SUSPENSION UNIT FOR A HELMET

Abstract

A suspension unit is provided which is removably coupleable to a helmet shell to enhance user safety and helmet functionality. The suspension unit includes: a suspension assembly configured to interface with a suspension attachment scheme of the helmet shell; one or more sensors carried by the suspension assembly and arranged to obtain biometric, environmental, location, motion, impact and/or other data; and a control system carried by the suspension assembly, the control system including at least a power source and a communication module, and being operatively coupled to the one or more sensors to obtain the biometric, environmental, location, motion, impact and/or other data and to transmit, via the communication module, a data signal to a computing device or network based at least in part on said data from which to enhance user safety and helmet functionality.

Description

BACKGROUND

Technical Field

This disclosure generally relates to suspension units for hard hats and other helmet structures to enhance user safety and helmet functionality, and, more particularly, to suspension units having one or more sensors arranged to obtain biometric, environmental, location, motion, impact and/or other data from which to enhance user safety and helmet functionality.

Description of the Related Art

Helmets and other protectable wearables are often required when working in areas where there is a potential for injury. Helmets are especially required to protect the head from hazards such as impact from falling objects, scraping or hitting one's head on equipment, or contact with electrical conductors. Traditional helmet suspension units (also referred to as harnesses) have been designed to extend inside the helmet and be used for spreading the helmet's weight and the force of any impact over the top of a user's head.

At least one suspension unit or harness is known which includes biometric sensors for measuring biometric data of a wearer and an electrical interface for receiving power from a power source of a mating helmet structure and for transferring data collected by the suspension unit to a control unit of the mating helmet structure, as shown and described in U.S. Pat. No. 9,642,574. Notably, such a suspension unit and helmet structure combination suffers from various drawbacks, including that the suspension unit requires a specialized mating helmet structure to function and cannot be used with a variety of helmet shells on the market and currently in use in the workforce and elsewhere.

BRIEF SUMMARY

Embodiments described herein provide a suspension unit that is removably coupleable to a suspension attachment scheme of a conventional helmet shell to enhance user safety and helmet functionality without disrupting or jeopardizing the integrity of the helmet structure or requiring modifications thereto. In this manner, the suspension unit may serve as a drop-in replacement for conventional suspension units (also referred to as harnesses) of traditional hard hats and other helmet structures (e.g., climbing helmets, bike helmets).

According to one embodiment, a suspension unit removably coupleable to a suspension attachment scheme of a helmet shell to enhance user safety and helmet functionality may be summarized as including: a suspension assembly configured to support the helmet shell on a user's head and including a head engagement structure and one or more coupling devices configured to interface with the suspension attachment scheme of the helmet shell to enable removable attachment of the suspension unit to the helmet shell; one or more sensors carried by the suspension assembly and arranged to obtain biometric, environmental, location, motion, impact and/or other data; and a control system carried by the suspension assembly, the control system including at least a power source and a communication module, and being operatively coupled to the one or more sensors to obtain the biometric, environmental, location, motion, impact and/or other data and to transmit, via the communication module, a data signal to a computing device or network based at least in part on said biometric, environmental, location, motion, impact and/or other data from which to enhance user safety and helmet functionality.

The control system carried by the suspension assembly may further include a processor for processing the biometric, environmental, location, motion and/or other data onboard the suspension unit, and may further include a memory for storing data onboard the suspension unit. In this manner, processing of the data may be completed onboard the suspension unit and optionally stored in memory onboard the suspension unit.

The one or more sensors may include at least one of a biometric sensor, an environmental sensor, a location sensor, an orientation sensor, a motion sensor and an impact sensor. In this manner, the sensor(s) may be configured to obtain biometric data (e.g., body temperature, heart rate), environmental data (e.g., environmental temperature), user location data, user orientation data, user motion data and/or impact data for subsequent processing from which to enhance user safety or helmet functionality.

The helmet shell may include a multi-point suspension attachment scheme, and the suspension assembly may include an arrangement of coupling devices that is configured to interface with said multi-point suspension attachment scheme. For example, the multi-point suspension attachment scheme of the helmet shell may be a conventional 4-point or conventional 6-point attachment scheme, and the arrangement of coupling devices of the suspension assembly may be configured to interface with the conventional 4-point or conventional 6-point attachment scheme of the helmet shell. In this manner, the suspension unit can attach directly to a wide variety of helmet shells already on the market and in use in the workforce and elsewhere.

In some instances, the head engagement structure of the suspension assembly may include a primary loop configured to at least partially surround a circumference of a user's head and one or more suspension straps coupled to the primary loop to extend over the crown of the user's head. In this manner, the head engagement structure may reflect or resemble a conventional suspension unit or harness.

In some instances, the suspension unit may further include a haptic device carried by the suspension assembly and communicatively coupled to the control system for delivering haptic feedback to a user. Such haptic feedback may be based at least in part on the data obtained by the suspension unit during use. For example, the suspension unit may obtain location data, orientation data and/or motion data from which it may be determined that a user is approaching a hazard or in the path of a hazard and based upon which the user may be provided with a haptic warning.

In some instances, the suspension assembly may include a control system enclosure containing at least a portion of the control system, and the control system enclosure may in some instances be malleable, pliable, flexible and/or deformable.

The suspension assembly may further include a fit adjustment assembly for adjusting a fit of the head engagement structure (e.g., an adjustable band with ratchet device), and the fit adjustment assembly may include a housing containing at least a portion of the control system. The power source of the control system and/or the communication module may be contained, for example, in the housing of the fit adjustment assembly.

In some instances, the suspension unit may comprise a plurality of sensors and at least one of the sensors may be mounted in a first region of the head engagement structure and at least one of the sensors may be mounted in a second region of the head engagement structure that is distinct from the first region. Sensors may be positioned, for example, in one or more of the following regions: a brow region; a forehead region, a temple region; or a crown region.

The suspension unit may further include a speaker and/or a microphone carried by the suspension assembly and operatively coupled to the control system from which to enhance user safety or helmet functionality. For example, the speaker, when provided, may be used to provide audible instructions or warnings to the user based at least in part on data obtained by the suspension unit. As another example, the microphone, when provided, may be used by the user to provide voice commands or to provide user input to supplement or modify the data collected by the suspension unit.

