Configurable protective garment methods and system

Abstract

Prior art protective equipment addresses primarily the upper body whilst in several sports, recreational activities the lower body is subjected to the most traumatic impacts which occur to the buttocks, coccyx, hips, shins, knees etc. Accordingly, there is a need for protective garments for the lower body tailored to the requirements of these sports. Embodiments of the present garment address this whilst also providing garments which include integrated protective elements targeting specific body regions where subset of these protective elements are either configurable to the user by virtue of being inflatable or provide additional functionality such as heating. Further, the integration of sensors and electronics allows data acquisition, alarms, closed-loop feedback of the heating/inflation etc.

What is claimed is: 
     
         1 . A garment comprising:
 a body formed from one or more pieces of one or more fabrics;   a plurality of protective elements disposed in predetermined positions with respect to the body; wherein   one or more of the plurality of protective elements comprises at least one of a re-inflatable balloon and a heating element.   
     
     
         2 . The garment according to  claim 1 , wherein
 each protective element of the plurality of protective elements is disposed in a predetermined position relative to a portion of a body of a user wearing the garment.   
     
     
         3 . The garment according to  claim 1 , wherein
 each protective element of the plurality of protective elements is disposed in a predetermined position relative to a portion of a body of a user wearing the garment; and   the portion of the body of the user is selected from the group comprising buttocks, coccyx, a hip, an ankle, a knee, a shin, and a foot.   
     
     
         4 . The garment according to  claim 1 , wherein
 each protective element of the plurality of protective elements is disposed in a predetermined position relative to a portion of a body of a user wearing the garment; and   the portion of the body of the user is selected from the group comprising a wrist, a hand, an elbow, a shoulder, and a mammary gland.   
     
     
         5 . The garment according to  claim 1 , wherein
 the garment includes a controller with a wireless interface operating according to a first wireless standard;   each protective element of the plurality of protective elements includes an accelerometer and a wireless interface operating according to the first wireless interface; and   the controller provides control data to each protective element of the protective elements comprising at least one of a re-inflatable balloon and a heating element; and   the controller receives accelerometer data from each accelerometer within each protective element of the plurality of protective elements.   
     
     
         6 . The garment according to  claim 1 , further comprising
 one or more pumps, each pump coupled to a predetermined subset of the one or more of the plurality of protective elements comprising a re-inflatable balloon.   
     
     
         7 . The garment according to  claim 1 , further comprising
 one or more fittings, each fitting coupled to a predetermined subset of the one or more of the plurality of protective elements comprising a re-inflatable balloon; and   the fitting couples to a pressurized cylinder filled with a predetermined fluid and/or gas under pressure allowing the predetermined fluid and/or gas to be employed to fill the re-inflatable balloons of the predetermined subset of the one or more of the plurality of protective elements comprising a re-inflatable balloon.   
     
     
         8 . The garment according to  claim 1 , further comprising
 one or more pumps, each pump coupled to a first predetermined subset of the one or more of the plurality of protective elements comprising a re-inflatable balloon; and   one or more batteries, each battery coupled to a second predetermined subset of the one or more of the plurality of protective elements comprising a re-inflatable balloon and a third predetermined subset of the one or more of the plurality of protective elements comprising a heating element.   
     
     
         9 . The garment according to  claim 1 , wherein
 each battery of the one or more batteries are demountable from the garment via an electrical connector or integrated within the garment.   
     
     
         10 . The garment according to  claim 1 , wherein
 each battery is a rechargeable flexible battery integrated within the garment.   
     
     
         11 . The garment according to  claim 1 , wherein
 a first subset of the plurality of protective elements are integrated into the garment; and   a second subset of the plurality of protective elements are removable from the garment.   
     
     
         12 . The garment according to  claim 1 , wherein
 the second subset of the plurality of protective elements are inserted into one or more pockets forming part of the garment; and   each pocket of the one or more pockets retains the protective elements inserted into it through a fastening mechanism.   
     
     
         13 . The garment according to  claim 1 , wherein
 the plurality of protective elements disposed in predetermined positions with respect to the body are arranged in two mirror-image sets; and   each set is disposed, respectively on the right hand side or the left hand side of a wearer of the garment; and   the two-mirror image sets are symmetrical with respect to a central vertical axis lying along a spine of the wearer.   
     
     
         14 . The garment according to  claim 1 , wherein
 each protective element of one or more of the plurality of protective elements comprising a re-inflatable balloon is coupled to a pump via an on/off switch; and   each protective element of one or more of the plurality of protective elements comprising a re-inflatable balloon is deflated by rolling, folding, or squashing the garment with the on/off switches in the open position.   
     
     
         15 . The garment according to  claim 1 , further comprising
 one or more pumps, each pump coupled to a first predetermined subset of the one or more of the plurality of protective elements comprising a re-inflatable balloon;   a controller;   one or more switches, each switch coupled to the controller and disposed between a pump of the one or more pumps and a protective element of the plurality of protective elements comprising a re-inflatable balloon; wherein   upon powering off the controller the one or more switches are opened; and   each protective element of the plurality of protective elements comprising a re-inflatable balloon is deflated by rolling, folding, or squashing the garment after powering off the controller.