Detector system for use with footwear
AssigneeNIKE, Inc.
InventorsSteven H. Walker, Phillip Meneau
Life of this patent
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Abstract
A foot presence sensor system for an active article of footwear can include a sensor housing configured to be disposed at or in an insole of the article, and a controller circuit, disposed within the sensor housing, configured to trigger one or more automated functions of the footwear based on a foot presence indication. In an example, the sensor system includes a capacitive sensor configured to sense changes in a capacitance signal in response to proximity of a body. A dielectric member can be provided between the capacitive sensor and the body to enhance an output signal from the sensor.
Claims26
An article of footwear comprising:
- a footwear structure including a footwear upper coupled to a footwear sole;
- a motorized lacing engine coupled to the footwear structure;
- a processor circuit;
- and
- a body detector system including a body sensor configured to detect a presence of a user body based on a change in an electric field, wherein the change in the electric field is caused at least in part by the user body;
- wherein the body sensor is configured to provide a sensor signal that includes information about a presence or absence of the user body;
- and
- wherein the processor circuit is configured to receive the sensor signal and provide instructions to the motorized lacing engine based on information from the sensor signal.
A method for operating an active article of footwear, the article of footwear including a footwear structure with a footwear upper coupled to a footwear sole, the method comprising:
- generating a drive signal for a body sensor using a signal generator, the body sensor disposed in or on the article of footwear;
- receiving the drive signal at the body sensor and in response generating an electric field;
- sensing, using the body sensor, a change in the electric field that is caused at least in part by a position of a user body relative to the body sensor;
- and
- based on the change in the electric field, as sensed using the body sensor, controlling a motorized lacing engine that is coupled to the footwear structure.
An article of footwear comprising:
- a footwear structure including a footwear upper and a footwear sole coupled to the footwear upper;
- a lacing cable;
- a motorized lacing engine coupled to the footwear structure and configured to adjust a fit of the article of footwear using the lacing cable;
- a body detector system including a body sensor configured to detect a presence of a user body based on a change in an electric field, wherein the change in the electric field is caused at least in part by a location of the user body relative to the footwear structure;
- and
- a processor circuit configured to receive information about a proximity of the user body from the body sensor and, in response, actuate the motorized lacing engine.
An article of footwear comprising:
- a footwear structure including a footwear upper coupled to a footwear sole;
- a motorized lacing engine coupled to the footwear structure;
- a body detector system including a body sensor configured to detect a presence of a user body based on a change in an electric field, wherein the change in the electric field is caused at least in part by the user body;
- and
- a lacing cable, wherein a portion of the lacing cable is threaded through or coupled to a portion of the footwear upper, and wherein the motorized lacing engine is actuated based on information from the body detector system about the presence of the user body.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.