Communication through modulated electromagnetic emissions

Number: 10326535
Published: 2019-06-18
Filed: 2017-10-31
Assignee: DISNEY ENTERPRISES, INC.
Inventors: Sample; Alanson, Yang; Chouchang
CPC: H04W4/80; H04B13/005
Verdict: Medium Hardware
Source: Google Patents · FreePatentsOnline

The keeper's note

Communication through modulated electromagnetic emissions (Sample sensing).

Abstract

Touch-based communication between users and various electronic devices is provided by encoding data onto the device's EMI. When the device is touched by a user, the data encoded EMI signal travels through their body and into a radio receiver worn by the user, such as via a wrist band. Results show that electronic primitives such as LEDs, buttons, I/O lines, LCD screens, motors and power supplies can be turned into radio transmitters capable of touch communication. Effective data rates range from 5.8 Kbps to 22 bit per image depending on the primitive used.

Background

BACKGROUND(1) The need to connect wirelessly to our electronic gadgets and devices is becoming pervasive and will only increase as we move closer to realizing the internet of things, smart homes, and smart cities. However, the cost and complexity of adding active radio transmitters to toys, simple electronics, and appliances is prohibitive and limits many creative and interactive experiences.(2) One of the easiest ways of adding wireless communication capability to an object is sticking an RFID tag on it. While this is effective, the cost is not negligible as secure tags cost over ˜23 cents plus encoding fees, which make a significant portion of the BOM for low-end toys. Furthermore RFID tags are fixed function devices that can only report their ID and cannot send arbitrary data.(3) It is against this background that the techniques described herein have been developed.SUMMARY(4) Disclosed herein is a method that includes: providing an electronic device that emits an electromagnetic noise emission frequency pattern; modulating the electromagnetic noise emission frequency pattern emitted by the electronic device, wherein the modulation is representative of information to be communicated to a user; and the user receiving the modulated electromagnetic noise emission frequency pattern emitted by the device.(5) The user may receive the information represented by the modulated electromagnetic noise emission frequency pattern. The user may wear a receiver on the user's wrist that rec

