Wireless motion capture test head system

• US 8,700,354 B1
• Filed: 06/10/2013
• Issued: 04/15/2014
• Est. Priority Date: 06/10/2013
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Newlight Capital, LLC
• Original Assignee: Blast Motion Incorporated
• Inventors: Bentley, Michael, Kaps, Ryan, Bose, Bhaskar, Scarbo, Joe
• Primary Examiner(s): Breene, John E
• Assistant Examiner(s): RIVERA VARGAS, MANUEL A
• Application Number:
  US13/914,534
• Time in Patent Office: 309 Days
• Field of Search: 702/141, 702/150
• US Class Current: 702/141
• CPC Class Codes: A42B 3/046 Means for detecting hazards or accidents

Abstract

A wireless motion capture test head system including at least one motion capture element, an isolator, mount and an external computer. The motion capture element(s) may include a memory, a wireless motion capture sensor, a radio and a microcontroller. The microcontroller may collect sensor values data from the wireless motion capture sensor, store the data in the memory, analyze the data, recognize an event within the data to determine event data, and transmit the event data associated with the event via the radio. The isolator may surround the at least one motion capture element to simulate physical acceleration dampening of cerebrospinal fluid around a human brain, in order to minimize translation of linear acceleration and rotational acceleration of the event data to obtain an observed linear acceleration and an observed rotational acceleration of the at least one motion capture element coupled in an inner portion of a headform.

Claims

1. A wireless motion capture test head system comprising:

at least one motion capture element comprising

a memory;

a wireless motion capture sensor configured to capture any combination of values associated with an orientation, position, velocity, acceleration of said at least one motion capture element;

a radio;

a microcontroller coupled with said memory, said wireless motion capture sensor and said radio, wherein said microcontroller is configured to

collect data that comprises sensor values from said wireless motion capture sensor;

store said data in said memory;

analyze said data and recognize an event within said data to determine event data;

transmit said event data associated with said event via said radio;

an isolator configured to surround said at least one motion capture element and to simulate physical acceleration dampening of cerebrospinal fluid around a human brain to minimize translation of linear acceleration and rotational acceleration of said event data to obtain an observed linear acceleration and an observed rotational acceleration of said at least one motion capture element coupled in an inner portion of a headform;

a mount coupled with said isolator and configured to couple said isolator and said at least one motion capture element at least within said inner portion of said headform; and

,

wherein said at least one motion capture element comprises a printed circuit board and

wherein said isolator surrounds said printed circuit board, such that said isolator is situated between said printed circuit board and said mount.

2. The wireless motion capture test head system of claim 1 further comprising:

a computing device comprising

a computer;

a wireless communication interface;

wherein said computer is coupled with wireless communication interface and wherein said computer is configured to

receive said event data from said wireless communication interface;

analyze said event data to form motion analysis data;

store said event data, or said motion analysis data, or both said event data and said motion analysis data;

display information comprising said event data, or said motion analysis data, or both associated with said at least one headform on a display.

3. The wireless motion capture test head system of claim 2 further comprising:

a remote database;

wherein said computer is further configured to transmit said event data to said remote database.

4. The wireless motion capture test head system of claim 1, wherein said recognize said event within said data comprises calculation of a linear acceleration value, or of a rotational acceleration value, or both.

5. The wire motion capture test head system of claim 1 further comprising an enclosure configured to house said at least one motion capture element.

6. The wireless motion capture test head of claim 1, further comprising an enclosure configured to house said at least one motion capture element wherein said enclosure comprises a visual marker configured with high contrast areas on an outer surface of said motion capture element to enable visual tracking of rotation of said motion capture element.

7. The wireless motion capture test head of claim 1, further comprising one or more external sensors configured to be placed on an outside portion of said headform.

8. The wireless motion capture test head of claim 1, wherein said at least one motion capture element further comprises one or more external sensors configured to be placed on one or more headgear, such that said one or more headgear is tested for one or more of orientation, position, velocity, acceleration, linear acceleration, rotational acceleration and impact force.

9. The wireless motion capture test head system of claim 1, wherein one or more of a size and hardness of said isolator are configured to be adjusted to accurately simulate said physical acceleration dampening of said cerebrospinal fluid.

