Non-contact system for sensing and signalling by externally induced intra-body currents

A computer system including:

• A. a screen for displaying on-screen objects;
• B. a keyboard for data entry to the system;
• C. a transmitter for producing low frequency signals, the transmitter being capacitively coupled to a user to pass to the user a current that is associated with the low frequency signals;
• D. a plurality of receivers mounted on the periphery of the screen, each of the receivers in the plurality receiving from the user, through capacitive coupling to the user, a current that is associated with the signals produced by the transmitter, the receivers determining the position of the closest extremity of the user's body relative to one or more of the receivers;
• and
• E. a processor for controlling the screen display, the processor directing the screen to display the objects in positions that correspond to the position of the user's extremity as determined by the receivers.

A wireless communication system including:

• A. a plurality of transmitters for producing low frequency signals, the transmitters being capacitively coupled to one or more users and to ground and, respectively, including a pair of electrodes and connected between the electrodes a signal generator that generates low frequency signals, each transmitter passing to the associated user a current that is associated with the low frequency signals;
• and
• B. a plurality of receivers coupled to ground for receiving, respectively, from the one or more users to which they capacitively couple one or more currents associated with the signals produced by the transmitters, the receivers reproducing the transmitted signals;
• and
• C. a processor for determining from the signals reproduced by the receivers the respective positions of the users relative to one or more of the receivers.

A system including:

• A. a screen for displaying one or more on-screen objects including a cursor;
• B. a keyboard for data entry to the system;
• C. a transmitter for producing low frequency signals, the transmitter being capacitively coupled to a user to pass to the user a current that is associated with the low frequency signals;
• D. a plurality of receivers mounted on the periphery of the screen, each of the receivers in the plurality receiving from the user, through capacitive coupling to the user, a current that is associated with the signals produced by the transmitter, the receivers determining the position of the closest extremity of the user's body relative to one or more of the receivers;
• E. a selection receiver mounted on the system for determining, based on the strength of the received signals, if the user is selecting the information that is displayed below the cursor, the system determining that the user is selecting the information if the strength of the signals received by the selection receiver is above a predetermined threshold;
• and
• F. a processor for controlling the screen display, the processor directing the screen to display one or more of the objects in positions that correspond to the position of the user's extremity as determined by one or more of the plurality of the receivers.