Systems for activating and/or authenticating electronic devices for operation with footwear

• US 8,028,443 B2
• Filed: 06/27/2005
• Issued: 10/04/2011
• Est. Priority Date: 06/27/2005
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Nike, Inc.
• Original Assignee: Nike, Inc.
• Inventors: Case, Charles Whipple Jr.
• Primary Examiner(s): KAVANAUGH, JOHN T
• Application Number:
  US11/166,351
• Publication Number:
  US 20070011919A1
• Time in Patent Office: 2,290 Days
• Field of Search: 361/32, 361/37, 361/39, 361/36, 362/103, 362/802
• US Class Current: 36/132
• 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 3/34 with electrical or electronic arrangements
• CPC Class Codes: A43B 5/06 Running shoes; Track shoes
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 2562/08 Sensors provided with means for identification, e.g. barcodes or memory chips
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 5/6807 Footwear

Abstract

Articles of footwear and footwear systems include modules, e.g., for sensing physical and/or physiological characteristics associated with use of the footwear or for performing other functions. Such systems and methods may use physical or other interaction(s) between the module and the article of footwear for activating and/or deactivating the module and/or sensing devices included with the module, for confirming whether the module and footwear are authorized for use with one another, and/or for automatic data algorithm selection methods. Additionally, such systems and methods also may use the activation and/or authentication systems for the module for data input to the module. Some examples of such systems and methods may utilize magnets and magnetic sensing systems and/or light (or other radiation) sources and sensing systems for activation, authentication, data input, and/or algorithm selection.

Claims

1. A footwear system, comprising:

an article of footwear having a module securing element;

a module removably engaged with the module securing element, wherein the module includes an electronic device; and

an authentication system configured to electronically sense a signal when the module is engaged with the module securing element and process the signal to determine whether the article of footwear and the module are authorized for operation with one another.

2. A footwear system according to claim 1, wherein the authentication system senses whether the module is engaged with the module securing element in a first orientation.

3. A footwear system according to claim 2, wherein the authentication system further enables activation of the module or at least a first function of the module when the module is engaged with the module securing element in the first orientation.

4. A footwear system according to claim 2, wherein the authentication system does not enable activation of the module or at least a first function of the module when the module is engaged with the module securing element in any orientation other than the first orientation.

5. A footwear system according to claim 1, wherein the authentication system does not enable operation of the module or at least a first function of the module when the module is determined to be not authorized for operation with the article of footwear.

6. A footwear system according to claim 1, wherein a first portion of the authentication system is included with the article of footwear and a second portion of the authentication system is included with the module.

7. A footwear system according to claim 1, wherein the authentication system includes a magnetic sensor system.

8. A footwear system according to claim 7, wherein a first portion of the magnetic sensor system is included with the article of footwear and a second portion of the magnetic sensor system is included with the module.

9. A footwear system according to claim 1, wherein the authentication system includes at least a first magnet.

10. A footwear system according to claim 9, wherein the authentication system senses whether the article of footwear and the module are authorized for operation with one another, at least in part, by sensing whether the first magnet is oriented in a predetermined manner with respect to the module in the module securing element.

11. A footwear system according to claim 9, wherein the authentication system senses whether the article of footwear and the module are authorized for operation with one another, at least in part, by sensing whether the first magnet is oriented at a predetermined location with respect to the module in the module securing element.

12. A footwear system according to claim 1, wherein the authentication system includes plural magnets.

13. A footwear system according to claim 12, wherein the authentication system senses whether the article of footwear and the module are authorized for operation with one another, at least in part, by sensing whether the plural magnets are arranged in a predetermined manner.

14. A footwear system according to claim 12, wherein the authentication system senses whether the article of footwear and the module are authorized for operation with one another, at least in part, by sensing whether the plural magnets are arranged at predetermined locations with respect to one another or with respect to the module.

15. A footwear system according to claim 1, wherein the module senses at least speed or distance information.

16. A footwear system according to claim 1, wherein the authentication system further includes a module activation system that activates the module or at least a first function of the module when the authentication system determines that the article of footwear and the module are authorized for operation with one another.

17. A footwear system according to claim 16, wherein interaction between the module activation system and the module provides data processing algorithm selection information to the module.

18. A footwear system according to claim 17, wherein the interaction between the module activation system and the module indicates a location on the article of footwear at which the module is engaged, and the module initiates a data processing algorithm associated with the indicated location in response to the interaction.

19. A footwear system according to claim 18, wherein the module activation system includes a magnet and the module includes a magnetic sensor.

20. A footwear system according to claim 19, wherein the location on the article of footwear is indicated, at least in part, based on a strength of the magnet as measured by the magnetic sensor.

21. A footwear system according to claim 19, wherein the location on the article of footwear is indicated, at least in part, based on an orientation of the magnet with respect to the magnetic sensor.

22. A footwear system according to claim 19, wherein the location on the article of footwear is indicated, at least in part, based on a position of the magnet with respect to the magnetic sensor.

23. A footwear system according to claim 18, wherein the module activation system includes plural magnets and the module includes at least one magnetic sensor.

24. A footwear system according to claim 23, wherein the location on the article of footwear is indicated, at least in part, based on a composite strength of the magnets as measured by the magnetic sensor or sensors.

25. A footwear system according to claim 17, wherein the article of footwear includes multiple module securing elements, and the interaction between the module activation system and the module indicates a specific module securing element among the multiple module securing elements at which the module is engaged, and the module initiates a data processing algorithm associated with the indicated specific module securing element in response to the interaction.

26. A footwear system according to claim 25, wherein each module securing element includes an independent module activation system portion.

27. A footwear system according to claim 26, wherein each independent module activation system portion includes a magnet and the module includes a magnetic sensor.

28. A footwear system according to claim 27, wherein a specific module securing element with which the module is engaged is indicated, at least in part, based on a strength of the magnet as measured by the magnetic sensor when the module is engaged with the specific module securing element.

29. A footwear system according to claim 27, wherein a specific module securing element with which the module is engaged is indicated, at least in part, based on an orientation of the magnet with respect to the magnetic sensor when the module is engaged with the specific module securing element.

30. A footwear system according to claim 27, wherein a specific module securing element with which the module is engaged is indicated, at least in part, based on a position of the magnet with respect to the magnetic sensor when the module is engaged with the specific module securing element.

31. A footwear system according to claim 25, wherein each module securing element includes a pocket for receiving the module.