WO2011061535A1

WO2011061535A1 - A height monitoring device for monitoring the distance of an object from a surface

Info

Publication number: WO2011061535A1
Application number: PCT/GB2010/051918
Authority: WO
Inventors: Paul Tate; Nicholas Shepherd
Original assignee: C2R-Fast Limited
Priority date: 2009-11-17
Filing date: 2010-11-17
Publication date: 2011-05-26
Also published as: GB2475336A; GB0920104D0

Abstract

A height monitoring device (1) adapted to be worn by a parachutist for monitoring distance from the ground, said device including a distance sensor arranged to a point towards the ground during a descent for directly measuring distance from the ground, a controller (9) adapted to transmit information about the distance from the ground and an earpiece (12) for audibly relaying the information to the parachutist in real time.

Description

A HEIGHT MONITORING DEVICE FOR MONITORING THE DISTANCE OF AN OBJECT FROM A SURFACE

The present invention relates to a height monitoring device for monitoring the distance of an object from a surface that the object is falling towards. In particular, but not exclusively, the height monitoring device is for monitoring the distance between a person that has jumped from, or an object that has been dropped from, a height and which is travelling towards the ground. BACKGROUND TO THE INVENTION

At present, in sports such as hang-gliding or parachuting, a person stands at an elevated position, for example the top of a mountain in the case of hang-gliding or an airplane in the case of parachutists and they jump off the surface or out of the airplane with a view to landing safely on the ground beneath them. Historically the point at which a person reaches the ground is judged by eye as the person falls towards the ground. When a person is falling quickly to the ground, there is the risk that they may misjudge the speed that they are falling and if the ground is uneven, they may not be able to see this which can result in injuries if the person hits the ground too quickly.

Currently, parachutists use a device that relies on measuring barometric pressure to give a reading of the height that they are at a particular point in time in a descent. However, such a device is not always effective if the person is jumping into an area where there is uneven ground. This is because the person may read charts and make calculations of what the pressure will be at a certain point above sea level. However, if the person that is trying to land misjudges the point that they wish to land at or is blown off course, they may be forced to land at a point where they have not calculated a particular pressure value as applying. This means that the person then has to rely solely on the eye for landing which leaves the person open again to the risk of injury should they misjudge the distance from the ground.

Some groups of parachutists have developed a crude device for judging distance from the ground and this basically comprises attaching a weight to the person or to their parachute pack with the weight hanging from an attachment such as a cord or rope below the feet of the person when they are falling feet first toward the ground. The principle is that the weight will hit the ground first and the person will hear this and then flare the parachute and brace themselves for landing. There are several disadvantages in using this method of detecting the ground, for example the weight has to be attached to a relatively long attachment for there to be enough time for the person to react between the weight hitting the ground and the person hearing this and reacting before landing. Also, there is the disadvantage that by having a long attachment, there is more risk of the rope or cord becoming entangled around the legs or body of the person that is falling.

The present invention seeks to overcome problems associated with the prior art by providing a compact and easy to use device that can be used to judge the distance of a person or object that is falling towards the ground. Further the device seeks to provide a device that has the advantage that the distance from the ground is automatically monitored and avoids the need for the person themselves to make calculations or make judgements of how close they are to the ground.

SUMMARY OF INVENTION According to the present invention there is provided a height monitoring device adapted to be worn by a parachutist for monitoring distance from the ground, said device including a distance sensor arranged to a point towards the ground during a descent for directly measuring distance from the ground, a controller adapted to transmit information about the distance from the ground and an earpiece for audibly relaying the information to the parachutist in real time.

Preferably, the device is included in a casing to which at least one attachment member can be attached for attaching the casing to the parachutist or object. The casing may be reinforced to protect the light emitter during impact.

Preferably the casing has at least one attachment member so that in use the height monitoring device can be secured to the object travelling towards the ground. It is envisaged that the at least one attachment member is one or more straps that can be attached to the parachutist. The strap may be attached to the footwear of that person, for example a boot. Alternatively, the device may be attached to any other point on the person, for example the arm or even to a back-pack that the person is wearing.

Preferably, an emitting device of the distance sensor is, for example, a laser emitter.

Alternatively, the light emitting device is an infra red transmitter or an ultra violet transmitter. In a further alternative, the transmitter may be a radar. Such arrangements are particularly useful if the device is being used at night time because the electromagnetic wave that is being emitted is not in the visible spectrum and so cannot be seen. For example, the fact that the infra red light is not visible has the advantage that it is not possible to see the object being dropped which reduces the risk of nuisance being caused to people around. In a further still alternative, the emitting device may emit an acoustic wave, for example, an ultrasonic wave.

