Exotect
New spine-protecting motoring and sports equipment and apparel are provided. In some aspects of the invention, variably-joined pivoting and sliding members with both overall and local pivoting-speed and/or range-limits pivot about central points, lines and/or curves, which approximates the rotational center line of a user's spine, spinal cord or points of optimal flex reduction for a wearer's safety. Aiding in creating pivot-points and/or pivot lines are external body-holding extensions, connected to at least some of the pivoting and sliding members (a.k.a., “brace sections”). In one preferred embodiment, a torso-gripping jacket implements the above-described aspects, and a top-most member, linked with the other members, rotates more greatly and variably interlocks with rigid slot in the rear base of a specialized protective helmet, protecting the user's neck from breaking in a crash.
The present invention relates to the field of crash-protective motoring equipment and motorsports equipment.
BACKGROUNDSince the 1970s, over 40,000 people per year have perished in motor vehicle accidents in the United States, placing motor vehicle accidents among the top ten causes of death for each year up to 2009. See U.S. D.O.T., N.H.T.S.A., Research Note: Motor Vehicle Traffic Crashes as a Leading Cause of Death in the United States, 2008 and 2009, available at http://www.nhtsa.gov/, accessed Feb. 17, 2013. For people in their teens and 20s, motor vehicle crashes are the leading cause of death among all causes.
The risk of severe injury is far greater for motorcyclists in particular. Per vehicle mile traveled, motorcyclists died 30 times more often in accidents than passenger car occupants in 2010. See U.S. D.O.T., N.H.T.S.A., Traffic Safety Facts, 2010 Data, at table 2. Put simply, unlike in cars, there is nothing around a motorcyclist to protect him or her from injury during crashes. As a result, motorcyclists are at a particularly high risk of traumatic injury leading to death and other permanent disabilities.
In the National Traffic and Motor Vehicle Safety Act of 1966, vehicle safety equipment began to be mandated by United States federal regulatory authorities. History.com, This Day in History: Sep. 9, 1966, President Johnson Signs the National Traffic and Motor Vehicle Safety Act, accessed Feb. 23, 2013, available at http://www.history.com. Lap seatbelts and optional, separate shoulder belts were introduced first. See, e.g., Tarbet, M. J., Cost and Weight Added by the Federal Motor Vehicle Safety Standards for Model Years 1968-2001 in Passenger Cars and Light Trucks, NHTSA Report Number DOT HS 809 834, at Section 3, p. 64 et seq. (2004), available at http://www.nhtsa.gov/cars/rules/regrev/evaluate/809834.html. But, due to the incomplete protection and additional risks posed by the high-pressure of those belts on a user's waist, with insufficiently uncontrolled movement and collisions of the upper torso, integral 3-point seatbelts (including a strap across the shoulder) were later adopted. See, id.; cf. Abbas, A. K., et al., Seatbelts and Road Traffic Collision Injuries, World J. Emer. Surgery, 6:18 (May 28, 2011), available at http://www.wjes.org/content/6/1/18. An early integral three-point seatbelt was introduced by an engineer at Volvo, Nils Bohlin. Additional seatbelt improvements include retracting and locking belts, some of which hold a driver tightly upon sudden crashes.
Vehicles were initially made extremely rigid and strong, but that approach proved dangerous in crashes, because a large amount of force would be transferred directly to the driver. In 1959, an engineer at Mercedes Benz, Bela Berenyi, designed crumple zones for absorbing the energy of a crash and reducing destructive force of impact with a user's body. Crumple zones have become increasingly sophisticated, and help protect the modern driver in a variety of crash scenarios, including side-impact. PBS, Nova Online, Escape through Time, Car, available at http://www.pbs.org/wgbh/nova/escape/timecar.html, accessed Feb. 17, 2013. Air bags, followed by multiple zone and multiple-impact variants, were also introduced and then mandated in the 1990s. History.com, This Day in History: Sep. 1, 1998, Federal Legislation Makes Airbags Mandatory, accessed Feb. 17, 2013, available at http://www.history.com.
