Intelligent electronic footwear and logic for automated haptic, audio, and visual feedback navigation assistance

Abstract

Intelligent electronic footwear and apparel with controller automation functions, methods for manufacturing and operating such footwear and apparel, and control systems for implementing the automation functions of such footwear and apparel are presented. The method of operation of the intelligent electronic shoe (IES) includes receiving user location data, for example, from a GPS satellite service through a wireless communication device via the controller. The controller also receives location data of a target object or site, such as a virtual shoe hidden in a virtual spot, for example, from a back-end server-class computer or other remote computing node. The controller retrieves or predicts route planning data including a guided path for traveling from the user's location to a target location within a geographic area. The controller then sends command signals to a navigation alert system attached to the shoe structure of the IES to output visual, audio, and / or tactile cues that guide the user along the guided path.

Description

[Technical field]

[0001] [PRIORITY CLAIM AND CROSS-REFERENCE TO RELATED APPLICATIONS] This application claims the benefit of and priority to U.S. Patent Application No. 16 / 874,944, filed May 15, 2020.

[0002] [Technical field] FIELD OF THE DISCLOSURE The present disclosure relates generally to wearable electronic devices. More specifically, aspects of the disclosure relate to systems, methods, and devices for enabling automated functionality in intelligent electronic footwear and apparel. [Background technology]

[0003] Footwear products such as shoes, boots, slippers, sandals, etc., are generally composed of two main elements: an upper to secure the footwear to the user's foot, and a sole structure to provide support to the foot from below. The upper may be manufactured from a variety of materials, including textiles, foams, polymers, natural and synthetic leathers, etc., which are sewn, welded, or adhesively bonded together to form a shell or harness to securely receive the foot. In the case of sandals and slippers, the upper may have an open toe or open heel construction, or may be limited to a series of straps that generally extend over the top of the foot and, depending on the design, around the ankle. Conversely, boot and shoe designs incorporate a full upper with a closed toe and heel construction, enveloping the user's foot. An ankle opening through the rear quarter portion of the upper provides access to the interior of the footwear, facilitating the entry and exit of the foot into the upper. Shoelace or straps may be utilized to secure the foot within the upper.

[0004] The sole structure is generally attached to the lower part of the upper, which is disposed between the user's foot and the ground. In many footwear products, including boots and athletic shoes, the sole structure is generally a layered structure incorporating a comfort-enhancing insole, a shock-absorbing midsole, and a surface-contacting outsole. The insole, which may be located partially or entirely within the upper, is a thin, compressible member that provides a contact surface for the bottom "plantar region" of the user's foot. In comparison, the midsole is attached below the insole and forms the middle layer of the sole structure. In addition to attenuating ground reaction forces, the midsole may help control foot movement and impart stability. An outsole is secured to the bottom surface of the midsole, which forms the ground-contacting portion of the footwear. The outsole is typically made from a durable and wear-resistant material that includes a tread pattern for improved traction. Summary of the Invention

[0005] Presented herein is intelligent electronic footwear with associated control logic for enabling automated footwear capabilities, methods of making and using such footwear, and a control system for provisioning automated functions of intelligent electronic footwear. As an example, an Internet of Adaptive Apparel and Footwear (IoAAF) system is presented that wirelessly communicates with an intelligent electronic shoe (IES) to provision communication between the IES and: (1) wireless-enabled devices (footwear-to-device (F2D)), (2) third-party IES (footwear-to-footwear (F2F)), (3) vehicles (footwear-to-vehicle (F2V)), (4) intelligent transportation or other infrastructure systems (footwear-to-infrastructure (F2I)), and / or (5) grids, networks, pedestrians, etc. (footwear-to-everything (F2X)). In a representative implementation, the IES is equipped with a detection tag, such as a radio frequency (RF) transponder, that receives an incoming prompt signal. The prompt signal may be broadcast by a transmitter-detector module mounted on a fixed structure such as a building, lamppost, or traffic signal pole, or on a moving structure such as a person, bicycle, or Society of Vehicle Engineers (SAE) Level 3, 4, or 5 autonomous vehicle.

[0006] The IES detection tag may respond to an incoming prompt signal, which may have RF power having a first frequency, by retransmitting the incoming signal as a transmission output signal, which may have RF power having a second frequency. The transponder may include a frequency filter that limits the incoming signal to a signal having the first frequency, a frequency converter that converts the incoming signal to a transmission output signal, and an amplifier that amplifies the output signal based on the incoming signal. Using a vehicle-mounted or structure-mounted RF transmitter-detector module to sweep the approach or surrounding area for a response signal output by the IES transponder provides advance warning before line of sight recognition, facilitating pedestrian collision avoidance.

[0007] By installing detection tags on the IES and automating communication between the IES detection tags and complementary transmitter-detectors mounted on vehicles, streetlights, nearby buildings, etc., a networked IoAAF system allows stakeholders to "go ahead" of impending collisions without the need for direct line of sight sensing, providing next "awareness" before the IES approaches the vehicle. In effect, the IoAAF system architecture helps eliminate false negatives caused by the inability of standard sensor hardware to effectively monitor pedestrians who have entered blind spots or are hidden behind other visual obstructions. Collision avoidance can be further enhanced by automating audible, visual, and / or tactile warnings to pedestrians via the IES, or by altering pedestrian flow through modulation of crosswalk signal timing. In addition to enabling pedestrian safety awareness, the disclosed IoAAF system may be employed, for example, in manufacturing facilities to prevent robot-induced damage to assembly line workers, in storage facilities to avoid collisions between workers and forklifts or Automated Guided Vehicles (AGVs), or on road construction sites to protect construction workers from passing vehicles. User movements (start, stop, left, right, accelerate, decelerate, etc.) may be managed via selective actuation of audio, visual, and haptic feedback devices resident in the IES.

[0008] For F2V and F2I applications, the IoAAF system can automate communication with smart footwear / apparel, for example, to perform pedestrian collision threat assessment based on a myriad of available data. For example, the F2I system can perform pedestrian collision threat assessment before line of sight between the moving object and the IES user by aggregating, fusing, and analyzing user dynamics data (e.g., location, speed, trajectory, acceleration / deceleration, etc.) generated by the IES, user behavior data (e.g., historical behavior at a particular corner of an intersection, historical behavior at intersections in general, historical behavior in current ambient conditions, etc.), environmental data (e.g., intersections with red lights vs. intersections with green lights, residential areas vs. urban areas, adverse weather conditions vs. optimal driving conditions), and crowdsourced data (dynamics and behavior of other pedestrians near the IES user who are also wearing intelligent footwear / apparel). Interoperable component communication is typically wireless and bidirectional, with data being communicated to and from infrastructure components over ad-hoc networks, for example, using Dedicated Short-Range Communications (DSRC). Traffic management monitoring systems can use IES, infrastructure, and vehicle data to set variable speed limits and adjust traffic signal phases and timing.

[0009] To enable wireless communication between the IES and the remote computing node, the IES may piggyback a communication session established by a user's smartphone, handheld computing device, or other portable electronic device with wireless communication capabilities. Alternatively, the IES may operate as a standalone device with a resident wireless communication device packaged within the shoe structure. Other peripheral hardware may include a resident controller, shortwave antenna, rechargeable battery, resident memory, SIM card, etc., all housed within the shoe structure. The IES may include a human machine interface (HMI) that allows a user to interact with the footwear and / or the IoAAF system. For example, one or more electroactive polymer (EAP) sensors may be woven into or formed as a patch attached on the shoe structure and are operable to receive user inputs that allow the user to control the operational aspects of the IES. Similarly, any accompanying operations for performing automated footwear functions may be performed locally via the IES controller or off-boarded in a distributed computing manner for execution by a smartphone, handheld computing device, IoAAF system, or any combination thereof.

[0010] As a further option, execution of any one or more of the footwear functions described herein may first require security authentication of the user via the IES controller and / or the IoAAF system server computer. For example, a distributed array of sensors in the shoe structure communicates with the IES controller to perform biometric verification such as confirmation of the user's weight (e.g., via a pressure sensor), shoe size (e.g., via EARL (Electro Adaptive Reactive Lacing)), toe print (e.g., via an optical fingerprint sensor), gait profile, or other suitable method. As an extension of this concept, any of the aforementioned sensing devices may be employed as a binary (on / off) switch to ensure that the IES is actually on the user's foot when attempting to execute an automated function. Failure to authenticate, verify, or confirm the user's presence may cause the IES to become inoperable and / or an electronic notification may be sent to the registered owner or the IoAAF system that unauthorized use has been detected.

[0011] To provision wireless data exchange to facilitate the execution of automated functions, an IES may need to be registered with the IoAAF system. For example, once a user records an IES serial number in the IoAAF system, the IoAAF system will issue a verification key to a personal account, e.g., a "digital locker" running on the user's smartphone, tablet, PC, or laptop, to provide additional authentication. For example, registration may be completed manually via the user, or digitally, e.g., via a barcode or near field communication (NFC) tag on the shoe. A unique virtual shoe may be assigned to the IES and stored, e.g., in the digital locker. Each virtual shoe may be underpinned by blockchain security technologies designed to help ensure uniqueness and authenticity, such as cryptographic hash functions, trusted timestamps, and correlated transaction data. Additional information regarding cryptographic digital assets for footwear products may be found, for example, in U.S. Pat. No. 10,505,726 to Christopher Andon et al., which is incorporated herein by reference in its entirety for all purposes.

[0012] Although described with reference to footwear products as an exemplary application of the novel concepts presented herein, it is contemplated that many of the disclosed options and features may be applied to other wearable apparel including clothing, headgear, eyewear, wristwear, neckwear, legwear, etc. It is also contemplated that the disclosed features may be implemented as part of an augmented reality (AR) or virtual reality (VR) device or system operable to overlay data, notifications, and other visual indicators to perform any of the techniques and options presented above and below.

[0013] Aspects of the present disclosure are directed to methods of manufacture and operation of any of the disclosed systems and devices. In one example, a method is presented for automating coordinated operations between an intelligent transportation management (ITM) system and one or more intelligent electronic shoes. Each IES is manufactured with an upper for attachment to a user's foot and a sole structure attached to a bottom surface of the upper for supporting the user's foot. This exemplary method includes transmitting a prompt signal to a detection tag attached to the sole structure and / or upper of the IES via a transmitter-detector module communicatively connected to a traffic system controller of the ITM system, receiving a response signal generated by the detection tag in response to receiving the prompt signal via the transmitter-detector module, determining a current location of the user via the traffic system controller based on the response signal, identifying a traffic signal proximate to the user's location and communicatively connected to the traffic system controller, determining a current (first) operating state of the traffic signal, and transmitting a command signal by the traffic system controller to the traffic signal to switch from the current (first) operating state to a different (second) operating state, in any combination and in any order with any of the features and options disclosed above or below.

[0014] Additional aspects of the present disclosure are directed to networked control systems and associated logic for performing automated functions of electronic footwear and apparel. For example, a system for automating coordinated operations between an intelligent transportation management system and an intelligent electronic shoe is presented. The system includes a transmitter-detector module mounted on a fixed traffic signal pole or similar structure and broadcasting a prompt signal. The system also includes a detection tag mounted on the sole structure and / or upper of the IES and operable to receive the prompt signal of the transmitter-detector module and responsively transmit a response signal to the transmitter-detector module. A traffic system controller is communicatively connected to the transmitter-detector module and operable to execute instructions stored in a memory to perform various operations. The system controller is programmed to determine a real-time location of the user based on the response signal output by the IES detection tag, determine a current (first) operating state (e.g., green signal phase) of a traffic signal proximate to the user's location and communicatively connected to the traffic system controller, and transmit a phase change command signal to the traffic signal to switch from the current (first) operating state to a different (second) operating state (e.g., red signal phase).

[0015] For any of the disclosed systems, methods, and devices, the IES may include a footwear controller and one or more dynamics sensors, all attached to the sole structure and / or upper. The dynamics sensor(s) generate and output sensor data indicative of the speed and / or direction of travel of the IES. The sensor data is transmitted via the IES footwear controller to a traffic system controller, which uses the received data to determine whether to send a command signal to the traffic signal to change the operational state of the signal. For example, the traffic system controller may use the dynamics sensor data to determine an expected intrusion time at which the IES is likely to break through a lane regulated by the traffic signal. The traffic system controller then determines an estimated phase change time as the difference between the current time and a preprogrammed phase change time at which the traffic signal is scheduled to switch from a first operational state to a second operational state. Once calculated, the traffic system controller determines whether the expected intrusion time is less than the estimated phase change time, and if so, the traffic system controller automatically sends a phase change command signal to the traffic signal. The traffic system controller may also determine whether (1) the speed of the IES is substantially equal to zero and (2) the direction of travel of the IES is away from the lane regulated by the traffic signal. If either (1) or (2) returns a positive determination, the traffic system controller is programmed to not send a phase change command signal to the traffic signal.

[0016] For any of the disclosed systems, methods, and devices, the traffic system controller may ascertain the current position, speed, and / or trajectory of the vehicle in the lane regulated by the traffic signal. The traffic system controller simultaneously determines whether the user's current position is within a predetermined proximity range from the vehicle's current position. In this case, a signal change command signal is transmitted to the traffic signal in response to determining that the user's position is within the proximity range from the vehicle's current position. As a further option, the traffic system controller may transmit a pedestrian collision warning signal to the footwear controller in response to the user's current position being within the predetermined proximity range from the vehicle's current position. The footwear controller may respond to receiving this pedestrian collision warning signal by transmitting one or more command signals to a resident alert system, which is attached to the sole structure / upper and operable to generate a predetermined visual, audible, and / or tactile alert perceivable by the user.

[0017] For any of the disclosed systems, methods, and devices, the detection tag may include an RF transponder attached to the IES sole structure / upper. In this instance, the prompt signal has a first RF power having a first frequency, and the response signal has a second RF power having a second frequency different from the first frequency. The prompt signal may include an embedded data set, and the response signal retransmits at least a portion of the embedded data set to the transmitter-detector module. The RF transponder may include an RF antenna and a frequency filter connected to the RF antenna. The frequency filter is operable to reject any RF signal having an RF power having a frequency different from the first frequency.

