Head-mounted impact sensing and warning device
First Claim
1. A head-mounted impact sensing and warning device comprising, in combination:
- a band adapted to be worn around at least a portion of the head or helmeted area of a user;
an impact sensing device configured to sense an impact sustained by said head or said helmeted area of said user, said impact sensing device being capable of 360 degree impact measurement, thereby allowing full range measurement of g-forces on and around said head or said helmeted area of said user;
at least one visual indicating device operatively coupled to said impact sensing device, said at least one visual indicating device configured to produce a visual indicator when said impact sensing device senses an impact that exceeds a predetermined impact level, thereby providing a visual alert that said impact sustained by said head or said helmeted area of said user exceeded said predetermined impact level;
a microcontroller operatively coupled to said impact sensing device and said at least one visual indicating device, said microcontroller configured to process impact data sensed by said impact sensing device, and to selectively activate said at least one visual indicating device when an impact sensed by said impact sensing device exceeds said predetermined impact level;
a motion sensing device, said motion sensing device being a component that is separate from said impact sensing device, said motion sensing device configured to sense a motion imparted on said head-mounted impact sensing and warning device by one or more external forces and to output a signal to said microcontroller, whereby, upon receiving said signal from said motion sensing device, said microcontroller is configured to activate said impact sensing device and to change said head-mounted impact sensing and warning device from an inactive mode to an active mode for a predetermined period of time; and
a unit housing containing said impact sensing device, said at least one visual indicating device, said microcontroller, and said motion sensing device, said unit housing being coupled to said band or said helmeted area;
wherein said at least one visual indicating device is disposed within said unit housing, and wherein said unit housing is substantially transparent such that said visual indicator produced by said at least one visual indicating device is visible through said unit housing.
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Abstract
A head-mounted impact sensing and warning device includes a band adapted to be worn around at least a portion of the head or helmeted area of a user; an impact sensing device configured to sense an impact sustained by the head or the helmeted area of the user; at least one visual indicating device operatively coupled to the impact sensing device, the at least one visual indicating device configured to produce a visual indicator when the impact sensing device senses an impact that exceeds a predetermined impact level, thereby providing a visual alert that the impact sustained by the head or the helmeted area of the user exceeded the predetermined impact level; and a unit housing containing the impact sensing device and the at least one visual indicating device, the unit housing being coupled to the band or the helmeted area.
41 Citations
19 Claims
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1. A head-mounted impact sensing and warning device comprising, in combination:
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a band adapted to be worn around at least a portion of the head or helmeted area of a user; an impact sensing device configured to sense an impact sustained by said head or said helmeted area of said user, said impact sensing device being capable of 360 degree impact measurement, thereby allowing full range measurement of g-forces on and around said head or said helmeted area of said user; at least one visual indicating device operatively coupled to said impact sensing device, said at least one visual indicating device configured to produce a visual indicator when said impact sensing device senses an impact that exceeds a predetermined impact level, thereby providing a visual alert that said impact sustained by said head or said helmeted area of said user exceeded said predetermined impact level; a microcontroller operatively coupled to said impact sensing device and said at least one visual indicating device, said microcontroller configured to process impact data sensed by said impact sensing device, and to selectively activate said at least one visual indicating device when an impact sensed by said impact sensing device exceeds said predetermined impact level; a motion sensing device, said motion sensing device being a component that is separate from said impact sensing device, said motion sensing device configured to sense a motion imparted on said head-mounted impact sensing and warning device by one or more external forces and to output a signal to said microcontroller, whereby, upon receiving said signal from said motion sensing device, said microcontroller is configured to activate said impact sensing device and to change said head-mounted impact sensing and warning device from an inactive mode to an active mode for a predetermined period of time; and a unit housing containing said impact sensing device, said at least one visual indicating device, said microcontroller, and said motion sensing device, said unit housing being coupled to said band or said helmeted area; wherein said at least one visual indicating device is disposed within said unit housing, and wherein said unit housing is substantially transparent such that said visual indicator produced by said at least one visual indicating device is visible through said unit housing. - View Dependent Claims (2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10, 18)
