Intelligent Electronic Footwear and Control Logic for Executing an Automated Footwear Configuration

Abstract

To provide intelligent electronic footwear with attendant control logic to enable automated footwear capability, methods for making / using such footwear, and control systems for providing an automated configuration.SOLUTION: An intelligent electronic shoe (IES) includes an upper and a sole structure. An alert system, which is mounted to the sole structure and / or upper, generates prescribed outputs in response to electronic command signals. The IES system also includes a wireless communications device that wirelessly communicates with a remote computing node, and a footwear controller that communicates with the wireless communications device and alert system. The footwear controller receives location data indicative of the user's and remote computing node's locations, determines whether the user's location is within a prescribed location / proximity to the node's location and, if so, transmits command signals to the alert system to notify the user / vehicle.SELECTED DRAWING: Figure 3

Description

Technical Field

[0001] (Reference to Related Applications) This application is an international (PCT) application of U.S. Patent Application No. 16 / 220,403, which was filed, allowed, and is a continuation of U.S. Patent Application No. 16 / 114,632, filed on December 14, 2018. U.S. Patent Application No. 16 / 114,632 was filed on August 28, 2018, and is U.S. Patent No. 10,178,890B1, and claims the benefit and priority of U.S. Provisional Patent Application No. 62 / 678,796, filed on May 31, 2018.

[0002] The present disclosure generally relates to wearable electronic devices. More specifically, aspects of this disclosure relate to systems, methods, and devices for enabling automated configurations of intelligent electronic footwear and clothing.

Background Art

[0003] Footwear products, such as shoes, boots, slippers, sandals, and equivalents, generally consist of two main elements: an upper for securing the footwear to the user's foot and a sole structure for providing support to form a base for the foot. The upper may be made of various materials, such as fabrics, foams, polymers, natural leathers, and synthetic leathers, which are sewn or adhesively bonded together to form a shell or harness for safely receiving the foot. In the case of sandals and slippers, the upper may have an open toe or heel structure, or may generally be limited to a series of straps that extend over the instep of the foot and, in some designs, around the ankle. Conversely, the design of boots and shoes incorporates a full upper with a closed toe or heel structure and an ankle opening through a rear quarter portion that provides access to the interior of the footwear, facilitating entry of the foot into the upper and removal of the foot from the upper. Shoelaces or straps may be used to secure the foot within the upper.

[0004] The sole structure is generally attached to the lower portion of the upper and positioned between the user's foot and the ground. In many footwear products, including sports shoes, the sole structure is generally a layered structure that incorporates an insole for enhancing comfort, a midsole for shock absorption, and an outsole that contacts the surface. The insole, which may be partially or entirely disposed within the upper, is a thin, compressible member that provides a contact surface for the underside of the user's foot. In contrast, the midsole is attached under the insole to form the middle layer of the sole structure. In addition to attenuating ground reaction forces, the midsole may help control foot movement and provide stability. Fixed to the underside of the midsole is the outsole, which forms the ground-contact portion of the footwear and is typically made of a durable and wear-resistant material that includes a configuration for improving traction.

Summary of the Invention

Problems to be Solved by the Invention

[0005] Presented herein are intelligent electronic footwear having accompanying control logic to enable automated footwear capabilities, methods for manufacturing and using such footwear, and control systems for providing an automated configuration of intelligent electronic footwear. As an example, an IoAAF (Internet of Adaptive Apparel and Footwear) system is presented that wirelessly communicates with intelligent electronic shoes (IES) to automate communication between the shoes and a vehicle, i.e., footwear-vehicle communication (F2V). For example, in a rideshare application, a registered driver is paired with a passenger seeking a ride through a dedicated mobile application (the "app") or a web-based applet operating on an individual's smartphone or other handheld computing device. Once paired, the rider may wait for the rideshare driver outside the curb while wearing the IES. For example, when the rider is waiting within a crowd or on a busy sidewalk, the IES automates a hailing feature that helps the driver identify the waiting rider. Specifically, the IES tracks the real-time locations of the rider and the driver, and after determining that the rider's location is at or near a predetermined location or the driver's location, the IES automatically generates a visual or audible output sufficient to draw the rider's attention. For example, an IES processor built into the midsole of the shoe issues a command signal to a built-in shoe light system to illuminate, flash, change color, or a combination thereof. Optionally or alternatively, the IES processor may respondently generate a visual or audible output, such as wirelessly transmitting a command prompt to a vehicle control system to activate a vehicle horn or vehicle light system to help the rider identify the driver.

[0006] To enable wireless communication between the IES and a remote electronic device, such as a ride-share driver's automobile, the IES may piggyback on a communication session established by the user's smartphone, handheld computing device, or other portable electronic device having wireless communication capabilities. Alternatively, the IES may operate as a stand-alone device that includes a resident wireless communication device packaged within the shoe structure. Other peripheral hardware may include a resident memory, short-wave antenna, rechargeable battery, SIM card, etc., all of which are housed inside the shoe structure. The IES may include a human-machine interface (HMI) that enables the user to interact with the footwear and / or the IoAAF system. For example, one or more electroactive polymer (EAP) sensors may be woven into a patch or formed as such a patch that is attached onto the shoe structure and operable to receive user input that enables the user to control the operating mode of the IES. Similarly, any of the attendant operations for performing an automated footwear configuration may be executed locally via the IES processor or off-boarded in a distributed computing fashion for execution by a smartphone, handheld computing device, IoAAF system, or any combination thereof.

[0007] As an additional option, the execution of any one or more desired footwear configurations may first require the user's security authentication via the IES processor and / or the IoAAF system server computer. For example, an array of sensors distributed within the shoe structure communicates with the IES processor to confirm the user's weight (e.g., via a pressure sensor), the size of the shoe (e.g., via electronic adaptive response lacing (EARL)), the heel-toe fingerprint (e.g., via an optical fingerprint sensor), or perform biometric verification such as other suitable methods. As an extension of this concept, when attempting to execute an automated configuration, any of the aforementioned sensing devices may be utilized as a binary (on / off) switch for the IES to confirm that it is actually on the user's foot. Once security authentication is established, the intelligent electronic shoe may be used as a means to make or accept payments or as part of a commercial transaction.

[0008] Providing wireless data exchange to facilitate the execution of an automated configuration may require that the IES be registered with the IoAAF system. For example, a user may record the IES serial number in the IoAAF system, which may then issue a verification key to a personal account, such as a "digital locker" operating on the user's smartphone, tablet, PC, or laptop, to provide additional authentication. Registration may be completed manually, e.g., via the user, or digitally, e.g., via a barcode or near-field communication tag on the shoe. A unique virtual shoe may be assigned to the IES and stored in the digital locker, and each virtual shoe may be assisted by blockchain security technology designed to guarantee uniqueness and authenticity, such as a cryptographic hash function, a reliable timestamp, correlated transaction data, etc. Once properly verified, the IES may be used to authenticate the user for entry to concerts, movies, sports events, airplanes, other mass transportation, and the like. Although described in connection with footwear products as a representative use for the novel concepts presented herein, many of the disclosed options and configurations are envisioned to apply to other wearable clothing, including clothing, headgear, eyewear, wristwear, neckwear, legwear, and the like.

