Patent ID: 6992565

Claim:
An electronic communication system for a vehicle, including a base station which is accommodated in the vehicle and at least one portable data carrier which is arranged to exchange data signals with the base station, wherein: the data carrier includes a first and a second electrode as well as a first data signal processing circuit which is arranged to receive and/or transmit the data signals from and to the base station, respectively, the data signals being formed by a voltage between the first and the second electrode, the base station includes at least a plurality of third electrodes and a forth electrode as well as a second data signal processing circuit which is arranged to receive and/or transmit the data signals from and to the data carrier (carriers), respectively, the data signals being formed by a voltage between the respective ones of the plurality of third and the forth electrode, during operation the second and one of the plurality of third electrodes are coupled to one another via a first coupling link for the transmission of the data signals, during operation the first electrode is coupled to electrical ground of the vehicle via a second coupling link for the transmission of data signals, the fourth electrode is electrically connected to electrical ground of the vehicle, and the first and second coupling links include at least a respective capacitive connection via an electrical field; wherein the first coupling link is formed at least partly by the body of the user, whose skin is not required to be in physical contact with the data carrier, so that the body of the user contactlessly conducts displacement currents from the data carrier without contacting the data carrier; and wherein the data carrier and the base station have a magnetic backup coupling by inductance that does not require the body of the user for operation, wherein the each of the plurality of third electrodes correspond to a predetermined function of the vehicle, the first coupling link requiring the second electrode to be in closer proximity with a first one of the plurality of third electrodes to actuate a first function of the vehicle than with a second one of the plurality electrodes to actuate a second function of the vehicle.