Alternatively, the emitting device may be included on the outside of the casing. It is envisaged that the emitter may be attached within or to the casing by a gimbal arrangement so that the emitting device always point towards the ground. This has the advantage that should a person not be falling with feet first towards the ground, for example in the case of skydivers, or should the person be a parachutist that has been caught in the ropes attached to the parachute then there will still be monitoring of the descent towards the ground.

In a preferred arrangement the casing is profiled to fit around the heel and back of a boot. For comfort and ease of fitting there may be a foam shock absorber to provide a degree of give between the boot and casing. It is envisaged that the casing includes a battery to power the height monitoring device. The casing includes a compartment to receive the battery which in a preferred arrangement is rechargeable. The casing may also include a socket so that the battery can be recharged in situ at a charging station. In a preferred arrangement, the controller is a signal processor which is contained within the casing although it is envisaged that the controller may separate from the casing and is held either at another location on the object travelling towards the ground or it may also be remote from the object, for example the controller may be on the ground and in wireless communication with the height monitoring device.

Preferably, the controller causes the emitting device to be activated once a particular height above the ground is detected. It is envisaged that the controller causes an alarm to be activated once the emitting controller detects that the object is at a predefined distance from the ground. In such an arrangement, if the device is set so that the alarm is activated at a pre-determined distance from the ground, it gives a person time to prepare him or herself for landing. The point at which activation of the alarm is effected can be altered, for example if it is known that the person using the device is slow in reacting so that the alarm can be turned on at a greater height from the point of impact than the alarm would normally be activated to give the person enough time to prepare for landing. Also, data such as the weight of the person, the height etc can be used to optimise the time of activation of the alarm.

Preferably, the controller has a data receiving element that can store data about the landing characteristics of an individual. This data can be used in training of individuals, for example if they are known to land heavily or brace themselves for landing in a detrimental way, for example if they lock their legs for landing which can cause shock impact to the joints of the individual, then this data can be played back to the individual as a way of showing them what they are doing may not be appropriate or dangerous.

It is envisaged that the height monitoring device has a radio transmitter that can give audible details about the height of the individual above the ground, for example a countdown of the number of metres that a person has fallen can be given. Alternatively, details can be given about the remaining distance between the position of the object at a point in time and the ground. The audible warning may be a tone that changes as the object descends to the ground. It is also possible that the warning may be a vibrational warning and this type of warning has particular advantages should the device be used in a noisy environment. A combination of an audible and a vibrational warning may be used too. By having warning mechanisms that are automatic, it means that the person has more time to concentrate on what they are doing during the descent for example concentrating on the landing position or where there are multiple parachutists, the person can concentrate on where they are in relation to other persons around them. By having such an arrangement the user is given real time information about their descent to the ground. Preferably, the height monitoring device includes a GPS (global positioning system) or a radio. The GPS or radio transmitter can be activated should the height monitoring device be detached from the object. This allows the device to be found if lost. Also, the height monitoring device may include a movement sensor such that if the device remains stationary for a period of time, then an alarm is automatically activated which in turn causes the GPS system to become operational. Such an arrangement would have the advantage that if the device was attached to a parachutist for example that has injured him or herself during landing and is immobile, then colleagues would be alerted to the fact that the person is not moving any would be alerted to search for the person.

The height monitoring device may include other features, such as test button to check that the height monitoring device is fully operational.

Although the height monitoring device is particularly adapted to persons that are falling towards the ground, for example parachutists, sky divers, base jumpers etc, it may also be used for dropping inanimate objects, such as cargo or food supplies by parachute. If the device is being used with an inanimate object, the control of descent can be controlled remotely. Further, the height monitoring device may also have application in the aviation industry for controlling the descent of aircraft such as gliders or it may also be attached to aircraft seats so that when pilots eject from an aircraft, their descent is monitored. It is envisaged also that the device may be applicable to both civilian and military uses. The present invention has the advantages that it provides a very safe device for controlling descent.

BRIEF DECRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

For a better understanding of the present invention, and to show more clearly how it may be carried into effect, reference will now be made, by way of example only, to the accompanying drawings, in which: Figure 1 shows a schematic perspective view of a height monitoring device;

Figure 2 shows a cut away view of the components within the casing of a height monitoring device; and Figure 3 shows a schematic view of the height monitoring device in situ on a boot as well as an ear piece receiver.

