Patent Application
20250127259
The invention relates to running shoes and similar wearables, and sensor apparatus to monitor the same.
Traditionally, assessing and understanding the distribution of pressure across the foot, either for medical diagnosis, sports performance, or orthotic design, requires complex, bulky, and non-portable equipment. This equipment might not provide real-time feedback, may be challenging to clean between uses, and is not tailored for individualized, on-the-go analysis.
This Background is provided to introduce a brief context for the Summary and Detailed Description that follow. This Background is not intended to be an aid in determining the scope of the claimed subject matter nor be viewed as limiting the claimed subject matter to implementations that solve any or all of the disadvantages or problems presented above.
Systems and methods according to present principles provides a compact, user-friendly, and portable solution to measure the pressure distribution across an individual's foot with approximately 1 cm resolution. It integrates seamlessly into footwear via a flexible insole design and offers wireless data transmission for real-time feedback. Moreover, its design addresses hygiene concerns, allowing for easy cleaning and disinfection between uses, making it suitable for multi-user scenarios. This combination of features makes the invention ideal for diverse applications, from clinical assessments to athletic performance optimization, offering users a convenient and accurate tool for foot pressure analysis.
Advantages of the invention will be understood from the description that follows, including the figures and claims.
This Summary is provided to introduce a selection of concepts in a simplified form. The concepts are further described in the Detailed Description section. Elements or steps other than those described in this Summary are possible, and no element or step is necessarily required. This Summary is not intended to identify key features or essential features of the claimed subject matter, nor is it intended for use as an aid in determining the scope of the claimed subject matter. The claimed subject matter is not limited to implementations that solve any or all disadvantages noted in any part of this disclosure.
Referring to
The sensors 14 themselves may be piezoresistive or capacitive pressure sensors. Piezoresistive Sensors change their resistance when force or pressure is applied. They are small, relatively inexpensive, and can provide a large signal output. The most commonly used material for these sensors is silicon. Capacitive Sensors work on the principle of change in capacitance. When pressure is applied, the distance between the plates changes, which in turn alters the capacitance. They can be very sensitive and are commonly used in touchscreens. Both can be used in current applications.
Given that it is desired to measure pressure at multiple points, an array or matrix 11 of these sensors is provided. The foot can be divided into several zones: heel, midfoot, and forefoot (with additional zones for each toe if desired). It is expected that a desired density of sensors, for a desired resolution, would be between 0.25 cm (squared) to 2 cm (squared), and most preferably about 1 cm (squared), +/−25%.
To power the sensors, a Power Source 23 may be employed that is flat and lightweight, such as Thin-Film Batteries, which are flat, lightweight, and flexible, and which come in various sizes and capacities, and some can be recharged. Energy harvesting may also be employed. For example, piezoelectric materials generate voltage when mechanically deformed. Given that the shoe will undergo pressure changes constantly when walking or running, piezoelectric materials can be used to generate energy to recharge the power source 23. This can be used to supplement or recharge a battery, or even serve as the primary power source if the energy needs are low.
In some cases, data may be transmitted to an external device 27 (like a smartphone), in which case low-energy wireless protocols may be employed, such as Bluetooth Low Energy (BLE), which is desirable for short-range transmission and compatible with most smartphones.
For Data Processing, it may be desired to process the data onboard (within the shoe) before transmitting. For this, Microcontroller 17 may be employed. For example, several low-power microcontrollers may be used. These microcontrollers may be used for noise and artifact reduction and/or core data processing functionality, such as described in more detail below
As far as durability and waterproofing, considering that the device will be in shoes, it should be durable and resistant to moisture. Using encapsulation or potting compounds such as encapsulation layer 21 can help protect the electronics from mechanical stresses and moisture.
Finally, for calibration, it is noted that each person has a different foot structure and walking style. Therefore, for accurate results, a calibration process may be employed to understand what a person's “default” or “base” walking style or gait is.
Given the 1 cm resolution requirement, which is fairly moderate, the piezoresistive pressure sensors may be selected. A first reason is simplicity and cost. Piezoresistive sensors tend to be simpler in their design and more cost-effective compared to capacitive sensors, especially for moderate resolutions. Piezoresistive pressure sensors also provide good sensitivity. In particular, they provide ample sensitivity for the pressures exerted by the foot and offer a straightforward relationship between pressure and resistance change. The same are also easier to integrate into a matrix or array format because they can be constructed with interconnecting leads in a grid.
To construct systems and methods according to present principles, a first step may be to construct a matrix 11 of piezoresistive sensors 14. Given a requirement of 1 cm resolution, and an average foot length of ˜25 cm and width of ˜10 cm, it is expected that systems and methods would need approximately 250 sensors (25×10) for full coverage. However, in practice, it may not be necessary to cover the entire foot—focusing on the key areas where pressure variation is significant (like heel, ball, and toe regions) might reduce the number of sensors.
To reduce the number of input/output pins required, multiplexing techniques may be employed. By addressing rows and columns of a matrix, one can determine which sensor is activated. A microcontroller with enough GPIO (General Purpose Input/Output) pins can handle this, or it may be desirable to use specialized ICs (integrated circuits) to help with the multiplexing.
