# US 2021/0274875 A1 · Bicycle helmet warning system

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- Number: US 2021/0274875 A1
- Document ID: US20210274875A1
- Status: Published application
- Kind: A1
- Application number: 17/196,871
- Filed: 2021-03-09
- Published: 2021-09-09
- Earliest claimed: 2020-03-09
- Inventors: KAREN B. Z. GLENN
- Web page: https://patentgrep.com/patent/US20210274875A1

## CPC

- A42B 3/0466: {Means for detecting that the user is wearing a helmet}
- G01P 15/02: by making use of inertia forces {using solid seismic masses}(G01P15/14 takes precedence)
- G01V 11/00: Prospecting or detecting by methods combining techniques covered by two or more of main groups G01V1/00 - G01V9/00
- A42B: HATS; HEAD COVERINGS (headbands A41D20/00; head-scarves A41D23/00)
- G01P: MEASURING LINEAR OR ANGULAR SPEED, ACCELERATION, DECELERATION, OR SHOCK; INDICATING PRESENCE, ABSENCE, OR DIRECTION, OF MOVEMENT (measuring or recording blood flow A61B5/02, A61B8/06; monitoring speed or deceleration of electrically-propelled vehicles B60L3/00; vehicle lighting systems adapted to indicate speed B60Q1/54; determining position or course in navigation, measuring ground distance in geodesy or surveying G01C; combined measuring devices for measuring two or more variables of movement G01C23/00; measuring velocity of sound G01H; measuring velocity of light G01J7/00; measuring direction or velocity of solid objects by reception or emission of radiowaves or other waves and based on propagation effects, e.g. Doppler effect, propagation time, direction of propagation, G01S; measuring speed of nuclear radiation G01T; measuring acceleration of gravity G01V; {measuring or recording the speed of trains B61L23/00; speed indicators incorporated in motor vehicles B60K35/00; measuring frequency or phase G01R; traffic control G08G})
- G01V: GEOPHYSICS; GRAVITATIONAL MEASUREMENTS; DETECTING MASSES OR OBJECTS; TAGS (means for indicating the location of accidentally buried, e.g. snow-buried, persons A63B29/02)

## Abstract

A helmet safety system comprises a first set of sensors coupled to a helmet, a second set of sensors coupled to a vehicle, and one or more microcontrollers coupled to the first and second sets of sensors. The one or more microcontrollers can receive sensor data from the first and second sets of sensors and determine, based on the sensor data, that a user is using the bicycle but not wearing the helmet. Responsive to determining that the user is using the bicycle without wearing the helmet, the one or more microcontrollers perform remedial actions, such as disabling or limiting a functionality of the bicycle, emitting an alarm or alert, sending a notification to a first device of the user reminding the user to wear the helmet, and sending a notification to a second device indicating that the user is using the bicycle without wearing the helmet.

## Claims

### Claim 1

A system for detecting whether a user of a bicycle is wearing a helmet, the system comprising:
one or more flex sensors coupled to an inside surface of a helmet;
one or more load sensors coupled to a bicycle seat of a bicycle;
a processor communicatively coupled to the one or more flex sensors and the one or more load sensors; and
a non-transitory computer-readable storage medium comprising instructions executable by the processor, the instructions, when executed by the processor, cause the processor to perform steps comprising:
receiving flex sensor data from the one or more flex sensors;
receiving load sensor data from the one or more load sensors;
comparing the load sensor data to a first threshold value, the first threshold value representing load sensor data of when a user is sitting on the bicycle seat;
responsive to determining that the load sensor data exceeds the first threshold value, comparing flex sensor data to a second threshold value, the second threshold value representing flex sensor data of when a user is wearing the helmet; and
responsive to determining that the flex sensor data exceeds the second threshold value, sending an alert to a device of the user.

### Claim 2 (depends on 1)

The system of claim 1, further comprising one or more of: a heat sensor, pressure sensor, a strain sensor, a stress sensor, an accelerometer, a global positioning system, a speed sensor, or a flex sensor coupled to bicycle handlebars or the bicycle seat of the bicycle and communicatively coupled to the processor.

### Claim 3 (depends on 1)

The system of claim 1, further comprising a first accelerometer coupled to the bicycle and a second accelerometer coupled to the helmet.

### Claim 4 (depends on 3)

The system of claim 3, wherein the instructions further cause the processor to perform steps comprising:
receiving a first set of acceleration data from the first accelerometer;
receiving a second set of acceleration data from the second accelerometer;
comparing the first set of acceleration data to the second set of acceleration data;
responsive to determining that the bicycle and helmet are accelerating at rates outside of a threshold level of similarity based on the comparison, sending an alert to the device of the user.

### Claim 5 (depends on 1)

The system of claim 1, wherein the instructions further cause the processor to perform steps comprising:
responsive to determining that the flex sensor data exceeds the second threshold value, sending an alert to a device of a second user, the second user associated with the user.

### Claim 6 (depends on 1)

The system of claim 1, further comprising:
a speaker coupled to the bicycle and communicatively coupled to the processor; and
wherein the instructions further cause the processor to perform steps comprising:
responsive to determining that the flex sensor data exceeds the second threshold value, sounding an alarm via the speaker.