[0009] Aspects of the present disclosure are directed to a networked control system and associated logic for implementing an automated footwear configuration. For example, an intelligent electronic shoe system is presented that includes a footwear product having an upper attachable to a user's foot and a sole structure attached to the upper and supporting the user's foot thereon. The sole structure includes an outsole that defines a ground-engaging portion at the very bottom of the footwear product. A controller automated warning system attached to the sole structure and / or upper of the footwear is operable to generate visual, audible, and / or tactile outputs in response to one or more electronic command signals. The IES system includes a wireless communication device that wirelessly communicates with a remote computing node and a system controller that communicates with the wireless communication device and the warning system. This controller may be resident in the footwear or remote from the footwear and is programmed to receive location data indicating the location of the user and the location of the remote computing node. Using this data, the controller determines whether the location of the user is within a predetermined location or within a vicinity relative to the location of the node. In response to the location of the user being within a predetermined location or within a predetermined vicinity relative to the location of the node, the system controller automatically transmits a command signal to the warning system to generate a predetermined visual, audible, and / or tactile warning perceptible by the user and / or vehicle, thereby notifying one or both parties of their relative proximity / location, for example.

[0010] Additional aspects of the disclosure are directed to methods for assembling and operating any of the disclosed systems and devices. In one example, a method for manufacturing a footwear product for a user's foot is presented. This exemplary method, in any order and in any combination with any of the configurations and options disclosed above or below, includes providing an upper configured to receive and attach to the user's foot; providing a sole structure configured to support the user's foot thereon, the sole structure having an outsole that defines a ground engaging portion of the footwear; attaching the sole structure to the upper; attaching a controller-automated warning system to the sole structure and / or the upper, the warning system being configured to generate audible, visual, and / or tactile outputs in response to a command signal; attaching a wireless communication device to the sole structure and / or the upper, the wireless communication device being configured to wirelessly communicate with a remote computing node; and attaching a resident controller to the sole structure and / or the upper. This resident controller is operatively connected to the wireless communication device and the warning system. The resident controller is programmed to receive user location data indicating the user's current location, receive node location data indicating the current location of the remote computing node, determine whether the user's location is within a vicinity of a predetermined location or the location of the node, and automatically transmit a command signal to the warning system to generate a predetermined warning in response to the user's location being within a vicinity of a predetermined location or the location of the node.

[0011] In another example, a method for implementing an automated configuration of intelligent electronic shoes is presented. This exemplary method, in any order and in any combination with any of the configurations and options disclosed above or below, includes receiving location data indicating the user's location via a resident or remote wireless communication device; receiving location data indicating the node location of a remote computing node via the wireless communication device; determining, via a resident or remote footwear controller, whether the user is located within the vicinity of a predetermined location or the location of a node; and in response to whether the user location is within the vicinity of a predetermined location or the location of a node, automatically transmitting, by the footwear controller, a command signal to a resident controller automated warning system to generate a predetermined visual, audible, and / or tactile warning perceptible to the user and / or vehicle, thereby notifying one or both parties of their relative proximity / location.

[0012] A further aspect of the present disclosure is directed to footwear having automated lighting capabilities. For example, a footwear product includes an upper that at least partially covers the user's foot and is attached to the user's foot. A sole structure is attached to a lower portion of the upper and includes an outsole that supports the user's foot thereon and defines a ground-engaging surface of the footwear. A resident warning system is attached to the sole structure and is selectively operable to generate visual, audible, and / or tactile warnings in response to an electronic command signal. A resident wireless communication device is attached inside the sole structure and is operable to wirelessly communicate with a remote computing node, such as an automobile, a remote backend server computer, a middleware node, a dedicated software application operating on a portable electronic device, and the like.

[0013] Continuing with the above example, the footwear comprises a resident controller that is attached inside the sole structure and communicatively connected to the wireless communication device and the alarm system. This resident controller is programmed to receive location data indicating the current location of the user and the current location of the remote computing node. Next, the resident controller determines whether the current location of the user is within the vicinity of the current location of a predetermined location / node. If so, the resident controller transmits one or more command signals to the alarm system in response to generate a predetermined alarm notifying the user / vehicle of their relative proximity.

[0014] For any of the disclosed systems, methods, and devices, the footwear controller may transmit a command signal to the control system of the remote computing node in response to, for example, the user location being within the vicinity of a predetermined location / node location to generate an audible or visual output. For example, the remote computing node may be an automobile equipped with a vehicle headlamp system, in which case the visual output prompted (prompted) by the footwear controller may include illumination, flashing, and / or intensification of the light output of the vehicle's headlamp system. Optionally, the footwear controller is operable to coordinate the light output of the vehicle headlamp system with a predetermined light output of the IES alarm system. In addition, the audible output prompted by the footwear controller may include activation and / or modulation of the audible output of the vehicle horn system, the infotainment system, or other vehicle subsystems capable of generating an audible output. Optionally, the footwear controller may be operable to coordinate the audible output of the vehicle audio system with a predetermined audio output of the IES alarm system.

[0015] For any of the disclosed systems, methods, and devices, a user may have a portable electronic device, such as a smartphone, tablet, and / or smartwatch, and the wireless communication device may be designed to wirelessly connect to the portable electronic device and wirelessly communicate with a remote computing node through this connectivity. As another option, the warning system may include a tactile transducer attached to the shoe structure. In this case, the command signal of the footwear controller may generate a tactile cue in the tactile transducer to notify the user, for example, when the user's location is within the vicinity of the location of a predetermined location / node. In the same spirit, the warning system may include an audio system attached to the shoe structure. The command signal of the footwear controller may generate a predetermined audio output in the audio system to notify the user, for example, when the user's location is within the vicinity of the location of a predetermined location / node.

[0016] For any of the disclosed systems, methods, and apparatuses, the remote computing node may be the central control unit of a resident or commercial security system. In this case, the footwear controller may send an arming (or disarming) command signal to the security system when the user's location enters (or exits) the vicinity of a predetermined location or a residence or building being monitored by the security system. Similarly, the remote computing node may be the central control unit of a home automation system. In this case, the footwear controller may send a command signal to the home automation system, in response to, for example, the user's location being within the vicinity of a predetermined location or a home or a specific room within the home associated with the home automation system, to lock or unlock a door, turn on or off interior lights, and / or raise or lower the temperature of a thermostat. The predetermined location or vicinity may be delineated by a geofence generated by the footwear controller. In this case, the command signal is sent to the remote computing node or the IES subsystem after the remote computing node or the IES detects a breach of the geofence

[0017] For any of the disclosed systems, methods, and devices, a pressure sensor may be attached to the shoe structure and configured to detect the presence of a foot within the upper. For some applications, the command signal may be sent to the IES alarm system only when the presence of a foot within the upper is detected. Foot presence sensing in a footwear product may be achieved via various methods, including pressure / force sensing, capacitive sensing, magnetic signal sensing, etc. Optionally, the pressure sensor may be attached inside the sole structure and configured to detect the user's weight. From these sensor readings, the footwear controller may determine whether the detected weight of the current user is within a predetermined range of the verified user weight stored in the memory (is authenticated by the user). Once verified, the footwear controller may then send a command signal to the IES alarm system.

