Smart gait analysis insole

Abstract

To disclose a smart gait analysis insole.SOLUTION: A smart gait analysis insole includes: a left insole including a left pressure sensor and a left inertial sensor for acquiring left foot information; and a right insole including a right pressure sensor and a right inertial sensor for acquiring right foot information. Each of the right and left insoles includes a wireless transmission module that transmits right and left foot information to a mobile device for analyzing the right and left foot information to acquire information on a foot pressure, gait, a pitch, a pressure center, or the like. A pressure sensing position includes a pressure peak position and a pressure center region.SELECTED DRAWING: Figure 2

Description

Technical Field

[0001] The present invention relates to an insole, and more particularly to a smart gait analysis insole.

Background Art

[0002] Since the feet support the weight of the body, according to medical literature and related research, there is a close relationship between the feet and the health of the body. Also, plantar pressure is an important indicator of gait pattern. Therefore, measuring the plantar pressure distribution has important indicator significance in fields such as biomechanics, rehabilitation medicine, physical training, and shoe manufacturing. However, there are spatial limitations in the currently used pressure measurement boards and tables. Also, conventional sensors for measuring plantar pressure have a sensing unit that comes into contact with the human foot and is prone to wear due to frequent contact with the sole. Therefore, it is 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, since the pressure sensor, temperature sensor, and humidity sensor are formed on the surface of the insole body and not formed inside the layer, the sensors are prone to wear, which has the drawback that the user feels uncomfortable. Also, each sensor can have length, width, and thickness dimensions of 1 mm × 3 mm × 0.02 mm. However, needless to say, since each uses an individual device, it does not have mass production efficiency. Moreover, they do not target specific sites. That is, the priority of the configuration is not considered based on cost-effectiveness, and no specific position for arranging the sensors is determined. That is, since this prior art has a random configuration, data at important positions cannot be obtained, and distortion occurs.

[0004] With the rapid development of cloud computing, wireless communication technology, and artificial intelligence, a health system that integrates various sensors, wireless communication, and intelligent computing has become the focus of research and development. Therefore, in view of the above, since it is considered that there is an urgency and necessity in collecting health information, the present invention provides a smart sensing insole that facilitates the evaluation of plantar pressure.

Prior Art Documents

Patent Documents

[0005]

Patent Document 1

Summary of the Invention

Problems to be Solved by the Invention

[0006] The present invention enables complete measurement of foot information. The object of the present invention is to provide a smart gait analysis insole that improves the sensing effect.

Means for Solving the Problems

[0007] The smart gait analysis insole includes a left insole including a left pressure sensor and a left inertial sensor for acquiring left foot information, and a right insole including a right pressure sensor and a right inertial sensor for acquiring right foot information. The left and right insoles each include a wireless transmission module that transmits the left and right foot information to a portable device. The portable device is used to analyze the left and right foot information to obtain information such as foot pressure, gait, pitch, and pressure center. The positions of the pressure sensing points include the pressure peak position, the pressure center region, and the arch position.

[0008] In another aspect of the present invention, the longitudinal conductors and the transverse conductors divide the area of the insole into at least an interval of 10 to 120 in order to balance cost and sensing density. Also, since the smart insole can be attached to different shoes, it is not necessary to arrange sensors for each shoe. Next, the present invention includes a foot sensing module connected to the pressure sensing layer to receive detection data of the foot. The foot sensing module is arranged at the arch part of the smart sensing insole. The present invention may further include an inertial sensor, an infrared sensor, and a GPS arranged at the arch part of the smart sensing insole.

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

[0010] In one embodiment, the foot sensing module can collect foot information and immediately display it through a portable device in order to obtain an individual's foot pressure information and construct the relationship between exercise 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, it is possible to obtain the pressure distribution of the foot and the blood circulation state data of the foot.

[0011] In a further aspect of the present invention, the present invention can achieve accurate pressure and motion measurements. Regardless of whether it is upward or downward motion, accurately detecting data is advantageous for motion analysis. The present invention enables the detection and management of motion and provides details of each history. Based on the above, the present invention can solve the drawbacks existing in the prior art. According to one aspect of the present invention, the present invention can collect foot information and store it in the big data database of the cloud through a portable device.

