Device-to-device communications based on capacitive sensing and coupling via human body or direct device-to-device coupling
Systems, devices and techniques disclosed in this document provide device-to-device communications via a human body of a user between (1) a capacitor sensor touch screen device that includes a capacitor sensor touch screen that includes capacitor sensors and provides a display function and (2) a capacitor sensor device that includes one or more capacitor sensors that detect or sense, based on capacitive sensing and without providing a display function, signals transmitted from the capacitor sensor touch screen of the capacitor sensor touch screen device. The human body of a user operates as a signal transmitting medium. In addition, the systems, devices and techniques disclosed in this document provide device-to-device communications via direct device-to-device coupling between two capacitor sensor touch screen devices each including capacitor sensor touch screen that includes capacitor sensors and provides a display function.
1. A device for device-to-device communication through capacitive coupling, the device including:
a capacitive sensing touch screen having capacitive sensors to establish a capacitive coupled device-to-device communication with another device having at least one capacitive sensor including:
transmitting an initiation signal to initiate the capacitive coupled device-to-device communication with the other device having at least one capacitive sensor, wherein the initiation signal is multiplexed in time with a touch screen signal associated with a touch-based interface through the capacitive sensing touch screen, and wherein the initiation signal is transmitted to the other device having at least one capacitive sensor using capacitive coupling between the capacitive sensors of the capacitive sensing touch screen in the device and the at least one capacitive sensor of the other device;
receiving an acknowledgement to the transmitted initiation signal, the acknowledgement received from the other device that includes at least one capacitive sensor; and
communicating through the established capacitive coupled device-to-device communication between the device that includes the capacitive sensing touch screen having capacitive sensors and the other device that includes at least one capacitive sensor, the communicating including:
transmitting a device-to-device communication signal to the other device that includes at least one capacitive sensor, wherein the device-to-device communication signal is multiplexed in time with the touch screen signal associated with a touch-based interface through the capacitive sensing touch screen.
2. The device of claim 1 , wherein the capacitive coupling between the capacitive sensors of the capacitive sensing touch screen in the device and the at least one capacitive sensor of the other device includes capacitive coupling through a user.
3. The device of claim 1 , including:
detecting, by the device that includes the capacitive sensing touch screen having capacitive sensors, a touch on the capacitive sensing touch panel and generates the touch signal responsive to the detected touch.
4. The device of claim 1 , wherein establishing the capacitive coupled device-to-device communication includes:
responsive to the received acknowledgement, transmitting from the device that includes the capacitive sensing touch screen, an acknowledgment back signal to the other device that includes at least one capacitive sensor.
5. The device of claim 1 , wherein:
the device that includes the capacitive sensing touch screen includes a mobile device.
6. The device of claim 5 , wherein:
the mobile device includes a smartphone or a tablet.
7. The device as in claim 1 , wherein the device is configured to perform operations including:
modulating information for device-to-device communication based on a frequency modulation protocol for device-to-device signaling between the device that includes the capacitive sensing touch screen and the other device that includes at least one capacitive sensor via capacitive coupling through a user.
8. A device for device-to-device communication through capacitive coupling, the device including:
at least one capacitive sensor to establish a capacitive coupled device-to-device communication with another device that includes a capacitive sensing touch screen having capacitive sensors including:
receiving an initiation signal from the other device that includes the capacitive sensing touch screen having capacitive sensors to initiate the capacitive coupled device-to-device communication, wherein the initiation signal is received from the other device that includes the capacitive sensing touch screen using capacitive coupling between the at least one capacitive sensor of the device and the capacitive sensors of the capacitive sensing touch screen in the other device;
transmitting an acknowledgement to the received initiation signal, the acknowledgement transmitted to the other device that includes the capacitive sensing touch screen; and
communicating through the established capacitive coupled device-to-device communication with the other device that includes the capacitive sensing touch screen having capacitive sensors including:
transmitting a device-to-device communication signal to the other device that includes the capacitive sensing touch screen having capacitive sensors.
9. The device of claim 8 , wherein the device is configured to establish capacitive coupling with the capacitive sensors of the capacitive sensing touch screen in the other device using capacitive coupling through a user.
10. The device of claim 8 , wherein the device is configured to establish the capacitive coupled device-to-device communication including:
responsive to the transmitted acknowledgement, receiving an acknowledgement response signal from the other device that includes the capacitive sensing touch screen.
11. The device of claim 8 , wherein:
the device that includes at least one capacitive sensor includes a wearable device.
12. The device of claim 11 , wherein:
the wearable device includes a smartwatch.
13. The device of claim 8 , wherein:
the device that includes at least one capacitive sensor includes a capacitive touch screen.
14. The device of claim 8 , wherein the device is configured to communicate through the established capacitive coupled device-to-device communication including:
transmitting sensor data to the device that includes the capacitive sensing touch screen.
15. The device of claim 14 , wherein:
the transmitted sensor data includes a biological parameter of a user.
16. The device of claim 15 , wherein:
the biological parameter of the user includes at least one of a temperature, blood pressure, or a pulse rate.
17. The device of claim 14 , wherein:
the transmitted sensor data includes a motion parameter of the user.