Integrated portable entertainment, information and communication system linked to a wireless helmet

• US 6,978,162 B2
• Filed: 08/17/2001
• Issued: 12/20/2005
• Est. Priority Date: 08/17/2001
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Hewlett-Packard Development Company, L.P. (HP Inc.)
• Original Assignee: Hewlett-Packard Development Company, L.P. (HP Inc.)
• Inventors: Knaus, Kenneth, Russell, Paul Grady
• Primary Examiner(s): Tsang, Fan
• Assistant Examiner(s): Hashem, Lisa
• Application Number:
  US09/931,034
• Publication Number:
  US 20030036360A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,586 Days
• Field of Search: 340/479, 381/376, 482/8, 455/344, 455/90.1, 280/304.5, 701/213
• US Class Current: 455/575.2
• CPC Class Codes: A42B 3/30 Mounting radio sets or communication systems
• CPC Class Codes: H04B 1/385 Transceivers carried on the body, e.g. in helmets
• CPC Class Codes: H04B 2001/3866 carried on the head
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 1/6066 including a wireless connection
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 1/6091 including a wireless interface
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 2250/02 including a Bluetooth interface
• CPC Class Codes: H04R 1/083 Special constructions of mouthpieces

Abstract

A portable entertainment system for use with a vehicle, such as a bicycle or motorcycle, and a helmet. The system may include a vehicle subsystem and a helmet subsystem. The vehicle subsystem includes a mounting device having at least one port, the mounting device adapted to connect to the bicycle, and a portable computing device positionable in the at least one port, the portable computing device having one or more digitized audio files thereon. A wireless transmitter is coupled with the portable computing device, the wireless transmitter transmitting a digitized audio signal when the portable computing device is playing a digitized audio file. The helmet subsystem includes a wireless receiver positioned on the helmet, the wireless receiver receiving the digitized audio signal from the wireless transmitter; a processor coupled with the wireless receiver, the processor converting the digitized audio signal to an analog audio signal; and speaker ear cones positioned on the helmet, the speaker ear cones connected with the processor for creating an audible audio signal from the analog audio signal. The speaker ear cones are positioned on the helmet near the user'"'"'s ears without the speaker ear cones contacting the user'"'"'s ears. In this manner, the user can hear traffic sounds, as needed for safety reasons, and the user can operate the vehicle without having wires interfering with the operation of the vehicle.

Claims

1. A portable entertainment system for use with a bicycle and a helmet, comprising:

a mounting device having a plurality of ports, the mounting device adapted to connect to the bicycle;

a portable computing device positionable in the one of the plurality of ports, the portable computing device having one or more digitized audio files thereon;

a wireless transmitter coupled with the portable computing device, the wireless transmitter transmitting a digitized audio signal when the portable computing device is playing a digitized audio file;

a wireless receiver positioned on the helmet, the wireless receiver receiving the digitized audio signal from the wireless transmitter;

a processor coupled with the wireless receiver, the processor converting the digitized audio signal to an analog audio signal; and

one or more speaker ear cones positioned on the helmet, the one or more speaker ear cones connected with the processor for creating an audible audio signal from the analog audio signal, wherein the system further comprises a cellular phone positionable in one of the plurality of ports, the cellular phone providing a phone audio signal to the mounting device.

2. The system of claim 1, wherein the mounting device includes a protective covering over the portable computing device.

3. The system of claim 1, further comprising

a GPS receiver positionable in one of the two ports, the GPS receiver providing position data.

4. The system of claim 3, wherein the portable computing device is coupled with the GPS receiver to receive and process the position data.

5. The system of claim 3, wherein the mounting device includes a back plane connecting one or more signals from the a GPS receiver with the portable computing device.

6. The system of claim 1, further comprising

a wheel sensor providing wheel speed to the portable computing device.

7. The system of claim 1, wherein the wireless transmitter transmits the digitized audio signal as an infrared signal.

8. The system of claim 1, wherein the wireless transmitter transmits the digitized audio signal as a digital radio signal.

9. The system of claim 1, wherein the one or more speaker ear cones comprise two speaker ear cones positioned on the helmet near a user'"'"'s ears without the two speaker ear cones covering the user'"'"'s ears.

10. The system of claim 1, wherein the wireless receiver is positioned on the front end of the helmet to receive the digitized audio signal from the wireless transmitter.

