United States Patent [191
`Cavanagh
`
`[11] Patent Number:
`[45] Date of Patent:
`
`4,771,394
`Sep. 13, 1988
`
`[54] COMPUTER SHOE SYSTEM AND SHOE
`FOR USE THEREWITH
`[75] Inventor:
`Peter R. Cavanagh, State College, Pa.
`[73] Assignee:
`Puma Aktiengesellschaft Rudolf
`Dassler Sport, Herzogenaurach, Fed. ‘
`Rep. of Germany
`[21] Appl. No.: 825,646
`[22] Filed:
`Feb. 3, 1986
`
`_
`
`[51] Int. cu ....................... .. G01C 22/00; A43B 5/00
`[52] us. c1. .................................. .. 364/561; 364/410;
`36/132; 36/136; 235/105; 340/323 R
`[58] Field Of Search ............. .. 364/561, 565,410,413;
`235/105; 36/136, 1, 44, 72 B, 132; 324/171,
`168; 340/323 R; 272/69, 70
`References Cited
`U.S. PATENT DOCUMENTS
`
`[56]
`
`3,780,272 12/1973 Rohner .............................. .. 364/561
`4,466,204 8/1984 Wu ........... ..
`36/136
`4,578,769 3/1986 Frederick
`364/565
`
`4,649,552 3/1987 Yukawa . . . . .
`. . . .. 235/105
`4,703,445 10/1987 Dassler .............................. .. 364/410
`
`FOREIGN PATENT DOCUMENTS
`
`3308431 9/1984 Fed. Rep. of Germany .... .. 235/105
`
`OTHER PUBLICATIONS
`“Gait Analysis Instrumentation”, from B & L Engineer
`ing, Santa Fe-Springs, Colorado 90670 (date unknown).
`
`Primary Examiner—Parshotam S. Lall
`Assistant Examiner—David C. Goldman
`Attorney, Agent, or Firm-Sixbey, Friedman, Leedom &
`Ferguson
`ABSTRACT
`[57]
`A pair of running shoes provided with a housing at the
`heel thereof, into one of which an electronic device is
`removably mounted. The electronic device comprises a
`normally open inertia switch for producing a footstrike
`count, an oscillator crystal for providing a stopwatch
`function, a sound generating device, a battery power
`source and a gate array for counting time and foot
`strikes. The electronic device together with a computer
`and a cable for enabling communication between the
`computer and the electronic device in the shoe form a
`computer shoe system for enabling accurate informa
`tion to be obtained with respect to a period of usage of
`the shoes of one or more users as well as enabling a
`running log to be maintained. The computer shoe sys
`tem is capable of producing more accurate data related
`to distance and speed of travel than simple pedometer
`arrangements because, instead of utilizing a stride
`length constant, the system converts running time and
`footstrike data into distance and running speed informa
`tion as a function of stride time. In a preferred form, the
`housing for each shoe wraps around the heel thereof so
`as to form an external heel counter.
`
`6 Claims, 2 Drawing Sheets
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`U.S. Patent
`Sep. 13,1988
`US. Patent Sep. 13,1988
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`Sheet 1 0f 2
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`US. Patent Sep. 13,1988
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`Sheet 2 of2
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`4,771,394
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`FIGZ
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`1
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`4,771,394
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`COMPUTER SHOE SYSTEM AND SHOE FOR USE
`THEREWITH
`
`2
`how such an attachment could be optimally con?gured
`and constructed from both a manufacturing and use
`standpoint.
`Furthermore, a sophisticated running shoe system is
`disclosed in commonly owned U.S. patent Ser. No.
`701,194 ?led Feb. 23, 1985, that enables distance-related
`data to be accurately produced. However, the system of
`this application achieves such accuracy by measure
`ment of actual stride length and requires a transmitter
`receiver arrangement capable of providing signal inputs
`from which actual stride length determinations can be
`made.
