Motor control for automated footwear platform

• US 10,476,410 B2
• Filed: 03/15/2017
• Issued: 11/12/2019
• Est. Priority Date: 03/15/2016
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Nike, Inc.
• Original Assignee: Nike, Inc.
• Inventors: Schneider, Summer L.
• Primary Examiner(s): Dhakal, Bickey
• Application Number:
  US15/459,058
• Publication Number:
  US 20170272008A1
• Time in Patent Office: 972 Days
• CPC Class Codes: A43B 3/34 with electrical or electronic arrangements
• CPC Class Codes: A43C 11/008 Combined fastenings, e.g. to accelerate undoing or fastening
• 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: G05B 19/416 characterised by control of velocity, acceleration or deceleration G05B19/19 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: G05B 2219/35585 Motion command profile
• CPC Class Codes: H02K 7/1166 comprising worm and worm-wheel structural association with bearings specially adapted for worm gear drives H02K7/081
• CPC Class Codes: H02P 6/06 Arrangements for speed regulation of a single motor wherein the motor speed is measured and compared with a given physical value so as to adjust the motor speed

Abstract

Systems, apparatus, and methods related to an automated footwear platform including motor control techniques. The motor control techniques can include operations such as segmenting a pre-defined travel distance, defining a plurality of moves, creating a plurality of motion profiles, and commanding movements. The plurality of moves can utilize the segmented travel distance for a drive mechanism associated with the footwear platform. Each motion profile of the plurality of motion profiles can include one or more moves from the plurality of moves. Commanding movement of the drive mechanism can be based on selection of one or more motion profiles from the plurality of motion profiles.

Claims

1. A motor control method for a drive mechanism within an automated footwear platform, the method comprising:

segmenting a pre-defined travel distance associated with the drive mechanism into a plurality of segments, wherein the pre-defined travel distance covers a range of travel for a lace cable from fully tightened to completely loose, and wherein a first segment of the plurality of segments covers a first length within the range of travel and a second segment of the plurality of segments covers a second length within the range of travel where the first length is not equal to the second length;

defining a plurality of moves for the drive mechanism;

creating a plurality of motion profiles, each motion profile of the plurality of motion profiles including one or more moves from the plurality of moves; and

commanding movement of the drive mechanism based on selection of one or more motion profiles from the plurality of motion profiles, wherein commanding movement involves engaging the drive mechanism to tighten or loosen the lace cable within the automated footwear platform.

2. The motor control method of claim 1, wherein each move of the plurality of moves includes an acceleration parameter, a velocity parameter, a deceleration parameter, and distance parameter.

3. The motor control method of claim 2, wherein the distance parameter is provided in one of segments of the plurality of segments, degrees of rotation, and linear distance.

4. The motor control method of claim 2, wherein commanding movement further comprises:

determining a first target velocity for operating a motor within the drive mechanism when a voltage being supplied to the motor is above a threshold voltage;

determining a second target velocity for operating the motor when the voltage being supplied to the motor is below the threshold voltage;

measuring a first voltage being supplied by a battery;

upon determining that the first voltage is at or above the threshold voltage, setting the velocity parameter equal to the first target velocity; and

upon determining that the first voltage is below the threshold voltage, setting the velocity parameter equal to the second target velocity.

5. The motor control method of claim 1, wherein commanding movement further comprises:

measuring, using a processor circuit coupled to a motor within the drive mechanism, battery voltage being supplied to the motor to determine an incoming battery voltage;

comparing, using the processor circuit, the incoming battery voltage to a threshold voltage to determine if the incoming battery voltage is above or below the threshold voltage;

upon determining that the incoming battery voltage is above the threshold voltage, applying a first scaling factor to the selected one or more motion profiles; and

upon determining that the incoming battery voltage is below the threshold voltage, applying a second scaling factor to the selected one or more motion profiles.

6. The motor control method of claim 1, wherein commanding movement includes:

receiving a user input; and

selecting a motion profile of the one or more motion profiles based on the user input.

7. The motor control method of claim 6, wherein selecting the motion profile includes recognizing a current location along the pre-defined travel distance.

8. The motor control method of claim 7, wherein recognizing the current location includes recognizing a segment of the plurality of segments associated with the current location.

9. The motor control method of claim 7, wherein recognizing the current location includes analyzing data received from an encoder coupled to the drive mechanism, the encoder configured to provide output that can be correlated to a distance or location along the pre-defined travel distance.

10. A automated footwear system comprising:

an upper portion including a lace routed through a series of lace guides;

an outsole coupled to the upper portion;

a mid-sole disposed between the outsole and the upper portion; and

a lacing engine disposed within the mid-sole and adapted to automatically tighten the lace upon activation, the lacing engine comprising a processor circuit including instructions that, when executed by the lacing engine, cause the lacing engine to perform operations including;

segmenting a pre-defined travel distance associated with the drive mechanism into a plurality of segments, wherein the pre-defined travel distance covers a range of travel for a lace cable from fully tightened to completely loose, and wherein a first segment of the plurality of segments covers a first length within the range of travel and a second segment of the plurality of segments covers a second length within the range of travel where the first length is not equal to the second length;

defining a plurality of moves for the drive mechanism;

creating a plurality of motion profiles, each motion profile of the plurality of motion profiles including one or more moves from the plurality of moves; and

commanding movement of the drive mechanism based on selection of one or more motion profiles from the plurality of motion profiles, wherein commanding movement involves engaging the drive mechanism to tighten or loosen a lace cable within the automated footwear platform.

11. The automated footwear platform of claim 10, wherein each move of the plurality of moves includes an acceleration parameter, a velocity parameter, a deceleration parameter, and distance parameter.

12. The automated footwear platform of claim 11, wherein the distance parameter is provided in one of segments of the plurality of segments, degrees of rotation, and linear distance.

13. The automated footwear platform of claim 11, wherein commanding movement further comprises:

determining a first target velocity for operating a motor within the drive mechanism when a voltage being supplied to the motor is above a threshold voltage;

determining a second target velocity for operating the motor when the voltage being supplied to the motor is below the threshold voltage;

measuring a first voltage being supplied by a battery;

upon determining that the first voltage is at or above the threshold voltage, setting the velocity parameter equal to the first target velocity; and

upon determining that the first voltage is below the threshold voltage, setting the velocity parameter equal to the second target velocity.

14. The automated footwear platform of claim 10, wherein commanding movement further comprises:

measuring, using a processor circuit coupled to a motor within the drive mechanism, battery voltage being supplied to the motor to determine an incoming battery voltage;

comparing, using the processor circuit, the incoming battery voltage to a threshold voltage to determine if the incoming battery voltage is above or below the threshold voltage;

upon determining that the incoming battery voltage is above the threshold voltage, applying a first scaling factor to the selected one or more motion profiles; and

upon determining that the incoming battery voltage is below the threshold voltage, applying a second scaling factor to the selected one or more motion profiles.

15. The automated footwear platform of claim 10, wherein commanding movement includes:

receiving a user input via buttons disposed on the outsole; and

selecting a motion profile of the one or more motion profiles based on the user input.

16. The automated footwear platform of claim 15, wherein selecting the motion profile includes recognizing a current location along the pre-defined travel distance.

17. The automated footwear platform of claim 16, wherein recognizing the current location includes recognizing a segment of the plurality of segments associated with the current location.

18. The automated footwear platform of claim 16, wherein recognizing the current location includes analyzing data received from an encoder coupled to the drive mechanism, the encoder configured to provide output that can be correlated to a distance or location along the pre-defined travel distance.