System and method for airbag deployment and inflation

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-9730482-B2
Application number	US-201414549237-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Nov 20, 2014
Priority date	Nov 20, 2014
Publication date	Aug 15, 2017
Grant date	Aug 15, 2017

Abstract

A helmet with an airbag assembly coupled to the shell of the helmet. The airbag assembly includes an airbag and an inflation device. The inflation device is configured to at least partially inflate the airbag upon deployment of the airbag assembly. The helmet also includes a processing circuit disposed at least partially within the shell. The processing circuit is configured to receive helmet data regarding a second helmet, transmit deployment data regarding inflation of the airbag assembly, and control operation of the inflation device to inflate the airbag based on the helmet data.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1. A helmet, comprising:
a shell;
a first airbag assembly coupled to the shell and including a first airbag and a first inflation device, wherein the first inflation device is configured to at least partially inflate the first airbag; and
a processing circuit disposed at least partially within the shell and configured to:
receive first helmet data regarding the helmet worn by a first user;
receive second helmet data regarding a second helmet worn by a second user, the second helmet including a second airbag assembly having a second airbag and a second inflation device;
determine impact data based on the first helmet data and the second helmet data;
communicate deployment instructions to the first inflation device regarding inflation of the first airbag to control at least one of an inflation rate and an inflation pressure of the first airbag based on the impact data such that the first airbag deploys from a surface of the shell to receive at least one of the second helmet and the second airbag; and
communicate deployment instructions regarding inflation of the second airbag.

2. The helmet of claim 1 , wherein the second helmet data includes an indication of at least one of user data for a user of the second helmet, a location of the second helmet, a direction of travel of the second helmet, a velocity of the second helmet, and an acceleration of the second helmet.

3. The helmet of claim 2 , wherein the user data includes at least one of a user height, a user weight, a user identification, and a user status.

4. The helmet of claim 2 , wherein the location of the second helmet includes two-dimensional location data.

5. The helmet of claim 2 , wherein the location of the second helmet includes three-dimensional location data.

6. The helmet of claim 2 , wherein the location of the second helmet is a relative location, the velocity of the second helmet is a relative velocity, and the acceleration of the second helmet is a relative acceleration.

7. The helmet of claim 1 , wherein the second helmet data includes second deployment data for the second airbag of the second helmet.

8. The helmet of claim 7 , wherein the second deployment data includes an indication of at least one of whether the second airbag has been inflated, a decision regarding future inflation of the second airbag, and a planned future inflation time for the second airbag.

9. The helmet of claim 7 , wherein the second deployment data includes at least one of a size, a shape, a location, an internal pressure, and a direction of inflation for the inflated second airbag.

10. The helmet of claim 1 , wherein the first helmet data includes first deployment data that includes timing data regarding a planned future inflation time of the first airbag.

11. The helmet of claim 1 , wherein the first helmet data includes first deployment data that includes directional data regarding at least one of a location and a direction of inflation for the first airbag.

12. The helmet of claim 1 , wherein the first helmet data includes first deployment data that includes data regarding at least one of a size and a shape for the inflated first airbag.

13. The helmet of claim 1 , wherein the processing circuit is configured to transmit a request for the second helmet to not inflate the second airbag.

14. The helmet of claim 1 , wherein the processing circuit is configured to transmit a request for the second helmet to inflate the second airbag.

15. The helmet of claim 1 , wherein the processing circuit is configured to transmit a request for the second helmet data regarding deployment of the second airbag of the second helmet.

16. A helmet airbag deployment system, comprising:
a processing circuit including a processor and memory, the processing circuit configured to:
be worn by a first user;
receive first data regarding a first helmet worn by the first user, the first helmet coupled to a first airbag;
receive second data regarding a second helmet worn by a second user, the second helmet coupled to a second airbag;
determine impact data based on the first data and the second data;
communicate deployment instructions to an inflation device regarding inflation of the first airbag to control at least one of an inflation rate and an inflation pressure of the first airbag based on the impact data such that the first airbag deploys from a surface of the first helmet to receive at least one of the second helmet and the second airbag; and
communicate deployment instructions regarding inflation of the second airbag.

17. The helmet airbag deployment system of claim 16 , wherein the processing circuit is a first processing circuit, and further comprising a second processing circuit configured to be worn by the second user and communicate with the first processing circuit.

18. The helmet airbag deployment system of claim 16 , wherein the processing circuit is configured to control operation of the inflation device to control a timing of inflation of at least one of the first airbag and the second airbag based on the impact data.

19. The helmet airbag deployment system of claim 16 , wherein the first data includes at least one of first deployment data for the first airbag, first user data for the first user of the first helmet, a location of the first helmet, a direction of travel of the first helmet, a velocity of the first helmet, and an acceleration of the first helmet.

20. The helmet airbag deployment system of claim 16 , wherein the first data includes an indication of at least one of whether the first airbag has been inflated, a decision regarding future inflation of the first airbag, and a planned future inflation time for the first airbag.

21. The helmet airbag deployment system of claim 16 , wherein the first data includes at least one of a size, a shape, a location, an internal pressure, and a direction of inflation for the inflated first airbag.

22. The helmet airbag deployment system of claim 16 , wherein the first data includes at least one of a first user height, a first user weight, a first user identification, and a first user status.

23. The helmet airbag deployment system of claim 16 , wherein the deployment instructions include at least one of timing data regarding a timing of inflation of at least one of the first airbag and the second airbag and directional data regarding a direction of inflation for the at least one of the first airbag and the second airbag.

24. The helmet airbag deployment system of claim 16 , wherein the deployment instructions include at least one of data regarding a location of an inflated airbag, data regarding a size of the inflated airbag, data regarding a shape of the inflated airbag and data regarding an internal pressure of the inflated airbag.

25. An airbag deployment system, comprising:
a first helmet including a first processing circuit and a first airbag assembly, the first airbag assembly including a first inflation device and a first airbag, the first airbag configured to be selectively deployable from at least one of a shell, a facemask, a chinstrap, padding, and an underside of the first helmet; and
a second helmet including a second processing circuit and a second airbag assembly, the second airbag assembly including a second inflation device and a second airbag, the second airbag configured to be selectively deployable from at least one of a shell, a facemask, a chinstrap, padding, and an underside of the

Assignees

• Elwha Llc

Inventors

• Allen Paul G
• Bayly Philip V
• Brody David L
• Cheatham Iii Jesse R
• Ellenbogen Richard G
• Hyde Roderick A
• Ishikawa Muriel Y
• Kare Jordin T
• Leuthardt Eric C
• Myhrvold Nathan P
• Pan Tony S
• Petroski Robert C
• Radovitzky Raul
• Smith Anthony V
• Sweeney Elizabeth A
• Tegreene Clarence T
• Touran Nicholas W
• Wood Jr Lowell L
• Wood Victoria Y H

Classifications

• A42B3/00

  Helmets; Helmet covers {; Other protective head coverings} ({hoods for welders A61F9/06;} defence protection helmets F41H1/04) · CPC title

• A42B3/0406

  Accessories for helmets · CPC title

• G08C17/02

  using a radio link · CPC title

• A42B3/0486 Primary

  Airbags · CPC title

• A42B3/122

  inflatable · CPC title