WO2017013671A1

WO2017013671A1 - Helmet with direction indicators

Info

Publication number: WO2017013671A1
Application number: PCT/IN2015/000454
Authority: WO
Inventors: Nakul Vacher; Pankaj Malik
Original assignee: Individual
Current assignee: Individual
Priority date: 2015-07-21
Filing date: 2015-12-22
Publication date: 2017-01-26
Anticipated expiration: 2018-01-21

Abstract

The present invention pertains to a helmet with direction indicators worn by riders while riding a bike, motorcycle, bicycle or any other two/three/four wheeler vehicle. More particularly, the present invention relates to a helmet with light indicators that work on Intuitive Balance Transfer System technology to show the direction in which the rider wearing the helmet is going to turn.

Description

HELMET WITH DIRECTION INDICATORS FIELD OF THE INVENTION

The present invention pertains to a helmet with direction indicators which is worn by riders while riding a bike, motorcycle, bicycle or any other two/three/four wheeler vehicle. More particularly the present invention relates to a helmet with light indicators for direction indication that work on intuitive balance transfer system technology, which works using a microcontroller, that interfaces with a MEMS (Micro-Electro-Mechanical Systems) accelerometer to determine and show the direction towards which the rider wearing the helmet is going to turn. BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION

As the number of vehicles on the roads is increasing, the state and organization of traffic is becoming worse every day. The numbers of road traffic accidents are increasing day by day. Thus, to ensure the rider's well-being wearing a helmet has become the need of the hour. The document US2008283495 (Al), discloses Micro Electro Mechanical System

Device and method of manufacturing the same. A MEMS (Micro Electro Mechanical

System) device and a method of manufacturing the same, in which an detection indicator is formed on a chamber layer stacked on a substrate such that a user easily inspects whether the chamber layer has a required thickness. The MEMS device can include two detection indicators that are formed on the chamber layer and have different depth from each other, or an detection indicator which is formed on the chamber layer and has a tapered sectional shape in which an upper surface of the detection indicator is gradually narrowed in a downward direction such that a user can easily inspect whether the chamber layer has a required thickness.; The user can precisely determine whether the chamber layer is planarized to a required thickness by planarizing the detection indicator formed on the chamber layer, and inspecting the detection indicator by using an optical microscope, thereby facilitating inspection for a thickness of the chamber layer.

Most motorcycles deaths are due to head injuries. 80% of the road accidents victims are either pedestrians or two-wheelers. On an average there is 1 accident per minute in India and 290 deaths per day. Wearing a motorcycle helmet corectly can result in 40% reduction to risk of death and 70% reduction to risk of severe injury. 155 countries in the world including India, have comprehensive helmet laws which cover drivers and passengers, on all roads and with all engine types. India is' one of the biggest markets for two wheelers and it is important to take measures to make the roads of India safer for two wheelers. Maximum of these road accidents occur because the two wheelers are hit from behind by bigger vehicles. This may be because the driver of the bigger vehicle is not sure in which direction the motorcycle/ bike rider wants to go in. Presently the two wheelers have indicators that blink to indicate direction. The rider presses a button on the handle bars of the two wheelers to indicate left or right. It is often observed that these built in directional/ turn indicates are seldom used by the rider or are not functional on the motorcycle. Moreover big vehicles might not be able to clearly see the indicating lights, because of their placement on the two wheelers. This leads to accidents and injuries and is even fatal to life. Thus, to ensure the rider's well-being there is a need of a helmet with direction indicators wherein the location of the direction indicators on the helmet is in such a manner that they are clearly visible tb all vehicles, big and small thereby enhancing the rider's safety. The short comings and problems in this area of technology are overcome by the present invention. The present invention provides improvement over the existing technologies.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION

The present invention discloses a helmet (12) with direction indicators (13) that includes directional indicators (13) mounted directly onto the helmet (12). These directional indicators (13) work on an "IBTS" system; i.e.; Intuitive Balance Transfer System. The helmet (12) with direction indicators comprises of a plurality of surface mounted diodes strips(SMD's) (13) positioned on the helmet (12); an intuitive balance transfer system circuit (21) including a microcontroller, a battery connected to supply power; a MEMS (Micro-Electro-Mechanical Systems) accelerometer; audio alert, positioned on an inner surface of the helmet; push button toggle type; stop indicator driver; left indicator driver; right indicator driver; charge limiter; charging port; stop indicator; left indicator and right indicator. The benefit of this invention is that since the light indicators (13) are mounted on the helmet (12), they are clearly visible to any vehicle in front of or behind and sides of the two wheelers thereby enhancing the rider's safety. Another benefit is that the rider need not use his hands or press any buttons on the bike and simply can incline his head in the direction he wants to turn, to show indication for turning. The "IBTS" system senses the balance transfer of the riders head and flashes the lights on that side of the helmet (12) to indicate' the direction. The device is a combination of electronic, mechanical and electrical technology. It is accurate and user friendly.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

An embodiment of the present invention is described in greater detail below and more fully appreciated as the same becomes better understood when considered in conjunction with the accompanying drawings:

Figure 1 shows the perspective view of the IBTS system mounted on a helmet. Figure 2 shows the side view of the IBTS system.

