US5471405A
Expired / Lapsed
US
⏱️ 0.0 years remaining
Apparatus for measurement of forces and pressures applied to a garment
Assignee: Individual
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Filing: 1994-07-11
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Granted: 1995-11-28
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Expires: 2014-07-11
Abstract
Abstract To provide a pair of shoes responsive to the relative forces applied to a wearer's feet, at least one force sensor is provided in each of a left and right shoe. The sensor detects pressures which are then converted from a form provided by the sensor into a digital form which may be processed on by a microprocessor. The processor then executes any one of a number of force analysis programs and outputs, in a preferred form, a force model comprising attack, decay, sustain and release information. Each shoe then transmits coded information representing the sensed force profile to a central receiving device which may be located in a watch-like receiver worn on the wearer's wrist. The receiving device has the ability to pick up and discern signals transmitted by each left and right shoe and also from a number of auxiliary transmitters. Control of the display is made through the use of selector switches which also appear on the user interface. The display also contains its own CPU which controls the display and maintains a record of parameters entered by the user, such as weight. By incorporating the advantages taught in the instant invention, measurements of speed, distance, jump time, and the wear experienced by a pair of shoes, may all be accurately recorded and displayed for the user.
Inventors
- 👤 Stephen A. Marsh
Bibliographic Details
Application Number
—
Jurisdiction
US
Data Source
google_patents
Last Synchronized
2026-11-08 23:00
CPC Classifications
A; A61; A61B; A61B5/00; A61B5/103; A61B5/1036; A43; A43B; A43B23/00; A43B3/00; A43B3/34; A43B3/44
Claims Analysis
Total Claims: 20
Claim 1
Independent Claim
206 words
A garment comprising, in combination: at least one individual force sensor physically connected to said garment for sensing each application of force applied to said sensor and for generating a force signal representative of said each application of force to said sensor; processing means disposed on said garment for processing each said force signal so as to produce a time and intensity profile of said force signal, said profile being characterized in having at least three discrete time segments, and for representing each of said segments of said profile by a value selected from a coded series of reference values, said segments including an attack segment representative of the parameters of the initial application of said force to said garment; a sustain segment representative of the parameters of the continued application of said force to said garment, and a release segment representative of the parameters of the diminution and termination of the force applied to said garment; means for transmitting said selected values of said coded series of reference values; and means for receiving and decoding the transmitted selected values of said coded series of reference values to recover time and intensity information therefrom for analysis of the physical performance of a wearer of said garment.
Claim 2
Dependent Claim
206 words
A garment comprising, in combination: at least one individual force sensor physically connected to said garment for sensing each application of force applied to said sensor and for generating a force signal representative of said each application of force to said sensor; processing means disposed on said garment for processing each said force signal so as to produce a time and intensity profile of said force signal, said profile being characterized in having at least three discrete time segments, and for representing each of said segments of said profile by a value selected from a coded series of reference values, said segments including an attack segment representative of the parameters of the initial application of said force to said garment; a sustain segment representative of the parameters of the continued application of said force to said garment, and a release segment representative of the parameters of the diminution and termination of the force applied to said garment; means for transmitting said selected values of said coded series of reference values; and means for receiving and decoding the transmitted selected values of said coded series of reference values to recover time and intensity information therefrom for analysis of the physical performance of a wearer of said garment.
Claim 3
Dependent Claim
15 words
A garment as set forth in claim 1, wherein said garment is a shoe liner.
Claim 4
Dependent Claim
14 words
A garment as set forth in claim 1, wherein said garment is a glove.
Claim 5
Dependent Claim
15 words
A garment as set forth in claim 3 wherein said glove is a boxing glove.
Claim 6
Dependent Claim
28 words
A garment as set forth in claim 1 wherein said segments also include a decay segment representative of the parameters of decay of said initial application of force.
