Capacitive foot presence sensing devices for footwear

• US 10,172,423 B2
• Filed: 03/15/2017
• Issued: 01/08/2019
• Est. Priority Date: 03/15/2016
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Nike, Inc.
• Original Assignee: Nike, Inc.
• Inventors: Walker, Steven H., Meneau, Phillip
• Primary Examiner(s): Bays, Marie D
• Application Number:
  US15/459,889
• Publication Number:
  US 20170265587A1
• Time in Patent Office: 664 Days
• Field of Search: 36 501
• CPC Class Codes: A43B 1/0054 provided with magnets, magnetic parts or magnetic substances
• CPC Class Codes: A43B 13/125 characterised by the midsole or middle layer
• CPC Class Codes: A43B 13/14 characterised by the constructive form
• CPC Class Codes: A43B 13/18 Resilient soles skating boots provided with resilient means A43B5/1658
• CPC Class Codes: A43B 17/00 Insoles for insertion, e.g. footbeds or inlays, for attachment to the shoe after the upper has been joined
• CPC Class Codes: A43B 3/0031 provided with a pocket, e.g. for keys or a card
• CPC Class Codes: A43B 3/34 with electrical or electronic arrangements
• CPC Class Codes: A43B 3/36 with light sources
• CPC Class Codes: A43B 3/38 with power sources
• CPC Class Codes: A43B 3/44 with sensors, e.g. for detecting contact or position
• CPC Class Codes: A43C 1/00 Shoe lacing fastenings garment fastening devices A41F
• CPC Class Codes: A43C 1/003 Zone lacing, i.e. whereby different zones of the footwear have different lacing tightening degrees, using one or a plurality of laces laces combined with another system A43C11/008; zone tightening using straps A43C11/14
• CPC Class Codes: A43C 1/006 Rear lacing, i.e. with a lace placed on the back of the foot in place of, or in addition to the traditional front lace
• CPC Class Codes: A43C 1/02 with elastic laces
• CPC Class Codes: A43C 1/04 with rings or loops
• CPC Class Codes: A43C 1/06 tightened by draw-strings
• CPC Class Codes: A43C 11/00 Other fastenings specially adapted for shoes dress fastenings in general A44B
• CPC Class Codes: A43C 11/008 Combined fastenings, e.g. to accelerate undoing or fastening
• CPC Class Codes: A43C 11/14 Clamp fastenings , e.g. strap fastenings; Clamp-buckle fastenings; Fastenings with toggle levers
• 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 7/00 : Holding-devices for laces
• CPC Class Codes: A43C 7/08 : Clamps drawn tight by laces
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 5/1036 : Measuring load distribution, e.g. podologic studies
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 5/6807 : Footwear
• CPC Class Codes: G01D 5/12 : using electric or magnetic means G01D5/06 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: G01D 5/145 : influenced by the relative movement between the Hall device and magnetic fields see G01R33/06
• CPC Class Codes: G01D 5/24 : by varying capacitance
• CPC Class Codes: G01D 5/2405 : by varying dielectric
• CPC Class Codes: G01D 5/34 : the beams of light being detected by photocells
• CPC Class Codes: G01L 1/12 : by measuring variations in the magnetic properties of materials resulting from the application of stress
• CPC Class Codes: G01L 1/14 : by measuring variations in capacitance or inductance of electrical elements, e.g. by measuring variations of frequency of electrical oscillators
• CPC Class Codes: G01L 1/142 : using capacitors
• CPC Class Codes: G01L 1/144 : with associated circuitry G01L1/146 and G01L1/148 take precedence
• CPC Class Codes: G01L 5/0009 : Force sensors associated with a bearing testing of bearings G01M13/04
• CPC Class Codes: G01L 5/0014 : by using capacitive sensors
• CPC Class Codes: G01L 5/0071 : Specific indicating arrangements, e.g. of overload
• CPC Class Codes: G01L 5/12 : for measuring axial thrust in a rotary shaft, e.g. of propulsion plants
• CPC Class Codes: G01L 5/16 : for measuring several components of force
• CPC Class Codes: G01L 5/165 : using variations in capacitance
• CPC Class Codes: G01L 5/24 : for determining value of torque or twisting moment for tightening a nut or other member which is similarly stressed
• CPC Class Codes: G05B 15/02 : electric
• CPC Class Codes: G05B 19/048 : Monitoring; Safety
• CPC Class Codes: G05B 2219/24015 : Monitoring
• CPC Class Codes: Y02P 90/02 : Total factory control, e.g. smart factories, flexible manufacturing systems [FMS] or integrated manufacturing systems [IMS]

Abstract

A foot presence sensor system for an active article of footwear can include a sensor housing configured to be disposed at or in an insole of the article, and a controller circuit, disposed within the sensor housing, configured to trigger one or more automated functions of the footwear based on a foot presence indication. In an example, the sensor system includes a capacitive sensor configured to sense changes in a capacitance signal in response to proximity of a body. A dielectric member can be provided between the capacitive sensor and the body to enhance an output signal from the sensor.