10. A wireless motion capture test head system comprising:

at least one motion capture element comprising

a memory;

a wireless motion capture sensor configured to capture any combination of values associated with an orientation, position, velocity, acceleration of said at least one motion capture element;

a radio;

a microcontroller coupled with said memory, said wireless motion capture sensor and said radio, wherein said microcontroller is configured to

collect data that comprises sensor values from said wireless motion capture sensor;

store said data in said memory;

analyze said data and recognize an event within said data to determine event data;

transmit said event data associated with said event via said radio;

an isolator configured to surround said at least one motion capture element and to simulate physical acceleration dampening of cerebrospinal fluid around a human brain to minimize translation of linear acceleration and rotational acceleration of said event data to obtain an observed linear acceleration and an observed rotational acceleration of said at least one motion capture element coupled in an inner portion of a headform;

a mount coupled with said isolator and configured to couple said isolator and said at least one motion capture element at least within said inner portion of said headform;

wherein said at least one motion capture element comprises a printed circuit board and

wherein said isolator surrounds said printed circuit board, such that said isolator is situated between said printed circuit board and said mount;

a computing device comprising

a computer;

a wireless communication interface;

wherein said computer is coupled with wireless communication interface and wherein said computer is configured to

receive said event data from said wireless communication interface;

analyze said event data to form motion analysis data;

store said event data, or said motion analysis data, or both said event data and said motion analysis data;

display information comprising said event data, or said motion analysis data, or both associated with said at least one headform on a display.

11. The wireless motion capture test head system of claim 10, further comprising:

a remote database;

wherein said computer is further configured to transmit said event data to said remote database.

12. The wireless motion capture test head system of claim 10, wherein said recognize said event within said data comprises calculation of a linear acceleration value, or of a rotational acceleration value, or both.

13. The wire motion capture test head system of claim 10, further comprising an enclosure configured to house said at least one motion capture element.

14. The wireless motion capture test head of claim 10, further comprising an enclosure configured to house said at least one motion capture element wherein said enclosure comprises a visual marker configured with high contract areas on an outer surface of said motion capture element to enable visual tracking of rotation of said motion capture element.

15. The wireless motion capture test head of claim 10, further comprising one or more external sensors configured to be placed on an outside portion of said headform.

16. The wireless motion capture test head of claim 10, wherein said at least one motion capture element further comprises one or more external sensors configured to be placed on one or more headgear, such that said one or more headgear is tested for one or more of orientation, position, velocity, acceleration, linear acceleration, rotational acceleration and impact force.

17. The wireless motion capture test head system of claim 10, wherein one or more of a size and hardness of said isolator are configured to be adjusted to accurately simulate said physical acceleration dampening of said cerebrospinal fluid.

18. A wireless motion capture test head system comprising:

at least one motion capture element comprising

a memory;

a wireless motion capture sensor configured to capture any combination of values associated with an orientation, position, velocity, acceleration of said at least one motion capture element;

a radio;

a microcontroller coupled with said memory, said wireless motion capture sensor and said radio, wherein said microcontroller is configured to

collect data that comprises sensor values from said wireless motion capture sensor;

store said data in said memory;

analyze said data and recognize an event within said data to determine event data;

transmit said event data associated with said event via said radio;

wherein said recognize said event within said data comprises calculation of a linear acceleration value, or of a rotational acceleration value, or both;

an isolator configured to surround said at least one motion capture element and to simulate physical acceleration dampening of cerebrospinal fluid around a human brain to minimize translation of linear acceleration and rotational acceleration of said event data to obtain an observed linear acceleration and an observed rotational acceleration of said at least one motion capture element coupled in an inner portion of a headform;

a mount coupled with said isolator and configured to couple said isolator and said at least one motion capture element at least within said inner portion of said headform;

wherein said at least one motion capture element comprises a printed circuit board and

wherein said isolator surrounds said printed circuit board, such that said isolator is situated between said printed circuit board and said mount, and

wherein one or more of a size and hardness of said isolator are configured to be adjusted to accurately simulate said physical acceleration dampening of said cerebrospinal fluid;

a computing device comprising

a computer;

a wireless communication interface;

wherein said computer is coupled with wireless communication interface and wherein said computer is configured to

receive said event data from said wireless communication interface;

analyze said event data to form motion analysis data;

store said event data, or said motion analysis data, or both said event data and said motion analysis data;

display information comprising said event data, or said motion analysis data, or both associated with said at least one headform on a display;

a remote database;

wherein said computer is further configured to transmit said event data to said remote database;

an enclosure configured to house said at least one motion capture element, wherein said enclosure comprises a visual marker configured with high contrast areas on an outer surface of said motion capture element to enable visual tracking of rotation of said motion capture element; and

wherein said at least one motion capture element further comprises one or more external sensors configured to be placed on one or more headgear, such that said one or more headgear is tested for one or more of orientation, position, velocity, acceleration, linear acceleration, rotational acceleration and impact force.