# US 2018/0020764 A1 · Motorized shoe with gesture control > Agents: this data is available as JSON from the patentgrep API and MCP server — see https://patentgrep.com/llms.txt - Number: US 2018/0020764 A1 - Document ID: US20180020764A1 - Status: Published application - Kind: A1 - Application number: 15/695,199 - Filed: 2017-09-05 - Published: 2018-01-25 - Earliest claimed: 2012-02-22 - Assignees: NIKE, Inc. - Applicants: NIKE, Inc. - Inventors: Steven H. Walker - Web page: https://patentgrep.com/patent/US20180020764A1 ## CPC - A43C 11/165: {characterised by a spool, reel or pulley for winding up cables, laces or straps by rotation} - A43B 3/34: with electrical or electronic arrangements - A43B 7/084: {characterised by the location of the holes} - A43B 7/088: {in the side of the sole} - A43B 13/12: Soles with several layers of different materials - A43B 13/14: characterised by the constructive form - A43B 13/203: {provided with a pump or valve} - A43B 13/386: {multilayered} - A61B 5/6807: {Footwear} - G01L 1/205: {using distributed sensing elements} - G05B 15/02: electric - A61B 5/0022: {Monitoring a patient using a global network, e.g. telephone networks, internet} - A61B 5/1114: {Tracking parts of the body} - A61B 5/112: {Gait analysis} - A61B 5/1121: {Determining geometric values, e.g. centre of rotation or angular range of movement} - A61B 5/1124: {Determining motor skills} - A61B 2503/10: Athletes - A61B 2560/045: with a separable interface unit, e.g. for communication - A61B 2562/0247: Pressure sensors - A61B 2562/0252: Load cells - A61B 2562/046: in a matrix array - A61B 2562/164: the sensor is mounted in or on a conformable substrate or carrier - A61B 2562/166: the sensor is mounted on a specially adapted printed circuit board - A61B 2562/168: Fluid filled sensor housings - A61B 2562/222: Electrical cables or leads therefor, e.g. coaxial cables or ribbon cables - A61B 2562/227: Sensors with electrical connectors - A43C: FASTENINGS OR ATTACHMENTS OF FOOTWEAR; LACES IN GENERAL - A43B: CHARACTERISTIC FEATURES OF FOOTWEAR; PARTS OF FOOTWEAR - A61B: DIAGNOSIS; SURGERY; IDENTIFICATION (usefulness limited to only animals A61D) - G01L: MEASURING FORCE, STRESS, TORQUE, WORK, MECHANICAL POWER, MECHANICAL EFFICIENCY, OR FLUID PRESSURE (weighing G01G) - G05B: CONTROL OR REGULATING SYSTEMS IN GENERAL; FUNCTIONAL ELEMENTS OF SUCH SYSTEMS; MONITORING OR TESTING ARRANGEMENTS FOR SUCH SYSTEMS OR ELEMENTS (systems for controlling or regulating non-electric variables G05D; systems for regulating electric or magnetic variables G05F; control devices or systems insofar as characterised by mechanical features only G05G) ## Abstract An article of footwear includes a motorized tensioning system, sensors, and a gesture control system. Based on information received from one or more sensors the gesture control system may, detect a prompting gesture and enters an armed mode for receiving further instructions. In the armed mode the system may detect a variety of different control gestures that correspond to different tensioning commands. ## Claims ### Claim 1 An article of footwear, comprising: an upper; a sole structure; a tensioning device including a reel member and a motor, the tensioning device disposed in at least one of the upper and the sole structure, wherein a portion of a tensioning member is joined to the reel member so that the tensioning member can be wound and unwound from the reel member; a contact sensor, an angular velocity sensor; and a control unit configured to: receive information from the contact sensor; enter an enabled mode when the information from the contact sensor corresponds to a prompting gesture; and control the tensioning device according to information received from the angular velocity sensor while in the enabled mode, the information corresponding to a control gesture. ### Claim 2 (depends on 1) The article of footwear of claim 1, wherein the control gesture is at least one of a group of control gestures comprising: a tapping of the toe of the article of footwear; a tapping of the heel of the article of footwear, a contacting of the forefoot of the article of footwear by a sole structure of a second article of footwear; contacting a heel of the article of footwear with a toe of the second article of footwear; and clicking the heel of the article of footwear with a heel of the second article of footwear. ### Claim 3 (depends on 2) The article of footwear of claim 2, wherein the control gesture is a first control gesture and wherein the control unit is further configured to: control the tensioning device to tighten the tensioning member based on the information received from the angular velocity sensor corresponding to the first control gesture; and control the tensioning device to loosen the tensioning member based on the information received from the angular velocity sensor corresponding to a second control of the group of control gestures different than the first control gesture. ### Claim 4 The article of footwear of clam 3, wherein the prompting gesture is the one of the group of control gestures corresponding to the first control gesture. ### Claim 5 (depends on 1) The article of footwear of claim 1, wherein the contact sensor is disposed in a heel of the article of footwear and the angular velocity sensor is disposed in a forefoot of the article of footwear. ### Claim 6 (depends on 1) The article of footwear of claim 1, wherein the control gesture is an instruction to engage the motor to turn the reel to fully tighten or fully loosen the tensioning member. ### Claim 7 (depends on 