Footwear with embedded tracking device and method of manufacture

• US 20090115601A1
• Filed: 01/06/2009
• Published: 05/07/2009
• Est. Priority Date: 02/06/2006
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Alexander Gildea Stricker, Christopher M. Walsh, Dongeun Lim, Gregg S. Schilawski, Gregory J. Provenzano, James H. Cohen, Patrick E. Bertagna, Ralph H. Davis
• Original Assignee: Alexander Gildea Stricker, Christopher M. Walsh, Dongeun Lim, Gregg S. Schilawski, Gregory J. Provenzano, James H. Cohen, Patrick E. Bertagna, Ralph H. Davis
• Inventors: Schilawski, Gregg S., Davis, Ralph H., Walsh, Christopher M., Stricker, Alexander Gildea, Cohen, James H., Bertagna, Patrick E., Provenzano, Gregory J., Lim, Dongeun
• Granted Patent: US 7,920,059 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 340/539.130
• CPC Class Codes: A43B 13/00 Soles; Sole-and-heel integral units
• 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: A43B 7/00 Footwear with health or hygienic arrangements
• CPC Class Codes: H05K 1/147 at least one of the printed circuits being bent or folded, e.g. by using a flexible printed circuit H05K1/148 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: H05K 2201/10037 Printed or non-printed battery
• CPC Class Codes: H05K 2201/10098 Components for radio transmission, e.g. radio frequency identification [RFID] tag, printed or non-printed antennas
• CPC Class Codes: H05K 2201/10189 Non-printed connector
• CPC Class Codes: H05K 3/284 for encapsulating mounted components H05K1/185 takes precedence

Abstract

Footwear with an embedded tracking device includes a sole and an upper. The tracking device is disposed in a cavity formed in the top surface of the sole. A wireless communication antenna and/or a location signal antenna is disposed on the upper. The antenna(s) is/are connected to the tracking device via a flexible circuit substrate. In a particular embodiment, the location signal antenna is a passive, directional GPS antenna supported in an upwardly facing position in the heel portion of the upper. A method for manufacturing footwear with an embedded tracking device is also disclosed. The method includes providing a footwear upper, incorporating an antenna in the footwear upper, providing a footwear sole, fixing the footwear upper to the footwear sole, incorporating a tracking device into the footwear sole, and connecting the tracking device to the antenna.

Claims

1. Footwear comprising:

a sole having a cavity formed in a top surface of said sole;

a location determining device disposed at least partially within said cavity; and

a wireless communication device electronically coupled to said location determining device and disposed at least partially within said cavity.

2. Footwear according to claim 1, wherein said wireless communication device and said location determining device are encapsulated in a waterproof material.

3. Footwear according to claim 2, wherein said waterproof material is a polyamide resin.

4. Footwear according to claim 2, wherein:

said wireless communication device includes a circuit board having a battery connector mounted thereon, said battery connector having a first portion connected to said circuit board and a second portion for connecting to a battery;

said waterproof material encapsulates said first portion of said battery connector and leaves said second portion of said connector exposed to facilitate connection to a battery.

5. Footwear according to claim 4, wherein said waterproof material defines a slot to receive said battery.

6. Footwear according to claim 1, further including:

a battery disposed in said cavity; and

a charging connector electrically coupled to charge said battery and accessible from outside said footwear.

7. Footwear according to claim 6, wherein said charging connector is disposed in an opening in a side of said sole.

8. Footwear according to claim 7, wherein said charging connector is coupled to said battery via a flexible circuit substrate.

9. Footwear according to claim 1, further comprising:

an upper including an inner layer and an outer layer; and

a communication antenna electrically coupled to said wireless communication device and disposed on a flexible circuit substrate between said inner layer and said outer layer of said upper.

10. Footwear according to claim 9, wherein said communication antenna is disposed in a heel portion of said upper.

11. Footwear according to claim 1, further comprising:

an upper including a heel portion; and

a location signal antenna disposed in said heel portion of said upper and electronically coupled to said location determining device.

12. Footwear according to claim 11, wherein:

said location signal antenna is a directional antenna; and

said heel portion of said upper defines a support structure for maintaining said directional antenna in an upwardly directed position.

13. Footwear according to claim 11, wherein said location signal antenna is coupled to said location determining device via a flexible circuit substrate.

14. Footwear according to claim 1, further comprising:

an upper fixed to said sole;

an antenna fixed to said upper; and

a flexible circuit substrate electronically coupling said antenna to one of said wireless communication device and said location determining device.

15. Footwear according to claim 1, wherein said location determining device obtains information indicative of a position of said footwear exclusively via said wireless communication device.

16. Footwear according to claim 1, wherein said location determining device determines a position of said footwear using signals transmitted by a positioning system.

17. Footwear according to claim 16, wherein said positioning system is a satellite based global positioning system.

18. Footwear comprising:

a location determining device;

a wireless communication device electronically coupled to said location determining device; and

means for protecting said wireless communication device and said location determining device from water.

19. Footwear according to claim 18, further comprising:

a sole; and

means for embedding said wireless communication device and said location determining device in said sole.

20. Footwear according to claim 18, further comprising:

an antenna; and

means for connecting at least one of said wireless communication device and said location determining device to said antenna.

21. Footwear according to claim 18, further comprising:

an antenna; and

means for positioning said antenna in a heel of said footwear.

22. Footwear according to claim 18, further comprising:

a battery for supplying power to at least one of said wireless communication device and said location determining device; and

means for charging said battery.

23. Footwear comprising:

a sole;

an upper fixed to said sole;

a tracking device disposed at least partially within said sole; and

an antenna electronically coupled to said tracking device and disposed in said upper.

24. A method for manufacturing footwear, said method comprising:

providing a sole;

providing an upper;

fixing said upper to said sole;

incorporating a tracking device in said sole;

incorporating an antenna in said upper; and

connecting said antenna to said tracking device.

25. A method for manufacturing footwear according to claim 24, wherein said step of incorporating said antenna in said upper occurs prior to said step of fixing said upper to said sole.

26. A method for manufacturing footwear according to claim 24, wherein said step of incorporating said tracking device in said sole occurs after said step of fixing said upper to said sole.

27. A method of manufacturing footwear according to claim 24, further comprising encapsulating said tracking device in a waterproof material.

28. A method of manufacturing footwear according to claim 24, wherein said step of connecting said tracking device to said antenna includes connecting said tracking device to said antenna via a flexible circuit substrate.

29. A method of manufacturing footwear according to claim 24, wherein said step of incorporating an antenna in said upper includes incorporating said antenna in a heel portion of said upper.

30. A method of manufacturing footwear according to claim 29, wherein:

said antenna is a directional antenna; and

said step of incorporating said antenna in said heel portion of said upper includes providing a support structure in said upper to maintain said antenna in an upwardly facing position.

31. A method of manufacturing footwear according to claim 24, further comprising:

mounting a charging adapter in said sole; and

electrically coupling said charging adapter to said tracking device.

32. A method of manufacturing footwear according to claim 31, wherein said step of electrically coupling said charging adapter to said tracking device includes coupling said charging adapter to said tracking device via a flexible circuit substrate.