System and method for embedding a tracking device in a footwear insole

• US 9,854,872 B2
• Filed: 05/14/2014
• Issued: 01/02/2018
• Est. Priority Date: 05/14/2013
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: GTX Corp., Global Trek Xploration Corp. (Metalert, Inc.)
• Original Assignee: GTX Corp.
• Inventors: Bertagna, Patrick E., Duncan, Andrew Hamish, Wang, Li, Solis, Adam
• Primary Examiner(s): Feild, Joseph
• Assistant Examiner(s): MORTELL, JOHN F
• Application Number:
  US14/120,374
• Publication Number:
  US 20150048942A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,329 Days
• CPC Class Codes: A43B 13/38 Built-in insoles joined to uppers during the manufacturing process, e.g. structural insoles; Insoles glued to shoes during the manufacturing process
• CPC Class Codes: A43B 17/00 Insoles for insertion, e.g. footbeds or inlays, for attachment to the shoe after the upper has been joined
• CPC Class Codes: A43B 3/34 with electrical or electronic arrangements
• CPC Class Codes: G01S 19/14 specially adapted for specific applications
• CPC Class Codes: G01S 19/48 by combining or switching between position solutions derived from the satellite radio beacon positioning system and position solutions derived from a further system
• CPC Class Codes: G08B 21/023 Power management, e.g. system sleep and wake up provisions
• CPC Class Codes: G08B 21/0261 System arrangements wherein the object is to detect trespassing over a fixed physical boundary, e.g. the end of a garden
• CPC Class Codes: G08B 21/0269 System arrangements wherein the object is to detect the exact location of child or item using a navigation satellite system, e.g. GPS
• CPC Class Codes: G08B 21/0288 Attachment of child unit to child/article
• CPC Class Codes: G08B 21/0291 Housing and user interface of child unit

Abstract

A novel tracking system is disclosed. In one embodiment, a long-range tracking device is incorporated into a removable footwear insole and a short-range tracking device is incorporated into another removable footwear insole. The long-range tracking device includes a location determining device, a wireless communication device, and a power source. In a more particular embodiment, the location determining device is a GPS receiver, and the communication device is a cellular modem.

Claims

1. A footwear insole tracking system comprising:

a first insole body configured for removable insertion into footwear and configured to engage the plantar region of a foot of a wearer;

a second insole body configured for removable insertion into footwear and configured to engage the plantar region of an opposite foot of the wearer;

a short-range tracking device disposed at least partially within the first insole body and being detectable within a limited space by a local tracking system; and

a long-range tracking device disposed at least partially within the second insole body and being trackable outside the limited space by a long-range tracking system.

2. The footwear insole tracking system of claim 1, wherein the long-range tracking device includes:

a location determining device;

a wireless communication device electrically coupled to the location determining device; and

a power source electrically coupled to the location determining device and the wireless communication device.

3. The footwear insole tracking system of claim 2, wherein the power source is a battery.

4. The footwear insole tracking system of claim 3, further comprising an inductance charging element disposed at least partially within the second insole body and being electrically coupled to the battery.

5. The footwear insole tracking system of claim 3, further comprising a wired electronic communication port electrically coupled to the long-range tracking device, being disposed at least partially within the second insole body, and being accessible from outside the second insole body.

6. The footwear insole tracking system of claim 3, further comprising a set of wires electrically coupled to the long-range tracking device and extending from the second insole body.

7. The footwear insole tracking system of claim 6, wherein the set of wires is coiled to facilitate flexing.

8. The footwear insole tracking system of claim 6, wherein

the long-range tracking device further includes a circuit board;

the location determining device is coupled to the circuit board;

the wireless communication device is coupled to the circuit board; and

the set of wires is wrapped around the circuit board.

9. The footwear insole tracking system of claim 6, wherein the set of wires is arranged in a generally zig-zagged shape.

10. The footwear insole tracking system of claim 3, wherein the battery includes a modular connector.

11. The footwear insole tracking system of claim 3, further comprising a fireproof enclosure disposed within the second insole body and surrounding the battery.

12. The footwear insole tracking system of claim 11, wherein the battery is a lithium polymer battery.

13. The footwear insole tracking system of claim 3, wherein the battery is a flexible lithium ceramic battery.

14. The footwear insole tracking system of claim 3, further comprising:

a rigid plate disposed at least partially in the second insole body; and

wherein

the second insole body includes a top surface adapted to engage the plantar region of the foot of the wearer; and

the battery is disposed between the top surface of the second insole body and the rigid plate.

