Footwear products including data transmission capabilities

• US 10,123,098 B2
• Filed: 12/20/2017
• Issued: 11/06/2018
• Est. Priority Date: 04/20/2006
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Nike, Inc.
• Original Assignee: Nike, Inc.
• Inventors: Case, Jr., Charles W.
• Primary Examiner(s): Nguyen, Phung
• Application Number:
  US15/848,867
• Publication Number:
  US 20180124478A1
• Time in Patent Office: 321 Days
• Field of Search: 3405391, 34053911, 34053915, 34082536, 340 1052
• CPC Class Codes: A43B 3/34 with electrical or electronic arrangements
• CPC Class Codes: A43B 5/00 Footwear for sporting purposes non-skid devices, e.g. ice-spurs or studs for football shoes, A43C15/00
• 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 method comprising:

receiving via a wireless transceiver of an electronic device, item identification data from an item identifier located on a sport-related item of a user, the receiving occurring automatically upon the electronic device positioned proximate to the sport-related item,

wherein the item identification data comprises at least one of a model indication and a style indication for the item;

transmitting from the electronic device, the item identification data to a remote server;

in response to transmitting the item identification data, electronically receiving audiovisual product-specific information on a mobile display configured to be viewable by the user;

transmitting user identification data identifying the user or wearer of the item;

determining that the item identification data and the user identification data were received during a threshold time frame; and

based on upon the determination, automatically registering the user as checked-in with respect to an event related to the item.

2. The method of claim 1, wherein registering the user as checked in comprises:

determining a geographic location for the user;

determining that the user'"'"'s geographic location is within a threshold location range; and

registering the user as checked-in.

3. The method of claim 1, wherein registering the user as checked in comprises:

determining a geographic location for the user;

determining that the user'"'"'s geographic location is within a threshold range of an athletic event related to the sport-related item; and

based upon the user'"'"'s geographic location being within the threshold range, registering the user as present at the athletic event.

4. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

associating a user check-in with the sport-related item.

5. The method of claim 1, wherein the wireless transceiver comprises a radio-frequency identification (“

RFID”

) system.

6. The method of claim 5, wherein the electronic device comprises a mobile telephone.

7. The method of claim 1, wherein the electronic device comprises a mobile telephone.

8. The method of claim 1, wherein the user identification data is transmitted from the electronic device.

9. The method of claim 1, wherein based upon the user being registered as checked-in with respect to an event related to the item, trigger an electronic action that makes the user eligible to receive an award.

10. The method of claim 9, wherein the award is selected from the group consisting of:

virtual, physical, or combinations thereof.

11. A non-transitory computer-readable medium comprising computer-executable instructions that when executed by a processor, causes the processor to perform at least:

receiving via a first wireless transceiver of a an electronic device, item identification data from an item identifier located on a sport-related item of a user, the receiving being automatic upon an electronic device positioned proximate to the sport-related item,

wherein the item identification data comprises at least one of a model indication and a style indication for the item;

transmitting from the electronic device via a second wireless transceiver of the electronic device, the item identification data to a remote server;

in response to transmitting the item identification data, electronically receiving audiovisual product-specific information on a display of the electronic device configured to be viewable by the user;

transmitting user identification data identifying the user or wearer of the item;

determining that the item identification data and the user identification data were received during a threshold time frame; and

based on upon the determination, automatically registering the user as checked-in with respect to an event related to the item.

12. The non-transitory computer readable medium of claim 11, wherein registering the user as checked in comprises:

receiving a geographic location for the user;

determining that the user'"'"'s geographic location is within a threshold location range; and

registering the user as checked-in based on, at least in part, the geographic location.

13. The non-transitory computer readable medium of claim 11, wherein registering the user as checked in comprises:

receiving a geographic location for the user;

determining that the user'"'"'s geographic location is within a threshold range of an athletic event related to the sport-related item; and

based upon the user'"'"'s geographic location being within the threshold range, registering the user as being present at the athletic event.

14. The non-transitory computer readable medium of claim 11, further comprising:

associating a user'"'"'s check-in with the sport-related item.

15. The non-transitory computer readable medium of claim 11, wherein the first wireless transceiver comprises a radio-frequency identification (“

RFID”

) system.

16. The non-transitory computer readable medium of claim 11, wherein the device comprises a mobile telephone.

17. The non-transitory computer readable medium of claim 11, wherein the user identification data is transmitted from the electronic device.

18. The non-transitory computer readable medium of claim 11, wherein based upon the user being registered as checked-in with respect to an event related to the item, trigger an electronic action that makes the user eligible to receive an award.

19. The non-transitory computer readable medium of claim 18, wherein the award is selected from the group consisting of:

a virtual reward, a physical reward, or combinations thereof.

20. A non-transitory computer-readable medium comprising computer-executable instructions that when executed by a processor, causes the processor to perform at least:

electronically receiving item identification data that was previously captured, via a first wireless transceiver of a user device, from an item identifier physically located on a sport-related item of a user of the user device, in which the electronic receiving of the item identification data being via a second wireless transceiver of the user device,

wherein the received item identification data comprises at least one of a model indication and a style indication for the item;

in response to receiving the item identification data, electronically transmitting audiovisual product-specific information to the user device to be displayed on a display configured to be viewable by the user;

receiving user determining that the item identification data and user identification data were received during a threshold time frame; and

based on upon the determination, automatically registering the user as checked-in with respect to an event related to the item.