# US 12,594,004 B2 · Systems and methods for monitoring a physiological parameter of persons engaged in physical activity > Agents: this data is available as JSON from the patentgrep API and MCP server — see https://patentgrep.com/llms.txt - Number: US 12,594,004 B2 - Document ID: US12594004B2 - Status: Granted - Kind: B2 - Application number: 18/679,634 - Filed: 2024-05-31 - Published: 2024-12-19 - Granted: 2026-04-07 - Earliest claimed: 2011-09-01 - Assignees: Riddell, Inc. - Applicants: Riddell, Inc. - Inventors: Jeffrey J. Chu; Richard M. Greenwald; Jonathan G. Beckwith - Web page: https://patentgrep.com/patent/US12594004B2 ## CPC - A61B 5/103: Measuring devices for testing the shape, pattern, {colour,} size or movement of the body or parts thereof, for diagnostic purposes (measuring instruments specially adapted for dentistry A61C19/04) - A42B 3/046: {Means for detecting hazards or accidents} - A61B 5/1114: {Tracking parts of the body} - A61B 5/4064: {Evaluating the brain (for intracranial pressure A61B5/031; for cerebral blood gases A61B5/14553; using EEG A61B5/369)} - A61B 5/6803: {Head-worn items, e.g. helmets, masks, headphones or goggles} - G16Z 99/00: Subject matter not provided for in other main groups of this subclass - A61B 5/01: Measuring temperature of body parts {; Diagnostic temperature sensing, e.g. for malignant or inflamed tissue} (clinical contact thermometers G01K13/20) - A61B 5/7435: {Displaying user selection data, e.g. icons in a graphical user interface} - A61B 5/746: {Alarms related to a physiological condition, e.g. details of setting alarm thresholds or avoiding false alarms} - A61B 2503/10: Athletes - A61B 2562/0219: Inertial sensors, e.g. accelerometers, gyroscopes, tilt switches - A61B 2562/0247: Pressure sensors - A61B 2562/046: in a matrix array - A61B: DIAGNOSIS; SURGERY; IDENTIFICATION (usefulness limited to only animals A61D) - A42B: HATS; HEAD COVERINGS (headbands A41D20/00; head-scarves A41D23/00) - G16Z: INFORMATION AND COMMUNICATION TECHNOLOGY [ICT] SPECIALLY ADAPTED FOR SPECIFIC APPLICATION FIELDS, NOT OTHERWISE PROVIDED FOR ## Abstract The present disclosure provides system and method for monitoring of at least one physiological parameter of a person engaged in a physical activity, for example, an impact received by a player engaged in a contact sport such as football. The system includes a monitoring unit that actively monitors the physiological parameter of the person, wherein the monitoring unit generates an alert event when the monitored physiological parameter exceeds a threshold of the parameter. The monitoring unit determines whether the parameter exceeds an over-exposure threshold, wherein said threshold is based upon both a single incidence or cumulative incidences. ## Claims ### Claim 1 A system for monitoring a player engaged in play of a contact sport, the system comprising: a monitoring unit having one or more processors and a sensor assembly comprising a plurality of sensors configured to both sense a physiological parameter and provide a distinct channel of physiological parameter data, and wherein the monitoring unit is arranged within an item of protective sports equipment to be worn by the player and configured to: measure a physiological parameter at a plurality of different predetermined locations of the item of protective sports equipment, record physiological parameter measurements, determine an impact location based on the recorded physiological parameter measurements, determine an impact severity level based upon the recorded physiological parameter measurements and the determined impact location, and transmit the determined impact location and the determined impact severity level, and a remote terminal configured to: receive the determined impact location and the determined impact severity level, and identify an improper tackling technique that the player is utilizing, wherein the improper tackling technique is identified based on the determined impact location of the recorded physiological parameter measurements and the determined impact severity level. ### Claim 2 (depends on 1) The system of claim 1, wherein the monitoring unit is configured to be positioned within a piece of protective sports equipment, and wherein said protective sports equipment includes: (i) an internal pad and (ii) an overliner; and wherein the sensor assembly is configured to be positioned between an extent of the overliner and an extent of the internal pad. ### Claim 3 (depends on 1) The system of claim 1, wherein the recorded physiological parameter measurements include a pressure measurement resulting from an impact that the player received during the play of the sport. ### Claim 4 (depends on 1) The system of claim 1, wherein the recorded physiological parameter measurements include at least two of the following: (i) linear acceleration, (ii) rotational acceleration, (iii) impact direction, and (iv) impact location. ### Claim 5 (depends on 1) The system of claim 1, wherein the determination of the impact severity level by the monitoring unit includes calculating a single impact value by weighting the physiological parameter measurements. ### Claim 6 (depends on 5) The system of claim 5, wherein the monitoring unit further generates a cumulative impact value from the single impact value that exceeds a predetermined threshold. ### Claim 7 (depends on 6) The system of claim 6, wherein the monitoring unit is further configured to transmit a cumulative alert when the cumulative impact value exceeds a predetermined cumulative threshold. ### Claim 8 (depends on 7) The system of claim 7, wherein the predetermined cumulative threshold is weighted to account for at least the player's position or level. ### Claim 9 (depends on 1) The system of claim 1, wherein the monitoring unit is further configured to display information showing the impact severity level and the impact location associated with both of the determined impact location and the determined impact severity level. ### Claim 10 A system for monitoring a player engaged in play of a contact sport, the system comprising: a monitoring unit having both a sensor assembly and one or more processors, and wherein the monitoring unit is arranged in a protective sports helmet that is worn by the player while engaged in a session of the contact sport and configured to; record physiological parameter measurements from a plurality of sensor channels operatively associated in a 1:1 ratio with a plurality of sensors of the sensor assembly, determine a location of a helmet impact based on two or more of the physiological parameter measurements, and determine a head impact technology severity profile (HITsp) value based on the physiological