Figure 3 shows rear view of the IBTS system. Figure 4 shows top view of the IBTS system. DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION

The present invention is explained in greater detail below. This description is not intended to be a detailed catalogue of all the different ways in which the invention may be implemented, or all features that may be added to the instant invention. For example, features illustrated with respect to one embodiment may be incorporated into other embodiments, and features illustrated with respect to a particular embodiment may be deleted from that embodiment. In addition, numerous variations and additions to the various embodiments suggested herein will be apparent to those skilled in the art in light of the instant disclosure, which do not depart from the instant invention. Hence, the following specification is intended to illustrate some particular embodiments of the invention, and not to exhaustively specify all permutations, combinations and variations thereof. The present invention relates to a helmet (12) as shown in figure 1, with light indicators (13) that work on Intuitive Balance Transfer System Technology i.e. IBTS to show the direction towards which the rider wearing the helmet is going to turn. The IBTS technology works using a microcontroller that interfaces with a MEMS (Micro- Electro-Mechanical Systems) accelerometer to determine and show the direction towards which the rider wearing the helmet is going to turn. The light indicators (13) are used for direction indication. The directional indicators are mounted directly on the helmet (12). The rider can simply incline his head in the direction he wants to turn to show indication for turning. The objective of the present invention is achieved by a circuit (21) which indicates the transfer of balance of the system by blinking light indicators (13), which in this case is surface mounted diodes strips (SMD's) (13), as shown in figure 2. An electronic circuit (21) has been designed and developed, which is positioned/ built into the helmet. The surface mounted diodes (SMD's) (13) are positioned and directly mounted/ built into the helmet. The circuit designed and developed has an independent IBTS system for each of the sides; i.e.; left side balance transfer system and right side balance transfer system.

The components of the circuit (21) are as follows: Rechargeable Battery; Push Button Toggle Type; Surface Mounted Diodes, IBTS 1, 2 (Intuitive Balance Transfer System 1, 2); MEMS (Micro-Electro-Mechanical Systems) accelerometer; Microcontroller; Audio Alert; Stop Indicator Driver; Left Indicator Driver; Right Indicator Driver; Charge Limiter; Charging Port; Stop Indicator; Left Indicator and Right Indicator. The rechargeable battery is used as primary power device for the circuit. The voltage of the rechargeable battery is between 3.7V - 7.4V, however the battery voltage may be increased or decreased. The push button toggle type is used to switch on and off the device. The surface mounted diodes are light indicators. The MEMS (Micro- Electro-Mechanical Systems) accelerometer is an inclination sensor. The audio alert is given through a speaker. The stop indicator driver drives the stop indicator to function. Similarly, the left indicator driver and the right indicator driver drives the left indicator and the right indicator, respectively.

The electronic circuit (21) operates in the following manner. The battery activates the Intuitive Balance Transfer System corresponding to the side it is being directed/ intended and passes an appropriate signal and logic to the microcontroller. The microcontroller analyses the logic and gives its control signal. The microcontroller interfaces with a MEMS accelerometer to determine the inclination. When the user inclines his head to left or right side by a predetermined angle for a predetermined period, the microcontroller detects the same from the data of the accelerometer. Based on a valid gesture, the appropriate indicator light is driven on by the microcontroller for a fixed time period. The user is given a feedback by an audio alert whether, the left or right indicator is on or not. The microcontroller senses the back tilt beyond a certain threshold to stop the left or right indicator lights before the completion of the fixed time period of the indicator. The microcontroller senses a front tilt beyond a certain threshold to drive the stop indicator light for a fixed time period. The microcontroller also monitors the battery voltage and indicates the low battery voltage situation by simultaneously driving the two indicators for short duration. The microcontroller prevents the battery from over charging by disconnecting the charger from the battery when the battery is fully charged In one embodiment of the invention when the rider inclines his/her head at a certain threshold inclination angle towards the right, the indicator lights (13) on the right side of the helmet (12) will start blinking. When the rider inclines his/her head at a certain threshold inclination angle towards the left, the indicator lights (13) on the left side of the helmet (12) will start blinking. In the present embodiment of the invention the inclination angle is 15 + 3 degrees. The angle at which the indicator gets activated can be varied. If the rider makes a mistake and inclines his/her head to the right while turning left, he may incline his/her head to the left and the indicator will change immediately from right to left and vice-a-versa (course correction). In another embodiment of the present invention, if the rider makes a mistake and the IBTS indicators gets activated, then the user can do a back nod of the head beyond a certain threshold. The back nod is sensed by the microcontroller and thereafter the left or r^ght indicator lights (13) stop blinking before completion of the fixed time period of the indicator. In another embodiment of the present invention, the microcontroller senses a front nod beyond a certain threshold to drive the stop indicator light for a fixed time period, thereby illuminating the stop light built/positioned into the helmet(12) (which is of red color).

