Remote sensing shoe insert apparatus, method and system

• US 7,758,523 B2
• Filed: 05/24/2004
• Issued: 07/20/2010
• Est. Priority Date: 05/24/2004
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Kineteks Corp.
• Original Assignee: Kineteks Corp.
• Inventors: Collings, Timothy David, Younker, Joanne Rosalie
• Primary Examiner(s): Hindenburg; Max
• Assistant Examiner(s): DANEGA, RENEE A
• Application Number:
  US10/853,469
• Publication Number:
  US 20050261609A1
• Time in Patent Office: 2,248 Days
• Field of Search: 600/587, 600/592, 600/595, 731/72, 473/269
• US Class Current: 600/592
• CPC Class Codes: A43B 3/34 with electrical or electronic arrangements
• CPC Class Codes: A43B 3/44 with sensors, e.g. for detecting contact or position
• CPC Class Codes: A43B 3/48 with transmitting devices, e.g. GSM or Wi-Fi®
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 5/1038 Measuring plantar pressure during gait
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 5/6807 Footwear

Abstract

A method, apparatus and system for communicating to a remote location a representation of a physical condition caused by a foot. The method involves communicating to a transmitter unit at least partially held within a cavity in a foot support operable to be inserted into footwear, a condition signal representing the physical condition sensed by a condition sensor; and transmitting from the transmitter unit a radio frequency (RF) signal representing the condition signal, for reception by a receiver unit spaced apart from the transmitter unit. An apparatus and system using the method are also disclosed.

Claims

1. A method of communicating to a remote location a representation of a physical condition caused by a foot, the method comprising:

installing a battery through an opening in a foot support operable to be inserted into footwear such that the battery is removably received in a cavity in said foot support and in communication with said opening;

communicating a condition signal representing the physical condition sensed by a condition sensor to a transmitter unit held within said cavity, said transmitter unit being powered by said battery; and

transmitting from said transmitter unit a radio frequency signal representing said condition signal, for reception by a receiver unit spaced apart from said transmitter unit;

wherein said cavity has an increasing thickness between a lateral side of said foot support and a medial side of said foot support, the thickest portion of said cavity being subjacent a medial longitudinal arch of the foot when said foot support is worn by the foot in said footwear, said thickness defined as being along a direction which is perpendicular both to a longitudinal axis and a transverse axis of said foot support.

2. The method of claim 1 wherein the cavity has a relatively thick portion in a medial midfoot portion of the foot support and tapers to a thin portion in a lateral midfoot portion of the foot support, such that the cavity is generally wedge-shaped.

3. The method of claim 1 wherein installing the battery further comprises receiving the battery in a first portion of the cavity configured to be subjacent said medial longitudinal arch of the foot when said foot support is used in said footwear.

4. The method of claim 3 wherein receiving the battery further comprises receiving the battery in said first portion of the cavity at a location adjacent said opening.

5. The method of claim 1 wherein said transmitter unit has a shape generally complementary to that of said cavity, said transmitter unit occupying said increasing thickness of said cavity between said lateral side of said foot support and said medial side of said foot support.

6. An apparatus for communicating to a remote location a representation of a physical condition caused by a foot, the apparatus comprising:

a foot support operable to be inserted into footwear, said foot support having a transmitter unit holder including a cavity operable to hold a transmitter unit, and said foot support having an opening in communication with said cavity for removably receiving a battery for powering said transmitter unit; and

a transmitter unit in said transmitter unit holder and operable to receive from a condition sensor a condition signal representing the physical condition caused by the foot, said transmitter unit being operable to transmit from said transmitter unit holder a radio frequency signal representing said condition signal, for reception by a receiver unit spaced apart from said transmitter unit;

wherein said foot support comprises an arch support portion;

wherein the foot support has a medial side and a lateral side, wherein the foot support has a longitudinal axis and a transverse axis, and wherein the cavity has a tapering thickness, being relatively thicker toward said medial side and relatively thinner toward said lateral side, the thickest portion of said cavity being formed in said arch support portion, wherein said thickness is measured along a direction perpendicular to both said longitudinal and said transverse axes.

7. The apparatus of claim 6 wherein said cavity is generally wedge shaped having a thick portion at a first end of said cavity and tapering to a thin portion at a second end of said cavity.