1) The article of footwear of claim 1, wherein the control gesture is an instruction to engage the motor to incrementally tighten or loosen the tensioning member. ### Claim 8 A footwear system, comprising: a first article of footwear and a second article of footwear, each comprising: an upper; a sole structure; a tensioning device including a reel member and a motor, the tensioning device disposed in at least one of the upper and the sole structure, wherein a portion of the tensioning member is joined to the reel member so that a tensioning member can be wound and unwound from the reel member; a contact sensor and an angular velocity sensor; and a control unit configured to: receive information from the contact sensor; enter an enabled mode when the information from the contact sensor corresponds to a prompting gesture; and control the tensioning device associated with one of the first and second articles of footwear according to information received from the angular velocity sensor of an associated one of the first and second articles of footwear while in the enabled mode, the information corresponding to a control gesture. ### Claim 9 (depends on 1) The footwear system of claim 1, wherein the control gesture is at least one of a group of control gestures comprising: a tapping of the toe of one of the first and second articles of footwear, a tapping of the heel of one of the first and second articles of footwear; a contacting of the forefoot the first article of footwear by the second article of footwear, contacting a heel of the first article of footwear with a toe of the second article of footwear; and clicking the heel of the first article of footwear with a heel of the second article of footwear. ### Claim 10 (depends on 9) The footwear system of claim 9, wherein the control gesture is a first control gesture and wherein the control unit is further configured to: control the tensioning device to tighten the tensioning member based on the information received from the angular velocity sensor corresponding to the first control gesture; and control the tensioning device to loosen the tensioning member based on the information received from the angular velocity sensor corresponding to a second control of the group of control gestures different than the first control gesture. ### Claim 11 The footwear system of clam 10, wherein the prompting gesture is the one of the group of control gestures corresponding to the first control gesture. ### Claim 12 (depends on 8) The footwear system of claim 8, wherein the contact sensor is disposed in a heel of the first and second articles of footwear and the angular velocity sensor is disposed in a forefoot of the first and second articles of footwear. ### Claim 13 (depends on 8) The footwear system of claim 8, wherein the control gesture is an instruction to engage the motor to turn the reel to fully tighten or fully loosen the tensioning member. ### Claim 14 (depends on 8) The footwear system of claim 8, wherein the control gesture is an instruction to engage the motor to incrementally tighten or loosen the tensioning member. ### Claim 15 A method, comprising: receiving, with a control unit of an article of footwear, information from a contact sensor of the article of footwear; entering, with the control unit, an enabled mode when the information from the contact sensor corresponds to a prompting gesture; and controlling, with the control unit, a tensioning device according to information received from an angular velocity sensor while in the enabled mode, the information corresponding to a control gesture, wherein the tensioning device includes a reel member and a motor, the tensioning device disposed in at least one of an upper and a sole structure of the article of footwear, wherein a portion of a tensioning member is joined to the reel member so that the tensioning member can be wound and unwound from the reel member. ### Claim 16 (depends on 15) The method of claim 15, wherein the control gesture is at least one of a group of control gestures comprising: a tapping of the toe of the article of footwear; a tapping of the heel of the article of footwear; a contacting of the forefoot of the article of footwear by a sole structure of a second article of footwear; contacting a heel of the article of footwear with a toe of the second article of footwear; and clicking the heel of the article of footwear with a heel of the second article of footwear. ### Claim 17 (depends on 16) The method of claim 16, wherein the control gesture is a first control gesture and further comprising: controlling, with the control unit, the tensioning device to tighten the tensioning member based on the information received from the angular velocity sensor corresponding to the first control gesture; and controlling, with the control unit, the tensioning device to loosen the tensioning member based on the information received from the angular velocity sensor corresponding to a second control of the group of control gestures different than the first control gesture. ### Claim 18 The method of clam 17, wherein the prompting gesture is the one of the group of control gestures corresponding to the first control gesture. ### Claim 19 (depends on 15) The method of claim 15, wherein controlling the tensioning device comprises engaging the motor to turn the reel to fully tighten or fully loosen the tensioning member. ### Claim 20 (depends on 15) The method of claim 15, wherein the controlling the tensioning device comprises engaging the motor to incrementally tighten or loosen the tensioning member.