The suspension unit may further include one or more user manipulable controls (e.g., switches, buttons) carried by the suspension assembly and operatively coupled to the control system from which to control or manipulate aspects of the suspension unit. For example, the suspension unit may include a power switch or button from which to activate and deactivate functionality of the suspension unit.

In a particularly advantageous aspect, the suspension unit is provided as a self-contained unit that is readily attachable to the suspension attachment scheme of a conventional helmet shell and electrically functional apart from the helmet shell. In this manner, the suspension unit does not need to rely on the helmet shell for power or other aspects.

According to another embodiment, a system may be summarized as including: a helmet shell with a suspension attachment scheme; and a suspension unit removably attachable to the helmet shell via the suspension attachment scheme. The suspension unit includes: a suspension assembly having a head engagement structure and one or more coupling devices configured to interface with the suspension attachment scheme of the helmet shell to enable removable attachment of the suspension unit to the helmet shell; one or more sensors carried by the suspension assembly and arranged to obtain biometric, environmental, location, motion, impact and/or other data; and a control system carried by the suspension assembly, the control system including at least a power source and a communication module, and being operatively coupled to the one or more sensors to obtain the biometric, environmental, location, motion, impact and/or other data and to transmit, via the communication module, a data signal based at least in part on said biometric, environmental, location, motion, impact and/or other data to a computing device or network from which to enhance user safety and helmet functionality.

The system may further include a light-emitting unit removably attachable to an exterior of the helmet shell, which operates in parallel or tandem with the suspension unit. The light-emitting unit may include: one or more light sources; and a light-emitting unit control system, the light-emitting unit control system communicatively coupled, either directly or via the computing device or network, to the control system of the suspension unit, and being configured to control the light sources to emit light based at least in part on the data signal transmitted by the communication module of the control system of the suspension unit. In this manner, the suspension unit may be used to collect various data and the light-emitting unit may be illuminated based at least in part on said data.

In some instances, the control system of the suspension unit may be communicatively coupled to the computing device or network via the light-emitting unit control system. In this manner, data may be obtained by the suspension unit, transmitted to the light-emitting unit and then transmitted to the computing device or network for further processing, storage or other action.

In some instances, the light-emitting unit may include one or more light-emitting unit sensors arranged to obtain environmental, location, motion, impact and/or other data to supplement the data obtained by the suspension unit. For example, the light-emitting unit may include a temperature and/or humidity sensor from which to obtain environmental data in the vicinity of the user, which environmental data may be used to supplement and/or modify other data (e.g., biometric data) obtained by the suspension unit.

The light-emitting unit and the suspension unit may be pairable with each other directly or via the computing device or network to facilitate a transfer of data from the suspension unit to the light-emitting unit and/or a transfer of data from the light-emitting unit to the suspension unit. In this manner, data may be shared between the distinct devices and the data obtained from each may be combined as desired.

The suspension unit may be a self-contained unit that is readily attachable to the suspension attachment scheme of a conventional helmet shell and electrically functional apart from the helmet shell. Similarly, the light-emitting unit may be a self-contained unit that is readily attachable to the exterior of a conventional helmet shell and electrically functional apart from the helmet shell. In this manner, the helmet shell may be a conventional helmet shell that lacks electronic functionality and both devices may be readily secured to the helmet shell without jeopardizing its integrity.

According to yet another embodiment, a system for use with a helmet shell having a suspension attachment scheme may be summarized as including: a suspension unit removably attachable to an interior of the helmet shell via the suspension attachment scheme; and a light-emitting unit removably attachable to an exterior of the helmet shell. Advantageously, the suspension unit includes: a suspension assembly configured to support the helmet shell on a user's head and including a head engagement structure and one or more coupling devices configured to interface with the suspension attachment scheme of the helmet shell to enable removable attachment of the suspension unit to the helmet shell, one or more sensors carried by the suspension assembly and arranged to obtain biometric, environmental, location, motion, impact and/or other data, and a control system carried by the suspension assembly, the control system including at least a power source and a communication module, and being operatively coupled to the one or more sensors to obtain the biometric, environmental, location, motion, impact and/or other data and to transmit, via the communication module, a data signal based at least in part on said biometric, environmental, location, motion, impact and/or other data to a computing device or network from which to enhance user safety and helmet functionality. Advantageously, the light-emitting unit includes: one or more light sources, and a light-emitting unit control system, the light-emitting unit control system communicatively coupled, either directly or via the computing device or network, to the control system of the suspension unit, and being configured to control the light sources to emit light based at least in part on the data signal transmitted by the communication module of the control system of the suspension unit. In a particularly advantageous aspect, the suspension unit is provided as a self-contained unit that is readily attachable to the suspension attachment scheme of a conventional helmet shell and electrically functional apart from the helmet shell, and the light-emitting unit is similarly provided as a self-contained unit that is readily attachable to the exterior of a conventional helmet shell and electrically functional apart from the helmet shell.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE SEVERAL VIEWS OF THE DRAWINGS

FIG. 1 is a perspective view of a conventional hard hat that is typical of those worn by workers in the construction industry, including a helmet shell (shown transparent) and a suspension unit (also referred to as a harness). The illustrated helmet shell is provided as a non-limiting example of the type of helmet shells that may be used in connection with disclosed embodiments of the suspension units and related systems and methods described herein.

FIG. 2 is a perspective view of a suspension unit, according to one embodiment, that is removably coupleable to a suspension attachment scheme of a helmet shell to enhance user safety and helmet functionality, such as, for example, the conventional helmet shell shown in FIG. 1.

FIG. 3 is a perspective view of a suspension unit, according to another embodiment, that is removably coupleable to a suspension attachment scheme of a helmet shell to enhance user safety and helmet functionality, such as, for example, the conventional helmet shell shown in FIG. 1.

FIG. 4 is a perspective view of a light-emitting unit, which may be used in combination with embodiments of the suspension units disclosed herein to provide additional functionality.

FIG. 5 is a perspective view of the light-emitting unit of FIG. 4 secured to a conventional helmet shell.

