EP2087802B1 - Method of wireless safety monitoring and a system of protective helmets operating to such a method - Google Patents

Description

The invention relates to a method for transmitting data of a plurality of protective helmets to a stationary or mobile data receiving unit and a plurality of protective helmets with wireless data transmission.

The invention relates to protective helmets of a general nature, in particular protective helmets, which are used for sports, but also for protective helmets for police or fire service operations or other missions (THW), miners, construction workers and the like. There is a need, the human values, such. For example, temperature, pulse, humidity, and other values that may be taken in the head area may be wirelessly transmitted to a stationary or mobile receiving unit to monitor the physical condition of the wearer.

In particular, there is a need to distinguish a plurality of helmet wearers who act in a confined space, and to monitor separately. Using the example of a firefighting operation, it can be explained that in the case of a major fire, up to 100 firefighters can be deployed in a narrowly limited field of application of e.g. Act 100 times 50 meters and every fireman must monitor the physiological constitution. Such monitoring is vital because among the 100 monitored helmets there may be only one or two helmets whose physiological constitution is critical and e.g. one second requires accurate monitoring.

It is therefore necessary to monitor the physical condition of the firefighter wirelessly to avoid that in the fire or in other danger areas he loses his consciousness and becomes incapacitated.

Crucial here is that the danger to the firefighter can be properly identified. This assumes that all helmets transmit an electronic ID to the central office.

For example, the American Football League found that in 2006, a total of 160 players died of heat shock during the game.

So far, it is only known to use so-called communication helmets, in which a receiving device for a wireless radiotelephone connection is installed in the helmet, so that the player during the game can receive commands from his standing outside the field trainer.

The signal transmission from a helmet is from the DE 20 2006 013 747 U1 , of the US 2007/0177651 A1 or the US 6,075,445 A1 known. However, these helmets are not suitable to ensure monitoring of the physical condition of the helmet wearer. In particular, the helmets are not suitable to ensure a wireless and relatively complete monitoring of the physical constitution.

The WO 2006/036567 A1 already discloses the features of the preamble of the independent method claim 1, as well as the device claim 2.

It is therefore the object of the present invention to design a helmet and a corresponding transmission method for the data recorded on the helmet and in the helmet in such a way that a wireless and virtually complete detection of all data recorded in the helmet takes place at a stationary or mobile receiving unit in the radio range of the helmet ,

To solve the problem, the invention is characterized by the technical teaching of claims 1 and 2.

An essential feature of the present invention is that the transponders communicate bidirectionally with the transmitting and receiving unit in the half-duplex method or in the full-duplex method, and that the transmission mode for all other helmet carriers is set to a slower transmission mode between transponder and transceiver the helmet wearer with critical physiological data receives an accelerated transmission mode with faster polling periods of his transponder.

In this case, each helmet is equipped with a transponder, which in turn is in data communication with a number of measuring sensors, which are arranged in and on the helmet and further, the transponder is connected to a arranged in the upper half of the helmet antenna, which is capable of Transmitting transponder in a certain frequency range emitted transmission frequency as a radio wave to an out of the playing field arranged mobile or stationary transmitting and receiving unit.

With the given technical teaching, there is the essential advantage that a wireless data connection between a transponder arranged in the upper half of the helmet of a protective helmet now takes place in the direction of an interrogation unit arranged outside the application area. The transmission from the upper half of the helmet has the significant advantage that a transmission is possible regardless of the position of the head, because even with a tilted head with a helmet attached to it is given a proper transmission.

With the arrangement of a bidirectional data traffic is the first time the possibility that one can now modify the total transmitted data traffic. For example, if the helmet wearer has exceeded a certain physiological threshold, accelerated data exchange can be requested for this helmet wearer alone, and other helmet wearers far removed from reaching this physiological threshold can be slowed in traffic. This has the advantage that one of a relatively small field, such. As in American football, a variety of helmet wearers (90 to 120 different helmets) can properly distinguish from each other, without causing data collisions.