### Claim 7 (depends on 1)

The system of claim 1, further comprising one or more of: a global positioning system, an accelerometer, a speed sensor, a rotation sensor, a motion sensor, a heat sensor, a pressure sensor, a strain sensor, a stress sensor, or a flex sensor coupled to inside surface of the helmet and communicatively coupled to the processor.

### Claim 8

A system for detecting whether a user of a vehicle is wearing a helmet, the system comprising:
a first set of sensors coupled to an inside surface of a helmet;
a second set of sensors coupled to the vehicle;
a processor communicatively coupled to the first set of sensors and the second set of sensors; and
a non-transitory computer-readable storage medium comprising instructions executable by the processor, the instructions, when executed by the processor, cause the processor to perform steps comprising:
receiving sensor data from the first set of sensors and the second set of sensors;
in response to determining that the user is using the vehicle while wearing the helmet, storing the sensor data with a current time, a current location, and an indication that the user is practicing safe bicycling; and
in response to determining that the user is using the vehicle without wearing the helmet, performing one or more remedial actions selected from the group:
disabling or limiting a functionality of the vehicle, emitting an alarm or alert, sending a notification to a first device of the user reminding the user to wear the helmet, and sending a notification to a second device of a second user indicating that the user is using the vehicle without wearing the helmet.

### Claim 9 (depends on 8)

The system of claim 8, wherein the first set of sensors comprises one or more of a flex sensor, a load sensor, a global positioning system, a speed sensor, a rotation sensor, a motion sensor, a pressure sensor, an accelerometer, a heat sensor, a stress sensor, or a strain sensor.

### Claim 10 (depends on 8)

The system of claim 8, wherein the second set of sensors comprises one or more of a load sensor, a global positioning system, a speed sensor, a rotation sensor, a motion sensor, a flex sensor, a pressure sensor, an accelerometer, a heat sensor, a stress sensor, or a strain sensor.

### Claim 11 (depends on 8)

The system of claim 8, wherein one or more of second set of sensors is coupled to a seat, foot stand, or base of the vehicle.

### Claim 12 (depends on 8)

The system of claim 8, wherein the vehicle is a bicycle, skateboard, scooter, motorcycle, hoverboard, surfboard, skis, snowboard, race car, or horse.

### Claim 13 (depends on 8)

The system of claim 8, wherein the instructions further cause the processor to perform steps comprising:
in response to determining that the user is not using the vehicle while wearing the helmet, storing the sensor data with a current time, a current location, an image of an area around the vehicle, and an indication that the vehicle is not in use.

### Claim 14 (depends on 8)

The system of claim 8, wherein the instructions further cause the processor to perform steps comprising:
in response to determining that the user is not using the vehicle while not wearing the helmet, storing the sensor data with a current time, a current location, an image of an area around the vehicle, and an indication that the vehicle and helmet are not in use.

### Claim 15

A method for detecting whether a user of a vehicle is wearing a helmet, the method comprising:
receiving sensor data from a first set of sensors coupled to a vehicle and a second set of sensors, one or more of the second set of sensors coupled to a helmet;
comparing the sensor data from the first set of sensors to a first set of thresholds to determine if a user is using the vehicle;
comparing the sensor data from the second set of sensors to a second set of thresholds to determine if the user is wearing the helmet;
in response to determining that the user is using the vehicle while wearing the helmet, storing the sensor data with a current time and an indication that the user is practicing safe bicycling; and
in response to determining that the user is using the vehicle without wearing the helmet, performing one or more remedial actions selected from the group: disabling or limiting a functionality of the vehicle, emitting an alarm or alert, sending a notification to a first device of the user reminding the user to wear the helmet, and sending a notification to a second device of a second user indicating that the user is using the vehicle without wearing the helmet.

### Claim 16 (depends on 15)

The method of claim 15, wherein the first set of sensors comprises one or more of a flex sensor, a load sensor, a global positioning system, a speed sensor, a rotation sensor, a motion sensor, a pressure sensor, an accelerometer, a heat sensor, a stress sensor, or a strain sensor.

### Claim 17 (depends on 15)

The method of claim 15, wherein the second set of sensors comprises one or more of a load sensor, a flex sensor, a global positioning system, a speed sensor, a rotation sensor, a motion sensor, a pressure sensor, an accelerometer, a heat sensor, a stress sensor, or a strain sensor.

### Claim 18 (depends on 15)

The method of claim 15, wherein one or more of the second set of sensor is coupled to a seat, foot stand, or base of the vehicle.

### Claim 19 (depends on 15)

The method of claim 15, wherein the vehicle is a bicycle, skateboard, scooter, motorcycle, hoverboard, surfboard, skis, snowboard, race car, or horse.

### Claim 20 (depends on 15)

The method of claim 15, wherein one or more of the second set of sensors are coupled to safety equipment, the safety equipment comprising one or more of knee pads, elbow pads, shin guards, goggles, or a life vest.