Smart safety glove, wristband and method

• US 8,485,681 B2
• Filed: 09/13/2011
• Issued: 07/16/2013
• Est. Priority Date: 09/22/2010
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Petty Cash, Inc.
• Original Assignee: Petty Cash, Inc.
• Inventors: Richter, Lars
• Primary Examiner(s): Alavi, Ali
• Application Number:
  US13/231,145
• Publication Number:
  US 20120069552A1
• Time in Patent Office: 672 Days
• Field of Search: 362/103, 362/802, 362/276, 216/0, 700/63, 315/134
• US Class Current: 362/103
• CPC Class Codes: A41D 19/0157 with luminous or reflective means protective garments with reflective or luminous safety means A41D13/01
• CPC Class Codes: B60Q 1/2673 on parts worn by the driver, e.g. clothes, gloves or bags, specially adapted to provide auxiliary vehicle signalling
• CPC Class Codes: F21V 23/0492 the sensor detecting a change in orientation, a movement or an acceleration of the lighting device, e.g. a tilt switch
• CPC Class Codes: F21V 33/0008 Clothing or clothing accessories, e.g. scarfs, gloves or belts
• CPC Class Codes: F21W 2111/10 for personal use, e.g. hand-held
• CPC Class Codes: F21Y 2115/10 Light-emitting diodes [LED]

Abstract

A smart safety glove, wristband, method and kit is shown and described. In one embodiment, the glove or wristband includes an enclosing shell, a printed circuit board and a light configured to indicate intentions to traffic. In particular embodiments, the glove is in a sleep mode in a substantially horizontal position and the light is illuminated in a substantially vertical position. A method of hand signaling using a smart safety glove includes positioning the smart glove from the substantially horizontal sleep position to a predefined substantially vertical signaling position.

Claims

1. A safety glove for indicating intentions to traffic comprising:

a enclosing shell having a palm side, distal ends configured for fingers, and a proximate end configured for a wrist;

a printed circuit board (PCB) supporting a central processing unit (CPU) and an accelerometer affixed in the shell; and

a light in electrical communication with the PCB and positioned visibly on the shell,

whereby in a substantially horizontal position with respect to the road surface the glove is in a sleep mode and in a substantially vertical position with the road surface the light is illuminated and adapted to indicate intentions to traffic.

2. The glove of claim 1, including an electrical power supply having power supply conductors are positioned in the shell.

3. The glove of claim 1, wherein the accelerometer is a microelectromechanical (MEM) accelerometer.

4. The glove of claim 1, wherein the glove includes a battery positioned on the shell to power the PCB.

5. The glove of claim 1, wherein the lights are positioned on at least one portion of the shell, the at least one portion including the distal ends, the proximate end, and an outer surface.

6. The glove of claim 1, wherein the lights are light-emitting diodes (LEDs).

7. The glove of claim 1, wherein the palm side of said shell includes a layer of resilient padding.

8. The glove of claim 1, wherein the accelerometer is operably coupled with the CPU and adapted that movements of said accelerometer between a substantially horizontal position and a substantially vertical position causes the CPU to illuminate the light.

9. The glove of claim 1, wherein the safety glove comprises at least one of a cycling glove, a motorcycle glove, an athletic glove, a snowmobile glove, or an all-terrain vehicle glove.

10. The glove of claim 1, wherein the substantially vertical position is a right turning signal.

11. The glove of claim 1, wherein the substantially horizontal position is a left turning signal.

12. A safety apparatus for indicating intentions to traffic comprising:

a shell of apparel mountable on the posterior end of a user'"'"'s arm;

a printed circuit board (PCB) supporting a central processing unit (CPU) and an accelerometer affixed to the shell;

a battery affixed to in the shell to power the PCB; and

a light in electrical communication with the PCB and positioned on the shell to be visible to the traffic,

wherein the accelerometer is operably coupled with the CPU and adapted that movement of said shell between a substantially horizontal position with respect to the road surface and a substantially vertical position with respect to the road surface subjects the CPU to illuminate the light, and

whereby in the substantially horizontal position for a period of time of more than a preset period the glove is in a sleep mode.

13. The apparatus of claim 12, wherein the substantially vertical position is a right turning signal.

14. The apparatus of claim 12, wherein the substantially horizontal position is a left turning signal.

15. The apparatus of claim 12, wherein the lights are positioned on at least one portion of the shell, the at least one portion including the distal ends, the proximate end, and an outer surface.

16. The apparatus of claim 12, wherein the accelerometer is a microelectromechanical (MEM) accelerometer.

17. A kit for attachment to a glove to enable movement of hand wearing the glove to aid in providing hand signals, the kit comprising:

a. an accelerometer;

b. a central processing unit (CPU);

c. a power source; and

d. a light,

wherein the accelerometer, CUP, power source and light may be affixed to a glove and be electrically connected together.

18. The kit of claim 17, wherein the CPU has programming to provide the accelerometer signals indicated acceleration orientation.

19. The kit of claim 17, wherein the CPU translates the accelerations signals to signals to the light to selectively illuminate the lights in accordance with a hand signal being given by the hand wearing the glove.