Brief Description of the Drawings

[0012]

Figure 1

Figure 2

Figure 3

Figure 4

Modes for Carrying Out the Invention

[0013] Here, in the present invention, specific embodiments of the invention and their aspects will be described in detail. It should be noted that these descriptions are for interpreting and explaining 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 embodiments and preferred embodiments in the specification, the present invention can be widely implemented in other different embodiments. Hereinafter, the embodiments of the present invention will be described by specific specific embodiments. Those skilled in the art can understand the effects and advantages of the present invention from the content disclosed in this specification. Also, the present invention can be operated and implemented by other specific embodiments. Each detailed matter described in detail in this specification can be applied according to different needs, and various different modifications or supplements can be made without departing from the spirit of the present invention.

[0014] In the present invention, by combining artificial intelligence (AI) with dynamic sensing technology and designing them integrally, it is possible to accurately record and analyze the state of the foot while eliminating the discomfort when the user wears shoes, and provide the user with the most complete health management information. The immediate feedback of information by the application program (APP) not only helps with all-round exercise management, but also enables risk reduction by analyzing various characteristic data using the exercise history and completely evaluating the state. This is an essential tool for implementing exercise and health management. In one embodiment, the plantar pressure sensing of the present invention comprises a pressure sensing board, which acquires pressure values during the measurement process and obtains plantar pressure parameters and a pressure distribution diagram 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 it is possible to monitor the user's foot pressure, blood oxygen (described later), etc. The smart sensing insole 101 is communicably connected to a portable device (for example, an external computing electronic device such as a smartphone or a tablet PC) 103. Further, the present invention includes an application program installed in the portable device. The application program includes instructions for receiving and transmitting data among the smart sensing insole 101, the portable device 103, and the cloud server 107. The above application program can operate based on the platform of the Android, Windows, or iOS operating system, and it is possible to upload and store the collected relevant data / signals to the cloud server 107. Moreover, it generates foot information through data analysis and arithmetic processing and presents health management advice.

[0016] 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, footstep, 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 of 1 to 30 degrees with respect to the vertical direction. Also, the horizontal conductor 1092 includes a horizontal conductor and a horizontal inclined conductor with a horizontal inclination angle of 1 to 30 degrees with respect to the horizontal direction. The above-mentioned vertical conductor 1091 and horizontal conductor 1092 divide the area of the insole into at least 10 to 120 intervals in consideration of the sensing density to be arranged. In one embodiment, 20 to 100 intervals are constructed, and in another embodiment, 30 to 80 intervals 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 at 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 off when the user is standing, and by judging the abnormality of the pressure distribution, it is possible to prompt attention to the walking posture.

[0017] From this study and the accumulation of experience, the placement positions of pressure sensing can be divided into at least three position ranges. Since having too many sensors is disadvantageous for obtaining favorable data, the sensors should be placed in effective locations. From this study and the accumulation of experience, the placement positions can be divided into at least three position ranges, and the pressure peak position, the pressure center region, and each position of the arch are the main consideration factors. The first position range 1000 is the first priority placement range and includes the hallux region, the first metatarsophalangeal joint region, the fifth metatarsophalangeal joint region, and the heel region. The second position range 2000 is the second priority placement range and includes the middle metatarsophalangeal joint region, the heel-side region of the lateral longitudinal arch, the central region of the transverse arch, and the transverse arch-side region of the lateral longitudinal arch. The third position range 3000 is the third priority placement range and includes the transverse arch-side region of the medial longitudinal arch and the heel-side region of the medial longitudinal arch. Based on cost and effectiveness, arrange them in the above order and just arrange the number. Also, when more are needed, they may be arranged in other regions outside the above three position ranges.

[0018] Figure 2 is a schematic diagram. For the sake of easily illustrating the longitudinal conductor 1091 and the transverse conductor 1092, those spanning the ranges 1000, 2000, and 3000 are not described, but actually they may span the above ranges.

[0019] The longitudinal conductor 1091 and the transverse conductor 1092 constitute an array arrangement, and the intersection of the two lines forms a pressure sensing point. In one embodiment, the pressure sensing layer 109 may include a resistive pressure sensing element. The resistive pressure sensing line is composed of a conductive polymer. The conductive polymer changes its resistance according to the change in pressure. When a force is applied, conductive particles become contactable, so that the current passing through the sensing line increases, and the pressure value is calculated. Also, in another embodiment, capacitive pressure sensing is adopted. In capacitive pressure sensing, a diaphragm is used to separate the vertical conductor and the horizontal conductor. When the diaphragm is deformed under pressure, the gap between the diaphragm and the two conductors changes, and further the capacitance changes, so that the magnitude of the pressure is calculated from the change in capacitance.