Protective helmets have been worn in motor racing, aviation, other various sports and warfare for many decades, and serve both as a barrier and cushion to blows, when the design includes internal padding. Recently, impact-protective pads and suiting have been developed—particularly for motorcyclists, but also for motor racing in general. The high speeds and increased risk of injury from falling and unprotected bodily impact in those scenarios have driven those technological developments. Some of the technological developments include protective cushioning, plates and “drag pads”—which allow a rider to drag his or her knee on the ground at high speed to lean into turns.
Some neck supports have also been developed, in an effort to combat the risk of head and neck injury during crashes. See, e.g., Alpine Bionic Neck Support Product Details, available at http://www.alpinestars.com/bionic-neck-support-sb-special-blend.html#.USBxkOizPBU, accessed Feb. 15, 2013.
However, as noted at the outset, death and injuries from automotive accidents remain at unacceptably high levels, despite each of the above advancements, and recent advancements have produced increasingly diminished returns.
SUMMARY OF THE INVENTIONNew spine-protecting motoring and sports equipment and apparel are provided. In some aspects of the invention, variably-joined pivoting and sliding members with both overall and local pivoting-speed and/or range-limits pivot about central points, lines and/or curves, which approximates the rotational center line of a user's spine, spinal cord or points of optimal flex reduction for a wearer's safety. Aiding in creating pivot-points and/or pivot lines are external body-holding extensions, connected to at least some of the pivoting and sliding members (a.k.a., “brace sections”). In one preferred embodiment, a torso-gripping jacket implements the above-described aspects, and a top-most member, linked with the other members, rotates more greatly and variably interlocks with rigid slot in the rear base of a specialized protective helmet, protecting the user's neck from breaking in a crash.
Where any term is set forth in a sentence, clause or statement (“statement”), each possible meaning, significance and/or sense of any term used in this application should be read as if separately, conjunctively and/or alternatively set forth in additional statements, as necessary to exhaust the possible meanings of each such term and each such statement.
It should also be understood that, for convenience and readability, this application may set forth particular pronouns and other linguistic qualifiers of various specific gender and number, but, where this occurs, all other logically possible gender and number alternatives should also be read in as both conjunctive and alternative statements, as if equally, separately set forth therein.
An alternative possible rotational point or axis 111 is also shown. Rotational point or axis 111 is approximately in the center, or along a central longitudinal line or curve, of the foramen 103 and spinal cord 105 within the foramen.
Points/axes/curves 107 and 111, and rotational, extension, compression, tilting and shifting progressions along such points, axes and curves, and other points, axes and curves, will be further discussed in reference to additional figures, set forth below, as targets for such movement and movement protection, and as indicators of net, resulting movement.
Brace section 201 may be one of several brace elements, used in unison in an integrated set of associated brace sections, and variably holding a user's body at several longitudinal points or body-conforming rings along the torso, neck and head. As will be discussed in greater detail in reference to additional figures, several forms of association to create such a set involve one or more unifying, preferably curved and/or sectioned rod(s) or columns with rotational limits, for example, linking such brace sections at a junction point, such as that shown as 213. The precise functions of the entire associated architectures of such sets will be discussed in greater detail below, but for the purposes of this figure, it is sufficient to note that, with support from neighboring structures anchored to various bodily areas, scaffolding and other anchoring structures, brace section 201 may limit the motion of the user's body in the regions gripped by body-hugging and/or -holding extensions, such as those shown as brace processes 215.
As shown by radial lines 217, drawn from point or axis 207 and describing the path of circular-path-sliding attachment members 219 from encapsulating housing 221, movement of the brace processes 215 relative to the remainder of brace section 201 is restricted to a semi-circular path, centering on point, axis or curve 207. Because processes 215 hug or otherwise conform to the outer surface of the user's body, the user's body also is substantially restricted to a circular path about point, axis or curve 207. Furthermore, due to slide-limiting pieces 223, which may collide with and hold internal barbed ends 225 of sliding members 219, that circular path is subject to outer limits, which may include both local and overall limits for a set of associated brace sections, depending on the designed characteristics of unifying structures. As will be explained in greater detail below, owing to further aspects of the association of braces in a complex with rod(s) and/or other brace pieces, directions of articulation of the user's body other than twisting and rotating—such as tilting, compression, and extension, may also be limited, both locally and over the entire longitude of the brace complex. In some aspects, movement, such as twisting, may be forced or encouraged in a progression of sequential, maximum local tolerances, after which point the overall movement of the complex is totally limited. Such embodiments may include movement-resisting or ideal posture encouraging force biasing.
