Footwear having sensor system
First Claim
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1. A system comprising:
- an article of footwear comprising an upper member at least partially defining a foot-receiving chamber and a sole structure engaged with the upper member;
a sensor system comprising a flexible insert member engaging the sole structure, wherein the flexible insert member comprises a first layer and a second layer connected to each other in a superimposed manner, wherein the first flexible layer and the second flexible layer are each made from sheets of a same flexible polymer material and each have a thickness of 0.05 min to 0.2 mm, a plurality of sensors connected to the insert member, an electronic module contained within the sole structure, and a port connected to the sensors by leads extending from the port to the sensors, wherein the electronic module is in communication with the port and is configured for communication with the sensors through the port, wherein each sensor is configured for detecting a force exerted by a foot on the sensor by a resistance of the sensor changing in response to the force, and wherein the plurality of sensors are positioned in a plurality of locations spaced from the electronic module, the plurality of locations comprising at least a first location in a heel portion of the and a second location in a forefoot portion of the insert,wherein each of the sensors comprises two electrodes located between the first and second layers and a carbon material located between the first and second layer positioned in contact with the two electrodes, and wherein the leads are positioned between the first and second layers and extend across the insert member from the port to the sensors, and wherein the electrodes, the carbon material, and the leads are printed on confronting surfaces of the first and second layers; and
a remote external device configured for communication with the electronic module,wherein the electronic module is configured to receive resistance data from the sensors through the port, the resistance data indicating the resistance of each sensor, and to transmit the resistance data to the external device, and the external device is configured for further processing the resistance data.
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Abstract
A shoe has a sensor system operably connected to a communication port. Performance data is collected by the system and can be transferred for further use via the communication port. The shoe may contain an electronic module configured to gather data from the sensors. The module may also transmit the data to an external device for further processing. The collected data can be further processed for a variety of different uses or applications.
290 Citations
21 Claims
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1. A system comprising:
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an article of footwear comprising an upper member at least partially defining a foot-receiving chamber and a sole structure engaged with the upper member; a sensor system comprising a flexible insert member engaging the sole structure, wherein the flexible insert member comprises a first layer and a second layer connected to each other in a superimposed manner, wherein the first flexible layer and the second flexible layer are each made from sheets of a same flexible polymer material and each have a thickness of 0.05 min to 0.2 mm, a plurality of sensors connected to the insert member, an electronic module contained within the sole structure, and a port connected to the sensors by leads extending from the port to the sensors, wherein the electronic module is in communication with the port and is configured for communication with the sensors through the port, wherein each sensor is configured for detecting a force exerted by a foot on the sensor by a resistance of the sensor changing in response to the force, and wherein the plurality of sensors are positioned in a plurality of locations spaced from the electronic module, the plurality of locations comprising at least a first location in a heel portion of the and a second location in a forefoot portion of the insert, wherein each of the sensors comprises two electrodes located between the first and second layers and a carbon material located between the first and second layer positioned in contact with the two electrodes, and wherein the leads are positioned between the first and second layers and extend across the insert member from the port to the sensors, and wherein the electrodes, the carbon material, and the leads are printed on confronting surfaces of the first and second layers; and a remote external device configured for communication with the electronic module, wherein the electronic module is configured to receive resistance data from the sensors through the port, the resistance data indicating the resistance of each sensor, and to transmit the resistance data to the external device, and the external device is configured for further processing the resistance data. - View Dependent Claims (2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10, 11, 12, 13, 14, 15)
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16. A system comprising:
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a first article of footwear comprising a first upper member at least partially defining a first foot-receiving chamber and a first sole structure engaged with the first upper member; a first sensor system connected to the first article of footwear, comprising a first insert member connected to the first sole structure, wherein the flexible insert member comprises two flexible layers connected to each other in a superimposed manner, wherein the two flexible layers are each made from sheets of a same flexible polymer material and each have a thickness of 0.05 mm to 0.2 mm, a plurality of first sensors, a first port connected to the first sensors by first leads extending from the first port to the first sensors, and a first electronic module in communication with the first port and is configured for communication with the first sensors through the first port, wherein each first sensor is configured for detecting a first force exerted by a first foot on the first sensor by a resistance of the first sensor changing in response to the first force, and wherein the plurality of first sensors are positioned in a plurality of first locations spaced from the first electronic module, the plurality of first locations comprising at least one location in a heel portion of the first sole structure and another location in a forefoot portion of the first sole structure, wherein each of the first sensors comprises two electrodes located between the two flexible layers and a carbon material located between the two flexible layers and positioned in contact with the two electrodes, and wherein the first leads are positioned between the two layers and extend across the first insert member from the first port to the first sensors, and wherein the electrodes the carbon material, and the first leads are printed on confronting surfaces of the two layers;
pg,59a second article of footwear comprising a second upper member at least partially defining a second foot-receiving chamber and a second sole structure engaged with the second upper member; a second sensor system connected to the second article of footwear, comprising a first insert ember connected to the first sole structure, wherein the flexible insert member comprises two flexible layers connected to each other in a superimposed manner, wherein the two flexible layers are each made from sheets of the same flexible polymer material and each have a thickness of 0.05 mm to 0.2 mm, a plurality of second sensors, a second port connected to the second sensors by second leads extending from the second port to the second sensors, and a second electronic module in communication with the second port and configured for communication with the second sensors, wherein each sensor is configured for detecting a second force exerted by a second foot on the sensor by a resistance of the second sensor changing in response to the second force, and wherein the plurality of second sensors are positioned in a plurality of second locations spaced from the second electronic module, the plurality of second locations comprising at least one location in a heel portion of the second sole structure and another location in a forefoot portion of the second sole structure, wherein each of the second sensors comprises two electrodes located between the two flexible layers and a carbon material located between the two flexible layers and positioned in contact with the two electrodes, and wherein the second leads are positioned between the two layers and extend across the second insert member from the second port to the second sensors, and wherein the electrodes, the carbon material, and the second leads are printed on confronting surfaces of the two layers; wherein the first electronic module is configured to receive resistance data from the first sensors through the first port, the resistance data indicating a resistance of the first sensor, and is further configured to communicate the resistance data to an external device; and wherein the second electronic module is configured to receive resistance data from the second sensors through the second port, the resistance data indicating a resistance of the second sensor, and is further configured to communicate the resistance data to the external device. - View Dependent Claims (17, 18, 19, 20, 21)
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Specification