11. A portable entertainment system for use with a bicycle and a helmet, comprising:

a mounting device having at least one port, the mounting device adapted to connect to the bicycle;

a portable computing device positionable in the at least one port, the portable computing device having one or more digitized audio files thereon;

a first wireless transceiver coupled with the portable computing device, the first wireless transceiver transmitting a digitized audio signal when the portable computing device is playing a digitized audio file;

a second wireless transceiver positioned on the helmet, the second wireless transceiver receiving the digitized audio signal from the first wireless transceiver;

a processor coupled with the second wireless receiver, the processor converting the digitized audio signal to an analog audio signal; and

two speaker ear cones positioned on the helmet, the two speaker ear cones connected with the processor for creating an audible audio signal from the analog audio signal, wherein the two speaker cones do not cover a user'"'"'s ears and are positioned substantially perpendicular to the user'"'"'s ears.

12. The system of claim 11, further comprising:

a microphone coupled with the processor for receiving voice audio from a user of the helmet.

13. The system of claim 12, wherein the processor converts the voice audio from the microphone to a digitized voice signal, and the processor passes the digitized voice signal to the second transceiver for transmission to the first transceiver.

14. The system of claim 13, wherein the digitized voice signal is received by the first transceiver and convened into a control signal.

15. A method of providing a wireless portable entertainment system for use with a bicycle, a helmet and a portable computing device having one or more digitized audio files thereon, the method comprising:

providing a mounting device having at least one port, the mounting device adapted to connect to the bicycle, the at least one port adapted to receive the portable computing device;

providing for a wireless transmitter to be coupled with the portable computing device, the wireless transmitter transmitting a digitized audio signal when the portable computing device is playing a digitized audio file;

providing a wireless receiver positioned on the helmet, the wireless receiver receiving the digitized audio signal from the wireless transmitter;

providing a processor coupled with the wireless receiver, the processor converting the digitized audio signal to an analog audio signal; and

providing one or more speaker ear cones positioned on the helmet, the one or more speaker ear cones connected with the processor for creating an audible audio signal from the analog audio signal wherein the one or more speaker cones do not cover a user'"'"'s ears.

16. The method of claim 15, further comprising:

positioning the one or more speaker ear cones substantially perpendicular to the user'"'"'s ears without the one or more speaker ear cones contacting the user'"'"'s ears.

17. A helmet, comprising:

a protective portion for protecting a wearer'"'"'s head;

a housing;

a receiver for receiving a wireless signal to from a received signal, said receiver positioned in said housing;

a processor coupled with said receiver for converting the received signal into an audio signal; and

one or more speakers coupled with said processor, said one or more speakers converting the audio signal into an audible signal for the wearer, wherein the one or more speakers are positioned near a user'"'"'s ears without the one or more speakers covering the user'"'"'s ears.

18. A method of providing wireless portable entertainment for use with a bicycle, a helmet and a portable computing device having one or more digitized audio files thereon, the method comprising:

transmitting a digitized audio signal from a wireless transmitter coupled with the portable computing device when the portable computing device is playing a digitized audio file, the portable computing device mounted on a mounting device connected to a bicycle;

receiving the digitized audio signal in a wireless receiver positioned on the helmet, the wireless receiver positioned on the helmet;

converting the digitized audio signal to an analog audio signal in a processor coupled with the wireless receiver; and

creating an audible audio signal from the analog audio signal in one or more speaker ear cones positioned on the helmet, the one or more speaker ear cones connected with the processor, wherein the one or more speaker cones do not cover a user'"'"'s ears and are positioned substantially perpendicular to the user'"'"'s ears.

19. A system for providing wireless portable entertainment for use with a bicycle, a helmet and a portable computing device having one or more digitized audio files thereon, the method comprising:

means for transmitting a digitized audio signal from a wireless transmitter coupled with the portable computing device when the portable computing device is playing a digitized audio file, the portable computing device mounted on a mounting device connected to a bicycle;

means for receiving the digitized audio signal in a wireless receiver positioned on the helmet, the wireless receiver positioned on the helmet;

means for converting the digitized audio signal to an analog audio signal in a processor coupled with the wireless receiver; and

means for creating an audible audio signal from the analog audio signal in one or more speaker ear cones positioned on the helmet, the one or more speaker ear cones connected with the processor, wherein the one or more speaker cones do not cover a user'"'"'s ears and are positioned substantially perpendicular to the user'"'"'s ears.