Smart sensing insole

Abstract

To provide a smart insole that improves sensing effect and enables complete measurement of foot information.SOLUTION: The present invention discloses a smart sensing insole. The smart sensing insole includes a pressure sensing layer (for instance, a pressure board) which includes a resistive pressure sensor for sensing pressure and position distribution as sensing points when the foot pressure changes. Each pressure sensor is coupled to the sensing module. The area occupied by the sensing points is between 3-50% or 3-70% of the entire bottom area of the insole. The sensing point positions include at least a pressure peak position, a pressure center area, and an arch position.SELECTED DRAWING: Figure 2A

Description

[Technical field]

[0001] The present invention relates to an insole, and more particularly to a smart sensing insole having a sensing function. [Background technology]

[0002] According to medical literature and related research, the foot is closely related to the health of the body because the foot supports the weight of the body. In addition, plantar pressure is an important indicator of walking patterns. Therefore, measuring plantar pressure distribution has important index meaning in the fields of biomechanics, rehabilitation medicine, physical training, shoe manufacturing, etc. However, there are spatial limitations in the pressure measurement boards and measurement tables currently used. In addition, conventional sensors for measuring plantar pressure are prone to wear because the sensing unit comes into contact with the human foot and frequently comes into contact with the sole. Therefore, they are not suitable for long-term wearing and measurement, and cannot provide sufficient health information.

[0003] The prior art, Patent Document 1, includes a pressure sensor, a temperature sensor, and a humidity sensor. However, the pressure sensor, the temperature sensor, and the humidity sensor are formed on the surface of the insole body, not in the layer, so that the sensors are easily worn out, which is a drawback in that the user feels uncomfortable. In addition, each sensor can have a length, width, and thickness dimension of 1 mm x 3 mm x 0.02 mm, but needless to say, each sensor uses an individual device, so it does not have mass production efficiency. In addition, they are not targeted at specific parts. In other words, they do not consider the priority of the configuration based on cost-effectiveness, and they do not determine a specific position for placing the sensor. In other words, this prior art has a random configuration, so data on important positions cannot be obtained, and distortion occurs.

[0004] With the rapid development of cloud computing, wireless communication technology and artificial intelligence, health systems integrating various sensors, wireless communication and intelligent computing have become the focus of research and development. In view of the above, there is an urgency and necessity for collecting health information, and therefore the present invention provides a smart sensing insole that facilitates the evaluation of plantar pressure. [Prior art documents] [Patent documents]

[0005] [Patent Document 1] Taiwan Patent Application Publication No. 201729704 Summary of the Invention [Problem to be solved by the invention]

[0006] The present invention makes it possible to completely measure information about the foot. An object of the present invention is to provide a smart insole that improves the sensing effect. [Means for solving the problem]

[0007] The present invention discloses a smart sensing insole. The insole has a pressure sensing layer including an arrangement composed of vertical conductors and horizontal conductors. The intersections of the vertical conductors and the horizontal conductors are sensing points, which detect pressure changes and position distribution when the pressure on the foot changes. The area of ​​the sensing points occupies 3 to 50% of the total area of ​​the bottom of the insole. Factors to be considered for the arrangement of the sensing points include the pressure peak position, the pressure center area, or the arch position. The first location range (priority arrangement) includes the big toe area, the first toe joint area, the fifth toe joint area, and the heel area. The second location range (second arrangement) includes the middle toe joint area, the area near the heel of the lateral longitudinal arch, the central area of ​​the transverse arch, and the area near the transverse arch of the lateral longitudinal arch. The third location range (last arrangement) includes the area near the transverse arch of the medial longitudinal arch, and the area near the heel of the medial longitudinal arch.

[0008] In another aspect of the present invention, the vertical conductors and the horizontal conductors divide the area of ​​the insole into at least 10 to 120 sections in order to balance cost and sensing density. Next, the present invention includes a foot sensing module connected to the pressure sensing layer and receiving detection data of the foot. The foot sensing module is disposed in the arch portion of the smart sensing insole. The present invention may further include an inertial sensor, an infrared sensor, and a GPS disposed in the arch portion of the smart sensing insole.

[0009] In another embodiment, the present invention includes a wireless transmitting / receiving module connected to the foot sensing module and wirelessly coupled to an external mobile device. The foot information received and processed by the foot sensing module can be displayed through the external mobile device. The foot information includes one or any combination of foot pressure distribution, weight distribution ratio between the left and right feet, gait, pitch, and center of foot pressure. The foot information can be uploaded to a big data database through the mobile device. The big data database also uses blockchain as a communication architecture.