[0020] In another embodiment, as shown in FIG. 3, the smart sensing insole 101 may incorporate 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 the longitudinal conductor 1091 and the transverse conductor 1092.

[0021] In another embodiment, the smart sensing insole 101 has a red light / infrared light source, and an infrared sensor 139 used for detecting blood oxygen and blood pressure is disposed therein. When detecting blood pressure, after optically detecting subcutaneous blood flow, blood pressure data can be obtained by using a known algorithm. Also, the principle of detecting blood oxygen in a transmissive manner is as follows. That is, when blood is sent to the periphery, a minute volume change occurs according to the heart rate. Therefore, irradiation is performed using two types of light sources, red light and infrared light, to transmit through the bottom of the tissue and the sensor receives the light rays. Then, by paying attention to the difference in the influence of the minute volume change on the light intensity and converting it into a signal, the blood oxygen concentration is calculated.

[0022] As shown in FIG. 3, the smart sensing insole 101 can be for the left foot or the right foot. Since these have a symmetric structure, only one is illustrated, but it should be understood that it is applicable to both feet. The smart sensing insoles 101 for both feet are each electrically connected to a portable device 103 such as a smartphone or a tablet PC, and can receive and transmit data through a wireless transmission / reception module 132. The wireless transmission / reception module 132 conforms to a wireless communication standard (for example, WiFi, Bluetooth, RFID, NFC, 5G, or some other future wireless communication standard). The wireless transmission / reception module 132 is connected to an antenna to transmit and receive data.

[0023] The smart sensing insole 101 communicates with an external portable device 103. The smart sensing insole 101 includes a foot sensing module 116 built into the arch of the insole (if the components are miniaturized in the future, it may be arranged in other locations). Thereby, it receives and analyzes the foot pressure distribution and blood circulation data of the foot, and transmits the above data to the computing device or server of the remote terminal through the wireless transmission / reception (TX / RX) module 132 located in the foot sensing module 116.

[0024] The foot sensing module 116 is capable of executing 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 any other digital data processing device that executes processing and operations based on the present invention by executing instructions. The microprocessor is capable of executing various application programs stored in the storage unit. This includes the execution of firmware algorithms. The storage unit may include a read-only memory (ROM), a random access memory (RAM), an electrically erasable programmable ROM (EEPROM), a flash memory, or any other memory commonly used in a computer.

[0025] Figure 3 shows a case where the wireless transmission / reception (TX / RX) module 132 transmits and receives signals of the foot sensing module 116. In one embodiment, the wireless transmission / reception module 132 may be a wireless data transmission / reception device such as Bluetooth (registered trademark), WiFi, or a similar function. In other words, the above-mentioned wireless transmission / reception module 132 conforms to a wireless communication standard (for example, 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, or may be connected to the infrared sensor 139 and the inertial sensor 140. The foot sensing module 116 further includes a processing system (for example, one or more microprocessors), a memory, and the like.

[0026] The left or right smart sensing insole 101 includes, for example, additional sensors such as an accelerometer, a gyroscope, a GPS, etc., and a power supply device that supplies electricity to each module. Here, it should be understood that the foot sensing module 116 can control the collection and accumulation of data (for example, pressure distribution data of the user's foot or pressure data due to interaction with the ground, the blood circulation state of the user's foot, etc.) by a computer program / algorithm, and can store and / or execute these programs / algorithms.

[0027] 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.). Also, the storage device 146 includes a flash memory device. The wireless transmission / reception (TX / RX) module 145 is capable of performing data transmission / reception with the wireless transmission / reception (TX / RX) module 132.

[0028] In one embodiment, the big data database 108 is connected to the cloud server 107. Referring to FIGS. 1 and 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, perform pre-filtering and normalization processing on the input signal, extract time-domain and frequency-domain characteristics, and output a classification result by a Convolutional Neural Networks (CNN) model. Similarly, 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, regardless of the type of movement, by accurately detecting data by the insoles, appropriate health management is performed. Also, after performing AI analysis using data such as the user's weight, speed, pressure, etc., the movement is analyzed. The above are functions that cannot be achieved by conventional insole technologies and sports watches.

