Interactive lighted footwear

• US 8,469,535 B2
• Filed: 06/17/2010
• Issued: 06/25/2013
• Est. Priority Date: 06/17/2010
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: BBC International LLC
• Original Assignee: BBC International LLC
• Inventors: Guzman, Rudy
• Primary Examiner(s): Husar, Stephen F
• Assistant Examiner(s): CRANSON JR, JAMES W
• Application Number:
  US12/817,533
• Publication Number:
  US 20110308114A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,104 Days
• Field of Search: 362/103, 361/37
• US Class Current: 362/103
• CPC Class Codes: A43B 3/36 with light sources
• CPC Class Codes: A43B 3/38 with power sources
• CPC Class Codes: A43B 3/50 with sound or music sources

Abstract

An article of footwear is provided having an array of light sources and a loudspeaker wherein the light sources are illuminated in a flashing pattern in response to activation of a motion switch, and in another mode of operation triggered by operation of a manual switch both the light sources and loudspeaker cycle through a series of discrete sequences of flashes and beeps culminating with only one light source remaining illuminated.

Claims

1. An article of footwear, comprising:

an outsole, and an upper mounted to said outsole;

an electrical circuit mounted to at least one of said outsole and said upper, said electrical circuit comprising;

(i) a power source;

(ii) a loudspeaker;

(iii) an array of light sources;

(iv) a controller coupled to said power source, to said loudspeaker and to said light sources;

(v) a motion responsive switch coupled to said controller, said controller being effective in response to receipt of a first signal from said motion responsive switch to cause said light sources to illuminate without operating said loudspeaker;

(vi) a manually operated switch coupled to said controller, said controller being effective in response to receipt of a second signal from said manually operated switch to cause said light sources to illuminate in a flashing pattern, and to cause said loudspeaker to sound on and off, both in a series of discrete sequences of operation from a first sequence of operation to a final sequence of operation, the frequency at which said light sources flash and said loudspeaker sounds progressively decreasing from said first sequence to said final sequence and at the end of said final sequence only one of said light sources remains illuminated, said controller being effective at the completion of said final sequence of operation and in response to receipt of another first signal from said motion responsive switch to cause said light sources to illuminate without operating said loudspeaker.

2. The article of footwear of claim 1 in which said array of light sources comprises a number of light emitting diodes at least some of which are of different color.

3. The article of footwear of claim 1 in which said controller operates said loudspeaker to emit sounds during each of said sequences of operation at substantially the same frequency as said flashing pattern of said light sources.

4. The article of footwear of claim 1 in which said only one light source illuminates at the end of said final sequence of operation.

5. The article of footwear of claim 1 in which said controller operates said loudspeaker to emit a series of sounds at the end of said final sequence of operation.