[0018] For any of the disclosed systems, methods, and devices, the IES may include a shoe lace attached to the upper and a lacing motor attached inside the sole structure and operable to selectively transition the shoelace / strap between a tensioned state and a non-tensioned state. The footwear controller may communicate with the lacing motor to determine the current state of the shoelace. In this case, a command signal is transmitted to the IES alarm system only when the shoelace is in a tensioned state. In at least some configurations, the tensioned state may include a plurality of discrete tensioned positions, and the IES system may include a lacing sensor that detects the current discrete tensioned position for the current user. The footwear controller may communicate with the lacing sensor to determine whether the current discrete tensioned position corresponds to a verified laced (i.e., authenticated for a registered user) position stored in memory. Once the current user is verified, the footwear controller then transmits a command signal to the IES alarm system. Additional information regarding footwear with electric lacing and gesture control capabilities can be found, for example, in Patent Document 1 and Patent Document 2. Both of them are hereby incorporated by reference in their entireties for all purposes. It is also envisioned that user recognition may be achieved through gait profiling and analysis, where the user is determined from a microelectromechanical system (MEMS) within the shoe (either alone or in combination with verification on a smartphone).

[0019] For any of the disclosed systems, methods, and apparatuses, a remote computing node may include an optical sensor, for example, as part of a digital camera. A predetermined output of the IES alarm system may be detectable by the optical sensor and may include a personalized color and / or an encoded blinking pattern designed to authenticate a user to the remote computing node. In at least some applications, the wireless communication device may include a BLUETOOTH (R) Low Energy (BLE), low power and wide area category (CAT) M1, or narrow band CAT-NB1 wireless interface. As another option, a barcode, radio frequency identification (RFID) tag, or near field communication (NFC) tag may be attached to the sole structure and / or upper, and these configurations are designed to communicate a security authentication code to the remote computing node.

[0020] The above summary is not intended to represent any embodiment or aspect of the present disclosure. Rather, the foregoing summary merely provides an illustration of some of the novel concepts and configurations among the novel concepts and configurations described herein. The above configurations and advantages, as well as other configurations and attendant advantages of the present disclosure, will be readily apparent from the following detailed description of the illustrated examples and representative modes for carrying out the present disclosure when understood in connection with the accompanying drawings and the appended claims. Moreover, this disclosure clearly encompasses any and all combinations and sub-combinations of the elements and configurations presented above and below.

Brief Description of the Drawings

[0021]

Figure 1

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Figure 2

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Figure 3

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Figure 4

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Figure 6

[0027] The present disclosure, in accordance with various modifications and alternative forms, with several representative embodiments 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 illustrated in the drawings listed above. Rather, the present disclosure covers all modifications, equivalents, combinations, sub-combinations, permutations, groupings, and alternatives that fall within the scope of the present disclosure as encompassed by the appended claims.

[0028] This disclosure is susceptible to many different forms of embodiments. With the understanding that these illustrated examples are provided as illustrations of the principles of the disclosure rather than limitations of the broad aspects of the disclosure, representative embodiments of the present disclosure are shown in the drawings and described in detail herein. For the purpose of achieving that, elements and limitations that are described in the summary, technical field, background, summary, and detailed description sections but not explicitly recited in the claims should not be incorporated into the claims, singly or collectively, by implication, inference, or otherwise.

[0029] For the purposes of this detailed description, unless otherwise specifically disclaimed, the singular forms include the plural forms and vice versa. The terms "and" and "or" are both conjunctive and disjunctive, the terms "any" and "all" both mean "any and all", and the terms "including", "comprising", and "having" each mean "including without limitation". Moreover, approximating words such as "about", "almost", "substantially", "approximately", and equivalent expressions 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, directional adjectives and adverbs such as fore, aft, medial, lateral, proximal, distal, vertical, horizontal, front, back, left, right, etc. may be with respect to a footwear product when worn on a user's foot and may be operatively oriented, for example, with respect to the base of a sole structure located on a flat surface.

[0030] Next, referring to the drawings, like reference numerals refer to like components throughout the several views, and in FIG. 1 there is shown a representative article of footwear generally designated by reference numeral 10 and shown herein for purposes of illustration as a sports shoe or “sneaker”. The illustrated footwear 10, which is also referred to herein as an “intelligent electronic shoe” or simply an “IES”, is merely an exemplary application in which the novel aspects and configurations of this disclosure may be implemented. In a similar vein, the implementation of this concept for wearable electronic devices worn on a human foot should also be understood as a representative application of the concepts disclosed herein. It will be understood that many aspects and configurations of this disclosure may be incorporated into other footwear structures and may be incorporated into any logically related type of wearable electronic device. As used herein, the terms “shoe” and “footwear”, including their permutations, may be used interchangeably and synonymously to refer to any related type of covering worn on the foot. Finally, the configurations shown in the drawings are not necessarily to scale and are provided for purely educational purposes. Accordingly, the specific dimensions and relative dimensions shown in the drawings should not be construed as limiting.

[0031] The representative article of footwear 10 is generally depicted in FIGS. 1 and 2 as a two-part structure primarily composed of an upper 12 that receives the foot attached over a sole structure 14 that forms a base. For ease of reference, the footwear 10 is divided, as shown in FIG. 2, into three anatomical regions, namely, a forefoot region R FF , a midfoot region R MF , and a rearfoot (heel) region R HF . The footwear 10 has an outer segment S LA(lateral segment) and the medial segment S which is the proximal half of the shoe 10 closest to the sagittal plane of the human body ME may be divided into (medial segment). According to the recognized anatomical classification, the forefoot region R FF is located at the front of the footwear 10 and generally corresponds to the phalanges (toe tips), the midfoot bones, and their interconnecting joints. There is a midfoot region RMF between the forefoot region R FF and the hindfoot region RHF, and the midfoot region RMF generally corresponds to the cuneiform bones, the navicular bone, and the cuboid bone (i.e., the arch region 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 the calcaneus. The outer segment S LA and the inner segment S ME of the footwear 10 both extend through all three anatomical regions R FF , R MF , R HF and each corresponds to the respective transverse side of the footwear 10. Figures 1 and 2 show only a single shoe 10 for the user's left foot, but as shown in Figure 3, a substantially identical mirror image counterpart for the user's right foot may be provided. As can be recognized, the shape, size (dimensions), material composition, and manufacturing method of the shoe 10 may be changed, either individually or collectively, to be practically adapted for any normal or non-normal use.

