Automatic adjustment of helmet parameters based on a category of play

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-10130303-B2
Application number	US-201514709574-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	May 12, 2015
Priority date	May 12, 2015
Publication date	Nov 20, 2018
Grant date	Nov 20, 2018

Abstract

Embodiments include method, systems and computer program products for automatic adjustment of helmet parameters based on a category of play. Aspects include monitoring a plurality of sensors in a helmet and determining the category of play for a user of the helmet based on data received from the plurality of sensors. Aspects further include automatically adjusting one or more parameters of the helmet based on the category of play.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1. A computer program product for automatic adjustment of helmet parameters based on a category of play, the computer program product comprising:
a non-transitory storage medium readable by a processing circuit and storing instructions for execution by the processing circuit for performing a method comprising:
monitoring a plurality of sensors in a helmet;
determining the category of play for a user of the helmet based on data received from the plurality of sensors; and
automatically adjusting parameters of the helmet based on the category of play, wherein the parameters include at least one of a stiffness, a size and a shape of a padding of the helmet,
wherein a type of an adjustment and an amount of the adjustment are determined based on a model of expected risks for the category of play for the user.

2. The computer program product of claim 1 , wherein the padding is disposed on an internal surface of the helmet.

3. The computer program product of claim 1 , the stiffness of the padding on the helmet includes increasing the stiffness in a first area of the padding and decreasing the stiffness in a second area of the padding.

4. The computer program product of claim 1 , wherein automatically adjusting one or more parameters of the helmet based on the category of play includes adjusting a tightness of a chin strap of the helmet.

5. The computer program product of claim 4 , wherein the one or more parameters are adjusted based on a risk profile associated with the category of play.

6. The computer program product of claim 5 , wherein the risk profile is further based on a medical history of the user of the helmet.

7. An adjustable helmet for mitigating the risk of brain injuries, comprising:
a processor and one or more sensors, the processor configured to:
monitoring the one or more sensors;
determine a category of play for a user of the helmet based on data received from the plurality of sensors; and
automatically adjust parameters of the helmet based on the category of play, wherein the parameters include at least one of a stiffness, a size and a shape of a padding of the helmet,
wherein a type of an adjustment and an amount of the adjustment are determined based on a model of expected risks for the category of play for the user.

8. The helmet of claim 7 , wherein the padding is disposed on an internal surface of the helmet.

9. The helmet of claim 7 , the stiffness of the padding on the helmet includes increasing the stiffness in a first area of the padding and decreasing the stiffness in a second area of the padding.

10. The helmet of claim 7 , wherein the one or more parameters are adjusted based on a risk profile associated with the category of play.

11. The helmet of claim 10 , wherein the risk profile is further based on a medical history of the user of the helmet.

Assignees

• IBM

Inventors

• Kozloski James R
• Lamorey Mark C H
• Pickover Clifford A
• Rice John J

Classifications

• A61B2503/10

  Athletes · CPC title

• A42B3/0433

  Detecting, signalling or lighting devices · CPC title

• A61B5/4064

  Evaluating the brain (for intracranial pressure A61B5/031; for cerebral blood gases A61B5/14553; using EEG A61B5/369) · CPC title

• A61B2503/22

  Motor vehicles operators, e.g. drivers, pilots, captains · CPC title

• A61B5/7275

  Determining trends in physiological measurement data; Predicting development of a medical condition based on physiological measurements, e.g. determining a risk factor · CPC title