`‘
`
`Thus, no simple pedometer-type shoe arrangement
`exists which is capable of producing accurate data re
`lated to the distance and speed of travel of a user
`thereof. Likewise, no attempt has been made, until now,
`to provide a shoe system which will not only provide
`accurate data, but which can form part of a comprehen
`sive record keeping and training system which is
`adapted, not only to the use of a particular individual,
`but also to the needs of organizations such as running
`clubs, track teams, and the like. In particular, there has
`been no attempt to provide a shoe with an electric de
`vice capable of communicating with a computer in
`order to take advantage of the fact that personal com
`puters are now in relatively widespread use as a conve
`nient and accurate means of keeping records, so as to
`integrate the shoe system into a comprehensive record
`keeping and training analysis system.
`
`5
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`10
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`20
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`30
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`35
`
`BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION
`1. Field of the Invention
`The present invention relates to shoes, particularly
`running shoes, of the type which provide at least a
`pedometer function, especially by electronic means.
`2. Background Art
`Pedometers of various forms have long been known
`and U.S. Pat. No. 4,402,147 to Wu, for example, dis
`closes a running shoe having a switch embedded in the
`sole thereof whose output feeds a signal to an electronic
`step counter. A display element is associated with the
`electronic counter for providing a digital readout of the
`number of steps taken with the shoe. However, for a
`runner to determine useful information from a mere step
`count readout is complicated, time consuming and inac
`curate, even under the best of circumstances.
`Johnson U.S. Pat. No. 4,510,704 also discloses a shoe
`incorporating an electronic pedometer and further dis
`closes that, by incorporating a microprocessor into the
`pedometer unit, the step count can be converted into
`25
`values corresponding to such data as the total number
`of steps taken, distance covered, average speed, peak
`speed or the like for selective readout by the user on a
`display incorporated into the device. However, the unit
`of this patent is basically merely a combination pedome
`ter and stop watch with means to calculate distance and
`time related data on the basis of a constant that corre
`sponds to an average stride length that is set by the user
`in a memory storage location of the processing cir
`cuitry.
`While such a device enables a user to obtain time and
`distance related data in a less complicated and cumber
`some manner that can be achieved via a mere pedome
`ter and stop watch, the resulting data is no more accu
`rate due to the crude calibration of the processor unit
`that unrealistically relies upon a single average stride
`length that is the same for all speeds at which the shoe
`wearer travels. In this regard, Searcy, in his disclosure
`relative to a jogger’s computational device in U.S. Pat.
`No. 4,220,996, points out that conventional mechanical
`or electronic pedometers are not useful for providing an
`indication of distance traveled since the normal length
`of stride varies depending upon whether the athlete is
`walking, jogging or running; although, despite this rec
`ognition, the calculations performed by Searcy’s com
`putational device still are determined on the basis of a
`single, average stride length approximation that the user
`inputs, prior to use, on the basis of whether his activity
`will be running, walking, or jogging.
`In addition to the above, the Johnson patent also
`discloses that, by having his pedometer incorporate a
`micro-processor that senses footstrikes via a gravita
`tionally or inertially-operated switch or other sensor, no
`sensor need be incorporated into the shoe itself, so that
`the unit could be formed as an attachment secured to
`the shoe, such as by being detachably secured or
`clipped to the heel thereof, or by being fastened on top
`of the shoe by a strap. However, no speci?c manners for
`implementation of this concept are illustrated or de
`scribed. Thus, there is no recognition of the problem
`that could result if such an attachment were not secured
`?rmly enough to the shoe to prevent relative accelera
`tions between the shoe and attachment which could
`effect operation thereof, nor is there any indication as to
`
`65
`
`SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION
`In view of the foregoing, it is an object of the present
`invention to provide a simple and versatile running shoe
`system that will provide accurate data concerning the
`activities of one of more shoe wearers.
`It is another object of the present invention to pro
`vide a running shoe having an electronic device capable
`of communicating with a computer.
`It is still another object of the present invention to
`provide a running shoe with an electronic device, the
`electronics of which are housed in a manner that ena
`bles the entirety thereof to be transferred from one shoe
`to another having a compatible housing for use therein.
