Hands-free switch system
A head-worn system has one or more illumination, imaging, communication, and/or other controlled elements electrically connected to a switch element (e.g., a piezo switch) positioned on the head-worn system so as to be overlying an area of a wearer's masseter muscle when worn on the wearer's person. The switch element is configured to be activated responsive to clenching of the wearer's jaw. The one or more controlled elements may be arranged to provide directional lighting/imaging from the point of view of the wearer, for example from the area of the wearer's zygomatic bones, when the head-worn system is worn on the wearer's person.
1. An actuator element for a hand-free switch system, said actuator element comprising a moveable portion and a switch having a control element responsive to movement of said moveable portion to effect a change in an output of said switch, said switch hingibly attached on a helmet by a biased arrangement, said biased arrangement configured to keep the switch in one or another of a first position or a second position, said first position being with the switch worn adjacent an exterior of a wearer's face so as to facilitate activation/deactivation of the switch by movement of the moveable portion in response to flexing of muscles associated with the wearer's jaw, and said second position being with said switch is moved away from the wearer's face by an amount sufficient to engage a detent that prevents its return to the first position adjacent the wearer's face unless manually adjusted by the wearer.
2. The actuator element of claim 1 further including a haptic feedback element incorporated with said switch.
3. The actuator element of claim 1 wherein the actuator element is integral to the helmet.
4. The actuator element of claim 1 further comprising a controller that includes a processor and a memory, said memory storing instructions for execution by the processor, wherein said instructions, when executed by said processor, cause said processor to recognize a first sequence of outputs from the switch as indicating one of a number of commands for operating a controlled element.
5. The actuator element of claim 4 , wherein the controlled element is a cursor of a computer system.
6. The actuator element of claim 4 wherein the controlled element is an illumination device.
7. The actuator element of claim 4 wherein the controlled element is an illumination element of an illumination device.
8. The actuator element of claim 4 wherein the controlled element is an imaging device.
9. The actuator element of claim 1 wherein said switch is sealed against an environment in which the actuator element is located.
10. The actuator element of claim 1 wherein said switch is positioned on said helmet by a telescoping element.
11. The actuator element of claim 10 further comprising a controller that includes a processor and a memory, said memory storing instructions for execution by the processor, wherein said instructions, when executed by said processor, cause said processor to recognize a first sequence of outputs from the switch as indicating one of a number of commands for operating a controlled element.
12. The actuator element of claim 11 , wherein the controlled element is a cursor of a computer system.
13. The actuator element of claim 11 wherein the controlled element is an illumination device.
14. The actuator element of claim 11 wherein the controlled element is an illumination element of an illumination device.
15. The actuator element of claim 11 wherein the controlled element is an imaging device.