Programmable electronic helmet

• US 10,088,911 B2
• Filed: 12/30/2016
• Issued: 10/02/2018
• Est. Priority Date: 12/30/2016
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Sunscape Family Limited Partnership
• Original Assignee: Manuel Saez
• Inventors: Saez, Manuel
• Primary Examiner(s): Dharia, Prabodh M
• Application Number:
  US15/395,112
• Publication Number:
  US 20180188813A1
• Time in Patent Office: 641 Days
• Field of Search: 345 8, 345174, 345633, 340905, 600301
• CPC Class Codes: A42B 3/0426 Rear view devices or the like
• CPC Class Codes: A42B 3/044 Lighting devices, e.g. helmets with lamps
• CPC Class Codes: A42B 3/0453 Signalling devices, e.g. auxiliary brake or indicator lights
• CPC Class Codes: A42B 3/22 Visors
• CPC Class Codes: A42B 3/283 Air inlets or outlets, with or without closure shutters
• CPC Class Codes: A42B 3/303 Communication between riders or passengers
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/005 Input arrangements through a video camera
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/012 Head tracking input arrangements
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/017 Gesture based interaction, e.g. based on a set of recognized hand gestures interaction based on gestures traced on a digitiser G06F3/04883
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/0346 with detection of the device orientation or free movement in a 3D space, e.g. 3D mice, 6-DOF [six degrees of freedom] pointers using gyroscopes, accelerometers or tilt-sensors

Abstract

A programmable electronic helmet and a method of using the helmet are provided. The programmable electronic helmet includes a hard frame strappable to a head of a user, at least one gyroscope, an accelerometer, a user interface, at least one camera positioned on the hard frame, a display positioned a location that is in the peripheral field of vision of the user, wherein the display is configured to communicate information to the user, and a wireless communication apparatus. The programmable electronic helmet further includes one or more processors, wherein the one or more processors are configured to analyze images captured by the at least one camera to approximate a location of one or more objects in an area surrounding the user, and a memory, coupled to the processor, configured to store data acquired by and sent to the programmable helmet.

Claims

1. A programmable electronic helmet, comprising:

a hard frame strappable to a head of a user;

at least one gyroscope;

an accelerometer;

a visual user interface positioned a location that is in the peripheral field of vision of the user, wherein the visual user interface is configured to communicate information to the user;

at least one camera positioned on the hard frame;

a wireless communication apparatus for connecting the programmable electronic helmet to one or more mobile electronic devices;

one or more processors, wherein the one or more processors are configured to analyze images captured by the at least one camera to approximate a location of one or more objects in an area surrounding the user;

one or more infrared gesture sensors configured to detect appendage or head movement of the user which generates one or more left turning lights configured to signal that the user is preparing to turn left, and one or more right turning lights configured to signal that the user is preparing to turn right; and

a memory, coupled to the processor, configured to store data acquired by and sent to the programmable helmet.

2. The programmable electronic helmet at recited in claim 1, wherein the visual user interface is positioned on an underside of a visor coupled to the hard frame.

3. The programmable electronic helmet as recited in claim 1, wherein the visual user interface includes at least one series of red-green-blue (RGB) light emitting diodes (LEDs).

4. The programmable electronic helmet as recited in claim 1, wherein the visual user interface communicates, to the user, information sent from one or more mobile electronic devices.

5. The programmable electronic helmet as recited in claim 1, further comprising one or more lights coupled to an outside, front-facing edge of the hard frame.

6. The programmable electronic helmet as recited in claim 1, wherein the visual user interface is configured to be customizedly programmed by the user.

7. The programmable electronic helmet as recited in claim 1, further comprising one or more sensors configured to recognize one or more physical gestures and associate each of the one or more physical gestures with a function to be carried out by the one or more processors.

8. The programmable electronic helmet as recited in claim 1, further comprising at least one microphone positioned on the helmet such that the microphone picks up speech from the user.

