Intelligent electronic footwear and control logic for automated pedestrian collision avoidance

• US 10,172,409 B1
• Filed: 08/28/2018
• Issued: 01/08/2019
• Est. Priority Date: 05/31/2018
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Nike, Inc.
• Original Assignee: Nike, Inc.
• Inventors: Andon, Christopher
• Primary Examiner(s): Patton, Spencer D
• Application Number:
  US16/114,646
• Time in Patent Office: 133 Days
• CPC Class Codes: A43B 3/34 with electrical or electronic arrangements
• CPC Class Codes: A43B 3/36 with light sources
• CPC Class Codes: A43B 3/50 with sound or music sources
• CPC Class Codes: A43C 11/165 characterised by a spool, reel or pulley for winding up cables, laces or straps by rotation
• CPC Class Codes: A43C 19/00 Attachments for footwear, not provided for in other groups of this subclass
• CPC Class Codes: B60Q 1/14 having dimming means
• CPC Class Codes: B60Q 1/2673 on parts worn by the driver, e.g. clothes, gloves or bags, specially adapted to provide auxiliary vehicle signalling
• CPC Class Codes: B60Q 1/525 automatically indicating risk of collision between vehicles in traffic or with pedestrians, e.g. after risk assessment using the vehicle sensor data
• CPC Class Codes: B60Q 2300/05 Special features for controlling or switching of the light beam
• CPC Class Codes: B60Q 5/006 indicating risk of collision between vehicles or with pedestrians
• CPC Class Codes: B60Q 9/008 for anti-collision purposes
• CPC Class Codes: G01S 19/19 Sporting applications
• CPC Class Codes: G01S 19/49 whereby the further system is an inertial position system, e.g. loosely-coupled
• CPC Class Codes: G01S 5/0027 of actual mobile position, i.e. position determined on mobile
• CPC Class Codes: G01S 5/0072 Transmission between mobile stations, e.g. anti-collision systems
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 1/163 Wearable computers, e.g. on a belt
• CPC Class Codes: G08B 21/02 Alarms for ensuring the safety of persons
• CPC Class Codes: G08B 7/06 using electric transmission , e.g. involving audible and visible signalling through the use of sound and light sources
• CPC Class Codes: G08G 1/005 including pedestrian guidance indicator
• CPC Class Codes: G08G 1/07 Controlling traffic signals
• CPC Class Codes: G08G 1/087 : Override of traffic control, e.g. by signal transmitted by an emergency vehicle
• CPC Class Codes: G08G 1/162 : event-triggered
• CPC Class Codes: G08G 1/164 : Centralised systems, e.g. external to vehicles
• CPC Class Codes: G08G 1/166 : for active traffic, e.g. moving vehicles, pedestrians, bikes
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 4/021 : Services related to particular areas, e.g. point of interest [POI] services, venue services or geofences
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 4/023 : using mutual or relative location information between multiple location based services [LBS] targets or of distance thresholds
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 4/40 : for vehicles, e.g. vehicle-to-pedestrians [V2P]
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 4/80 : Services using short range communication, e.g. near-field communication [NFC], radio-frequency identification [RFID] or low energy communication

Abstract

Presented are intelligent electronic footwear with controller automated features, methods for making/using such footwear, and control systems for executing automated features of intelligent electronic footwear. An intelligent electronic shoe includes an upper that attaches to a user'"'"'s foot, and a sole structure attached to the upper for supporting thereon the user'"'"'s foot. A collision threat warning system, a detection tag, a wireless communications device, and a footwear controller are all mounted to the sole structure/upper. The detection tag receives a prompt signal from a transmitter-detector module and responsively transmits thereto a response signal. The footwear controller receives, through the wireless communications device, a pedestrian collision warning signal generated by the remote computing node responsive to the response signal. Responsively, the footwear controller transmits a command signal to the collision threat warning system to generate a visible, audible and/or tactile alert warning the user of an impending collision with a vehicle.

Claims

1. An intelligent electronic shoe (IES) system, comprising:

an upper configured to attach to a foot of a user;

a sole structure attached to the upper and configured to support thereon the foot of the user, the sole structure defining a ground-engaging surface;

a collision threat warning system mounted to the sole structure and/or upper and configured to generate visible, audible and/or tactile outputs in response to command signals;

a detection tag configured to receive a prompt signal from a transmitter-detector module and responsively transmit a response signal to the transmitter-detector module;

a wireless communications device mounted to the sole structure and/or upper and configured to wirelessly communicate with a remote computing node; and

a footwear controller operatively connected to the wireless communications device and the collision threat warning system, the footwear controller being configured to;

receive, from the remote computing node via the wireless communications device, a pedestrian collision warning signal generated responsive to the response signal; and

transmit, in response to the received pedestrian collision warning signal, a command signal to the collision threat warning system to generate a predetermined visible, audible and/or tactile alert configured to warn the user of an impending collision with a motor vehicle.

2. The IES system of claim 1, wherein the detection tag includes a radio frequency (RF) transponder mounted to the sole structure and/or upper, the prompt signal has a first RF power with a first frequency, and the response signal has a second RF power with a second frequency distinct from the first frequency.

3. The IES system of claim 2, wherein the prompt signal includes an embedded data set, and wherein the response signal retransmits the embedded data set back to the transmitter-detector module.

4. The IES system of claim 3, wherein the RF transponder includes an RF antenna and a frequency filter connected to the RF antenna, the frequency filter being configured to reject signals having an RF power with a third frequency distinct from the first frequency.

5. The IES system of claim 1, wherein the detection tag includes an electroactive polymer (EAP) sensor with a dielectric EAP element mounted to the sole structure and/or upper, the prompt signal is an electrical field configured to induce a physical state change in the dielectric EAP element, and the response signal is generated by the user reversing the physical state change of the dielectric EAP element.

