IP Library Granted Patent US 9,035,776
Granted Patent B2
US 9,035,776 · App. 13/010,353 · Granted May 19, 2015

Wireless monitoring of safety helmets

Inventor: Robert R. Miller, II (Convent Stn., NJ)
Assignee: AT&T INTELLECTUAL PROPERTY I, L.P.
A42B3/046G08B21/043
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Quick Facts
Patent No.
US 9,035,776
App. No.
13/010,353
Granted
May 19, 2015
Kind
B2
Abstract

The subject disclosure provides a system and method for remote monitoring of a subject wearing a sports helmet. In one aspect, the system includes a safety helmet and a sensor integrated with the helmet for continuously gathering head acceleration force data, the head acceleration force data associated with the head movements of a subject. The system also includes a wireless transceiver coupled to the sensor for transmitting the head acceleration force data and a mobile device for receiving the head acceleration force data from the wireless transceiver. The system further includes a database engine for displaying the head acceleration force data to a user.

Claims (43)

1. A system, comprising:

a memory that stores executable instructions; and

a processor, coupled to the memory that facilitates execution of the executable instructions to perform operations, comprising:

receiving pressure data from a wireless transceiver coupled to a pressure sensitive sensor attached to a helmet associated with a subject identity, wherein the pressure data represents a pressure within the helmet;

preprocessing the pressure data;

extracting information from the pressure data and compressing the pressure data for storage in the memory;

performing a rules-based analysis of head acceleration force data corresponding to the pressure data to facilitate a determination of statistical feedback data representing results of a statistical analysis based on the head acceleration force data; and

in response to determining, based on the statistical feedback data, that a deviation from an average of the pressure satisfies a defined condition with respect to pressure change data corresponding to a defined performance level of another subject identity and indicating a likelihood that a head injury was sustained by a head within the helmet associated with the subject identity, sending an alert to a device of an emergency service.

2. The system of claim 1 , wherein the operations further comprise:

forwarding the pressure data to a mobile device in response to the determining that a pressure change within the helmet satisfies a defined pressure change condition.

3. The system of claim 1 , wherein the operations further comprise:

monitoring the head acceleration force data; and

determining the statistical feedback data in response to the head acceleration force data being determined to satisfy a defined head injury condition.

4. The system of claim 1 , wherein the operations further comprise:

displaying changes in the head acceleration force data in response to the head acceleration force data being determined to satisfy a defined head injury condition.

5. The system of claim 3 , wherein the head acceleration force data represents a velocity of the head.

6. The system of claim 3 , wherein the head acceleration force data represents a directionality of the head.

7. The system of claim 1 , wherein the pressure sensitive sensor comprises a pressure sensitive array of a plurality of sensors.

8. The system of claim 1 , wherein the pressure sensitive sensor comprises a microelectromechanical system axial accelerometer.

9. The system of claim 1 , wherein the pressure sensitive sensor comprises a time of arrival gauge sensor.

10. A method, comprising:

receiving, by a mobile device comprising a processor, pressure data from a transceiver coupled to a pressure sensitive sensor integrated with a helmet, wherein the pressure data represents a pressure applied to a head within the helmet, and wherein the head corresponds to a subject identity;

preprocessing, by the mobile device, the pressure data;

extracting information from the pressure data and compressing the pressure data for storage in a memory;

performing a rules-based analysis of head acceleration force data corresponding to the pressure data to facilitate a determination of statistical feedback data representing results of a statistical analysis based on the head acceleration force data; and

in response to determining, based on the statistical feedback data, that a deviation from an average of the pressure satisfies a defined condition with respect to other subject pressure data corresponding to a defined performance level of another subject identity and indicating a likelihood that a head injury was sustained by the head within the helmet, alerting, by the mobile device, a device of an emergency service.

11. The method of claim 10 , further comprising

initiating, by the mobile device based on the pressure data, a rendering of the statistical feedback data for a display.

12. The method of claim 10 , wherein the receiving comprises receiving the head acceleration force data representing a velocity of the helmet and a directionality of the helmet.

13. The method of claim 10 , wherein condition data representing the defined condition is stored in the memory.

14. A mobile device, comprising:

a memory that stores executable instructions; and

a processor, coupled to the memory that facilitates execution of the executable instructions to perform operations, comprising:

receiving, via a wireless connection, pressure data from a wireless transceiver coupled to a pressure sensor of a helmet, wherein the pressure data represents a pressure that has been applied to a head of a subject identity;

preprocessing the pressure data;

extracting information from the pressure data and compressing the pressure data for storage in the memory;

performing a rules-based analysis of head acceleration force data corresponding to the pressure data to facilitate a determination of statistical feedback data representing results of a statistical analysis based on the head acceleration force data; and

in response to determining, based on the statistical feedback data, that a deviation from an average of the pressure satisfies a defined condition with respect to reference pressure data corresponding to a defined performance level of another subject identity and indicating a likelihood that head injury was sustained by the head within the helmet, alerting a device of an emergency service.

15. The mobile device of claim 14 , wherein the performing the rules-based analysis comprises conducting the rules-based analysis with respect to a defined exercise program.

16. The mobile device of claim 14 , wherein the operations further comprise:

monitoring the pressure data; and

displaying information based on the pressure data.

17. The mobile device of claim 14 , wherein the wireless connection employs a ZigBee communication protocol.

Assignments (1)
ASSIGNMENT OF ASSIGNOR'S INTEREST Recorded Jan 20, 2011
From: MILLER, ROBERT R., II
To: AT&T INTELLECTUAL PROPERTY I, L.P.
Reel/Frame 025669/0910 →
Continuity (1)
Related Publication 20120188083A1 · Jul 26, 2012