22-03-2011, 10:25 AM
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1. INTRODUCTION
Human society is entering an era of ubiquitous computing, where everything is networked. The practical implementation of ubiquitous services requires three levels of connectivity: Wide Area Networks (WAN), typically via the Internet, to remotely connect all types of severs and terminals; Local Area Networks (LAN), typically via Ethernet or WiFi connectivity among all the information and communication appliances in offices and homes; and Human Area Networks (HAN) for connectivity to personal information, media and communication appliances within the much smaller sphere of ordinary daily activities-- the last one meter. RedTacton is a break-through technology that, for the first time, enables reliable high-speed HAN. In the past, Bluetooth, infrared communications (IrDA), radio frequency ID systems (RFID), and other technologies have been proposed to solve the "last meter" connectivity problem. However, they each have various fundamental technical limitations that constrain their usage, such as the precipitous fall-off in transmission speed in multi-user environments producing network congestion. "With Bluetooth, it is difficult to rein in the signal and restrict it to the device you are trying to connect to. You usually want to communicate with one particular thing, but in a busy place there could be hundreds of Bluetooth devices within range."
Furthermore, humans apparently make poor aerials, something which is "good for security because even if you encrypt data it is still possible that it could be decoded, but if you can't pick it up it can't be cracked.
1.1 BACKGROUND
At the end of 2002 the Japanese telecommunications group NTT had announced that it would develop a new data transmission technology that uses the conductive properties of the human body to exchange information between electronic devices. With RedTacton the company has now scarcely two and a half years later presented its first prototype of a Human Area Network (HAN).
The basic principle of the RedTacton concept is the creation of minute electrostatic fields that modulated by a code-giver to carry digital information are capacitively transmitted to human skin as a conductor, thence to be transmitted upon physical contact. To read out the data bits NTT makes use of a novel type of opto-electrical receiver equipped with a miniature laser whose light ray is reflected by a crystal.
At the receiving end the electrostatic fields evoked by the RedTacton sender cause the electrical field in the environment of the crystal to change, which in turn induces changes in the polarization of the reflected laser light. These changes in polarization the opto-electrical receiver interprets as data bits, which it converts into electrical signals that can be processed by a PDA, for instance.
According to NTT this technology - which can also be made to works when door handles, switches or turnstiles are touched - allows bi-directional signals to be sent at rates of up to 10 Mbit/s. The strength of the electrostatic fields evoked the company puts at but a few hundred milliwatts. Prior to the stage planned for 2006 in which the HAN technology is to be ready for the market, NTT intends to conduct a number of field tests this summer, in which it is inviting companies with an interest in the technology to participate.
Japanese company Nippon Telegraph and Telephone Corporation (NTT) claims to have developed the first viable Human Area Network (HAN) device, enabling fast data transfer between devices using the human body as a conduit.
NTT reckons this latest advance on the wireless Personal Area Network concept - dubbed RedTacton - can transmit data over the surface of the skin at up to 2Mbps. Where it differs, though, from previous offerings, is that a RedTacton-enabled device does not have to be in direct contact with the skin - only within about 20cm.
2. WHAT IS REDTACTON?
RedTacton is a new Human Area Networking technology that uses the surface of the human body as a safe, high speed networking transmission path.
RedTacton takes a different technical approach. Instead of relying on electromagnetic waves or light waves to carry data, RedTacton uses weak electric fields on the surface of the body as a transmission medium. A RedTacton uses transmitter couples with extremely weak electric fields on the surface of the body. The weak electric fields pass through the body to a RedTacton receiver, where the weak electric fields affects the optical properties of an electro-optic crystal. The extent to which the optical properties are changed is detected by laser light which is then converted to an electrical signal by a detector circuit.
RedTacton uses the minute electric field emitted on the surface of the human body. Technically it is completely distinct from wireless and infrared.
A transmission path is formed at the moment a part of human body comes in contact with RedTacton transceiver. Physically separating ends the contact and thus ends communication.
Using RedTacton, communication starts when terminals carried by the user or embedded in devices are linked in various combinations according to the user’s natural, physical movement.