8. The apparatus of claim 7 wherein said thick portion of said cavity is configured to be located subjacent a medial longitudinal arch of the foot, and wherein said thin portion of said cavity is configured to be located subjacent a lateral longitudinal arch of the foot when said foot support is inserted in said footwear and said footwear is worn by said foot.

9. The apparatus of claim 7 wherein said first end of said cavity is located in a medial midfoot portion of said foot support and said second end of said cavity is located less than about half way across to a lateral midfoot portion of said foot support.

10. The apparatus of claim 6 wherein said foot support includes an electrical conductor extending from said cavity to a sensor mount on said foot support.

11. The apparatus of claim 6 wherein said foot support further comprises an underlay covering said cavity.

12. The apparatus of claim 11 further comprising an overlay on said arch support portion, said underlay and said overlay being operable to extend into a forefoot region of said footwear and to hold said condition sensor therebetween.

13. The apparatus of claim 6 further comprising a plurality of sensor mounts such that said sensor mounts are disposed generally symmetrically apart on opposite sides of said longitudinal axis of said foot support.

14. The apparatus of claim 6 further comprising a plurality of sensor mounts such that said sensor mounts are disposed generally symmetrically apart on opposite sides of said transverse axis of said foot support.

15. The apparatus of claim 6 wherein said arch support portion includes said opening in communication with said cavity.

16. The apparatus of claim 6 wherein said foot support is removably insertable into said footwear.

17. The apparatus of claim 6 wherein said transmitter unit further comprises a memory operable to store a plurality of condition values representing said condition signal, and wherein said transmitter unit accumulates said condition values in said memory for later transmission by said transmitter unit as said radio frequency signal.

18. The apparatus of claim 6 wherein said transmitter unit is operable to enter an active state from a low power state in response to said condition signal meeting a first criterion.

19. The apparatus of claim 6 wherein said transmitter unit is operable to enter a low power state from an active state in response to said condition signal meeting a second criterion.

20. The apparatus of claim 6 wherein said foot support includes a wall defining said cavity therein, said wall including first and second spaced apart wall portions and a third wall portion extending between said first and second wall portions, such that said transmitter unit is held between said first, second, and third wall portions.

21. The apparatus of claim 6 wherein said cavity has a shape operable to cooperate with a complementary shape of at least part of said transmitter unit to facilitate at least part of said transmitter unit being held in said cavity.

22. The apparatus of claim 6 wherein said transmitter unit holder includes a connector operable to cooperate with a complementary connector on said transmitter unit for holding said transmitter unit in said cavity.

23. The apparatus of claim 6 wherein said transmitter unit further comprises a circuit board.

24. The apparatus of claim 23 wherein said circuit board further comprises a receiver circuit operable to receive configuration information from an external source.

25. The apparatus of claim 24 wherein said configuration information includes a “

wake-up”

command operable to cause said transmitter unit to enter into an active state from a dormant state.

26. The apparatus of claim 23 wherein said circuit board further comprises a radio frequency circuit mounted on said circuit board and operable to transmit said radio frequency signal.

27. The apparatus of claim 26 wherein said circuit board further comprises a power source mounted on said circuit board and operable to power said radio frequency circuit.

28. The apparatus of claim 27 wherein said power source is a battery.

29. The apparatus of claim 28 further comprising a sidewall including said opening, wherein said battery may be installed from said opening in said sidewall.

30. The apparatus of claim 26 wherein said circuit board further comprises a signal conditioning circuit mounted on said circuit board and operable to facilitate data acquisition from said condition sensor.

31. The apparatus of claim 26 wherein said circuit board further comprises a sampling circuit operable to sample said condition signal at a predetermined rate to determine an amplitude of said condition signal at a plurality of times.

32. The apparatus of claim 31 wherein said circuit board further comprises a format converter circuit for converting an output of said sampling circuit into a predetermined format suitable for transmission by said radio frequency circuit.

33. The apparatus of claim 32 wherein said predetermined format comprises at least one data packet.

34. The apparatus of claim 26 further comprising at least one condition sensor mounted on said foot support.

35. The apparatus of claim 23 wherein said at least one condition sensor is a force sensor.

36. The apparatus of claim 6 further comprising a receiver unit spaced apart from said transmitter unit and operable to receive from said transmitter unit said radio frequency signal representing said condition signal.

