Patent ID: 8667617

Claim:
An enhanced protective helmet comprising: an outer shell; a molded lining providing a substrate for one or more antennas, and including a non-conductive surface that provides a dielectric support for the one or more antennas, wherein the molding lining is disposed within the outer shell and contoured to surround a human head; a first antenna configured in an elongated form having a proximal end and a free end, the first antenna being supported by the molded lining and provided a dielectric load from the supporting substrate and achieving a prescribed electrical length using a respective physical length as a function of the dielectric load; a connection point mounted along an external edge of the molded lining or mounted on an interior surface of the molded lining, the connection point communicatively connected to the proximal end of the first antenna and configured to removably connect to a first mobile communication device and further configured to removably connect to a second mobile communication device, thereby linking one of the first and second mobile communication devices to the first antenna when the respective first mobile communication device or the second communication device is removably connected by a user to the connection point; a second antenna configured in an elongated form having a proximal end and a free end, the second antenna being supported by the molded lining and provided a dielectric load from the supporting substrate and achieving a prescribed electrical length using a respective physical length as a function of the dielectric load, whereby the connection point is communicatively connected to the proximal end of the second antenna, wherein one of the first and second mobile communication devices is linked to the second antenna when the respective first mobile communication device or the second communication device is removably connected by a user to the connection point, and further wherein at least the second antenna is disposed in a helmet location that is along a side of the helmet above one of a left ear and a right ear of a user when the helmet is worn by the user.