[0018] For any of the disclosed systems, methods, and devices, the resident footwear controller may transmit real-time user location and dynamics data to a traffic system controller. The traffic system controller then fuses the real-time user location data with the user dynamics data to determine a pedestrian collision threat value. This pedestrian collision threat value predicts the user's intrusion into the vehicle's current location and projected path. The footwear controller may also aggregate and transmit behavioral data indicative of the user's historical behavior when wearing the IES. In this case, the pedestrian collision threat value is further based on the fusion of the user location and dynamics data with the behavioral data. As another option, the traffic system controller may collect crowd-sourced data indicative of the behavior of multiple individuals in the vicinity of the user. In this case, the pedestrian collision threat value is also based on the fusion of the behavioral data, the user location data, and / or the user dynamics data with the crowd-sourced data. The traffic system controller may also aggregate and transmit environmental data indicative of characteristics of the user's surrounding environment. The pedestrian collision threat value may be further based on behavior data, user position data, user dynamics data, and / or a fusion of crowd-sourced data and environmental data.

[0019] For any of the disclosed systems, methods, and devices, the traffic system controller may transmit a pedestrian impact warning signal to the footwear controller. Upon receiving the warning signal, the footwear controller may automatically respond by transmitting an activation command signal to the resident tactile transducer, thereby causing the tactile transducer to generate a predetermined tactile alert designed to warn the user of an impending collision with a vehicle. Optionally or alternatively, the footwear controller may automatically respond to receiving the pedestrian impact warning signal by outputting an activation command signal to the resident audio system, causing an associated audio component to generate a predetermined audible alert designed to warn the user of an impending collision. As a further option, the resident footwear controller may automatically respond to receiving the pedestrian impact warning signal by transmitting an activation command signal to the resident light system, causing an associated lighting element to generate a predetermined visual alert designed to warn the user of an impending collision with a vehicle.

[0020] Also presented herein are intelligent electronic footwear and apparel with associated control logic and resident navigational alert systems for provisioning user navigational assistance via automated haptic, audio, and / or visual feedback. It is envisioned that the disclosed IES and IES control systems may be utilized as input and / or output devices for location-based and navigation-based gaming, tours, travel, entertainment, marketing, and the like. In a non-limiting example, a pair of auto-tensioning lace motors packaged on or within the shoe structure of a pair of IESs are operated, individually and cooperatively, as a haptic force feedback device to provide navigational instructions to a user. One representative application is providing turn-by-turn instructions to a user via a resident "in-shoe" haptic, audio, and / or visual feedback device to help the user move from a current "start" location or designated origin to a desired "end" location or a selected series of stops.

[0021] Another representative application of IES-based navigation assistance includes directions to physical or virtual objects or checkpoints, which may be perceived separately in VR or AR (e.g., accessing content through SNKRS STASH® or CRYPTOKICKS® functions). For example, a user may be prompted to “hunt” a pair of virtual CRYPTOKICKS® that are “hidden” in a brick-and-mortar store by using a photo “snap” or augmented reality function on a wireless-enabled handheld computing device. Upon determining the user’s real-time location, a set of instructions is derived to circumnavigate the store to locate the target virtual object. These instructions are translated into a corresponding series of haptic cues, each of which is adapted to correspond to a specific action (e.g., go forward, go back, go left, go right, start, stop, etc.). The haptic cues are then relayed to the user via the continuous actuation and modulation of the race motor. Additional information regarding targeted exploration of tangible and virtual objects using geocaching can be found, for example, in U.S. Patent Application Publication No. 2019 / 0080342 to Christopher Andon et al., which is incorporated by reference in its entirety for all purposes.

[0022] Aspects of the present disclosure are directed to intelligent footwear and apparel for provisioning user navigational assistance via automated tactile, audio, and / or visual feedback. In one example, an intelligent electronic shoe is presented for assisting a user to navigate to a target object and / or target location. The IES includes a shoe structure for mounting on and supporting on a user's foot, such as a footwear upper mounted on a sole structure. A navigational alert system mounted on or in the IES shoe structure is selectively operable to generate visual, audible, and / or tactile outputs in response to electronic command signals. The IES also includes a wireless communication device operable to wirelessly communicate with a remote computing node, such as provisioning data exchange with a back-end or middleware server class computer through a piggyback session with a handheld smartphone or wireless-enabled tablet computer.

[0023] Continuing with the above example, a resident or remote controller is communicatively connected to the navigational alert system and the wireless communication device. The controller is programmed to receive, retrieve, calculate, estimate, etc. (collectively "determine") the user's location data and simultaneously receive target object / site location data from the remote computing node. Using this information, the controller determines route planning data including a derived route for traveling from the user's location to a target location within a specified geographic area. Upon obtaining the route planning data, the controller transmits command signals to the navigational alert system to output visual, audio, and / or haptic cues designed to guide the user along the derived route.

[0024] Additional aspects of the present disclosure are directed to methods of making and using intelligent footwear and apparel to provision user navigation assistance. In one example, a method is presented for operating an IES to assist a user to navigate to a target object or location within a geographic area. This representative method includes receiving, via a controller, through a wireless communication device, location data indicative of a user's user location; receiving, via the controller, through a wireless communication device, location data indicative of a target location of a target object or site from a remote computing node; determining, via the controller, route planning data including a derived route for traveling from the user location to the target location within the geographic area; and transmitting, via the controller, a command signal to a navigation alert system attached to the shoe structure for outputting visual, audio, and / or haptic cues that guide the user along the derived route, in any combination and in any order with any of the features and options disclosed above or below.

[0025] For any of the disclosed systems, methods, and devices, the route planning data may include a series of navigation instructions for walking from the user's location to the target location. In this case, each command signal corresponds to a calibrated navigation alert system cue indicating a respective navigation instruction. The controller may also track the user's real-time movement along the derived route and determine whether each new user position in the series of new user positions along the route corresponds to one of the navigation instructions in the route planning data. In this case, each command signal is transmitted in response to a determination that one of the new user positions corresponds to a respective navigation instruction associated with that command signal. Each navigation instruction includes one or more of: forward, back, go left, go right, accelerate, decelerate, go up, go down, start, stop, and / or turn.

[0026] For any of the disclosed systems, methods, and devices, the controller may also send a start command signal to the navigation alert system to output a visual, audio, and / or tactile cue designed to notify the user to begin moving along the guided path. Similarly, the controller may also send a finish command signal to the navigation alert system to output a visual, audio, and / or tactile cue designed to notify the user that the user has reached a target location. In at least some applications, the target object / site is a virtual object located at a virtual location. The target location may be defined by a virtual geofence, and the controller may respond to the user breaking through this geofence by sending a finish command signal to the alert system to output a feedback cue notifying the user that the user has reached the target object / site.

[0027] For any of the disclosed systems, methods, and devices, the navigational alert system includes a tactile transducer attached to the sole structure and operable to generate tactile cues to assist user navigation in response to a command signal. In some system architectures, the tactile transducer is a lace motor attached on or within the shoe structure and operable to selectively transition the laces or straps of the IES between tensioned and untensioned states. The IES may include left and right shoes that are worn on and support the left and right feet of the user, respectively. In this case, the tactile transducer includes separate lace motors attached to the shoe structures of the left and right shoes. The command signal generated by the controller activates these two lace motors individually and cooperatively, thereby generating tactile cues to guide the user along the outgoing path. As a further option, the command signal modulates the motor speed and / or applied tension of the two lace motors, thereby generating tactile cues to guide the user along the outgoing path.

[0028] The above summary does not represent all embodiments or all aspects of the present disclosure. Rather, the foregoing summary merely provides an illustration of some of the novel concepts described herein. The above features and advantages of the present disclosure, as well as other features and attendant advantages, will become readily apparent from the following description of illustrative examples and representative modes for carrying out the present disclosure, when taken in conjunction with the accompanying drawings and the appended claims. Moreover, the present disclosure expressly includes any and all combinations and subcombinations of the elements and features presented above and below. [Brief description of the drawings]

[0029] [Figure 1] FIG. 1 is a lateral side view of an exemplary intelligent electronic shoe having footwear functions automated by a controller, according to an aspect of the present disclosure. [Diagram 2] 2 is a partial schematic bottom view of the exemplary intelligent electronic shoe of FIG. 1. [Diagram 3] FIG. 3 is a partially schematic perspective view illustrating a representative user wearing the pair of intelligent electronic shoes of FIGS. 1 and 2 during wireless data exchange to perform one or more automated footwear functions, in accordance with an embodiment of the disclosed concepts. [Figure 4] FIG. 3 is an elevated perspective view showing multiple representative users each wearing a pair of IESs of FIGS. 1 and 2 to perform one or more automated footwear functions and one or more automated transportation system functions during wireless data exchange with a representative intelligent transportation management system. [Diagram 5] 1 is a flowchart illustrating an exemplary automated footwear function protocol that may correspond to memory stored instructions executed by a resident or remote control logic circuit, programmable controller, or other computer-based device or network of devices in accordance with an aspect of the disclosed concepts. [Figure 6]FIG. 3 is a perspective view illustrating how a representative user may employ the pair of IESs of FIGS. 1 and 2 to automate interactions with a representative building security system, according to an embodiment of the present disclosure. [Figure 7] FIG. 3 is a plan view illustrating how a representative user may employ a pair of IESs from FIGS. 1 and 2 to automate interactions with one or more subsystems of a home automation system, according to an embodiment of the disclosure. [Figure 8] 1 is a partial schematic perspective view of an exemplary electronic navigation assistance system including an exemplary wireless-enabled handheld computing device in communication with an IES with a navigation alert system, according to an embodiment of the present disclosure. [Figure 9A] FIG. 9 is a partial schematic diagram of the exemplary electronic navigation assistance system of FIG. 8, showing an exemplary handheld computing device in communication with an IES to execute a user navigation assistance application and assist a user in locating an exemplary target object and / or location. [Figure 9B] FIG. 9 is a partial schematic diagram of the exemplary electronic navigation assistance system of FIG. 8, showing an exemplary handheld computing device in communication with an IES to execute a user navigation assistance application and assist a user in locating an exemplary target object and / or location. [Figure 9C] FIG. 9 is a partial schematic diagram of the exemplary electronic navigation assistance system of FIG. 8, showing an exemplary handheld computing device in communication with an IES to execute a user navigation assistance application and assist a user in locating an exemplary target object and / or location. [Figure 9D] FIG. 9 is a partial schematic diagram of the exemplary electronic navigation assistance system of FIG. 8, showing an exemplary handheld computing device in communication with an IES to execute a user navigation assistance application and assist a user in locating an exemplary target object and / or location. [Figure 10]FIG. 1 is a flowchart illustrating an exemplary IES navigation algorithm for assisting a user in navigating a predefined route, which may correspond to memory stored instructions executed by a resident or remote system controller, control logic circuit, programmable electronic control unit, or other integrated circuit (IC) device or network of IC devices, in accordance with an aspect of the disclosed concepts.

[0030] The present disclosure is susceptible to various modifications and alternative forms, and several representative embodiments are shown by way of example in the drawings and described in detail herein. However, it should be understood that the novel aspects of the present disclosure are not limited to the specific forms shown in the drawings listed above. Rather, the present disclosure is intended to cover all modifications, equivalents, combinations, subcombinations, permutations, groupings, and substitutions that fall within the scope of the present disclosure as encompassed by the appended claims. DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS

[0031] The present disclosure can be embodied in many different forms. Although representative embodiments of the present disclosure are shown in the drawings and described in detail herein, it should be understood that these representative examples are provided as illustrations of the disclosed principles and are not intended to limit the broad aspects of the present disclosure. To that extent, elements and limitations described in the Abstract, Technical Field, Background, Summary of the Invention, and Detailed Description sections but not explicitly described in the claims should not be incorporated into the claims, either individually or collectively, by implication, inference, or otherwise.

[0032] For the purposes of this detailed description, unless otherwise stated, the singular includes the plural and vice versa. The words "and" and "or" are both intended to be conjunctive and disjunctive, the words "any" and "all" are both intended to mean "any and all", and the words "including", "comprising", "having", "containing" and the like are each intended to mean "including without limitation". Additionally, words indicating approximations such as "about," "almost," "substantially," "approximately," "approximately," and the like may be used herein to mean, for example, "at, near, or nearly at," or "within 0-5% of," or "within acceptable manufacturing tolerances," or any logical combination thereof. Finally, adjectives and adverbs indicating directions such as forward, rearward, medial, lateral, proximal, distal, vertical, horizontal, front, rear, left, right, and the like, may be with respect to the article of footwear when worn on a user's foot and operatively oriented with the ground-engaging portion of the sole structure seated, for example, on a flat surface.

[0033] Referring now to the drawings, in which like reference numbers refer to like features throughout the several views, FIG. 1 shows a representative footwear product generally designated 10 and depicted herein for purposes of illustration as an athletic shoe or "sneaker." The illustrated footwear 10 (also referred to herein for brevity as an "intelligent electronic shoe" or "IES") is merely an exemplary application in which the novel aspects and features of the present disclosure may be implemented. Similarly, implementation of the present concepts on wearable electronic devices worn on a human foot should also be understood as an exemplary application of the concepts disclosed herein. Thus, it will be understood that the aspects and features of the present disclosure may be integrated into other footwear designs and incorporated into any logically related type of wearable electronic device worn on any part of the body. As used herein, the terms "shoe" and "footwear" may be used interchangeably and synonymously to refer to any related type of garment worn on the foot, including permutations thereof. Finally, the features presented in the drawings are not necessarily to scale and are provided purely for instructional purposes. Therefore, the specific and relative dimensions illustrated in the drawings should not be construed as limiting.