Although a circular sliding path is depicted for attachment members 219, it should be noted that slightly different curves may, instead, be used for those paths such that, with the elasticity of the human body, and of padding and other elastic pieces, a resulting circular pivot point, axis and/or curve at a desired protected point 207 is achieved. Such variations may be optimized on an individual-user-by-individual-user basis, based on an analysis of a user's body motion and force resistance dynamics. Also, where a central point, axis or curve cannot be achieved, and therefore cannot be made a target of a designed sliding path for members 219, due, for example, to the complexity of body, cushioning and member-flexing dynamics, a target area including probably points, axes or curves of rotation may be used and a central, probable or actual point of such area covering rotation points, axes or curves may, instead, be used. If cushioning is used in brace section 201, such as the examples depicted as internal process cushioning 227, and back-support/cushioning 229 (which comprise a variable-giving foam, as shown by the internal circular texture gradient), flexible materials, such as flexible bands 231, may aid in reducing resistance to the movement of sliding attachment members 219.
The interaction of the two rod layers (in a two-rod-layer embodiment, or more, in the instance of more layers) may provide a range of freer movement, provided by space tolerances between binding structures of each. For example inner rod layer 305 may include attached or integral tabs, such as those examples shown as 307, which may emerge from windows, such as those pictured as 309, in outer rod layer 303 and pivot and slide within them. More specifically, tabs 307 may move both laterally and up and down (along with twisting or shifting inner rod layer 305) to some tolerated degree before encountering the edges of windows 309, through which they protrude, after which point the flexibility of the rod layers dictate limits for further, force-bias-resisted movement (for example, from the flexibility of the inner rod 305 material. Tabs 307 may also be or serve as extension points for body-holding processes (not pictured in this figure, but discussed elsewhere in this application), which therefore limit over-movement of aspects of the human body, as well as the force-biasing and/or regional and overall limits for brace section sets discussed in this application. The limitation of movement of Tabs 307 by windows 309 may also, as mentioned above, have the effect of limiting the extension/compression of, especially, the inner rod, because windows 309 may limit the involvement of the inner rod being extended/compressed to lengths extending distally from that point. In those embodiments, such differentiation may be desirable to create a greater range of rotation than compression/extension, protecting against, for example, herniation of intervertebral disks, while still permitting free rotational movement.
The rod complex 301 may extend to or be temporarily attached to additional body-anchoring processes, aside from the body-holding processes discussed above. For example, a variably-interlocking top tab 311 attached to either or both of the rod layers may interface with, and temporarily lock into, a tab-accepting pocket (not pictured) in a helmet and/or cervical gripping process, to limit movements of the neck in the same way as the body-holding processes. The limits of movement tab 311 may be optimized for regional and overall safe limits of head and neck movement. Similarly, a lower tab and/or process extensions 313 may be attached to either or both rod layers and hug the user's pelvis, lap and/or posterior aspects of the user's body, or even anchor with a seating structure, for example, a vehicle seating structure, to aid in anchoring the complex and user and providing protective limits for the user's pelvis and lower back, as well as the remainder of the area protected by the bracing aspects discussed above.
To ease the differential movement of rod layers 303 and 305, movement enhancing devices and materials may be used, such as lubricants (preferably lubricant impregnation of at least some of the component materials, as with graphite) or bearings may be used. Also preferably, outer layer 303 is at least generally stiffer, more supportive, protective and stronger structurally than inner layer 305, such that inner layer 303 is more flexible and able to provide some rotation, shifting, tilting, extension and compression movement by moving itself within outer layer 305, while still providing safety limits for all types of body movement through interaction with outer layer 303, which itself may provide some movement range, albeit with considerably less rotational and other forms of flexibility. The greater flexibility of inner rod layer 305 enables it to conform to the hollow inner core of outer rod layer 303, while performing its role(s). However, any motion-controlling or limiting role may be managed by either or both rod layers and, as also mentioned above, the roles of the rod layers may be reversed in some embodiments.
