Sensor and method for measuring shear forces on athletic wear

• US 9,414,772 B1
• Filed: 02/23/2011
• Issued: 08/16/2016
• Est. Priority Date: 07/18/2003
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Great Lakes Neurotechnologies Inc.
• Original Assignee: Great Lakes Neurotechnologies Inc.
• Inventors: Tarler, Matthew David
• Primary Examiner(s): Caputo, Lisa
• Assistant Examiner(s): ROY, PUNAM P
• Application Number:
  US13/033,184
• Time in Patent Office: 2,001 Days
• Field of Search: 731/72, 733/790.1, 738/41, 738/651, 738/654
• US Class Current: 1/1
• 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: A43D 1/02 Foot-measuring devices measuring the shape, pattern or size of the body for diagnostic purposes A61B5/103, e.g. measuring physical dimensions A61B5/107
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 2503/10 Athletes
• 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 5/0024 for multiple sensor units attached to the patient, e.g. using a body or personal area network
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 5/103 Detecting, measuring or recording devices for testing the shape, pattern, colour, size or movement of the body or parts thereof, for diagnostic purposes A61B5/08 takes precedence; measuring aids for tailors A41H1/00; measuring instruments specially adapted for dentistry A61C19/04
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 5/1038 Measuring plantar pressure during gait
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 5/11 Measuring movement of the entire body or parts thereof, e.g. head or hand tremor, mobility of a limb for measuring pulse A61B5/02 ;A61B5/1038 takes precedence; motion detection to correct for motion artifacts in physiological signals A61B5/721
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 5/112 Gait analysis
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 5/1126 using a particular sensing technique
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 5/113 occurring during breathing
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 5/68 Arrangements of detecting, measuring or recording means, e.g. sensors, in relation to patient
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 5/6802 Sensor mounted on worn items
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 5/6807 Footwear
• CPC Class Codes: A63B 2230/00 Measuring physiological parameters of the user
• CPC Class Codes: A63B 2230/60 muscle strain, i.e. measured on the user
• CPC Class Codes: A63B 2243/00 Specific ball sports not provided for in A63B2102/00 - A63B2102/38
• CPC Class Codes: G01L 1/20 by measuring variations in ohmic resistance of solid materials or of electrically-conductive fluids of piezo-resistive materials G01L1/18; by making use of electrokinetic cells, i.e. liquid-containing cells wherein an electrical potential is produced or varied upon the application of stress
• CPC Class Codes: G01L 5/228 using tactile array force sensors

Abstract

The present invention is related to a sensor for measuring shear forces applied to the sensor, and further a statically responsive sensor for measuring shear forces. The present invention further includes a method of designing athletic wear, such as footwear or clothing, using these sensors. The present invention further relates to a method of using such athletic wear, whereby the sensor(s) detect physical factors encountered by an athlete wearing the athletic wear, and whereby those physical factors detected are used to improve the performance of the athletic wear and or the athlete.

Claims

1. A method of using an object or device, comprising the steps of:

applying at least three sensors to locations on an object or device;

having an athlete wear the object or device during physical activity;

using the sensors to measure physical factors encountered by the athlete or object or device during the physical activity; and

using the measured physical factors during the physical activity to improve the athlete'"'"'s physical performance during a second physical activity,

wherein the physical activity is one of the group consisting of basketball, hockey, baseball, football, and soccer and at least one of the at least three sensors is used to measure static shear forces.

2. The method in claim 1, wherein the physical activity is a typical application, including a game or practice.

3. The method in claim 1, wherein the physical activity is a test application.

4. The method of claim 1, further including the step of receiving with a data logger or transmitter located on or embedded in the or device a signal from at least one of the at least three sensors.

5. The method of claim 4, further including the step of transmitting the signal with the transmitter to a computer separate from the object or device for storing or analyzing the signal from at least one of the at least three sensors.

6. A method of using an object or device, comprising the steps of:

applying at least three sensors to locations on an object or device;

having an athlete wear the object or device during physical activity;

using the sensors to measure physical factors encountered by the athlete or object or device during physical activity; and

using the measured physical factors during the physical activity to improve the athlete'"'"'s physical performance during a second physical activity,

wherein the physical activity is one of the group consisting of basketball, hockey, baseball, football, and soccer, and the at least three sensors each have a signal, and at least one of the at least three sensors is capable of measuring shear forces, further including a step of receiving with a controller a signal from at least one of the at least three sensors used to measure shear forces and a step of activating an actuator with the controller based on at least in part the signal from the at least one sensor.

7. A method of using athletic footwear, comprising the steps of:

applying at least one sensor to locations on an athletic footwear;

having an athlete wear the athletic footwear during physical activity;

using the at least one sensor to measure physical factors encountered by the athlete or the athletic footwear during the physical activity; and

using the measured physical factors during the physical activity to improve the athlete'"'"'s physical performance during a second physical activity.

8. The method in claim 7, wherein the at least one sensor is used to measure static shear forces.

9. The method in claim 7, wherein the physical activity is a typical application including a game or practice.

10. The method in claim 7, wherein the physical activity is a test application.

11. The method of claim 7, wherein at least one sensor is capable of measuring shear forces, further including a step of receiving with a controller a signal from the at least one sensor used to measure shear forces and a step of activating an actuator with the controller based on at least in part the signal from the at least one sensor.

12. The method of claim 7, further including the step of receiving with a data logger or transmitter located on or embedded in the athletic footwear a signal from the at least one sensor.

13. The method of claim 12, further including the step of transmitting the signal with the transmitter to a computer separate from the athletic footwear for storing or analyzing the signal from the at least one sensor.

14. A method of designing an object or device comprising the steps of:

applying at least one flexible, compliant sensor capable of measuring static shear forces to locations on a prototype design of an object or device being designed;

using the prototype design with the applied sensor in at least one application or test over a test period of time;

measuring the shear forces encountered at the sensor locations of the prototype design over at least part of the test time period; and

modifying the design of the object or device in part based on the forces encountered by the prototype design during the application or test.

15. The method in claim 14, wherein the at least one application or test over the period of time comprises testing the athletic or consumer good on a test machine.

16. The method in claim 14, wherein the at least one application or test over a period of time comprises an athletic event including a game, practice, or other typical application, and wherein the athletic or consumer good is worn by an athlete taking part in the athletic event.

17. The method of claim 14, further including a step of receiving with a controller a signal from the at least one sensor used to measure the shear forces and a step of activating an actuator with the controller based on at least in part the signal from the at least one sensor.

18. The method of claim 14, further including the step of receiving with a data logger or transmitter located on or embedded in the athletic or consumer good a signal from the at least one sensor used to measure the shear forces.

19. The method of claim 18, further including the step of transmitting the signal with the transmitter to a computer separate from the athletic or consumer good for storing or analyzing the signal from the at least one sensor.