`“Yet a further object in accordance with the present
`45
`' invention is to provide an electronic device, in accor
`dance with the preceding objects, wherein the housing
`thereof actually contributes to the performance of the
`shoe as a running shoe.
`These and other objects are achieved in accordance
`with a preferred embodiment of the present invention
`wherein one, and preferably both of a pair of running
`shoes is provided with a housing at the heel thereof, into
`one of which an electronic device is removably
`mounted. The shoe mounted electronic device com
`prises a normally open inertia switch for producing a
`footstrike count, an oscillator crystal for providing a
`stopwatch function, a buzzer or other sound generating
`device for providing acoustic indications to the user, a
`battery as a power source and, most importantly, a gate
`array including a pair of dividers, one for time in sec
`onds and one for footstrikes.
`External aspects of the system include a personal
`computer and a cable for coupling the computer to the
`shoe electronics. The computer enables a running log to
`be maintained for an unlimited number of electronic
`shoe users, the information stored within the shoe as a
`result of a period of usage to be decoded, and informa
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`25
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`BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS
`FIG. 1 is a partial perspective view of a preferred
`embodiment computer shoe system in accordance with
`the present invention;
`FIG. 2 is a side elevational view of a shoe forming
`part of the computer shoe system of the preferred em
`bodiment;
`FIG. 3 is a top plan view of the electronic device of
`the shoe shown in FIG. 2;
`FIG. 4 is a side elevational view of the electronic
`device of FIG. 3.
`
`4,771,394
`3
`4
`having to be incorporated during manufacture of the
`tion to be down-loaded into the shoe when, instead of
`shoe proper. In this respect, it is noted that both shoes of
`recording information concerning a run to be made, it is
`a pair have such housings, even though only one hous
`desired to set a goal for the run and have the shoe pro
`ing will actually receive the electronic device and the
`duce an appropriate acoustical indication when such is
`other will be merely a dummy housing. In a related
`achieved.
`.
`Because the electronic device in the shoe provides
`vane, it is noted that the present invention, with the
`provision of dummy housings for the shoe electronics,
`the footstrike count and the run time, but a separate
`processor unit assimilates this information into meaning
`makes it unnecessary for a person to buy the electronics
`ful data, the shoe electronics can be kept relatively
`more than once since, after the original pair of shoes has
`worn out, subsequent pairs having only dummy hous
`simple, yet a single system can be utilized by a number
`ings can be purchased and the electronic device from
`of runners and can accurately provide a large range of
`the worn-out pair simply transferred into one of the
`distance and time related information as well as caloric
`expenditure, including graphic displaysv of goals verses
`dummy housings of the new pair.
`‘
`actual distances. In this regard, despite the simple elec
`These and other features and advantages of the pres
`tronics carried by the shoe, a high degree of accuracy is
`ent invention will become apparent to those of ordinary
`achieved, in comparison to that achieved by existing
`skill in the art from the following description and ac
`companying drawings which describe, for purposes of
`pedometer type devices, due to the fact that the system
`illustration only, a preferred embodiment of the present
`does not rely on a single preset average stride length
`value for calculating the output values, such as distance
`invention.
`covered, average speed, and the like. Instead, the sys
`tem of the present invention determines a pair of stride
`length regression constants for use in the calculation of
`the desired information from data values obtained dur
`ing a usage period so as to take advantage of the knowl
`edge that stride length and stride time vary considera
`bly as a function of running or walking speed and, thus,
`a more accurate determination can be made if it is
`known how fast the user was actually traveling.
`In particular, the system in accordance with the pres
`ent invention is not calibrated by the use of a predeter
`mined average stride length, but rather is calibrated
`through the inputting of a plurality of times and num
`bers of footstrikes at which a predetermined distance
`was covered (for example, data from ten to twenty
`calibration runs must be input). From this information,
`the computer is able to produce a regression line to
`describe the individual footstrike time-speed relation
`ship for each user. Thereafter, distance, time and caloric
`cost information can be calculated for any given run
`based upon the user’s body weight and stride time re
`gression relationship read from computer memory and
`run data read from the shoe.