In this embodiment of aspects of the invention, free movement may be provided and limited by insertion-locking tabs (not pictured in this figure, but pictured in the subsequent figure as 509) and tab-accepting slots 411. Barbing 413 toward the inner, top-end (facing the viewer) of upper body 407 may interface with complementary barbing (shown in
In some embodiments, a single, concentric tab 509 and tab-accepting slot 411 may be used, that each span the circumference of lower body 405 and upper body 407, respectively. In such an embodiment, the tab 509 and slot 411 may rotate more freely, and separate rotational moving sections and bearings may be omitted, although rotational stopping members may still be incorporated on the face of tab 509 and slot 411, to provide desired rotational protection. However, even if more economical to produce, such an embodiment is not be preferred because the less restricted movement of the tabs in multiple planes leads to a greater risk of failure by the tab 509 disengaging from the slot 411, especially when one brace section 401 is tilted or twisted relative to another with which it is engaged.
Also shown in
The brace sections set forth as examples in
As alluded to above, some brace sections 703 have processes 711 attached to and substantially fixed in rotation, tilt, shift, compression and other movements with them. Also as alluded to, and as pictured, processes 711 hold the user's body, by substantially wrapping around and conforming to it. Preferably, processes 711 comprise a semi-flexible, semi-rigid, strong, curved material able to create moderate holding pressure against the user's body, and prevent slipping off in the event of exerting physical limits or encountering other trauma. But processes 711 may, alternatively or in addition, comprise bands that may be variably interlocked with one another once brought around the user's body, creating a closed loop(s) around the user's body. In a preferred embodiment, such variable interlocking can be simplified by making processes 711 an integral part of the user's garment, such as her motorcycle riding jacket 707, and by making the closing process for the jacket one and the same with interlocking the left and right process of a bracket section around the user's body, in the front of the jacket (not pictured). In other words, a zipper or buckles may be attached to both ends of each paired set of processes 711 and the remainder of jacket 707, at the edge of the front flaps of the jacket, when open in front and, by closing such fastener(s) to close the jacket, the user may automatically fasten processes 711 together with one another, in the front, to close securing loops around her body.
To integrate the user's motorcycle helmet 709 as another spine and body-protecting process, the top bracket section may variably fasten to the user's helmet, which may then, once donned and so fastened, render the entire helmet a spine, head and neck-protecting process (protecting each of them from over-movement, as well as trauma. More specifically, the top-most brace section 713 may, for example, comprise a male end of a variably-barbed release buckle, along with a female slot 715 in or otherwise connected to or part of the helmet, in the area of the helmet near the back of the user's neck. A release button 717, which is preferably inside the user's helmet beneath padding, a flap or other protector (and/or otherwise secure from unintentional depression, for example, during a crash) may be used to retract barbing or another catch between the male and female parts of the buckle, and release the helmet from the brace set 701.
While, generally, any other type of brace section discussed in this application may be used in set 701, some alternative aspects of a new type of brace section 703 will also be discussed. In
The additional shoulder-gripping processes and/or straps 841 are attached to a brace section 803 near the top of the set 801, but far enough down the set that, with enough gripping pressure (e.g., tightness), the set will be pulled predominantly upward, rather than predominantly sideways, by the straps 841. Another set of posterior-gripping processes and/or straps 843 may also be provided which, when properly attached as a lower part of the set 801 (such that, with sufficient pulling pressure (e.g., tightness), the set will be pulled predominantly downward, rather than predominantly sideways), oppose the pulling pressure from the shoulder-gripping processes and/or straps 841.
In conjunction with one another, and the structural strength of the remainder of the set, processes and/or straps 841 and 843 may provide longitudinal stability and support, and may aid in preventing over-extension during collisions and other dangerous sources of potential over-motion. As will also be discussed in greater detail below, in some embodiments, the tightness, holding strength and other aspects of all processes may be variably controlled before or during use, by a user and/or control system, and sensors and actuators for that purpose. Conversely, a non-compressible, or limited compression rod, such as the rod types discussed with reference to
Preferably, the set of posterior-gripping processes and/or straps 843 are variably attachable to the overall set 801 of brace sections 803, for example, by a variably-barbed release buckle, of a nature similar to male and female brace section and slot 713 and 715, discussed above, with a similar release button or trigger similarly protected from accidental actuation. The set of posterior-gripping processes and/or straps 843 may be incorporated in a garment, as with processes/straps 711, discussed above—such as within riding chaps—or may comprise a stand-alone harness. As with processes/straps 711, preferably, processes/straps 843 form a loop around each of the user's thighs but, unlike with processes/straps 711, those loops 845 are preferably always closed loops, although, preferably, their tension may be adjusted, as can the tension in main lead 847 which variably connects with the bottom bracket section 849, as discussed above, in some embodiments.
