SYSTEM, METHOD, AND COMPUTER-PROGRAM PRODUCT FOR MEASURING PRESSURE POINTS

• US 20100152619A1
• Filed: 12/16/2008
• Published: 06/17/2010
• Est. Priority Date: 12/16/2008
• Status: Abandoned Application

• Current Assignee: 24Eight, LLC (Dolphin Entertainment, Inc.)
• Original Assignee: 24/8 LLC
• Inventors: Schieffelin, David, Kalpaxis, Alex J., Schieffelin, Stacey S., Stetler, Tracey L.
• Application Number:
  US12/336,088
• Publication Number:
  US 20100152619A1
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 600/592
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 2562/0247 Pressure sensors
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 2562/046 in a matrix array
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 5/0002 Remote monitoring of patients using telemetry, e.g. transmission of vital signals via a communication network A61B5/07 takes precedence; transmission systems for measured values G08C; transmission H04B; transmission of digital information H04L; wireless communication networks H04W
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 5/1038 Measuring plantar pressure during gait
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 5/4504 Bones A61B5/4547 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 5/4519 Muscles A61B5/389, A61B5/224 take precedence
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 5/4523 Tendons
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 5/4528 Joints A61B5/4533, A61B5/4538 take precedence
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 5/4533 Ligaments
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 5/7232 involving compression of the physiological signal, e.g. to extend the signal recording period
• CPC Class Codes: A63F 13/211 using inertial sensors, e.g. accelerometers or gyroscopes
• CPC Class Codes: A63F 13/212 using sensors worn by the player, e.g. for measuring heart beat or leg activity
• CPC Class Codes: A63F 13/218 using pressure sensors, e.g. generating a signal proportional to the pressure applied by the player
• CPC Class Codes: A63F 13/235 using a wireless connection, e.g. infrared or piconet
• CPC Class Codes: A63F 13/422 automatically for the purpose of assisting the player, e.g. automatic braking in a driving game
• CPC Class Codes: A63F 13/812 Ball games, e.g. soccer or baseball
• CPC Class Codes: A63F 13/816 Athletics, e.g. track-and-field sports
• CPC Class Codes: A63F 2300/1006 having additional degrees of freedom
• CPC Class Codes: A63F 2300/1012 involving biosensors worn by the player, e.g. for measuring heart beat, limb activity
• CPC Class Codes: A63F 2300/1031 using a wireless connection, e.g. Bluetooth, infrared connections
• CPC Class Codes: A63F 2300/105 : using inertial sensors, e.g. accelerometers, gyroscopes
• CPC Class Codes: A63F 2300/1056 : involving pressure sensitive buttons
• CPC Class Codes: A63F 2300/535 : for monitoring, e.g. of user parameters, terminal parameters, application parameters, network parameters
• CPC Class Codes: A63F 2300/6054 : by generating automatically game commands to assist the player, e.g. automatic braking in a driving game
• CPC Class Codes: A63F 2300/8005 : Athletics
• CPC Class Codes: A63F 2300/8011 : Ball
• CPC Class Codes: G09B 19/0038 : Sports

Abstract

Force sensing methods, systems, and computer-program products may be used to sense pressure at a plurality of points of a user'"'"'s foot, including its bones, joints, muscles, tendons, and ligaments. Such systems, methods, and computer-program products sense pressure along the bottom of a user'"'"'s foot during sports training and monitoring applications, electronic games, and diagnostic systems. In particular, the system generally comprises a transducer having a plurality of points of interest, an insole node for collecting and transmitting data sensed at the plurality of points of interest, first means for coupling that data across a network, by way of second means for coupling same to a collector node, and then to a computer.

Claims

1. A sensing system, comprising:

a transducer to measure pressure at each of a plurality of points in an area of interest, said transducer comprising;

a compressible layer, and

first and second flexible conductive layers, between which the compressible layer is disposed; and

means for transmitting data corresponding to said measured pressures.

