Intelligent footwear

• US 7,395,614 B1
• Filed: 09/18/2006
• Issued: 07/08/2008
• Est. Priority Date: 08/14/1997
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Promdx Technology Incorporated
• Original Assignee: Promdx Technology Incorporated
• Inventors: Bailey, Richard F. Sr., Fisher, Ronald A., Hoffberg, Steven M.
• Primary Examiner(s): PATTERSON, MARIE D
• Application Number:
  US11/532,862
• Time in Patent Office: 659 Days
• Field of Search: 036/28, 036/29, 036/88, 036/93, 036/3.R, 036/1
• US Class Current: 36/28
• CPC Class Codes: A43B 13/203 provided with a pump or valve
• CPC Class Codes: A43B 13/206 provided with tubes or pipes or tubular shaped cushioning members
• CPC Class Codes: A43B 3/34 with electrical or electronic arrangements

Abstract

A controllable footwear method and apparatus, comprising a structure which controls a splitting of a force exerted on a sole of the footwear between a first portion which is stored in an energy storage structure and later returned to the sole, and a second portion which is dissipated, and a control for controlling the structure in dependence on an activity of the wearer, to alter a relation between the first portion and the second portion, to thereby alter a dynamic characteristic of the footwear.

Claims

1. A controllable footwear apparatus, comprising:

(a) a controllable structure which splits a force exerted on a sole of the footwear between a wearer and ground between a first portion and a second portion, an energy associated with the first portion being stored in an energy storage structure and at least a portion of which is later selectively returned to the sole associated with a lifting force between the wearer and the ground, and an energy associated with the second portion being substantially dissipated; and

(b) a control for selectively controlling a damping of forces transmitted from the sole to the wearer in dependence on an activity of the wearer, the controllable structure being controlled to alter a relation between the first portion and the second portion, to thereby alter a dynamic characteristic of the footwear.

2. The article of footwear according to claim 1, wherein the structure comprises an element associated with the sole, which elongates in response to at least one of the first and second portion of the force.

3. The article of footwear according to claim 1, wherein the control comprises a microprocessor and at least one memory storing data and program instructions for the microprocessor.

4. The article of footwear according to claim 1, wherein the control is powered by a battery.

5. The article of footwear according to claim 1, further comprising a sensor for sensing an activity of the wearer of the footwear.

6. The article of footwear according to claim 1, further comprising a pressure sensor for sensing a pattern of pressure of the wearer'"'"'s foot against the sole.

7. The article of footwear according to claim 1, wherein the wearer has a joint subject to forces transmitted through the structure in dependence on the activity of the wearer, and wherein the structure is controlled by the control to limit a peak force transmission to the joint of the wearer.

8. The article of footwear according to claim 1, wherein a temporal energy release characteristic of the energy storage structure is controlled.

9. The article of footwear according to claim 1, wherein the effective compliance of the sole is controlled by the control to alter a splitting of the force by the structure between the first portion and the second portion.

10. The article of footwear according to claim 1, wherein the control further controls a temporal characteristic of a release of energy stored in the energy storage structure to the sole.

11. The article of footwear according to claim 10, wherein the temporal characteristic of the release of energy stored in the energy storage structure is controlled independently of a control of the splitting of forces by the structure.

12. The article according to claim 1, wherein the structure comprises a variable tensioner whose tension is modified by an actuator controlled by the control.

13. The article of footwear according to claim 1, wherein the structure comprises an electrical motor.

14. The article of footwear according to claim 1, wherein the control comprises at least one storage element responsive to a gait pattern of a wearer, wherein the control controls the structure in dependence on a state of the at least one storage element.

15. The article of footwear according to claim 1, further comprising a human computer interface user input for receiving a persistently stored a user-preference for operation of said article of footwear.

16. A method for controlling footwear, comprising:

(a) providing a force-splitting structure which controls a splitting of a force exerted on a sole of the footwear between a first portion, an energy associated with which is stored in an energy storage structure and later returned to the sole, and a second portion which is substantially dissipated without being later returned to the sole; and

(b) controlling a damping of forces transmitted from the sole to a wearer by altering the force-splitting structure in dependence on an activity of the wearer, to alter a relation between the first portion and the second portion, to thereby alter a dynamic characteristic of the footwear.

17. The method according to claim 16, further comprising the step of predicting a pattern of use by the wearer and adapting the control in dependence thereon.

18. The method according to claim 16, further comprising the step of sensing an activity of a wearer of the footwear.

19. An article of footwear, comprising:

a sole adapted to communicate transient forces between a wearer'"'"'s foot and a ground surface;

a structure adapted to control a variable absorption of energy from the sole, a portion of the absorbed energy being later returned by the structure to provide a variable rebound to the wearer'"'"'s foot; and

a control adapted to selectively alter a damping of forces transmitted from the sole to a wearer by variably controlling the element in dependence on a repetitive motion pattern, to adjust a level of the variable absorption and variable rebound.

20. An article of footwear, comprising:

a sole adapted to communicate forces between a wearer'"'"'s foot and a ground surface, the forces comprising at least transient forces;

a structure adapted to regulate a relation between an absorption of energy from the sole, and a storage of energy for delayed return to the sole, to thereby provide a variable rebound energy to the wearer'"'"'s foot; and

a control adapted to selectively alter a damping of forces transmitted from the sole to a wearer variably control the structure in dependence on an activity of the wearer.