Footwear products including data transmission capabilities

• US 8,258,941 B2
• Filed: 07/21/2009
• Issued: 09/04/2012
• Est. Priority Date: 04/20/2006
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Nike, Inc.
• Original Assignee: Nike, Inc.
• Inventors: Case, Charles W. Jr.
• Primary Examiner(s): Nguyen, Phung
• Application Number:
  US12/506,846
• Publication Number:
  US 20090284368A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,141 Days
• Field of Search: 340/539.1, 340/539.11, 340/539.15, 340/825.36, 340/10.52, 455/562.1, 702/160
• US Class Current: 340/539.1
• CPC Class Codes: A43B 3/34 with electrical or electronic arrangements
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 30/0261 based on user location
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 30/0631 Item recommendations
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 30/0639 Item locations
• CPC Class Codes: G07C 1/24 Race time-recorders
• CPC Class Codes: G08B 1/08 using electric transmission ; transformation of alarm signals to electrical signals from a different medium, e.g. transmission of an electric alarm signal upon detection of an audible alarm signal
• CPC Class Codes: G08B 21/22 responsive to presence or absence of persons
• CPC Class Codes: G16Y 10/65 Entertainment or amusement; Sports
• CPC Class Codes: G16Y 20/10 relating to the environment, e.g. temperature; relating to location
• CPC Class Codes: G16Y 40/10 Detection; Monitoring
• CPC Class Codes: H04Q 2209/47 using RFID associated with sensors
• CPC Class Codes: H04Q 2209/84 Measuring functions
• CPC Class Codes: H04Q 9/00 Arrangements in telecontrol or telemetry systems for selectively calling a substation from a main station, in which substation desired apparatus is selected for applying a control signal thereto or for obtaining measured values therefrom

Abstract

Footwear systems include an article of footwear and a data transmission system engaged with the article of footwear. The transmission system transmits data to a remote system, such as a display system, another data transmission system, a processing system, etc. Such footwear systems further may include activation systems for activating the transmission and/or display systems. The transmitted data may be used for various purposes, such as: (a) identifying a user of the article of footwear; (b) activating targeted advertising or product information; (c) confirming the user'"'"'s presence at a specific location and/or at a specific time; (d) determining start, finish, and/or intermediate split times for specific user; (e) confirming athletic equipment usage; (f) providing data for a game or reward program; (g) registering the user for an event or competition; or the like.

Claims

1. A footwear system, comprising:

an article of footwear including an upper member and a sole member engaged with the upper member;

a data transmission system engaged with the article of footwear, wherein the data transmission system transmits data from the article of footwear for receipt by a remote system, wherein the data transmitted includes footwear user identification data and footwear product identification data; and

an activation system engaged with the article of footwear for activating the data transmission system.

2. The footwear system according to claim 1, wherein the footwear product identification data includes data identifying a model or style of the article of footwear.

3. The footwear system according to claim 1, wherein the data transmission system further transmits data indicating athletic performance information associated with use of the article of footwear.

4. The footwear system according to claim 3, wherein the athletic performance information includes at least one member selected from the group consisting of:

user movement distance while using the article of footwear;

user speed information while using the article of footwear; and

user timing information while using the article of footwear.

5. The footwear system according to claim 3, wherein the athletic performance information is used in the game or reward program.

6. A data transfer system, comprising:

an article of footwear;

a first data transmission system engaged with the article of footwear, wherein the first data transmission system transmits data from the article of footwear, and wherein the data transmitted includes footwear user identification data and footwear product identification data;

a first remote system in communication with the first data transmission system for receiving the data from the first data transmission system, wherein the first remote system includes a second data transmission system; and

a second remote system for receiving data from the second data transmission system.

7. The data transfer system according to claim 6, wherein the first data transmission system further transmits data indicating athletic performance information associated with the article of footwear, and wherein the first remote system includes a display device for displaying information based at least in part on the data indicating the athletic performance information transmitted by the data transmission system.

8. The data transfer system according to claim 6, wherein the second remote system includes a portable device carried by a wearer of the article of footwear.

9. The data transfer system according to claim 8, wherein the data transmitted to the wearer of the article of footwear includes the wearer'"'"'s split time information.

10. The data transfer system according to claim 6, wherein the first remote system includes a display device for displaying information based at least in part on data transmitted by the first data transmission system.

11. The data transfer system according to claim 10, wherein the information displayed by the display device in response to the data transmitted by the first data transmission system includes advertising or product information relating to the article of footwear.

12. The data transfer system according to claim 6, wherein the first data transmission system further transmits data indicating athletic performance information associated with the article of footwear.

13. The data transfer system according to claim 12, wherein the first remote system includes a display device for displaying information based at least in part on data transmitted by the first data transmission system.