`Similarly, for preloading the shoe with values so that
`the shoe will emit tones which, for example, indicate
`when~a given distance has been completed, since one
`cannot know, in advance, how fast the runner will actu
`ally run, the invention does not merely load a number of
`footstrikes into the shoe electronics that is equal to the
`desired distance divided by some predetermined aver
`age stride length. Instead, the present invention is able
`to examine the speed used over a preceding period of
`time (such as the last 30 days) for which data exists.
`Then the mean of these values can be taken and the
`stride time for this speed calculated from the regression
`coefficients, thereby enabling the number of strides at
`this speed that would be needed to travel the required
`distance to be determined and loaded into the shoe
`electronics.
`In order to enable an electronic device capable of
`communicating with a computer to be incorporated
`60
`into a running shoe, not only without detracting from
`the performance characteristics of the shoe, but in a
`manner complementing it, the housing for the shoe
`electronics, in the preferred embodiment, has been
`shaped to be secured about the heel of the shoe in the
`form of an external counter. Thus, the housing enables
`the known bene?ts of an external shoe counter support
`to be obtained in an effective manner, but without such
`
`DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE
`PREFERRED EMBODIMENT
`In FIG. 1, a complete running shoe system, in accor
`dance with a preferred embodiment of the present in
`vention, is designated generally by the reference nu
`meral 1. This system is comprised of a pair of running
`shoes 3, 5, a computer (such as a personal computer, for
`example, an “Apple IIe” personal computer) and a de
`tachable cable 9 by which an electronic device carried
`5 by one of the shoes 3, 5 may communicate with the
`computer 7 before and/or after a usage of the shoes. As
`typical of such personal computers, it includes a key
`board 11, disk drive 13 and display monitor 15.
`The running shoes 3, 5, as is conventional for running
`shoes, has of an upper 17 and a sole 19 that is comprised
`of a shock absorbing midsole 20 formed, for example, of
`a polyurethane foam and an outer sole 21 of a wear
`resistant material. Furthermore, no special modi?ca
`tions need be made to these components of the running
`shoes 3, 5 and thus any known running shoe construc
`tion may be utilized, including those provided with
`anti-pronation inserts and specialized outer sole con?g
`urations, and the like.
`In addition to the noted conventional components,
`the running shoes 3, 5, in accordance with the present
`invention, are provided with a housing 23 that is ?rmly
`secured to the heel of each running shoe 3, 5. In this
`regard, it is known to provide an athletic shoe with an
`external heel counter to provide good heel stability and
`comfort while preventing blistering. In accordance
`with the present invention, the housing 23 has been
`con?gured so as to provide the characteristics of ' such
`an external heel counter by being attached to the exte
`rior of the heel portion of the shoe upper in a manner
`completely wrapping around the heel from one side to
`the other and tapering at it front ends.
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`4,771,394
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`However, the primary function of housing 23 is to
`ple, 16 seconds, wherein the oscillator is switched off
`provide a receiving space for an electronic device 25
`reducing battery drain to a trickle level. The nature and
`(FIGS. 3 and 4) constituting the shoe carried electron
`operation of the test and run modes will be described in
`ics portion of system 1. To this end, housing 23 is
`greater detail below. Alternatively, turning on of the
`formed of a hollow shell of a rigid plastic material hav
`electronic device 35 can be triggered by an impact to
`ing an opening on its top side which may be closed by
`the shoe, via an impact sensitive switch such as the
`a plate 27 (when no electronics are provided) or when
`already present inertia switch. In such a case, the switch
`the electronic device 25 is installed, by a closure plate
`41 can serve, instead, as a reset switch for clearing any
`29 thereof which is identically shaped to closure plate
`values stored in the memories of electronic device 35.
`27. The plates 27, 29 are held in place so as to sealingly
`An important part of the gate array is a pair of divid
`close the top opening of the housing 23 by, for example,
`ers, one for time in seconds and one for foot strikes.