In another embodiment of the present invention, the duration for which the indicator (13) on ,the helmet (12) stays on is controlled by a timer. The indicator (13) goes off on its own after the time set on the timer has passed. The time for which the indicator (13) stays on is variable. This indication time is prefixed and any change in the same can only be done by us.

In another embodiment of the present invention, the present invention has a power on/off button on the outside surface of the helmet (12) in an easily accessible location. The power on/off button is provided to switch on and switch off the IBTS.

In another embodiment of the present invention, also provided is a charging port on the outer surface of the helmet (12) in an easily accessible location, for connecting the external charger for recharging of the battery. In another embodiment of the present invention, the microcontroller monitors the battery voltage and indicates the low battery voltage situation by simultaneously driving the two indicators (13) for a short time. The microcontroller also prevents the battery from over charging by disconnecting the charger from the battery when the battery is fully charged. In another embodiment of the present invention, the thermocol of the helmet (12) is specially designed to accommodate the fitment of the electronic, mechanical and electrical circuit (21), while retaining its protective properties. In another embodiment of the present invention, the fitment of all the components and lights is placed on the inside of the helmet (12), so that the climatic/weather conditions do not have an impact on the functioning of the IBTS.

In another embodiment of the present invention, the helmet (12) is provided with an audio alert, built on the inside, which gives the feedback to the wearer of the helmet/ rider whether indicators are in operation or not.

Thus, the IBTS is a foolproof working system making the roads in India and abroad a safer place for two wheeler riders. The helmet (12) with direction indicators is an extremely practical and functional way to make driving safer for reducing/preventing two wheeler accidents. The location of the direction indicators on the helmet is in such a manner that they are clearly visible to all vehicles, big and small thereby enhancing the rider's safety and is very user friendly and easy to use. It is also cost effective as it runs on rechargeable battery and has very low maintenance.

The foregoing is illustrative of the present invention, and is not be construed as limiting thereof. While embodiments of the present invention have been shown and described herein, it will be obvious to those skilled in the art that such embodiments are provided by way of example only. Numerous variations, changes and substitutions will now occur to those skilled in the art without departing from the invention. In the claims that follow, the indefinite article "A", or "An" refers to a quantity of one or more of the item following the article, except where expressly stated otherwise. It should be understood that various alternatives to the embodiments of the invention described herein may be employed in practicing the invention. It is intended that the following claims define the scope of the invention and that methods and structures within the scope of these claims and their equivalents be covered thereby.

Claims

Claims:

1. A helmet ( 12) with direction indicators (13) comprising:

a plurality of surface mounted diodes strips (SMD's) (13) positioned on the surface of the helmet (12);

an intuitive balance transfer system circuit (21) comprising a microcontroller, a battery connected to supply power; a MEMS (Micro-Electro-Mechanical Systems) accelerometer; audio alert, positioned on an inner surface of the helmet; push button toggle type; stop indicator driver; left indicator driver; right indicator driver; charge limiter; charging port; stop indicator; left indicator and right indicator.

2. The helmet (12) as claimed in claim 1, wherein the battery activates the Intuitive Balance Transfer System corresponding to the side it is being intended;

the activated Intuitive Balance Transfer System passes an appropriate signal and logic to the microcontroller;

the microcontroller analyses the logic and gives its control signal.

3. The helmet (12) as claimed in claim 1, wherein the indicator lights (13) of the helmet (12) start blinking when the rider inclines his/her head at a certain threshold inclination angle towards the right or left.

4. The helmet (12) as claimed in claim 1, wherein a course correction mechanism is provided to correct the directional blinking of the indicator lights.

5. The helmet (12) as claimed in claim 1, wherein the microcontroller senses a 5 front nod beyond a certain threshold to drive the stop indicator light for a fixed time period illuminating the stop light built into the helmet (12).

6. The helmet (12) as claimed in claim 1, wherein the microcontroller senses a back nod beyond a certain threshold to stop the blinking of left or right indicator lights (13) before completion of the fixed time period of the0 indicator.

7. The helmet (12) as claimed in claim 1, wherein the microcontroller monitors the battery voltage and indicates the low battery voltage situation by simultaneously driving the two indicators (13) for a short time;

wherein the microcontroller prevents the battery from over charging by5 disconnecting the charger from the battery when the battery is fully charged.

8. The helmet for direction indication as claimed in claim 1, wherein thermocol of the helmet (12) is specially designed to accommodate the fitment of the electronic, mechanical and electrical circuit (21).

9. The helmet for direction indication as claimed in claim 1, wherein the helmet '.0 (12) is provided with an audio alert, built on the inside, which gives the feedback to the rider whether indicators are in operation or not.