Insole pad having step-counting device

• US 5,875,571 A
• Filed: 11/06/1997
• Issued: 03/02/1999
• Est. Priority Date: 11/06/1997
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Tien-Tsai Huang
• Original Assignee: Tien-Tsai Huang
• Inventors: Huang, Tien-Tsai
• Primary Examiner(s): PATTERSON, MARIE D
• Application Number:
  US08/964,149
• Time in Patent Office: 481 Days
• Field of Search: 36/29, 36/132, 36/136, 36/137, 36/139, 73/172, 73/714
• US Class Current: 36/132
• CPC Class Codes: A43B 17/026 filled with a non-compressible fluid, e.g. gel, water
• CPC Class Codes: A43B 17/03 filled with a gas, e.g. air
• 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
• CPC Class Codes: G01C 22/006 Pedometers

Abstract

An insole pad having step-counting device includes an insole pad body, a fluid bag, a connecting portion, a pressure-sensitive sensor, a thermostat, a transmitting circuit, and a receiving circuit. The fluid bag has an outlet, and is filled with fluid. The connecting portion is connected to the outlet of the fluid bag. The pressure-sensitive sensor and the thermostat are disposed within the connecting portion to contact directly with the fluid to detect the variation of pressure and temperature, respectively. The detected variation of pressure and temperature can be converted into pressure and temperature signals respectively. The sensor and thermostat are connected to a transmitting circuit in which the pressure and temperature signals can be received and processed. The signals are further converted into a value that can be transmitted in an RF signal. The RF signal can be collected by a receiving circuit and is further modulated, decoded, controlled and finally displayed on a liquid crystal display.

Claims

1. An insole pad having step-counting device, which is removably disposed within a shoe, comprising:

a fluid bag having an outlet and being filled with a fluid;

a connecting portion being disposed at said outlet of said fluid bag;

a pressure-sensitive sensor being connected at said connecting portion, said sensor being capable of detecting a variation of pressure and converting said variation into a pressure signal;

a thermostat being connected with said sensor and being capable of detecting a variation of temperature and converting said variation of temperature into a temperature signal;

a transmitting circuit including a first power circuit, a first amplifying circuit, a converting circuit, a first micro-control circuit and a radio frequency (RF) transmitting circuit, said RF transmitting circuit being powered by said first power circuit, said sensor and said thermostat being electrically connected to said first amplifying circuit in which the incoming pressure and temperature signals can be amplified, wherein said amplified signals are further sent to said converting circuit such that said signals are converted into a frequency signal, respectively, said frequency signals being further transmitted to said first micro-control circuit in which said frequency signals will be counted and a value can be attained, said value being further modulated and then being transmitted by said RF transmitting circuit;

a receiving circuit being separately arranged from said transmitting circuit which includes a second power, a signal receiving circuit, a second amplifying circuit, a frequency detecting circuit and a receiving-controlling circuit, said receiving circuit being powered by said second power and wherein said RF signal transmitted from said transmitting circuit can be received and modulated by said receiving circuit, wherein said modulated signals are sent to said second amplifying circuit, said amplified signal being further detected by said frequency-detecting circuit and then being sent to said receiving-controlling circuit in which said signals are decoded and displayed; and

an insole pad body for housing said fluid bag, said connecting portion, said sensor, said thermostat, and said transmitting circuit.

2. An insole pad having step-counting device as recited in claim 1, wherein said insole pad body is a hollow protecting lining.

3. An insole pad having step-counting device as recited in claim 1, wherein said insole pad body includes an upper protecting lining and a lower protecting lining.

4. An insole pad having step-counting device as recited in claim 1, wherein said insole pad body is an upper protecting lining.

5. An insole pad having step-counting device as recited in claim 1, wherein said insole pad body is a lower protecting lining.

6. An insole pad having step-counting device as recited in claim 1, wherein said first and second power circuits are provided with a breaker, respectively, and said breaker is a Ge-diode.

7. An insole pad having step-counting device as recited in claim 1, wherein said first amplifying circuit includes a plurality of amplifiers, a power adjusting element and a reset element.

8. An insole pad having step-counting device as recited in claim 1, wherein said converting circuit includes at least a converter, said first micro-control circuit includes at least a first micro-controller.

9. An insole pad having step-counting device as recited in claim 1, wherein said RF transmitting circuit includes a modulator, a first resonating circuit, an RF antenna, and an amplitude modulating element.

10. An insole pad having step-counting device as recited in claim 1, wherein said receiving circuit includes a plurality of filtering elements, a receiving antenna, a second resonating circuit, a second amplifying circuit, and a frequency detecting circuit.

11. An insole pad having step-counting device as recited in claim 1, wherein said receiving-controlling circuit includes a second micro-control circuit, a beeper, a function selecting circuit, and a liquid crystal displaying circuit, and wherein said liquid crystal displaying circuit includes a liquid crystal display driver and a liquid crystal display.

12. An insole pad having step-counting device as recited in claim 11, wherein said liquid crystal displaying circuit has a plurality of displaying modes, and said displaying modes can be readily changed by the function selecting circuit.

13. An insole pad having step-counting device as recited in claim 11, wherein said liquid crystal displaying circuit includes a displaying mode which is a pressure value displaying mode, the displaying value displayed on said liquid crystal display is transmitted from said first micro-controller in which said pressure signal sent from said sensor is calculated.

14. An insole pad having step-counting device as recited in claim 11, wherein said liquid crystal displaying circuit includes a displaying mode in which the number of stepping is displayed, and wherein the number of stepping is counted by said first micro-controller in which a cycle of increasing and decreasing values is counted, and the accumulated number of stepping is displayed on said liquid crystal display.

15. An insole pad having step-counting device as recited in claim 11, wherein said liquid crystal displaying circuit includes a displaying mode in which the consumed calories are displayed, the consumed calories are first calculated from a multiplication of said pressure value and numbers of stepping, said multiplication further times a constant and the approximate consumed calories are attained and are displayed on said liquid crystal display.