[0034] A representative piece of footwear 10 is shown generally in Figures 1 and 2 as a two-part construction comprised primarily of a foot-receiving upper 12 mounted over an underlying sole structure 14. For ease of reference, footwear 10 may be configured as a footwear having a forefoot region R FF , midfoot area R MF , and the hindfoot (heel) area R HF The footwear 10 may also be divided along a vertical plane into three anatomical regions: an outer segment S LA (the distal half of the shoe 10, the part furthest from the sagittal plane of the body) and the medial segment S ME (the proximal half of the shoe 10 closer to the sagittal plane of the human body) and the forefoot region R according to recognized anatomical classifications. FFis located at the front of the footwear 10 and generally corresponds to the phalanges (toes), metatarsals, and any interconnecting joints therebetween. FF and the hind foot area R HF Between the midfoot area R MF Interposed between the ankle and heel bones are the ankle bones, which generally correspond to the cuneiform, navicular, and cuboid bones (i.e., the arch area of ​​the foot). In contrast, the heel region R HF is located at the rear of the footwear 10 and generally corresponds to the talus and calcaneus. LA and medial segment S ME Both are classified into three anatomical regions R FF , R MF , R HF 1 and 2, each corresponding to a respective lateral side of the footwear 10. Although only a single shoe 10 for a user's left foot is shown in Figures 1 and 2, a mirror image, substantially identical shoe may be provided for a user's right foot, as shown in Figure 3. It will be appreciated that the shape, size, material composition, and manufacturing method of shoe 10, individually or collectively, may be varied to accommodate virtually any conventional or non-conventional application.

[0035] Referring again to FIG. 1, the upper 12 is shown as having a closed toe and heel configuration generally defined by three adjacent portions: a toe box 12A that covers and protects the toes, a vamp 12B that is located rearward of the toe box 12A and extends around the lace eyelet 16 and tongue 18, and a rear quarter 12C that is located rearward of the vamp 12B and includes the rear and side portions of the upper 12 that covers the heel. The upper 12 portion of the footwear 10 may be manufactured from any one or combination of a variety of materials, such as textiles, foams, polymers, natural and synthetic leathers, which are sewn, adhesively bonded, or welded together to form an interior void for comfortably receiving the foot. The individual material elements of the upper 12 may be selected and positioned relative to the footwear 10 to impart desired characteristics, for example, durability, breathability, abrasion resistance, flexibility, and comfort. An ankle opening 15 in the rear quarter 12C of the upper 12 provides access to the interior of the shoe 10. Laces 20, straps, buckles, or other mechanisms may be utilized to modify the girth of upper 12 to more securely hold the foot within shoe 10 and to facilitate easier entry and exit of the foot into upper 12. Laces 20 may be threaded through a series of eyelets in upper 12, and tongue 18 may extend between laces 20 and the interior cavity of upper 12.

[0036] The sole structure 14 is configured to couple the upper 12 to a support surface on which a user stands (e.g., a walkway G shown in FIG. 3). S1) and is secured to the upper 12 so that it extends between the sole structure 14 and the foot of the footwear 10. In effect, the sole structure 14 functions as an intermediate support platform that separates the user's foot from the ground. In addition to attenuating ground reaction forces and providing cushioning to the foot, the sole structure 14 of FIGS. 1 and 2 may provide traction, impart stability, and help limit various foot movements, such as inadvertent foot inversion and eversion. According to the illustrated example, the sole structure 14 is fabricated as a sandwich structure having an uppermost insole 22, an intermediate midsole 24, and a lowermost outsole 26. The insole 22 is shown partially positioned within the interior void of the footwear 10 and secured securely to the lower portion of the upper 12 such that the insole 22 is positioned adjacent the plantar surface of the foot. Under the insole 22 is a midsole 24 that incorporates one or more materials or embedded elements that enhance the comfort, performance, and / or ground reaction attenuation characteristics of the footwear 10. These elements and materials may include polymer foam materials such as polyurethane or ethyl vinyl acetate (EVA), filler materials, moderators, air-filled bladders, plates, lasting elements, or motion-control members, individually or in any combination. Outsole 26 may be absent in some configurations of footwear 10 and is secured to the underside of midsole 24. Outsole 26 may be formed from a rubber material that provides a durable and wear-resistant surface for engaging the ground. Additionally, outsole 26 may be textured to improve traction (i.e., friction) characteristics between footwear 10 and an underlying supporting surface.

[0037] FIG. 3 is a partial schematic diagram of an exemplary IES data network and communication system, generally designated 30, for provisioning wireless data exchange to perform one or more automated footwear functions for a pair of intelligent electronic shoes 10 worn by a user or client 11. Although a single user 11 is shown communicating with a single vehicle 32 via the IES system 30, it is envisioned that any number of users may communicate with any number of vehicles or other remote computing nodes suitably equipped to wirelessly exchange information and data. One or both IESs 10 of FIG. 3 are communicatively coupled to a remote host system 34 or cloud computing system 36 via a wireless communications network 38. Wireless data exchange between the IESs 10 and the IES system 30 may be direct, in a configuration in which the IESs 10 is equipped as a standalone device, or indirect, by pairing the IESs 10 to a smartphone 40, a smartwatch 42, a wireless fidelity (WiFi) node, or other suitable device. In this regard, the IES 10 may communicate directly with the vehicle 32, for example, via a short-range wireless communication device (e.g., a BLUETOOTH® unit or near field communication (NFC) transceiver), a dedicated short-range communication (DSRC) component, a radio antenna, etc. Only selected components of the IES 10 and IES system 30 are shown and described in detail herein. Nevertheless, the systems and devices discussed herein can include numerous additional and alternative features, as well as other available hardware and well-known peripheral components, for performing the various methods and functions disclosed herein, for example.

[0038] Continuing to refer to FIG. 3, the host system 34 may be implemented as a high-speed server computing device or mainframe computer capable of bulk data processing, resource planning, and transaction processing. For example, the host system 34 may operate as a host in a client-server interface to perform any necessary data exchange and communication with one or more "third-party" servers to complete a particular transaction. Meanwhile, the cloud computing system 36 may operate as middleware for Internet of Things (IoT), Web of Things (WoT), Internet of Adaptive Apparel and Footwear (IoAAF), and / or machine-to-machine (M2M) services, connecting an assortment of heterogeneous electronic devices with a service-oriented architecture (SOA) via a data network. As an example, the cloud computing system 36 may be implemented as a middleware node to dynamically onboard heterogeneous devices, multiplex data from each of these devices, and provide different functions for routing the data through reconfigurable processing logic for processing and transmission to one or more destination applications. Network 38 may be any available type of network, including a combination of public distributed computing networks (e.g., the Internet) and secure private networks (e.g., local area networks, wide area networks, virtual private networks), and may also include wireless and wireline transmission systems (e.g., satellite, cellular networks, terrestrial networks, etc.). In at least some aspects, most, if not all, data transaction functions performed by IES 10 may be performed over wireless networks, such as wireless local area networks (WLANs) or cellular data networks, to ensure freedom of movement for users 11 and IES 10.

[0039] The footwear 10 includes various built-in electronic hardware for operating as a hands-free, rechargeable, and intelligent wearable electronic device. The various electronic components of the IES 10 are managed by one or more electronic controller devices, such as a resident footwear controller 44 (FIG. 2) packaged within the sole structure 14 of the footwear 10. The footwear controller 44, whether resident, remote, or a combination of both, may include any one or various combinations of one or more of logic circuits, dedicated control modules, electronic control units, processors, application specific integrated circuits, or any suitable integrated circuit devices. By way of example, the footwear controller 44 may include multiple microprocessors, including master processors, slave processors, and / or secondary or parallel processors. The controller 44, as used herein, may include any combination of hardware, software, and / or firmware located within and / or outside the shoe structure of the IES 10 configured to communicate with and / or control the transfer of data to and from buses, computers, processors, devices, services, and / or networks. The footwear controller 44 is generally operable to execute any or all of the various computer program products, software, applications, algorithms, methods and / or other processes disclosed herein. Routines may be executed in real time, continuously, systematically, sporadically, and / or at regular intervals, such as every 100 microseconds, 3.125, 6.25, 12.5, 25, and 100 milliseconds, during use or operation of the controller 44.

[0040] The footwear controller 44 may include or communicate with resident or remote memory devices, such as a resident footwear memory 46 packaged within the sole structure 14 of the footwear 10. The resident footwear memory 46 may comprise semiconductor memory, including volatile memory (e.g., random access memory (RAM) or multiple RAMs) and non-volatile memory (e.g., read only memory (ROM) or EEPROM), magnetic disk storage media, optical storage media, flash memory, and the like. Long-range communication capabilities with remote networked devices may be provided via one or more or all of a cellular network chipset / component, a satellite service chipset / component, or a wireless modem or chipset / component, all of which are collectively represented in FIG. 2 as 48. Short-range wireless connectivity may be provided via a BLUETOOTH transceiver, a radio frequency identification (RFID) tag, an NFC device, a DSRC component, and / or a radio antenna, all of which are collectively represented in FIG. 2 as 50. A resident power source, such as a lithium-ion battery 52 with plug-in or cable-free (inductive or resonant) rechargeable capability, may be embedded within the upper 12 or sole structure 14 of the footwear 10. Wireless communication may be further facilitated through implementation of BLUETOOTH Low Energy (BLE), Category (CAT) M1, and / or CAT-NB1 wireless interfaces. The various communication devices described above may be configured to exchange data between devices as part of systematic or periodic beacon messages broadcast in footwear-to-vehicle (F2V) data exchange and / or footwear-to-everything (F2X) data exchange, e.g., footwear-to-infrastructure (F2I), footwear-to-pedestrian (F2P), or footwear-to-footwear (F2F).

[0041] The location and movement of the IES 10, and thus the user 11, may be tracked via a position tracking device 54, which may be within the sole structure 14 or the upper 12, or a combination of both. The location data may be determined by a satellite-based Global Positioning System (GPS) or other suitable navigation system. In one example, a GPS system may monitor the location of a person, vehicle, or other target object on the Earth using a cooperating group of orbiting GPS satellites that communicate with a suitable GPS transceiver, thereby generating a series of time-stamped data points in real time. In addition to providing data regarding the absolute latitude and longitude position coordinates of a GPS receiver mounted on the target object, the data provided via the GPS system may be adapted and used to provide information regarding the time elapsed during the performance of a specified action, the total distance traveled, the altitude or height at a particular location, the altitude change within a specified time window, the direction of movement, the speed of movement, and the like. An aggregated set of the aforementioned GPS data may be used by the resident footwear controller 44 to estimate a predicted path for the user 11. GPS system data may be used, singly and collectively, to supplement and optionally calibrate accelerometer-based or other pedometer-based speed and distance data. To this end, information collected by the GPS satellite system may be used to generate correction factors and / or calibration parameters used by the IES 10 to help ensure accurate sensor data and thus optimal system operation.

[0042] Even in the absence of a GPS receiver, the IES 10 can determine location and movement information by working with a cellular system through a process known as "trilateration." The towers and base stations of a cellular system communicate radio signals and are arranged in a network of cells. A cellular device such as the IES 10 may be equipped with a low-power transmitter to communicate with the nearest tower, base station, router, or access point. As a user moves with the IES 10, for example from one cell to another, the base station monitors the strength of the transmitter's signal. As the IES 10 moves toward the edge of a cell, the strength of the transmitter's signal decreases relative to the current tower. At the same time, the base station in the approaching cell detects an increase in the strength of its signal. As the user moves to the new cell, the towers forward the signal from one to the next. The resident footwear controller 44 can determine the location of the IES 10 based on measurements of the transmitter's signal, such as the angle of approach to the cell tower(s), the respective times it takes for individual signals to travel to the multiple towers, and the respective strength of each signal as it reaches its corresponding tower. According to other aspects of the present concepts, one or more motion sensing devices may be incorporated into the shoe structure to determine dynamic motion (e.g., translation, rotation, velocity, acceleration, etc.) of the IES10 relative to established datum or reference (e.g., position, spatial orientation, reaction, force, velocity, acceleration, electrical contact, etc.) about or along one or more axes.

[0043] 1 and 2 collectively, the article of footwear 10 may include a resident lighting system 56 having one or more lighting devices managed by the footwear controller 44 to selectively illuminate the footwear structure and surrounding areas. Different types of lighting devices may be employed by the lighting system 56, including light emitting diodes (LEDs), electroluminescent panels (ELPs), compact fluorescent lamps (CFLs), high intensity discharge lamps, flexible and non-flexible organic LED displays, flat panel liquid crystal displays (LCDs), and other available types of lighting elements. Any number of lighting devices may be positioned on any portion of the shoe 10, and as illustrated, a first lighting device 58 is positioned over the midfoot region R of the footwear 10. MF The first lighting device 58 is packaged within the sole structure 14 located within the upper 12. The first lighting device 58 is disposed directly adjacent a window 60 (FIG. 1) that seals a frame opening that extends through the peripheral wall of the sole structure 14 on the side of the shoe 10. This lighting device 58 may be operated in an illuminated or "on" state, a non-illuminated or "off" state, a range of lighting intensities (e.g., low, medium, and high light output), various colors, and / or various lighting patterns. In this configuration, the first lighting device 58 illuminates a portion of the upper 12, a portion of the sole 14, and the ground G adjacent to the IES 10. S1 A portion of the light is selectively irradiated.

[0044] Referring now to the flowchart of FIG. 5, an improved method or control strategy for automating cooperative operations between a wearable electronic device, such as the IES 10 of FIGS. 1 and 2, and an Intelligent Transportation Management (ITM) system, which may be represented herein by the IES data network and communication system 30 of FIG. 3, according to an embodiment of the present disclosure, is generally described at 100. Some or all of the operations illustrated in FIG. 5 and described in further detail below may represent algorithms corresponding to processor-executable instructions, which may be stored, for example, in a main memory, an auxiliary memory, or a remote memory, and executed, for example, by a resident or remote controller, a central processing unit (CPU), a control logic circuit, or other module or device, to perform any or all of the functions described above or below associated with the disclosed concepts. It should be recognized that the order of execution of the illustrated operational blocks may be changed, additional blocks may be added, and some of the described blocks may be modified, combined, or deleted.