Rather than rely on purely passive brace sections, and the resilience of materials, aspects of the invention benefit from active monitoring and reaction to environmental stimulus, and the anticipation of dangers, to reduce the risk of injury to a user. Any of the processes and brace sections discussed in this application may benefit from the active management aspects of the present invention, for example, by further comprising movement-controlling actuators controlled by a control system.
Among other types of actuation, a control system controlling the actuation of sensor/actuators 1001 may carry out active movements and other actuations in the following major areas, but is not limited to these areas: (a) preparatory movement of the user's body for or to avoid a potential acceleration/deceleration and impact, of varying imminence; (b) preparatory movement of processes and other bracing and shielding to better to avoid or absorb acceleration/deceleration and impacts of varying imminence; (c) preparatory locking or other engagement of “soft impact” force-absorbing devices to better protect a user from, and absorb acceleration/deceleration and impact; (d) reorienting and supporting a user's body for balance, posture, and altering G-forces; (e) movement or actuation of the user's body during acceleration/deceleration and impact to decrease danger and destruction to the user's body; (f) movement or actuation of processes and other bracing and shielding during impact to better absorb deceleration and impacts; (g) locking or other engagement of soft impact devices, such as but not limited to, a kinetic sink, during impact to better protect a user from, and absorb deceleration and impact; (h) engaging and actuating local limits (including, but not limited to soft limits) to ranges of movement of a user's body, in anticipation of impact; (i) engaging and actuating overall limits (including, but not limited to soft limits) to ranges of movement of a user's body, in anticipation of impact; (j) engaging and actuating local limits (including, but not limited to soft limits) to ranges of movement of a user's body, during impact; (k) engaging and actuating overall limits (including, but not limited to soft limits) to ranges of movement of a user's body, during impact.
To illustrate, we will assume that a motorcycle rider has donned a set of integrated brace sections such as section 1000, which are actuable by control system 1005, to protect him- or herself while riding, and has mounted a motorcycle. The control system 1005 may detect that the user has mounted a motorcycle and/or started it by local or wireless communication or motorcycle seat posture detection, for example, through servo/motors controlling and directing the articulation of brace sections in every possible direction and type of movement, using the set. At this stage, the control system may enter a mode for riding, in which further sensation and articulation are geared toward the activity of riding a motorcycle, and the set of brace sections may begin active tensioning, which may require the use of power from the control system 1005, but would not be warranted prior to triggering that operational mode. As the user begins to accelerate on the motorcycle, and ride, the system may anticipate or sense that acceleration, for example, from a separate accelerometer (not pictured) that is networked or otherwise in communication with the system. As a result, the control system 1005 may begin to take action to encourage or push the user's body into a proper orientation for such acceleration, such as a more leaned-forward position to bring or maintain the nose of the motorcycle, and front wheel down on the ground. Failing sufficient body actuation for such safe balance, the system may also actuate the accelerator of the motorcycle to reduce acceleration to remove the risk of the motorcycle flipping backward, or losing front-wheel-to-ground contact, depending on the aggressiveness of user safety settings. Alternatively, a wheel pressure, or balance point detector on the motorcycle may trigger such throttle actuation response, by the same criteria. The system may also engage actuated shielding to cover vital organs at the front of the rider, and add force-loading or locks via actuators, such as 1001, against the direction more likely to absorb a potential impact, or that incurs such an impact. As the user rounds corners, the system may correct critical errors in balancing, for example, by coordinated shifting and tilting actuation of sensor motors 1001 in all brace sections, preventing the motorcycle from tipping over and “dumping” on the ground at high speed. Such reactions may be heightened under circumstances indicating higher degrees of danger, such as heavy breaking at high speed, indicating that a collision is more likely. In addition, active collision detection, such as with sonar or other Doppler reflection from near objects or other object tracking analysis may be conducted by the system to detect or project potential collision. Depending on how specific such object, object-movement, and object-collision subsystems and sensors are, the system may also take other actions in response to potential and imminent impacts. For example, if a dense or large object is traveling directly at the user, the system may move the user's body slightly out of the way to avoid impact. If such an impact cannot be avoided, the system may begin locking sections or otherwise bracing, moving shielding to meet, or otherwise form a barrier to spinal or other bodily damage from the impact, and/or create a larger space for softer deceleration of body parts. In addition, the system may extend processes and shielding away from the user's body in the direction of potential impact and, if and as impact occurs, absorb the impact with process movement, to avoid acceleration of and impact with the user's body, with absorbing movements toward the space thereby created between the processes and the user's body. The system may also move the user's body part subject to collision further away from the object that is projected to be a source of potential impact, and decelerate the user's body more slowly through sensor/motor actuation during an impact (a “soft impact” technique). Processes may even be used to block, scatter, or move objects, causing them to roll off of the user's body.