[0010] In one embodiment, the foot sensing module can collect foot information and display it instantly through a mobile device, so as to obtain individual foot pressure information and establish a relationship between movement and foot pressure. The foot sensing module is connected to one or any combination of a pressure sensing device, an inertial sensor, an infrared sensor, an accelerometer, a gyroscope, and a GPS. By processing all the foot information, foot pressure distribution and foot blood circulation status data can be obtained.

[0011] In a further aspect of the present invention, the present invention can achieve accurate pressure and motion measurements. Accurate detection of data, whether it is uphill or downhill motion, is beneficial for motion analysis. The present invention allows motion detection and management, providing details of each history. Based on the above, the present invention can solve the shortcomings existing in the prior art. According to one aspect of the present invention, the present invention can collect foot information and store it in a cloud big data database through a mobile device. [Brief description of the drawings]

[0012] [Figure 1] FIG. 1 shows a schematic diagram of the configuration of the present invention. [Figure 2A] FIG. 2A shows a pressure sensing layer provided by the present invention. [Figure 2B] FIG. 2B shows a pressure sensing layer provided by the present invention. [Diagram 3] FIG. 3 shows a functional block diagram of the smart sensing insole and the mobile device according to the present invention. [Figure 4] FIG. 4 is a functional block diagram of the cloud server and the mobile device according to the present invention. DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS

[0013] Here, the present invention will describe in detail specific examples of the invention and its aspects. Note that these descriptions are intended to interpret and explain the structure or step flow of the present invention, and do not limit the scope of the claims of the present invention. Therefore, in addition to the specific examples and preferred examples of the specification, the present invention can be widely implemented in other different examples. Below, the embodiments of the present invention will be described by specific specific examples. Those skilled in the art can understand the effects and advantages of the present invention from the contents disclosed in this specification. The present invention can also be operated and implemented by other specific examples. Each detailed matter described in this specification can be applied according to different needs, and various different modifications or supplements may be made without departing from the spirit of the present invention.

[0014] In the present invention, artificial intelligence AI is combined with dynamic sensing technology and designed as an integrated device, which can accurately record and analyze the condition of the foot while eliminating the discomfort when the user wears shoes, and provide the user with the most complete health management information. The instant feedback of information by the application program APP not only helps with all-round exercise management, but also allows the risk to be reduced by analyzing various characteristic data using the exercise history and fully evaluating the condition. This is an essential tool for implementing exercise and health management. In one embodiment, the plantar pressure sensing of the present invention includes a pressure sensing board, which acquires pressure values ​​during the measurement process and acquires plantar pressure parameters and pressure distribution diagrams through subsequent processing.

[0015] FIG. 1 shows a schematic diagram of the configuration of the present invention including a cloud server 107 electrically connected to a big data database 108. In the present invention, a smart sensing insole 101 is used to collect foot information and monitor a user's foot pressure, blood oxygen (described later), and the like. The smart sensing insole 101 is communicatively connected to a mobile device (e.g., an external computing electronic device such as a smartphone or tablet PC) 103. The present invention also includes an application program installed on the mobile device. The application program includes instructions for receiving and transmitting data between the smart sensing insole 101, the mobile device 103, and the cloud server 107. The application program can operate based on an Android, Windows, or iOS operating system platform, and can upload and store the collected related data / signals in the cloud server 107. The application program also generates foot information through data analysis and computing, and provides health management advice.

[0016] FIG. 2A shows a plan view of the insole, in which the pressure sensing layer 12 is embedded inside the insole 10. The pressure sensing layer 12 includes a plurality of pressure sensors 12a. Each pressure sensor 12a is used as a sensing point to sense the change and position distribution of pressure when the pressure of the foot changes. The pressure sensor 12a is electrically connected to the sensing module 16 via a conductor 24. The shape of the pressure sensor 12a includes a rectangle, a triangle, a circle, a pentagon, a hexagon, or any suitable shape. The pressure sensor 12a may be a resistive type in which the resistance changes when the pressure is applied and the resistance change is used to calculate the magnitude of the pressure. The pressure sensing layer 12 is integrated into the insole 10 in an integral molding manner. The insole 10 may include a polyester-based thermoplastic elastomer layer (TPEE). The insole 10 may also include an arch pad 14 integrated therein. The sensing module 16 is used to collect electronic signals of the plurality of pressure sensors 12a for calculation processing and transmission. The sensing module 16 may be mounted within the insole's arch pad 14 in a built-in manner or may be mounted within the insole 10 in a one-piece manner, thereby avoiding or minimizing contact and irritation to the wearer's foot.