9. A programmable electronic wearable protective covering, comprising:

at least one gyroscope;

an accelerometer;

a visual user interface positioned a location that is in the peripheral field of vision of a user, wherein the display is configured to communicate information to the user;

at least one camera;

one or more infrared gesture sensors configured to detect appendage or head movement of the user which generates one or more left turning lights configured to signal that the user is preparing to turn left, and one or more right turning lights configured to signal that the user is preparing to turn right;

one or more processors, wherein the one or more processors are configured to analyze images captured by the at least one camera to approximate a location of one or more objects in an area surrounding the user; and

a memory, coupled to the processor, configured to store data acquired by and sent to the electronic wearable protective covering.

10. A non-transitory computer-readable storage medium including a computer-readable program for controlling an programmable electronic helmet, wherein the computer-readable program when executed on the programmable electronic helmet causes the programmable electronic helmet to perform the steps of:

receiving, via a wireless communication apparatus, a series of information from a mobile device;

receiving, via one or more cameras coupled to the programmable electronic helmet, one or more video feeds of an area surrounding the user;

determining, using one or more processors, an identity and location of one or more objects in the video feed;

determining a velocity and an acceleration of the user using one or more gyroscopes and accelerometers; and

displaying, using a visual user interface, information to a user wearing the programmable electronic helmet,

detecting, using one or more infrared gesture sensors, appendage or head movement of the user;

if the user is preparing to turn left, indicating, using one or more left turning lights, that the user is preparing to turn left; and

if the user is preparing to turn right, indicating, using one or more left turning lights, that the user is preparing to turn right;

wherein the programmable electronic helmet is strapped to a head of the user.

11. The non-transitory computer-readable storage medium as recited in claim 10, wherein the computer-readable program when executed on the programmable electronic helmet causes the programmable electronic helmet to further perform the steps of:

determining, using the one or more gyroscopes and accelerometers, when a velocity of the user is decreasing; and

powering a stop light when the velocity of the user is decreasing.

12. The non-transitory computer-readable storage medium as recited in claim 10, wherein the computer-readable program when executed on the programmable electronic helmet causes the programmable electronic helmet to further perform the steps of:

determining, using the one or more cameras and the one or more processors, when a vehicle is approaching the user; and

notifying the user when the vehicle is approaching and from approximately what direction the vehicle is approaching.

13. The non-transitory computer-readable storage medium as recited in claim 10, wherein the computer-readable program when executed on the programmable electronic helmet causes the programmable electronic helmet to further perform the steps of:

identifying, via one or more sensors coupled to the programmable electronic helmet, one or more physical gestures by the user; and

performing a computer-executable function associated with each of the one or more physical gestures.

14. The non-transitory computer-readable storage medium as recited in claim 10, wherein the computer-readable program when executed on the programmable electronic helmet causes the programmable electronic helmet to further perform the step of:

receiving, via one or more microphones coupled to the programmable electronic helmet, an audio signal from a user; and

identifying content of the audio signal.

15. The non-transitory computer-readable storage medium as recited in claim 14, wherein the computer-readable program when executed on the programmable electronic helmet causes the programmable electronic helmet to further perform the step of:

performing a computer-executable function associated with the content of the audio signal.

16. The non-transitory computer-readable storage medium as recited in claim 10, wherein the computer-readable program when executed on the programmable electronic helmet causes the programmable electronic helmet to further perform the steps of:

storing the one or more video feeds in a memory; and

uploading the one or more video feeds to a wireless server.

17. The non-transitory computer-readable storage medium as recited in claim 10, wherein the computer-readable program when executed on the programmable electronic helmet causes the programmable electronic helmet to further perform the steps of:

storing, in a memory, all data gathered by the programmable electronic helmet over a predefined duration of time.

18. The non-transitory computer-readable storage medium as recited in claim 10, wherein the computer-readable program when executed on the programmable electronic helmet causes the programmable electronic helmet to further perform the steps of:

receiving a signal from the user to save, on a mobile electronic device, a portion of a trip taken by the user while wearing the programmable electronic helmet; and

saving the portion of the trip to the mobile electronic device.

19. The non-transitory computer-readable storage medium as recited in claim 10, wherein the wireless communication apparatus is a Bluetooth device.