6. The IES system of claim 1, wherein the footwear controller is further configured to:

transmit, to the remote computing node via the wireless communications device, user position data and user dynamics data; and

receive, from the remote computing node via the wireless communications device, a pedestrian collision threat value based on fusion of the user position data and user dynamics data, and predictive of intrusion of the user with respect to a vehicle location and predicted route of the motor vehicle.

7. The IES system of claim 6, wherein the footwear controller is further configured to transmit, to the remote computing node via the wireless communications device, behavioral data indicative of historical behavior of the user, wherein the pedestrian collision threat value is further based on fusion of the behavioral data with the user position data and user dynamics data.

8. The IES system of claim 7, wherein the pedestrian collision threat value is further based on fusion of the behavioral data, user position data and user dynamics data with crowd-sourced data indicative of behavior of multiple individuals in proximity to the user.

9. The IES system of claim 8, wherein the pedestrian collision threat value is further based on fusion of the behavioral data, user position data, user dynamics data and crowd-sourced data with environmental data indicative of a surrounding environment of the user.

10. The IES system of claim 1, wherein the user has a portable electronic device, and wherein the wireless communications device is further configured to wirelessly connect to the portable electronic device and thereby wirelessly communicate with the remote computing node.

11. The IES system of claim 1, wherein the remote computing node is a resident vehicle controller of a motor vehicle, and wherein the footwear controller is further configured to transmit, to the resident vehicle controller via the wireless communications device, user position data, user dynamics data and/or user behavioral data.

12. The IES system of claim 1, wherein the remote computing node is a central control unit of an intelligent traffic management system, and wherein the footwear controller is further configured to transmit, to the central control unit via the wireless communications device, user position data, user dynamics data and/or user behavioral data.

13. The IES system of claim 1, wherein the collision threat warning system includes a haptic transducer attached to the sole structure and/or upper, and wherein the command signal causes the haptic transducer to generate a predetermined tactile alert configured to warn the user of the impending collision with the motor vehicle.

14. The IES system of claim 1, wherein the collision threat warning system includes an audio component attached to the sole structure and/or upper, and wherein the command signal causes the audio component to generate a predetermined audible alert configured to warn the user of the impending collision with the motor vehicle.

15. The IES system of claim 1, wherein the collision threat warning system includes a lighting element attached to the sole structure and/or upper, and wherein the command signal causes the lighting element to generate a predetermined visible alert configured to warn the user of the impending collision with the motor vehicle.

16. The IES system of claim 1, further comprising a pressure sensor mounted to the sole structure and configured to detect a presence of the foot in the upper, and wherein the command signal is transmitted to the collision threat warning system further in response to the detected presence of the foot in the upper.

17. The IES system of claim 1, further comprising:

a shoelace attached to the upper; and

a lace motor mounted inside the sole structure and configured to selectively transition the shoelace between a tensioned state and an untensioned state,

wherein the footwear controller is further configured to communicate with the lace motor and determine whether the shoelace is in the tensioned or untensioned state, and

wherein the command signal is transmitted to the collision threat warning system further in response to the shoelace being in the tensioned state.

18. A method of operating an intelligent electronic shoe (IES), the IES including an upper for attaching to a foot of a user, and a sole structure defining a ground-engaging surface and attached to the upper for supporting thereon the foot of the user, the method comprising:

receiving, via a detection tag attached to the sole structure and/or upper of the IES, a prompt signal from a transmitter-detector module;

transmitting, via the detection tag responsive to receiving the prompt signal, a response signal to the transmitter-detector module;

receiving, via a resident footwear controller through a wireless communications device both attached to the sole structure and/or upper, a pedestrian collision warning signal generated by a remote computing node responsive to the response signal; and

transmitting, via the resident footwear controller in response to the received pedestrian collision warning signal, a command signal to a collision threat warning system attached to the sole structure and/or upper to generate a predetermined visible, audible and/or tactile alert configured to warn the user of an impending collision with a motor vehicle.

19. The method of claim 18, wherein the detection tag includes a radio frequency (RF) transponder, the prompt signal has a first RF power with a first frequency, and the response signal has a second RF power with a second frequency distinct from the first frequency.

20. The method of claim 18, wherein the detection tag includes an electroactive polymer (EAP) sensor with a dielectric EAP element, the prompt signal is an electrical field configured to induce a physical state change in the dielectric EAP element, and the response signal is generated by the user reversing the physical state change of the dielectric EAP element.

21. The method of claim 18, further comprising:

transmitting, via the resident footwear controller to the remote computing node, user position data and user dynamics data; and

receiving, via the resident footwear controller through the wireless communications device from the remote computing node, a pedestrian collision threat value based on fusion of the user position data and user dynamics data, and predictive of intrusion of the user with respect to a vehicle location and predicted route of the motor vehicle.

22. The method of claim 18, wherein the user has a portable electronic device, and wherein the wireless communications device wirelessly connects to the portable electronic device and thereby wirelessly communicates with the remote computing node.

23. The method of claim 18, wherein the remote computing node is a resident vehicle controller of a motor vehicle, the method further comprising transmitting, via the resident footwear controller to the resident vehicle controller, user position data, user dynamics data and/or user behavioral data.

24. The method of claim 18, wherein the remote computing node is a central control unit of an intelligent traffic management system, the method further comprising transmitting, via the resident footwear controller to the central control unit, user position data, user dynamics data and/or user behavioral data.

25. The method of claim 18, wherein the IES further includes a pressure sensor mounted to the sole structure and configured to detect a presence of the foot in the upper, and wherein the command signal is transmitted to the collision threat warning system further in response to the detected presence of the foot in the upper.