Circuits, systems, and methods for monitoring and reporting foot impact, foot placement, shoe life, and other running/walking characteristics
First Claim
1. A foot impact monitoring system comprising:
- an impact measurement circuit configured to measure impact from a foot repetitively striking a surface while a person is walking/running; and
an impact alert circuit that is configured to respond to the measured impact by generating for the person an indication of how much impact occurred from the foot striking the surface.
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Abstract
Various embodiments of the present invention provide an electronic virtual running/walking coach that notifies a person as to how hard the person'"'"'s feet have been impacting a surface, notifies the person as to whether the person'"'"'s feet are impacting a surface at a proper relative distance from the body and/or at a proper side-to-side angle, and/or notifies the person as to how much cushioning life remains in a pair of shoes. When the notifications are provided to the person during the running/walking activity, the person can respond by taking immediate actions to adjust the foot placement relative to the body and/or adjust the level of foot impact to an acceptable level by varying the speed, step distance, and/or posture while running/walking and/or by selecting among different available surfaces on which to run/walk. A person may also more accurately determine when a particular pair of shoes should be replaced because they no longer provide a sufficient level of cushioning to compensate for the levels of foot impact that are occurring.
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Citations
23 Claims
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1. A foot impact monitoring system comprising:
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an impact measurement circuit configured to measure impact from a foot repetitively striking a surface while a person is walking/running; and an impact alert circuit that is configured to respond to the measured impact by generating for the person an indication of how much impact occurred from the foot striking the surface. - View Dependent Claims (2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10, 11, 12, 13, 14, 15, 16, 17, 18, 19, 20, 21, 22, 23)
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Specification