`a pair of screws 31 which may be passed through open
`When the shoe is in the “run” mode the oscillator ad
`ings provided therefor, such as the openings 33 shown
`vances the counter in the time divider every second and
`in plate 29 in FIG. 3. Furthermore, to provide a receiv
`each footstrike is detected by the inertia switch and
`ing space within the housing 23 of sufficient height to
`causes the other divider to be incremented. In the test
`accommodate a circuit board 35, projecting vertically
`mode, the two dividers can also be incremented by an
`from the underside of closure plate 29 of the electronic
`external pulse from the computer for reasons which will
`device 25, without undesirably increasing the size of the
`become apparent later. Inasmuch as a typical stride time
`housing or affecting the housing’s function as an exter
`is 0.7 seconds, the capacity for the foot strike count
`nal heel counter, or the running performance of the
`divider should be approximately 30% greater than that
`shoe itself, the bottom side of the housing 23 is provided
`for the time count in seconds. By way of example, it is
`with a downwardly projecting wedge-shaped area, the
`noted that a 19 bit divider would over?ow after 524,288
`apex of which is positionally set so as to be in alignment
`pulses have been received (from either internal, external
`with the bottom edge of the circuit board 35 of the
`or both sources) and would correspond to over 145
`electronic device 25, when it is installed within the
`hours of running time, while a 14 bit divider could
`housing 23.
`accumulate 4.55 hours of time and 16384 foot strikes.
`In addition to the cover plate 29 of the circuit board
`In addition to enabling the dividers to be incremented
`35, the electronic device 25 that is carried by the shoe is
`by an external pulse (which enables communication
`comprised of the following further components. Firstly,
`between the computer and the gate array so that the
`cover panel 29 is provided with an integrally hinged
`dividers can be interrogated) except for such external
`access ?ap 37, which is swung upwardly to enable the
`signal pulses, the test mode freezes the counts'in the
`connector 9a of the cable 9 to be attached to an electri
`dividers, thereby storing the values contained therein so
`cal connector 39 (FIG. 3) of the electronic device 25,
`that, for example, the values can be frozen during a brief
`but which will prevent moisture and dirt from entering
`interruption in a run or between completion of a run and
`the housing when the cable 9 is disconnected for use of
`the time at which the data contained therein can be
`the shoe for walking, running or jogging. The other two
`transferred to the computer 7. Furthermore, the test
`components which would be visible in an installed con
`mode can be utilized to enable the user to determine
`dition of the electronic device 35, are a toggle switch 41
`that the electronic device 25 is operating properly by
`and a mode selection button 43; although a pair of
`causing a tone to sound every time that the inertia
`switches or a pair of buttons, or equivalent means, are
`switch closes, i.e., the user, by hitting the shoe once or
`40
`equally suitable. Both switch 41 and button 43 are en
`twice against a hard surface, may verify that the device
`closed, at the top side of cover plate 29, by a ?exible
`is working by listening for the production of a tone.
`rubber or plastic jacketing which will protect the toggle
`. To determine the count stored in the dividers, with
`switch, mode button and internal electronics from dirt
`the device 25 in its test mode, the dividers are interro
`gated by the computer delivering signal pulses, via the
`and moisture, yet will not interfere with the movements
`45
`required for operation thereof.
`cable, to the divider and counting the number of pulses
`In addition to the already noted components of the
`delivered until a signal is received from each divider
`electronic device, the circuit board contains a gate ar
`indicating that it has been caused to over?ow. When the
`ray, an inertia switch, an oscillator crystal, a battery and
`dividers have over?owed, the count required to over
`a sound emitting device. The portion of the circuit
`flow each of the time and footstrike dividers is stored in
`board 35 carrying these components and all moisture
`the computer as a value equal to the difference between
`sensitive parts carried thereon (see FIG. 4 wherein
`the count capacity of the divider and the number of
`these components are schematically represented in bro
`counts required to cause it to overflow. At this point
`ken lines) are coated with a moisture proo?ng material,
`calculations by the computer processors can proceed;
`such as a butyl rubber or the like, to further ensure that
`however, unlike known pedometers, in accordance
`the device will not be adversely affected by moisture or
`with the present invention, the data obtained with re
`dirt to which the shoe is exposed during use.