This has the advantage that a bidirectional data transmission on the one hand can modify the data traffic between the helmet and the stationary receiving unit, and on the other hand has the advantage that even the helmet wearer can be warned even when exceeding certain physiological parameters and is taken for example from the use or game history ,

The modification of the signal transmission from a helmet in a variety of helmet wearers is from the DE 20 2006 013 747 U1 not to be taken. The same criticism applies to the US 6,075,445 A1 , There too, it is a unidirectional data transmission of physiological data from a helmet, without it being possible there to modify the data transmission in any way. It lacks the transmission of an ID number, and lacks the possibility of installing a bidirectional traffic, with which this traffic can be modified in the manner previously described.

Important in the present invention is therefore that an RFID technique is used, which has the advantage that each transponder in the helmet has its own ID identifier and that you can therefore distinguish in a confined space a variety of helmets with the data transfers taking place there , This technique is out WO 2006/036567 already known.

With the technique of the present invention, up to 2000 different helmets can be distinguished from each other without data collisions occurring. This thanks to the novel technical teaching of the invention. The invention is not limited to the arrangement on a field, but also to other applications of z. B. the signal transmission from fire helmets. With large fires it is quite possible that on a very small area of z. B. 100 x 100 m up to 2000 helmets must be monitored, in the specified number, the monitored reserve helmets and other helmets other use carriers (ambulance and the like.) Are possible. The point is, therefore, that a large number of helmet wearers have to be monitored on a relatively narrow surface, without there being any data collisions, and nevertheless there is a perfect monitoring of physiological parameters, which must be accelerated, in particular, if the helmet wearer is allowed to physiologically Threshold is approaching.

So if you find a problem with a helmet wearer that has already exceeded the physiological parameters, you can keep all channels clear to improve radio communications with this one critical helmet wearer.

As an application example is mentioned here that z. B. on a very narrow area of z. B. 100 x 100 m, a number of 100 or 200 helmets each one ping (data telegram) in the second distance or at a distance of z. B. 5 s and all transmitted telegrams are monitored. With the bidirectional transmission, it is now possible, all other helmet wearers on one Transmission mode of z. B. 10 s or 1 min, while the helmet wearer with the critical physiological data now every tenth of a second is queried, without causing a disturbance of data and data transmission.

1. 1. Es wird eine ID übertragen.
2. 2. Es findet ein bidirektionaler Datenverkehr zwischen dem Helmtransponder und einer stationären Überwachungseinheit statt.

The embodiment described above therefore had the following features:

1. 1. An ID is transmitted.
2. 2. There is bidirectional data traffic between the helmet transponder and a stationary monitoring unit.

Thus, for the first time, there is the possibility that a number of human measured values can be detected in and on the helmet, which are then transmitted to the interrogation unit via the wireless data connection.

In addition, it is provided that the transmission frequency is not emitted as an omnidirectional wave (all-round spherical wave), but as a directional beam, which sends, for example, over an angle of 120 degrees forward or backward.

The emission as a spherical wave, wherein the antenna in the upper region of the helmet - that is preferably in the apex area - is arranged, has the advantage that regardless of the inclination of the helmet and its orientation to the receiving unit always a constant reception in the receiving unit is made sure. The radio waves emitted from the upper part of the helmet are not shaded or disturbed by obstacles on the field. They are therefore always sent with constant field strength to the receiver located in the radio range. Each wearer of a helmet is, so to speak, its own "radio tower" from which a spherical wave acting in all directions is emitted.

Instead of emitting a spherical wave antennas with a directional beam characteristic can be used in an alternative embodiment. This can be used to determine where the carrier is moving.

So there is the advantage that you can minimize the size of the attached antenna even further, if you omit an omnidirectional sending antenna in the helmet or helmet or helmet. The term "omnidirectional" defines a radio wave emitting at an angle of 360 degrees.