Claim 7
Dependent Claim
160 words
A garment as set forth in claim 1 wherein said garment is footwear comprising at least a sole portion, and said force sensor is disposed proximate said sole portion for sensing each application of force applied to said sensor; said processing means being disposed on said footwear for processing each said force signal so as to produce said profile of the time and intensity parameters of said force signal said profile being characterized in having at least an attack segment representative of the parameters of the initial portion of said application of said force to said sole portion; a decay segment representative of the parameters of decay of said initial portion of said application of force to said sole portion; a sustain segment representative of the parameters of the continued application of said force to said sole portion, and a release segment representative of the parameters of the diminution and termination of said application of force to said sole portion.
Claim 8
Dependent Claim
51 words
A garment as set forth in claim 6 wherein said garment is footwear comprising at least a pair of shoes each having a sole, and said force sensing means comprises a pair of force sensors respectively disposed proximate said sole of each said shoe for sensing forces applied to said soles.
Claim 9
Dependent Claim
77 words
Footwear as set forth in claim 6, wherein said force signals applied to said sole portions are accumulated in said processing means over the life of said footwear, and wherein said processing means further comprises means for determining when the total of the accumulated force signals exceeds a predetermined value representative of the useful life of said footwear and for generating a signal indicative that the end of the useful life of said footwear has been reached.
Claim 10
Dependent Claim
15 words
A garment as set forth in claim 6 wherein said footwear comprises a shoe liner.
Claim 11
Dependent Claim
56 words
A garment as set forth in claim 1 wherein said reference values include the upper and lower operational limits of said force sensing means, upper and lower thresholds between said operational limits of said force sensing means, on and off times of the operation of said force sensing means, and the duration of said force profile.
Claim 12
Dependent Claim
55 words
A garment as set forth in claim 1 wherein said means for receiving and decoding includes: memory means having pre-stored therein data representing a plurality of said force profile segments; and means responsive to said transmitted coded series of reference values for selecting from said data in said memory means said information for said analysis.
Claim 13
Dependent Claim
25 words
A garment as set forth in claim 1 including display means for displaying said analysis of the physical performance of a wearer of said garment.
Claim 14
Dependent Claim
18 words
A garment as set forth in claim 12 wherein said display means comprises a liquid crystal type display.
Claim 15
Dependent Claim
18 words
A garment as set forth in claim 12 wherein said display means comprises a light-emitting diode type display.
Claim 16
Dependent Claim
40 words
A garment as set forth in claim 1 wherein said processing means comprises means for adapting the dynamic range of said force sensing means so as adjust the range of said force signals to match the range of said force.
Claim 17
Dependent Claim
17 words
A garment as set forth in claim 1 wherein said means for transmitting comprises wireless transmission apparatus.
Claim 18
Dependent Claim
31 words
A garment as set forth in claim 1 wherein said force signals are analog signals and said processing means includes analog-to-digital conversion means for converting said analog signals to digital form.
Claim 19
Dependent Claim
78 words
A garment as set forth in claim 1 wherein said force sensing means comprises a plurality of sources of said force signals, and including means for coupling unique identification signals to said transmitted coded series of reference values so as to identify said sources and permit said means for decoding to distinguish among several of said sources and to accept or reject selected ones of said reference values based on respective ones of said coupled unique identification signals.
Claim 20
Dependent Claim
14 words
A garment as set forth in claim 1, wherein said garment is a shoe.
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USPTO Annuity & Maintenance Windows
| Annuity Stage | Window Opens | Payment Deadline | Surcharge Period Until | Estimated Fee | Status |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 3.5 Years (Year 4) | 1998-11-27 | 1999-05-29 | 1999-11-28 | $2000.00 | Window Closed / Lapsed |
| 7.5 Years (Year 8) | 2002-11-27 | 2003-05-29 | 2003-11-28 | $3760.00 | Window Closed / Lapsed |
| 11.5 Years (Year 12) | 2006-11-27 | 2007-05-29 | 2007-11-28 | $7700.00 | Window Closed / Lapsed |