FIG. 6 is a schematic diagram of a networked environment that includes a Configurable Site Safety (“CSS”) system as well as various devices and/or computing systems associated with the CSS system, with one or more managing users of the CSS system, and with one or more non-managing users of the CSS system, as described in the present disclosure.

FIG. 7 is a block diagram illustrating a computing system suitable for executing an embodiment of a system that performs at least some techniques described in the present disclosure, as well as various devices and/or computing systems connected thereto.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION

In the following description, certain specific details are set forth in order to provide a thorough understanding of various disclosed embodiments. However, one of ordinary skill in the relevant art will recognize that embodiments may be practiced without one or more of these specific details. In other instances, well-known structures and devices associated with suspension units or harnesses for helmets not be shown or described in detail to avoid unnecessarily obscuring descriptions of the embodiments.

Unless the context requires otherwise, throughout the specification and claims which follow, the word “comprise” and variations thereof, such as, “comprises” and “comprising” are to be construed in an open, inclusive sense, that is as “including, but not limited to.”

Reference throughout this specification to “one embodiment” or “an embodiment” means that a particular feature, structure or characteristic described in connection with the embodiment is included in at least one embodiment. Thus, the appearances of the phrases “in one embodiment” or “in an embodiment” in various places throughout this specification are not necessarily all referring to the same embodiment. Furthermore, the particular features, structures, or characteristics may be combined in any suitable manner in one or more embodiments.

As used in this specification and the appended claims, the singular forms “a,” “an,” and “the” include plural referents unless the content clearly dictates otherwise. It should also be noted that the term “or” is generally employed in its sense including “and/or” unless the content clearly dictates otherwise.

Embodiments described herein provide a suspension unit that is removably coupleable to a suspension attachment scheme of a conventional helmet shell to enhance user safety and helmet functionality without disrupting or jeopardizing the integrity of the helmet structure or requiring modifications thereto. In this manner, the suspension unit may serve as a drop-in replacement for a conventional suspension unit (also referred to as a harness) of traditional hard hats and other helmet structures (e.g., climbing helmets, bike helmets).

As an example, FIG. 1 is a perspective view of a conventional hard hat 10 that is typical of those worn by workers in the construction industry, including a helmet shell 12 (shown transparent) and a suspension unit 14 (also referred to as a harness). Advantageously, a user may simply remove the conventional suspension unit 14 shown in FIG. 1 by disconnecting the suspension unit 14 from the conventional suspension attachment scheme 16 (a 4-point attachment scheme shown) provided in the helmet shell 12, and may replace it with embodiments of the suspension units disclosed herein to provide enhanced functionality.

FIG. 2 shows one example embodiment of a suspension unit 20 that is removably coupleable to the suspension attachment scheme 16 of a conventional helmet shell 12 (FIG. 1) to enhance user safety and helmet functionality. The suspension unit 20 includes a suspension assembly 22 having a head engagement structure 24 and one or more coupling devices 26 configured to interface with the suspension attachment scheme 16 of the conventional helmet shell 12 to enable removable attachment of the suspension unit 20 to the helmet shell 12. The head engagement structure 24 of the suspension assembly 22 may include, for example, a primary loop 28 configured to at least partially surround a circumference of a user's head and one or more suspension straps 30 coupled to the primary loop 28 to extend over the crown of the user's head. In this manner, the head engagement structure 24 may reflect or resemble a conventional suspension unit or harness. In addition, the coupling devices 26 may be configured to interface with a multi-point suspension attachment scheme 16 of the conventional helmet shell 12. For example, the multi-point suspension attachment scheme of the helmet shell 12 may be a conventional 4-point attachment scheme (FIG. 1) or conventional 6-point attachment scheme, and the arrangement of coupling devices 26 of the suspension assembly 22 may be configured to interface with the conventional 4-point or conventional 6-point attachment scheme 16 of the helmet shell 12. As such, the suspension unit 20 can attach directly to a wide variety of helmet shells already on the market and in use in the workforce and elsewhere.

Advantageously, the suspension unit 20 further includes one or more sensors 40a-d (collectively 40) carried by the suspension assembly 22 and arranged to obtain biometric, environmental, location, motion, impact and/or other data. For example, and without limitation, the suspension unit 20 may include a biometric sensor 40a configured to collect biometric data, an environmental sensor 40b configured to collect environmental data, a location sensor 40c configured to collect location data, and/or a motion sensor 40d configured to collect motion data. Other sensors may include, without limitation, an orientation sensor and an impact sensor. In this manner, the sensor(s) 40 may be configured to obtain biometric data (e.g., body temperature, heart rate), environmental data (e.g., environmental temperature), user location data, user orientation data, user motion data and/or impact data for subsequent processing from which to enhance user safety or helmet functionality. At least one of the sensors may be mounted in a first region of the head engagement structure 24 and at least one of the sensors may be mounted in a second region of the head engagement structure 24 that is distinct from the first region. Sensors may be positioned, for example, in one or more of the following regions: a brow region; a forehead region, a temple region; or a crown region.

The suspension unit 20 further includes a control system 50 carried by the suspension assembly 22, the control system 50 including at least a power source 52 and a communication module 54, and being operatively coupled to the one or more sensors 40a-d to obtain the biometric, environmental, location, motion, impact and/or other data and to transmit, via the communication module 54, a data signal to a computing device (e.g., smartphone) or network based at least in part on said biometric, environmental, location, motion, impact and/or other data from which to enhance user safety and helmet functionality. The control system 50 carried by the suspension assembly 22 may further include a processor 56 for processing the biometric, environmental, location, motion and/or other data onboard the suspension unit 20, and may further include a memory 58 for storing data onboard the suspension unit 20. In this manner, processing of the data may be completed onboard the suspension unit 20 and optionally stored in memory 58 onboard the suspension unit 20.

In some instances, the suspension unit 20 may further include a haptic device 60 carried by the suspension assembly 22 and communicatively coupled to the control system 50 for delivering haptic feedback to a user. Such haptic feedback may be based at least in part on the data obtained by the suspension unit 20 during use. For example, the suspension unit 20 may obtain location data, orientation data and/or motion data from which it may be determined that a user is approaching a hazard or in the path of a hazard and based upon which the user may be provided with a haptic warning.