[0029] In another aspect, by combining an arithmetic system with the mobile device 103 and processing data from the sensors inside the shoes, it becomes possible to analyze the pressure distribution, gait, pitch, center of pressure (COP), etc. The plantar pressure distribution plays an important role when a person moves. Also, the foot shape and walking (running) posture affect the posture and skeletal changes of the human body, as well as the performance and limits of athletes. The insole having the integrally formed sandwich-type sensor provided by the present invention can be installed inside the shoes, thereby obtaining parameter data of the plantar pressure distribution of many users with respect to time and space. Then, through wireless transmission, it is uploaded to an external computing device (such as a smartphone, personal computer, computer server, etc.) for calculation and analysis, and stored in a cloud system to form a related big data database. In general conventional technologies, there is a lack of visualized / data-based learning criteria for enabling users to clearly understand each detail of their exercise state. Therefore, it assists the user to understand the situation of the plantar pressure distribution and adjust the walking posture, and provides detailed trajectories during movement.

[0030] In addition, the smart sensing insole provided by the present invention can also be integrated with the infrared sensor 139 to synchronously provide information on the blood circulation status of the user. As a result, the conventional restriction that data can only be acquired and analyzed in medical institutions and sports research institutions is eliminated, so that more users can obtain foot information specialized for individuals. In one embodiment, the above data is transmitted wirelessly. Also, by combining with the application program APP, it can be immediately displayed, achieving the visualization of the above data. In the present invention, the analysis data stored in the big data database 108 can not only be provided for the consumer's own health management, but also be used in cooperation with different industries as a reference for hospital and shoemaking industries with respect to the plantar information. Furthermore, the big data database 108 has a blockchain as the communication architecture. Thereby, data modification becomes impossible and the transmission is encrypted.

[0031] The present invention has a wireless charging induction coil disposed on one side of the smart sensing insole 101 so that the power required for the smart sensing insole can be supplied by wireless charging. Needless to say, the smart sensing insole 101 has a rechargeable battery and an electric power supply module. Further, in another embodiment, the wireless transmission / reception (TX / RX) module 132 may be replaced with a USB (Universal Serial Bus) connection port or coexist therewith for data transmission and wired charging.

[0032] The above embodiments are merely for explaining the technical solutions of the present invention and do not limit it. 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 points. That is, the descriptions of the above embodiments may be modified or equivalent substitutions may be made for some technical features. Also, due to these modifications or substitutions, the essence of the corresponding technical solutions does not deviate from the scope of the claims of the present invention.

Description of Reference Numerals

[0033] 101 Smart sensing insole 103 Portable device 105 Cloud network 107 Cloud server 108 Big data database 109 Pressure sensing layer 116 Foot sensing module 132 Wireless transmission / reception module 138 Pressure sensor 139 Infrared sensor 140 Inertial sensor 142, 142a Processor 143, 143a User interface 144, 144a Internet interface 145 Wireless transmission / reception module 146, 146a Storage device 148 AI arithmetic module 1091 Vertical conductor 1092 Horizontal conductor

Claims

1. A smart gait analysis insole, comprising: a left insole including a left pressure sensor and a left inertial sensor for acquiring information of the left foot, and a left wireless transmission module connected to the left pressure sensor and the left inertial sensor for transmitting the information of the left foot to a portable device; a right insole including a right pressure sensor and a right inertial sensor for acquiring information of the right foot, and a right wireless transmission module connected to the right pressure sensor and the right inertial sensor for transmitting the information of the right foot to the portable device; wherein the portable device analyzes the information of the left foot and the information of the right foot to obtain one or any combination of foot pressure, gait, pitch, and pressure center information.

2. The smart gait analysis insole according to Claim 1, further comprising an infrared sensor, a GPS, or any combination thereof.

3. The smart gait analysis insole according to Claim 1, further comprising a sensing module disposed within the smart gait analysis insole and used for receiving detection data. The smart gait analysis insole according to Claim 1, wherein the information of the left foot and the information of the right foot are displayed on the portable device.

4. The smart gait analysis insole according to Claim 3, wherein the information of the left foot and the information of the right foot are uploaded to a big data database through the portable device.

5. The smart gait analysis insole according to Claim 4, wherein the big data database uses a blockchain as a communication architecture to make the data immutable, and the big data database is connected to an AI operation module.

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