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11. A head-mounted impact sensing and warning device comprising, in combination:
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a band adapted to be worn around at least a portion of the head or helmeted area of a user; a unit housing coupled to said band; a clipping mechanism attached to said unit housing; an acceleration sensing device configured to sense an acceleration sustained by said head or said helmeted area of said user, said acceleration sensing device being capable of 360 degree acceleration measurement, thereby allowing full range measurement of g-forces on and around said head or said helmeted area of said user, said acceleration sensing device disposed inside said unit housing; a plurality of visual indicating devices operatively coupled to said acceleration sensing device within said unit housing, one of said plurality of visual indicating devices configured to illuminate when said head-mounted impact sensing and warning device is in an active mode, each of said plurality of visual indicating devices configured to produce a flashing visual indicator for a predetermined period of time when said acceleration sensing device senses an acceleration that exceeds a predetermined acceleration value, thereby providing a visual alert that an impact sustained by said head or said helmeted area of said user exceeded said predetermined acceleration value, said plurality of visual indicating devices being disposed within said unit housing, and said unit housing being substantially transparent such that said visual indicators produced by said plurality of visual indicating devices are visible through said unit housing; a microcontroller operatively coupled to said acceleration sensing device and said plurality of visual indicating devices, said microcontroller configured to process acceleration data sensed by said acceleration sensing device, and to selectively activate said plurality of visual indicating devices when said predetermined acceleration value is exceeded; a motion sensing device, said motion sensing device being a component that is separate from said acceleration sensing device, said motion sensing device configured to sense a motion imparted on said head-mounted impact sensing and warning device by one or more external forces and to output a signal to said microcontroller, whereby, upon receiving said signal from said motion sensing device, said microcontroller is configured to activate said acceleration sensing device and to change said head-mounted impact sensing and warning device from an inactive mode to said active mode for a predetermined period of time; and a power source operatively coupled to said acceleration sensing device, said plurality of visual indicating devices, said microcontroller, and said motion sensing device, said power source configured to power said acceleration sensing device, said microcontroller, said motion sensing device, and each of said plurality of visual indicating devices. - View Dependent Claims (12, 13, 14, 15, 19)
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16. A head-mounted impact sensing and warning device comprising, in combination:
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a band adapted to be worn around at least a portion of the head or helmeted area of a user; a unit housing coupled to said band; an accelerometer configured to sense an acceleration sustained by said head or said helmeted area of said user and to output a signal comprising acceleration data, said accelerometer being capable of 360 degree acceleration measurement, thereby allowing full range measurement of g-forces on and around said head or said helmeted area of said user, said accelerometer disposed inside said unit housing; at least one capacitor operatively coupled to said accelerometer, said at least one capacitor configured to set a bandwidth of said accelerometer to a predetermined sampling frequency, said at least one capacitor disposed inside said unit housing; a plurality of light emitting devices operatively coupled to said accelerometer within said unit housing, each of said plurality of light emitting devices configured to emit one or more beams of light when said accelerometer senses an acceleration that exceeds a predetermined acceleration value, thereby providing a visual alert that an impact sustained by said head or said helmeted area of said user exceeded said predetermined acceleration value, said plurality of light emitting devices being disposed within said unit housing, and said unit housing being substantially transparent such that said beams of light emitted by said plurality of light emitting devices are visible through said unit housing; a microcontroller operatively coupled to said accelerometer and said plurality of light emitting devices, said microcontroller configured to process acceleration data sensed by said accelerometer, and to selectively activate said plurality of light emitting devices when said acceleration sensed by said accelerometer exceeds said predetermined acceleration value, said microcontroller disposed inside said unit housing; and a power source operatively coupled to said accelerometer, said plurality of light emitting devices, and said microcontroller, said power source configured to power said accelerometer, each of said plurality of light emitting devices, and said microcontroller, said power source disposed inside said unit housing. - View Dependent Claims (17)
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Specification