[0032] Referring to FIG. 1, the upper 12 is generally defined by three interconnected sections, namely, a toe box 12A (toe box) that covers and protects the toe (toe), a vamp 12B (vamp) that is behind the toe box 12A and extends around the lace eyelet 16 (lace eyelet) and the tongue 18 (tongue), and a quarter 12C (quarter) that is behind the vamp 12B and includes the rear and side portions of the upper 12 that cover the heel, and is depicted as having a closed toe and heel configuration. The upper 12 portion of the footwear 10 may be manufactured from any one or combination of various materials such as fabric, foam, polymer, natural leather, and synthetic leather that are sewn, adhesively bonded, or welded together to form an internal void for comfortably receiving the foot. The individual material elements of the upper 12 may be selected and arranged for the footwear 10, for example, to selectively impart properties such as durability, air permeability, abrasion resistance, flexibility, and comfort. The ankle opening 15 (ankle opening) in the rear quarter 12C of the upper 12 provides access to the interior of the shoe 10. A shoelace 20 (shoelace), strap, buckle, or other conventional mechanism may be utilized to modify the girth of the upper 12 to more stably hold the foot within the shoe 10 and facilitate entry of the foot into and removal of the foot from the upper 12. The shoelace 20 may be passed through a series of eyelets in the upper 12, and the tongue 18 may extend between the lace 20 and the internal void of the upper 12.

[0033] The sole structure 14 is such that the sole structure 14 is the support surface on which the upper 12 and the user stand (e.g., the ground G in FIG. 3) S1) so as to extend therebetween, and is rigidly fixed to the upper 12. In practice, 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 cushioning the foot, the sole structure 14 of FIG. 1 may provide traction, may provide stability, and may help limit various foot movements such as inadvertent foot inversion or eversion. According to the illustrated example, the sole structure 14 is manufactured as a sandwich structure that includes a topmost insole 22, an intermediate midsole 24, and a bottommost outsole 26. The insole 22 is shown partially disposed within the internal cavity of the footwear 10 and is firmly fixed to the lower portion of the upper 12 such that the insole 22 is disposed adjacent to the plantar surface of the foot. Below 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 force attenuation characteristics of the footwear 10. These elements and materials may include, individually or in any combination, polymeric foam materials such as polyurethane or ethylene vinyl acetate (EVA), filler materials, retardants, air-filled bladders, plates, durability elements, or motion control members. The outsole 26, which may not be present in some configurations of the footwear 10, is fixed to the lower surface of the midsole 24. The outsole 26 may be formed from a rubber material that provides a durable and wear-resistant surface for engaging the ground. Additionally, the outsole 26 may be textured to enhance traction (i.e., friction) between the footwear 10 and the support surface located thereunder.

[0034] Figure 3 is a partially schematic illustration of an exemplary IES data network and communication system, generally designated by reference numeral 30, for providing wireless data exchange to execute one or more automated footwear configurations for a pair of intelligent electronic shoes 10 worn by a user or client 13. A single user 13 communicating with a single automobile 32 through the IES system 30 is illustrated, although any number of users may be envisioned as communicating with any number of automobiles or other remote computing nodes suitably equipped to wirelessly exchange information and data. One or both of the IESs 10 in FIG. 3 are communicatively coupled to a remote host system 34 or a cloud computing system 36 via a wireless communication network 38. Wireless data exchange between the IES 10 and the IES system 30 may occur directly, in a configuration where the IES 10 is equipped as a stand-alone device, or indirectly, for example, by pairing and piggybacking the IES 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 automobile 32 via, for example, a short-range wireless communication device (e.g., a BLUETOOTH® unit or a near field communication (NFC) transceiver), a dedicated short range communication (DSRC) component, a wireless antenna, and the like. Only selected components of the IES 10 and the IES system 30 are shown and described in detail herein. Nevertheless, the systems and devices discussed herein may include, for example, a number of additional and alternative configurations, as well as other available hardware and well-known peripheral components, for performing the various methods and functions disclosed herein.

[0035] Continuing to refer to FIG. 3, host system 34 may be implemented as a high-speed server computing device or mainframe computer capable of handling bulk data processing, resource planning, and transaction processing. For example, host system 34 may operate as a host within a client-server interface to perform any necessary data exchange and communication with one or more "third party" servers to complete a particular transaction. On the other hand, cloud computing system 36 may operate as middleware for IoT (Internet of Things), WoT (Web of Things), IoAAF (Internet of Adaptive Apparel and Footwear), and / or M2M (machine-to-machine) services that connect various heterogeneous electronic devices to a service-oriented architecture (SOA) via a data network. As an example, cloud computing system 36 may be implemented as a middleware node that dynamically mounts heterogeneous devices, multiplexes data from each of these devices, and provides different functions for routing data through reconfigurable processing logic for processing and transfer to one or more destination applications. Network 38 may be any available type of network, including a combination of a public distributed computing network (e.g., the Internet) and a secure private network (e.g., local area network, wide area network, virtual private network). It may include wireless and wired transmission systems (e.g., satellite, cellular network, terrestrial network, etc.). In at least some embodiments, most if not all data transaction functions performed by IES10 may be performed over a wireless network, such as a wireless local area network (WLAN) or cellular data network, to ensure the freedom of movement of user 13 and IES10.

[0036] The footwear 10 is equipped with various embedded electronic hardware so as to operate as a hands-free, rechargeable, and intelligent wearable electronic device. The various electronic components of the IES 10 are governed by one or more electronic controller devices, such as the resident footwear controller 44 (FIG. 2) packaged inside the sole structure 14 of the footwear 10. The footwear controller 44 may include any one or various combinations of one or more of a logic circuit, a dedicated control module, an electronic control unit, a processor, an application-specific integrated circuit, or any suitable integrated circuit device of either resident, remote, or a combination of both. By way of example, the footwear controller 44 may include a plurality of microprocessors, including a master processor, a slave processor, and a secondary or parallel processor. The footwear controller 44, as used herein, may include any combination of hardware, software, and / or firmware disposed inside and / or outside of the shoe structure of the IES 10 and configured to communicate and / or control the transfer of data between the IES 10 and a bus, computer, processor, device, service, and / or network. 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. The routines may be executed in real time, continuously, systematically, sporadically, and / or at regular intervals, for example, every 100 microseconds, 3.125, 6.25, 12.5, 25, and 100 milliseconds during continuous use or operation of the footwear controller 44.

[0037] The footwear controller 44 may include, or communicate with, a resident or remote memory device, such as a resident footwear memory 46 packaged inside the sole structure 14 of the footwear 10. The resident footwear memory 46 may include 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, etc. The long-distance communication capability with a remote network device 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 by reference numeral 48 in FIG. 2. The short-range wireless connectivity may be provided via a BLUETOOTH® transceiver, an RFID tag, an NFC device, a DSRC component, or a wireless antenna, all of which are collectively represented by reference numeral 50. A resident power source, such as a lithium ion battery 52 with plug-in or cable-free (inductive or resonant) rechargeable capabilities, may be embedded within the upper 12 or sole structure 14 of the footwear 10. The wireless communication may be further facilitated through the implementation of a BLUETOOTH® Low Energy (BLE), Category (CAT) M1 or CAT-NB1 wireless interface. 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) information exchange, footwear-to-everything (F2X) information exchange, e.g., between footwear and infrastructure (F2I), between footwear and pedestrian (F2P), or between footwear (F2F).