Additional stabilization, preparation and protection may be accomplished with additional aspects, in communication with a control system, as set forth further, below. An exemplary control system for carrying out such steps as described here is also provided as
In the embodiment pictured, a control system may variably actuate such joint resistance or binding by constricting electromotive actuator bands 1117, which may be connected to or otherwise in communication with the control system, for example, via communications wires 1119. As such, a control system may drive impact-absorbing resistance or protective locking and support to protect a user's body from injury, in accordance with other aspects of the invention set forth herein.
Other bracing, shielding and impact-softening aspects may be so modulated by a control system in anticipation of or during an impact, as discussed previously in the context of a system for a motorcycle user in
For example, as shown in
The impact-protective aspects of a crash control system may therefore be used in an automobile impact scenario, as well as a motorcycle impact scenario, as discussed previously. By using semi-separated chambers and/or individually filling them, as necessary, an equal timing of body-retaining pressure may be exerted on the user's body by a control system, avoiding movement differentials between the user's body and head during impact, which can be a cause of whiplash.
Similarly, blocking extending flanges, shields or space-creating extending sticks or other members can be actuated by such a system on a motorcycle during a crash impact, or upon “dumping” a bike in a crash, to prevent the motorcycle from crushing or dragging the user's leg(s).
For example, and in connection with aspects of the invention discussed in reference to the remaining figures, the system may carry out any aspects of the present invention as necessary with associated hardware and using specialized software, including, but not limited to, controlling the form, structural strength, holding force, conformation with a user's body, reaction(s) and other movement of brace sections, frame pieces, cushioning (including gas-inflated cushioning) and other aspects holding and protecting aspects of the user's body using attached sensor/motors and other actuating devices. The system may also, among many other things described for control systems in this application, respond to user, sensor and other input (for example, by a user-actuated GUI controlled by computer hardware and software or by another physical control) to activate/deactivate or release/fasten or reel in support and protective devices, and detect and analyze body dynamics, collision hazards, balance, and any other factor. The system 1701 may also permit the user and/or system-variation of settings, including but not limited to the affects of user activity on modes of operation of the system, and send external alerts and other communications (for example, to emergency personnel) via external communication devices, for any control system aspect that may require or benefit from such external or system-extending communications.
The processor 1707 is capable of processing instructions stored in memory devices 1703 and/or 1705 (and/or ROM or RAM), and may communicate with any of these, and/or any other connected component, via system buses 1775. Input/output device 1701 is capable of input/output operations for the system, and may include/communicate with any number of input and/or output hardware, such as a computer mouse, keyboard, entry pad, actuable display, networked or connected second computer, other GUI aspects, camera(s) or scanner(s), sensor(s), sensor/motor(s), range-finders, GPS systems, receiver(s), transmitter(s), transceiver(s), transflecting transceivers (“transflecters”), antennas, electromagnetic actuator(s), mixing board, reel-to-reel tape recorder, external hard disk recorder (solid state or rotary), additional hardware controls (such as, but not limited to, buttons and switches, and actuators (such as, but not limited to, the type of physical resistive force adjusting device discussed with reference to
1701, 1703, 1705, 1707, 1719, 1721 and 1723 are connected and able to communicate communications, transmissions and instructions via system busses 2375. Storage media and/or hard disk recorder and/or cloud storage port or connection device 2305 is capable of providing mass storage for the system, and may be a computer-readable medium, may be a connected mass storage device (e.g., flash drive or other drive connected to a U.S.B. port or Wi-Fi) may use back-end (with or without middle-ware) or cloud storage over a network (e.g., the internet) as either a memory backup for an internal mass storage device or as a primary memory storage means, or may simply be an internal mass storage device, such as a computer hard drive or optical drive.