Communication is possible using any body surfaces, such as the hands, fingers, arms, feet, face, legs . RedTacton works through shoes and clothing as well.
The name Red Tacton was chosen for this technology because “touch-act-on” meaning “action triggered by touching”.
Red Tacton is a new Human Area Networking technology that uses the surface of the human body as a safe, high speed network transmission path. Red Tacton uses the minute electric field emitted on the surface of the human body.
Technically, it is completely distinct from wireless and infrared .A transmission path is formed at the moment a part of the human body comes in contact with a Red Tacton transceiver. Physically separating ends the contact and thus ends communication Using Red Tacton, communication starts when terminals carried by the user or embedded in devices are linked in various combinations according to the user's Communication is possible using any body surfaces, such as the hands, fingers, arms, feet, face, legs or torso. Red Tacton works natural, physical movements.
2.1 BASIC PRINCIPLE
The basic principles of redtacton are
1. The Red Tacton transmitter includes a weak electric field on surface of the body.
2. Red Tacton receiver sences changes in the weak electric field on the surface of the body caused by the transmitter.
3. Red Tacton relies upon the principle that the optical properties of an electro optic crystal can vary according to the changes of a weak electric field.
4. Red Tacton detects changes in the optical properties of an electro optic crystal using a laser and converted the result to electrical signal in an optical circuit.
The transmitting RED TACTON device changes the electric field on the surface of the body. This is senced by the electirc field sensor and the variations are given by the receiving RED TACTON device.
2.2 MECHANISM OF COMMUNICATION WITH REDTACTON
Data is received using a photonic electric field sensor that combines an electo optic crystal and a laser light to detect flutuations in the minute electric fields. The naturally occuring electric field induced on the surface of the human body dissipates into the earth. There fore this electric field is exponentially faint and unstable.
The photonic electric field sensor developed by NNT enables weak electric fields to be measured by detecting changes in the optical properties of an electro optic crystal with a laser beam.
The transmitter sends data based on fluctuations in the weak electric field induced in the body. The electric field is received using super-sensitive electric field sensing technology.
The naturally occurring electric field induced on the surface of the human body dissipates into the earth. Therefore, this electric field is exceptionally faint and unstable.
The super-sensitive electric field sensing technology measures the weak electric fields induced by the super-efficient alternating electric field induction.
2.3 RED TACTON TRANSCEIVER
Figure below shows the block diagram of a RedTacton transceiver. The signal from the interface is sent to data sence circuit and transmitter circuit. The data sence circuit sences signal and if data is present it sends control signal to transmitter which activates the transmitter circuit. The transmitter circuit varies the electric field on the surface of our body. This change in electric field is detected by the electro optic sensor. The output of the electro optic sensor is given to the detector circuit, which in turn given to the interface of the receiving RedTacton device.
3.FUNCTIONAL FEATURES
1. A communication path is created with a simple touch, automatically initating the flow of data between a body centric electronic device and a computer that is embedded in the environment. For example, two people equipped with RedTacton devices could exchange data just by shaking hands. A wide range of natural human actions grasping, sitting down, walking or standing in a particular place can be used to start a networked process.
2. Using a RedTacton electro optic sensor, two way communication is supported between any two points on the body at a throughput of upto 10 Mbps. Communication is not just confined to the surface of the body, but can travel through the users clothing to a Red Tacton device in a pocket or shoes to communicate with a RedTacton device embedded in the floor. Unlike wireless technologies, the transmission speed does not deteriorate even in the presence of large crowds of people all communicating at the same time in meeting room, auditoriums or stores. Because the body surface is the transmission path, increasing the number of connected users directly increases the available number of individual channels.
3. Red Tacton can utilize a wide range of materials as a transmission medium, as long as the material is condictive and dielectric, which includes water and other liquids, various metals, certain plastics, glass etc.
Using ordinary structures such as tables and walls that are familiar and readily available, one could easily construct a seamless communication envirnment at a very low cost using Red Tacton. (Note that constraints are imposed by the length and envirnment of the propagating conductor and by the thickness of the dielectric.)