15. The footwear insole tracking system of claim 2, wherein the power source includes an electricity generator.

16. The footwear insole tracking system of claim 2, wherein at least one of the location determining device and the wireless communication device is at least partially encapsulated in epoxy.

17. The footwear insole tracking system of claim 2, further comprising a subscriber identification module card disposed at least partially in the second insole body, the subscriber identification module card being coupled to the wireless communication device.

18. The footwear insole tracking system of claim 2, further comprising a rigid housing disposed at least partially in the second insole body and covering at least a portion of the long-range tracking device.

19. The footwear insole tracking system of claim 18, wherein the rigid housing is an enclosed receptacle, the location determining device and the wireless communication device being substantially enclosed within the receptacle.

20. The footwear insole tracking system of claim 2, wherein at least one of the location determining device and the wireless communication device includes a flexible patch antenna disposed within the second insole body.

21. The footwear insole tracking system of claim 2, wherein at least one of the location determining device and the wireless communication device includes an antenna mounted directly on a circuit board.

22. The footwear insole tracking system of claim 2, wherein the location determining device is a global positioning system signal receiver.

23. The footwear insole tracking system of claim 2, wherein the wireless communication device includes a global system for mobile communication antenna.

24. The footwear insole tracking system of claim 2, wherein:

the location determining device includes a global positioning system antenna (GPS) mounted on a circuit board; and

the location determining device and the wireless communication device are mounted on the same circuit board.

25. The footwear insole tracking system of claim 24, wherein the GPS antenna is located on one side of the circuit board and a processing unit of the long-range tracking device is located on an opposite side of the circuit board.

26. The footwear insole tracking system of claim 24, wherein the GPS antenna is located on one side of the circuit board and a subscriber identification module card of the long-range tracking device is located on an opposite side of the circuit board.

27. The footwear insole tracking system of claim 1, further comprising an electronic device receptacle disposed at least partially in the second insole body and accessible from outside the second insole body, the electronic device receptacle being configured to receive the long-range tracking device.

28. The footwear insole tracking system of claim 27, wherein the second insole body is formed around the receptacle.

29. The footwear insole tracking system of claim 1, wherein at least one of the first insole body and the second insole body is molded around the short-range tracking device and the long-range tracking device, respectively.

30. The footwear insole tracking system of claim 1, wherein at least one of the first insole body and the second insole body is formed from polyurethane material.

31. The footwear insole tracking system of claim 1, wherein at least one of the short-range tracking device and the long-range tracking device is fully encapsulated within the first insole body and the second insole body, respectively.

39. The footwear insole tracking system of claim 1, wherein the short-range tracking device includes a BLUETOOTH®

low energy (BLE) device.

40. The footwear insole tracking system of claim 1, wherein:

the first insole body includes the short-range tracking device and excludes a long-range tracking device; and

the second insole body includes the long-range tracking device and excludes a short-range tracking device.

32. A method of tracking an object, the method comprising:

attaching a short-range tracking device to the object;

attaching a long-range tracking device to the object;

determining when the object has left a predefined area using the short-range tracking device;

activating the long-range tracking device when it is determined that the object has left the predefined area; and

tracking the object outside the predefined area with the long-range tracking device.

37. The method of claim 32, wherein:

the step of attaching the short-range tracking device to the object comprises putting a first piece of footwear on a first foot of the object; and

the step of attaching the long-range tracking device to the object comprises putting a second piece of footwear on a second foot of the object.

38. The method of claim 32, wherein the short-range tracking device is configured to communicate with the long-range tracking device and to selectively activate the long-range tracking device.

33. A footwear insole comprising:

an insole body configured for removable insertion into footwear and configured to engage the plantar region of a foot; and

an electronic device receptacle disposed within the insole body and configured to selectively receive an electronic device from outside a rear sidewall of the insole body, to retain and house the electronic device within the insole body during use of the insole, and to selectively release the electronic device to facilitate removal and replacement of the electronic device.

34. A method of manufacturing a tracking device, the method comprising:

providing a first tracking device;

providing a second tracking device;

disposing the first tracking device in a first removable footwear insole; and

disposing the second tracking device in a second removable footwear insole, one of the first removable footwear insole and the second removable footwear insole being configured for a right foot, and the other of the first removable footwear insole and the second removable footwear insole being configured for a left foot; and

wherein

one of the first tracking device and the second tracking device is a short-range tracking device; and

the other of the first tracking device and the second tracking device is a long-range tracking device.

35. The method of claim 34, wherein the first tracking device is a short-range tracking device.

36. The method of claim 34, wherein the first tracking device is a long-range tracking device.