Generally speaking, the system may be implemented as a client/server arrangement, where features of the invention are performed on a remote server, networked to the client and made a client and server by software on both the client computer and server computer. Input and output devices may deliver their input and receive output by any known means of communicating and/or transmitting communications, signals, commands and/or data input/output, including, but not limited to, input through the devices illustrated in examples shown as 1717, such as 1709, 1711, 1713, 1715, and 1777 and any other devices, hardware or other input/output generating and receiving aspects. Any phenomenon that may be sensed may be managed, manipulated and distributed and may be taken or converted as input or output through any sensor or carrier known in the art. In addition, directly carried elements (for example a light stream taken by fiber optics from a view of a scene) may be directly managed, manipulated and distributed in whole or in part to enhance output, and whole ambient light or other RF information for an environmental region may be taken by a series of sensors dedicated to angles of detection, or an omnidirectional sensor or series of sensors which record direction as well as the presence of electromagnetic or other radiation. While this example is illustrative, it is understood that any form of electromagnetism, compression wave or other sensory phenomenon may include such sensory directional and 3D locational information, which may also be made possible by multiple locations of sensing, preferably, in a similar, if not identical, time frame. The system may condition, select all or part of, alter and/or generate composites from all or part of such direct or analog image or other sensory transmissions, including physical samples (such as DNA, fingerprints, iris, and other biometric samples or scans) and may combine them with other forms of data, such as image files, dossiers or metadata, if such direct or data encoded sources are used.
While the illustrated system example 1700 may be helpful to understand the implementation of aspects of the invention, it is understood that any form of computer system may be used to implement many control system and other aspects of the invention—for example, a simpler computer system containing just a processor (datapath and control) for executing instructions from a memory or transmission source. The aspects or features set forth may be implemented with, and in any combination of, digital electronic circuitry, hardware, software, firmware, or in analog or direct (such as electromagnetic wave-based, physical wave-based or analog electronic, magnetic or direct transmission, without translation and the attendant degradation, of the medium) systems or circuitry or associational storage and transmission, any of which may be aided with enhancing media from external hardware and software, optionally, by wired or wireless networked connection, such as by LAN, WAN or the many connections forming the internet or local networks. The system can be embodied in a tangibly-stored computer program, as by a machine-readable medium and propagated signal, for execution by a programmable processor. The method steps of the embodiments of the present invention also may be performed by such a programmable processor, executing a program of instructions, operating on input and output, and generating output. A computer program includes instructions for a computer to carry out a particular activity to bring about a particular result, and may be written in any programming language, including compiled and uncompiled, interpreted languages, assembly languages and machine language, and can be deployed in any form, including a complete program, module, component, subroutine, or other suitable routine for a computer program.
Claims
1. A system for permitting movement while controlling over-movement of a user's body in the same direction(s), comprising a set of connected variable-position and/or variable relative movement (with respect to one another) brace sections, each of which holds and/or otherwise confines at least part of the user's body, and each of which encounters both local (with respect to other, neighboring brace sections) and overall (with respect to a foundation or the remainder of the set) limits to its range of movement and, thereby, the range of movement of parts of the user's body.
2. The system for permitting movement while controlling over-movement of a user's body in the same direction(s) of claim 1, in which the system further comprises a centering or other resting conformation bias, which may comprise a force bias such as a spring, for returning or urging the brace sections to a desired default posture.
3. The system for permitting movement while controlling over-movement of a user's body in the same direction(s) of claim 1, in which said limits to its range of movement comprise rotational limits.
4. The system for permitting movement while controlling over-movement of a user's body in the same direction(s) of claim 3, in which said rotational limits further comprise a central point(s), line(s) or curve(s) (or progression thereof) of rotation located within a desired area of protection from over movement within the user's body.