[0038] The location and movement of the IES10, and thus of the user 13, may be tracked via a location tracking device 54 that may be located inside the sole structure 14 or the upper 12. The location may be determined through a satellite-based global positioning system (GPS), iBeacons®, BLUETOOTH®, WiFi, or other suitable navigation system. In one example, the GPS system may use a constellation of GPS satellites in orbit that cooperate to communicate with a suitable GPS transceiver, thereby generating a series of time-stamped data points in real time, to monitor the location of a person, vehicle, or other target object on the earth. In addition to providing data regarding the absolute latitude position coordinates and absolute longitudinal position coordinates of a GPS receiver supported by the target object, the data provided via the GPS system may be adapted and used to provide information regarding the elapsed time during the execution of a specified operation, the total distance traveled, the height or altitude at a particular location, the change in altitude within a specified time window, the direction of movement, the speed of movement, and the like. The foregoing set of GPS data may be used by the resident footwear controller 44 to estimate the predicted route of the user 13. The GPS system data may be used, either alone or in combination, to supplement and optionally calibrate accelerometer-based or other pedometer-based speed and distance data. To achieve this purpose, the information collected by the GPS satellite system may be used to generate correction factors and / or calibration parameters for use by the IES10 to assist in ensuring accurate sensor data and thus optimal system operation.

[0039] Even without a GPS receiver, the IES10 can determine location and movement information through cooperation with a cellular system through a process known as "trilateration". Cellular system towers and base stations communicate wireless signals and are arranged within the network of cells. A cellular device such as the IES10 may be equipped with a low-power transmitter for communicating with the nearest tower, base station, router, or access point. When a user moves with the IES10, for example, from one cell to another, the base station monitors the strength of the transmitter's signal. As the IES10 moves towards the edge of a cell, the signal strength of the transmitter decreases for the current tower. At the same time, the base station within the approaching cell detects an increase in signal strength. When the user moves into a new cell, the tower transfers the signal from one cell to the next. The resident footprint controller 44 can determine the location of the IES10 based on measurements of the transmitter signal, such as the angle of approach to the (multiple) cell towers, the respective time it takes for individual signals to travel to the multiple towers, and the respective strength of the missing signals when each signal reaches the corresponding tower. According to other aspects of this concept, one or more motion sensing devices may be incorporated into the shoe structure to determine the dynamic movement (e.g., translation, rotation, speed, acceleration, etc.) of the IES10 relative to established data or references (e.g., position, spatial orientation, reaction, force, speed, acceleration, electrical contact, etc.) around or along one or more axes.

[0040] Referring collectively to FIGS. 1 and 2, the footwear product 10 may comprise a resident lighting system 56 comprising one or more lighting devices governed by a footwear controller 44 for selectively illuminating the shoe structure and the surrounding area thereof. Different types of lighting devices, including light emitting diodes (LEDs), electroluminescent panels (ELPs), compact fluorescent lamps (CFLs), high intensity discharge lamps, flexible or non-flexible organic LED displays, flat panel liquid crystal displays (LCDs), and other available types of lighting elements, may be utilized by the lighting system 56. Any number of lighting devices may be disposed at any portion of the shoe 10. As shown, a first lighting device 58 is packaged inside a sole structure 14 and disposed within a midfoot region RMF of the footwear 10. The first lighting device 58 is positioned immediately adjacent to a window 60 (FIG. 1) that seals a frame aperture extending through a surrounding wall of the sole structure 14 that is on the lateral 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 series of lighting intensities (e.g., low, medium, and high light outputs), various colors, and / or various lighting patterns. Using this configuration, the first lighting device 58 selectively illuminates a portion of the upper 12, a portion of the sole 14, and a portion of the ground GS1 adjacent to the IES10.

[0041] Next, referring to the flowchart of FIG. 4, an automated configuration for a wearable electronic device such as the IES10 of FIGS. 1 and 2, e.g., an improved method or control strategy for implementing the footwear configuration illustrated in FIG. 3, is generally described by reference numeral 100 in accordance with aspects of the present disclosure. Some or all of the operations illustrated in FIG. 4 and described in further detail below may be stored, for example, in main memory or auxiliary memory or remote memory and may be executed by, for example, a resident or remote controller, a central processing unit (CPU), control logic circuitry, or other module or device to perform any or all of the above or above-described or below-described functions associated with the disclosed concepts, and may represent an algorithm corresponding to processor-executable instructions. It should be recognized that the order of execution of the illustrated operation blocks may be changed, additional blocks may be added, and some of the blocks described may be changed, combined, or deleted.

[0042] Method 100 begins at end block 101 with processor-executable instructions for a programmable controller or control module or similar suitable processor such as the resident footwear controller 44 of FIG. 2 to invoke an initialization procedure for a protocol governing 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. As a representative implementation of the methodology shown in FIG. 4, referring to the IES data network and communication system 30 architecture of FIG. 3, the initialization procedure at block 101 may be initiated each time user 13 launches a ride-sharing (carpooling) software application through smartphone 40 or smartwatch 42 or each time user 13 is paired with a ride-sharing driver / vehicle 32 through the ride-sharing software application. Utilizing a dedicated mobile application or a web-based applet operating on one of the aforementioned portable computing devices, a client 13 seeking a ride is paired with a ride-sharing driver (e.g., the operator of automobile 32) registered with a ride-sharing server system (e.g., represented by cloud computing system 36 such as UBER™, LYFT™, etc.). The illustrated example depicts one prospective driver in a driver's private automobile, i.e., one rider, i.e., one private individual, receiving transportation from another private individual. However, the IES system 30 is envisioned to include any number of prospective riders seeking rides from any number of registered drivers operating any logically related type of automobile. In this regard, a group of available drivers may consist of private individuals, salaried or contract employees, public transportation agencies, private car or taxi services, autonomous vehicles, or any combination thereof.

[0043] To enhance security, the transaction between the IES10 and the IES system 30 can be enabled by an authentication process in a predetermined process block 103. The authentication may be performed by a primary or secondary source that confirms the proper activation of the wearable electronic device and / or the valid identity of the device's user. After manual entry of user identification information such as a password, PIN number, credit card number, personal information, biometric data, a predetermined key sequence, etc., the user may be enabled to access a personal account, for example, a "digital locker" that operates on the user's smartphone 40 using the NIKE+(registered trademark) Connect software application and is registered with the IoAAF middleware node. Thus, the transaction can be enabled by, for example, a combination of a secret PIN number (e.g., a 6- or 8-digit code) and a personal identification input (e.g., mother's maiden name, social security number, etc.), or a combination of a password (e.g., created by user 13) and a corresponding PIN number (e.g., issued by the host system 34), or a combination of a secret PIN number and a credit card input. Additionally or alternatively, a barcode, RFID tag, or NFC tag may be imprinted or attached to the IES10 shoe structure and configured to communicate a security authentication code to the IES system 30. Other established authentication and security technologies, including blockchain encryption technology, can be utilized to prevent unauthorized access to the user's account, for example, to minimize the impact of unauthorized access to the user's account or to prevent unauthorized access to personal information or funds accessible through the user's account.