`spect to the number of footstrikes occurring during a
`When the toggle switch 41 is shifted from its off
`usage is not multiplied by a stride length constant to
`position to its on position, the gate array is capable of
`obtain distance. Instead, as will be explained in greater
`being placed in any one of three different modes of
`detail, in accordance with the present invention, a much
`60
`operation. Firstly, when the electronic device 35 is
`more accurate distance determination is obtained by
`turned on by shifting the toggle switch 41 from its off
`taking into consideration the fact that an individual’s
`position to its on position, the device powers up in a test
`stride pattern varies with speed and is normally unique
`mode, from which it can be shifted by operation of the
`to that individual.
`mode button 43 into a run mode or into which the gate
`In particular, the present invention compensates for
`array will automatically shift, from either the test or run
`the fact that stride length varies considerably as a func
`modes, when the device is left undisturbed for more
`tion of running or walking speed by utilizing the fact
`than a predetermined period of time, such as for exam
`that stride time, i.e., the time between two successive
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`strikes of the foot, is also a function of speed. For exam
`ple, a typical stride time of approximately 0.73 seconds
`could be expected at a speed of three meters per second,
`which stride time might change to approximately 0.70
`seconds at a speed of four meters per second.
`As a result, the system of the present invention pro
`vides a means for each user to enter calibration data
`corresponding to the number of footstrikes and the
`elapsed time taken to cover a ?xed distance course. In
`order to obtain accurate calibration, these data pairs
`should be obtained from at least 15 runs or walks of
`varying speeds taken on at least ?ve separate days.
`Additionally, the system provides means for producing
`a velocity-stride time regression equation from the cali
`bration data points and for storing these constants for
`use in evaluating the particular user’s future perfor
`mance with the running shoes of the system. In this
`regard, it is noted that the relationship between running
`speed, V, and stride time (which is equal to the elapsed
`time, T, divided by the number of foot strikes, S,
`counted) may be expressed by the following equation,
`wherein A and B are regression coef?cients generated
`from the calibration data:
`
`Furthermore, once the running speed has been deter
`mined from the stride time, the distance run may be
`determined from the running speed and running time in
`accordance with the equation:
`
`25
`
`Thus, in accordance with the invention, no matter what
`speed the user runs or walks with the shoes 3, 5, the
`system will adjust the data extracted from the electronic
`device 25 carried by shoe 3 so as to produce running
`speed and distance information that is much more accu
`rate and useful than that which could be obtained from
`a mere pedometer because it is based upon stored data
`re?ecting the speci?c individual’s own performance
`characteristics.
`Additionally, to offset errors that occur in measure
`ment that tend to bias the calculations towards a longer
`predicted stride time than the actual stride time, it is
`desirable to unbias the extracted data prior to use
`thereof in the above-noted calculations. In particular,
`since it takes a runner a ?nite amount of time to start
`running after switching on the shoe, and a ?nite amount
`of time to turn the shoe off after running, a value of, for
`example, 3 seconds, should be substracted from the time
`value extracted from the electronic device 25 and this
`adjusted time value used instead. Likewise, since it is
`more likely for the shoe to miss a few foot steps because
`the runner may occasionally make a light step (which is
`below the threshold of the inertia switch) than for the
`electronic device 25 to count too many footstrikes, it is
`suggested that the number of footstrikes extracted from
`the shoe electronics 25 be increased by a small ?xed
`percentage by multiplying the count extracted by an
`unbiasing factor, such as a value of 1.01. Thus, a typical
`relationship for determination of running speed might
`be:
`
`LII 5
`
`V= ~33.0‘(T+ 3)/(S*1.01)+27
`
`Another advantage of the present system, which
`utilizes a separate and independent computer, over sim
`ple electronic pedometers is the ability to accumulate
`
`65
`
`8
`and plot statistics over a period of time, such as a month,
`or a year, and to compare it with goals that have been
`entered into the system. For example, plots of distance
`by month and by day, can be produced. Additionally,
`by providing a means for storing user body weight
`values, output in terms of caloric expenditure resulting
`from a particular run can be produced as well.