[0045] The method 100 begins at terminal block 101 with processor-executable instructions for a programmable controller or control module, such as the resident footwear controller 44 of FIG. 2, or a similarly suitable processor, to invoke an initialization procedure of a protocol for managing the operation of a wearable electronic device, such as the IES 10 of FIG. 1. This routine may be invoked and executed in real time, continuously, systematically, sporadically, and / or at regular intervals, etc., during use of the intelligent electronic shoe 10. Referring to the IES data network and communication system 30 architecture of FIG. 3, as a representative implementation of the method shown in FIG. 5, the initialization procedure in block 101 may be automatically initiated each time the user 11 approaches a roadway or roadway intersection 13, each time the user 11 approaches or is approached by a vehicle 32, or each time the user 11 comes within detectable proximity range of a mobile transmitter-detector module 70 (e.g., mounted on a vehicle 32) or a fixed transmitter-detector module 72 (e.g., mounted on a pedestrian crossing signal pole 74). Utilizing a portable electronic device such as a smartphone 40 or smartwatch 42, the user 11 may launch a dedicated mobile application or web-based applet that cooperates with a traffic system controller (e.g., represented by a remote host system 34) through an IoAAF middleware node (e.g., represented by a cloud computing system 36) to monitor the user 11, for example, as part of a pedestrian collision avoidance procedure. The example shown in FIG. 3 depicts a single pedestrian (a female runner) avoiding injury in an accident with a single automobile (an SAE Level 3, 4, or 5 autonomous vehicle) at an intersection of an urban roadway. However, it is envisioned that the IES system 30 may monitor any number and type of users and protect against any number and type of vehicles or objects operating in any logically relevant environment.

[0046] To enhance security, the interaction between the IES 10 and the IES system 30 may be enabled by an authentication process in a predefined process block 103. The authentication may be performed by proper activation of the wearable electronic device and / or by a primary or secondary source verifying the valid identity of the user of the device. By manual entry of user identification information, such as a password, a PIN number, a credit card number, personal information, biometric data, a predefined key sequence, etc., the user may be granted access to a personal account, e.g., a "digital locker" running on the user's smartphone 40 with the NIKE+® Connect software application and registered with the IoAAF middleware node. Thus, data exchange may be enabled by, for example, a combination of a personal identification input (e.g., mother's maiden name, social security number, etc.) and a secret PIN number (e.g., a six or eight digit code), or a combination of a password (e.g., created by the user 11) and a corresponding PIN number (e.g., issued by the host system 34), or a combination of a credit card input and a secret PIN number. Additionally or alternatively, a barcode, RFID tag, or NFC tag may be imprinted or attached to the shoe structure of the IES 10 and configured to communicate a security authentication code to the IES system 30. Other established authentication and security techniques, including blockchain cryptography, may be utilized to prevent unauthorized access to a user's account, for example, to minimize the impact of unauthorized access to a user's account, or to prevent unauthorized access to personal information or funds accessible via a user's account.

[0047] As an alternative or supplemental option to manually entering identification information at predefined process block 103, security authentication of user 11 may be automated by resident footwear controller 44. As a non-limiting example, a pressure sensor 62, which may be in the nature of a binary contact sensor switch, may be attached to footwear 10 (e.g., embedded within midsole 24 of sole structure 14). This pressure sensor 62 detects a calibrated minimum load on insole 22, thereby verifying the presence of a foot within upper 12. Any future automated functionality of IES 10 may require controller 44 to first verify, via a prompt signal to binary pressure sensor 62, that a foot is present in upper 12, and thus footwear 10 is in use, before sending a command signal to initiate automated operation. Although only a single sensor is shown in FIG. 2, it is envisioned that IES 10 may include a distributed array of sensors, including pressure, temperature, humidity, and / or shoe dynamics sensors, packaged in discrete locations throughout the shoe structure. Similarly, foot presence sensing (FPS) may be determined via a variety of available sensing technologies including capacitance, magnetic, etc. Additional information regarding foot presence sensing is described, for example, in U.S. Patent Application Publication Nos. 2017 / 0265584 and 2017 / 0265594 to Steven H. Walker et al., both of which are incorporated herein by reference in their respective entireties for all purposes.

[0048] In addition to functioning as a binary (ON / OFF) switch, the pressure sensor 62 may be a multi-modal sensor configuration, such as a polyurethane dielectric capacitive biofeedback sensor, that detects and outputs one or more signals indicative of any of a variety of biometric parameters, such as the magnitude of applied pressure generated by the foot within the upper 12. These sensor signals are passed from the pressure sensor 62 to the resident footwear controller 44, which aggregates, filters, and processes the received data to calculate a current user weight value. The current user weight calculated for the individual currently using the IES 10 is compared to previously verified and stored in memory user weights (e.g., authenticated registered users of existing personal accounts). In doing so, the footwear controller 44 can determine whether the current user weight is equal to or within a predetermined threshold range of the verified user weight. Once the current user is authenticated to a verified user, the resident footwear controller 44 can send command signals to one or more subsystems within the footwear 10 to automate its functions.

[0049] Automated security authentication of a user may be accomplished through other available techniques as part of predefined process block 103, including cross-referencing the characteristics of the current user's foot with previously verified characteristics of an authenticated user's foot. For example, the representative IES 10 of FIG. 2 is assembled with a motorized lacing system utilizing a lace motor (M) 64 that is attached to the footwear 10 and selectively operable to transition the shoelaces 20 alternately between an untensioned (loose) state and one or more tensioned (tightened) states. The lace motor 64 may be in the nature of a bidirectional DC electric worm gear motor housed within the sole structure 14 and controlled by the resident footwear controller 44. Activation of the lace motor 64 may be initiated by a manually activated switch built into the shoe structure or by soft key activation through an app on the user's smartphone 40 or smartwatch 42. Control commands may include, but are certainly not limited to, incremental tightening, incremental loosening, release / complete loosening, memorization of a "preferred" tension, and recall / restore of tension. Additional information regarding powered shoelace tensioning systems can be found, for example, in US Pat. No. 9,365,387, which is incorporated by reference in its entirety for all purposes.

[0050] Motor control of the lace motor 64 may be automated via the resident footwear controller 44, for example, in response to a sensor signal from the pressure sensor 62 indicating that the foot is placed inside the upper 12. Lace tension may be actively adjusted through managed operation of the lace motor 64 by the controller 44 during use of the IES 10, for example, to better hold the foot in response to dynamic user movements. In at least some embodiments, an H-bridge mechanism is employed to measure the motor current, and the measured current is provided as an input to the footwear controller 44. The resident footwear memory 46 stores a lookup table having a list of calibrated currents, each known to correspond to a particular lace tension position. By matching the measured motor current with the calibrated currents recorded in the lookup table, the footwear controller 44 may ascertain the current tension position of the lace 20. The foregoing functionality as well as any other logically related options or features disclosed herein may be applied to alternative types of wearable apparel, including clothing, headgear, eyewear, wristwear, neckwear, legwear, undergarments, and the like. Additionally, the lace motor 64 may be adapted to automate the tightening and loosening of straps, latches, cables, and other commercially available mechanisms for tightening the shoe.

[0051] Similar to the pressure sensor 62 described above, the lace motor 64 may double as a binary (on / off) switch that effectively enables and disables the automated functions of the IES 10. That is, the resident footwear controller 44 may communicate with the lace motor 64 to determine whether the laces 20 are in a tensioned or non-tensioned state prior to executing an automated function. In the latter case, all automated functions may be disabled by the resident footwear controller 44, for example, to prevent automated functions from being inadvertently initiated while the IES 10 is not in use. Conversely, once it is determined that the lace motor 64 has placed the laces 20 in a tensioned state, the footwear controller 44 is authorized to transmit an automated command signal.

[0052] During operation of the lace motor 64, the lace 20 may be placed in any one of a number of distinct tensioning positions to accommodate feet with different girths or users with different tensioning preferences. A lace sensor, which may be incorporated into the motor 64 or packaged in the sole structure 14 or upper 12, may be employed to detect the current tensioning position of the lace 20 for a given user. Alternatively, real-time tracking of the position of the output shaft (e.g., worm gear) of the bidirectional electric lace motor 64 or the position of a designated portion of the lace 20 (e.g., a lace spool meshed with the worm gear of the motor) may be used to determine the lace position. Upon tensioning the lace 20, the resident footwear controller 44 communicates with the lace motor 64 and / or lace sensor to identify the current tensioning position of the lace 20 for the current user. This current tensioning position may then be compared to a previously verified and stored in memory lace tensioning position (e.g., authenticated to a registered user of an existing personal account). Through this comparison, footwear controller 44 can determine whether the current tensioned position is equal to or within a predetermined threshold range of the verified tensioned position. After authenticating the current user to a verified user, command signals may be sent via resident footwear controller 44 to one or more subsystems within footwear 10 to automate their functions. If the current user cannot be authenticated or verified, footwear controller 44 may be disabled such that the IES is inoperable.

[0053] Upon completion of the authentication procedure depicted in predefined process block 103, method 100 of FIG. 5 proceeds to input / output block 105 having processor executable instructions for retrieving sufficient data to track the movement of one or more target objects moving within a specified environment monitored by IES system 30. According to the example depicted in FIG. 3, IES 10, remote host system 34, and / or cloud computing system 36 may receive location data indicating the current location and speed (speed and direction) of user 11 and the current location and speed (speed and direction) of vehicle 32, directly or through cooperation with smartphone 40 or smartwatch 42. The user's movements may also, or alternatively, be tracked through a dedicated mobile app or route planning app running on the user's smartphone 40. The location and movements of IES 10, and thus user 11, may also be determined, for example, through a satellite-based GPS navigation system transceiver integrated into upper 12 or sole structure 14. In addition to tracking real-time user dynamics, a back-office intermediate server, such as a cloud computing system 36 acting as a middleware node, tracks the real-time location and movement of the vehicle 32, for example, through an on-board transmitting device or through an app on the driver's personal computing device.

[0054] Another technique for ascertaining the user's location and associated dynamics employs a detection tag 78 carried by the user 11 and communicating with a transmitter-detector module 70, 72 attached to a nearby structure or nearby moving object. According to a representative application example presented in Fig. 1 and Fig. 3, the detection tag 78 is embodied as a passive radio frequency (RF) transponder or an active RF transponder attached to the outer surface of the sole structure 14. The RF transponder 78 in Fig. 1 includes an omnidirectional (type I) RF antenna coil 80 made of a conductive material and shaped to transmit and receive signals in the form of electromagnetic radiation waves. An RF frequency filter 82, which may be in the nature of a lumped element Butterworth filter, is electrically connected to the RF antenna 80 and designed to have an RF power with a calibrated (first) frequency or be band-pass operative to pass only signals that are within a calibrated (first) frequency range. As another option, the frequency filter 82 may provide a band-stop function that attenuates and rejects all signals having RF power with undesired frequencies or frequencies within any one or more undesired frequency bands, i.e., frequencies outside the calibrated (first) frequency range. An optional dielectric cover 84 is placed over the antenna 80, filter 82, and associated detection tag electronics to protect the components and improve performance as an RF transponder. Signal exchange may be routed through a system packet interface (SPI) interface and general purpose input / output (GPIO). Frequency and phase tunable signal output may be provided through a phase-locked loop (PLL) or direct digital synthesis (DDS) synthesizer, harmonic mixers, and PLL or DDS synthesizer-based local oscillators.

[0055] As the user 11 approaches the roadway intersection 13 of FIG. 3, the detection tag 78 (FIG. 1) receives a frequency sweep prompt signal S emitted at regular intervals by a mobile transmitter-detector module 70, which may be packaged in proximity to the front end of the vehicle 32, or a fixed transmitter-detector module 72, which may be hung on a pedestrian crossing signal pole 74, the wall of a building, or a similar suitable immovable structure. PIn applications in which the detection tag 78 comprises a passive RF transponder, the transmitter-detector modules 70, 72 repeatedly or substantially continuously receive a prompt signal S P Conversely, in the case of an active RF transponder implementation, the incoming prompt signal S P may be emitted repeatedly or substantially continuously in response to a callback signal broadcast by the detection tag 78. P is an electromagnetic wave having a predetermined (first) RF power level with a standardized (first) downlink frequency. In addition, a prompt signal S P contains an embedded data set with encoded unique information (e.g., transmitter ID, inquiry code, timestamp, etc.). Data can be superimposed on the swept carrier in narrowband systems to help reduce bandwidth overhead that may occur in some implementations. The tag 78 broadcasts and the module 70 sends a prompt signal S P Note that the reverse situation is also possible, where one accepts and retransmits

[0056] This prompt signal S P Upon receiving the signal, the detection tag 78 responds by transmitting a prompt signal S P and processes the outgoing response signal S R to the transmitter-detector modules 70, 72 as a response signal S R is an electromagnetic wave having a distinguishable (second) RF power with a different and complementary (second) uplink frequency from the first frequency. The detection tag 78 receives the incoming prompt signal S P (e.g., by frequency multiplication of the incoming signal) and a response signal S R to the transmitter-detector modules 70, 72. P Based on the response signal S R To help ensure that the transmitter-detector modules 70, 72 recognize the detection tag 78, a response signal S Ris the prompt signal S P The detection tag 78 echoes at least a portion of the embedded data of the tag back to the transmitter-detector modules 70, 72. To minimize on-board power usage, the detection tag 78 may operate in two modes: an idle mode and an active mode. When idle, the detection tag 78 is generally dormant and therefore does not draw power from the resident power source 52 or an off-board power source. In contrast, when active, the detection tag 78 either temporarily draws power from the resident power source 52 or transmits an incoming prompt signal S. P Therefore, the detection tag 78 will not transmit a transmission output signal unless an incoming signal having RF power at a predetermined frequency is received.

[0057] The intelligent electronic shoe 10 of Figures 1-3 may employ alternative means for exchanging data with the IES system 30 and the vehicle 32 as part of performing a pedestrian crash threat assessment. Rather than using an RF transponder, the detection tag 78 may be fabricated with one or more electroactive polymer (EAP) sensors, each having a separate dielectric EAP element attached to the sole structure 14 or upper 12. According to this example, the incoming prompt signal S P is an electric field that generates a current having a voltage sufficient to induce a physical state change (e.g., arcing or expanding) in the embedded dielectric EAP element. Through normal use of the IES 10, the user 11 unconsciously reverses the physical state change of the EAP sensor, for example, by flattening or compressing the dielectric EAP element with his or her foot. In doing so, the EAP sensor generates a response signal S R output by the IES 10. It is also envisioned that the IES 10 may be enabled to communicate directly with the vehicles 32, for example, through a device-to-device wireless ad-hoc network (WANET), rather than redirecting all data through the IES system 30 or other existing wireless access point(s).