[0044] As an alternative or supplementary option to manually enter identification information in a given process block 103, the security authentication of user 13 may be automated by the resident footwear controller 44. As a non-limiting example, a pressure sensor 62, which may have the nature of a binary contact type sensor switch, may be attached to the footwear 10 (e.g., may be embedded within the midsole 24 of the sole structure 14). This pressure sensor 62 detects a calibrated minimum load on the insole 22, thereby establishing the presence of a foot in the upper 12. Any future automated configuration of the IES10 may first require the controller 44 to confirm that the footwear 10 is in use via a command prompt to the binary pressure sensor 62 before sending a command signal to start the automated operation as the foot is present within the upper 12. Although only a single sensor is illustrated in FIG. 2, it is envisioned that the IES10 may comprise a distributed array of sensors, including pressure sensors, temperature sensors, humidity sensors, and / or shoe dynamics sensors, packaged at discrete locations throughout the shoe structure. In the same vein, foot presence sensing (FPS) may be determined via various available sensing techniques, including capacitance, magnetism, etc. Additional information regarding foot presence sensing can be found, for example, in Patent Documents 3 and 4 to Steven H. Walker, et al., the entire texts of both of which are hereby incorporated by reference herein for all purposes.

[0045] In addition to functioning as a binary (on / off) switch, the pressure sensor 62 may take the form of a multimodal sensor configuration (e.g., a polyurethane capacitive biofeedback sensor) that detects any of a variety of biometric parameters, such as the magnitude of the applied pressure generated by the feet within the upper 12, and outputs one or more signals indicative thereof. These sensor signals are sent from the pressure sensor 62 to the resident footwear controller 44, where they aggregate, filter, and process the data received by the resident footwear controller 44 to calculate the current user's weight. The current user's weight calculated for an individual currently using the IES 10 is compared to the user's weight previously verified and stored in memory (e.g., authenticated for a registered user of an existing personal account). In doing so, the footwear controller 44 can determine whether the current user's weight is equal to or within a predetermined threshold range of the verified user's weight. When the current user is authenticated to the verified user, the resident footwear controller 44 is enabled to send command signals to one or more subsystems within the footwear 10 to automate their configuration.

[0046] Automated security authentication of a user may be achieved through other available technologies as part of a predefined process block 103 that includes cross-referencing characteristics of the current user's foot with previously verified characteristics of the authenticated user's foot. For example, a representative IES10 of FIG. 2 is shown that is manufactured using an electric lacing system that utilizes a lacing motor (M) 64 that is attached to footwear 10 and is selectively operable to move the shoelace back and forth between an untensioned (loose) state and one or more tensioned (tightened) states. The lacing motor 64 may be housed within a sole structure 14 and may have the nature of a bidirectional DC electric worm gear motor that is controlled by a resident footwear controller 44. Activation of the lacing motor 64 may be initiated via a manually activated switch built into the shoe structure or via soft key activation through an app on the user's smartphone 40 or smartwatch 42. Alternatively, motor control may be automated via the resident footwear controller 44 in response to a sensor signal from a pressure sensor 62 indicating, for example, that the foot is disposed inside the upper 12. For example, the shoelace tension may be actively modulated through a controlled operation of the lacing motor 64 by the controller 44 during use of the IES10 to better hold the foot in response to dynamic user movement. The foregoing functions, as well as any other logically related options or configurations disclosed herein, may apply to alternative types of wearable clothing including, but not limited to, clothing, headgear, eyewear, wristwear, neckwear, legwear, undergarments, and the like. Moreover, the lacing motor 64 may be configured to automate the tensioning and loosening of straps, latches, cables, and other commercially available mechanisms for securing shoes.

[0047] 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 automated configuration 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 untensioned state before executing automated configuration. If the latter, all automated configuration may be disabled by the resident footwear controller 44, for example, to prevent accidental activation of automated configuration while the IES 10 is not in use. Conversely, after determining that the laces 20 are in a tensioned state, the footwear controller 44 is enabled to send an automated command signal.

[0048] During operation of the lace motor 64, the shoelaces 20 may be positioned at any one of a plurality of discrete tensioning positions to accommodate feet with different circumferences or users with different tensioning preferences. A lace sensor, which may be built into the motor 64 or packaged within the sole structure 14 or upper 12, may be utilized to detect the current tensioning position of the laces 20 for a given user. Alternatively, real-time tracking of the position of the output shaft (e.g., a worm gear) of the bidirectional electric lace motor 64 or the position of a designated section of the lace 20 (e.g., a lace spool mated with the motor's worm gear) may be used to determine the lace position. After 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 is compared to a previously verified lace tensioning position stored in memory (e.g., authenticated by a registered user of an existing personal account). Through this comparison, footwear controller 44 can determine whether the current tensioning position is equal to or within a predetermined threshold range of verified tensioning positions. 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 configuration.

[0049] After completion of the authentication procedure described in the specified process block 103, the method 100 of FIG. 4 proceeds to an input / output block 105 comprising processor-executable instructions to retrieve data sufficient to identify the location of each of the wearable electronic device and the remote computing node with which it is communicating. According to the example illustrated in FIG. 3, the IES 10 may receive location data from a remote host system 34 and / or a cloud computing system 36 indicating the current location of the user 13 and the current location of the automobile 32, either directly or through cooperative operation with the smartphone 40 or the smartwatch 42. Additionally or alternatively, the location of the user may also be tracked through a ride-sharing app or a route-planning app operating on the user's smartphone 40. The location and movement of the IES 10, and thus of the user 13, can also be determined, for example, through a satellite-based GPS navigation system transceiver built into the upper 12 or the sole structure 14. When a paired and fitted driver is on route, an off-office intermediate server, such as the cloud computing system 36 operating as a middleware node, tracks the location of the vehicle 32 in real time, for example, through an on-board transmission device or through an app on the driver's personal computing device.

[0050] Method 100 of FIG. 4 continues with decision block 107 to determine whether the wearable electronic device and the user's joint location are within a predetermined vicinity of a predetermined location or node location. Continuing with the above example, the user's smartphone 40 or smartwatch 42 may display the real-time locations of IES 10 and vehicle 32 on the map using separate graphics for each party (e.g., using corresponding graphical pins, symbols, avatars, animations, etc.), and the movement of IES 10 relative to vehicle 32, e.g., via the placement and movement of these graphics. Subsequently, IES 10 and / or the IES system 30 may monitor the current vicinity of IES 10 (e.g., number of feet, miles, fractions, etc.) from the current location of vehicle 32. An optional configuration may limit the determination of decision block 107 to within a user-selected or system-specified vicinity (e.g., within 100 feet) and / or a user-selected or system-specified location (e.g., a designated rideshare pickup location, a user-selected parking lot, etc.). As yet another option, the predetermined location may include a virtual perimeter or "geofence" dynamically generated by the footwear controller 44. In the latter case, IES 10 and / or the IES system 30 detects when the location-aware device of vehicle 32 breaches the geofence. After determining that the current locations of the user and the vehicle are not within each other's predetermined vicinity / location (block 107 = NO), method 100 may return to input / output block 105. In that regard, the location tracking at block 105 and the vicinity evaluation at block 107 may be executed in a continuous loop until an affirmative decision is returned.

