Wireless device for monitoring protective headgear

• US 9,129,499 B2
• Filed: 08/15/2012
• Issued: 09/08/2015
• Est. Priority Date: 02/26/2010
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: THL Holding Company, LLC
• Original Assignee: THL Holding Company, LLC
• Inventors: Howard, John W., Cutler, Richard
• Primary Examiner(s): Obiniyi, Paul
• Application Number:
  US13/586,543
• Publication Number:
  US 20120306641A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,119 Days
• Field of Search: 340/539.11
• US Class Current: 1/1
• CPC Class Codes: A42B 3/046 Means for detecting hazards or accidents
• CPC Class Codes: G08B 25/016 Personal emergency signalling and security systems emergency non-personal manually actuated alarm activators G08B25/12

Abstract

A wireless device for monitoring protective headgear includes a short-range wireless receiver that receives alarm data from the protective headgear in response to an alarm event at the protective headgear. A user interface emits a first detectable alert signal in response to the alarm data to assist the user in the monitoring of the protective headgear.

Claims

1. A wireless device for monitoring protective headgear, the wireless device comprising:

a short-range wireless transmitter;

a short-range wireless receiver that receives alarm data from the protective headgear in response to an alarm event at the protective headgear, and that receives periodic status transmissions generated by the protective headgear, the periodic status transmissions having data that includes a system ready indicator, indicating a system ready state from the protective headgear; and

a user interface, coupled to the short-range wireless receiver, that emits a first detectable alert signal in response to the alarm data to assist a user in the monitoring of the protective headgear and that emits a second detectable alert signal triggered by an absence of receiving the periodic status transmissions indicating the ready state from the protective headgear, wherein the second detectable alert signal includes an alarm that indicates that protective headgear has failed to check in;

wherein the short-range wireless receiver is paired to the protective headgear via a pairing procedure and wherein the protective headgear includes a plurality of protective headgear worn by different wearers; and

wherein the short range wireless transmitter transmits a polling signal and wherein the short-range wireless receiver receives status data in response to the polling signal, wherein the status data includes a battery charge status.

2. The wireless device of claim 1 further comprises:

a battery, coupled to provide power to the short-range wireless receiver and the user interface.

3. The wireless device of claim 2 further comprising:

a charging port, coupled to the battery, for coupling a power signal from an external power source to charge the battery.

4. The wireless device of claim 3 wherein the charging port operates in accordance with a universal serial bus (USB) interface.

5. The wireless device of claim 1 wherein the short-range wireless receiver receives alarm data from the protective headgear via a bridge device.

6. The wireless device of claim 2 further comprising:

a charging port for charging the battery by harvesting energy from an external source, and wherein the external energy source includes one of;

a magnetic power source, a radio frequency power source, a mechanical power source, and a solar power source.

7. A wireless device for monitoring protective headgear, the wireless device comprising:

a short-range wireless transceiver that receives alarm data from the protective headgear in response to an alarm event at the protective headgear, and that receives periodic status transmissions generated by the protective headgear, the periodic status transmissions having data that includes a system ready indicator, indicating a system ready state from the protective headgear;

a user interface, coupled to the short-range wireless transceiver, that emits a first detectable alert signal in response to the alarm data to assist a user in the monitoring of the protective headgear and that emits a second detectable alert signal triggered by an absence of receiving the periodic status transmissions indicating the ready state from the protective headgear, wherein the second detectable alert signal includes an alarm that indicates that protective headgear has failed to check in;

a battery, coupled to provide power to the short-range wireless transceiver and the user interface; and

a charging port, coupled to the battery, for coupling a power signal from an external power source to charge the battery;

wherein the short-range wireless transceiver is paired to the protective headgear via a pairing procedure and wherein the protective headgear includes a plurality of protective headgear worn by different wearers; and

wherein the short range wireless transceiver transmits a polling signal and wherein the short-range wireless transceiver receives status data in response to the polling signal, wherein the status data includes a battery charge status.

8. The wireless device of claim 7 wherein the charging port operates in accordance with a universal serial bus (USB) interface.

9. The wireless device of claim 7 wherein the short-range wireless transceiver receives the alarm data from the protective headgear via a bridge device.

10. The wireless device of claim 9 wherein the short-range wireless transceiver is paired to the bridge device via a pairing procedure.