5. The system for permitting movement while controlling over-movement of a user's body in the same direction(s) of claim 4, in which said central point(s), line(s) or curve(s) (or progression thereof) of rotation is/are located within or about the user's spinal cord, or within or about a potential location of a potential user's spinal cord.
6. The system for permitting movement while controlling over-movement of a user's body in the same direction(s) of claim 5, in which said central point(s), line(s) or curve(s) (or progression thereof) of rotation is/are located, at least in part, at or about the center of a vertebral foramen and/or spinal cord of a user or a potential center of a vertebral foramen and/or spinal cord of a potential user.
7. The system for permitting movement while controlling over-movement of a user's body in the same direction(s) of claim 5, in which said central point(s), line(s) or curve(s) (or progression thereof) of rotation is/are located, at least in part, at or about an evidentiarily-established potential center of rotation of at least one of a user's (or potential user's) vertebra in vivo, such as, but not limited to, a location at or about the anterior edge of the spinal cord and/or the posterior edge of the vertebral body.
8. The system for permitting movement while controlling over-movement of a user's body in the same direction(s) of claim 1, in which the system is integrated into a user-wearable harness or garment, such as a racing jacket, which may also contain other shielding and/or padding.
9. The system for permitting movement while controlling over-movement of a user's body in the same direction(s) of claim 8, further comprising shoulder and/or posterior straps for better controlling extension and/or compression of the system and/or part of the user's body.
10. The system for permitting movement while controlling over-movement of a user's body in the same direction(s) of claim 1, in which an upper brace section comprises a motion-controlling variable fastener for variably attaching a head and/or neck-gripping helmet or other process(es) to control over-movement of the user's head and/or neck relative to the remainder of his or her spine or associated body parts beyond safe limits.
11. The system for permitting movement while controlling over-movement of a user's body in the same direction(s) of claim 10, further comprising a user-actuable release for decoupling said head and/or neck-gripping helmet or other process(es) from said upper brace section.
12. The system for permitting movement while controlling over-movement of a user's body in the same direction(s) of claim 1, in which a lower brace section comprises a motion-controlling variable fastener for variably attaching a posterior and/or pelvis-gripping brace, straps, harness other process(es) to control over-movement of the user's pelvis and/or other extremities relative to the remainder of his or her spine or associated body parts beyond safe limits.
13. The system for permitting movement while controlling over-movement of a user's body in the same direction(s) of claim 1, in which said limits comprise limits to the tilt of each section of each section and/or associated body part(s).
14. The system for permitting movement while controlling over-movement of a user's body in the same direction(s) of claim 1, in which said limits comprise limits to the lateral shift of each section of each section and/or associated body part(s).
15. The system for permitting movement while controlling over-movement of a user's body in the same direction(s) of claim 1, in which said limits comprise limits to the extension and/or compression of each section and/or associated body part(s).
16. The system for permitting movement while controlling over-movement of a user's body in the same direction(s) of claim 1, in which said limits comprise limits to the rotation, tilt, lateral shift and extension/compression of each section and/or associated (held or otherwise confined) body part(s).
17. A set of variable user-confining braces in which a computer hardware and software control system actively controls the location and safe limits of movement, including functions or progressions of movement, of at least parts of a user's body to prepare it for and/or decrease the risk of injury from (projected) potential, imminent or initiated impacts in a crash.
18. The set of variable user-confining braces of claim 17, further comprising in which said braces are or comprise seatbelts or may variably couple with a variable-length, system-actuable cable, seat or other structural platform in a motor vehicle.
19. A set of user-confining braces in which force against said braces beyond acceleration and/or other physical limits may result in absorbing and/or transferring and translating energy from that force to a kinetic sink.
20. The set of user-confining braces of claim 19, further comprising in which said absorbing and/or transferring may be accomplished, at least in part, by push rods and said kinetic sink may comprise, at least in part, dual gyros and/or flywheels and/or a resistive medium, and in which the transfer is one-way only (to the sink, gyro(s) and/or flywheel(s)), preventing rebound from the kinetic sink, accomplished, for example, by operation a ratchet or other one-way slip rotational device.
Type: Application
Filed: Mar 3, 2013
Publication Date: Sep 4, 2014
Inventor: Christopher V. Beckman (San Diego, CA)
Application Number: 13/783,345
International Classification: A41D 13/00 (20060101);