37. The apparatus of claim 6 further comprising an article of footwear into which said foot support is inserted.

38. The apparatus of claim 37 wherein said foot support is affixed permanently inside said article of footwear.

39. The apparatus of claim 6 wherein said foot support comprises an insole.

40. The apparatus of claim 6 wherein said transmitter unit is configured to occupy a generally wedge-shaped volume having a shape that is complementary to said cavity of said transmitter unit holder.

41. An apparatus for communicating to a remote location a representation of a physical condition caused by a foot, the apparatus comprising:

foot support means for supporting a foot, said foot support means being operable to be inserted into footwear and having transmitter holding means including a cavity for holding a transmitter means and said foot support means having an opening in communication with said cavity for removably receiving a battery for powering said transmitter means; and

transmitter means held by said transmitter holding means, for transmitting a radio frequency signal, said transmitter means being operable to receive from a condition sensor a condition signal representing the physical condition caused by the foot, and to transmit from said transmitter holding means said radio frequency signal representing said condition signal, for reception by a receiver means spaced apart from said transmitter means;

wherein said cavity has a tapering thickness, being relatively thicker in a medial direction toward a medial side of the foot support and relatively thinner in a lateral direction toward a lateral side of the foot support, said battery being received in the thickest portion of said cavity wherein said thickest portion of said cavity is configured to be located subjacent a medial longitudinal arch of the foot, said thickness being measured in a direction perpendicular to both a longitudinal axis and a transverse axis of said foot support.

42. The apparatus of claim 41 wherein said transmitter means has a shape that is generally complementary to that of said cavity.

43. An apparatus for communicating to a remote location a representation of a physical condition caused by a foot acting on a condition sensor, the apparatus comprising:

a foot support operable to be inserted into footwear;

a transmitter unit formed within a transmitter unit holder of increasing thickness between a lateral side of said foot support and a medial side of said foot support and having a thickest portion in an arch area of said foot support, and operable to receive from the condition sensor a condition signal representing the physical condition caused by the foot, said transmitter unit being operable to transmit from said arch area a radio frequency signal representing said condition signal, for reception by a receiver unit spaced apart from said transmitter unit, said transmitter unit comprising;

a circuit board;

a signal conditioning and conversion circuit mounted on said circuit board for conditioning and converting said condition signal into a predetermined format representing said condition signal, said predetermined format being suitable for radio frequency transmission;

a radio frequency circuit mounted on said circuit board and operable to use said predetermined format to transmit said radio frequency signal; and

a battery, removably mounted on said circuit board, and operable to power said signal conditioning and conversion circuit and said radio frequency circuit.

44. The apparatus of claim 43, wherein said transmitter unit occupies a volume generally complementary in shape to said increasing thickness of said transmit unit holder.

45. The apparatus of claim 43 wherein said arch area has a top portion and a bottom portion, said transmitter unit holder being located in said bottom portion.

46. An apparatus for communicating to a remote location a representation of a physical condition caused by a foot, the apparatus comprising:

a foot support operable to be inserted into footwear, said foot support having a transmitter unit holder including a cavity operable to hold a transmitter unit; and

a transmitter unit in said transmitter unit holder and operable to receive from a condition sensor a condition signal representing the physical condition caused by the foot, said transmitter unit being operable to transmit from said transmitter unit holder a radio frequency signal representing said condition signal, for reception by a receiver unit spaced apart from said transmitter unit;

wherein the cavity has an increasing thickness as it approaches a medial side of said foot support such that the thickest portion of said cavity is adjacent said medial side, said thickness being defined as a measurement along a direction which is perpendicular both to a longitudinal axis and a transverse axis of the foot support.

47. The apparatus of claim 46 wherein said cavity is located in an arch support portion of said foot support, such that when said foot support is used in footwear worn by the foot, the thickest portion of said cavity is located subjacent a medial longitudinal arch of the foot.

48. The apparatus of claim 47 wherein said cavity comprises first and second spaced apart wall portions, a third wall portion extending between the first and second wall portions, and a fourth wall portion, spaced apart from the third wall portion, said first and second wall portions tapering between said third and fourth wall portions to define a decreasing thickness of said cavity in a lateral direction when proceeding from said third wall portion to said fourth wall portion.