2. The system according to claim 1, wherein said transmitting means comprises a transceiver.

3. The system according to claim 2, wherein said transceiver comprises a wireless transceiver.

4. The system according to claim 1, wherein each of said first and second flexible conductive layers comprises an electrode grid.

5. The system according to claim 4, further comprising a selector to turn on and off selected points of said electrode grid to variably measure pressure from said selected points within said area of interest.

6. The system according to claim 5, wherein said selector turns on and off said selected points of said electrode grid dynamically in real-time.

7. The system according to claim 1, wherein said plurality of points of interest comprise a plurality of parts of a foot selected from the group consisting of a forefoot area, a midfoot area, and a hindfoot area.

8. The system according to claim 7, wherein said group further comprises one or more of a plurality of phalanges, one or more of a plurality of metatarsals, one or more of a plurality of phalangeal joints, a ball of said foot, one or more of a plurality of tarsal bones forming an arch of said foot, a plantar fascia, a talus, calcaneus, and a subtalar joint.

9. The system according to claim 1, further comprising a data compressor to compress said data corresponding to said measured pressures before transmission by said transmitting means.

10. The system according to claim 1, wherein said transducer is embedded in a shoe sole.

11. The system according to claim 1, wherein said compressible material comprises a compressible conductive foam.

12. The system according to claim 9, wherein said compressible conductive foam comprises a material suitable for electrostatic discharge (ESD).

13. The system according to claim 1, further comprising a computer adapted to wirelessly receive said transmitted data and output the received data in a user-readable format.

14. The system according to claim 13, further comprising:

an accelerometer adapted to measure acceleration of said plurality of points within said area of interest; and

means for transmitting data corresponding to said measured accelerations.

15. The system according to claim 14, wherein said accelerometer is adapted to measure acceleration of each of said plurality of points within said area of interest along an x-axis, a y-axis, and a z-axis.

16. The system according to claim 15, wherein said computer further comprises means for integrating said transmitted data corresponding to acceleration of each of said plurality of points within said area of interest along said x-axis, said y-axis, and said z-axis.

17. The system according to claim 16, wherein said integrating means is adapted to output data corresponding to a velocity of each of said plurality of points within said area of interest along said x-axis, said y-axis, and said z-axis.

18. The system according to claim 16, wherein said integrating means is adapted to output data corresponding to a displacement of each of said plurality of points within said area of interest along said x-axis, said y-axis, and said z-axis.

19. The system according to claim 16, wherein said computer further comprises:

means for collecting said integrated data; and

means for correlating said collected data with said transmitted data corresponding to said measured pressures.

20. The system according to claim 19, further comprising an electronic game coupled to correlating means and adapted to receive said correlated data and interactively adapt said electronic game accordingly.

21. The system according to claim 19, wherein said computer further comprises diagnostic means for interpreting said collected and correlated data and thereby recommends changes to the positions of said plurality of points.

22. The system according to claim 21, wherein said computer further comprises means for designing an orthotic to make said recommended changes.

23. The system according to claim 16, wherein said computer further comprises tracking means for interpreting said collected and correlated data and thereby recommends changes to a training program.

24. The system according to claim 16, wherein said computer further comprises tracking means for interpreting said collected and correlated data and thereby recommends changes to a therapeutic program.

25. The system according to claim 13, wherein said user-readable format comprises an extensible markup language (XML).

26. A method for sensing a force applied to a first moving object by a second moving object in contact with the first object, comprising:

measuring the force at each of a plurality of points in an area of interest between the first and second objects;

activating, dynamically in real-time, selected points within said area of interest to variably measure force at said selected points;

measuring an acceleration of each of said plurality of points within said area of interest along an x-axis, a y-axis, and a z-axis;

transmitting data corresponding to said measured forces and said measured accelerations to a computer adapted to receive said transmitted data and output the received data in a user-readable format;

integrating said transmitted data corresponding to acceleration of each of said plurality of points within said area of interest along said x-axis, said y-axis, and said z-axis;

collecting said integrated data; and

correlating said collected data with said transmitted data corresponding to said measured forces and said measured accelerations.

