Impact reporting head gear system and method

• US 7,693,668 B2
• Filed: 06/09/2008
• Issued: 04/06/2010
• Est. Priority Date: 11/21/1994
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: PhatRat Technology LLC (PhatRat Technology)
• Original Assignee: PhatRat Technology LLC (PhatRat Technology)
• Inventors: Darcy, Dennis, Vock, Curtis A., Flentov, Peter
• Primary Examiner(s): Raymond; Edward
• Application Number:
  US12/135,893
• Publication Number:
  US 20080306707A1
• Time in Patent Office: 666 Days
• Field of Search: 702/44, 702/142, 702/149, 702/150, 702/152, 702/153
• US Class Current: 702/44
• CPC Class Codes: A42B 3/046 Means for detecting hazards or accidents
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 2562/0219 Inertial sensors, e.g. accelerometers, gyroscopes, tilt switches
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 5/11 Measuring movement of the entire body or parts thereof, e.g. head or hand tremor, mobility of a limb for measuring pulse A61B5/02 ;A61B5/1038 takes precedence; motion detection to correct for motion artifacts in physiological signals A61B5/721
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 5/6804 Garments; Clothes
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 5/681 Wristwatch-type devices
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 5/6895 Sport equipment
• CPC Class Codes: A63B 2069/185 for ski-jumping
• CPC Class Codes: A63B 2220/40 Acceleration
• CPC Class Codes: A63B 2220/62 Time or time measurement used for time reference, time stamp, master time or clock signal
• CPC Class Codes: A63B 2220/74 Atmospheric pressure
• CPC Class Codes: A63B 69/18 for skiing
• CPC Class Codes: A63B 71/0605 Decision makers and devices using detection means facilitating arbitration
• CPC Class Codes: A63B 71/10 for the head A63B71/081 takes precedence ; in the form of caps or hats A42B1/08; helmets A42B3/00
• CPC Class Codes: A63C 2203/18 Measuring a physical parameter, e.g. speed, distance
• CPC Class Codes: G01C 9/00 Measuring inclination, e.g. by clinometers, by levels
• CPC Class Codes: G01L 1/00 Measuring force or stress, in general measuring force due to impact G01L5/00
• CPC Class Codes: G01P 15/00 Measuring acceleration; Measuring deceleration; Measuring shock, i.e. sudden change of acceleration
• CPC Class Codes: G01P 15/0891 with indication of predetermined acceleration values G01P15/135 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: G01P 3/50 for measuring linear speed G01P3/56 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: G01S 11/14 using ultrasonic, sonic, or infrasonic waves
• CPC Class Codes: G01S 15/60 : wherein the transmitter and receiver are mounted on the moving object, e.g. for determining ground speed, drift angle, ground track
• CPC Class Codes: G04F 8/08 : Means used apart from the time-piece for starting or stopping same

Abstract

A system for determining airtime of a moving sportsman includes at least one accelerometer for detecting vibration or acceleration of the sportsman. A processor in communication with the at least one accelerometer processing signals from the accelerometer to determine free-fall. A pressure sensor may be used to determine change in altitude and the processor may process signals from the pressure sensor with the accelerometer signals to determine airtime and drop distance during free-fall. A method for determining airtime of a moving sportsman includes processing data from one or more accelerometers attached to the sportsman, to determine when the sportsman is in free-fall, and determining a time period corresponding to the free-fall.

Claims

1. Impact reporting head gear system, comprising:

at least one accelerometer;

a processor for processing signals from the accelerometer to determine shock experienced by the accelerometer, and

an interface for wirelessly reporting shock to a remote location.

2. System of claim 1, the accelerometer configured with an article of head gear, for detecting acceleration of the head gear.

3. System of claim 1, the head gear comprising a helmet.

4. System of claim 3, the accelerometer comprising an AC-coupled accelerometer substantially insensitive to low frequency accelerations or acceleration due to gravity.

5. System of claim 4, further comprising conditioning electronics having a band-pass filter, for conditioning an output signal of the AC-coupled accelerometer to filter out low frequency outputs.