parameter measurements and the determined location of impact, and a remote terminal configured to: identify an improper tackling technique that the player utilized during the session of the contact sport, wherein the improper tackling technique is identified based on the determined HITsp value. ### Claim 11 (depends on 10) The system of claim 10, wherein said protective sports helmet includes: (i) an internal pad and (ii) an overliner; and wherein the sensor assembly is configured to be positioned between an extent of the overliner and an extent of the internal pad. ### Claim 12 (depends on 10) The system of claim 10, wherein the recorded physiological parameter measurements include a pressure measurement resulting from the helmet impact that the player received during the play of the sport. ### Claim 13 (depends on 10) The system of claim 10, wherein the recorded physiological parameter measurements include at least two of the following: (i) linear acceleration, (ii) rotational acceleration, (iii) impact direction, and (iv) impact location. ### Claim 14 (depends on 10) The system of claim 10, wherein the monitoring unit is further configured to calculate a single impact value by weighting the physiological parameter measurements. ### Claim 15 (depends on 14) The system of claim 14, wherein the monitoring unit is further configured to generate a cumulative impact value from the single impact value that exceeds a predetermined threshold. ### Claim 16 (depends on 15) The system of claim 15, wherein the monitoring unit is further configured to transmit a cumulative alert when the cumulative impact value exceeds a predetermined cumulative threshold. ### Claim 17 (depends on 16) The system of claim 16, wherein the predetermined cumulative threshold is weighted to account for at least the player's position or level. ### Claim 18 (depends on 10) The system of claim 10, wherein the monitoring unit is further configured to display information showing both the player that utilized the identified improper tackling technique and the session during which said identified improper tackling technique occurred. ### Claim 19 A system for monitoring a player engaged in play of a contact sport, the system comprising: a monitoring unit positioned within a piece of protective sports equipment worn by the player, and wherein the monitoring unit: (i) includes one or more processors and a plurality of sensors arranged at different predetermined locations within the piece of protective sports equipment, wherein said one or more processors and said plurality of sensors are configured to provide distinct electrical channels of physiological parameter data resulting from an impact to said protective sports equipment, and (ii) is configured to record physiological parameter measurements based on said distinct electrical channels of physiological parameter data and the predetermined different locations of the plurality of sensors; and a remote terminal configured to identify an improper technique that the player is utilizing based on the physiological parameter measurements recorded by the monitoring unit. ### Claim 20 (depends on 19) The system of claim 19, wherein the improper technique is identified based upon impact frequency. ### Claim 21 (depends on 19) The system of claim 19, wherein the improper technique is identified based upon impact location. ### Claim 22 (depends on 19) The system of claim 19, wherein the improper technique is identified based upon impact magnitude. ### Claim 23 (depends on 19) The system of claim 19, wherein the piece of protective sports equipment includes: (i) an internal pad and (ii) an overliner; and wherein the sensor assembly is configured to be positioned between an extent of the overliner and an extent of the internal pad. ### Claim 24 (depends on 19) The system of claim 19, wherein the physiological parameter measurements include a pressure measurement resulting from an impact that the player received during the play of the contact sport. ### Claim 25 (depends on 19) The system of claim 19, wherein the physiological parameter measurements include at least two of the following: (i) linear acceleration, (ii) rotational acceleration, (iii) impact direction, and (iv) impact location. ### Claim 26 (depends on 19) The system of claim 19, wherein the monitoring unit is further configured to display information showing that the player has utilized the identified improper technique, wherein the improper technique is identified based on the physiological parameter measurements recorded by the monitoring unit and the predetermined different locations of the plurality of sensors within the piece of protective sports equipment. ### Claim 27 A system for monitoring a player engaged in play of a sport, the system comprising: a monitoring unit having both a sensor assembly and a control module, and wherein the monitoring unit is configured to: record physiological parameter measurements, calculate a single impact value by weighting the physiological parameter measurements, and generate a cumulative impact value from the single impact value that exceeds a predetermined threshold, and a remote terminal configured to display information showing that the player has utilized an improper tackling technique, wherein the improper tackling technique is identified based on at least one of the location of the recorded physiological parameter measurements or the magnitude of the recorded physiological parameter measurements. ### Claim 28 (depends on 27) The system of claim 27, wherein the monitoring unit is configured to be positioned within a piece of protective sports equipment, and wherein said protective sports equipment includes: (i) an internal pad and (ii) an overliner; and wherein the sensor assembly is configured to be positioned between an extent of the overliner and an extent of the internal pad. ### Claim 29 (depends on 27) The system of claim 27, wherein the recorded physiological parameter measurements include a pressure measurement resulting from an impact that the player received during the play of the sport. ### Claim 30 (depends on 27) The system of claim 27, wherein the recorded physiological parameter measurements include at least two of the following: (i) linear acceleration, (ii) rotational acceleration, (iii) impact direction, and (iv) impact location. ### Claim 31 (depends on 27) The system of claim 27, wherein the monitoring unit is further configured to transmit a cumulative alert when the cumulative impact value exceeds a predetermined cumulative threshold. ### Claim 32 (depends on 31) The system of claim 31, wherein the predetermined cumulative threshold is weighted to account for at least the player's position or level.