The suspension assembly 22 may further include a fit adjustment assembly 32 for adjusting a fit of the head engagement structure (e.g., an adjustable band with ratchet device), and the fit adjustment assembly 32 may include a housing 34 containing at least a portion of the control system 50. The power source 52 of the control system 50 and/or the communication module 54 may be contained, for example, in the housing 34 of the fit adjustment assembly 32.

In some instances, the suspension assembly 22 may include a control system enclosure containing at least a portion of the control system 50, and the control system enclosure may in some instances be malleable, pliable, flexible and/or deformable.

The suspension unit 20 may further include a speaker 62 and/or a microphone 64 carried by the suspension assembly and operatively coupled to the control system 50 from which to enhance user safety or helmet functionality. For example, the speaker 62, when provided, may be used to provide audible instructions or warnings to the user based at least in part on data obtained by the suspension unit 20. As another example, the microphone 64 may be used by the user to provide voice commands or to provide user input to supplement or modify the data collected by the suspension unit 20.

The suspension unit 20 may further include one or more user manipulable controls 66 (e.g., switches, buttons) carried by the suspension assembly 22 and operatively coupled to the control system 50 from which to control or manipulate aspects of the suspension unit 20. For example, the suspension unit 20 may include a power switch or button from which to activate and deactivate functionality of the suspension unit 20.

In a particularly advantageous aspect, the suspension unit 20 is provided as a self-contained unit that is readily attachable to the suspension attachment scheme 16 of a conventional helmet shell 12 (FIG. 1) and electrically functional apart from the helmet shell 12. In this manner, the suspension unit 20 does not need to rely on the helmet shell 12 for power or other aspects.

FIG. 3 shows another example embodiment of a suspension unit 20′ having similar features and functionality to the embodiment of the suspension unit 20 shown in FIG. 2.

For example, the suspension unit 20′ shown in FIG. 3 includes a suspension assembly 22′ having a head engagement structure 24′ and one or more coupling devices 26′ configured to interface with the suspension attachment scheme 16 of a conventional helmet shell 12 (FIG. 1) to enable removable attachment of the suspension unit 20′ to the helmet shell 12. The head engagement structure 24′ of the suspension assembly 22′ may include, for example, a primary loop 28′ configured to at least partially surround and engage a circumference of a user's head.

The suspension unit 20′ further includes one or more sensors 40a′-d′ (collectively 40′) carried by the suspension assembly 22′ and arranged to obtain biometric, environmental, location, motion, impact and/or other data. For example, and without limitation, the suspension unit 20′ may include a biometric sensor 40a′ configured to collect biometric data, an environmental sensor 40b′ configured to collect environmental data, a location sensor 40c′ configured to collect location data, and/or a motion sensor 40d′ configured to collect motion data. Other sensors may include, without limitation, an orientation sensor and an impact sensor. In this manner, the sensor(s) 40′ may be configured to obtain biometric data (e.g., body temperature, heart rate), environmental data (e.g., environmental temperature), user location data, user orientation data, user motion data and/or impact data for subsequent processing from which to enhance user safety or helmet functionality as described in more detail elsewhere. The sensors 40′ may be positioned, for example, in one or more of the following regions: a brow region; a forehead region, a temple region; or a crown region. As shown in FIG. 3, for example, the sensors 40′ may be positioned across the forehead region of a user. One or more of the sensors 40′ may be positioned beneath a forehead cushioning element 42′ and, if required, exposed to the user or the surrounding environment via an appropriate aperture. One or more of the sensors 40′ may be positioned on or within the forehead cushioning element 42′. The forehead cushioning element 42′ may be removably coupled to the primary loop 28′ of the suspension assembly 22′ to facilitate cleaning thereof and/or servicing or replacement of the sensors 40′.

The suspension unit 20′ further includes a control system 50′ carried by the suspension assembly 22′, the control system 50′ including at least a power source 52′ and a communication module 54′, and being operatively coupled to the one or more sensors 40′ to obtain the biometric, environmental, location, motion, impact and/or other data and to transmit, via the communication module 54′, a data signal to a computing device (e.g., smartphone) or network based at least in part on said biometric, environmental, location, motion, impact and/or other data from which to enhance user safety and helmet functionality. The control system 50′ carried by the suspension assembly 22′ may further include a processor 56′ for processing the biometric, environmental, location, motion and/or other data onboard the suspension unit 20′, and may further include a memory 58′ for storing data onboard the suspension unit 20′. In this manner, processing of the data may be completed onboard the suspension unit 20′ and optionally stored in memory 58′ onboard the suspension unit 20′.

In some instances, the suspension unit 20′ may further include a haptic device carried by the suspension assembly 22′ and communicatively coupled to the control system 50′ for delivering haptic feedback to a user. Such haptic feedback may be based at least in part on the data obtained by the suspension unit 20′ during use. For example, the suspension unit 20′ may obtain location data, orientation data and/or motion data from which it may be determined that a user is approaching a hazard or in the path of a hazard and based upon which the user may be provided with a haptic warning.

The suspension assembly 22′ may further include a fit adjustment assembly 32′ for adjusting a fit of the head engagement structure (e.g., an adjustable band with ratchet device), and the fit adjustment assembly 32′ may include a housing 34′ containing at least a portion of the control system 50′. The power source 52′ of the control system 50′ and/or the communication module 54′ may be contained, for example, in the housing 34′ of the fit adjustment assembly 32′. In the example embodiment of FIG. 3, the communication module 54′ is provided in an area remote from the fit adjustment assembly 32′.

The suspension unit 20′ may further include a speaker and/or a microphone carried by the suspension assembly 22′ and operatively coupled to the control system 50′ from which to enhance user safety or helmet functionality. For example, the speaker, when provided, may be used to provide audible instructions or warnings to the user based at least in part on data obtained by the suspension unit 20′. As another example, the microphone may be used by the user to provide voice commands or to provide user input to supplement or modify the data collected by the suspension unit 20′.