[0017] In one embodiment, the smart sensing insole 101 of the present invention includes a pressure sensing layer 109 (shown in FIG. 2) for detecting plantar pressure, left and right foot pressure distribution, walking style, and pitch. In one embodiment, a pressure board may be employed. The present invention has a pressure sensing layer 109 embedded in the insole. The pressure sensing layer 109 includes an array arrangement composed of vertical conductors 1091 and horizontal conductors 1092. The intersection of the vertical conductor 1091 and the horizontal conductor 1092 becomes an individual pressure sensing point (sensor), and when the pressure on the foot changes, it detects pressure data and position distribution. The pressure sensing layer 109 is electrically connected to the sensing module via a conductor. It should be noted that here, the vertical conductor 1091 includes a vertical conductor and a vertical inclined conductor with a vertical inclination angle with respect to the vertical direction between 1 and 30 degrees. Also, the horizontal conductor 1092 includes a horizontal conductor and a horizontal inclined conductor with a horizontal inclination angle with respect to the horizontal direction between 1 and 30 degrees. The above-mentioned vertical conductor 1091 and horizontal conductor 1092 divide the area of the insole into at least 10 to 120 sections in consideration of the sensing density to be arranged. In one embodiment, 20 to 100 sections are constructed, and in another embodiment, 30 to 80 sections are constructed so as to balance cost-effectiveness and a preferable sensing density. The vertical inclined conductor and the horizontal inclined conductor are arranged so that the matrix matches the shape of the sole. Also, the vertical inclined conductor or the horizontal inclined conductor may include a straight line or a curve. The area of the sensing point occupies 3 to 50% of the total area of the bottom of the insole, and in another embodiment, it occupies 10 to 40%. This value is obtained by conducting multiple experiments on the experimental group and the control group, and it has been verified that the range of the area does not cause discomfort to the user and does not reduce the sensing performance. In the present invention, it is possible to collect the situation of the pressure distribution and confirm the central position of the pressure. Thereby, it is possible to determine whether the center is biased when the user stands, and by judging the abnormality of the pressure distribution, it is possible to prompt attention to the walking posture.

[0018] From this research and accumulated experience, the pressure sensing placement position can be divided into at least three position ranges. Too many sensors are detrimental to obtaining good data, so the sensors should be placed in effective locations. From this research and accumulated experience, the placement position can be divided into at least three position ranges, and the pressure peak position, pressure center area, and arch positions are the main considerations. The first position range 1000 is the first priority placement range, and includes the big toe area, the first toe joint area, the fifth toe joint area, and the heel area. The second position range 2000 is the second priority placement range, and includes the middle toe joint area, the area near the heel of the lateral longitudinal arch, the central area of ​​the transverse arch, and the area near the transverse arch of the lateral longitudinal arch. The third position range 3000 is the third priority placement range, and includes the area near the transverse arch of the medial longitudinal arch, and the area near the heel of the medial longitudinal arch. The above order of placement and the number of sensors may be determined based on cost and effectiveness. If more are required, they may be placed in areas other than the above three positional ranges.

[0019] FIG. 2 is a schematic diagram, and in order to facilitate illustration of the vertical conductor 1091 and the horizontal conductor 1092, those that span the ranges 1000, 2000, and 3000 are not shown, but in reality they may span the above ranges.

[0020] The vertical conductors 1091 and horizontal conductors 1092 form an array arrangement, and the intersections of the two conductors form pressure sensing points. In one embodiment, the pressure sensing layer 109 may include resistive pressure sensing elements. The resistive pressure sensing lines are made of conductive polymers. The conductive polymers change resistance in response to changes in pressure. When a force is applied, the conductive particles become contactable, increasing the current passing through the sensing lines, and the pressure value is calculated. In another embodiment, capacitive pressure sensing is employed. In capacitive pressure sensing, a diaphragm is used to separate the vertical and horizontal conductors. When the diaphragm deforms under pressure, the gap between the diaphragm and the two conductors changes, which in turn changes the capacitance, and the magnitude of the pressure is calculated from the change in capacitance.

[0021] In another embodiment, as shown in Fig. 3, the smart sensing insole 101 may include an inertial sensor 140. The inertial sensor 140 includes a three-axis accelerometer and a three-axis gyroscope for detecting static and dynamic physical values ​​of the foot. The inertial sensor 140 may be disposed in the arch portion or in a section formed by the intersection of a vertical conductor 1091 and a horizontal conductor 1092.