In particular, it is preferred in this case if the transponder is designed as an RFID unit and has a range of up to 500 m. He sends preferably in different frequency bands, namely z. B. in the UHF frequency band or in the microwave band, z. B. at a frequency of 2.4 GHz.

At this transmission frequency, it is of particular importance that the helmet creates an omnidirectional propagation wave from all helmet positions and in all situations, which is not affected by the contour of the helmet itself. In particular, the helmet itself should not - due to its shape - disrupt the spread.

Therefore, in a preferred embodiment of the present invention, it is preferable that the antenna is located in the upper half, because from the upper half of the helmet, the (omnidirectional or directional) transmission wave is shadowless and undisturbed from the upper half of the helmet to the remote sensing unit can be sent.

For the sake of simplicity of description, it will be assumed in the following description that such a helmet is designed as a sports helmet and that a plurality of players playing a game on a field are equipped with such helmets.

However, the invention is not limited to this, since the invention also relates - as stated at the outset - to firefighting helmets, protective safety helmets and the like, so that the following application example is to be understood as an example only.

In terms of a game situation, it is important that it must be ensured in very physical games that the respective player so with his human values are monitored so that he does not collapse during the game, becomes unconscious or even suffers a cardiac arrest.

Furthermore, a significant advantage of the present invention is the fact that the detection of the human values in and on the helmet and their wireless transmission to an interrogation unit can also be done in training, so that the players can be monitored continuously during the training with respect to their physiological data and in this case a training profile or a profile for the respective player can be provided.

In all applications, it is important that a data and message connection from the interrogation unit to the helmet wearer is given via the transponder in order to convey voice commands or optical or acoustic signals to him.

In the embodiment to be described later, it is merely shown for the sake of simplicity how the skin temperature of the helmet wearer is measured with a temperature sensor. In this case, it is preferred if the temperature sensor is designed as a thermistor whose measuring window is directed against the forehead of the helmet user. In addition to a temperature measurement touching the skin, a measurement which only detects the thermal radiation of the skin is claimed as essential to the invention.

Therefore, in another aspect of the present invention, it is preferable that the core temperature of the helmet wearer be measured. There are different possibilities.

In a first embodiment, it is provided that is measured with an infrared diode in the vicinity of the ear canal at the human ear and this case as far as possible the infrared diode in the human auditory canal, in order to detect there the temperature of the inner ear.

In another embodiment of the invention, it is provided that such a temperature sensor is arranged in the region of the nasal wing and possibly extends into the interior of the nose, there to measure the inside of the nose, which also correlates with the core temperature of the human.

In a third embodiment, it is provided that at other locations of the human body, for. B. in the scalp or other areas, the temperature is detected. It is also possible to arrange a plurality of temperature sensors whose different values are combined with each other and transmitted wirelessly to the interrogation unit as a combined measured value.

In addition to the detection of the core temperature of the helmet wearer, there are a number of other measuring arrangements, which should also be included in the present invention. This is z. B. provided that the skin moisture is measured. The skin moisture is preferably detected via a resistance measurement on the scalp or another part of the skin in the helmet area, so that the perspiration of the wearer is detected.

In a fourth embodiment, it is provided that a pulse measurement takes place, wherein in particular an ultrasonic pulse measurement is provided.

With a corresponding ultrasound sensor, for example, the temporal aorta can be interrogated so that a pulse measurement in this area is very well possible.

Likewise, the skin temperature in the area of this aorta can be detected, which then can be inferred to the temperature of the aortic blood flowing there.

In a further embodiment it can be provided that a shock sensor is coupled to the human head in order to detect corresponding shock effects on the head. Such shock effects - as known in boxers - can be life-threatening, and such shocks can be detected very well in the helmet by an associated shock sensor is coupled to the head to detect such effects on the head.

Another area of application for such shock sensors is that such shock measurements are also interesting for outsiders, namely to represent acoustically or optically, which shock effects the player has to endure during the game.