1. INTRODUCTION
Human society is entering an era of ubiquitous computing, where everything is networked. The practical implementation of ubiquitous services requires three levels of connectivity: Wide Area Networks (WAN), typically via the Internet, to remotely connect all types of severs and terminals; Local Area Networks (LAN), typically via Ethernet or WiFi connectivity among all the information and communication appliances in offices and homes; and Human Area Networks (HAN) for connectivity to personal information, media and communication appliances within the much smaller sphere of ordinary daily activities-- the last one meter. RedTacton is a break-through technology that, for the first time, enables reliable high-speed HAN. In the past, Bluetooth, infrared communications (IrDA), radio frequency ID systems (RFID), and other technologies have been proposed to solve the "last meter" connectivity problem. However, they each have various fundamental technical limitations that constrain their usage, such as the precipitous fall-off in transmission speed in multi-user environments producing network congestion. "With Bluetooth, it is difficult to rein in the signal and restrict it to the device you are trying to connect to. You usually want to communicate with one particular thing, but in a busy place there could be hundreds of Bluetooth devices within range."
Furthermore, humans apparently make poor aerials, something which is "good for security because even if you encrypt data it is still possible that it could be decoded, but if you can't pick it up it can't be cracked.
1.1 BACKGROUND
At the end of 2002 the Japanese telecommunications group NTT had announced that it would develop a new data transmission technology that uses the conductive properties of the human body to exchange information between electronic devices. With RedTacton the company has now scarcely two and a half years later presented its first prototype of a Human Area Network (HAN).
The basic principle of the RedTacton concept is the creation of minute electrostatic fields that modulated by a code-giver to carry digital information are capacitively transmitted to human skin as a conductor, thence to be transmitted upon physical contact. To read out the data bits NTT makes use of a novel type of opto-electrical receiver equipped with a miniature laser whose light ray is reflected by a crystal.
At the receiving end the electrostatic fields evoked by the RedTacton sender cause the electrical field in the environment of the crystal to change, which in turn induces changes in the polarization of the reflected laser light. These changes in polarization the opto-electrical receiver interprets as data bits, which it converts into electrical signals that can be processed by a PDA, for instance.
According to NTT this technology - which can also be made to works when door handles, switches or turnstiles are touched - allows bi-directional signals to be sent at rates of up to 10 Mbit/s. The strength of the electrostatic fields evoked the company puts at but a few hundred milliwatts. Prior to the stage planned for 2006 in which the HAN technology is to be ready for the market, NTT intends to conduct a number of field tests this summer, in which it is inviting companies with an interest in the technology to participate.
Japanese company Nippon Telegraph and Telephone Corporation (NTT) claims to have developed the first viable Human Area Network (HAN) device, enabling fast data transfer between devices using the human body as a conduit.
NTT reckons this latest advance on the wireless Personal Area Network concept - dubbed RedTacton - can transmit data over the surface of the skin at up to 2Mbps. Where it differs, though, from previous offerings, is that a RedTacton-enabled device does not have to be in direct contact with the skin - only within about 20cm.
2. WHAT IS REDTACTON?
RedTacton is a new Human Area Networking technology that uses the surface of the human body as a safe, high speed networking transmission path.
RedTacton takes a different technical approach. Instead of relying on electromagnetic waves or light waves to carry data, RedTacton uses weak electric fields on the surface of the body as a transmission medium. A RedTacton uses transmitter couples with extremely weak electric fields on the surface of the body. The weak electric fields pass through the body to a RedTacton receiver, where the weak electric fields affects the optical properties of an electro-optic crystal. The extent to which the optical properties are changed is detected by laser light which is then converted to an electrical signal by a detector circuit.
RedTacton uses the minute electric field emitted on the surface of the human body. Technically it is completely distinct from wireless and infrared.
A transmission path is formed at the moment a part of human body comes in contact with RedTacton transceiver. Physically separating ends the contact and thus ends communication.
Using RedTacton, communication starts when terminals carried by the user or embedded in devices are linked in various combinations according to the user’s natural, physical movement.
