Human Body Data Transfer via Piezoelectric Bone Conduction

Resolve Bottlenecks,
Find Innovative SolutionsGenerate Solutions

Solution Overview

Problem

Wireless data transfer technologies like Bluetooth and NFC are susceptible to security breaches due to eavesdropping, especially when using powerful directional antennas, posing significant security challenges.

Innovation Solution

Data transfer through a human body using piezo-electric transducers for bone conduction, where vibrations are sent through the body for secure data transmission, potentially combined with skin conduction to enhance data rates and security.

Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles

VSEngineering Contradiction Analysis

1Productivity

If wireless technologies (Bluetooth, NFC) are used for short-range data transfer, then data transfer capability is improved, but security is worsened due to susceptibility to eavesdropping with powerful directional antennas

Engineering Contradiction:

Improvedata transfer capabilityVSAvoidsecurity

Core Design Contradiction:

ProductivityVSReliability

Solution Approach 1:

The patent introduces the human body as an intermediary medium for data transfer. Instead of direct wireless communication between devices, data is transmitted through vibrations that travel through the body (bone conduction) or along the skin (skin conduction). This intermediary approach creates a secure channel because the body acts as a physical conduit that is difficult to intercept remotely, thus maintaining data transfer capability while improving security against eavesdropping attacks

Inventive Principle:

Principle #24Intermediary (Mediator)

Solution Approach 2:

The patent replaces traditional electromagnetic wireless communication mechanisms with mechanical vibration-based transmission. By using piezoelectric transducers to generate vibrations that travel through bone and skin, the system substitutes the electromagnetic field mechanism with a mechanical wave mechanism, creating a fundamentally different transmission medium that is resistant to conventional wireless eavesdropping techniques

Inventive Principle:

Principle #28Mechanics substitution (Replace mechanical system)

2Reliability

If bone conduction alone is used for data transfer, then security is improved, but data transfer rate is limited

Engineering Contradiction:

ImprovesecurityVSAvoiddata transfer rate

Core Design Contradiction:

ReliabilityVSProductivity

Solution Approach 1:

The patent combines two different conduction mechanisms - bone conduction and skin conduction - into a single data transfer system. By merging these two pathways, the system achieves both the security benefits of physical contact-based transmission and higher data transfer rates, as skin conduction can carry additional data channels alongside bone conduction

Inventive Principle:

Principle #5Merging (Combining)

Applied Scientific Principles

This section explains which scientific principles are used to turn an abstract innovation direction into a practical engineering solution.

Function Achieved in This Case

This method minimizes signal loss and provides a secure, high-rate data transfer solution resistant to eavesdropping, using unique body signatures for authentication.

Implementation Method 1

using one or more piezo-electric transducers, such as contact microphones, vibrations are sent through a human body by bone conduction

Methodology Applied

Scientific EffectPiezoelectric effect: Piezoelectric Effect

Implementation Method 2

bone conduction is used to transfer data from a first device, through a body, to a second device

Methodology Applied

Scientific EffectBone conduction: Conduction (thermal)

Implementation Method 3

the data or a portion thereof can be transferred along the skin of the body through skin conduction

Methodology Applied

Scientific EffectSkin conduction: Conduction (electrical)

Data Source

PatentUS8908894B2Devices and methods for transferring data through a human body

Publication Date: 2014.12.09 AT&T INTELLECTUAL PROPERTY I L P

AI summary

An illustrative method for transferring data to a device includes identifying the data that is to be transferred to the device, modulating the data with a signal, providing the signal to a contact microphone that is in physical contact with an individual, and transmitting the signal through a body of the individual to the device using the contact microphone. An illustrative method for authenticating the individual includes transmitting a signal through a body of the individual in response to the individual physically contacting an authentication device, receiving a modified signal including the signal as modified by the body of the individual, removing the signal from the modified signal to identify a unique body signature of the individual, comparing the unique body signature to a database to determine if the database includes the unique body signature, and selectively authenticating the individual based upon whether the database includes the unique body signature.