In a further embodiment of the present invention even intervening measuring methods can be used, such. As a blood gas analysis, in which case a corresponding vein must be opened in the head, or it can also be a chemical analysis of the exiting sweat, which makes a number of human parameters of an evaluation available.

Important in all measuring arrangements is that the transmission takes place with the aid of RFID transmission technology, which means that in the helmet, in the upper area of the helmet, a relatively rod-shaped or band-shaped antenna of z. B. 60 mm in length, if this antenna in a frequency range of z. B. 900 MHz transmits. However, there is no limitation to this range of frequencies.

The helmet antenna is coupled to the transponder, which is preferably arranged in the upper and front end region of the helmet.

As a preferred installation location in this case the gap between the helmet outer shell and the padding is preferred because the transponder can be installed there relatively protected. It is powered by a button cell battery and has, for example, a length of 50 mm and a width of 25 mm.

He has one or more connections for the encoder, wherein in the following embodiment, only a connection for a temperature sensor is shown. However, as stated above, the invention is not limited thereto.

The arrangement of the transmitting antenna in the upper half of the helmet - as stated - ensures that the propagating transmission wave is sent shadowless and without interference by the helmet itself to the outside of the helmet and in the radio field of the helmet arranged query unit.
The transmitting antenna can be arranged either inside the helmet or outside the helmet.

However, in a development of the present invention, it can also be provided that this antenna not only transmits, but also receives.

Such a reception is needed, for example, for the transmission of data commands from the outside of the query unit to the transponder. For example, the polling unit located outside may send a data command to the helmet stating that the transponder located in the helmet and the data memory arranged there should now transmit its stored data.

Similarly, the data command may mean that only one helmet should send out its data, while all other helmets are silent.
Such data commands may also include acoustic information for the carrier that hears it.

Reflection and extinction:

The electromagnetic field radiated by the reader is reflected not only by a transponder, but by all objects in the immediate vicinity whose spatial dimension is greater than the wavelength λo of the field. The reflected fields are superimposed on the primary emitted field of the reader. This results alternately in local attenuation or even cancellation (opposite-phase superimposition) and amplification (in-phase superimposition) of the field, in each case at a distance of λo / 2 between the individual minima. The simultaneous occurrence of many individual reflections with different intensity and different distances to the reader results in a very unpredictable course of the field strength around the reader, with numerous local zones of extinction of the field.

The subject of the present invention results not only from the subject matter of the individual claims, but also from the combination of the individual claims with each other.

All information and features disclosed in the documents, including the abstract, in particular the spatial design shown in the drawings, are claimed to be essential to the invention insofar as they are novel individually or in combination with respect to the prior art.

In the following, the invention will be explained in more detail with reference to drawings illustrating several execution paths. Here are from the drawings and their description further features essential to the invention and advantages of the invention.

Show it:

FIG. 1:

schematized a plan view of a playing field with a number of moving there players who are equipped with helmets

FIG. 2:

a timing diagram about the transmission sequence of different transponders

FIG. 3:

the top view of a transponder

FIG. 4:

Section through a helmet according to the invention

FIG. 5:

Section through the housing for the temperature sensor in a known design

FIG. 6:

Block diagram of a transponder

FIG. 7:

the frontal view of a helmet according to the invention

FIG. 8:

the top view in the direction of arrow VIII in FIG. 7

In FIG. 1 In general, a playing field 14 is shown on which a number of players move, these players moving arbitrarily across the playing field 14 in the indicated arrow directions. The playing field extends over the length of the drawing FIG. 1 away, so that a total of a field length of z. B. 100 to 150 m at a width of 50 m could be given.

Each player wears a helmet 7-11, with the helmets 7-11 are identical, so that it is sufficient to describe a single helmet 7 later in more detail.

Each helmet has a transponder 1 installed in its front area and the antenna 17 communicating with the transponder 1 is preferably arranged in the upper half of the helmet 26. In this way, each helmet can send out of the playing field 14 in the indicated arrow directions and vice versa receive data from the interrogation unit, in which case an omnidirectional propagation (see propagation direction 40) is generated. At the edge of the playing field here, for example, a coach bench 13 is arranged, sit on the row of people, the one person, for example, a handheld reader 15 and the other a GSM terminal 16 may have.