[0051] In response to the determined location of the node and / or user entering a predetermined location, or the location of the node entering within the vicinity of the determined location of the user (block 107 = YES), or both, one or more command signals are sent to one or more subsystems to effect one or more automated configurations of the wearable electronic device. As generally shown in process block 109, for example, a first command signal is sent to a first subsystem to effect a first automated configuration AF1 of the intelligent electronic shoe. According to the illustrated example of FIG. 3, the resident footwear controller 44 may confirm that the vehicle 32 is within 100 feet or some other pre-specified distance of the IES10, and thus that the user 13 is in view of the vehicle driver. The resident footwear controller 44 automatically (i.e., without any user or external system prompt) responds to this determination by sending a command signal to the resident lighting system 56 to activate the lighting device 58, thereby generating a predetermined light output. This predetermined light output may include a personalized color (e.g., aqua for UBER™ riders, pink for LYFT™ riders, green for BLABLACAR™, blue and green, etc.) or a corresponding blinking pattern (e.g., strobing, user- or driver-specific blinking patterns, a selected script of Morse code, etc.). In at least some implementations, the selected color and / or pattern is detectable by a digital camera having a light sensor on the vehicle 32. Once detected, the resident vehicle controller or the ride share app on the driver's smartphone can evaluate the customized color / pattern to verify that the waiting user 13 of the IES10 corresponds to the user's current ride share request. As an option, the system may utilize light-based wireless optical authentication, e.g., using LiFi, to send user authentication data.

[0052] It is envisioned that any of the disclosed connected wearable electronic devices may automate additional or alternative configurations as part of Methodology 100 shown in FIG. 4. In response to the determined location of the node being within a predetermined location or within a predetermined proximity to the determined location of the user (block 107 = YES), a second command signal may be sent to a second subsystem to execute a second automated configuration AF2 of the wearable electronic device, as shown in process block 111. As a non-limiting example, IES10 of FIG. 2 is shown as including a tactile transducer 66 housed inside the sole structure 14 and operatively communicating with the insole 22. To alert user 13 of IES10 that a rideshare vehicle 32 has arrived at a predetermined location and / or is in the vicinity of the user's current location, the resident footwear controller 44 issues a command signal to the tactile transducer 66 to generate a tactile cue (e.g., a perceptible vibratory force or a series of vibration pulses) that is transmitted from the midsole 24, through the insole 22, to the user's foot. The operation of the tactile transducer 66 may cooperate with the output of the vehicle 32.

[0053] Any third automated configuration AF3 may include operating a race motor 64 as a haptic force feedback device selectively activated by a footwear controller 44 to rapidly tension or release the shoe lace 20. Audible feedback, visual feedback, or haptic feedback from the IES10 may be utilized to inform the wearer of interactions with other computing devices such as a light system (optical system) or haptic system feedback, alerting the user to incoming calls on the user's personal smartphone. Similarly, the IES10 may operate in cooperation with a smartphone 40 (e.g., LED camera light (camera light) or coordinated flashing of an eccentric rotating mass (ERM) actuator) or an active garment element 11 (e.g., coordinated activation of a tactile or haptic device incorporated within the user's shirt), as illustrated in FIG. 3. 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 at an increased intensity and / or in a specified pulse pattern indicating a left or right turn). In the same vein, haptic feedback may be utilized in a similar manner to direct the user along a preselected route or to warn the user of taking a particular route (e.g., being considered unsafe). Additional information regarding footwear and clothing with haptic feedback can be found, for example, in Patent Document 5 to Ernest Kim, the entire text of which is hereby incorporated by reference for all purposes.

[0054] Optionally, the IES 10 may include an audio system represented in FIG. 1 by a miniaturized audio speaker 68 attached to the rear quarter 12C of the upper 12. The resident footwear controller 44 automatically sends a command signal to the audio system speaker 68 to generate a predetermined audio output after verifying that the user and / or node is within a predetermined location or in proximity to each other. As another option, the race motor 64 may repeatedly tension / relax the shoe lace 20 as a signal / queue, for example, for arrival pickup, check-in, connection, etc. In yet another option, the IES 10 may be used by the user to search for, authenticate, and access an autonomous vehicle or vehicle lease. Next, the method 100 may end at the terminal block 113 and / or may return (loop back) to the terminal block 101.

[0055] In addition to automating the configuration of the adaptive clothing and footwear, the disclosed wearable electronic device may automate the configuration on a remote computing node. Referring again to the exemplary implementation illustrated in FIG. 3, the resident footwear controller 44 issues a command signal to the in-vehicle control unit 70 of the motor vehicle 32 with instructions to generate an audible or visual output that facilitates a ride-sharing interaction between the passenger and the driver in response to the current location of the user / node being within a predetermined location or in proximity to each other. These instructions may cause one or both of the vehicle headlamps 72 to illuminate, flash, increase the intensity of the light output, or a combination thereof, such that the vehicle 32 is readily recognizable by the user 13. As an optional application, the resident footwear controller 44 may coordinate the light output of the vehicle headlamps 72 with the light output of the IES light system 56 such that, for example, the vehicle headlamps 72 and the IES light system 56 illuminate and / or flash together. Additionally or alternatively, the command signal received from the footwear controller 44 via the in-vehicle control unit 70 may cause the activation and / or modulation of the vehicle horn system 74 or other in-vehicle audio system.

[0056] Another optional configuration may be a "dance party" mode in which a musical interlude output by any of the vehicle's audio components, accompanied by a light show output by any of the vehicle's lighting systems, may be caused (triggered) via the IES10. The audio (audio / music) output from the motor vehicle 32 may be linked to one or more components and subsystems of the IES10. The coordinated activation of the shoe lace motor 64, the lighting device 58, and / or the tactile transducer 66 may be provided to synchronize the automation of the IES10 with the audio and / or light output from the vehicle 32. The audio output of the user's (multiple) personal electronic devices, such as the smartphone 40 or the smartwatch 42, can also be synchronized in a similar manner. Using footwear-to-vehicle communication, after verifying the current user's security authentication, the IES10 can also be enabled to lock or unlock the vehicle doors or provide access to the vehicle's trunk compartment. In the same vein, an authenticated user may use the user's IES10 as an electronic key fob to start the vehicle, or may automate one or more preset driver settings, such as a desired seat position, a desired steering wheel position, a desired mirror position, etc.

[0057] Communication between footwear infrastructure enables the IES10 to communicate with a networked "smart city" controller, which can then modulate changes to streetlights or signals to improve the safety of pedestrians or runners. Conversely, the "smart city" controller may communicate with the IES10 to warn the user that they are approaching a crosswalk with a "no walking" sign indicating that the oncoming vehicle has the right of way. The light configuration built into the shoes may be used during sports competitions (e.g., adjusted to match the colors of the user's favorite sports team) or during exercise (e.g., to illuminate the roadway during night running). A security configuration may be installed to disable the IES for unauthorized parties. For example, the race motor 64 may be disabled by the footwear controller 44 after determining that the person wearing the IES10 is an unauthorized user. Collaboratively, the controller 44 may send an electronic alert to the user's smartphone 40 or smartwatch 42 to notify of the possibility of theft or misuse of the IES10.