[0022] In another embodiment, the smart sensing insole 101 has a red / infrared light source and an infrared sensor 139 is disposed therein for detecting blood oxygen and blood pressure. When detecting blood pressure, blood pressure data can be obtained by optically detecting subcutaneous blood flow and then using a known algorithm. The principle of detecting blood oxygen by transmission is as follows. That is, when blood is sent to the periphery, a slight change in volume occurs according to the heart rate. Therefore, two types of light sources, red light and infrared light, are used for irradiation, and the light is received by a sensor after passing through the bottom of the tissue. Then, focusing on the difference in the effect of the slight change in volume on the intensity of the light, it is converted into a signal and the blood oxygen concentration is calculated.

[0023] As shown in FIG. 3, the smart sensing insole 101 can be for the left foot or the right foot. Since they have a symmetrical structure, only one is illustrated, but it should be understood that it can be applied to both feet. The smart sensing insole 101 of both feet is electrically connected to a mobile device 103, such as a smartphone or a tablet PC, respectively, and can receive and transmit data through a wireless transmission / reception module 132. The wireless transmission / reception module 132 complies with a wireless communication standard (e.g., WiFi, Bluetooth, RFID, NFC, 5G, or any other future wireless communication standard). The wireless transmission / reception module 132 is connected to an antenna to transmit and receive data.

[0024] The smart sensing insole 101 communicates with an external mobile device 103. The smart sensing insole 101 includes a foot sensing module 116 embedded in the arch of the insole to receive and analyze foot pressure distribution and foot blood circulation data, and transmits the above data to a remote terminal computing device or server through a wireless transmit / receive (TX / RX) module 132 located in the foot sensing module 116.

[0025] The foot sensing module 116 can execute software applications and includes a microprocessor and a storage unit. The microprocessor can be a microcontroller, a digital signal processor (DSP), an application specific integrated circuit (ASIC), a programmable logic circuit, or other digital data processing device that executes instructions to perform the processes and operations according to the present invention. The microprocessor can execute various application programs stored in the storage unit, including the execution of firmware algorithms. The storage unit can also include a read only memory (ROM), a random access memory (RAM), an electrically erasable programmable read only memory (EEPROM), a flash memory, or any memory commonly used in computers.

[0026] FIG. 3 illustrates a case where the wireless transmit / receive (TX / RX) module 132 transmits / receives a signal of the foot sensing module 116. In one embodiment, the wireless transmit / receive module 132 may be a wireless data transmitting / receiving device with Bluetooth, WiFi, or similar functions. In other words, the wireless transmit / receive module 132 is compatible with a wireless communication standard (e.g., WiFi, Bluetooth, RFID, NFC, 5G, or any other future wireless communication standard). The foot sensing module 116 may be electrically connected to the pressure sensor 138 in the pressure sensing layer 109 through a connection terminal, and may be connected to the infrared sensor 139 and the inertial sensor 140. The foot sensing module 116 further includes a processing system (e.g., one or more microprocessors), a memory, and the like.

[0027] The left or right smart sensing insole 101 includes additional sensors, such as an accelerometer, a gyroscope, a GPS, and a power supply device that supplies electricity to each module. It should be understood that the foot sensing module 116 can control the collection and accumulation of data (e.g., pressure distribution data of the user's foot or pressure data due to interaction with the ground, blood circulation status of the user's foot, etc.) by computer programs / algorithms, and can store and / or execute these programs / algorithms.

[0028] The mobile device 103 includes a processor 142, a user interface 143, an Internet interface 144, and a storage device 146, each of which is connected to the processor 142. The user interface 143 includes one or more input devices (e.g., a touch screen, a voice input device, etc.), one or more voice output devices (e.g., a speaker, etc.), and / or one or more visual output devices. The Internet interface 144 includes one or more Internet devices (e.g., a wireless LAN (WLAN) device, a wired LAN device, a wireless WAN (WWAN) device, etc.). The storage device 146 includes a flash memory device. The wireless transmit / receive (TX / RX) module 145 can transmit / receive data to / from the wireless transmit / receive (TX / RX) module 132.

[0029] In one embodiment, the big data database 108 is connected to the cloud server 107. With reference to FIG. 1 and FIG. 4, the big data database 108 is electrically connected to the AI ​​computing module 148. In one embodiment, the AI ​​computing module 148 provided in the cloud server 107 can analyze the information data collected by the big data database 108. The AI ​​algorithm may include a series of steps. That is, the input signal is pre-filtered and normalized, time domain and frequency domain characteristics are extracted, and a classification result is output by a Convolutional Neural Networks (CNN) model. The cloud server 107 also includes a user interface 143a, an Internet interface 144a, and a storage device 146a, each of which is connected to the processor 142a. In one embodiment, the insole accurately detects data regardless of the type of exercise, thereby performing appropriate health management. In addition, the exercise is analyzed after performing AI analysis using data such as the user's weight, speed, and pressure. The above functions are not achievable with conventional insole technology or sports watches.