The radio waves of the transponder 1 are received by an interrogation unit 2, namely by its antenna 6, which in the preferred embodiment can be designed not only as a receiving antenna but also as a transmitting and receiving antenna.

It is therefore a duplex operation in which each transponder in the helmet sends its data, linked to its ID, to the interrogation unit 2 as a data telegram. Conversely, the interrogation unit transmits specific data telegrams to each individual transponder 1, whereby only certain transponders 1 in specific helmets 7-11 are addressed by the transmission of an ID. It is therefore a broadcast operation of the interrogation unit, because all transponders 1 while at the same time can be addressed, however, for each transponder additionally transmitted its ID, so that individual transponder 1 can be controlled separately.

Instead of the ID-specified broadcast operation described above, the invention provides for a multiple access in a second variant. This form of communication is to transfer data from many individual transponders in the response field of the reader to the reader. The communication channel has a defined channel capacity, which is determined by the maximum data rate of this communication channel and the period of its availability.

• Das Raummultiplex-Verfahren (SDMA)
• Das Frequenzmultiplex-Verfahren (FDMA)
• Das Zeitmultiplex-Verfahren (TDMA)
• Sowie das Codemultiplex-Verfahren (CDMA)

The available channel capacity must be allocated to the individual subscribers so that a transfer of the data from several transporters to a single reader can take place without mutual interference. For the solution of the problem of multiple access there are in principle 4 different procedures:

• Space Division Multiplexing (SDMA)
• Frequency Division Multiplexing (FDMA)
• Time Division Multiplexing (TDMA)
• As well as the Code Division Multiplexing (CDMA)

All these methods are claimed alone or in combination with each other as essential to the invention.

The technical realization of a multiple access in RFID systems makes some demands on transponder and reader, because it must be reliably prevented without noticeable time, that the data packets of the transponder in the receiver of the reader collide with each other and thus unreadable.

Preferred in the present invention is a method in which all transponders are controlled by the reader as a master. This method can be considered synchronous, since all transponders are simultaneously controlled and controlled by the reader. It is by a certain algorithm initially selected a single transponder from a larger group of transponders in the reception area of a reading device and then completely handled the communication between the selected transponder and the reader. Only then the communication relationship is resolved again to select another transponder. Since only one communication relationship of the same time is produced, but the transponders can be operated in rapid temporal succession, controlled processes can therefore also be referred to as time-division duplexing. Readers-controlled procedures are divided into "polling" and "Binary-Search" procedures. All of these methods are based on transponders identified by a unique serial number.

The interrogation unit 2 can be connected to a module which is designed, for example, as a GSM module 3 in order to transmit the data of the interrogation unit 2 to the GSM network and from there to the GSM terminal 16.

Likewise, the GSM module 3 may additionally have an Ethernet interface 12, so that the data acquired by the interrogation unit 2 are transmitted via the Internet and the local Internet interface 12 directly to a handheld reader 15.

Such a handheld reader 15 is for example a PDA.

Likewise, these data can be given to the GSM terminal 16.

The GSM module 3 in this case sends by means of a transmitting and receiving antenna 5 into the GSM radio network.

The FIG. 2 shows that the different transponders 1 send in different time slots. For example, two transponders 1 are recorded on the ordinate, wherein one is designated transponder T1 and the other transponder T2. It can be seen that each transponder transmits its data packet to the interrogation unit 2 at a distance of approximately 15 s ± 0.5 s. It can also be seen that the transmission of the transponder 1 is delayed in relation to the Transmission of the transponder 2 takes place and in this case each data packet, for example, has a width of 2.5 ms.

In this way, it is possible for a plurality of transponders 1, which are arranged in the helmets 7-11, to send data packets with a time offset from one another, it being understood, of course, that each data packet is provided with an ID number in order to be present at the interrogation unit 2 assign the data sent by him to every helmet.

