Wireless bridge to local devices on personal equipment system

Abstract

Some embodiments are provided for providing a wireless bridge to local devices on personal equipment systems. Personal equipment systems can include wireless communication systems that allow external systems, users, or both to communicate with and access data from local devices on the personal equipment systems. Personal equipment systems are provided having one or more local devices coupled thereto and in wired communication with one another. Personal equipment systems can include a wireless system and local devices attached to a headgear system, the local devices being in wired communication with one another and in wireless communication with external systems. The wireless communication system is configured to establish a wireless connection with external systems for communicating with and accessing local devices that are in wired communication with each other.

1 . (canceled) 
     
     
         2 . A headgear system having an interference-resistant optical digital signal link configured to transmit optical digital signals between two or more local devices, the headgear system comprising:
 an exterior shell;   a guide path adjacent to the exterior shell, the guide path configured to direct the optical digital signal link between a first optical connector having a non-contact portion and a second optical connector having a non-contact portion;   a first signal converter having a first local device electrical data interface and a first optical data interface, wherein the first local device electrical data interface is configured to electrically connect to a first electrical data connector of a first local device, and wherein the first signal converter further an optical transceiver configured to send and receive the optical digital signals;   the first optical connector having a non-contact portion configured to couple optical digital signals between the first optical data interface of the first signal converter and a first end of the interference-resistant optical digital signal link across a first gap; and   a second signal converter having a second local device electrical data interface and a second optical data interface, wherein the second local device electrical data interface is configured to electrically connect to a second electrical data connector of a second local device.   
     
     
         3 . The headgear system of  claim 2 , wherein the interference-resistant optical digital signal link comprises:
 a radiation shield comprising an elongate tube having a metallic material layer;   one or more optical fibers disposed within the elongate tube with axes substantially parallel to an elongate axis of the shielding member; and   one or more insulated wires disposed within the elongate tube with axes substantially parallel to the elongate axis of the shielding member configured to transmit an electrical voltage.   
     
     
         4 . The headgear system of  claim 2 , wherein the first signal converter is configured to convert between electrical digital signals and optical digital signals. 
     
     
         5 . The headgear system of  claim 4 , further comprising a controller configured to direct electrical power to the optical transceiver. 
     
     
         6 . The headgear system of  claim 5 , wherein the controller is configured to direct less than or equal to about 500 mW of electrical power to the optical transceiver during transmission of the optical digital signals. 
     
     
         7 . The headgear system of  claim 4 , wherein the optical transceiver is configured to operate at a transmission rate that is less than or equal to about 10 Gbps. 
     
     
         8 . The headgear system of  claim 5 , wherein the controller is configured to direct less than or equal to about 50 mW of electrical power to the optical transceiver during transmission of information between the first and second local devices and the transmission of information occurs at a data rate that is less than or equal to about 2 Gbps. 
     
     
         9 . The headgear system of  claim 2 , wherein the first local device is a visualization system. 
     
     
         10 . The headgear system of  claim 2 , wherein the second local device is a data processing system. 
     
     
         11 . The headgear system of  claim 2 , wherein the guide path comprises a path between an interior surface of the exterior shell and an inner padding of the headgear system. 
     
     
         12 . The headgear system of  claim 11 , further comprising a mount interface configured to substantially secure the first local device to the headgear system. 
     
     
         13 . The headgear system of  claim 12 , wherein the second signal converter is configured to convert between electrical digital signals and optical digital signals. 
     
     
         14 . The headgear system of  claim 13 , wherein the second optical connector includes a non-contact portion configured to couple optical digital signals between the second optical data interface of the second signal converter and a second end of the interference-resistant optical digital signal link across a second gap 
     
     
         15 . A method of providing a signal link between two or more local devices using an interference-resistant optical digital signal link coupled to a headgear system, the method comprising:
 directing an interference-resistant optical digital signal link along a guide path between a first optical connector having a non-contact portion and a second optical connector having a non-contact portion;   using a first signal converter, converting a first electrical digital signal to an optical digital signal, wherein the first signal converter comprises a first local device electrical data interface and a first optical data interface, wherein the first local device electrical data interface is configured to electrically connect to a first electrical data connector of a first local device, and wherein the first signal converter includes an optical transceiver configured to send and receive the optical digital signals;   using the first optical connector having a non-contact portion, coupling the optical digital signal from the first optical data interface of the first signal converter to a first end of the interference-resistant optical digital signal link across a first gap; and   using a second signal converter, converting the output digital signal to a second electrical digital signal, wherein the second signal converter comprises a second local device electrical data interface and a second optical data interface.   
     
     
         16 . The method of  claim 15 , wherein the interference-resistant optical digital signal link comprises:
 a radiation shield comprising an elongate tube having a metallic material layer;   one or more optical fibers disposed within the elongate tube with axes substantially parallel to an elongate axis of the shielding member; and   one or more insulated wires disposed within the elongate tube with axes substantially parallel to the elongate axis of the shielding member configured to transmit an electrical voltage.   
     
     
         17 . The method of  claim 15 , wherein the first and second signal converters consume less than or equal to about 500 mW of power during transmission of information between the first and second local devices. 
     
     
         18 . The method of  claim 17 , wherein the transmission of information occurs at a data rate that is less than or equal to about 10 Gbps. 
     
     
         19 . The method of  claim 15 , wherein the first and second signal converters consume less than or equal to about 50 mW of power during transmission of information between the first and second local devices and the transmission of information occurs at a data rate that is less than or equal to about 2 Gbps. 
     
     
         20 . The method of  claim 15 , wherein coupling the optical digital signal from the first optical data interface of the first signal converter to the first end of the interference-resistant optical digital signal link comprises:
 collimating the optical digital signal using a collimator in the first optical connector having a non-contact portion;   transmitting the collimated optical digital signal across the first gap between the collimator and the interference-resistant optical digital signal link; and   focusing the collimated optical digital signal to a region substantially within a fiber optic disposed within the interference-resistant optical digital signal link thereby coupling the optical digital signal to the interference-resistant optical digital signal link.   
     
     
         21 . The method of  claim 15 , wherein the first local device is a visualization system.