49. The apparatus of claim 48 wherein said cavity further comprises a fifth wall portion cooperating with said first, second, third and fourth wall portions, to form said cavity as wedge-shaped, said fifth wall portion becoming gradually closer to a floor of said footwear as said fifth wall portion proceeds from said third wall portion to said fourth wall portion.

50. The apparatus of claim 47 wherein said cavity extends in a lateral direction from a medial midfoot portion of said foot support to about half way across to a lateral midfoot portion of said foot support.

51. The apparatus of claim 47 wherein said cavity extends in a lateral direction from a medial midfoot portion of said foot support to less than half way across to a lateral midfoot portion of said foot support.

52. The apparatus of claim 48 wherein said foot support has an opening in said third wall portion in communication with said cavity for removably inserting a power source into said cavity.

53. The apparatus of claim 46 wherein said transmitter unit has a shape that is generally complementary to that of said cavity.

54. A method of communicating to a remote location a representation of a physical condition caused by a foot, the method comprising:

communicating a condition signal representing the physical condition sensed by a condition sensor to a transmitter unit held within an increasing thickness cavity of said foot support wherein the thickest portion of the cavity is in an arch support portion and towards a medial side of the foot support, said thickness being defined as a measurement along a direction perpendicular to both a longitudinal axis and a transverse axis of the foot support; and

transmitting from said transmitter unit a radio frequency signal representing said condition signal, for reception by a receiver unit spaced apart from said transmitter unit.

55. The method of claim 54 wherein the transmitter unit has a shape that is generally complementary to said increasing thickness cavity.

56. A sensing apparatus for insertion into footwear, comprising:

a foot support operable to be inserted into footwear so as to be disposed substantially beneath a foot inserted into the footwear, to retrofit the footwear for sensing a physical condition caused by the foot, said foot support having a top portion and a bottom portion, said top portion being shaped to conform to a sole of the foot, and said bottom portion being shaped to conform to an inner floor of the footwear, said foot support having a transmitter unit holder including a cavity located in an arch support portion of the foot support, said transmitter unit holder being operable to hold a transmitter unit for communicating a representation of the physical condition to a remote location;

said transmitter unit being held in said transmitter unit holder, said transmitter unit operable to receive from a condition sensor a condition signal representing the physical condition caused by the foot, and operable to transmit from said transmitter unit holder a signal representing said condition signal, to a receiver unit at the remote location;

said transmitter unit occupying a generally wedge-shaped volume complementary in shape to the cavity, wherein the cavity has a thickness decreasing from a first thickness at a first location towards a medial side of said arch support portion, to a second thickness at a second location towards a lateral side of said arch support portion, said second thickness being less than said first thickness, such that the cavity is generally wedge-shaped and its location of greatest thickness is configured to be located subjacent a medial longitudinal arch of the foot when said foot support is used in said footwear, wherein said thickness is defined along a direction perpendicular to both a longitudinal axis and a transverse axis of the foot support.

57. The apparatus of claim 56 wherein said footwear comprises an athletic shoe.

58. The apparatus of claim 56 wherein the cavity extends in a lateral direction from said medial side to about half way across a midfoot portion of the foot support.

59. The apparatus of claim 56 wherein the cavity extends in a lateral direction from said medial side to less than half way across a midfoot portion of the foot support.

60. The apparatus of claim 56 wherein the foot support includes an opening in communication with the cavity, wherein the transmitter unit further comprises a circuit board and a battery removably mounted on said circuit board, and wherein said circuit board is configured to position said battery in said cavity adjacent said opening to facilitate said battery being removed and replaced.

61. A foot support apparatus, comprising:

a foot support for insertion into footwear, said foot support having a transmitter unit holder including a cavity in an arch support portion of the foot support, said cavity configured to hold a generally wedge-shaped transmitter unit for receiving from a condition sensor a condition signal representing a physical condition caused by a foot and transmitting a signal representing said condition signal to a receiver unit spaced apart from said transmitter unit;

wherein the cavity is configured to have a thickness tapering from a relatively thick portion in a medial midfoot portion of the foot support to a relatively thinner portion towards a lateral midfoot portion of the foot support, such that the cavity is generally wedge-shaped, said thickness being defined along a direction which is perpendicular both to a longitudinal axis and a transverse axis of the foot support.