Foot sensor apparatus, method & system

• US 20050261609A1
• Filed: 05/24/2004
• Published: 11/24/2005
• Est. Priority Date: 05/24/2004
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Kineteks Corp.
• Original Assignee: 6121438 Canada Inc.
• Inventors: Collings, Timothy David, Younker, Joanne Rosalie
• Granted Patent: US 7,758,523 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 600/592
• CPC Class Codes: A43B 3/34 with electrical or electronic arrangements
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 5/1038 Measuring plantar pressure during gait
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 5/6807 Footwear

Abstract

A method, apparatus and system for communicating to a remote location a representation of a physical condition caused by a foot. The method involves communicating to a transmitter unit at least partially held within a cavity in a foot support operable to be inserted into footwear, a condition signal representing the physical condition sensed by a condition sensor; and transmitting from the transmitter unit a radio frequency (RF) signal representing the condition signal, for reception by a receiver unit spaced apart from the transmitter unit. An apparatus and system using the method are also disclosed.

Claims

1. A method of communicating to a remote location a representation of a physical condition caused by a foot, the method comprising:

communicating to a transmitter unit held within a cavity in a foot support operable to be inserted into footwear, a condition signal representing the physical condition sensed by a condition sensor; and

transmitting from said transmitter unit a radio frequency (RF) signal representing said condition signal, for reception by a receiver unit spaced apart from said transmitter unit.

2. An apparatus for use in sensing a physical condition caused by a foot, the apparatus comprising:

a foot support operable to be inserted into footwear, said foot support having a transmitter unit holder including a cavity operable to hold a transmitter unit operable to receive from a condition sensor a condition signal representing said physical condition, said foot support being formed of a material permitting said transmitter unit to transmit from said transmitter unit holder a radio frequency (RF) signal representing said condition signal, for reception by a receiver unit spaced apart from said transmitter unit.

3. The apparatus of claim 2 wherein said foot support is removably insertable into said footwear.

4. The apparatus of claim 2 wherein said foot support comprises an arch support portion, said cavity being formed in said arch support portion.

5. The apparatus of claim 4 wherein said arch support portion includes a wall defining said cavity therein.

6. The apparatus of claim 5 wherein said wall includes first and second spaced apart wall portions and a third wall portion extending between said first and second wall portions, such that said cavity is generally wedge shaped having a thick portion at a first end of said cavity and tapering to a thin portion at a second end of said cavity.

7. The apparatus of claim 6 wherein said thick portion of said cavity is located subjacent a medial longitudinal arch of the foot, and wherein said thin portion of said cavity is located subjacent a lateral longitudinal arch of the foot when said foot support is inserted in said footwear and said footwear is worn by said foot.

8. The apparatus of claim 2 wherein said transmitter unit holder includes a connector operable to cooperate with a complementary connector on said transmitter unit for holding said transmitter unit in said cavity.

9. The apparatus of claim 2 wherein said foot support includes an opening for holding an electrical conductor extending from said cavity to a sensor mount on said foot support.

10. The apparatus of claim 2 wherein said foot support includes a sidewall having an opening, said opening being in communication with said cavity.

11. The apparatus of claim 4 wherein said foot support further comprises an underlay covering said cavity.

12. The apparatus of claim 10 wherein said underlay further comprises a sensor mount for mounting a sensor.

13. The apparatus of claim 10 wherein said underlay is operable to extend into a forefoot region of said footwear.

14. The apparatus of claim 4 wherein said foot support further comprises an overlay on said arch support portion, said overlay being operable to extend into a forefoot region of said footwear.

15. The apparatus of claim 13 further comprising an overlay on said arch support portion, said overlay being operable to extend into a forefoot region of said footwear, said underlay and said overlay being operable to hold said condition sensor therebetween.

17. The apparatus of claim 4 further comprising a plurality of sensor mounts such that said sensor mounts are disposed generally symmetrically apart on opposite sides of a transverse axis of said foot support.

18. The apparatus of claim 9 further comprising a condition sensor mounted to said sensor mount.

19. The apparatus of claim 18 wherein said condition sensor comprises a force sensor.

20. The apparatus of claim 4 wherein said arch support portion has a top portion and a bottom portion, said cavity being formed in said bottom portion.

21. The apparatus of claim 20 wherein said bottom portion includes an opening in communication with said cavity.

22. The apparatus of claim 4 wherein said foot support further comprises a heel portion and a sensor mount on said heel portion for mounting said condition sensor.

23. The apparatus of claim 4 further comprising a sensor mount on said arch support portion for mounting said condition sensor.

24. The apparatus of claim 4 wherein said foot support further comprises a forward portion.

25. The apparatus of claim 24 further comprising a sensor mount on said forward portion for mounting said condition sensor.

26. The apparatus of claim 24 wherein said forward portion includes a first Metatarsophalangeal joint support portion for supporting a first Metatarsophalangeal joint of a foot, said first MTP joint support portion having a sensor mount for mounting said condition sensor.

27. The apparatus of claim 24 wherein said forward portion includes a toe portion, said toe portion having a sensor mount for mounting said condition sensor.

16. The apparatus of claim A further comprising a plurality of sensor mounts such that said sensor mounts are disposed generally symmetrically apart on opposite sides of a longitudinal axis of said foot support.

