Inductive communication system and method
AssigneeAura Communications, Inc.
InventorsVincent Palermo, Patrick J. Cobler, Neal R. Butler
Life of this patent
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Abstract
A system and method communicate signals between a portable unit and a communications system. The portable device communicates with a base unit using inductive coupling. The base unit is further connected to a wider communication system such as a telephone network. Multiple, orthogonally arranged transducers are used in the base unit to provide a more complete magnetic field and to prevent mutual inductance nulls which are otherwise present in a magnetic field. The use of short-range inductive coupling minimizes the power requirements and limits interference with other sources. The inductive coupling may also be used to recharge a battery in the portable device.
Claims65
An inductive communications system supporting bidirectional communications, comprising:
- a base unit transducer system including (i) at least three orthogonal transducers, (ii) a selector, coupled to said orthogonal transducers, for selectively energizing at least one of said orthogonal transducers to generate a first inductive field and (iii) a receiver circuit connected to said orthogonal transducers, for receiving and decoding a second inductive field on at least one of said orthogonal transducers;
- and
- a portable unit, disposed away from said base unit transducer system and within the first inductive field, the portable unit including:
- a portable unit transducer system including a single inductive transducer for generating the second inductive field, the base unit transducer system selecting, based on a field received from the single inductive transducer of the portable unit, one or more of the at least three orthogonal transducers of the base unit transducer system for transmission of a field to the portable unit.
A method for inductive communication, the method comprising:
- at a first device, receiving a first set of signals;
- selectively applying, based on a field received from a single inductive transducer of a second device, said first set of signals to at least one transducer of a transducer system having at least three orthogonal transducers, thereby generating a first inductive field based upon said first set of signals;
- receiving said first inductive field at the single inductive transducer of the second device;
- at the second device, generating a second inductive field based upon a second set of signals;
- and
- selectively receiving the second inductive field on at least one of said orthogonal transducers of the transducer system at the first device.
An inductive communications system suitable for communication with a network, comprising:
- a base unit supporting two-way communication with the network, the base unit including a base unit transducer system including a set of three orthogonal transducers;
- and
- a portable unit including a single transducer, the portable unit supporting two-way communication with the base unit by means of first and second inductive fields produced respectively by the base unit transducer system and the single transducer, one of the set of three orthogonal transducers generating the first inductive field, the base unit selecting, based on a field received from the single inductive transducer of the portable unit, one or more of the three orthogonal transducers of the base unit for transmission of a field to the portable unit.
A system for communicating information over a wireless link, the system comprising:
- a first station including three inductive transducers, each oriented orthogonal to the others;
- and
- a second station including a single inductive transducer, the first and second stations being movable relative to each other, signals being transmitted as varying magnetic fields in bidirectional communications between the stations through inductive coupling of the transducers at any angular orientation of the stations relative to each other within a range of distance, the first station selecting, based on a field received from the single inductive transducer of the second station, one or more of the three inductive transducers of the first station for transmission of a field to the second station.
A method for communicating information over a wireless link, the method comprising:
- orienting three inductive transducers to be orthogonal to each other at a first station;
- providing a single inductive transducer at a second station, the first and second stations being movable relative to each other;
- transmitting signals as varying magnetic fields in bidirectional communications between the stations through inductive coupling of the transducers at any angular orientation relative to each other within a range of distance;
- and
- selecting, based on a field received from the single inductive transducer of the second station, one or more of the three inductive transducers of the first station for transmission of a field to the second station.
A system for communicating information over a wireless link, the system comprising:
- a first station including an inductive transducer system for generating an inductive field in each of the three orthogonal orientations;
- and
- a second station including a single inductive transducer, the first and second stations being movable relative to each other, signals being transmitted as varying magnetic fields in bidirectional communications between the stations through inductive coupling of the transducers at any angular orientation of the stations relative to each other within a range of distance, the first station selecting, based on a field received from the single inductive transducer of the second station, one or more of the three orthogonal orientations of the first station for transmission of a field to the second station.
A method for communicating information over a wireless link, the method comprising:
- providing an inductive transducer system at a first station for generating an inductive field in one of three orthogonal orientations;
- providing a single inductive transducer at a second station, the first and second stations being movable relative to each other;
- transmitting signals as varying magnetic fields in bidirectional communications between the stations through inductive coupling of the transducers at any angular orientation relative to each other within a range of distance;
- and
- selecting, based on a field received from the single inductive transducer of the second station, one of the three orthogonal orientations of the inductive field of the first station for transmission of a field to the second station.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.