Intelligent footwear systems

• US 20050183292A1
• Filed: 01/31/2005
• Published: 08/25/2005
• Est. Priority Date: 03/10/2003
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Adidas International Marketing BV (Adidas AG)
• Original Assignee: Adidas International Marketing BV (Adidas AG)
• Inventors: Oleson, Mark Arthur, DiBenedetto, Christian
• Granted Patent: US 7,225,565 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 36/132
• CPC Class Codes: A43B 1/0009 made at least partially of alveolar or honeycomb material
• CPC Class Codes: A43B 1/0036 with fluorescent or phosphorescent parts
• CPC Class Codes: A43B 1/0054 provided with magnets, magnetic parts or magnetic substances
• CPC Class Codes: A43B 13/181 Resiliency achieved by the structure of the sole
• CPC Class Codes: A43B 13/186 Differential cushioning region, e.g. cushioning located under the ball of the foot resilient heel not included in the sole A43B21/26; resilient supports for the heel of the foot A43B21/32
• CPC Class Codes: A43B 13/187 Resiliency achieved by the features of the material, e.g. foam, non liquid materials
• CPC Class Codes: A43B 13/188 Differential cushioning regions
• CPC Class Codes: A43B 21/26 Resilient heels
• CPC Class Codes: A43B 3/00 Footwear characterised by the shape or the use
• CPC Class Codes: A43B 3/0042 with circular or circle shaped parts
• CPC Class Codes: A43B 3/34 with electrical or electronic arrangements
• CPC Class Codes: A43B 3/50 with sound or music sources
• CPC Class Codes: A43B 5/06 Running shoes; Track shoes
• CPC Class Codes: A43B 7/144 situated under the heel, i.e. the calcaneus bone

Abstract

The invention is directed to intelligent systems for articles of footwear that adjust automatically in response to a measured performance characteristic. The intelligent systems include one or more adjustable elements coupled to a mechanism that actuates the adjustable elements in response to a signal from a sensor to modify the performance characteristic of the article of footwear. The intelligent system adjusts the performance characteristics of the article of footwear without human intervention.

Claims

1. A method for modifying a performance characteristic of an article of footwear during use, the method comprising the steps of:

measuring a sensor signal from a sensor at least partially disposed within a sole of the article of footwear;

determining whether the sole has compressed;

upon determining that the sole has compressed, determining whether adjustment of the sole is required; and

upon determining that adjustment of the sole is required, adjusting the sole.

2. The method of claim 1 further comprising the step of receiving a user input related to adjustment of the sole from a user of the article of footwear.

3. The method of claim 2 further comprising the step of adjusting a hardness setting for the sole in response to receiving the user input.

4. The method of claim 3 further comprising the step of displaying the hardness setting for the sole by activating at least one electro-luminescent element disposed on the article of footwear.

5. The method of claim 2 further comprising the step of calculating at least one threshold of compression in response to receiving the user input, the at least one threshold of compression for use in determining whether adjustment of the sole is required.

6. The method of claim 5, wherein the at least one threshold of compression comprises a lower threshold of compression and an upper threshold of compression.

7. The method of claim 1, wherein the step of measuring the sensor signal comprises sampling the sensor signal a plurality of times.

8. The method of claim 7, wherein the step of measuring the sensor signal further comprises calculating an average value for the sensor signal by averaging a subset of the plurality of samples of the sensor signal.

9. The method of claim 1 further comprising repeating the step of measuring the sensor signal at least once to obtain a plurality of measurements of the sensor signal.

10. The method of claim 9, wherein the step of determining whether the sole has compressed comprises calculating a difference between an average of a plurality of previously obtained measurements of the sensor signal and the most recently obtained measurement of the sensor signal.

11. The method of claim 10, wherein the step of determining whether the sole has compressed further comprises calculating the difference each time a new measurement of the sensor signal is obtained.

12. The method of claim 11, wherein the step of determining whether the sole has compressed further comprises determining whether a predetermined number of the calculated differences is greater than a predetermined constant.

13. The method of claim 1, wherein the step of measuring the sensor signal comprises measuring compression in the sole, and wherein the step of determining whether adjustment of the sole is required comprises determining the maximum amount of measured compression in the sole.

14. The method of claim 1, wherein the step of determining whether adjustment of the sole is required comprises determining whether there is a change in a surface condition on which the article of footwear is used.

15. The method of claim 14, wherein determining whether there is a change in the surface condition on which the article of footwear is used comprises determining whether there is a change in a first parameter over time and substantially no change in a second parameter over time.

16. The method of claim 14, wherein determining whether there is a change in the surface condition on which the article of footwear is used comprises determining whether there is a change in an absolute compression in the sole over time and substantially no change in a deviation of the compression in the sole over time.

17. The method of claim 14, wherein determining whether there is a change in the surface condition on which the article of footwear is used comprises determining whether there is a change in a deviation of the compression in the sole over time and substantially no change in an absolute compression in the sole over time.

18. The method of claim 14, wherein the surface condition on which the article of footwear is used is determined to have changed from a hard ground surface to a soft ground surface.

19. The method of claim 14, wherein the surface condition on which the article of footwear is used is determined to have changed from a soft ground surface to a hard ground surface.

20. The method of claim 14, wherein the determination of whether there is a change in a surface condition on which the article of footwear is used is made after a wearer of the article of footwear has taken a plurality of steps.

21. The method of claim 1, wherein the step of determining whether adjustment of the sole is required comprises determining that the compression in the sole is less than a lower threshold of compression.

22. The method of claim 21, wherein the step of adjusting the sole comprises softening the sole.

23. The method of claim 1, wherein the step of determining whether adjustment of the sole is required comprises determining that the compression in the sole is greater than an upper threshold of compression.

24. The method of claim 23, wherein the step of adjusting the sole comprises hardening the sole.

25. The method of claim 1, wherein the adjustment of the sole is made after a wearer of the article of footwear has taken a plurality of steps.

26. The method of claim 1, wherein the step of adjusting the sole comprises actuating a motor located within the sole.

27. The method of claim 26 further comprising the step of determining status of the motor located within the sole.

28. The method of claim 27, wherein the step of determining the motor status comprises sampling a battery voltage.

29. A controller for modifying a performance characteristic of an article of footwear during use, the controller comprising:

a receiver configured to receive a first signal representing an output from a sensor at least partially disposed within a sole of the article of footwear;

a determination module configured to determine whether the sole has compressed and to determine whether adjustment of the sole is required; and

a transmitter configured to transmit a second signal for adjusting the sole.

30. An article of footwear including an upper coupled to a sole and a controller at least partially disposed within the sole, the controller comprising:

means for receiving a first signal representing an output from a sensor at least partially disposed within the sole;

means for determining whether the sole has compressed and for determining whether adjustment of the sole is required; and

means for transmitting a second signal for adjusting the sole.