27. The method according to claim 26, further comprising outputting data corresponding to a velocity of each of said plurality of points within said area of interest along said x-axis, said y-axis, and said z-axis.

28. The method according to claim 26, further comprising outputting data corresponding to a displacement of each of said plurality of points within said area of interest along said x-axis, said y-axis, and said z-axis.

29. The method according to claim 26, further comprising compressing said data corresponding to said measured forces before said transmitting step.

30. The method according to claim 26, further comprising:

coupling an electronic game coupled to receive said correlated data; and

interactively adapting said electronic game in accordance with said correlated data.

31. The method according to claim 26, further comprising:

diagnostically interpreting said collected and correlated data; and

changing the positions of said plurality of points in accordance with said interpretations.

32. The method according to claim 26, further comprising:

establishing a training program of predetermined movements of said plurality of points;

diagnostically interpreting said collected and correlated data;

tracking said interpretations of said collected and correlated data as a function of time; and

changing said predetermined movements of said plurality of points in accordance with said tracked interpretations.

33. The method according to claim 26, further comprising:

establishing a therapeutic program of predetermined movements of said plurality of points;

diagnostically interpreting said collected and correlated data;

tracking said interpretations of said collected and correlated data as a function of time; and

changing said predetermined movements of said plurality of points in accordance with said tracked interpretations.

34. A computer-readable medium comprising computer-executable instructions, the medium comprising:

one or more instructions for measuring the force at each of a plurality of points in an area of interest between the first and second objects;

one or more instructions for activating, dynamically in real-time, selected points within said area of interest to variably measure force at said selected points;

one or more instructions for measuring an acceleration of each of said plurality of points within said area of interest along an x-axis, a y-axis, and a z-axis;

one or more instructions for transmitting data corresponding to said measured forces and said measured accelerations to a computer adapted to receive said transmitted data and output the received data in a user-readable format;

one or more instructions for integrating said transmitted data corresponding to acceleration of each of said plurality of points within said area of interest along said x-axis, said y-axis, and said z-axis;

one or more instructions for collecting said integrated data; and

one or more instructions for correlating said collected data with said transmitted data corresponding to said measured forces and said measured accelerations.

35. The medium according to claim 34, further comprising one or more instructions for outputting data corresponding to a velocity of each of said plurality of points within said area of interest along said x-axis, said y-axis, and said z-axis.

36. The medium according to claim 34, further comprising one or more instructions for outputting data corresponding to a displacement of each of said plurality of points within said area of interest along said x-axis, said y-axis, and said z-axis.

37. The medium according to claim 34, further comprising one or more instructions for compressing said data corresponding to said measured forces before said transmitting step.

38. The medium according to claim 34, further comprising:

one or more instructions for coupling an electronic game coupled to receive said correlated data; and

one or more instructions for interactively adapting said electronic game in accordance with said correlated data.

39. The medium according to claim 34, further comprising:

one or more instructions for diagnostically interpreting said collected and correlated data; and

one or more instructions for changing the positions of said plurality of points in accordance with said interpretations.

40. The medium according to claim 34, further comprising:

one or more instructions for establishing a training program of predetermined movements of said plurality of points;

one or more instructions for diagnostically interpreting said collected and correlated data;

one or more instructions for tracking said interpretations of said collected and correlated data as a function of time; and

one or more instructions for changing said predetermined movements of said plurality of points in accordance with said tracked interpretations.

41. The medium according to claim 34, further comprising:

one or more instructions for establishing a therapeutic program of predetermined movements of said plurality of points;

one or more instructions for diagnostically interpreting said collected and correlated data;

one or more instructions for tracking said interpretations of said collected and correlated data as a function of time; and

one or more instructions for changing said predetermined movements of said plurality of points in accordance with said tracked interpretations.