28. An apparatus for communicating to a remote location a representation of a physical condition caused by a foot, the apparatus comprising:

a foot support operable to be inserted into footwear, said foot support having a transmitter unit holder including a cavity operable to hold a transmitter unit; and

a transmitter unit in said transmitter unit holder and operable to receive from a condition sensor a condition signal representing the physical condition caused by the foot, said transmitter unit being operable to transmit from said transmitter unit holder a radio frequency (RF) signal representing said condition signal, for reception by a receiver unit spaced apart from said transmitter unit.

29. The apparatus of claim 28 wherein said foot support is removably insertable into said footwear.

30. The apparatus of claim 28 wherein said transmitter unit further comprises a memory operable to store a plurality of condition values representing said condition signal, and wherein said transmitter unit accumulates said condition values in said memory for later transmission by said transmitter unit as said radio frequency (RF) signal.

31. The apparatus of claim 28 wherein said transmitter unit is operable to enter an active state from a low power state in response to said condition signal meeting a first criterion.

32. The apparatus of claim 28 wherein said transmitter unit is operable to enter a low power state from an active state in response to said condition signal meeting a second criterion.

33. The apparatus of claim 28 wherein said foot support includes a wall defining said cavity therein, said wall including first and second spaced apart wall portions and a third wall portion extending between said first and second wall portions, such that said transmitter unit is held between said first, second, and third wall portions.

34. The apparatus of claim 31 wherein said foot support comprises an arch support portion, said cavity being formed in said arch support portion.

35. The apparatus of claim 28 wherein said cavity has a shape operable to cooperate with a complementary shape of at least part of said transmitter unit to facilitate at least part of said transmitter unit being held in said cavity.

36. The apparatus of claim 28 wherein said transmitter unit holder includes a connector operable to cooperate with a complementary connector on said transmitter unit for holding said transmitter unit in said cavity.

37. The apparatus of claim 28 wherein said transmitter unit further comprises a circuit board.

38. The apparatus of claim 37 wherein said circuit board further comprises a radio frequency (RF) circuit mounted on said circuit board and operable to transmit said radio frequency (RF) signal.

39. The apparatus of claim 38 wherein said circuit board further comprises a power source mounted on said circuit board and operable to power said radio frequency (RF) circuit.

40. The apparatus of claim 39 wherein said power source is a battery.

41. The apparatus of claim 40 further comprising a sidewall having an opening, said opening being in communication with said cavity, wherein said battery may be installed from said opening in said sidewall.

42. The apparatus of claim 38 wherein said circuit board further comprises a signal conditioning circuit mounted on said circuit board and operable to facilitate data acquisition from said condition sensor.

43. The apparatus of claim 38 wherein said circuit board further comprises a sampling circuit operable to sample said condition signal at a predetermined rate to determine an amplitude of said condition signal at a plurality of times.

44. The apparatus of claim 43 wherein said circuit board further comprises a format converter circuit for converting an output of said sampling circuit into a predetermined format suitable for transmission by said radio frequency (RF) circuit.

45. The apparatus of claim 44 wherein said predetermined format comprises at least one data packet.

46. The apparatus of claim 38 further comprising at least one condition sensor mounted on said foot support.

47. The apparatus of claim 46 wherein said at least one condition sensor is a force sensor.

48. The apparatus of claim 28 wherein said circuit board further comprises a receiver circuit operable to receive configuration information from an external source.

49. The apparatus of claim 48 wherein said configuration information includes a “

wake-up”

command operable to cause said transmitter unit to enter into an active state from a dormant state.

50. The apparatus of claim 28 further comprising a receiver unit spaced apart from said transmitter unit and operable to receive from said transmitter unit said radio frequency (RF) signal representing said condition signal.

51. An apparatus for use in sensing a physical condition caused by a foot, the apparatus comprising:

foot support means for supporting a foot, said foot support means being operable to be inserted into footwear and having transmitter unit holding means for holding a transmitter unit, said transmitter unit holding means including a cavity for holding a transmitter unit operable to receive from a condition sensor a condition signal representing the physical condition, said foot support means being formed of a material permitting said transmitter unit to transmit from said transmitter unit holding means a radio frequency (RF) signal representing said condition signal, for reception by a receiver unit spaced apart from said transmitter unit.

52. An apparatus for communicating to a remote location a representation of a physical condition caused by a foot, the apparatus comprising:

foot support means for supporting a foot, said foot support means being operable to be inserted into footwear and having transmitter holding means including a cavity for holding a transmitter means; and

transmitter means held by said transmitter holding means, for transmitting a radio frequency (RF) signal, said transmitter means being operable to receive from a condition sensor a condition signal representing the physical condition caused by the foot, and to transmit from said transmitter holding means said radio frequency (RF) signal representing said condition signal, for reception by a receiver means spaced apart from said transmitter means.

53. An apparatus for communicating to a remote location a representation of a physical condition caused by a foot acting on a condition sensor, the apparatus comprising:

a foot support operable to be inserted into footwear;

a transmitter unit formed within an arch area of said foot support, and

operable to receive from the condition sensor a condition signal representing the physical condition caused by the foot, said transmitter unit being operable to transmit from said arch area a radio frequency (RF) signal representing said condition signal, for reception by a receiver unit spaced apart from said transmitter unit, said transmitter unit comprising;

a circuit board;

a signal conditioning and conversion circuit mounted on said circuit board for conditioning and converting said condition signal into a predetermined format representing said condition signal, said predetermined format being suitable for radio frequency (RF) transmission;

a radio frequency (RF) circuit mounted on said circuit board and operable to use said predetermined format to transmit said radio frequency (RF) signal; and

a battery, removably mounted on said circuit board, and operable to power said signal conditioning and conversion circuit and said radio frequency (RF) circuit.