Method and apparatus for customizing insoles for footwear

• US 20070282562A1
• Filed: 06/06/2006
• Published: 12/06/2007
• Est. Priority Date: 06/06/2006
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Aetrex Incorporated
• Original Assignee: Aetrex Worldwide Incorporated
• Inventors: Schwartz, Larry, Schwartz, Evan, Cahanap, Roberto, Schwartz, Matthew
• Granted Patent: US 7,493,230 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 702/139
• 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: A43D 1/025 comprising optical means, e.g. mirrors, photo-electric cells, for measuring or inspecting feet
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 2562/0247 Pressure sensors
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 2562/046 in a matrix array
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 5/1036 Measuring load distribution, e.g. podologic studies
• CPC Class Codes: G16H 50/50 for simulation or modelling of medical disorders
• CPC Class Codes: G16Z 99/00 Subject matter not provided for in other main groups of this subclass

Abstract

A method and apparatus is provided for generating a customized insole for footwear using information relating to pressure applied by the sole of a foot, which information is correlated to removable pieces of the insole. Embodiments include a method and apparatus for generating a customized insole for footwear, comprising receiving data from a pressure plate corresponding to a pressure map of the sole of a foot; determining regions of high relative pressure exceeding a predetermined relative pressure level within the pressure map; and associating data related to the regions of high relative pressure to an insole comprising removable insole pieces corresponding to the pressure map.

Claims

1. A method for generating a customized insole for footwear, comprising:

(a) receiving data from a pressure plate, said data corresponding to a pressure map of the sole of a foot;

(b) determining regions of high relative pressure exceeding a predetermined relative pressure level within said pressure map; and

(c) associating data related to the regions of high relative pressure to an insole comprising removable insole pieces corresponding to said pressure map.

2. The method of claim 1, wherein said pressure plate comprises an array of pressure sensors for generating said pressure map.

3. The method of claim 1, further comprising generating a report of the associated data related to the regions of high relative pressure, wherein the report provides information relating to specific regions of said insole associated with the regions of high relative pressure.

4. The method of claim 3, wherein the report is in the form of a list of removable insole pieces of said insole.

5. The method of claim 3, wherein the report is in the form of a table corresponding to a grid on said insole.

6. The method of claim 3, wherein said report is in the form of a map of said insole.

7. The method of claim 3, wherein the report provides information on specific regions of said insole to be modified.

8. The method of claim 1, wherein said insole comprises a grid of removable insole pieces.

9. The method of claim 8, wherein the report provides information on the specific location of one or more insole pieces to be removed from said insole.

10. The method of claim 9, further comprising modifying said insole by removing regions of said insole corresponding to the regions of high relative pressure.

11. The method of claim 10, further comprising inserting said modified insole into footwear.

12. The method of claim 10, further comprising inserting said modified insole into a walker.

13. A report generated by the method of claim 3.

14. A method for generating a customized insole for footwear, comprising:

(a) generating a pressure map of the sole of a foot;

(b) determining regions of high relative pressure exceeding a predetermined relative pressure level within said pressure map; and

(c) associating data related to the regions of high relative pressure to an insole comprising removable insole pieces corresponding to said pressure map.

15. A computer-readable medium encoded with a computer program for associating data to customize an insole for footwear, which upon execution cause one or more processors to:

(a) receive data from a pressure plate, said data corresponding to a pressure map of the sole of a foot;

(b) determine regions of high relative pressure exceeding a predetermined relative pressure level within said pressure map; and

(c) associate data related to the regions of high relative pressure to an insole comprising removable insole pieces corresponding to said pressure map.

16. A computer-based apparatus for associating data to customize an insole for footwear, the apparatus comprising:

a memory configured to store executable instructions; and

one or more processors able to access the memory and configured to operate the apparatus to;

(a) receive data from a pressure plate, said data corresponding to a pressure map of the sole of a foot;

(b) determine regions of high relative pressure exceeding a predetermined relative pressure level within said pressure map; and

(c) associate data related to the regions of high relative pressure to an insole comprising removable insole pieces corresponding to said pressure map.

17. An apparatus comprising:

a pressure plate comprising an array of pressure sensors for generating a pressure map of the sole of a foot; and

a computer-based apparatus for receiving data from said array of pressure sensors, the computer-based apparatus comprising;

a memory configured to store executable instructions; and

one or more processors able to access the memory and configured to operate the apparatus to;

(a) receive data from the pressure plate, said data corresponding to a pressure map of the sole of a foot;

(b) determine regions of high relative pressure exceeding a predetermined relative pressure level within said pressure map; and

(c) associate data related to the regions of high relative pressure to an insole comprising removable insole pieces corresponding to said pressure map.

18. The apparatus of claim 17, further comprising a display showing the associated data related to the regions of high relative pressure, wherein the display provides information relating to specific regions of said insole associated with the regions of high relative pressure.

19. The apparatus of claim 17, further comprising one or more insoles comprising removable insole pieces corresponding to said pressure map.

20. The apparatus of claim 19, wherein said insole comprises a grid of removable insole pieces.

21. The apparatus of claim 20, further comprising footwear into which said insole is inserted.

22. The apparatus of claim 20, further comprising a walker into which said insole is inserted.

23. The apparatus of claim 20, wherein the data associated by said one or more processors is related to the specific location of one or more removable insole pieces.

24. The apparatus of claim 23, wherein the data associated by said one or more processors is related to the specific location of one or more removable insole pieces to be removed from said insole.