Customizing Footwear

• US 20100289971A1
• Filed: 05/13/2009
• Published: 11/18/2010
• Est. Priority Date: 05/13/2009
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: I-Dezignz, LLC
• Original Assignee: David Odland, Kathryn Odland
• Inventors: Odland, David, Odland, Kathryn
• Granted Patent: US 8,421,822 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 348/801
• CPC Class Codes: A43B 1/0027 made at least partially from a material having special colours
• CPC Class Codes: A43B 3/00 Footwear characterised by the shape or the use
• CPC Class Codes: A43B 3/24 Collapsible or convertible
• CPC Class Codes: A43B 3/34 with electrical or electronic arrangements
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 30/0241 Advertisements
• CPC Class Codes: G09G 5/006 Details of the interface to the display terminal specific for a display terminal using a CRT G09G1/167; using a flat panel G09G3/2096; circuits for interfacing with colour displays G09G5/04
• CPC Class Codes: G09G 5/36 characterised by the display of a graphic pattern, e.g. using an all-points-addressable [APA] memory
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 5/64 Constructional details of receivers, e.g. cabinets or dust covers furniture aspects of television cabinets A47B81/06

Abstract

A system and method for customizing the look of footwear. The footwear of the system includes a display that can show high resolution images and covers a large portion of the footwear surface. A user can create and transfer designs to be displayed. Designs can be bought or shared over the Internet. The system also allows the user to use a handheld device to detect the color of another object and then display substantially the same color in pixels of the display.

Claims

1. A system for displaying content on footwear, comprising:

a. Footwear having a footwear surface;

b. A control unit (CU);

c. Memory;

d. Display;

e. An Input/Output (I/O) unit; and

f. A power unit;

Wherein the display occupies 25% or more of the footwear surface.

2. The system of claim 1, wherein the display has a resolution whereby the number of pixels is in the range of 50-2,000,000 pixels.

3. The system of claim 1, wherein the display has a color depth in the range of 8-bits to 48-bits.

4. The system of claim 1, wherein the display operates at a frequency in the range of 15 frames-per-second to 120 frames-per-second.

5. The system of claim 1, wherein the footwear consists of at least one of the following:

boots, chukka boots, combat boots, cowboy boots, go-go boots, hiking boots, kinky boots, motorcycle boots, platform boots, riding boots, derby boots, thigh-length boots, ugg boots, valenki, waders, Wellington boots, winkle pickers, shoes, athletic shoes, sneakers, cross-trainers, brothel creepers, diabetic shoes, espadrilles, galoshes, high heels, pumps, slippers, stiletto heels, kicks, kitten heels, lace-up shoes, derby shoes, oxford shoes, high-tops, brogues, loafers, penny loafers, mary janes, moccasins, monks, mules, platform shoes, school shoes, skate shoes, tap shoes, sandals, mandals, flip flops, slide, chaco, indoor footwear, slippers, ballet shoes, climbing shoes, clogs, foot thong, football boots, safety footwear, ski boots, snowshoes, cleats, surgical shoe, pointe shoes, swimfins, and flippers.

6. The system of claim 1, wherein the content consists of at least one of the following:

text data, image data, color data, video data, sound data and any combination thereof.

7. The system of claim 1, wherein the footwear surface consists of at least one of the following:

top, bottom, front, back, sides, laces, tongues, straps, buckles, heels, soles and any combination thereof.

8. The system of claim 1, wherein the display is a thin film display.

9. The system of claim 8, wherein the thin film display consists of one of the following:

Organic Light Emitting Diode/Device/Display (OLED), Active Matrix Organic Light Emitting Diode (AMOLED), FOLED (Flexible Organic Light Emitting Diode), PhOLED (Phosphorescent Organic Light Emitting Diode, PLED (Polymer Light Emitting Diode, PMOLED (Passive Matrix OLED), POLED (Polymer Organic Light Emitting Diode), RCOLED (Resonant Color Organic Light Emitting Diode), SmOLED (Small Molecule Organic Light Emitting Diode, SOLED (Stacked Organic Light Emitting Diode), TOLED (Transparent Organic Light Emitting Diode) and NOID (Neon Organic Iodine Diode).

10. The system of claim 1, further comprising a detector.

11. The system of claim 10, wherein the detector is used to detect either color or patterns of other objects.

12. The system of claim 1, wherein the Display, CU, Memory I/O unit and Power Unit are retrofitted into existing footwear.

13. A method for displaying content on footwear having a footwear surface, comprising:

a. Receiving content at the footwear;

b. Executing a program by a control unit of the footwear to display the content; and

c. Displaying the content on a display of the footwear.

14. The method of claim 13, wherein the step of displaying further comprises displaying the content on 25% or more of the footwear surface.

15. The method of claim 13, wherein the step of displaying further comprises displaying the content using 50-2,000,000 pixels.

16. The method of claim 13, wherein the step of displaying further comprises displaying the content using a color depth in the range of 8-bits to 48-bits.

17. A method for displaying content on footwear having a footwear surface, comprising:

a. Detecting the color or pattern of an object;

b. Determining color values that are substantially the same color or pattern as the object;

c. Create content using the detected color or pattern values;

d. Executing a program by a control unit of the footwear; and

e. Displaying the content based on the program executed by the control unit of the footwear.

18. The method of claim 17, wherein the step of determining including using a detector.

19. The method of claim 17, wherein the object is an article of clothing.

20. The method of claims 17, wherein substantially all pixels of the content are substantially the same color.