The data packets are transmitted as frequency-modulated signals, which means that the transmission is substantially less susceptible to interference than comparatively AM-modulated transmission.

It is important that a memory in the assigned helmet 7-11 can be activated for a specific transmission command, which the interrogation unit 2 transmits, which then reads out the data stored there and transmits it via the radio interface to the interrogation unit 2.

In FIG. 3 the exemplary structure of a transponder 1 is shown, where it can be seen that in a housing of z. B. 50 mm in length and 25 mm in width and a thickness of 4 mm, a battery 19 is arranged and a number of components 20 are arranged in the housing. On the side of an interface 21 for the connection of a temperature sensor 44 is provided. It is important that the antenna 17 has a length of, for example, 60 mm and is designed as a band, so that such a band can be easily laid on the inside of the helmet 7 as a flexible element. The antenna 17 therefore transmits an omnidirectional wave propagation 18 which extends spherically in all directions.

This is a significant advantage, as is evident in particular FIG. 4 results.

Namely, this antenna 17 is disposed in the upper half of the helmet 26, resulting in the upper half of the helmet approximately horizontally propagating spherical wave with the wave propagation 18, so that the helmet itself - regardless of his Tilt and from its angle to the ground - no disturbance of the wave propagation 18 represents.

In FIG. 4 is shown that the temperature sensor 44 is formed as a termistor, which is preferably directed in the direction of arrow 41 (measuring direction) against the forehead of the helmet wearer. In this way, it is easy to detect the skin temperature on the forehead. Via a connecting cable 25, the temperature sensor 44 is in communication with the transponder 1 and it is important that the entire transponder unit 1 is now arranged in the intermediate space between the outer shell 24 and the padding 23 and the inner shell 22. In this way, the entire measuring arrangement is relatively protected against knocks and other damage and can also be easily removed again.

It is not shown in the illustration that a termistor or an IR diode can be arranged in the region of the ear opening, which is directed in the direction of the ear canal of the helmet wearer, in order to detect the core temperature of the wearer with much better accuracy than the temperature sensor comparatively 44, which is directed in the measuring direction 41 against the forehead of the helmet wearer.

Likewise is in FIG. 4 not shown that in the upper half of the helmet 26, a skin temperature measurement can still take place due to a resistance measurement between two measuring pads, which are electrically conductively connected to the skin of the wearer. About the skin resistance measurement can thus be concluded on the skin moisture.

Likewise, it is not shown that a pulse measurement is arranged in the lateral temporal region of the helmet, which substantially consists of an ultrasound sensor which detects the throbbing of the frontal artery and converts it into the transponder 1 as pulse measurement value and also makes it available for transmission.

The FIG. 5 shows the stylized representation of a known temperature sensor 44, where it can be seen that it is arranged in a plastic housing 27, the front side of which is spanned by a sensor membrane 28 and on whose backside an encapsulation 29 is arranged, which consists of a thermally conductive material, in which the temperature sensor 44, which is designed as a thermistor capsule, is embedded. In this way, the temperature sensor 44 is in heat-conductive connection with the encapsulation 29, which in turn is in heat-conductive connection with the sensor membrane 28.

The FIG. 6 shows a block diagram of a transponder 1 according to the invention, where it can be seen that in a control unit 34, which is designed as a housing of the transponder 1, a CPU 31 is arranged, which is suitable for measured value preparation and detection. In the same housing of the transponder 1 in this case a clock 33 is arranged and a memory 32 for the eventual storage of the detected measured values. The entire clock is generated by an oscillator 30, and it is shown schematically that the temperature sensor 44 is formed as a variable electrical resistance.

Via the line 35, the processed values detected by the CPU 31 are supplied to a high-frequency output stage, which in the exemplary embodiment shown consists of a transceiver stage 36, which in turn is controlled by a clock generator 37.

