Method, system and device for monitoring protective headgear

• US 10,051,910 B2
• Filed: 05/21/2014
• Issued: 08/21/2018
• Est. Priority Date: 02/26/2010
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: THL Holding Company, LLC
• Original Assignee: THL Holding Company, LLC
• Inventors: Howard, John W., Cutler, Richard
• Primary Examiner(s): Kremer, Matthew
• Application Number:
  US14/284,262
• Publication Number:
  US 20140364772A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,553 Days
• Field of Search: None
• CPC Class Codes: A42B 3/00 Helmets; Helmet covers ; Other protective head coverings hoods for welders A61F9/06; defence protection helmets F41H1/04
• CPC Class Codes: A42B 3/046 Means for detecting hazards or accidents
• CPC Class Codes: A42B 3/08 Chin straps or similar retention devices
• CPC Class Codes: A42B 3/30 Mounting radio sets or communication systems
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 5/0004 characterised by the type of physiological signal transmitted
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 5/1122 of movement trajectories
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 5/6803 Head-worn items, e.g. helmets, masks, headphones or goggles
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 5/7282 Event detection, e.g. detecting unique waveforms indicative of a medical condition A61B5/4094, A61B5/4818, A61B5/349, A61B5/0823 take precedence
• CPC Class Codes: A63B 71/085 Mouth or teeth protectors A63B71/081 takes precedence

Abstract

A sensor module generates sensor data in response to an impact to protective headgear, wherein the sensor module includes an accelerometer and a gyroscope and wherein the sensor data includes linear acceleration data and rotational velocity data. A device processing module generates event data in response to the sensor data. A device interface sends the event data to a monitoring device when the device interface is coupled to the monitoring device.

Claims

1. A system comprising:

protective headgear;

a sensor module, coupled to the protective headgear that generates sensor data in response to an impact to the protective headgear, wherein the sensor module includes an accelerometer and a gyroscope and wherein the sensor data includes linear acceleration data and rotational velocity data;

a device processing module, coupled to the sensor module, that generates power diffusion data in response to the sensor data, wherein the power diffusion data indicates a mass independent power diffusion caused by the impact to the protective headgear, and wherein the device processing module further generates event data that includes the power diffusion data; and

a device interface, coupled to the sensor module and the device processing module, that is coupleable to a monitoring device and that sends the event data to the monitoring device when the device interface is coupled to the monitoring device.

2. The system of claim 1 wherein the device interface includes a jack that is coupleable to the monitoring device via a standardized cable having a plug that mates with the jack.

3. The system of claim 2 wherein the standardized cable is a universal serial bus cable.

4. The system of claim 1 wherein the accelerometer responds to acceleration of the protective headgear along a plurality of axes and wherein the linear acceleration data indicates the acceleration of the protective headgear along the plurality of axes.

5. The system of claim 1 wherein the gyroscope responds to velocity of the protective headgear along a plurality of axes and wherein the rotational velocity data indicates the velocity of the protective headgear along the plurality of axes.

6. The system of claim 1 wherein the protective headgear includes a football helmet.

7. The system of claim 1 wherein the protective headgear includes a mouth guard.

8. The system of claim 1 wherein the monitoring device includes a handheld communication device.

9. The system of claim 1 wherein the monitoring device includes a personal computer.

10. The system of claim 1 wherein the sensor module includes a plurality of individual sensors placed at different points on the protective headgear, wherein the plurality of individual sensors includes the accelerometer and the gyroscope.

11. The system of claim 1 wherein the device interface includes a one connector interface.

12. The system of claim 11 wherein the one connector interface includes a contact pad.

13. The system of claim 11 wherein the device interface detects coupling to the monitoring device and the device interface initiates transmission of the event data via the one connector interface to the monitoring device in response to the detection of the coupling by the monitoring device.

14. A method for use in a system for monitoring protective headgear, the method comprising:

generating, via a sensor module, sensor data in response to an impact to the protective headgear, wherein the sensor module includes an accelerometer and a gyroscope and wherein the sensor data includes linear acceleration data and rotational velocity data;

generating power diffusion data in response to the sensor data, wherein the power diffusion data indicates a mass independent power diffusion caused by the impact to the protective headgear;

generating event data that includes the power diffusion;

coupling, via a device interface, the protective headgear to a monitoring device; and

sending the event data to the monitoring device, when the device interface is coupled to the monitoring device.

15. The method of claim 14 wherein the coupling to the monitoring device is via a standardized cable having a plug that mates with a jack of the device interface.

16. The method of claim 14 wherein the accelerometer responds to acceleration of the protective headgear along a plurality of axes and wherein the linear acceleration data indicates the acceleration of the protective headgear along the plurality of axes.

17. The method of claim 14 wherein the gyroscope responds to velocity of the protective headgear along a plurality of axes and wherein the rotational velocity data indicates the velocity of the protective headgear along the plurality of axes.

18. The method of claim 14 wherein the protective headgear includes one of:

a football helmet, a mouthguard, a hard hat, a military helmet, a chin strap, an ear piece and a skull cap.

19. The method of claim 14 wherein the monitoring device includes a handheld communication device.

20. The method of claim 14 wherein the monitoring device includes a personal computer.