`In addition to providing the ability to obtain accurate
`information concerning a user’s performance as well as
`providing a means for storing and analyzing the perfor
`mance of one of more user, in accordance with another
`advantageous feature of the present invention, it is pos
`sible to set a distance goal in the shoe electronic device
`25 so that a tone will be produced informing the wearer
`when that distance has been covered. In accordance
`with the present invention, an approach which may be
`taken is for the system to examine the running speeds of
`the user over, for example, the past 30 days, for which
`data exists in memory, and from the mean of these val
`ues to calculate, from the regression coef?cients, the
`stride time for this speed. On this basis, the number of
`strides which would be required to travel the desired
`distance at this speed is calculated. The shoe is then
`reset and the computer 7 operated to pulse the dividers
`of the gate array of the electronic device 25 so as to
`bring the divider to within the calculated number of
`strides from over?owing. Thus, once the required num
`ber of footstrikes have occurred with the shoe, the
`desired distance should have been covered and a tone
`will sound to so advise the wearer.
`From the foregoing, it will be appreciated that the
`present invention provides a computer shoe system that
`is more accurate and versatile than any mere pedometer
`could be, while being simple and easy to use. Further
`more, it will also be appreciated that the design of the
`shoes of the present system includes a housing that not
`only is a constructional component for enclosing the
`on-board electronic device of the shoe, but also im
`proves the stability of the shoe itself.
`Additionally, since running shoes have only a ?nite
`life, the design by which the housing removably re
`ceives the onboard electronics enables the life of the
`electronic device to extend beyond that of the original
`shoes. That is, once a ?rst pair of running shoes has
`worn out, a replacement pair, both shoes of which have
`dummy housings (as shown for shoe 5) can be acquired,
`whereby the electronic device 25 can. be transferred
`from the worn-out shoe to one of the replacement
`shoes. Likewise, this feature affords the possibility that
`a club or team could have a computer shoe system, with
`a single computer and one or more electronic devices
`25, service a much larger number of runners, each of
`which has their own pair of shoes 3, 5 to one of which
`an electronic device 25 can be installed and removed as
`needed.
`While I have shown and described various embodi
`ments in accordance with the present invention, it is
`understood that the same is not limited thereto, but is
`susceptible of numerous changes and modi?cations as
`known to those skilled in the art. For example, the
`inventive conversion of footstrike count and time data
`into running speed and distance information as a func
`tion of stride time can be advantageously used in a sys
`tem that may or may not be able to communicate with
`a separate and independent computer, e.g., a system
`wherein electronic device 25 includes a microproces
`sor, calibrated with the described regression coef?ci
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`IPR2017-01058
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`ents, and an electronic display, whereby the data from
`the gate array can be fed to the microprocessor, the
`above-noted computations performed, and the calcu
`lated information on speed and distance provided to the
`user on the shoe display, virtually immediately, after
`which the user may or may not electronically communi
`cate the data or information to a separate and distinct
`computer for graphic analysis, record keeping, etc. I,
`therefore, do not wish to be limited to the details shown
`and described herein, but intend to cover all such
`changes and modi?cations as are encompassed by the
`scope of the appended claims.
`I claim:
`1. A computer shoe system comprising a pair of run
`ning shoes, an electronic device that is mountable to at
`least one of the running shoes and operable to store
`running time and footstrike count data pertaining to a
`use of the running shoes by a wearer, and means for
`enabling communication of said running time and foot
`strike count data to a separate and independent com
`puter after completion of a usage of the running shoes;
`wherein said electronic device comprises an inertia
`switch for producing footstrike indicating signals, a
`time signal generating means, and a gat