The line 35 is shown only symbolically, in reality, the RF transmit-receive stage 36 is on the same board as, for example, the CPU 31, the clock and the memory 32nd

At the output of the transmitting-receiving stage 36, the antenna 17 is arranged, which may be formed according to the above description either only as a transmitting antenna or as a transmitting and receiving antenna.

The FIGS. 7 and 8 schematically show the arrangements and installation locations of the transponder 1, where from FIG. 7 it can be seen that the helmet has in its frontal area a face cutout 38 for the face of the wearer and that in the upper end region of the preferably designed as a disk temperature sensor 44 is arranged, which is directed in the measuring direction 41 against the forehead of the helmet wearer. It can also be seen that at least the antenna 17 is located in the upper helmet area 26 (see the upward arrows at 26), so that wave propagation 40 results, for example, in the apex area (ie in the upper half of the helmet). This is also in FIG. 8 shown, which is a plan view of the helmet in the direction of arrow VIII after FIG. 7 shows. There it can be seen that the antenna 17 extends as a flexible band into the apex area of the helmet and therefore that the omnidirectional propagation takes place in the direction of arrows 39 from the entire upper Helmpol, so that regardless of the inclination of the helmet and the size of the helmet Support is always an undisturbed wave propagation over the entire field in the direction of the interrogation unit 2 is given.

Instead of a flexible band, a ceramic antenna can also be used.

drawing Legend

1

Transponder (data carrier)

2

interrogation unit

3

GSM module

4

not used

5

Transmitting antenna (GSM)

6

Antenna (interrogation unit 2)

7

helmet

8th

helmet

9

helmet

10

helmet

11

helmet

12

Internet interface

13

dugout

14

matchfield

15

Hand reader

16

GSM terminal

17

Antenna (helmet)

18

wave propagation

19

battery

20

components

21

interface

22

inner shell

23

upholstery

24

outer shell

25

connection cable

26

upper half helmet

27

casing

28th

Sensor membrane

29th

encapsulation

30th

oscillator

31st

CPU

32nd

Storage

33rd

clock

34th

control unit

35th

management

36th

Transceiver stage

37th

clock

38th

face hole

39th

arrow

40th

propagation direction

41st

measuring direction

42nd

arrow directions

43rd

ear hole

44th

temperature sensor

Claims (14)

1. Method for the wireless protection monitoring of human values, such as, for example, temperature, pulse, moisture, shock effect and other values, for a large number of protective helmets (7 to 11), which human values are taken in the head region of people wearing the protective helmet (7 to 11) and are wirelessly transmitted to a stationary or mobile receiving unit (2) in order to form a monitoring of the physical constitution of the helmet wearers, each helmet (7 to 11) having a data connection to a number of measuring sensors (44) by means of at least one transponder (1) arranged in or on the helmet (7 to 11), the transponder (1) forming a connection with an antenna (17), which is arranged in the upper helmet half (26), which transmits the transmitting frequency transmitted from the transponder (1) in a specific frequency range as a radio wave to a mobile or stationary receiving unit (2) arranged outside the playing field, wherein the receiving unit (2) is additionally formed as a transmitting unit and the transponders (1) communicate bidirectionally with the transmitting and receiving unit (2), characterised in that the transponders (1) communicate with the transmitting and receiving unit (2) bidirectionally by the half-duplex method or by the full-duplex method and in that the transmission mode for all the other helmet wearers is set at a slower transmission mode between the transponder (1) and transmitting and receiving unit (2), while the helmet wearer with critical physiological data is assigned an accelerated transmission mode with faster scanning periods of his transponder.
2. System for a large number of protective helmets (7 to 11) and a receiving unit working by the method according to claim 1, with wireless data transmission of human values, such as, for example, temperature, pulse, moisture and other values, which are taken in the head region of a person and are wirelessly transmitted by means of a transponder (1), which is arranged in the helmet (7 to 11), to the stationary or mobile receiving unit (2), wherein

