Helmet having audio features

Abstract

A safety helmet for bikers, skateboarders, rollerbladers and the like is adapted to include a standalone player such as a compact disc player and/or digital audio player mounted in or on its head-protective shell. Controls for the player are within or directly on the helmet, and earphones are suitably located at a user's ears. Music files or other information may be charged or loaded from a computer, for example in MP3 format, directly into the helmet for subsequent playback. An ambient sound sensor on a rear portion of the helmet senses traffic sounds for the user's safety. Entertainment offered by the helmet will encourage people, particularly children, to wear the helmet, thus encouraging safety and saving lives.

I claim:  
     
         1 . A safety helmet of the type including a rigid outer protective helmet shell for protecting a head of a user during recreational or vocational activities, a liner within said shell adapted to engage the head of a user, and a strap attached to said helmet unit and adapted to secure said helmet to a head of a user, said helmet having a helmet outer surface, a helmet front portion, two helmet side portions and a helmet rear portion, said helmet shell further provided with a speaker mounted therein adjacent at least one of said helmet side portions and adapted to direct sound to at least one ear of a user, the improvement comprising: 
 said helmet shell further including at least one media player structurally associated with said helmet outer surface;    said at least one media player directly, physically connected to a manually controlled player controller;    said media player adapted to receive playing media for replay and thus to become a self-contained, freestanding player unit;    said media player further is adapted to be interconnected to said at least one speaker such that said player controller directs the media player operation to play the playing media causing media sound to be emitted from said at least one speaker;    whereby said user may selectively store playing media inside said media player, secure said helmet and the standalone media player in place on the user's head, and listen to the media sound while proceeding with said activities.    
     
     
         2 . The safety helmet of  claim 1 , wherein said media player is a digital audio player.  
     
     
         3 . The safety helmet of  claim 2 , wherein said media player is functionally compatible with a format selected from the group consisting of MP3, iPod, MP4, AT&T, a2b, Liquid Audio, Real Audio, and SDMI audio.  
     
     
         4 . The safety helmet of  claim 1 , wherein said helmet shell is fabricated with internal digital audio player components so as to form an integrally constructed helmet-player combination unit, said helmet-player combination unit further including: 
 a data port located along an outer surface of said helmet shell, electrically interconnected to said internal digital audio player components, and adapted to receive downloaded data files through a downloading connection from an external, compressed digital file data source;    whereby a user may directly charge the helmet-player unit with downloaded compressed files, and subsequently wear the unit on the head for both protection and listening enjoyment.    
     
     
         5 . The safety helmet of  claim 4 , wherein said digital audio player components are adapted to comport with one or more standard compressed data file formats  
     
     
         6 . The safety helmet of  claim 1  wherein at least one additional media player is structurally associated with said helmet outer surface; 
 wherein said at least one media player is a digital audio player;  
 and wherein said at least one additional media player is a compact disc player;  
 both said digital audio player and said disc player being positionally located at the helmet shell outer surface;  
 said digital audio player and said disc player are positioned so as to be substantially centered at the helmet outer surface;  
 whereby a user may optionally listen to media playback from either said digital audio player or said compact disc player, while the substantially centered position of said digital audio player and said disc player relative to the helmet outer surface enables the user to maintain physical balance during activities.  
 
     
     
         7 . The safety helmet of  claim 1 , further including an ambient sound sensor unit; 
 said ambient sound sensor pickup unit is adapted to be attached to the helmet outer surface;    said ambient sound sensor is communicatively connected to said media player control unit and to said at least one speaker;    said sound sensor operating through said control unit to communicate ambient sound to the speaker along with media sound;    whereby said sound sensor pickup detects sounds in the surrounding environment and communicates said sounds to said at least one speaker, so as to warn said user with any sounds that may represent potential dangers or approaching hazards, when such surrounding sounds would otherwise be masked by sounds from said media player.    
     