[0030] From another perspective, by combining a calculation system with the portable device 103 and processing data from the sensor in the shoe, it is possible to analyze the pressure distribution, walking style, pitch, center of pressure (COP), etc. Foot pressure distribution plays an important role when humans move. In addition, the foot type and walking (running) posture affect the changes in the posture and skeleton of the human body, and the performance and limitations of athletes. The insole with an integrally molded sandwich-type sensor provided by the present invention can acquire parameter data of the foot pressure distribution of many users over time and space by being installed in the shoe. Then, the data is uploaded to an external computing device (e.g., a smartphone, a personal computer, a computer server, etc.) by wireless transmission for calculation and analysis, and is accumulated in a cloud system to become a related big data database. In general prior art, there is a lack of visualized / digitized learning criteria to allow users to clearly understand each detail of the movement state. Therefore, the system assists users to understand the situation of the foot pressure distribution and adjust their walking posture, and provides detailed trajectories during movement.

[0031] In addition, the smart sensing insole provided by the present invention can be integrated with an infrared sensor 139 to provide information on the user's blood circulation status in a synchronized manner. This eliminates the conventional restriction that data can only be acquired and analyzed at medical institutions and sports research institutions, allowing more users to acquire foot information tailored to their individual needs. In one embodiment, the data is transmitted wirelessly. In addition, by combining the data with an application program APP, the data can be displayed immediately, and visualization of the data is achieved. In the present invention, the analysis data accumulated in the big data database 108 can not only be provided for the consumer's own health management, but also can be used as a reference for hospitals and shoe manufacturers in cooperation with other industries. Furthermore, the big data database 108 uses a blockchain as a communication architecture. This makes it impossible to change the data, and the transmission is encrypted.

[0032] The present invention has a wireless charging induction coil disposed on one side of the smart sensing insole 101 so that the smart sensing insole can be supplied with the necessary power by wireless charging. It goes without saying that the smart sensing insole 101 has a rechargeable battery and an electrical supply module. In another embodiment, the wireless transmit / receive (TX / RX) module 132 may be replaced by or coexist with a Universal Serial Bus (USB) connection port for data transmission and wired charging.

[0033] The above embodiments are merely for explaining the technical solutions of the present invention, and are not intended to be limiting. Although the present invention and its effects have been described in detail with reference to the above embodiments, those skilled in the art should understand the following: the description of each of the above embodiments may be modified, or some technical features may be replaced with equivalents. Furthermore, the essence of the corresponding technical solutions does not deviate from the scope of the claims of the present invention through such modifications or replacements. [Explanation of symbols]

[0034] 10 Insoles 12 Pressure Sensing Layer 12a Pressure Sensing Layer 14 Arch pad 16 Sensing Module 24 Conductor 101 Smart Sensing Insole 103 Mobile Devices 105 Cloud Network 107 Cloud Server 108 Big Data Database 109 Pressure Sensing Layer 116 Foot Sensing Module 132 Wireless Transmit / Receive Module 138 Pressure Sensor 139 Infrared Sensor 140 Inertial Sensor 142,142a Processor 143,143a User Interface 144,144a Internet Interface 145 Wireless Transmit / Receive Module 146,146a Storage device 148 AI computing module 1091 Vertical conductor 1092 Lateral conductor

Claims

1. A smart sensing insole, A sensing module disposed within the insole; a pressure sensing layer including a pressure sensor for sensing a change in pressure as a sensing point, the pressure sensor being connected to the sensing module, and the area of ​​the sensing point occupying 3 to 50% or 3 to 70% of the total area of ​​the bottom of the insole; an inertial sensor connected to the sensing module; a wireless charging coil disposed within the insole and connected to the sensing module; A smart sensing insole including a wireless transmitting / receiving module connected to the sensing module.

2. The smart sensing insole of claim 1 , wherein the inertial sensor comprises a gyroscope, an accelerometer, or a combination thereof.

3. The smart sensing insole of claim 1 , comprising an infrared sensor, a GPS, or any combination thereof.

4. The smart sensing insole of claim 1 , wherein foot information is displayed through an external mobile device, and the foot information includes one or any combination of foot pressure distribution, gait, pitch, and center of pressure.

5. The external mobile device connects to a cloud server, and the cloud server includes an AI computing module executing: The input signal is pre-filtered and normalized, time-domain and frequency-domain features are extracted, and a classification result is output using a Convolutional Neural Network (CNN) model. The smart sensing insole according to claim 4.

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