[0058] Referring again to FIG. 5, the method 100 detects a response signal S indicating that a user is approaching and may enter the roadway in a manner that may cause a vehicle accident. R The process proceeds to process block 107 having processor executable instructions for transmitting or receiving a preliminary pedestrian collision warning signal generated in response to the transmission of the IES 10. For a rudimentary application, the pedestrian collision warning signal may be automatically broadcast via the IES system 30 whenever the user 11 approaches the intersection 13 at the same time as the vehicle 32, regardless of the secondary variable. For example, as seen in FIG. 4, the wireless transmitter node 86 of the IES system 30 may broadcast a preliminary warning signal to a first user 11A wearing an IES 10 who is approaching the roadway intersection 13A and is predicted to cross the roadway intersection 13A at the same time that a moving vehicle 32A is predicted to pass through the roadway intersection 13A. A second user 11B wearing an IES 10 and approaching the intersection 13A, although visually obstructed from each other by a building, also receives the preliminary warning signal to notify the user 11B of the oncoming vehicle 32A in an overabundance of caution. A pair of IESs 10 may be registered to a visually, physically, or mentally impaired user 11C, who is likely to unwittingly enter the intersection 13A as the vehicle 32A passes, and a preliminary pedestrian collision warning signal may be sent to a third user 11C. Warning signals may be sent to multiple users 11A, 11B, 11C and any potentially threatening vehicle(s) 32A, so that each party can take remediating action to prevent an inadvertent collision between a pedestrian and a motor vehicle.

[0059] For more advanced multimodal applications, the IES system 30 receives data from various sensing devices using, for example, light detection, radar, laser, ultrasonic, optical, infrared, damping mass, smart materials, or other suitable technologies for object detection and tracking. According to the illustrated example, the IES system 30 may include or receive sensor signals from one or more digital cameras, one or more ranging sensors, one or more speed sensors, one or more dynamics sensors, and any necessary filtering, classification, fusion, and analysis hardware and software for processing the raw sensor data. Each sensor produces an electrical signal that generally indicates a characteristic or condition of the target object as an estimate with a corresponding standard deviation. The operating characteristics of these sensors are generally complementary, but some are more reliable than others in estimating certain parameters. Most sensors have different operating ranges and coverage areas, and some are capable of detecting different parameters within their operating ranges. Furthermore, the performance of many sensor technologies can be affected by different environmental conditions. As a result, sensors generally exhibit parametric variance and their operational overlap provides an opportunity for sensory fusion.

[0060] A dedicated control module or suitably programmed processor aggregates and pre-processes the sensor-based data collection, fuses the aggregated data, and analyzes the fused data along with the relevant crowd-sourced and behavioral data for each target object under evaluation to estimate whether it is statistically likely that the target object will enter the vehicle's predicted path. In the input / output block 109, for example, the resident footwear controller 44 collects and transmits to the IES system 30: (1) location data (e.g., latitude, longitude, altitude, geospatial data, etc.) having one or more parameters indicative of the real-time location of the IES 10 and thus the user 11; (2) dynamics data (e.g., relative or absolute speed, acceleration / deceleration, trajectory, etc.) having one or more parameters indicative of the real-time movement of the IES 10 and thus the user 11; and (3) behavioral data indicative of the historical behavior of the user 11 while wearing the IES 10. Such historical data may include a given user's past tendencies when at a particular intersection or at a particular geographic location, a given user's past tendencies in urban or rural environments generally, a given user's past tendencies in various weather conditions, a given user's past tendencies in particular dynamic scenarios, etc. It is envisioned that the IES controller 44 may collect and transmit other types of data, including forecasted route data indicating an estimated route for the user 11 based on available current and historical information. Any such data may be collected and stored locally on the IES 10, via the IES system 30, via the vehicle 32, via nearby devices and systems, or via any combination thereof.

[0061] At predefined process block 111, the method 100 of FIG. 5 proceeds with processor executable instructions for the resident or remote controller to apply a sensor fusion module to the aggregated raw sensor data, thereby determining the movement of the target object in the monitored environment, such as the possible intrusion of a pedestrian relative to the vehicle's location and projected path. For example, the IES system 30 may align the data received from the resident footwear controller 44 to correlate the received sensor data to ensure overlap with a single common "reference" time frame, coordinate system, set of standard measurements, etc. Once the received sensor data has been sufficiently aligned to ensure alignment across relevant metrics, the IES system 30 may execute a data association protocol that classifies the respective portions of the sensor data and then correlates the relevant portions or sensor data based on any complementary classifications. The IES system 30 may then execute a sensor fusion procedure of the aligned and classified data along with the path planning data of the target object and the subject vehicle. Sensor fusion may be typified as a computational framework for the aggregation, analysis, and collaboration of data originating from heterogeneous or homogeneous sources (e.g., multiple distinct sensor types as described above). In the illustrated application, sensor fusion may be embodied as a dedicated software appliance that intelligently combines data from several sensors and compensates for the imperfections of the individual sensors to compute more complete, accurate, and understandable information.

[0062] Once sensor fusion is complete, the IES system 30 calculates a pedestrian collision threat value, which predicts the monitored target object behaving in a manner that is more likely to cause a harmful event. According to the illustrated example, the pedestrian collision threat value may predict the intrusion of the user 11 that will at least partially obstruct the predicted path of the target vehicle 32 in relation to the current (real-time) location of the target vehicle. The pedestrian collision threat value may be based on a fusion of user position data, user dynamics data, and user behavior data. Optionally, the pedestrian collision threat value may also incorporate a fusion of behavior data, user position data, and user dynamics data with crowd-sourced data and environmental data. The environmental data may consist of information indicative of the user's surrounding environment, such as current weather conditions, current vehicular traffic conditions, current pedestrian traffic conditions, etc. In comparison, the crowd-sourced data may consist of information indicative of the location, movement, and / or behavior of multiple individuals in close proximity to the user. The remote computing nodes receiving the aforementioned data may include a remote host system 34, a cloud computing system 36, a resident footwear controller 44, a parking controller 76 of the vehicle 32, or a distributed computing combination thereof. Alternatively, the footwear controller 44 may transmit any or all of the aforementioned data to a central control unit of the intelligent transportation management system through wireless communication devices 48, 50.

[0063] The method 100 of FIG. 5 proceeds to decision block 113 where (1) the pedestrian collision threat value PCT1 generated in process block 111 is multiplied by a calibrated threshold value CV T and (2) whether the current (first) operating state OS1 of the adjacent traffic control signal is greater than one or more conflicting signal aspects SP C According to the first query, the calibrated threshold CV Tmay be determined through empirical testing that provides sufficient quantitative data to establish a statistically significant minimum confidence percentage (e.g., 80%) below which the calculated crash threat value is inconclusive or probabilistically concluded that a crash event will not occur. The calibrated threshold CV T Available techniques for identifying θ may include stochastic Gaussian processes, finite mixture model (FMM) estimation protocols, or other normal or continuous probability distribution techniques.

[0064] In the latter of the two inquiries made in decision block 113, conflicting signal aspects SP C includes any signal phase in which the right-of-way is given in a manner that does not allow safe crossing on a given road segment. Traffic signal phase coordination may be implemented using signal displays, signal heads, and associated control logic within a traffic system controller that manages and coordinates timing, sequence, and duration. Signal phase coordination settings may be changed as needed, for example, to accommodate changes in traffic demand, patterns, etc., and in a manner that results in safe and efficient operation in the prevailing conditions.

[0065] 3, for example, the user 11 is shown traveling at a speed and trajectory that is estimated to bring him into the roadway of the intersection 13 at approximately the same time that the vehicle 32 is expected to pass through the same intersection 13. Upon detecting the user 11 via the IES system 30 using the transmitter-detector modules 70, 72, the back-end server computer of the remote host system 34 identifies a traffic signal or set of traffic signals (e.g., the tri-color traffic control light 88 and pedestrian crossing signal 90 of FIG. 4) located on a road segment (e.g., the intersection 13A) proximate to the user's location and operable to regulate traffic flow (e.g., eastbound vehicular movement and northbound pedestrian movement). Once identified, the remote host system 34 determines the real-time operational state of the traffic signal, which may include a go state (continuous green or WALK), a caution / way ahead state (continuous yellow or flashing WALK), a no go or stop state (continuous red or DON'T WALK), or a transition state between any of the aforementioned states (green to yellow, yellow to red, etc.). One or more of these operational states may be indicative of a conflicting signal aspect SP C As a non-limiting example, the Go state, the Caution / First Priority state, and the Go to Caution transition state can all be characterized as occurring when two opposing signal aspects SP C may be specified as

[0066] If any of the evaluations made in decision block 113 return negative (block 113=NO), method 100 may cycle back to terminal block 101 and execute in a continuous loop, or alternatively, method 100 may proceed to terminal block 117 and temporarily terminate. Conversely, the pedestrian collision threat value PCT1 may be greater than or equal to the actual calibrated threshold value CV. T and the current operating state OS1 of the traffic control signal is greater than the opposite signal aspect SP C(block 113=YES), the method 100 proceeds to process block 115 where one or more corrective actions are taken to avoid a collision between the user and the vehicle. By way of example and not limitation, the wireless transmitter node 86 may transmit a pedestrian impending collision notification to the vehicle controller 76, which may respond immediately by issuing one or more brake command signals to the vehicle brake system to perform a braking maneuver, for example, to come to a complete stop or reduce speed to a calculated value that facilitates an evasive steering maneuver. Additionally or alternatively, the vehicle 32 may perform other autonomous vehicle functions, such as controlling vehicle steering, managing the operation of the vehicle's transmission, controlling the engine throttle, and other automated driving functions. A visual and / or audible warning may be transmitted to the driver using the vehicle center console infotainment system, a digital instrument raster display, or a personal portable electronic device.

[0067] Process block 115 may also include processor-executable instructions for automating changes in pedestrian and vehicular traffic flow through modulation of traffic signal phases. For example, a traffic system controller (represented in FIG. 4 by traffic signal control cabinet 92) may send a command signal to vehicular traffic control lights 88 to switch from a first operating state (e.g., green) to a second operating state (e.g., yellow or red) in an attempt to stop vehicle 32 before entering intersection 13, thereby preventing a collision with user 11. As described above, the change in traffic signal phase may be based on user dynamics data (e.g., speed and direction of travel) suggesting that user 11 will enter a monitored roadway segment 13, and simultaneously vehicle dynamics data (e.g., speed and predicted path) suggesting that vehicle 32 will enter the same monitored roadway segment 13. In this regard, the IES system 30 may receive and analyze IES dynamics sensor data to identify an expected incursion time at which the IES 10, and therefore the user 11, is estimated to breach a lane controlled by the vehicle traffic control light 88.

[0068] The IES system 30 may also determine an estimated phase change time, calculated as the difference between the current (actual) time and the preprogrammed phase change time at which the traffic signal is scheduled to switch from its current operating state to an alternative operating state. In response to determining that the expected intrusion time is less than the estimated phase change time (user 11 is expected to enter the intersection 13 before the vehicle traffic control light 88 is preprogrammed to change from green to red), the traffic signal control cabinet 92 automatically transmits a phase change command signal to the traffic control light 88. Alternatively, in the case of an expected intrusion time such that user 11 will not be within the intersection 13 before the signal phase change, the traffic signal control cabinet 92 does not need to intervene and preemptively issue a phase change command signal. The same is true for cases where the user dynamics data indicates that user 11 has stopped or will stop before entering the intersection 13, or that user 11 has taken a complementary or alternative heading that would not allow the intersection 13 to be entered. Again, there is no need for preemptive issuance of an aspect change command signal via the intermediary of the traffic signal control cabinet 92. Once the corrective action taken in process block 115 is completed, the method 100 proceeds to terminal block 117 where it temporarily ends.

[0069] In addition to facilitating automation of one or more vehicle actions designed to mitigate or prevent a collision between the vehicle and a pedestrian, the method 100 may concomitantly facilitate automation of one or more IES functions designed to mitigate or prevent a collision between the vehicle and a pedestrian at process block 115. For example, a first command signal may be sent to a first IES subsystem to execute a first automated function AF1 of the intelligent electronic shoe. According to the illustrated example of FIG. 3, the resident footwear controller 44 receives the pedestrian collision threat value output at block 111, establishes that the threat value is greater than a threshold at block 113, and responsively takes preventative action at block 115. The resident footwear controller 44 responds to this determination automatically (i.e., without user input or external system prompts) by sending a command signal to the resident lighting system 56 to activate the lighting device 58, thereby generating a predetermined light output. The selected color and / or pattern is detectable by the user 11 and optionally the driver of the vehicle 32, and conspicuous enough to warn of an impending collision. As a non-limiting example, the resident lighting system 56 may output a flashing bright red light pattern, and the use of this particular color and pattern may be limited to alerting the user to potential hazards. The light output of the IES 10 may be coordinated with the light output of the forward facing headlamps of the vehicle 32 to further facilitate notifying the user 11 of a predicted vehicle collision.

[0070] It is envisioned that any of the disclosed connected wearable electronic devices may automate additional or alternative features as part of the method 100 shown in FIG. 5. In response to a positive determination at decision block 113, the footwear controller 44 may automatically send a second command signal to the second subsystem to execute a second automated function AF2 of the wearable electronic device. As a non-limiting example, the IES 10 of FIG. 2 is shown with a tactile transducer 66 housed within the sole structure 14 in operative communication with the insole 22. To alert the user 11 of a pedestrian collision threat assessment, the resident footwear controller 44 issues a command signal to the tactile transducer 66 to generate a tactile cue (e.g., a perceptible vibration force or series of vibration pulses) that is transmitted from the midsole 24 through the insole 22 to the user's foot. The intensity and / or pulse pattern output by the tactile transducer 66 as part of the method 100 may be limited to instances that alert the user to a possible danger.