The suspension unit 20′ may further include one or more user manipulable controls (e.g., switches, buttons) carried by the suspension assembly 22′ and operatively coupled to the control system 50′ from which to control or manipulate aspects of the suspension unit 20′. For example, the suspension unit 20′ may include a power switch or button from which to activate and deactivate functionality of the suspension unit 20′.

In a particularly advantageous aspect, the suspension unit 20′ is provided as a self-contained unit that is readily attachable to the suspension attachment scheme 16 of a conventional helmet shell 12 (FIG. 1) and electrically functional apart from the helmet shell 12. In this manner, the suspension unit 20 does not need to rely on the helmet shell 12 for power or other aspects.

Embodiments of the suspension units 20, 20′ described herein may be used to collect a wide variety of data (e.g., biometric data, environmental data, location data, impact data, etc.) associated with a user or the user's environment from which to enhance user safety or helmet functionality. The suspension units 20, 20′ may be paired or otherwise communicatively coupled to a smart phone or other computing device to facilitate or carry out such functional enhancements. For example, suspension units 20, 20′ may be worn by a group of workers on a jobsite and biometric data, such as body temperature and heartrate, may be collected and transmitted to an associated computing device for monitoring the health and wellbeing of said workers, and, if needed, the taking of action to address any irregularities. As another example, location data may be collected and transmitted to an associated computing device for monitoring the location of said workers from which to enhance safety and jobsite compliance.

Although the aforementioned suspension units 20, 20′ may be used to collect data without assistance from other sensing devices or apparatuses, in some instances, the suspension units 20, 20′ may operate in conjunction with other sensing devices or apparatuses to provide additional functionality. For example, according to one embodiment, a system may be provided which includes one of the aforementioned suspension units 20, 20′ and a light-emitting unit 70 removably attachable to an exterior of the conventional helmet shell 12, which operates in parallel or tandem with said suspension unit 20, 20′. An example embodiment of such a light-emitting unit 70 is shown in FIG. 4. FIG. 5 shows the light-emitting unit 70 removably secured to a conventional helmet shell 12′ similar to the conventional helmet shell 12 shown in FIG. 1.

With reference to FIGS. 4 and 5, the light-emitting unit 70 may include, for example: one or more light sources 72; and a light-emitting unit control system 74, the light-emitting unit control system 74 communicatively coupled, either directly or via the computing device or network, to the control system 50 of the suspension unit 20, 20′, and being configured to control the light sources 72 to emit light based at least in part on the data signal transmitted by the communication module 54 of the control system 50 of the suspension unit 20, 20′. In this manner, the suspension unit 20, 20′ may be used to collect various data and the light-emitting unit 70 may be illuminated based at least in part on said data.

In some instances, the control system 50 of the suspension unit 20, 20′ may be communicatively coupled to the computing device or network via the light-emitting unit control system 74. In this manner, data may obtained by the suspension unit 20, 20′, transmitted to the light-emitting unit 70 and then transmitted to the computing device or network for further processing, storage or other action.

In some instances, the light-emitting unit 70 may include one or more light-emitting unit sensors (not shown) arranged to obtain environmental, location, motion, impact and/or other data to supplement data obtained by the suspension unit 20, 20′. For example, the light-emitting unit 70 may include a temperature and/or humidity sensor from which to obtain environmental data in the vicinity of the user, which environmental data may be used to supplement and/or modify other data (e.g., biometric data) obtained by the suspension unit 20, 20′.

The light-emitting unit 70 and the suspension unit 20, 20′ may be pairable with each other directly or via the computing device or network to facilitate a transfer of data from the suspension unit 20, 20′ to the light-emitting unit 70 and/or a transfer of data from the light-emitting unit 70 to the suspension unit 20, 20′. In this manner, data may be shared between these distinct devices and the data obtained from each may be combined or shared as desired.

Again, the suspension unit 20, 20′ may be a self-contained unit that is readily attachable to the suspension attachment scheme 16 of a conventional helmet shell and electrically functional apart from the helmet shell 16. Similarly, the light-emitting unit 70 may be a self-contained unit that is readily attachable to the exterior of a conventional helmet shell 16 and electrically functional apart from the helmet shell 16.

Additional features (e.g., power supply 76, control element(s) 78) of the light-emitting unit 70 depicted in FIGS. 4 and 5 may include those shown and described in U.S. Pat. No. 8,529,082, which is incorporated herein by reference in its entirety. The light-emitting unit 70 may be particularly well adapted to illuminate people at risk, such as, for example, workers in the construction industry, mining industry or other hazardous or hostile environments. The light-emitting unit 70 may provide enhanced illumination around the user to enable the completion of tasks that would otherwise be hindered by low or poor lighting conditions. In some embodiments, the light-emitting unit 70 provides a continuous or generally continuous ring or halo of light around a user's head that can be seen from an extended distance (e.g., up to and exceeding one-quarter mile) and from a particularly wide range of directions, such as, for example, from an overhead direction. The light-emitting unit 70 may also provide substantial illumination within and outside the user's immediate field of view to illuminate areas within the user's general workspace.

The light-emitting unit 70 described herein may be advantageously attachable to headgear, such as, for example, the conventional hard hat 12, 12′ shown in FIGS. 1 and 5, in a removable manner. For this purpose, the light-emitting unit 70 may include a plurality of resilient engagement elements 80 around the inner periphery of the light-emitting unit 70 to selectively engage the hard hat 12, 12′ as the user urges the light-emitting unit 70 onto the hard hat 12, 12′.

Although the suspension units 20, 20′ and light-emitting units 70 disclosed herein are described in the context of attaching to headgear in the form of a conventional hard hat 12, 12′ (FIGS. 1 and 5), it will be appreciated by those of ordinary skill in the relevant art that the suspension units 20, 20′ and light-emitting units 70 and aspects thereof may applied to a wide variety of headgear, including, for example, protective helmets for sports such as bicycling, skiing and football, hats or other headgear. Other examples include, without limitation, firefighter helmets, miner helmets, logging helmets, welder and foundry worker helmets, military helmets and other protective helmets or headgear. In addition, it will also be appreciated that the suspension units 20, 20′ and light-emitting units 70 and aspects thereof may be may be incorporated or integrated into headgear, rather than being removably attachable thereto.

