Safety vest assembly including a high reliability communication system and a thermoelectric transducer assembly

Abstract

A safety vest is provided for use by a wearer. The vest comprises an outer layer, an inner layer, a bullet protection layer, a plurality of communication components disposed within the vest, a rechargeable power supply, and a thermoelectric transducer assembly for converting body thermal energy into electrical energy to power the communications components

What is claimed is: 
     
         1 . A safety vest assembly for use by a wearer, the safety vest assembly comprising:
 a) an outer layer;   b) an inner layer;   c) a bullet protection layer disposed within the vest intermediate the outer layer and the inner layer and configured to mitigate bullet penetration through the vest;   d) a plurality of communication components disposed within the vest;   e) a rechargeable internal power supply disposed within the vest; and   f) a thermoelectric transducer assembly constructed of at least one thermoelectric transducer for converting thermal energy generated by the wearer into electrical energy, the thermoelectric transducer assembly being in electrical communication with the internal power supply.   
     
     
         2 . The safety vest assembly of  claim 1 , wherein the thermoelectric transducer assembly provides power to operate the communication components. 
     
     
         3 . The safety vest assembly of  claim 1 , wherein the thermoelectric transducer assembly further includes a plurality of flexible thermoelectric transducers interwoven throughout the inner layer. 
     
     
         4 . The safety vest assembly of  claim 1 , further comprising a body contact layer worn substantially adjacent a body portion the wearer. 
     
     
         5 . The safety vest assembly of  claim 4 , wherein at least a portion of the thermoelectric transducer assembly is disposed within the body contact layer. 
     
     
         6 . The safety vest assembly of  claim 5 , wherein at least one portion of the thermoelectric transducer assembly is plug connectable with the internal power supply. 
     
     
         7 . The safety vest assembly of  claim 1 , wherein the thermoelectric transducer assembly includes at least one thermo-responsive pad disposed in heat transfer relation with a body portion of the wearer. 
     
     
         8 . The safety vest assembly of  claim 7 , wherein the thermo-responsive pad generates a power supply recharging output signal in response to the wearer's body heat, the recharging output signal being operative to charge the internal power supply. 
     
     
         9 . The safety vest assembly of  claim 1 , wherein the thermoelectric transducer assembly is in electrical communication with at least one of the communications components. 
     
     
         10 . The safety vest assembly of  claim 1 , wherein the transducer assembly further comprises a voltage regulating circuit in electrical communication with the at least one thermoelectric transducer and the internal power supply, the voltage regulator circuit being operative to condition the transducer assembly recharging output signal to facilitate recharging of the power supply. 
     
     
         11 . The safety vest assembly of  claim 9 , wherein the plurality of communication components further includes a receiver disposed within the vest, the receiver being operative to receive an input signal from a first remote transceiver. 
     
     
         12 . The safety vest assembly of  claim 11 , wherein the plurality of communication components further includes a decryption device disposed within the vest, the decryption device being in electrical communication with the receiver and operative to generate a decrypted input signal. 
     
     
         13 . The safety vest assembly of  claim 12 , wherein the plurality of communication components further includes a speaker disposed flush with the outer layer, the speaker being operative to receive and broadcast an audio output signal representative of a decrypted audio input signal. 
     
     
         14 . The safety vest assembly of  claim 13 , wherein the plurality of communication components further includes a display disposed flush with the outer layer, the display being operative to receive and display a visual signal representative of a decrypted text input signal. 
     
     
         15 . The safety vest assembly of  claim 14 , wherein the plurality of communication components further includes a physiological sensor operatively linked to the wearer, the physiological sensor being operative to generate a physiological sensor output, signal independent of wearer input. 
     
     
         16 . The safety vest assembly of  claim 15 , wherein the plurality of communication components further includes a GPS device disposed within the vest, the GPS device being operative to generate a GPS output signal, independent of wearer input. 
     
     
         17 . The safety vest assembly of  claim 16 , wherein the plurality of communication components further includes a keypad disposed substantially flush with the vest outer layer, the keypad being operative to generate a keypad output signal. 
     
     
         18 . The safety vest assembly of  claim 17 , wherein the plurality of communication components further includes a microphone disposed substantially flush with the vest outer layer, the microphone being operative to generate a microphone audio output signal. 
     
     
         19 . The safety vest assembly of  claim 18 , wherein the plurality of communication components further includes an encryption device disposed within the vest and in electrical communication with the pressure sensor, the physiological sensor, the GPS, the keypad and the microphone, the encryption device being operative to generate an encryption device output signal in response to the receipt of at least one of the pressure sensor output signal, the physiological sensor output signal, the GPS output signal, the keypad output signal and the microphone output signal. 
     
     
         20 . The safety vest assembly of  claim 19 , wherein the plurality of communication components further includes an output circuit disposed within the vest and in electrical communication with the encryption device, the output circuit being operative to communicate a safety vest output signal to a second remote transceiver in response to receipt of the encryption device output signal. 
     
     
         21 . The safety vest assembly of  claim 20 , wherein the first and second transceivers are implemented as a common remote transceiver. 
     
     
         22 . The safety vest assembly of  claim 20 , wherein the receiver is wirelessly communicable with the first remote transceiver. 
     
     
         23 . The safety vest assembly of  claim 20 , wherein the output circuit is wirelessly communicable with the second remote transceiver. 
     
     
         24 . The safety vest assembly of  claim 20 , further comprising flex circuitry disposed within the vest assembly, the flex circuitry including a plurality of conductive paths formed on a flexible contact substrate. 
     
     
         25 . The safety vest assembly of  claim 24 , wherein the flex circuitry facilitates displacement of electrical connections between communication components in response to movement of the wearer. 
     
     
         26 . The safety vest assembly of  claim 25 , wherein:
 the pressure sensor, the physiological sensor, the GPS, the keypad, and the microphone are each connected to the encryption device by the flex circuitry; and   the encryption device is connected to the output circuit by the flex circuitry.   
     
     
         27 . The safety vest assembly of  claim 26 , wherein:
 the receiver is connected to the decryption device by the flex circuitry; and   the decryption device is connected to the display and the speaker by the flex circuitry.   
     
     
         28 . The safety vest assembly of  claim 20 , wherein the pressure sensor, the physiological sensor, the GPS, the keypad, the microphone, the display, the speaker, the encryption device, the decryption device, the output circuit and the receiver are each in electrical communication with the internal power supply. 
     
     
         29 . The safety vest assembly of  claim 9 , the plurality of communications components includes a pressure sensor disposed within the vest for detecting pressure applied to the vest and generating a pressure sensor output signal in response thereto, the pressure sensor output signal being generated independent of wearer input.