Communication is possible using any body surfaces, such as the hands, fingers, arms, feet, face, legs . RedTacton works through shoes and clothing as well.
The name Red Tacton was chosen for this technology because “touch-act-on” meaning “action triggered by touching”.
Red Tacton is a new Human Area Networking technology that uses the surface of the human body as a safe, high speed network transmission path. Red Tacton uses the minute electric field emitted on the surface of the human body.
Technically, it is completely distinct from wireless and infrared .A transmission path is formed at the moment a part of the human body comes in contact with a Red Tacton transceiver. Physically separating ends the contact and thus ends communication Using Red Tacton, communication starts when terminals carried by the user or embedded in devices are linked in various combinations according to the user's Communication is possible using any body surfaces, such as the hands, fingers, arms, feet, face, legs or torso. Red Tacton works natural, physical movements.
2.1 BASIC PRINCIPLE
The basic principles of redtacton are
1. The Red Tacton transmitter includes a weak electric field on surface of the body.
2. Red Tacton receiver sences changes in the weak electric field on the surface of the body caused by the transmitter.
3. Red Tacton relies upon the principle that the optical properties of an electro optic crystal can vary according to the changes of a weak electric field.
4. Red Tacton detects changes in the optical properties of an electro optic crystal using a laser and converted the result to electrical signal in an optical circuit.
The transmitting RED TACTON device changes the electric field on the surface of the body. This is senced by the electirc field sensor and the variations are given by the receiving RED TACTON device.
2.2 MECHANISM OF COMMUNICATION WITH REDTACTON
Data is received using a photonic electric field sensor that combines an electo optic crystal and a laser light to detect flutuations in the minute electric fields. The naturally occuring electric field induced on the surface of the human body dissipates into the earth. There fore this electric field is exponentially faint and unstable.
The photonic electric field sensor developed by NNT enables weak electric fields to be measured by detecting changes in the optical properties of an electro optic crystal with a laser beam.
The transmitter sends data based on fluctuations in the weak electric field induced in the body. The electric field is received using super-sensitive electric field sensing technology.
The naturally occurring electric field induced on the surface of the human body dissipates into the earth. Therefore, this electric field is exceptionally faint and unstable.
The super-sensitive electric field sensing technology measures the weak electric fields induced by the super-efficient alternating electric field induction.
2.3 RED TACTON TRANSCEIVER
Figure below shows the block diagram of a RedTacton transceiver. The signal from the interface is sent to data sence circuit and transmitter circuit. The data sence circuit sences signal and if data is present it sends control signal to transmitter which activates the transmitter circuit. The transmitter circuit varies the electric field on the surface of our body. This change in electric field is detected by the electro optic sensor. The output of the electro optic sensor is given to the detector circuit, which in turn given to the interface of the receiving RedTacton device.
3.FUNCTIONAL FEATURES
1. A communication path is created with a simple touch, automatically initating the flow of data between a body centric electronic device and a computer that is embedded in the environment. For example, two people equipped with RedTacton devices could exchange data just by shaking hands. A wide range of natural human actions grasping, sitting down, walking or standing in a particular place can be used to start a networked process.
2. Using a RedTacton electro optic sensor, two way communication is supported between any two points on the body at a throughput of upto 10 Mbps. Communication is not just confined to the surface of the body, but can travel through the users clothing to a Red Tacton device in a pocket or shoes to communicate with a RedTacton device embedded in the floor. Unlike wireless technologies, the transmission speed does not deteriorate even in the presence of large crowds of people all communicating at the same time in meeting room, auditoriums or stores. Because the body surface is the transmission path, increasing the number of connected users directly increases the available number of individual channels.
3. Red Tacton can utilize a wide range of materials as a transmission medium, as long as the material is condictive and dielectric, which includes water and other liquids, various metals, certain plastics, glass etc.
Using ordinary structures such as tables and walls that are familiar and readily available, one could easily construct a seamless communication envirnment at a very low cost using Red Tacton. (Note that constraints are imposed by the length and envirnment of the propagating conductor and by the thickness of the dielectric.)