It is further appreciated that the suspension units 20, 20′ and light-emitting units 70 and aspects thereof may be may be used in connection with various information and control systems to provide enhanced functionality.

As an example, FIG. 6 is a schematic diagram of a networked environment 100 that includes a Configurable Site Safety (“CSS”) System 110, gateway base stations 150, proximity beacons 160, a site management computing system 170, worker client devices 180, and a plurality of hard hat devices 190 (suspension units 20, 20′ and light-emitting units 70) associated with a plurality of workers. The site management computing system, worker client devices, and gateway base stations are each communicatively coupled to the CSS system 110 via one or more intervening networks 101. In addition, the gateway base stations 150 are communicatively coupled to the hard hat devices and proximity beacons, such as via direct wireless links 102 and chipsets 154, 164 and 194, respectively, or by other wireless communication devices, including other short-range radio devices. In the illustrated embodiment, each chipset 154, 164 and 194 may respectively include a BLE chipset, one or more transceivers, sensor chipsets, and other component chipsets. Each of the gateway base stations, proximity beacons and hard hat devices also respectively include GPS chipsets 156, 166, and 196, for determining a geographical location of the respective device. The gateway base stations further include a networked data connection 158, and in certain implementations, each of the hard hat devices may link directly to one or more computer networks (e.g., the Internet) using any appropriate high-speed data mobile wireless communication methods, components and/or protocols. Each of the hard hat devices 190 (e.g., suspension units 20, 20′ and light-emitting units 70) additionally includes one or more sensors 192, such as one or more biometric sensors, environmental sensors, location sensors, orientation sensors, motion sensors and/or impact sensors, and may further include additional auditory or haptic signaling components, as described elsewhere herein. In operation, the gateway base stations 150 receive ID, status and location information from each of the respective proximity beacons and hard hat devices, and provide the received information to the site management computing system, the CSS system, or both. In various implementations, the frequency with which the information for each of the proximity beacons and hard hat devices are updated may be configured appropriately.

Although not illustrated in the example embodiment of FIG. 6, it is appreciated that each hard hat device 190 may be communicatively coupled to one or more other hard hat devices 190 to facilitate inter-device communications and other functionality described herein.

In the depicted implementation, the CSS system 110 includes a user account manager 112, a device manager 114, a data analysis manager 116, and a worksite manager 118. In addition, the CSS system includes an Application Program Interface (“API”) 120 and a Graphical User Interface (“GUI”) 122. The CSS system is communicatively coupled (locally or remotely) to storage facility 130, which includes historical information database 132, user information database 134, and worksite information database 136. In certain implementations, the storage facility 130 may be incorporated within or otherwise directly operated by the CSS system; in other implementations, some or all of the functionality provided by the storage facility may be provided by one or more third-party network-accessible storage service providers.

The interactions of the CSS system 110 with the site management computing system 170 and worker client devices 180 may occur in various ways, such as in an interactive manner via a graphical user interface 122 that is provided by the CSS system to users of the computing system and client devices via at least some Web pages of a CSS system Web site. Information provided by the Web site may also be provided in a programmatic manner by one or more client software applications via the Application Program Interface (“API”) 120 provided by the CSS system that allows computing systems and/or programs to invoke such functionality programmatically, such as using Web services or other network communication protocols. In the illustrated implementation, various interactions between the CSS system and the site management computing system 170 and worker client devices 180 may be performed using a web browser (not shown) or CSS application 172 or 182, each of which may respectively be executing on the associated computing system or client device. As used herein, either or both of the site management computing system 170 and worker client devices 180 may be fixed or mobile, and may include instances of various computing devices such as, without limitation, desktop or other computers (e.g., tablets, slates, etc.), database servers, network storage devices and other network devices, smart phones and other cell phones, smart watches or other wearable devices, consumer electronics, Internet appliances, and various other consumer products that include appropriate communication capabilities.

In the depicted networked environment 100 of FIG. 6, the network 101 is a publicly accessible network of linked networks, possibly operated by various distinct parties, such as the Internet. In other implementations, the network 101 may have other forms. For example, the network 101 may instead be a private network, such as a corporate network that is wholly or partially inaccessible to non-privileged users. In still other implementations, the network 101 may include both private and public networks, with one or more of the private networks having access to and/or from one or more of the public networks. Furthermore, the network 101 may include various types of wired and/or wireless networks in various situations. In addition, in this illustrated example of FIG. 6, users may utilize client computing systems and/or other client devices to interact with the CSS system 110 to obtain various described functionality via the network 101, and in doing so may provide various types of information to the CSS system 110. Moreover, in certain implementations, the various users and providers of the networked environment 100 may interact with the CSS system and/or one or more other users and providers using an optional private or dedicated connection, such as one of dedicated connections 102.

The CSS system 110 may thus provide a robust platform from which to provide functionality that relies at least in part on data obtained from the hard hat devices 190 described herein, in particular, the suspension units 20, 20′.

FIG. 7 is a block diagram illustrating component-level functionality provided by a plurality of electronic circuits that, when in combined operation, are suitable for performing and configured to perform at least some of the techniques described herein. In the particular implementation depicted, the plurality of electronic circuits is at least partially housed within a server computing system 300 executing an implementation of a CSS system 340. The server computing system 300 includes one or more central processing units (“CPU”) or other processors 305, various input/output (“I/O”) components 310, storage 320, and memory 350, with the illustrated I/O components including a display 311, a network connection 312, a computer-readable media drive 313, and other I/O devices 315 (e.g., keyboards, mice or other pointing devices, microphones, speakers, GPS receivers, etc.). The server computing system 300 and CSS system 340 may communicate with other computing systems via one or more networks 399 (e.g., the Internet, one or more cellular telephone networks, etc.), such as user computing systems 360, worker client devices 370, gateway base stations 380, and other computing systems 390. Some or all of the user computing systems 360 and other computing systems 390 may similarly include some or all of the types of components illustrated for server computing system 300 (e.g., to have a CSS system client application 369 executing in memory 367 of a user computing system 360 in a manner analogous to CSS system 340 in memory 350).

