Determining footwear replacement based on piezoelectric output

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-10595583-B2
Application number	US-201916369066-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Mar 29, 2019
Priority date	May 29, 2015
Publication date	Mar 24, 2020
Grant date	Mar 24, 2020

Abstract

An article of apparel, a system, and methods include a structural material configured to enable the article of footwear to the worn on a body. A wireless transmission circuit is included and a piezoelectric generator is positioned with respect to the structural material in a configuration to be flexed to induce a voltage signal output. A voltage sensor is configured to sense the voltage profile and output a sensor signal indicative of the voltage profile. An electronic data storage, coupled to the voltage sensor, is configured to store voltage profile information based on the sensor data. A comparator, coupled to the electronic data storage, is configured to identify a change in the voltage profile information over time. The wireless transmission circuit is configured to transmit data indicative of a physical status of the article of footwear based on the change in the voltage profile information over time.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1. An article of footwear, comprising:
a structural material configured to enable the article of footwear to be worn on a body;
a wireless transmission circuit;
a piezoelectric generator, positioned with respect to the structural material in a configuration to be flexed to induce a voltage signal output, configured to output a signal having a voltage profile upon being flexed;
a voltage sensor, coupled to the piezoelectric generator, configured to sense the voltage profile and output a sensor signal indicative of the voltage profile;
an electronic data storage, coupled to the voltage sensor, configured to store voltage profile information based on the sensor signal; and
a comparator, coupled to the electronic data storage, configured to identify a change in the voltage profile information from a first step at a first time to a second step at a second time later than the first time;
wherein the wireless transmission circuit is configured to transmit data indicative of a physical status of the article of footwear based on the change in the voltage profile information over time.

2. The article of footwear of claim 1 , wherein the voltage profile includes a peak voltage, relative to a baseline voltage, of a pulse, a rise time of the pulse, a fall time of the pulse, and a pulse duration, and wherein the change in the voltage profile is based on a change in the voltage profile of at least one of the peak voltage, the rise time, the fall time, and the pulse duration.

3. The article of footwear of claim 2 , wherein the data indicative of the physical status indicates a recommended replacement of the article of footwear upon the peak voltage increasing by a predetermined amount.

4. The article of footwear of claim 2 , wherein the data indicative of the physical status indicates a recommended replacement of the article of footwear upon at least one of the rise time, the fall time, and the pulse duration decreasing by a predetermined amount.

5. The article of footwear of claim 4 , wherein the rise time is based on a time for the voltage profile to rise between a predetermined baseline percentage from the baseline and a predetermined peak percentage from the peak voltage, wherein the fall time is based on a time for the voltage profile to fall between the predetermined peak percentage and the predetermined baseline percentage, and wherein the pulse duration is based on a time for the voltage profile to pass between a first crossing of the predetermined baseline percentage and a second crossing of the predetermined baseline percentage.

6. The article of footwear of claim 2 , further comprising a controller configured to determine the change in the voltage profile based on a comparison of a first voltage profile sensed at a first time as stored in the electronic data storage and a second voltage profile sensed at a second time later than the first time.

7. The article of footwear of claim 6 , wherein the first time is based on a first time window and the first voltage profile is an average of voltage profiles sensed during the first time window and wherein the second time is based on a second time window and the second voltage profile is an average of voltage profiles sensed during the second time window.

8. The article of footwear of claim 7 , wherein the second time window is a moving time window and wherein the second voltage profile is based on an average of voltage profiles during the moving time window include a most recently sensed voltage profile.

9. The article of footwear of claim 2 , wherein the controller is further configured to cause, at least in part, a user interface to provide a message based on the data indicative of the physical status.

10. A method of making an article of footwear, comprising:
forming a structural material configured to enable the article of footwear to be worn on a body;
positioning a piezoelectric generator with respect to the structural material in a configuration to be flexed to induce a voltage signal output, configured to output a signal having a voltage profile upon being flexed; and
coupling a wireless transmission circuit, a voltage sensor, an electronic data storage, and a comparator to the piezoelectric generator;
wherein the voltage sensor is configured to sense the voltage profile and output a sensor signal indicative of the voltage profile;
wherein the electronic data storage is configured to store voltage profile information based on the sensor signal;
wherein the comparator is configured to identify a change in the voltage profile information from a first step at a first time to a second step at a second time later than the first time; and
wherein the wireless transmission circuit is configured to transmit data indicative of a physical status of the article of footwear based on the change in the voltage profile information over time.

11. The method of claim 10 , wherein the voltage profile includes a peak voltage, relative to a baseline voltage, of a pulse, a rise time of the pulse, a fall time of the pulse, and a pulse duration, and wherein the change in the voltage profile is based on a change in the voltage profile of at least one of the peak voltage, the rise time, the fall time, and the pulse duration.

12. The method of claim 11 , wherein the data indicative of the physical status indicates a recommended replacement of the article of footwear upon the peak voltage increasing by a predetermined amount.

13. The method of claim 11 , wherein the data indicative of the physical status indicates a recommended replacement of the article of footwear upon at least one of the rise time, the fall time, and the pulse duration decreasing by a predetermined amount.

14. The method of claim 13 , wherein the rise time is based on a time for the voltage profile to rise between a predetermined baseline percentage from the baseline and a predetermined peak percentage from the peak voltage, wherein the fall time is based on a time for the voltage profile to fall between the predetermined peak percentage and the predetermined baseline percentage, and wherein the pulse duration is based on a time for the voltage profile to pass between a first crossing of the predetermined baseline percentage and a second crossing of the predetermined baseline percentage.

15. The method of claim 11 , further comprising coupling a controller to the voltage sensor and the electronic data storage, the controller configured to determine the change in the voltage profile based on a comparison of a first voltage profile sensed at a first time as stored in the electronic data storage and a second voltage profile sensed at a second time later than the first time.

16. The method of claim 15 , wherein the first time is based on a first time window and the first voltage profile is an average of voltage profiles sensed during the first time window and wherein the second time is based on a second time window and the second voltage profile is an average of voltage profiles sensed during the second time window.

17. The method of claim 16 , wherein the second time window is a moving time window and wherein the second voltage profile is based on an average of voltage profiles during the moving time window include a most recently sensed voltage profile.

18. The method of claim 11 , wherein the controller is further configured to cause, at least in part, a user interface to provide a message based on the data indicative of the physical status.

19. An system, comprising:
a structural material of a wearable article, configured to en

Assignees

• Nike Inc

Inventors

• Folske Keith A
• Malhotra Vikram
• Pheil Holli
• Schneider Summer L

Classifications

• A43D999/00

  Subject matter not provided for in other groups of this subclass · CPC title

• H02N2/181

  Circuits; Control arrangements or methods · CPC title

• G01C22/006 Primary

  Pedometers · CPC title

• G08B5/22

  using electric transmission; using electromagnetic transmission · CPC title

• A43B5/00

  Footwear for sporting purposes (non-skid devices, e.g. ice-spurs or studs for football shoes, A43C15/00) · CPC title