DESCRIPTION OF PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS Referring firstly to Figure 1 , a height monitoring device is indicated generally at 1. The height monitoring device 1 includes a casing 2 having attachment points 3, in the form of slots provided through the material at the sides of the casing on either side. The attachment points can receive straps 4 enabling the device to be removably secured to an object, such as the boot of a parachutist. The straps can include buckles or Velcro (R) fastenings for attachment to the object, be it a person or cargo. The casing 2 is generally cylindrical with a moon shaped recessed part along the length of the axis of the cylindrical part so that the casing can be fitted against and partially around the back and heel of a boot. In other words, the rear of the casing 2 is crescent shaped. There is a cushioning element 10 which sits against the back of the boot and provides some protection for the device and comfort for the user. On the upper surface of the casing, there is includes an on/off switch to activate the device and this switch includes a test feature to ensure that the device is fully operational before use. There is also a flap 6 on the upper surface to receive a power source such as a battery of power pack. Finally there is also an audio transmitter which can be in communication with an earpiece of a person using the device.

Figure 2 is a cut away schematic diagram of the main components of the height monitoring device. The casing includes attachment points 3, switch 5 and audio transmitter 7 as shown in Figure 1. Flap 6 leads to compartment 11 for receiving a battery/power pack within the body of the casing. Towards the base of the cylindrical casing there is, for example, a light emitting device 8, which is arranged so that light such as a laser beam can be focussed town from the casing. There is a controller 9, which is basically a signal processor to control operation of the components of the height monitoring device. The controller uses wireless communication to operate the various components and there may also be a blue tooth transmitter so that information can be transmitted to remote receivers such as a ground control station. There is also wireless communication with an earpiece 12 worn by a person using the device. In another embodiment the emitting device may be an acoustic emitter and the controller may include an acoustic receiver.

Figure 3 shows a height monitoring device in situ on a boot of an individual. The device generally shown as 1 is positioned so that it sits behind the heel of the boot just above the sole. Straps 4 fit across the tongue of the boot under the boot fastener 14. There is also a strap that passes under the sole of the boot so that the device is held securely in position. The audio transmitter 7 extends from the top of the device and above the top of the boot. The audio transmitter 7 communicates with earpiece 12 so that the person using the device has a continual set of information about the height above the ground of the device and this gives them real-time information of where they are in relation to the ground.

This real time information is ideally in the form of separated tones that become closer together, i.e. their frequency increases, as the device moves close to the ground. When the ground is very close, for example, just prior to the flare point of a parachute, the tone may become continuous.

The invention is envisaged as covering all combinations of the features as described and aspects and embodiments discussed. It will be apparent that modifications and variations of the invention can be made without departing from the scope of the invention as described.

Claims

1. A height monitoring device adapted to be worn by a parachutist for monitoring distance from the ground, said device including a distance sensor arranged to a point towards the ground during a descent for directly measuring distance from the ground, a controller adapted to transmit information about the distance from the ground and an earpiece for audibly relaying the information to the parachutist in real time.

2. A height monitoring device according to any one of claims 1, wherein the device is provided in a casing to which at least one attachment member can be attached for attaching the casing to the parachutist.

3. A height monitoring device according to claim 2, wherein the at least one attachment member is a strap.

4. A height monitoring device according to any of the claims 1 to 3, wherein an emitting device of the distance sensor includes a laser.

5. A height monitoring device according to any one of claims 1 to 3, wherein an emitting device of the distance sensor includes an infra red transmitter.

6. A height monitoring device according to any preceding claim, wherein at least an emitting device of the distance sensor is attached to the casing by a gimbal arrangement, enabling the emitting device to always be directed towards the ground, in use.

7. A height monitoring device according to any of claims 2 to 6, wherein the casing includes a compartment to receive a power supply.

8. A height monitoring device according to any preceding claim, wherein the controller causes the distance sensor to be activated once a particular height above the ground is detected.

9. A height monitoring device according to any preceding claim, wherein the controller causes an alarm to be activated once the controller detects that the device and parachutist is at a predetermined distance from the ground.

10. A height monitoring device according to claim 9, wherein the alarm is one or more of an audible alarm or vibrational alarm.

11. A height monitoring device according to any preceding claim, wherein the controller has a date receiving element that can store data about a descent of the device and parachutist towards the ground.

12. A height monitoring device according to any preceding claim, the device including radio transmitter that can give audible details about the height of the object above the ground in real time.

13. A height monitoring device according to any preceding claim, the device including a GPS (global positioning system).

14. A height monitoring device according to any preceding claim, wherein in use, the height monitoring device continually transmits information to the parachutist via the earpiece, when in a descent.

15. A height monitoring device substantially as described herein with reference to and as illustrated in Figures 1 to 3 of the accompanying drawings.