In the illustrated embodiment, an embodiment of the CSS system 340 executes in memory 350 in order to perform at least some of the described techniques, such as by using the processor(s) 305 to execute software instructions of the system 340 in a manner that configures the processor(s) 305 and computing system 300 to perform automated operations that implement those described techniques. As part of such automated operations, the CSS system 340 and/or other optional programs or modules 349 executing in memory 330 may store and/or retrieve various types of data, including in the example database data structures of storage 320. In this example, the data used may include various types of user information in database (“DB”) 322, various types of historical information (such as hard hat device tracking information) in DB 324, various types of worksite information in DB 326, and/or various types of additional information 328, such as various analytical information related to one or more devices or worksites associated with the CSS system.

It will be appreciated that computing system 300 other systems and devices included within FIG. 7 are merely illustrative and are not intended to limit the scope of embodiments of the present invention. The systems and/or devices may instead each include multiple interacting computing systems or devices, and may be connected to other devices that are not specifically illustrated, including via Bluetooth communication or other direct communication, through one or more networks such as the Internet, via the Web, or via one or more private networks (e.g., mobile communication networks, etc.). More generally, a device or other computing system may comprise any combination of hardware that may interact and perform the described types of functionality, optionally when programmed or otherwise configured with particular software instructions and/or data structures, including without limitation desktop or other computers (e.g., tablets, slates, etc.), database servers, network storage devices and other network devices, smart phones and other cell phones, consumer electronics, wearable devices, biometric monitoring devices, Internet appliances, and various other consumer products that include appropriate communication capabilities. In addition, the functionality provided by the illustrated CSS system 340 may in some embodiments be distributed in various modules. Similarly, in some embodiments, some of the functionality of the CSS system 340 may not be provided and/or other additional functionality may be available. In addition, in certain implementations various functionality of the CSS system may be provided by third-party partners of an operator of the CSS system. For example, data collected by the CSS system may be provided to a third party for analysis and/or metric generation.

It will also be appreciated that, while various items are illustrated as being stored in memory or on storage while being used, these items or portions of them may be transferred between memory and other storage devices for purposes of memory management and data integrity. Alternatively, in other embodiments some or all of the software modules and/or systems may execute in memory on another device and communicate with the illustrated computing systems via inter-computer communication. Thus, in some embodiments, some or all of the described techniques may be performed by hardware means that include one or more processors and/or memory and/or storage when configured by one or more software programs (e.g., the CSS system 340 and/or CSS client software executing on user computing systems 360 and/or worker client devices 370) and/or data structures, such as by execution of software instructions of the one or more software programs and/or by storage of such software instructions and/or data structures. Furthermore, in some embodiments, some or all of the systems and/or modules may be implemented or provided in other manners, such as by consisting of one or more means that are implemented at least partially in firmware and/or hardware (e.g., rather than as a means implemented in whole or in part by software instructions that configure a particular CPU or other processor), including, but not limited to, one or more application-specific integrated circuits (ASICs), standard integrated circuits, controllers (e.g., by executing appropriate instructions, and including microcontrollers and/or embedded controllers), field-programmable gate arrays (FPGAs), complex programmable logic devices (CPLDs), etc. Some or all of the modules, systems and data structures may also be stored (e.g., as software instructions or structured data) on a non-transitory computer-readable storage mediums, such as a hard disk or flash drive or other non-volatile storage device, volatile or non-volatile memory (e.g., RAM or flash RAM), a network storage device, or a portable media article (e.g., a DVD disk, a CD disk, an optical disk, a flash memory device, etc.) to be read by an appropriate drive or via an appropriate connection. The systems, modules and data structures may also in some embodiments be transmitted via generated data signals (e.g., as part of a carrier wave or other analog or digital propagated signal) on a variety of computer-readable transmission mediums, including wireless-based and wired/cable-based mediums, and may take a variety of forms (e.g., as part of a single or multiplexed analog signal, or as multiple discrete digital packets or frames). Such computer program products may also take other forms in other embodiments. Accordingly, embodiments of the present disclosure may be practiced with other computer system configurations.

It is appreciated that embodiments of the suspension units 20, 20′ described herein may be used to collect a wide variety of data from which to improve safety or to provide other functionality, and that the suspension units 20, 20′ may be readily deployed and installed in conventional helmet shells with ease. None limiting examples include sensing biometric information of wearers and monitoring the same for abnormalities in order to take action as needed and sensing impact events from which to generate alarms or alerts for taking action to assess and treat any resulting injuries as needed.

U.S. Provisional Patent Application No. 62/740,776, filed Oct. 3, 2018, is incorporated herein by reference, in its entirety.

Moreover, it is appreciated that features and aspects of the various embodiments described above can be combined to provide further embodiments. These and other changes can be made to the embodiments in light of the above-detailed description. In general, in the following claims, the terms used should not be construed to limit the claims to the specific embodiments disclosed in the specification and the claims, but should be construed to include all possible embodiments along with the full scope of equivalents to which such claims are entitled.

Claims

1. A suspension unit removably coupleable to a suspension attachment scheme of a helmet shell to enhance user safety and helmet functionality, the suspension unit comprising: a suspension assembly configured to support the helmet shell on a user's head and including a head engagement structure and one or more coupling devices configured to interface with the suspension attachment scheme of the helmet shell to enable removable attachment of the suspension unit to the helmet shell;one or more sensors carried by the suspension assembly and arranged to obtain biometric, environmental, location, motion, impact and/or other data; anda control system carried by the suspension assembly, the control system including at least a power source and a communication module, and being operatively coupled to the one or more sensors to obtain the biometric, environmental, location, motion, impact and/or other data and to transmit, via the communication module, a data signal to a computing device or network based at least in part on said biometric, environmental, location, motion, impact and/or other data from which to enhance user safety and helmet functionality.

2. The suspension unit of claim 1, wherein the control system carried by the suspension assembly further comprises a processor for processing the biometric, environmental, location, motion and/or other data onboard the suspension unit.

3. The suspension unit of claim 1, wherein the control system carried by the suspension assembly further comprises a memory for storing data onboard the suspension unit.