Claims

1. A system for use in a footwear article, the system comprising:

a device housing;

a processor circuit provided in the device housing;

an electrical interconnect coupled to the processor circuit and to one or more ports in the device housing; and

a capacitive sensor, including multiple electrodes provided at least partially outside of the device housing and coupled to the processor circuit using the electrical interconnect, wherein the capacitive sensor is configured to sense a proximity of a user body to the electrodes.

2. The system of claim 1, wherein the processor circuit, in response to receiving information about the proximity of the user body as sensed by the capacitive sensor, is configured to provide an indication of a foot presence in the article or foot absence from the article.

3. The system of claim 2, wherein the device housing encloses at least a portion of a motorized lacing engine for the article, and wherein the processor circuit is configured to initiate or inhibit operation of the motorized lacing engine based on the indication.

4. The system of claim 1;

wherein the multiple electrodes include at least two electrodes that are spaced apart within a common plane.

5. The system of claim 4, further comprising, the footwear article and an insole provided inside the article, wherein at least a portion of the multiple electrodes extends substantially parallel with an upper surface of the insole of the article.

6. The system of claim 1, further comprising the footwear article, an insole of the article, and an outsole of the article, wherein the device housing is disposed at or in one of the insole of the article or the outsole of the article.

7. The system of claim 1, wherein at least a portion of the capacitive sensor is affixed to an outer surface of the device housing.

8. The system of claim 1, further comprising, the footwear article, the footwear article comprising at least a midsole and an outsole, wherein the device housing is provided underfoot in the midsole of the article and wherein the capacitive sensor is provided between an upper surface of the device housing and a foot when the article is worn by the foot.

9. The system of claim 8, further comprising a dielectric member at a foot-facing surface of the capacitive sensor when the article is worn.

10. The system of claim 9, wherein the dielectric member comprises a material having a higher relative dielectric permittivity than air.

11. The system of claim 9, wherein the dielectric member comprises neoprene.

12. The system of claim 1, wherein the multiple electrodes are disposed on a common flexible substrate.

13. The sensor system of claim 1, wherein the multiple electrodes include first and second electrodes, and each electrode comprises multiple extension members that are spaced a fixed distance apart.

14. An article of footwear, comprising:

a tensioning member;

a motorized tensioning device for controlling tension of the tensioning member;

at least one capacitive sensor for receiving information about a presence or absence of a foot within the footwear, the capacitive sensor comprising multiple electrodes spaced a fixed distance apart substantially within in a common plane that is parallel to an insole of the footwear and the capacitive sensor is configured to sense a proximity of the foot to the electrodes; and

a control unit, wherein the control unit can receive information from the at least one capacitive sensor and thereby determine whether a foot is present, absent, entering, or exiting the footwear.

15. The article of footwear of claim 14, wherein the control unit conditionally operates the motorized tensioning device using the information from the at least one capacitive sensor.

16. The article of footwear of claim 14, wherein the at least one capacitive sensor is provided underfoot within the footwear and above a device housing that houses at least a portion of the motorized tensioning device and control unit.

17. The article of footwear of claim 16, further comprising a dielectric member having a dielectric permittivity greater than that of air, wherein the dielectric member is adjacent to the multiple electrodes of the capacitive sensor.

18. An article of footwear comprising:

a capacitance-based foot presence sensor configured to generate a capacitance-indicating signal indicative of a presence, or a relative location, of a foot inside of the article of footwear, the capacitance-based foot presence sensor including a pair of interleaved electrodes disposed on a common substrate underfoot and in an arch region of the footwear, and the capacitance-based foot presence sensor senses a proximity of the foot to the electrodes when the foot is spaced apart from the electrodes; and

a processor circuit included in a device housing in the arch region of the footwear and provided under at least a portion of the electrodes, the processor circuit configured to receive the signal from the foot position sensor and, when the signal indicates a presence of a foot or indicates a change in a relative location of the foot in the article of footwear, the processor circuit is configured to;

initiate data collection from one or more other sensors in or associated with the article of footwear;

or

actuate a chive mechanism to tighten or loosen the article of footwear about the foot.

19. The article of footwear of claim 18, wherein the foot presence sensor is configured to generate a signal indicative of a change in a mutual capacitance characteristic associated with the electrodes.

20. The article of footwear of claim 18, further comprising a dielectric member provided between at least a portion of the foot presence sensor and the foot when the article is worn, wherein the dielectric member has a relative dielectric permittivity that is greater than a relative dielectric permittivity of air.