# US 10,484,101 B2 · Transmitter/receiver and transmitting/receiving method > Agents: this data is available as JSON from the patentgrep API and MCP server — see https://patentgrep.com/llms.txt - Number: US 10,484,101 B2 - Document ID: US10484101B2 - Status: Granted - Kind: B2 - Application number: 15/773,812 - Filed: 2016-11-11 - Published: 2018-11-08 - Granted: 2019-11-19 - Earliest claimed: 2015-11-27 - Assignees: Sony Corporation - Applicants: Sony Corporation - Inventors: Takaaki Hashiguchi; Yoshiyuki Akiyama; Masahiro Uno - Web page: https://patentgrep.com/patent/US10484101B2 ## CPC - H04B 13/005: {Transmission systems in which the medium consists of the human body} - H04B 5/48: Transceivers - H04L 1/0061: {Error detection codes} - H03M 13/09: Error detection only, e.g. using cyclic redundancy check [CRC] codes or single parity bit - H04B 5/22: Capacitive coupling - H04B: TRANSMISSION - H04L: TRANSMISSION OF DIGITAL INFORMATION, e.g. TELEGRAPHIC COMMUNICATION (arrangements common to telegraphic and telephonic communication H04M) - H03M: CODING; DECODING; CODE CONVERSION IN GENERAL (using fluidic means F15C4/00; optical analogue/digital converters G02F7/00; coding, decoding or code conversion, specially adapted for particular applications, see the relevant subclasses, e.g. G01D, G01R, G06F, G06T, G09G, G10L, G11B, G11C, H04B, H04L, H04M, H04N; ciphering or deciphering for cryptography or other purposes involving the need for secrecy G09C) ## Abstract The present technology relates to a transmitter/receiver and a transmitting/receiving method capable of suppressing deterioration of transmission efficiency during reception while maintaining transmission efficiency during transmission. A first electrode is provided close to a communication medium, a second electrode is provided in a manner facing the first electrode, and a third electrode is provided close to the communication medium together with the first electrode. A transmission circuit is connected to the first electrode and the second electrode so as to transmit a signal, and a reception circuit is connected to the first electrode and the second electrode so as to receive the signal. A switch electrically connects the second electrode to the third electrode, and an electrode control unit controls electrical connection between the second electrode and the third electrode by turning ON/OFF the switch. The present technology can be applied to, for example, a transmitter/receiver that transmits and receives a signal via a human body. ## Claims ### Claim 1 A transmitter/receiver, comprising: a first electrode within a first specific distance from a communication medium; a second electrode that faces the first electrode; a third electrode within a second specific distance from the communication medium; a transmission circuit configured to transmit a signal, wherein the transmission circuit is connected to the first electrode and the second electrode; a reception circuit configured to receive the signal, wherein the reception circuit is connected to the first electrode and the second electrode; a switch configured to electrically connect the second electrode to the third electrode; and an electrode control unit configured to: control the electrical connection between the second electrode and the third electrode by one of a turn ON operation or a turn OFF operation of the switch, connect the second electrode to the third electrode during the transmission of the signal; and disconnect the electrical connection between the second electrode and the third electrode when power consumption required for the transmission of the signal exceeds a specific value during the transmission of the signal. ### Claim 2 (depends on 1) The transmitter/receiver according to claim 1, further comprising an additional switch configured to electrically connect the first electrode to the third electrode, wherein the electrode control unit is further configured to connect the first electrode to the third electrode by the turn ON operation of the additional switch during reception of the signal. ### Claim 3 (depends on 1) The transmitter/receiver according to claim 1, wherein: an area of the first electrode is smaller than an area of the second electrode, and the area of the first electrode is smaller than an area of the third electrode. ### Claim 4 (depends on 1) The transmitter/receiver according to claim 1, wherein the first electrode and the third electrode are on a same plane. ### Claim 5 (depends on 4) The transmitter/receiver according to claim 4, wherein a gap length between the first electrode and the second electrode is shorter than a gap length between the first electrode and the third electrode. ### Claim 6 (depends on 1) The transmitter/receiver according to claim 1, wherein the first electrode and the third electrode are side by side in a direction parallel to a transmission direction of the signal. ### Claim 7 (depends on 1) The transmitter/receiver according to claim 1, wherein the communication medium is a human body. ### Claim 8 A transmitting/receiving method, comprising: controlling electrical connection between a second electrode and a third electrode by a transmitter/receiver that one of turns ON or turns OFF a switch, wherein the transmitter/receiver includes: a first electrode within a first specific distance from a communication medium; the second electrode that faces the first electrode; the third electrode within a second specific distance from the communication medium; a transmission circuit configured to transmit a signal, wherein the transmission circuit is connected to the first electrode and the second electrode; a reception circuit configured to receive the signal, wherein