Readout Circuitry: The change in resistance of each sensor 14 in response to pressure will be read by the microcontroller 17. This involves a simple analog circuit, often a voltage divider followed by an ADC (analog-to-digital converter) to convert the analog pressure signal to a digital one that the microcontroller can process.
Processing & Transmission: Once the data is collected, the microcontroller can process it and transmit it wirelessly via BLE (Bluetooth Low Energy) to a smartphone 27 or another device.
Piezoresistive sensors offer the advantage of simplicity and cost-effectiveness. However, because they can exhibit some hysteresis and temperature sensitivity, calibration might be needed to account for these factors.
Because the sensors are intended for multiple users, maintaining hygiene is crucial. The below describes ways to ensure cleanliness and allow for safe reuse.
First, it may be desired to select materials that are inherently resistant to bacteria and easy to clean. Silicones, for example, are often used in medical applications because it is hypoallergenic, non-porous, and easy to clean.
Next, it may be desired to encapsulate the entire electronics in a protective layer 25, including the sensor matrix, the protective layer being a waterproof and easy-to-clean material. Again, silicone or other medical-grade materials are useful for these purposes. This not only protects the electronics from moisture but also makes the cleaning process straightforward.
In some embodiments, the systems and methods may be formed within the context of removable insoles. This way, after use, the insole can be easily removed and cleaned separately without affecting the shoe itself.
To clean, one technique uses antibacterial or disinfectant wipes. Another way is simply to use mild soap and water and air dry completely before reuse. Yet another way involves UV light, especially UVC, which can be used to disinfect surfaces and kill bacteria, viruses, and other pathogens. However, this technique relies on having a UVC chamber or a portable UVC wand to disinfect the insoles between uses.
Another technique involves the use of a quick spray with isopropyl alcohol (70% or higher) followed by a period of air drying to effectively disinfect the insoles.
Another technique may involve using disposable covers over the sensor-equipped insole. After each use, the cover can be discarded, and a new one can be used for the next person. This minimizes the contact of the insole with the foot and reduces the cleaning required.
It may be desired to, between uses, store the insoles in a clean, dry place, preferably in sealed bags or containers to prevent contamination.
Once information has been obtained, i.e., data measured and/or monitored while a user is running, the same may be employed to provide feedback that is actionable for the user on a user interface 29, which may be part of the smart phone or alternatively disposed on an external display. For example, in a sprint, it may be desired to stay on the balls of one's feet. If the data shows that the user has been landing on the heel of the foot, instead of the ball of the foot, such may be used in a teaching capacity to indicate to the user the importance of staying on the balls of their feet. Other desired foot positions for different types of races may be understood and translated into actionable user interface elements.
The system and method may be fully implemented in any number of computing devices. Typically, instructions are laid out on computer readable media, generally non-transitory, and these instructions are sufficient to allow a processor in the computing device to implement the method of the invention. In more detail, the systems and methods may be employed to operate the steps described within this specification and claims with appropriate programming as embodied by instructions stored on a non-transitory computer readable medium and which are used to operate a programmer in a computing environment. The computer readable medium may be a hard drive or solid state storage having instructions that, when run, are loaded into random access memory. Inputs to the application, e.g., from the plurality of users or from any one user, may be by any number of appropriate computer input devices. For example, users may employ a keyboard, mouse, touchscreen, joystick, trackpad, other pointing device, or any other such computer input device to input data relevant to the calculations. Data may also be input by way of an inserted memory chip, hard drive, flash drives, flash memory, optical media, magnetic media, or any other type of file-storing medium. The outputs may be delivered to a user by way of a video graphics card or integrated graphics chipset coupled to a display that maybe seen by a user. Alternatively, a printer may be employed to output hard copies of the results. Given this teaching, any number of other tangible outputs will also be understood to be contemplated by the invention. For example, outputs may be stored on a memory chip, hard drive, flash drives, flash memory, optical media, magnetic media, or any other type of output. It should also be noted that the invention may be implemented on any number of different types of computing devices, e.g., personal computers, laptop computers, notebook computers, net book computers, handheld computers, personal digital assistants, mobile phones, smart phones, tablet computers, and also on devices specifically designed for these purpose. In one implementation, a user of a smart phone or wi-fi-connected device downloads a copy of the application to their device from a server using a wireless Internet connection. An appropriate authentication procedure and secure transaction process may provide for payment to be made to the seller. The application may download over the mobile connection, or over the WiFi or other wireless network connection. The application may then be run by the user. Such a networked system may provide a suitable computing environment for an implementation in which a plurality of users provide separate inputs to the system and method. The plural inputs may allow plural users to input relevant data at the same time.
While the invention herein disclosed is capable of obtaining the objects hereinbefore stated, it is to be understood that this disclosure is merely illustrative of the presently preferred embodiments of the invention and that no limitations are intended other than as described in the appended claims. For example, the invention can be used in a wide variety of wearable devices.
This application claims benefit of priority to U.S. provisional patent application 63/544,820, filed Oct. 19, 2023, and incorporated by reference herein in its entirety.
| Number | Date | Country | |
|---|---|---|---|
| 63544820 | Oct 2023 | US |