[0071] An optional third automated function AF3 may include operating the lace motor 64 as a haptic force feedback device selectively activated by the footwear controller 44 to rapidly tension or release the shoelaces 20. Similarly, the IES 10 may operate in conjunction with the smartphone 40 (e.g., coordinated blinking of an LED camera light or an eccentric rotating mass (ERM) actuator) or active apparel elements (e.g., coordinated actuation of thermal or haptic devices integrated into a shirt or shorts). As yet another option, haptic feedback may be utilized to provide turn-by-turn instructions to the user (e.g., the left or right foot vibrates with increased intensity and / or a specified pulse pattern to indicate a left or right turn). Similarly, haptic feedback may be employed in a similar manner to guide the user along a preselected route or to warn the user against taking a particular route (e.g., deemed unsafe). Additional information regarding footwear and apparel with haptic feedback can be found, for example, in U.S. Patent Application Publication No. 2017 / 0154505 to Ernest Kim, which is incorporated by reference in its entirety for all purposes.

[0072] Optionally, the IES 10 may be provided with an audio system, represented in FIG. 1 by a small audio speaker 68 mounted on the rear quarter 12C of the upper 12. When the resident footwear controller 44 determines that the pedestrian crash threat value is greater than a calibrated threshold, it automatically sends a command signal to the audio system speaker 68 to generate a predetermined sound output. For example, the audio system speaker 68 may sound "WARNING!" or "STOP!" at an increased volume. As another option, the footwear controller 44 may command the lace motor 64 to repeatedly tighten / loosen the shoe laces 20, for example, as a signal / cue indicating an oncoming vehicle. Footwear-to-infrastructure communication may be enabled (and regulated) to allow the IES 10 to communicate with a networked "smart city" controller, which may modulate changes in street lighting or traffic signals to improve pedestrian or runner safety. Conversely, the “Smart City” controller may communicate with IES10 to warn the user that they are approaching a crosswalk with a “Do Not Walk” sign, informing pedestrians that they must give way to oncoming traffic.

[0073] Light features built into the shoe may also be used during athletic competitions (e.g., coordinated to match the colors of the user's favorite athletic team) or during exercise (e.g., to light the roadway while running at night). Security features may also be installed to prevent unauthorized parties from using the IES. For example, the race motor 64 may be rendered inoperable by the footwear controller 44 once it is determined that the person wearing the IES 10 is an unauthorized user. In parallel, the controller 44 may send electronic alerts to the user's smartphone 40 or smartwatch 42 to notify them of potential theft or misuse of the IES 10.

[0074] Optional configurations may provide intelligent electronic footwear or apparel adapted for educational purposes. As an example, a user or instructor may wear the IES 10 while helping teach a person how to drive a car. For example, the IES 10 may be configured to allow the instructor to press his / her foot through the shoe firmly against a passenger compartment floor panel to simulate stepping on a brake pedal. The built-in pressure sensor 62 detects the instructor's foot gesture and outputs a corresponding signal to the footwear controller 44, which communicates with the brake control module (BCM) of the vehicle 32 to activate the vehicle brakes. Additionally or alternatively, the IES 10 may communicate with a pair of intelligent electronic shoes worn by the student to transmit instructions to provide sensory feedback to the student that the student should physically step on the brake pedal with his / her foot, thereby applying the vehicle's braking system. In addition to teaching a student how to drive, haptic, auditory, and / or visual feedback from the IES10 may be employed to teach the wearer of the footwear the sequence of steps in a dance routine, proper weight transfer when swinging a golf club or baseball bat, proper timing, gait, and step counting for running a hurdle race, and the like.

[0075] The remote computing node may take alternative forms from those described above, such as a central server computer or a parallel HMI of a residential or commercial security system. When a user 11 of the IES 10 enters a predetermined location (e.g., an entrance, hallway, room, etc.) or is within a preselected proximity range (e.g., defined by an active geofence) from the monitored premises, the resident footwear controller 44 of FIG. 2 may send a deactivation command signal to the security system server computer or HMI to allow the user 11 to enter the premises without having to manually deactivate the security system. In FIG. 6, for example, a representative user 213 is shown approaching the front door of a building 232 protected by a commercial security system (represented by a non-contact video-monitored entrance panel 234). One or both of the IES 10 worn by the user 213 emit an invisible geofence 215 that surrounds the user 213. When the user 213 approaches the building 232 sufficiently that the video monitored entrance panel 234 breaches or otherwise penetrates the IES generated geofence 215, the IES 10 automatically transmits a security authorization signal to the security system entrance panel 234. In doing so, the user 213 is granted access to the building 232 by automatically opening a security door at the entrance to the building 232, for example, as shown in FIG. 6. Alternative system configurations may use other communication means, including any of those described above and below, to facilitate interaction between the IES 10 and the security system 234.

[0076] As yet a further example, the remote computing node may be in the nature of a home automation system (or "smart home") that controls the climate, lighting, blinds, appliances, etc., of the user's home. When a user of the IES 10 enters or exits a predefined location (e.g., front door, garage, hallway, room, etc.) or a preselected neighborhood of the residence regulated by the home automation system, the resident footwear controller 44 may send one or more command signals to the home automation system to lock or unlock a door, turn on or off interior lights, raise or lower the temperature of a thermostat, or a combination of the aforementioned features. In FIG. 7, for example, a representative user 313 is shown walking through a home 332 with various appliances and devices and subsystems that are controlled in whole or in part by a residential home automation system (represented by a WiFi-enabled touchscreen gateway panel 334). In response to a user 313 moving from a first room to a second room (e.g., walking from the living room to the bedroom), the IES10 may automatically send a series of command signals to (1) turn on the lights in the second room, (2) dim the lights in the first room, (3) switch off one or more devices (e.g., a television) in the first room, and (4) adjust the temperature in the second room.

[0077] The IES 10 of FIG. 2 may be considered particularly useful for interacting with fully assisted or fully autonomous vehicles, such as those classified as Society of Automotive Engineers (SAE) Level 3, 4, or 5 vehicles. In addition to enabling locking, unlocking, and motor start authenticated and automated by the vehicle's controller, the IES 10 may communicate with a route planning module (RPM), then a powertrain control module (PCM), a brake system control module (BCM), etc. to automatically coordinate transporting a user 11 of the IES 10 to a predetermined location. In a particular example, the vehicle 32 of FIG. 3 may propagate a unique geofence signal to pair with multiple users wearing compatible IES. If the user 11 is within the boundaries of the vehicle's geofence, the IES 10 responds by automatically generating a first visual, audible, and / or haptic output to notify the user 11 that the user 11 has breached the geofence. User 11 may then launch a dedicated mobile app running on the user's smartphone 40 to identify the current real-time location of vehicle 32, which may be displayed on a GPS or navigation map application. When user 11 is in close proximity (e.g., 10 meters or less) of vehicle 32, IES 10 may generate a second visual, audible, and / or tactile output to inform user 11 that user 11 is within a predetermined proximity range of vehicle 32 and therefore should be able to visually identify vehicle 32.

[0078] Once the user 11 locates the vehicle 32, a two-way authentication process takes place between the resident footwear controller 44 of the IES 10 and the vehicle 32's central electronic control unit (ECU) or back-end server computer of a middleware node facilitating F2V operation. Once verified, the vehicle 32 informs the user 11 that the user 11 has the option to enter the passenger compartment of the vehicle. A verification key may be issued concomitantly to the user 11 via the IoAAF system, and the user 11 may retrieve the key via the aforementioned smartphone app. If the user 11 chooses to enter the vehicle 32, the user 11 may be taken to a designated or undesignated location ("Unlock Location") where the reserved product is waiting for the user 11. When the user 11 arrives at the Unlock Location, the user 11 may be asked to enter the verification key to obtain the reserved product.

[0079] FIG. 8 illustrates an exemplary electronic navigational assistance system 400 having an intelligent electronic shoe (or "footwear") 410 that communicates with a wireless-enabled handheld computing device (or "smartphone") 440 to provision a navigational assistance to a user of the IES 410. Although outwardly different, it is envisioned that the features and options disclosed above with reference to the IES 10 of FIGS. 1 and 2 may be incorporated, singly or in any combination, into the exemplary IES 410 of FIG. 8, and vice versa. In similarity, the IES 410 is depicted as an athletic shoe comprised of a foot-receiving upper 412 mounted over an underlying sole structure 414, each of which may take any of the options and alternatives discussed above with respect to their respective upper 12 and sole structure 14 counterparts. Similar to the footwear 10 of FIGS. 1 and 2, the IES 410 of FIG. 8 may be divided into multiple adjacent anatomical regions (e.g., a forefoot region, a midfoot region, and a rearfoot region) and may be vertically divided into medial-lateral sections (e.g., a lateral segment and a medial segment). Further similarities can be drawn from the closed toe and heel construction of footwear 410 , as well as laces 420 for holding the foot securely within upper 412 , and tongue 418 extending between laces 420 and the interior cavity of upper 412 .

[0080] As another overlapping similarity, the IES 410 of FIG. 8 is shown with a controller automatic tensioning system 460 for selectively adjusting the size of an ankle opening (or "throat") 415 in the rear quarter portion of the upper 412, thereby tightening or loosening the upper 412 around the user's foot. According to the illustrated example, the diameter of the opening 415 is decreased and increased by a lace motor 462 tensioning and releasing the tension on the laces 420, respectively. The lace motor 462 is housed within a protective outer motor housing 464 that is securely attached to the outer surface of the rear quarter portion of the upper 412. The laces 420 are shown threaded longitudinally through an elongated lacing guide 416, then through an internal channel in the upper 412, and extending into the motor housing 464 of the lace motor 462. As mentioned above, the laces 420 may be replaced with straps, cables, latches, pneumatic or hydraulic bladders, or any other mechanism suitable for adjusting the size of the opening 415 and the girth of the upper 412.

[0081] The automatic tensioning system 460 applies tension to the laces 420, for example, in response to various user inputs and / or system control commands to tighten or loosen the upper 412. As a non-limiting example, the lace motor 462 of FIG. 8 winds the laces 420 onto a lace spool 466 inside a motor housing 464 and, conversely, unwinds the laces 420. The lace motor 462 may be embodied as a bidirectional direct current (DC) electric stepper motor powered by a rechargeable energy storage system (RESS) 470, such as a lithium-ion battery module packaged within the IES sole structure 414. Actuation of the lace motor 462 imparts torque to the lace spool 466 via rotation of an interconnected motor shaft 468. Rotation of the spool 466 in a first (e.g., clockwise) direction serves to wind, and thus apply tension to, the lace 420, and rotation of the spool 466 in a second (e.g., counterclockwise) direction serves to unwind, and thus release tension from, the lace 420. Alternative architectures may employ different motors, transmissions, and / or lace winding devices.

[0082] While it is envisioned that the IES 410 may be manufactured with a resident HMI, such as a control button set or touch screen interface, to manage the operation of the automatic tensioning system 460, the IES 410 may wirelessly communicate with a handheld computing device 440 for selective operation of the race motor 462. For example, the smartphone 440 may download and execute a dedicated "racing control" software application (app) 472. The high definition OLED touch screen display device 474 of the smartphone 440 may be used to display information to the user and receive control inputs from the user. The dedicated mobile app 472 provides a graphical user interface to present soft control buttons, radio buttons, menus, track pads, etc., to initiate control commands in response to control inputs made by the user. Exemplary control commands may include, but are not limited to, left shoe selection, right shoe selection, incremental tightening of the selected shoe or both shoes, incremental loosening of the selected shoe or both shoes, full release / relaxation of both shoes, storage of current tension, recall of tensions stored in memory, etc.

[0083] 9A-9D show a smartphone 440 communicating with the IES 410 to execute a user navigation assistance protocol that helps a user locate a target object and / or target location. In FIG. 9A, a search session is initiated to locate a target virtual object, such as a cryptographic digital asset 480 associated with a purchased pair of athletic shoes that is "hidden" in a virtual location within a specified geographic area, such as a large city (e.g., Manhattan, New York). The touch screen display device 474 presents the user with an inquiry screen and an option to join the search. Alternatively, the user may be prompted to "hunt" the target virtual object in a brick-and-mortar store by using a photo "snap" or augmented reality function on the user's handheld personal computing device. In this instance, a KickID associated with the purchased shoes may be provided to the user as part of the retail transaction. However, the user may be asked to separately locate the associated CRYPTOKICK® hidden within the store or designated area before the digital asset can be transferred to the user's personal locker (i.e., both the cryptographic key and the virtual object must be separately obtained before the transfer can occur). Upon obtaining the cryptographic key, the AR engine associated with the user device can initiate a game in which the CRYPTOKICK® associated with the key is locally hidden and available to the user for location. The start of the search can be communicated to the user through a persistent navigation alert system, for example, via a first haptic cue such as a sustained actuation of the lace motors 462 in both of the user's shoes, output via selective use of the automatic tensioning system 460. An advantage of using the automatic tensioning system 460 over a traditional haptic transducer is the user-perceivable haptic multimodal application of the vibration of the lace motors 462 and the tensioning / releasing of the shoelaces 420.

[0084] Upon initiating a search for the target virtual object / location, the display device 474 of the smartphone 440 may display the IES 410 and thus the user's real-time GPS location. For example, FIG. 9B depicts a smartphone 440 running a dedicated "shoe hunting" mobile app 473 along with a graphical depiction of a user avatar 481. The display device 474 may show the IES 410 and the user's movements as well as the locations of other users, landmarks, and natural markers proximate to the IES 410 through the simultaneous movement of the user's avatar on a street-level map 482 of a city. To assist the user in locating the hidden target object, a resident navigation alert system automates the operation of the audio system, light system, and / or tactile transducer system of the IES 410 to generate tactile, audio, and / or visual cues perceivable by the user. Continuing with the example above, the mobile app 473 may track the user's real-time movement along a specified path to the target object / location. While navigating this path, the user may be provided with turn-by-turn navigation instructions to aid the user in finding the target. 9B, a second haptic cue, such as a slow pulse low tension actuation of the race motor 462 in only the user's right shoe, is output through the resident navigation alert system of the IES 410 via operation of the automatic tensioning system 460 to inform the user to turn right at the current location. Similarly, the user may be informed in real time to turn left at a given location via selective actuation of the race motor 462 in the user's left shoe without simultaneously actuating the race motor 462 in the user's right shoe.