4. The suspension unit of claim 1, wherein the one or more sensors include at least one of a biometric sensor, an environmental sensor, a location sensor, an orientation sensor, a motion sensor and an impact sensor.

5. The suspension unit of claim 1, wherein the helmet shell includes a multi-point suspension attachment scheme, and wherein the suspension assembly includes an arrangement of coupling devices that is configured to interface with the multi-point suspension attachment scheme.

6. The suspension unit of claim 5 wherein the multi-point suspension attachment scheme of the helmet shell is a conventional 4-point or conventional 6-point attachment scheme, and wherein the arrangement of coupling devices of the suspension assembly is configured to interface with the conventional 4-point or conventional 6-point attachment scheme of the helmet shell.

7. The suspension unit of claim 1, wherein the head engagement structure of the suspension assembly includes a primary loop configured to at least partially surround a circumference of a user's head and one or more suspension straps coupled to the primary loop to extend over the crown of the user's head.

8. The suspension unit of claim 1, further comprising: a haptic device carried by the suspension assembly and communicatively coupled to the control system for delivering haptic feedback to a user.

9. The suspension unit of claim 1, wherein the suspension assembly includes a control system enclosure containing at least a portion of the control system.

10. The suspension unit of claim 1, wherein the control system enclosure is malleable, pliable, flexible and/or deformable.

11. The suspension unit of claim 1, wherein the suspension assembly further includes a fit adjustment assembly for adjusting a fit of the head engagement structure, and wherein the fit adjustment assembly includes a housing containing at least a portion of the control system.

12. The suspension unit of claim 11, wherein at least the power source of the control system is contained in the housing of the fit adjustment assembly.

13. The suspension unit of claim 11, wherein at least the communication module of the control system is contained in the housing of the fit adjustment assembly.

14. The suspension unit of claim 1, wherein the suspension unit comprises a plurality of sensors and at least one of the sensors is mounted in a first region of the head engagement structure and at least one of the sensors is mounted in a second region of the head engagement structure that is distinct from the first region.

15. The suspension unit of claim 1, wherein the suspension unit comprises a plurality of sensors and at least one of the sensors is positioned in one of the following regions: a brow region; a forehead region, a temple region; or a crown region.

16. The suspension unit of claim 1, further comprising a speaker and/or a microphone carried by the suspension assembly and operatively coupled to the control system.

17. The suspension unit of claim 1, further comprising one or more user manipulable controls carried by the suspension assembly and operatively coupled to the control system.

18. The suspension unit of claim 1, wherein the suspension unit is a self-contained unit that is readily attachable to the suspension attachment scheme of the helmet shell and electrically functional apart from the helmet shell.

19. A system, comprising: a helmet shell with a suspension attachment scheme; anda suspension unit removably attachable to the helmet shell via the suspension attachment scheme, the suspension unit including: a suspension assembly configured to support the helmet shell on a user's head and including a head engagement structure and one or more coupling devices configured to interface with the suspension attachment scheme of the helmet shell to enable removable attachment of the suspension unit to the helmet shell;one or more sensors carried by the suspension assembly and arranged to obtain biometric, environmental, location, motion, impact and/or other data; anda control system carried by the suspension assembly, the control system including at least a power source and a communication module, and being operatively coupled to the one or more sensors to obtain the biometric, environmental, location, motion, impact and/or other data and to transmit, via the communication module, a data signal based at least in part on said biometric, environmental, location, motion, impact and/or other data to a computing device or network from which to enhance user safety and helmet functionality.

20. The system of claim 19, further comprising: a light-emitting unit removably attachable to an exterior of the helmet shell, the light-emitting unit including: one or more light sources; anda light-emitting unit control system, the light-emitting unit control system communicatively coupled, either directly or via the computing device or network, to the control system of the suspension unit, and being configured to control the light sources to emit light based at least in part on the data signal transmitted by the communication module of the control system of the suspension unit.

21. The system of claim 20, wherein the control system of the suspension unit is communicatively coupled to the computing device or network via the light-emitting unit control system.

22. The system of claim 20, wherein the light-emitting unit includes one or more light-emitting unit sensors arranged to obtain environmental, location, motion, impact and/or other data to supplement the data obtained by the suspension unit.

23. The system of claim 20, wherein the light-emitting unit and the suspension unit are pairable with each other directly or via the computing device or network to facilitate a transfer of data from the suspension unit to the light-emitting unit and/or a transfer of data from the light-emitting unit to the suspension unit.

24. The system of claim 19, wherein the suspension unit is a self-contained unit that is readily attachable to the suspension attachment scheme of the helmet shell and electrically functional apart from the helmet shell.

25. A system for use with a helmet shell having a suspension attachment scheme, the system comprising: a suspension unit removably attachable to an interior of the helmet shell via the suspension attachment scheme, the suspension unit including: a suspension assembly configured to support the helmet shell on a user's head and including a head engagement structure and one or more coupling devices configured to interface with the suspension attachment scheme of the helmet shell to enable removable attachment of the suspension unit to the helmet shell,one or more sensors carried by the suspension assembly and arranged to obtain biometric, environmental, location, motion, impact and/or other data, anda control system carried by the suspension assembly, the control system including at least a power source and a communication module, and being operatively coupled to the one or more sensors to obtain the biometric, environmental, location, motion, impact and/or other data and to transmit, via the communication module, a data signal based at least in part on said biometric, environmental, location, motion, impact and/or other data to a computing device or network from which to enhance user safety and helmet functionality; anda light-emitting unit removably attachable to an exterior of the helmet shell, the light-emitting unit including: one or more light sources, anda light-emitting unit control system, the light-emitting unit control system communicatively coupled, either directly or via the computing device or network, to the control system of the suspension unit, and being configured to control the light sources to emit light based at least in part on the data signal transmitted by the communication module of the control system of the suspension unit.

26. The system of claim 25, wherein the suspension unit is a self-contained unit that is readily attachable to the suspension attachment scheme of the helmet shell and electrically functional apart from the helmet shell.

27. The system of claim 25, wherein the light-emitting unit is a self-contained unit that is readily attachable to the exterior of the helmet shell and electrically functional apart from the helmet shell.