     
         8 . The safety helmet of  claim 7  wherein said ambient sound sensor pickup unit further includes an on-off switch interconnected therewith; 
 whereby the user may optionally render the sensor pickup unit inoperative.  
 
     
     
         9 . A safety helmet of the type including a rigid outer protective helmet shell for protecting a head of a user during recreational or vocational activities, a liner within said shell adapted to engage the head of a user, and a strap unit attached to said helmet and adapted to secure said helmet to a head of a user, said helmet having a helmet outer surface, a helmet front portion, two helmet side portions and a helmet rear portion, said helmet shell further provided with at least one speaker mounted therein adjacent one or more of said helmet side portions and adapted to direct sound to at least one ear of a user, the improvement comprising: 
 said helmet shell further includes at least one recess in said helmet outer surface;    said recess adapted to be closed by a moveable panel;    a media player unit is positioned within said recess and secured behind said panel;    said media player unit is adapted to be communicatively interconnected with said at least one speaker;    a controller adapted to control said media player unit;    said media player unit includes digital audio chip player components adapted to receive charges of compressed data files and to decompress said data files for data playback through said speaker;    whereby a user may utilize said helmet as a freestanding entertainment unit as well as a safety helmet.    
     
     
         10 . The safety helmet of  claim 9  wherein said helmet shell further includes an ambient sound sensor unit; 
 said ambient sound sensor pickup unit is adapted to be attached to the helmet outer surface at the helmet rear portion;  
 said ambient sound sensor is communicatively connected to said digital audio chip player components, controller and at least one speaker;  
 said sound sensor adapted to operate through said controller to communicate ambient sound to said speaker along with said data playback;  
 whereby said sound sensor pickup detects sounds in the surrounding environment and communicates said sounds to said at least one speaker, thus communicating to said user any sounds that may represent potential dangers or approaching hazards, wherein the data playback would otherwise have obscured said ambient sound.  
 
     
     
         11 . The safety helmet of  claim 10 , wherein said sound sensor is a microphone, and further includes an on-off switch.  
     
     
         12 . A safety helmet and digital audio player combination for the purpose of motivating a child to wear a protective helmet during hazardous recreational activities, said combination including: 
 an impact resistant, protective helmet shell having an outer surface including a helmet rear portion, a helmet front portion, and first and second helmet side surfaces;    said safety helmet and digital audio player integrally constructed such that said helmet shell physically incorporates therein components of said player    said helmet shell and player combination further including an internal liner for comfortable placement on said child's head;    a strap for securing said helmet to said child's head;    a speaker located at each said first and second side surface;    a player controller also integrally formed within said helmet shell and adapted to control the operation of said digital audio player;    a first connector port adapted for connection to a connector cable carrying compressed file data, said port located on an outer surface of said helmet shell;    said digital audio player adapted to receive and store said compressed file data from said first connector port via said controller and, on demand signal, to decompress and subsequently play back said data through said speakers;    whereby the child will enjoy the sound of the digital audio player while wearing said combination helmet and chip player when engaged in recreational activities.    
     
     
         13 . The safety helmet and digital audio player combination of  claim 12  wherein said helmet shell further includes an ambient sound sensor unit; 
 said ambient sound sensor pickup unit is adapted to be attached to the helmet outer surface at the helmet rear portion;  
 said ambient sound sensor is communicatively connected to said digital audio player components, controller and speakers;  
 said sound sensor adapted to operate through said controller to communicate ambient sound to said speakers along with said data playback;  
 whereby said sound sensor pickup detects sounds in the surrounding environment and communicates said sounds to said at least one speaker, thus communicating to said user any sounds that may represent potential dangers or approaching hazards, wherein the data playback would otherwise have obscured said ambient sound.  
 
     
     
         14 . The combination safety helmet and digital audio player of  claim 13  wherein said sound sensor is a microphone.  
     
     
         15 . The combination safety helmet and digital audio player of  claim 13 , further including: 
 a rechargeable power unit located within said shell;    a second port located at the outer surface of said shell and adapted to receive power through a cable interconnected to a recharging unit.