the reception circuit is connected to the first electrode and the second electrode; and the switch configured to electrically connect the second electrode to the third electrode; connecting the second electrode to the third electrode during the transmission of the signal; and disconnecting the electrical connection between the second electrode and the third electrode when power consumption required for the transmission of the signal exceeds a specific value during the transmission of the signal. ### Claim 9 A transmitter/receiver, comprising: a first electrode within a first specific distance from a communication medium; a second electrode that faces the first electrode; a third electrode within a second specific distance from the communication medium; a transmission circuit configured to transmit a signal, wherein the transmission circuit is connected to the first electrode and the second electrode; a reception circuit configured to receive the signal, wherein the reception circuit is connected to the first electrode and the second electrode; a switch configured to electrically connect the second electrode to the third electrode; and an electrode control unit configured to: control the electrical connection between the second electrode and the third electrode by one of a turn ON operation or a turn OFF operation of the switch; connect the second electrode to the third electrode during the transmission of the signal; and disconnect the electrical connection between the second electrode and the third electrode when electric field intensity generated by the transmission of the signal exceeds a specific value during the transmission of the signal. ### Claim 10 A transmitter/receiver, comprising: a first electrode within a first specific distance from a communication medium; a second electrode that faces the first electrode; a third electrode within a second specific distance from the communication medium; a transmission circuit configured to transmit a signal, wherein the transmission circuit is connected to the first electrode and the second electrode; a reception circuit configured to receive the signal, wherein the reception circuit is connected to the first electrode and the second electrode; a switch configured to electrically connect the second electrode to the third electrode; and an electrode control unit configured to: control the electrical connection between the second electrode and the third electrode by one of a turn ON operation or a turn OFF operation of the switch, wherein the second electrode is one of electrically connected or electrically disconnected from the third electrode based on detection of an error in data included in the received signal. ### Claim 11 (depends on 10) The transmitter/receiver according to claim 10, wherein the second electrode is one of electrically connected to or electrically disconnected from the third electrode, based on a number of errors in the data is more than a specific number, and the errors are detected from the signal received within a specific time. ### Claim 12 (depends on 10) The transmitter/receiver according to claim 10, wherein error detection for the data is based on a cyclic redundancy check (CRC) of the signal received. ### Claim 13 A transmitter/receiver, comprising: a first electrode within a first specific distance from a communication medium; a second electrode that faces the first electrode; a third electrode within a second specific distance from the communication medium; a transmission circuit configured to transmit a signal, wherein the transmission circuit is connected to the first electrode and the second electrode; a reception circuit configured to receive the signal, wherein the reception circuit is connected to the first electrode and the second electrode; a switch configured to electrically connect the second electrode to the third electrode; and an electrode control unit configured to: control the electrical connection between the second electrode and the third electrode by one of a turn ON operation or a turn OFF operation of the switch, wherein: the second electrode is one of electrically connected to or electrically disconnected from the third electrode based on detection of an error in data included in the received signal on reception of an acknowledgement signal, and the acknowledgement signal is based on the transmitted signal. ### Claim 14 (depends on 13) The transmitter/receiver according to claim 13, wherein the second electrode is one of electrically connected to or electrically disconnected from the third electrode, when a number of Ack signals detected within a specific time is less than a specific number. ### Claim 15 A transmitter/receiver, comprising: a first electrode within a first specific distance from a communication medium; a second electrode that faces the first electrode; a third electrode with in a second specific distance from the communication medium; a transmission circuit configured to transmit a signal, wherein the transmission circuit is connected to the first electrode and the second electrode; a reception circuit configured to receive the signal, wherein the reception circuit is connected to the first electrode and the second electrode; a switch configured to electrically connect the second electrode to the third electrode; and an electrode control unit configured to: control the electrical connection between the second electrode and the third electrode by one of a turn ON operation or a turn OFF operation of the switch, wherein the second electrode is one of electrically connected or electrically disconnected from the third electrode based on a received signal strength indicator (RSSI) of the received signal.