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Monitoring of a wearable athletic device

Monitoring of a wearable athletic device description/claims

1. Field of the Invention

The present invention is generally directed to wearable athletic devices and more specifically directed to devices, systems, and method of monitoring the condition, wear, and/or remaining life of wearable athletic devices.

2. Description of the Related Art

Athletic footwear is generally designed to protect the feet of the wearer under the demands of specific types of athletic events or training regimen. For example, running shoes incorporate devices such as highly cushioned materials and/or air soles to protect the runner from excessive joint fatigue during high-speed sprinting and/or extended periods of running. The amount of protection provided by the footwear can vary depending on many factors, such as the amount of cushioning in the shoe, the type foot (pronator, supinator, neutral foot), the fit of the shoe to the foot, and running/surface conditions. The selection of the correct footwear based on these and other factors is important in avoiding unwanted injuries to the ankles, legs, and/or back.

While selection of the proper footwear is critical in preventing injuries, timely replacement of footwear as it ages has also been found to be very important. This can be especially important for the more serious runners who push their bodies and equipment to the limit, or for older runners who may be more prone to injuries and require more time to recover from such injuries when they do occur. In any event, the appropriate time for replacing older footwear may occur before obvious signs of shoe fatigue or wear are generally visible. Thus, injury may occur long before a runner realizes that it is time to look for new shoes. This problem can become particularly complicated when an individual has multiple pairs of athletic shoes and/or uses their shoes are used in varying levels of athletic demand or in a variety of environmental conditions.

In recent years, various technologies have matured to allow a person to more easily monitor their athletic performance in an automated fashion. This includes the use of various electronic devices such as pedometers or GPS devices that may be attached to the user, or even disposed on or within the user's shoe. These devices can be used to determine the velocity and/or distance traveled by a person during competitive event or exercising session. The use of such technologies is disclosed, for example, in U.S. Pat. Nos. 4,771,394; 5,640,786; and 6,882,955, and U.S. Patent Application No. 2006/0283050, all of which are herein incorporated by reference.

Other information and/or aspects of athletic performance such foot position or “hang time” of the foot in the air have also been disclosed, for example, as in U.S. Pat. Nos. 5,452,269 and 6,616,544, which are also herein incorporated by reference. Furthermore, current technology has also been incorporated into systems that allow the user to more easily and pleasingly track their performance during an individual athletic activity and/or over an extended period of time, for example, to track improvements in performance. Examples of such systems include U.S. Pat. No. 6,819,258 and U.S. Patent Application Nos. 2006/0283050; 2006/136173; 2007/021269, which are also herein incorporated by reference.

In light of the problems associated old or worn out athletic footwear, devices and methods are needed (e.g., similar to those used to evaluate an athlete's performance) to monitor and evaluate the condition, wear, and/or life expectancy of the athletic footwear, allowing users to be alerted to replace the footwear before the risk of injury reaches an undesirable level.

Embodiments of the present invention are directed to devices and methods for monitoring and evaluating of the condition or wear of wearable athletic devices (e.g., athletic footwear such as sports shoes, athletic boots, or snow skis). In one aspect of the invention, an athletic system for monitoring and/or evaluating the condition of a wearable athletic device includes the wearable athletic device, first and second input parameters, a computer readable memory, and a microprocessor. At least one of the parameters may be provided by a measurement device that may be part of the athletic system or may be separate therefrom. The first parameter comprises at least one of an event count and a distance, while the second parameter comprises at least one of a wearable athletic devices identifier, a physical property of the wearable athletic device, a physiological condition of a user, an environmental condition, an event rate, a velocity, and an acceleration. The computer readable memory contains instructions for calculating a condition (e.g., an amount of wear or a remaining life) of the wearable athletic device. The microprocessor is configured to perform the instructions for calculating the condition of the wearable athletic device, the calculation being based at least in part on the parameters.

In another aspect of the present invention, a monitoring system for monitoring and/or evaluating the condition of a wearable athletic device, includes first and second input parameters, a computer readable memory, and a microprocessor. The first parameter comprises at least one of an event count and a distance, while the second parameter comprises at least one of a wearable athletic device identifier, a physical property of the wearable athletic device, a physiological condition, an environmental condition, an event rate, a velocity, and an acceleration. The computer readable memory contains instructions for calculating a condition of a wearable athletic device. The microprocessor is configured to perform the instructions in order to calculate the condition of the wearable athletic device, the calculation being based at least in part on the parameters.

In yet another aspect of the present invention, a method monitoring the condition of a wearable athletic device comprises supplying a wearable athletic device for placement onto a user. The method further comprises supplying or measuring a first parameter comprising at least one of an event count and a travel distance. The method additionally comprises supplying or measuring a second parameter comprising at least one of a wearable athletic device identifier, a physical property of the wearable athletic device, a physiological condition, an environmental condition, an event rate, a velocity, and an acceleration. The method also comprises supplying a microprocessor with instructions for calculating a condition of the wearable athletic device and using the microprocessor to calculate the condition of the wearable athletic device, the calculation being based at least in part on the parameters.

Embodiments of the present invention may be better understood from the following detailed description when read in conjunction with the accompanying drawings. Such embodiments, which are for illustrative purposes only, depict novel and non-obvious aspects of the invention. The drawings include the following figures.

FIG. 1 is a schematic of a monitoring system for determining the condition, wear, and/or remaining life of a wearable athletic device according to an embodiment of the present invention.

FIG. 2 is a representation of at least a portion of an athletic system according to an embodiment of the present invention illustrating a runner wearing a portable device in communication with a running shoe.

FIG. 3 is a front view of the portable device illustrated in FIG. 2.

FIG. 4 is a front view of the portable device illustrated in FIG. 2 in communication with a personal computer.

FIG. 5 is a block diagram representation of a method according to the present invention for monitoring the condition of a wearable athletic device.

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• Utility Patent

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