   a.) the large number of helmets (7 to11) are equipped with a transponder (1), in each case, and an identity number (ID) characteristic of the helmet wearer, which is transmitted to the receiving unit (2), is allocated to each transponder (1),

   b.) in that the large number of helmets (7 to 11) transmit and receive simultaneously or virtually simultaneously over a narrowly limited area of use ,

   c.) in that each transponder (1) has a data connection to a number of measuring sensors (44), which measuring sensors (44) are arranged in and on the helmet (7 to 11),

   d.) in that the transponder (1)is furthermore connected to an antenna (17), which is arranged in the upper helmet half (26) and transmits the transmitting frequency transmitted from the transponder (1) at a specific frequency range as a wireless radio wave to an antenna (6) of the mobile or stationary receiving unit (2) arranged outside the area of use of the helmet wearers, the receiving unit (2) additionally being formed as a transmitting unit, characterised in that the transponders (1) communicate with the transmitting and receiving unit (2) bidirectionally by the half-duplex method or by the full-duplex method.
3. System according to claim 2, characterised in that the antenna (17) is formed as a directional transmitter and transmits a directional beam to the transmitting and receiving unit, wherein the directional beam transmits forward and backward over an angle in the range of 60 to 120°, so the movement direction of the wearer can be established.
4. System according to either of the preceding claims 2 or 3, characterised in that the helmet (7 to 11) in its front region, in the upper helmet half (26), has the transponder (1) in connection with the antenna (17).
5. System according to any one of the preceding claims 2 to 4, characterised in that the scanning unit (2) is connected to a GSM module (3) and transmits the data of the scanning unit (2) by means of a transmitting/receiving antenna (5) to a GSM network and subsequently to a GSM terminal (16).
6. System according to claim 5, characterised in that the GSM module (3) additionally has an Ethernet interface (12), which transmits the data acquired by the scanning unit (2) over the internet using an internet interface (12) by means of the transmitting/receiving antenna (5) directly to a hand reader (15), such as, for example, a PDA and/or to the GSM terminal (16).
7. System according to any one of the preceding claims 2 to 6, characterised in that multiply arranged transponders (1) transmit the respective data packet to the scanning unit (2) in different time slots of, for example, 15 s ± 0.5 s, the data packets having a width of about 2.5 ms.
8. System according to any one of the preceding claims 2 to 7, characterised in that the data packets are transmitted as frequency-modulated signals.
9. System according to any one of the preceding claims 2 and 4 to 8, characterised in that the antenna (17) arranged on or in the helmet (1 to 7) is formed as a band with a length of about 60 mm and forms a spherical wave propagation (18) extending to all sides.
10. System according to any one of the preceding claims 2 to 9, characterised in that the entire transponder (1) is arranged in the intermediate space between the outer shell (24) and padding (23) and the arranged inner shell (22) of the helmet (7 to 11).
11. System according to any one of the preceding claims 2 to 10, characterised in that a thermistor or an IR-diode is arranged in the region of the ear opening and allows a measurement of the core temperature of a wearer.
12. System according to any one of the preceding claims 2 to 11, characterised in that two measuring pads, which form a skin temperature measurement by means of resistance measurement between the arranged measuring pads, are arranged in the upper helmet half (26), the measuring pads being connected to the skin of the helmet wearer and the detected measured value forming a moisture value of the skin of the helmet wearer.
13. System according to any one of the preceding claims 2 to 12, characterised in that the helmet (1 to 7) in the side temple region has an ultrasound sensor, which substantially detects a pulse measurement, which is converted in the transponder (1) and transmitted.
14. System according to any one of the preceding claims 2 to 13, characterised in that the temperature sensor (44) is arranged in a plastics material housing, the front side of which is spanned by a sensor membrane (28) and on the rear side of which is arranged an encapsulation (29), which has a thermally conductive material, in which the temperature sensor (44) formed as a thermistor capsule is embedded, and has a conductive connection in the region of the encapsulation (29), which in turn forms a heat-conductive connection with the sensor membrane (28).

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