Claims

1. A method, comprising: providing an electronic device with modifiable software that emits an electromagnetic noise emission frequency pattern with a first state during operations to perform a predefined function; modulating the electromagnetic noise emission frequency pattern emitted by the electronic device by software control of the electronic device to switch over time the electronic noise emission frequency pattern between the first state and a second state defined by the modifiable software during the operations to perform the predefined function, wherein the modulation encodes data into the electromagnetic noise emission frequency pattern that is representative of information to be communicated to a user; and the user receiving the modulated electromagnetic noise emission frequency pattern emitted by the device, wherein the user receives the information represented by the modulated electromagnetic noise emission frequency pattern, and wherein the modulating includes performing a spread spectrum frequency shift keying method by using two different duty cycles and time periods of electromagnetic interference (EMI) signals for the electronic device. | 11. A method, comprising: providing an electronic device with modifiable software that emits an electromagnetic noise emission frequency pattern; modulating the electromagnetic noise emission frequency pattern emitted by the electronic device by software control of the electronic device to switch the electronic noise emission frequency pattern between at least two states, wherein the modulating is performed such that data is encoded in the electronic noise emission frequency pattern that is representative of information to be communicated to a user and wherein the modulating includes performing a spread spectrum frequency shift keying method by using two different duty cycles and time periods of electromagnetic interference (EMI) signals; the user receiving the modulated electromagnetic noise emission frequency pattern emitted by the electronic device via a wrist-borne receiver with one or more electrical conductors in direct contact with the user's skin; and the user extracting the information represented by the modulated electromagnetic noise emission frequency pattern. | 12. A method, comprising: providing an electronic device with modifiable software that emits an electromagnetic noise emission frequency pattern with a first state during operations to perform a predefined function; modulating the electromagnetic noise emission frequency pattern emitted by the electronic device by software control of the electronic device to switch over time the electronic noise emission frequency pattern between the first state and a second state defined by the modifiable software during the operations to perform the predefined function, wherein the modulation encodes data into the electromagnetic noise emission frequency pattern that is representative of information to be communicated to a user; and the user receiving the modulated electromagnetic noise emission frequency pattern emitted by the electronic device, wherein the user receives the information represented by the modulated electromagnetic noise emission frequency pattern, wherein the user wears a receiver on the user's wrist that receives the modulated electromagnetic noise emission frequency pattern, wherein the information includes information associated with an image displayed by the electronic device, and wherein the modulating includes modifying operations of gate drivers with time modulation to switch between the first and second states of the electromagnetic noise emission frequency pattern. | 20. A method, comprising: providing an electronic device with modifiable software that emits an electromagnetic noise emission frequency pattern with a first state during operations to perform a predefined function; modulating the electromagnetic noise emission frequency pattern emitted by the electronic device by software control of the electronic device to switch over time the electronic noise emission frequency pattern between the first state and a second state defined by the modifiable software during the operations to perform the predefined function, wherein the modulation encodes data into the electromagnetic noise emission frequency pattern that is representative of information to be communicated to a user; and the user receiving the modulated electromagnetic noise emission frequency pattern emitted by the device, wherein the user receives the information represented by the modulated electromagnetic noise emission frequency pattern, wherein the electronic device includes a display, and wherein the software control of the electronic device includes modifying operation of the display to switch between displaying a first image to emit the electromagnetic noise emission frequency pattern in the first state and displaying a second image formed by embedding visible data into the first image to emit the electromagnetic noise emission frequency pattern in the second state. | 23. A method, comprising: providing an electronic device with modifiable software that emits an electromagnetic noise emission frequency pattern with a first state during operations to perform a predefined function; modulating the electromagnetic noise emission frequency pattern emitted by the electronic device by software control of the electronic device to switch over time the electronic noise emission frequency pattern between the first state and a second state defined by the modifiable software during the operations to perform the predefined function, wherein the modulation encodes data into the electromagnetic noise emission frequency pattern that is representative of information to be communicated to a user; and the user receiving the modulated electromagnetic noise emission frequency pattern emitted by the device, wherein the user receives the information represented by the modulated electromagnetic noise emission frequency pattern, wherein the electronic device is a display, and wherein the software control of the electronic device includes modifying operation of the display to switch between displaying a first image to emit the electromagnetic noise emission frequency pattern in the first state and displaying a second image formed by embedding invisible data into the first image, via changes in display contrast, to emit the electromagnetic noise emission frequency pattern in the second state. | 26. A method, comprising: providing an electronic device with modifiable software that emits an electromagnetic noise emission frequency pattern with a first state during operations to perform a predefined function; modulating the electromagnetic noise emission frequency pattern emitted by the electronic device by software control of the electronic device to switch over time the electronic noise emission frequency pattern between the first state and a second state defined by the modifiable software during the operations to perform the predefined function, wherein the modulation encodes data into the electromagnetic noise emission frequency pattern that is representative of information to be communicated to a user; and the user receiving the modulated electromagnetic noise emission frequency pattern emitted by the device, wherein the user receives the information represented by the modulated electromagnetic noise emission frequency pattern, wherein the electronic device includes an electrical motor, and wherein the modulating comprises energizing and de-energizing oil windings of the electrical motor in a time modulated manner. | 29. A method, comprising: providing an electronic device with modifiable software that emits an electromagnetic noise emission frequency pattern with a first state during operations to perform a predefined function; modulating the electromagnetic noise emission frequency pattern emitted by the electronic device by software control of the electronic device to switch over time the electronic noise emission frequency pattern between the first state and a second state defined by the modifiable software during the operations to perform the predefined function, wherein the modulation encodes data into the electromagnetic noise emission frequency pattern that is representative of information to be communicated to a user; and the user receiving the modulated electromagnetic noise emission frequency pattern emitted by the device, wherein the user receives the information represented by the modulated electromagnetic noise emission frequency pattern, wherein the electronic device is a switched-mode power supply, and wherein the modulating comprises switching between high and low current loads with different frequencies. | 32. A method, comprising: providing an electronic device with modifiable software that emits an electromagnetic noise emission frequency pattern with a first state during operations to perform a predefined function; modulating the electromagnetic noise emission frequency pattern emitted by the electronic device by software control of the electronic device to switch over time the electronic noise emission frequency pattern between the first state and a second state defined by the modifiable software during the operations to perform the predefined function, wherein the modulation encodes data into the electromagnetic noise emission frequency pattern that is representative of information to be communicated to a user; and the user receiving the modulated electromagnetic noise emission frequency pattern emitted by the device, wherein the user receives the information represented by the modulated electromagnetic noise emission frequency pattern, wherein the electronic device is a light-emitting diode (LED), and wherein the modulating comprises applying time multiplexing and repeatedly switching between I/O pins connected to the LED.