Helmet with impact tracking

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-11375763-B2
Application number	US-201916558007-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Aug 30, 2019
Priority date	Feb 15, 2014
Publication date	Jul 5, 2022
Grant date	Jul 5, 2022

Abstract

A helmet for tracking impact including at least one sensor, a processor in communication with the sensor and a storage file in communication with the processor, the at least one sensor measures a force applied to the helmet and sends a signal to the processor indicative of the measured force. The processor receives the signal indicative of the measured force and compares the measured force to a predetermined value, wherein if the measured force exceeds the predetermined value data is sent to the storage file to record the measured force. The helmet can include an alarm system and/or an injury tracking system.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1. A helmet for tracking impact comprising:
a) at least one sensor within the helmet;
b) a built in injury tracking system;
c) a processor in communication with the at least one sensor;
d) a storage file in communication with the processor; and
e) a register updated by the storage file to record cumulative data including:
i) a type of injury;
ii) an exact location of injury;
iii) a date and time of injury; and
iv) a force value of a force applied to a head of a wearer of the helmet, wherein,

the at least one sensor measures a force applied to the helmet and sends a signal indicative of the measured force to the processor, the processor receiving the signal indicative of the measured force and comparing the measured force to a predetermined value;
if the measured force exceeds the predetermined value, first data of the measured force is sent to the storage file to record the measured force and store the measured force within the helmet;
if the measured force does not exceed the predetermined value, second data of that measured force is sent from the processor to the storage file to record the measured force and store the measured force within the helmet, and the processor calculates cumulative impact data based on the second data below the predetermined value and updates the storage file to include the cumulative impact data to assess if activation of the tracking system is warranted; and
the built in injury tracking system is activated if the cumulative impact data exceeds a threshold, the injury tracking system requiring the wearer of the helmet to perform a set of commands within acceptable preset parameters, the built in tracking system including one or more of an eye tracking system, a motion tracking system, a hearing testing system, or a verbal testing system to determine a verbal response of the wearer to multiple questions or commands.

2. The helmet of claim 1 wherein the measured force is a rotational force applied to the head of the wearer of the helmet and the first and second data include a force value of the measured force.

3. The helmet of claim 1 , wherein the measured force is an impact force applied to the head of the wearer of the helmet and the first and second data include a force value of the measured force.

4. The helmet of claim 1 , further comprising a plurality of shock absorbers including at least one first shock absorber having a first shock absorption characteristic and at least one second shock absorber having a second shock absorption characteristic, the second shock absorption characteristic being different than the first shock absorption characteristic, wherein the first shock absorption characteristic provides a lower activation threshold than the second shock absorption characteristic such that activation of the first and second sets of shock absorbers is dependent on the force applied to the helmet.

5. The helmet of claim 1 , wherein the storage file updates the register and the first and second data are stored in the register and wherein the register is repeatedly updated as additional data is received in response to subsequent measured forces detected which exceed the predetermined value and which are below the predetermined value, the first and second data being retrievable for evaluation.

6. The helmet of claim 1 , wherein if the wearer does not perform the set of commands within the acceptable preset parameters, a signal is sent to an alarm system to trigger an alarm.

7. A helmet for tracking impact comprising:
a) an alarm system in the helmet;
b) a built in injury tracking system;
c) at least one sensor;
d) a processor in communication with the at least one sensor;
e) a storage file in communication with the processor;
f) a register updated by the storage file to record cumulative data including:
i) a type of injury;
ii) an exact location of injury;
iii) a date and time of injury; and
iv) a force value of a force applied to a head of a wearer of the helmet; and

g) a built in injury tracking system, wherein,
the at least one sensor measures a force applied to the helmet and sends a signal indicative of the measured force to the processor;
the processor receives the signal indicative of the measured force and compares the measured force to a predetermined value;
if the measured force exceeds the predetermined value first data is sent to the storage file to record the measured force and store the measured force within the helmet;
if the measured force does not exceed the predetermined value, second data of that measured force is sent from the processor to the storage file, and the processor calculates cumulative impact data based on the second data and updates the storage file to include the cumulative impact data to assess if activation of the built in injury tracking system is warranted; and
the built in injury tracking system is activated if the cumulative impact data exceeds a threshold, the injury tracking system requiring the wearer of the helmet to perform a set of commands within acceptable preset parameters, the built in tracking system including one or more of an eye tracking system, a motion tracking system, a hearing testing system, or a verbal testing system to determine a verbal response of the wearer to multiple questions or commands.

8. The helmet of claim 7 , further comprising an outer shell having an inner surface and an outer surface and a plurality of shock absorbers, the shock absorbers being positioned internal of the outer shell, the plurality of shock absorbers including at least one first shock absorber having a first shock absorption characteristic and at least one second shock absorber having a second shock absorption characteristic, the second shock absorption characteristic being different than the first shock absorption characteristic, wherein the first shock absorption characteristic provides a lower activation threshold than the second shock absorption characteristic such that activation of the first and second sets of shock absorbers is dependent on the force applied to the helmet.

9. The helmet of claim 7 , wherein the built in injury tracking system includes a transmitter to transmit commands to the wearer of the helmet and responses of the wearer are inputted to and evaluated by the processor.

10. The helmet of claim 9 , wherein if the wearer does not perform the set of commands within the acceptable preset parameters, a signal is sent by the processor to the alarm system to trigger an alarm and if the wearer does perform the set of commands within the acceptable preset parameters, the signal for triggering the alarm is not sent to the alarm system.

Assignees

• Rex Medical Lp

Inventors

• Mcguckin Jr James F

Classifications

• G08B21/182

  Level alarms, e.g. alarms responsive to variables exceeding a threshold · CPC title

• G01L5/0052

  measuring forces due to impact (G01L5/0061, G01L5/14 take precedence; impact testing of structures G01M7/08; impact testing of material G01N3/00) · CPC title

• A42B3/125

  with a padded structure, e.g. foam · CPC title

• A42B3/046 Primary

  Means for detecting hazards or accidents · CPC title

• A61B5/163

  by tracking eye movement, gaze, or pupil change · CPC title