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.

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; 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.   
     
     
         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; and   a 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; 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. 
   
     
     
         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; 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. 
   
     
     
         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, 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; and 
   a light-emitting unit removably attachable to an exterior of the helmet shell, the light-emitting unit including:
 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. 
   
     
     
         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.