Concussion detection and communication system
First Claim
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1. A device comprising:
- a first electronic module capable of being mounted to a sports helmet, the first electronic module including a controller, a transmit-receive assembly in communication with the controller, a first three-axis accelerometer and a second three-axis accelerometer each in communication with the controller and configured to communicate respective acceleration data to the controller at a first rate, and a data storage unit in communication with the controller;
the controller being configured to generate digital data packets, and the data storage unit being configured to store the digital data packets, each digital data packet containing information corresponding to the acceleration data from both of the first and second accelerometers at a certain time, as communicated to the controller at the first rate;
the first electronic module being operable in a first mode, in which the controller transmits, at a second rate lower than the first rate, via the transmit-receive assembly a first electromagnetic (EM) signal containing at least a first digital data packet associated with the first electronic module, and a second mode, in which the processor does not transmit digital data packets associated with the first data module;
wherein the transmit-receive assembly of the first electronic module is configured to receive a second EM signal containing a second digital data packet transmitted by a second electronic module substantially identical to the first electronic module, and the controller of the first electronic module is configured to respond to the received second EM signal by retransmitting data contained in the second digital data packet when the second digital data packet contains information indicating a request to retransmit the second digital data packet; and
a base unit configured to receive the first EM signal transmitted by the first electronic module, the base unit including a receiver configured to receive the first EM signal, a processor in communication with the receiver and configured to extract acceleration data from the received first EM signal, a memory in communication with the processor and configured to store the extracted acceleration data, the extracted acceleration data having a number of data points corresponding to the first rate, and a display for presenting the extracted acceleration data in human-readable form, the base unit further configured to recreate, based on the extracted acceleration data, a path over time taken by the first electronic module.
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Abstract
A concussion detection and communication system is described. In some examples a concussion data module may be worn by one or more subjects. Each concussion data module may include multiple accelerometers and may communicate data signals wirelessly to a base unit. Upon determining that the base unit is not within effective communication range, a concussion data module may relay signals to the base unit through another concussion data module.
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Citations
20 Claims
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1. A device comprising:
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a first electronic module capable of being mounted to a sports helmet, the first electronic module including a controller, a transmit-receive assembly in communication with the controller, a first three-axis accelerometer and a second three-axis accelerometer each in communication with the controller and configured to communicate respective acceleration data to the controller at a first rate, and a data storage unit in communication with the controller; the controller being configured to generate digital data packets, and the data storage unit being configured to store the digital data packets, each digital data packet containing information corresponding to the acceleration data from both of the first and second accelerometers at a certain time, as communicated to the controller at the first rate; the first electronic module being operable in a first mode, in which the controller transmits, at a second rate lower than the first rate, via the transmit-receive assembly a first electromagnetic (EM) signal containing at least a first digital data packet associated with the first electronic module, and a second mode, in which the processor does not transmit digital data packets associated with the first data module; wherein the transmit-receive assembly of the first electronic module is configured to receive a second EM signal containing a second digital data packet transmitted by a second electronic module substantially identical to the first electronic module, and the controller of the first electronic module is configured to respond to the received second EM signal by retransmitting data contained in the second digital data packet when the second digital data packet contains information indicating a request to retransmit the second digital data packet; and a base unit configured to receive the first EM signal transmitted by the first electronic module, the base unit including a receiver configured to receive the first EM signal, a processor in communication with the receiver and configured to extract acceleration data from the received first EM signal, a memory in communication with the processor and configured to store the extracted acceleration data, the extracted acceleration data having a number of data points corresponding to the first rate, and a display for presenting the extracted acceleration data in human-readable form, the base unit further configured to recreate, based on the extracted acceleration data, a path over time taken by the first electronic module. - View Dependent Claims (2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 20)
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9. A system comprising:
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a first electronic module associated with a first body part of a user and including a controller, a transmit-receive assembly in communication with the controller, a first three-axis accelerometer and a second three-axis accelerometer each in communication with the controller for communicating respective acceleration data to the controller at a first rate, and a data storage unit in communication with the controller for storing information related to the acceleration data; the controller being configured to receive the respective acceleration data from the first and second accelerometers, to calculate linear and rotational acceleration values using the received data, to determine whether any calculated linear acceleration value exceeds a linear threshold value, and to determine whether any calculated rotational acceleration value exceeds a rotational threshold value; the first electronic module being operable in a first mode, in which the controller transmits, at a second rate lower than the first rate, via the transmit-receive assembly an electromagnetic (EM) signal containing information corresponding to the calculated acceleration values of the first electronic module, and a second mode, in which the controller does not transmit a signal containing information corresponding to the calculated acceleration values of the first electronic module; and wherein the transmit-receive assembly of the first electronic module is configured to receive a second EM signal containing a second digital data packet transmitted by a second electronic module substantially identical to the first electronic module, and the controller of the first electronic module is configured to respond to the received second EM signal by retransmitting data contained in the second digital data packet when the second digital data packet contains information indicating a request to retransmit the second digital data packet; and a base unit configured to receive the EM signal transmitted by the first electronic module, the base unit including a receiver configured to receive the EM signal, a processor in communication with the receiver and configured to extract data from the received EM signal, a memory in communication with the processor and configured to store the extracted data, and a display for presenting the extracted data in human-readable form, the base unit further configured to recreate, based on the calculated acceleration values of the first electronic module, a path over time taken by the user; wherein the first electronic module is configured to automatically enter the first mode in response to a determination by the controller that either or both of the linear and rotational threshold values has been exceeded. - View Dependent Claims (10, 11, 12, 13, 14, 15, 16)
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17. A system for processing acceleration data associated with a head of a user, the system comprising:
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a sports helmet configured to be worn on the head of the user; a concussion data module releasably mounted to the sports helmet, the concussion data module having two accelerometers for sensing acceleration of the module and having a rate of data output, a processor for processing acceleration data received from the accelerometers at the rate of data output, a memory for storing the processed acceleration data, and a communication assembly including a receiver and a transmitter capable of communicating electromagnetic (EM) signals encoded using the processed acceleration data; and wherein the user is a first user and the concussion data module is a first concussion data module, the system further including a second concussion data module substantially identical to the first concussion data module and releasably mounted to a sports helmet worn by the second user, and wherein the processor of the first concussion data module is further configured to transmit the data packet to the second concussion data module in response to the first concussion data module determining that the receiving base unit is not within range; and a base unit configured to receive EM signals from the transmitter of the concussion data module; wherein the processor of the concussion data module is configured to execute program instructions for processing the acceleration data, the processing including repeatedly; calculating a vectorized angular acceleration of the concussion data module, calculating a vectorized linear acceleration for each of the accelerometers, comparing the magnitude of the angular acceleration vector to a first threshold, comparing the magnitude of each of the linear acceleration vectors to a second threshold, collating the calculated vector data, results of the comparisons to the thresholds, a time value, and a device identifier into a data packet, storing the data packet in the memory, transmitting the data packet via the transmitter, and determining whether a responsive verification signal is received by the receiver of the concussion data module, indicating that the base unit is within communication range of the concussion data module; and wherein the base unit is configured to store a plurality of the data packets repeatedly transmitted by the concussion data module, to extract the acceleration data therefrom, and to recreate, based on the extracted acceleration data, a path over time taken by the user. - View Dependent Claims (18, 19)
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Specification