Patent ID: 8633809
Filing Date: 2014-01-21
Classification: A61B,H04B

Abstract:
1. A coupler device for a body-coupled communication, said coupler device being configured to be placed at or in close proximity to a human or animal body and comprising: an electrode arrangement consisting of a plurality of electrodes or electrode segments adapted to be separately connectable and having different mutual orientations with respect to the surface of said human or animal body to achieve electrode diversity, wherein a first subset of said plurality of electrodes comprise signal electrodes for receiving data signals, said signal electrodes having higher than average electrical coupling to the human or animal body and a second subset of said plurality of electrodes comprise reference electrodes having lower than average electrical coupling to the human or animal body, and wherein the average electrical coupling is a pre-determined threshold level based on an average detected signal strength of the plurality of electrodes; wherein signals from the different subsets of electrodes are combined to provide enhanced reception power or quality for the different mutual orientations of the electrodes or electrode segments of the electrode arrangement.