redundant and acts accordingly.

Devices and methods for controlling the functionality of a pair of earbuds. The first earbud establishes a connection between the first earbud and an electronic device, searches for the second earbud of the pair of earbuds using Body Coupled Communication, BCC, and sends a signal from the first earbud to the electronic device including information defining whether the first earbud detected the second earbud during the search. The electronic device receives a signal from the at least one of the earbuds, the signal comprising information defining whether the earbud has detected the other earbud of the pair of earbuds using Body Coupled Communication, BCC, and sends a signal to the at least one earbud wherein the signal is controlled based on the received signal and includes information associated with controlling the functionality of the pair of earbuds.

The present invention relates to a combined fingerprint sensing and body area network communication system for communication with an electronic unit using the body of a user as communication medium, comprising: a sensing arrangement and a body area network communication circuitry. The system is controllable between: a fingerprint sensing state, in which a first signal corresponding to the finger potential is provided to a connection electrode and a readout circuitry is controlled to provide sensing signals indicative of the capacitive coupling between each sensing structure and the user's finger; and a body area network communication state in which a second signal is provided to the connection electrode by a first of the electronic unit and the body area network communication circuitry to the other one of the electronic unit and the body area network communication circuitry.

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.

A computing device includes signal generation circuitry and also includes a location on the computing device that is operative to couple a signal generated by the signal generation circuitry into a user. For example, the computing device includes signal generation circuitry that generates a signal that includes information corresponding to a user and/or an application that is operative within the computing device. The signal generation circuitry couples the signal into the user from a location on the computing device based on a bodily portion of the user being in contact with or within sufficient proximity to the location on the computing device that facilitates coupling of the signal into the user. Also, the signal may be coupled via the user to another computing device that includes a touchscreen display that is operative to detect and receive the signal.

Embodiments described herein relate to implantable medical devices (IMDs) and methods for use therewith. Such a method includes using an accelerometer of an IMD (e.g., a leadless pacemaker) to produce one or more accelerometer outputs indicative of the orientation of the IMD. The method can also include the IMD using an accelerometer to identify when the orientation of the IMD is such that the IMD will likely be able to successfully communicate with another IMD via one or more communication pulses sent from the IMD to the other IMD. The method also includes the IMD sending of the one or more communication pulses, that are used to communicate with the other IMD, when the orientation of the IMD is such that the IMD will likely be able to successfully communicate with the other IMD via one or more communication pulses sent from the IMD to the other IMD.

In an example embodiment, an optical communication system includes an implantable optical transmitter and an external optical receiver. The transmitter includes a housing having one or more drivers, plural light emitting sources, and an optical element arranged therein. Each driver converts a digital data signal into modulation signals to drive the sources. Each source generates a light beam in response to a corresponding modulation signal, each light beam contributing to form a single optical signal. The optical element directs the light beams to exit the housing such that a peak position of light intensity of each light beam is separated from a corresponding peak position of light intensity of an adjacent light beam by at least a first distance and less than a second distance. The optical receiver includes at least one photodiode that detects light generated by the sources and generates a reconstructed data signal.

An electronic device and a method for controlling the same are provided. The electronic device includes a communicator including circuitry, a first sensor configured to detect movement information of the electronic device, a memory including a first determination module configured to determine whether a user carries the electronic device and a second determination module configured to determine a detecting method for detecting a user location, and a processor configured to identify whether a user of the electronic device carries the electronic device based on the movement information of the electronic device obtained by the first sensor by using the first determination module, and determine a detecting method for detecting location information of the user according to whether the user carries the electronic device by using the second determination module.