[0085] After initiating the search, one or more secondary users may assist the primary user in searching for the virtual target, providing various types of assistance. As the user position approaches the target object / location, a third haptic cue (e.g., tilt pulse actuation of lace motors 462 shown in FIG. 9C) output through the navigational alert system via the cooperative operation of the automatic tensioning system 460 informs the user to move forward / forward from the current position. Once the primary user reaches the location of the virtual object, as shown in FIG. 9D, the virtual target object can be acquired. Acquisition of the virtual object may be automatic or may require additional action on the part of the user. Completion of the search may be conveyed to the user via a fourth haptic cue, such as a fast high tension pulse actuation of lace motors 462 in both of the user's shoes, output through the resident navigational alert system.

[0086] In some instances, a CRYPTOKICK® may not be linked to a physical product from the outset, but instead gifted to a user as part of a brand promotional campaign, event, moment, or experience. For example, a user at a sporting event may be asked to locate a CRYPTOKICK® within the confines of the event's stadium, for example, using a mobile app and a digital camera on a smartphone device. In this example, a GPS associated with the smartphone device may further constrain the optical recognition capabilities within a specific geo-fenced area. The target object may be virtually disguised in a billboard advertisement, placed in a specific seat, or hidden in a designated area. Upon locating the CRYPTOKICK®, the user may be prompted to scan a unique code, such as a barcode, on a ticket for that event. This two-part action may then transfer a token uniquely provisioned for that ticket to the user's locker. After the event, the promotion organizer may collect the unclaimed KickIDs for later use in other promotional events.

[0087] Referring now to the flow chart of FIG. 10, an improved method or control strategy for automating navigational assistance to a user, such as user 11 of FIG. 3, through the operation of an intelligent electronic footwear or apparel, such as IES 10 of FIG. 1 or IES 410 of FIG. 8, according to an embodiment of the present disclosure, is generally described at 500. Some or all of the operations illustrated in FIG. 10 and described in further detail below may represent algorithms corresponding to processor-executable instructions, which may be stored, for example, in a main memory, an auxiliary memory, or a remote memory, and executed, for example, by a resident or remote controller, a central processing unit (CPU), a control logic circuit, or other module or device, to perform any or all of the functions described above or below associated with the disclosed concepts. It should be recognized that the order of execution of the illustrated operational blocks may be changed, additional blocks may be added, and some of the described blocks may be modified, combined, or deleted. For example, it is contemplated that the features and options disclosed above with reference to method 100 of FIG. 5 may be incorporated into method 500 of FIG. 10, alone or in any combination, and vice versa.

[0088] Method 500 begins at terminal block 501 with processor executable instructions for a programmable controller or control module, such as resident footwear controller 44 of FIG. 2, or a similar suitable processor, to invoke an initialization procedure of a protocol for automating navigation assistance to a user using intelligent electronic footwear or apparel, such as IES 10 of FIG. 1 or IES 410 of FIG. 8. The initialization procedure in block 501 may be initiated via a manually entered prompt, such as by a user opening a corresponding mobile app running on the user's handheld computing device, or by a central system operator initiating a "treasure hunt" function for a group of users. Alternatively, the initialization procedure may be initiated automatically by the resident controller or a remote computing node, such as, for example, a server class computer responsible for conducting a search for a target object / location. Terminal block 501 may optionally incorporate any of the initialization and authentication functions described above with respect to operations 101 and 103 of FIG. 5.

[0089] From terminal block 501, method 500 proceeds to input / output blocks 503 and 505 for identifying a desired or current location of the user and a predetermined or estimated location of the target object / site. The desired user location may be preset as a designated starting location, such as a starting line, a common meeting place, a kiosk or terminal for completing a shoe purchase, etc. Alternatively, the user's current real-time location may be determined and set as a starting location for navigation assistance in block 503, as described above. Similarly, the location of the target object / site may be predetermined and retrieved in block 505, for example, from a remote computing node, a third-party handheld computing device, a resident cache or main memory, etc. Alternatively, the target location may be dynamic or random, or may be manually selectable via an appropriate HMI.

[0090] In subroutine block 507, the in-shoe footwear controller or the smartphone processing unit, or both, receive, estimate, identify, and / or retrieve (collectively, "determine") route planning data for the user's current trip. The route planning data may include any real-time, crowd-sourced, map-sourced, and / or historical data suitable for completing a desired trip. At a minimum, the route planning data may include a pre-defined origin or real-time start location, a desired, dynamically, or randomly determined final destination, one or more intermittent stops, and a projected route traveled from the user origin to the user destination. For a standalone architecture, the IES may include an on-board navigation system that uses a GPS transceiver in conjunction with navigation software and geolocation mapping services to obtain geographical topography, geodetic data, and road information associated with the user's current location.

[0091] To establish a predicted path for the current trip, it may be necessary to predict one or more next operations required to complete the trip. This may include flagging any potential obstacles or hazards and identifying one or more alternative paths. For example, block 507 may predict a main (primary) path for completing the next operation, and a similar process may be used to predict one or more (primary, secondary, tertiary, ...) alternative paths for reaching the user destination. Once the path plan is created, a respective set of navigation instructions for a walking trip (walking, running, etc.) from the user's location to the target location may be determined for each path, as shown in subroutine block 509. These navigation instructions may include forward, back, go left, go right, accelerate, decelerate, start, stop, turn, etc., alone or in any combination. Each navigation instruction may be associated with a respective location along the derived path, and a list of navigation instructions and their associated locations may be stored in a local cache memory for easy retrieval.

[0092] From subroutine block 509, method 500 proceeds to database block 511, which converts each navigation instruction into a corresponding controller-generated command signal. The command signal correlates calibrated navigation alert system cues to a given navigation instruction. A list of available navigation instructions and their corresponding alert system outputs and associated command signals may be stored in and concomitantly retrieved from a server farm, for example, via a suitable database management system (DBMS). As described above, the initiation of a search may correspond to a first haptic cue, which may correspond to sustained actuation of a lace motor in the user's shoe. In contrast, turning right may correspond to a second haptic cue, which may correspond to slow pulse low tension actuation of a lace motor in the user's right shoe, with no corresponding haptic output being output by the user's left shoe. These cues may be supplemented with complementary visual and audible outputs, for example, via the resident lighting system 56 and the resident speaker system 68 of FIGS. 1 and 2.

[0093] Continuing to refer to FIG. 10, processor executable instructions are provided in input / output block 513 for the footwear controller to send command signals to the footwear's resident navigation alert system to output visual, audible, and / or tactile cues designed to guide the user along the derived path. To ensure that turn-by-turn instructions are provided at the appropriate time along a given path, the controller may systematically track the real-time or near real-time movements of the user as the user moves along the derived path. During user tracking, the controller may continually evaluate whether each new user position in a series of new user positions along the derived path corresponds to one of the navigation instructions provided in subroutine block 509. In this instance, the command signal may be output via the controller as a direct response to a determination that the user's "new" position corresponds to the respective navigation instruction associated with that command signal. Upon completion of the aforementioned features, the method 500 of FIG. 10 may proceed to terminal block 515 to terminate, or may loop back to terminal block 501 to execute in a continuous loop.

[0094] The disclosed adaptive apparel and footwear, including the IES 10 of FIG. 1 and the IES 410 of FIG. 8, may be employed to assist a user in navigating to the physical locations of static and dynamic objects. For example, the resident footwear controller 44 of FIG. 1 or the handheld computing device 440 of FIG. 8 may communicate with a location tracking device of a logistics class (delivery) unmanned aerial vehicle (UAV) to track the real-time movement of the UAV and / or ascertain the delivery location of a package being airlifted by the UAV. This information may be aggregated and processed as described above to provide the user with turn-by-turn instructions for locating the UAV. The IES 10, 410 may also be employed to identify the user's location relative to the UAV and / or automatically authenticate the user to the UAV before the package is released. Similar approaches may be employed to guide the user to meet a manned drone ("air taxi") or a commercial class air taxi or air transport solicitation point.

[0095] Similar to assisting with delivery of packages via UAVs, the disclosed adaptive apparel and footwear may be adapted for in-store and curbside pickup of items (e.g., buy online, pickup in-store (BOPIS)). In a non-limiting example, a user may, for example, place an online, phone, or app order for food or merchandise and travel to a designated pickup location (inside or outside a brick-and-mortar store) to pick up the order. Upon arrival, the IES may automatically send a message to a store kiosk, central server, or store associate notifying the retailer of the user's arrival. The associate brings the order to the user's location, which may be provided via any of the methods disclosed herein, and the associate uses a countertop or handheld point of sale (POS) device connected to the IES and / or IOAAF system to locate, identify, and / or wirelessly authenticate the user before delivering the items.

[0096] Further options for the use of the disclosed adaptive apparel and footwear include physical activities, e.g., a running challenge experience enhanced via augmented reality, such as a user competing against another user's virtual self ("ghost"). For example, a pair of users select a designated location, course, or distance to run a virtual race. At an initial date and / or time, the first user may travel to the designated location / course and finish the race (e.g., completing two laps of a one-mile track in approximately 10 minutes). This data may be collected and stored by the first user's IES. At a later date / time, the second user may travel to the designated location / course and begin the race to virtually compete against the first user. While the second user is completing the race, the IES may track progress and provide periodic or real-time updates. For example, after completing one lap, the second user may be notified via the second user's IES that the second user's first lap time is slower than the first user's first lap time, and may be provided with a notification to speed up if they wish to beat the first user. Such information may be provided by haptic feedback, optical display, and / or audio output of the IES. The second user's race time and related data may be collected and stored by the second user's IES and transmitted to the first user's IES. Additional information regarding enhancing physical activity using AR may be found, for example, in U.S. Patent Application Publication No. 2016 / 0346612 by Craig Rowley, which is incorporated herein by reference in its entirety for all purposes.

[0097] The above-mentioned concepts may be adopted for other one-on-one and team-related physical activities, such as golf, baseball, basketball, football, etc. Some of these physical activities may be supported using other sensing and monitoring systems and other wearable electronics, such as head-mounted head-up display (HUD) systems. Additional information regarding the use of electronic tracking systems and wearable electronics to communicate data related to sporting events is described, for example, in commonly owned U.S. Patent Application Publication Nos. 2020 / 0078653, 2017 / 0340948, 2017 / 0157492, and 2017 / 0157490, each of which is incorporated herein by reference in its respective entirety for all purposes.

[0098] The disclosed adaptive apparel and footwear may also be employed as part of an AR or VR team contest, such as a product unlocking experience in which a first team competes against one or more other teams to secure an exclusive item. According to a more specific, non-limiting example, a first user navigates to a command center that includes a map with the location of a hidden item. The first user communicates with a second user via IES feedback. The second user is in a puzzle environment, and the first user at the command center sends navigation instructions to the second user to help the second user navigate to the prize. The first and second users are a team or part of a team competing against other teams to be the first to locate and unlock the prize.

[0099] Further options may include enabling users to greet or otherwise communicate with each other using the disclosed adaptive apparel and footwear feedback, such as a virtual handshake or greeting replacement, in scenarios where physical contact is not available or desirable. Additionally, IoAFF feedback may be employed to assist users in communicating with other users to warn of intrusions into personal space (e.g., to help maintain social distancing). IoAFF feedback may be employed to detect whether a first user is unexpectedly or quickly approaching a second user from a determined direction. For example, an IES user may be alerted that another person is approaching the IES user from behind or from a blind spot with the intent of robbery or obstruction, or alternatively as part of a race or competition.

[0100] Aspects of the present disclosure may be implemented through computer-executable programs of instructions, such as program modules, generally referred to as software applications or application programs, executed by any of the controllers or controller variants described herein in some embodiments. Software may include, by way of non-limiting examples, routines, programs, objects, components, and data structures that perform certain tasks or implement certain data types. Software may form interfaces that allow a computer to react in response to a source of input. Software may also work with other code segments to initiate various tasks in response to received data and with the source of received data. Software may be stored on any of a variety of memory media, such as CD-ROMs, magnetic disks, bubble memory, and semiconductor memory (e.g., various types of RAM or ROM).

[0101] Further, aspects of the disclosure may be implemented in a variety of computer systems and computer network configurations, including multiprocessor systems, microprocessor-based or programmable consumer electronics, minicomputers, mainframe computers, and the like. In addition, aspects of the disclosure may be implemented in distributed computing environments where tasks are performed by resident and remote processing devices linked through a communications network. In a distributed computing environment, program modules may be located in both local and remote computer storage media, including memory storage devices. Thus, aspects of the disclosure may be implemented in computer systems or other processing systems in association with a variety of hardware, software, or combinations thereof.

[0102] Any of the methods described herein may include machine-readable instructions for execution by (a) a processor, (b) a controller, and / or (c) any other suitable processing device. Any algorithm, software, control logic, protocol, or method disclosed herein may be embodied as software stored on a tangible medium, such as, for example, a flash memory, a CD-ROM, a floppy disk, a hard drive, a digital versatile disk (DVD), or other memory device. The entirety and / or parts of the algorithm, control logic, protocol, or method may alternatively be executed by a device other than a controller and / or may be embodied in firmware or dedicated hardware in an available manner (e.g., implemented by an application specific integrated circuit (ASIC), a programmable logic device (PLD), a field programmable logic device (FPLD), discrete logic, etc.). Additionally, although certain algorithms are described with reference to the flowcharts shown herein, many other methods for implementing the exemplary machine-readable instructions may alternatively be used.

[0103] Additional features may be reflected in the following clauses:

[0104] Clause 1: An intelligent electronic shoe (IES) for assisting a user in navigating to a target object or site within a geographic area, comprising: a shoe structure configured to be worn on a user's foot and support the user's foot; a navigational alert system attached to the shoe structure and configured to generate visual, audible, and / or tactile outputs in response to command signals; a wireless communication device configured to wirelessly communicate with a remote computing node; and a controller communicatively connected to the navigational alert system and the wireless communication device, wherein the controller is programmed to: determine a user position of a user; receive from the remote computing node a target position of the target object or site; determine route planning data including a derived route for traveling from the user position to the target position within the geographic area; and send command signals to the navigational alert system to output visual, audio, and / or tactile cues configured to guide the user along the derived route; the IES.

[0105] Clause 2: The IES described in Clause 1, wherein the route planning data further includes a series of navigation instructions for walking movement from the user position to the target position, and each of the command signals corresponds to a calibrated navigation alert system cue indicating a respective navigation instruction in the series of navigation instructions.