6. System of claim 3, the accelerometer mounted within the helmet, for detecting acceleration of a wearer of the helmet.

7. System of claim 1, further comprising conditioning electronics for (a) strengthening and filtering signals output by the accelerometer, and (b) outputting conditioned signals;

the processor processing the conditioned signals to determine the shock.

8. System of claim 1, further comprising an integrator for integrating acceleration signals accumulated from the accelerometer over a predetermined time period.

9. System of claim 8, the processor processing the accumulated acceleration signals with the time period, to determine total acceleration over the time period.

10. System of claim 9, the processor processing the total acceleration to determine a power value for the predetermined period.

11. System of claim 10, the power value indicative of one or both of power sustained by a person wearing the head gear, and effort extended by the person wearing the head gear.

12. System of claim 8, the processor processing the accumulated acceleration with a Root Mean Square formula, to determine Root Mean Square accelerations.

13. System of claim 12, further comprising a display in communication with the interface, for displaying a distribution of the Root Mean Square accelerations.

14. System of claim 1, the interface comprising a wireless transmitter for transmitting information indicative of the shock to a remote location.

15. System of claim 14, further comprising a wireless receiver for receiving the information at the remote location.

16. System of claim 15, the wireless receiver comprising a pager-like unit or a watch.

17. System of claim 15, the wireless receiver comprising a display.

18. System of claim 1, the at least one accelerometer comprising at least three mutually orthogonal accelerometers.

19. System of claim 1, the signals comprising high-frequency acceleration signals indicative of the shock as a sportsman wearing the head gear contacts an object, the processor comprising a timer for timing the high frequency signals corresponding to impact with the object.

20. System of claim 19, the processor processing the high frequency signals with an interval recorded by the timer, to determine a total impact, the interface comprising a wireless transmitter configured with the head gear, for reporting the total impact to a remote location.

21. System of claim 19, the object comprising the ground or a sportsman.

22. A method for reporting impact of head gear, comprising:

measuring acceleration within the head gear with at least one accelerometer;

processing signals from the accelerometer to determine impact of a wearer of the head gear, and

wirelessly communicating information indicative of the impact to a remote location.

23. Method of claim 22, further comprising receiving the information at a receiver, at the remote location.

24. Method of claim 23, further comprising displaying the information at the remote location.

25. Method of claim 22, wherein processing signals comprises processing acceleration signals from the accelerometer to determine one or both of shock and vibration of the head gear, the shock and vibration interpreted as impact.

26. Method of claim 22, processing comprising comparing acceleration signals from the accelerometer to a threshold, to determine one or more impact events that exceed the threshold.

27. Method of claim 26, the threshold comprising a low frequency acceleration floor, wherein processing comprises determining acceleration signals above the floor, the above-floor signals indicating impact.

28. Method of claim 22, further comprising integrating signals from the accelerometer over a predetermined time period, to determine total acceleration over the time period;

wherein processing comprises processing the total acceleration to determine the impact.

29. Method of claim 22, wherein measuring comprises measuring acceleration of a wearer'"'"'s head within the head gear, and processing comprises determining impact to the wearer, based upon the acceleration.

30. Method of claim 22, the accelerometer mounted within the head gear, for detecting acceleration within the head gear.

31. Impact reporting head gear system, comprising:

at least one accelerometer attached within head gear;

a processor mounted with the housing, for processing signals from the accelerometer to determine shock experienced by a user'"'"'s head within the head gear, and

an interface for wirelessly relaying the shock to a remote location.

32. System of claim 31, the head gear comprising a helmet.

33. System of claim 31, further comprising a wireless receiver for receiving the information at the remote location.

34. System of claim 33, the wireless receiver comprising a display for indicating shock experienced by the user'"'"'s head, based upon the information.

35. System of claim 31, further comprising conditioning electronics for (a) strengthening and filtering signals output by the accelerometer, and (b) outputting conditioned signals;

the processor processing the conditioned signals to determine the shock.