Shoe with an electronic step counter

• US 5,815,954 A
• Filed: 05/13/1997
• Issued: 10/06/1998
• Est. Priority Date: 03/07/1997
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Tien-Tsai Huang
• Original Assignee: Tien-Tsai Huang
• Inventors: Huang, Tien-Tsai
• Primary Examiner(s): KAVANAUGH, JOHN T
• Application Number:
  US08/855,597
• Time in Patent Office: 511 Days
• Field of Search: 36/132, 36/136, 36/1, 36/29, 128/779, 73/172, 73/714
• US Class Current: 36/132
• CPC Class Codes: A43B 3/00 Footwear characterised by the shape or the use
• CPC Class Codes: A43B 3/34 with electrical or electronic arrangements

Abstract

A shoe with an electronic step counter including a shoe body, a fluid bladder, a pressure sensor, a temperature compensator, a transmitting circuit, and a receiving circuit. The shoe body has a vamp and an outsole having a receiving space for receiving the fluid bladder. The pressure sensor contacts the fluid in the fluid bladder to detect the pressure thereof and generating a pressure voltage signal. The temperature compensator communicates with the fluid in the fluid bladder, detects the temperature thereof, and generating a temperature voltage signal. The transmitting circuit is disposed in the receiving space of the outsole and connected to the pressure sensor and the temperature compensator. The transmitting circuit receives the pressure voltage signals and the temperature voltage signals, convert them into a value which is emitted in a radio signal. The receiving circuit is disposed separate from the transmitting circuit and may receive the radio signal from therefrom. The receiving circuit demodulates and decodes the received radio signal and display the thus obtained value.

Claims

1. A shoe with an electronic step counter, comprising:

a shoe body, said shoe body having a vamp and an outsole, said outsole having a receiving space;

a fluid bladder, disposed in said receiving space of said outsole, and being filled with a fluid;

a pressure sensor, communicating with said fluid for detecting the pressure of said fluid and generating a pressure voltage signal;

a temperature compensator, that may be communicate with said fluid, for detecting the temperature of said fluid and generating a temperature voltage signal;

a transmitting circuit, disposed in said receiving space of said outsole, and including a first electric source circuit, a first amplifying circuit, a converting circuit, a first micro-control circuit, and a radio transmitting circuit, said first electric source circuit supplying said transmitting circuit with the necessary electric power;

said first amplifying circuit being electrically connected to said pressure sensor and said temperature compensator, and transmitting said pressure voltage signal and said temperature voltage signal to said converting circuit, said converting circuit converting said signals into a frequency signal and transmitting the same to said micro-control circuit, said micro-control circuit computing said frequency signal to obtain a value, which is modulated by said radio transmitting circuit before being emitted; and

a receiving circuit, disposed apart from said transmitting circuit, and including a second electric source circuit, a signal receiving circuit, a second amplifying circuit, a signal pick-up circuit, and a reception control circuit;

said second electric source circuit supplying said receiving circuit with the necessary electric power;

said signal receiving circuit receiving said radio signal emitted by said transmitting circuit and demodulating said radio signal received before transmitting the same to said second amplifying circuit for amplification, the amplified signal being transmitted via said signal pick-up circuit to said reception control circuit for decoding, controlling, and displaying the value transmitted from said transmitting circuit.

2. A shoe with an electronic step counter as claimed in claim 1, wherein said first electric source circuit and said second electric source circuit are respectively provided with a first switch and a second switch.

3. A shoe with an electronic step counter as claimed in claim 1, wherein said first electric source circuit and said second electric source circuit are respectively provided with a protective element, which is a geranium diode.

4. A shoe with an electronic step counter as claimed in claim 1, wherein said first amplifying circuit includes a plurality of amplifiers, a multiplier element, and a reset element.

5. A shoe with an electronic step counter as claimed in claim 1, wherein said converting circuit includes at least one converter, and said micro-control circuit includes at least one fist micro-controller.

6. A shoe with an electronic step counter as claimed in claim 1, wherein said radio transmitting circuit includes a modulator, a first resonance circuit, an emitting antenna, and a frequency modulating element.

7. A shoe with an electronic step counter as claimed in claim 1, wherein said signal receiving circuit includes a plurality of noise filtering elements, a receiving antenna, a second resonance circuit, a second amplifying circuit, and a signal pick-up circuit.

8. A shoe with an electronic step counter as claimed in claim 1, wherein said reception control circuit includes a second micro-control circuit, a buzzer, a function control circuit, and a liquid crystal display circuit, said liquid display circuit including a liquid display driver and a liquid crystal display.

9. A shoe with an electronic step counter as claimed in claim 8, wherein said liquid display circuit has a plurality of display modes, said display modes changing in accordance with the state of said function control circuit.

10. A shoe with an electronic step counter as claimed in claim 8, wherein said liquid crystal display circuit has a display mode which is a pressure value display mode, said pressure value displayed by said liquid crystal display and being a value computed by said first micro-controller which receives a pressure voltage signal generated by said pressure sensor.

11. A shoe with an electronic step counter as claimed in claim 8, wherein said liquid crystal display circuit has a display mode which is a mode displaying the number of times of pressure exertion, the rising and lowering of values computed by said first micro-controller being counted as one time of pressure exertion, and the total number of times being shown by said liquid crystal display.

12. A shoe with an electronic step counter as claimed in claim 8, wherein said liquid crystal display circuit has a display mode which is a calorie consumption value display mode, said calorie consumption value being obtained by the multiplication of a product of a pressure value and the number of times of pressure exertion by a constant, said calorie consumption value being displayed by said liquid crystal display.