[0106] Clause 3: The IES described in Clause 2, wherein the controller is further programmed to track real-time movement of the user along the derived path and determine whether each new user position in the series of new user positions along the derived path corresponds to one of the navigation instructions in the series of navigation instructions, and each of the command signals is transmitted in response to a determination that one of the new user positions corresponds to a respective navigation instruction associated with the command signal.

[0107] Clause 4: The IES described in paragraph 3, wherein each of the navigation instructions includes: go forward, go back, go left, go right, accelerate, decelerate, start, stop, and / or turn.

[0108] Clause 5: An IES described in any one of clauses 1 to 4, wherein the controller is further programmed to send a start command signal to a navigation alert system to output visual, audio, and / or tactile cues configured to notify the user to begin movement along the derived path.

[0109] Clause 6: An IES described in any one of clauses 1 to 5, wherein the controller is further programmed to send an exit command signal to a navigation alert system to output visual, audio, and / or tactile cues configured to notify the user that the user has reached the target location.

[0110] Clause 7: An IES according to any one of clauses 1 to 6, wherein the target object or site includes a virtual object located at a virtual location.

[0111] Clause 8: An IES described in any one of clauses 1 to 7, wherein the navigation alert system includes a tactile transducer and the command signal causes the tactile transducer to generate a tactile cue.

[0112] Clause 9: The IES of clause 8, further comprising shoelaces or straps attached to the shoe structure, the tactile transducer including a lace motor mounted on or within the shoe structure and configured to selectively transition the shoelaces or straps between a tensioned state and an untensioned state.

[0113] Clause 10: An IES as described in Clause 9, wherein the shoe structure includes a left shoe structure and a right shoe structure configured to be worn on and support the user's left and right feet, respectively, and the lace motor includes a first lace motor and a second lace motor attached to the left shoe structure and the right shoe structure, respectively.

[0114] Clause 11: The IES described in Clause 10, wherein the command signal activates the first racing motor and the second racing motor individually and cooperatively, thereby generating tactile cues configured to guide the user along the lead path.

[0115] Clause 12: The IES described in Clause 11, wherein the command signal modulates the motor speed and / or applied tension of the first race motor and the second race motor, thereby generating additional tactile cues configured to guide the user along the elicitation path.

[0116] Clause 13: An IES described in any one of clauses 1 to 12, wherein the navigation alert system includes an audio system, and the command signal causes the audio system to generate a predefined sound output.

[0117] Clause 14: An IES described in any one of clauses 1 to 13, wherein the navigation alert system includes a light system, and the command signal causes the light system to generate a predefined light output.

[0118] Clause 15: An IES described in any one of clauses 1 to 14, wherein the user has a portable electronic device and the wireless communication device is further configured to wirelessly connect to the portable electronic device and thereby wirelessly communicate with a remote computing node.

[0119] Clause 16: An IES described in any one of clauses 1 to 15, further comprising a sensor attached to the shoe structure, communicatively connected to the controller and configured to detect the presence of a user's foot within the shoe structure, the controller being further programmed to receive a sensor signal from the sensor indicating that the foot is within the shoe structure, and the controller transmitting a command signal in response to receiving the sensor signal.

[0120] Clause 17: The IES of any one of clauses 1 to 16, wherein the target location of the target object or site includes a geofence, and the controller is further programmed to, in response to detecting that the user has broken through the geofence, send an exit command signal to the navigation alert system to output visual, audio, and / or tactile cues configured to notify the user that the user has reached the target object or site.

[0121] Clause 18: A method of operating an intelligent electronic shoe (IES) for assisting a user in navigating to a target object or location within a geographic area, the IES including a shoe structure configured to be worn on a user's foot and support the user's foot, the method including: receiving, via a controller, through a wireless communication device, location data indicating a user position of the user; receiving, via the controller, through the wireless communication device from a remote computing node, location data indicating a target position of the target object or site; determining, via the controller, route planning data including a derived route for traveling from the user position to the target location within the geographic area; and sending, via the controller, a command signal to a navigational alert system attached to the shoe structure to output visual, audio, and / or tactile cues configured to guide the user along the derived route.

[0122] Clause 19: The method of clause 18, wherein the route planning data further includes a series of navigation instructions for walking from the user position to the target position, and each of the command signals corresponds to a calibrated navigation alert system cue indicating a respective navigation instruction in the series of navigation instructions.

[0123] Clause 20: The method of clause 19, further comprising tracking real-time movement of the user along the derived path and determining whether each new user position in the series of new user positions along the derived path corresponds to one of the navigation instructions in the series of navigation instructions, each of the command signals being transmitted in response to a determination that one of the new user positions corresponds to a respective navigation instruction associated with the command signal.

[0124] Clause 21: The method of any one of clauses 18 to 20, further comprising sending, via the controller, a start command signal to a navigation alert system to output visual, audio, and / or tactile cues configured to notify the user to begin moving along the derived path.

[0125] Clause 22: The method of any one of clauses 18 to 21, further comprising sending, via the controller, a termination command signal to a navigation alert system to output visual, audio, and / or tactile cues configured to notify the user that the user has reached the target location.

[0126] Clause 23: The method of any one of clauses 18 to 22, wherein the target object or site comprises a virtual object located at a virtual location.

[0127] Clause 24: The method of any one of clauses 18 to 23, wherein the navigation alert system includes a tactile transducer and the command signal causes the tactile transducer to generate a tactile cue.

[0128] Clause 25: The method of clause 24, wherein the tactile transducer includes a lace motor mounted on or within the shoe structure and configured to selectively transition shoe laces or straps attached to the shoe structure between a tensioned state and an untensioned state.

[0129] Clause 26: The method of clause 25, wherein the shoe structure includes a left shoe structure and a right shoe structure configured to be worn on and support the user's left and right feet, respectively, and the lace motor includes a first lace motor and a second lace motor attached to the left shoe structure and the right shoe structure, respectively.

[0130] Clause 27: The method of clause 26, wherein the command signal activates the first racing motor and the second racing motor individually and cooperatively, thereby generating tactile cues configured to guide the user along the lead path.

[0131] Clause 28: The method of clause 27, wherein the command signal modulates the motor speed and / or applied tension of the first racing motor and the second racing motor, thereby generating additional tactile cues configured to guide the user along the derived path.

[0132] Clause 29: A method according to any one of clauses 18 to 28, wherein the navigation alert system includes an audio system and / or a light system, and the command signal causes the audio system to generate a predefined sound output and / or causes the light system to generate a predefined light output.

[0133] Clause 30: A method according to any one of clauses 18 to 29, wherein a user has a portable electronic device and the wireless communication device wirelessly connects to the portable electronic device and thereby wirelessly communicates with a remote computing node.

[0134] Although aspects of the present disclosure have been described in detail with reference to the illustrated embodiments, those skilled in the art will recognize that many modifications may be made without departing from the scope of the present disclosure. The present disclosure is not limited to the exact configurations and compositions disclosed herein, and any and all modifications, changes, and variations apparent from the foregoing description are within the scope of the present disclosure as defined by the appended claims. Moreover, the present concept expressly includes any and all combinations and subcombinations of the elements and features described above.

Claims

1. 1. An intelligent electronic shoe (IES) for assisting a user in navigating to a target object or site within a geographic area, comprising: a shoe structure configured to be fitted to and support the user's foot; a shoe lace or strap attached to the shoe structure; a navigational alert system attached to the footwear structure and configured to generate a haptic output in response to a command signal, the navigational alert system including a lace motor attached to the footwear structure and configured to selectively transition the lace or strap between a tensioned state and an untensioned state; a wireless communication device configured to wirelessly communicate with a remote computing node; a controller communicatively connected to the navigation alert system and to the wireless communication device; wherein the controller comprises: determining a user location of said user; receiving a target location of the target object or site from the remote computing node; determining route planning data including a derived route for traveling from the user location to the target location within the geographic area, the route planning data further including a set of navigation instructions for walking travel from the user location to the target location; in response to the sequence of navigation instructions for walking movement from the user location to the target location, sending a command signal to the navigational alert system to actuate the lace motor to output haptic cues configured to guide the user along the derived path, wherein the haptic cues include the laces or straps being sequentially tensioned and released in a predetermined pattern. It is programmed like this, IES.

2. each of the command signals corresponds to a calibrated navigation alert system cue indicative of a respective navigation instruction within the sequence of navigation instructions; 2. The IES of claim 1.

3. The controller: Tracking real-time movement of the user along the derived path; determining whether each new user position in a series of new user positions along the derived path corresponds to one of the navigation instructions in the series of navigation instructions; It is further programmed as follows: each of the command signals is transmitted in response to a determination that one of the new user positions corresponds to the respective navigation instruction associated with the command signal.

3. The IES of claim 2.

4. Each of the navigation instructions includes: forward, back, go left, go right, accelerate, decelerate, start, stop, or turn.

4. The IES of claim 3.

5. the controller sends a start command signal to the navigational alert system to output a haptic cue configured to notify the user to begin traveling along the derived path. It is further programmed as follows:

5. An IES according to any one of claims 1 to 4.

6. the controller sends a finish command signal to the navigational alert system to output a haptic cue configured to notify the user that the user has reached the target location. It is further programmed as follows:

6. An IES according to any one of claims 1 to 5.

7. The target object or site includes a virtual object located at a virtual location.

7. An IES according to any one of claims 1 to 6.

8. The navigational alert system further includes a tactile transducer. the command signal causes the tactile transducer to generate one or more tactile cues.

8. An IES according to any one of claims 1 to 7.

9. the shoe structures include left and right shoe structures configured to be fitted to and support the left and right feet of the user, respectively; the race motors include a first race motor and a second race motor mounted on the left shoe structure and the right shoe structure, respectively; 9. An IES according to any one of claims 1 to 8.

10. the command signal actuates the first race motor and the second race motor individually and cooperatively to thereby generate haptic cues configured to guide the user along the lead path.

10. The IES of claim 9.

11. the command signal modulates a motor speed or an applied tension of the first race motor and the second race motor, thereby generating additional haptic cues configured to guide the user along the outgoing path.

11. The IES of claim 10.

12. The navigation alert system further includes an audio system. The command signal further causes the audio system to generate a predefined sound output. IES according to any one of claims 1 to 11.

13. The navigation alert system further includes a light system. The command signal further causes the light system to generate a predefined light output.

13. An IES according to any one of claims 1 to 12.

14. the user has a portable electronic device; the wireless communication device is further configured to wirelessly connect to the portable electronic device and thereby wirelessly communicate with the remote computing node.

14. An IES according to any one of claims 1 to 13.

15. the IES further comprises a sensor attached to the footwear structure, communicatively connected to the controller, and configured to detect a presence of the user's foot within the footwear structure; the controller is further programmed to receive a sensor signal from the sensor indicative of the foot being within the shoe structure; the controller transmitting the command signal in response to receiving the sensor signal.

15. An IES according to any one of claims 1 to 14.

16. the target location of the target object or site includes a geofence; The controller is further programmed to, in response to detecting that the user has breached the geofence, send a termination command signal to the navigation alert system for outputting a haptic cue configured to notify the user that the user has reached the target object or site.

16. An IES according to any one of claims 1 to 15.

17. 1. A method of operating an intelligent electronic shoe (IES) for assisting a user in navigating to a target object or location within a geographic area, comprising: The IES includes a shoe structure configured to be worn on and support the user's foot, and a shoe lace or strap attached to the shoe structure, and the method further comprises: receiving, via the controller, location data through a wireless communication device indicative of a user location of the user; receiving, via said controller, location data from a remote computing node through said wireless communication device, indicative of a target location of said target object or site; determining, via the controller, route planning data including a derived route for traveling from the user location to the target location within the geographic area, the route planning data further including a set of navigation instructions for walking travel from the user location to the target location; sending, in response to the series of navigation instructions for walking movement from the user location to the target location, a command signal via the controller to a navigational alert system attached to the footwear structure to actuate a lace motor to output haptic cues configured to guide the user along the derived path, the lace motor being attached to the footwear structure and configured to selectively transition the lace or strap between a tensioned state and an untensioned state, the haptic cues including the lace or strap being sequentially tensioned and released in a predetermined pattern; A method comprising:

18. each of the command signals corresponds to a calibrated navigation alert system cue indicative of a respective navigation instruction within the sequence of navigation instructions; 20. The method of claim 17.

19. The method comprises: tracking real-time movement of the user along the derived path; determining whether each new user position in a series of new user positions along the derived path corresponds to one of the navigation instructions in the series of navigation instructions; Further comprising: each of the command signals is transmitted in response to a determination that one of the new user positions corresponds to the respective navigation instruction associated with the command signal.

20. The method of claim 18.

20. 20. The method of claim 17, further comprising sending, via the controller, a start command signal to the navigational alert system to output a haptic cue configured to inform the user to begin traveling along the derived path.

21. The method comprises: sending, via the controller, a termination command signal to the navigational alert system to output a haptic cue configured to notify the user that the user has reached the target location.

21. The method according to any one of claims 17 to 20.

22. The target object or site includes a virtual object located at a virtual location.

22. The method according to any one of claims 17 to 21.

23. The navigational alert system further includes a tactile transducer. The command signal further causes the tactile transducer to generate a tactile cue.

23. The method according to any one of claims 17 to 22.

24. the shoe structures include left and right shoe structures configured to be fitted to and support the left and right feet of the user, respectively; the race motors include a first race motor and a second race motor mounted on the left shoe structure and the right shoe structure, respectively; 24. The method according to any one of claims 17 to 23.

25. the command signal actuates the first race motor and the second race motor individually and cooperatively to thereby generate haptic cues configured to guide the user along the lead path.

25. The method of claim 24.

26. the command signal modulates a motor speed or an applied tension of the first race motor and the second race motor, thereby generating additional haptic cues configured to guide the user along the outgoing path.

26. The method of claim 25.

27. The navigation alert system further includes an audio system. The command signal further causes the audio system to generate a predefined sound output.

27. The method of any one of claims 17 to 26.

28. the user has a portable electronic device; the wireless communication device wirelessly connects to the portable electronic device and thereby wirelessly communicates with the remote computing node; 28. The method of any one of claims 17 to 27.

29. The navigation alert system further includes a light system. The command signal further causes the light system to generate a predefined light output.

27. The method of any one of claims 17 to 26.

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