U.S. patent application number 11/891030 was filed with the patent office on 2009-02-12 for footwear with built-in scale.
Invention is credited to Margarita V. Lans, Maris J. Lans.
Application Number | 20090038182 11/891030 |
Document ID | / |
Family ID | 40345155 |
Filed Date | 2009-02-12 |
United States Patent
Application |
20090038182 |
Kind Code |
A1 |
Lans; Maris J. ; et
al. |
February 12, 2009 |
Footwear with built-in scale
Abstract
A shoe is described, which has a means for the wearer to
determine and monitor his or her body weight by way of a specially
designed built-in scale. The measurement of the wearer's weight
will be registered by standing still for a set period of time
(usually a few seconds) with both feet parallel to one another,
approximately shoulder width apart, actuating sensors placed within
the weight bearing areas of the soles of the footwear.
Inventors: |
Lans; Maris J.; (Highland
Park, IL) ; Lans; Margarita V.; (Highland Park,
IL) |
Correspondence
Address: |
J.W. GIPPLE
P.O. Box 40513
Washington
DC
20016
US
|
Family ID: |
40345155 |
Appl. No.: |
11/891030 |
Filed: |
August 9, 2007 |
Current U.S.
Class: |
36/136 |
Current CPC
Class: |
A43B 3/0005 20130101;
A43B 23/24 20130101; A43D 1/06 20130101; G01G 19/44 20130101; A43B
3/0078 20130101 |
Class at
Publication: |
36/136 |
International
Class: |
A43B 23/24 20060101
A43B023/24 |
Claims
1. Footwear having a built-in scale to measure the weight of its
wearer.
2. The footwear of claim 1, wherein the scale is a weight detecting
sensor embodied in the sole of said footwear.
3. The footwear of claim 1, wherein the scale is a weight detecting
sensor embodied in the inner lining of said footwear.
4. The footwear of claim 1, wherein the built-in scale communicates
with a digital readout display.
5. The footwear of claim 4, wherein the built-in scale communicates
with a digital readout display using a hard-wire technology.
6. The footwear of claim 4, wherein the built-in scale communicates
with a digital readout display using a wireless technology.
7. The footwear of claim 4, wherein the readout display is
incorporated into the upper portion of said footwear.
8. The footwear of claim 4, wherein the readout display is
incorporated into a separate remote device.
9. The footwear of claim 8, wherein said remote is a cell
phone.
10. The footwear of claim 8, wherein said remote device is a key
fob.
Description
CROSS-REFERENCE TO RELATED APPLICATIONS
[0001] Not Applicable
STATEMENT REGARDING FEDERALLY SPONSORED RESEARCH OR DEVELOPMENT
[0002] Not Applicable
INCORPORATED-BY-REFERENCE OF MATERIAL SUBMITTED ON A COMPACT
DISC
[0003] Not Applicable
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION
[0004] (1) Field of the Invention
[0005] This invention is directed to footwear of all types, having
built in scales to measure the weight of persons wearing such
footwear.
[0006] Obesity in the human race has reached the scale of a global
epidemic, with the concomitant adverse health effects now
constituting an immediate health crisis. Health problems stemming
from inactivity, poor nutritional choices, and other deleterious
habits such as smoking, drug and alcohol abuse, are taking an ever
increasing toll on the population, with the health care expenses
involved, and the cost of lost productivity being on a scale so
large that it is more than likely immeasurable by any accurate
means.
[0007] The Medical Profession, and all of the Allied Health
Sciences associated with it worldwide agree that a balance of
physical exercise, sound nutrition and weight management are the
keys to good health, especially as it relates to cardiovascular
health, and the avoidance of, or the control of diabetic
conditions.
[0008] Walking is the easiest activity that anyone can participate
in. Sports of any kind are certainly a physical activity that it
most all cases will involve the participation of a person's
feet.
[0009] In view of the above-mentioned problems, there is a need for
footwear with a built-in scale to provide a novel and entertaining
method of motivating people to at least walk and monitor their
weight in an effort to manage it. The reminders and motivational
messages that are a feature of the wireless technology of this
invention further serve to support and reinforce the wearer's
choice of making and adhering to healthy life style decisions with
regard to diet, exercise and weight management.
[0010] It is, accordingly, an object of the present invention to
provide footwear that enables the user to simply determine his or
her body weight by wearing the footwear, and standing still with
feet parallel to one another, roughly shoulder width apart.
[0011] (2) Description of Related Art
[0012] Applicant is aware of no prior art directly relevant to the
present invention. However, the following patents are referred to
herein; U.S. Pat. No. 4,572,309; U.S. Pat. No. 5,886,302; and U.S.
Pat. No. 6,782,067.
BRIEF SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION
[0013] In accordance with the present invention, footwear having a
sole and inner lining is provided with weight detecting sensors,
battery source and hardwire or wireless technology to register,
transmit and display the weight onto a digital display that is
located in an area of the footwear that makes it practical for the
wearer to read. A scale is therefore an integral part of the sole,
inner lining, or a combination of the two, where the scale is
configured to determine the weight of the individual wearing the
footwear. The scale is configured to communicate the determined
measured weight from the scale to a display mounted either on the
surface of the footwear, designed into the material of the
footwear, or designed as an ornament or buckle of any shape or
design that can be made to accommodate a digital display, whether
or not that display is actually physically attached to the footwear
or carried separately from it.
BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS
[0014] FIG. 1 is an upper side view perspective of a shoe embodying
the present invention.
[0015] FIG. 2 is a side elevational view of said shoe.
[0016] FIG. 3 is a top plan view of the sole of said shoe.
DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS
[0017] FIG. 1 illustrates the embodiment of the invention, which is
one half of a pair of footwear otherwise referred to as a shoe. The
shoe, regardless of its design or style will have one or several of
the following features as part of its construction; a sole, inner
lining, heel, tongue, upper, last, laces, buckles, zippers, straps,
etc. The footwear may include but not be limited to the sports of
running, walking, jogging, basketball, football, soccer, golf,
tennis, baseball, softball, cricket, boxing, wrestling, bicycling,
skateboarding, boating, fishing, hiking, mountain climbing, rugby,
racquetball, hunting, skiing, surfing, dog walking, as well as
casual footwear including, but not limited to, loafers, penny
loafers, sandals, flip flops, oxfords, slippers as well as
occupationally related footwear including, but not limited to work
boots, motorcycle boots, driving shoes, military footwear, law
enforcement footwear, as well as dress footwear, including, but not
limited to wingtips, laced footwear, slip-ons, high heels, pumps
with all of the aforementioned items including sizes, designs and
styles for men, women and children. The shoe design illustrated is
that of a moccasin, or deck shoe, commonly referred to as
"Top-Sider". By no means is the use of this particular design of
shoe, (used here for illustrative purposes) only, intended to imply
that the invention of footwear with built-in scale is limited to
any particular design or style of shoe whatsoever.
[0018] FIGS. 1 and 2 illustrate the footwear as having a sole 1,
along with an inner lining 2. The components comprising the
hard-wire and or wireless technologies that are referred to in this
invention may be configured into the sole 1, the inner lining 2, or
a combination of the two. The present invention may utilize sensing
devices such as transducer load cell assemblies or piezoelectric
sensors for measuring weight, an analog to digital converter for
converting the sensed signal into digital format, and a microchip
for receiving the analog display such as a Liquid Crystal Display
(LCD) an example of such a device is provided in U.S. Pat. No.
4,572,309, U.S. Pat. No. 5,886,032. The weight detecting sensors 3
are configured and located within the sole, inner lining or both to
correspond to the weight bearing areas of the sole of the human
foot. The sensors 3 are connected to a battery source 4 by
hard-wire 5. The digital display 6 may be affixed, or be an
integral part of the materials used to construct the particular
design of footwear, preferably located in an area such as the upper
7 that is practical for viewing the displayed data. For the present
invention, the sensors communicate the determined measured weight
to the digital display via hard-wire technology.
[0019] The present invention may utilize the wireless technology
described in U.S. Pat. No. 6,781,067, which is hereby incorporated
by reference. Wireless means for communicating the determined
measured weight from the sensors to the display, includes, but is
not limited to radio frequency (RF) and infrared (IR) signals.
These signals can be programmed to correlate and correspond to
determined measured weight fluctuations over a desired programmable
interval of elapsed time, i.e., minutes, hours, days, weeks, months
to allow the wearer who is wearing the footwear with a built-in
scale as part of a weight management endeavor. The use of the
wireless technology will allow the wearer to program the various
desired functions and desired intervals of time using a wireless
key fob device 9 which is used for illustrative purposes, but is by
no means meant to imply that the wireless technology be limited as
to its design or style, and may be fabricated in the form of a
charm, novelty, writing instrument, business card case, key chain,
pill box, lunch box, cup, cell phone case, ring, or any type of
jewelry and or adornment or accessory that can be worn and or
otherwise carried on the body or kept elsewhere for the purposes of
programming various functions into the sensory and or the digital
readout displays to communicate a message in the form of text and
or audio that will convey words and or phrases of encouragement,
reinforcement or warning based on fluctuations of weight, either up
or down, or lack of fluctuations of weight, over a desired period
of time to a wireless device such as a cell phone, pager,
Blackberry, or similar device in order to remind the wearer of the
importance of initiating and adhering to good habits that encourage
weight management and a healthy lifestyle balance for increased
longevity and quality of life.
[0020] As illustrated in FIG. 3, the sole (1) or inner lining (2)
or a combination of the two contain sensors (3) located in the
weight bearing areas of the foot. While there are nine sensors used
here for illustrative purposes, the number is by no means limited
to any particular number of sensors, nor is the actual
configuration of the sensors limited to a particular design, i.e.,
discs, plates, contacts, etc. The sensors are powered by a battery
source (4) to power and to convey the registered weight to a LCD
type display (6) that is located on the upper of the shoe (not
visible from this vantage point) in such a manner as to make
reading the display practical to the wearer. The sensors (3),
however many in number or particular design, are hardwired to the
battery source (4), the LCD display (6) as well as to a wireless
transmitter (8), that will have the ability to relay information to
a remote device such as a keyfob, cell phone, pager or other
communications device to keep the wearer motivated to monitor their
weight and alter their lifestyle choices accordingly. It is
intended that the sole (1) of the footwear, or inner lining (2) or
a combination of the two can contain any or all of the necessary
componentry of this invention, as well as the inner lining (2) of
the shoe being completely self-contained with all necessary
componentry so as to be used interchangeably among different shoes
as desired by the wearer.
[0021] It is intended that the foregoing detailed description be
regarded as illustrative rather than limiting and that it be
understood that it is the following claims, including all
equivalents, which are intended to define the scope of the
invention.
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