[0058] Any configuration may provide intelligent electronic shoes or clothing adapted for educational purposes. As an example, a user or instructor may wear the IES10 when helping to teach a person how to drive an automobile. For example, the IES10 may be configured to simulate an instructor pressing a foot firmly against the passenger floor panel through the shoe to step on the brake pedal. The built-in pressure sensor 62 detects the instructor's foot gesture and outputs a corresponding signal to the footwear controller 44, and the IES10 communicates with the brake control module (BCM) of the vehicle 32 to activate the vehicle's brakes. Additionally or alternatively, the IES10 may communicate with a pair of intelligent electronic shoes worn by a student and send an instruction to provide the student with a sense feedback that the student must apply the vehicle's braking system by physically depressing the brake pedal with a foot. In addition to teaching the student how to drive, tactile, auditory, and / or visual feedback from the IES10 may be utilized to teach the footwear wearer a series of steps of a dance routine, proper weight transfer when swinging a golf club or baseball bat, proper timing for executing a hurdle, walking, and step count, etc.

[0059] In addition to facilitating data exchange between wearable electronics and vehicles, many of the concepts disclosed are also applicable to non-ride-sharing and non-automotive applications. For example, the remote computer node may take a form other than those described above, such as a central server computer or a parallel HMI of a residential or commercial security system. When user 13 of IES10 enters a predetermined location (e.g., entrance, hallway, room, etc.) or is within a preselected vicinity of a monitored (e.g., bounded by active geofencing) facility, the resident footwear controller 44 of FIG. 2 may send an arm / disarm command signal to the security system server computer or HMI such that user 13 may enter the facility without manually arming / disarming (deactivating) the security system. In FIG. 5, for example, a representative user 213 approaching the front entrance of a building 232 protected by a commercial security system (represented by a non-contact video-monitored entrance panel 234) is shown. One or both of the IES10 worn by user 213 emit an invisible geofence 215 surrounding user 213. As soon as user 213 gets close enough to building 232 for the video-monitored entrance panel 234 to break or otherwise penetrate the geofence 215 generated by the IES, the IES10 automatically sends a security authentication signal to the security system entrance panel 234, whereby user 213 is granted access to building 232 (depicted by the automatic opening of the leftmost security door at the entrance of building 232). Alternative system configurations may use other communication means, including any of those described above and below, to facilitate the interaction between the IES10 and the security system 234.

[0060] As a further example, the remote computing node may have the nature of a home automation system (or "smart home") that controls the climate, lighting, blinds, appliances, etc. in the user's home. When a user of the IES10 enters or exits a predetermined location (e.g., front door, garage, hallway, room, etc.) or enters or exits a predetermined vicinity of the residence regulated by the home automation system, the resident footwear controller 44 transmits one or more command signals to the home automation system to lock or unlock the door, turn on or off the indoor lights, raise or lower the temperature of the thermostat, or perform a combination of the above configurations. In FIG. 6, for example, a representative user 313 is shown walking around a home 332 having various devices, devices, and subsystems that are wholly or partially controlled by a residential home automation system (represented by the Wi-Fi-enabled touch screen gateway panel 334). In response to the user 313 moving from the first room to the second room (e.g., from the living room to the bedroom), the IES10 automatically transmits a series of command signals to (1) illuminate the lighting in the second room, (2) dim the lighting in the first room, (3) switch off one or more devices (e.g., the TV) in the first room, and (4) modulate the temperature in the second room.

[0061] The IES10 of FIG. 2 is considered to be particularly useful for interacting with fully assisted or fully autonomous vehicles, such as vehicles classified as SAE level 3, 4, or 5 vehicles. In addition to enabling vehicle controller authentication and automatic locking, unlocking, and motor starting, the IES10 may communicate with a powertrain control module (PCM) or a route planning module (RPM) to automatically cooperate to transport the user 13 of the IES10 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 IESs. If the user 13 is within the geofence of the vehicle, the IES10 automatically responds by automatically generating a first visual, auditory, and / or tactile output to notify the user 13 that they have broken the geofence. Next, the user 13 may launch a dedicated mobile app operating on the smartphone 40 to identify the current real-time location of the vehicle 32, which may be displayed on a GPS or navigation map application. When the user 13 is in the immediate vicinity of the vehicle 32 (e.g., within 10 meters), the IES10 may generate a second visual, auditory, and / or tactile output to notify the user 13 that they are within a predetermined vicinity of the vehicle 32 and, thus, should be able to visually identify the vehicle 32.

[0062] Once user 13 locates automobile 32, a two-way authentication process takes place between the resident footwear controller 44 of IES10 and the central electronic control unit (ECU) of automobile 32 or a server computer at the backend of a middleware node facilitating F2V operation. Once verified, automobile 32 notifies user 13 that user 32 has the option to enter the vehicle's passenger compartment. A verification key may be issued to user 13 simultaneously via the IoAAF system. User 13 can retrieve the key via the aforementioned smartphone app. If user 13 selects to enter automobile 32, user 13 may be transported to a designated or non-designated location (the "unlock location") where the reserved product awaits user 13. Once user 13 arrives at the unlock position, user 13 may be required to enter the verification key to access the reserved product.

[0063] Aspects of this disclosure may, in some embodiments, be implemented generally through a computer-executable program of program modules, such as software applications or application programs, executed by any of the controllers described herein or variations of the controllers. Software may, by way of non-limiting example, include routines, programs, objects, components, and data structures for performing particular tasks or implementing particular data types. Software may form an interface that enables a computer to react in accordance with a source of input. Software may cooperate with other code segments to initiate various tasks in response to received data in relation to the source of the received data. Software may be stored on any of various memory media, such as a CD-ROM, magnetic disk, bubble memory, and semiconductor memory (e.g., various types of RAM or ROM).

[0064] Furthermore, aspects of the present disclosure may be implemented in a variety of computer system and computer network configurations, including multiprocessor systems, microprocessor-based or programmable consumer electronics, minicomputers, mainframe computers, and the like. Additionally, aspects of the present disclosure may be implemented in a distributed computing environment where tasks are performed by remote processing devices linked through a communications network. In a distributed computing environment, program modules may be located in both local and remote memory storage devices including memory storage devices. Accordingly, aspects of the present disclosure may be implemented in association with various hardware, software, or combinations thereof in a computer system or other processing system.

[0065] 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, protocol, or method disclosed herein may be embodied in software stored on a tangible medium, such as, for example, flash memory, CD-ROM, floppy disk, hard drive, digital versatile disk (DVD), or other memory device, although those skilled in the art will readily understand that all or a portion of the algorithm may alternatively be executed by a device other than a controller and / or embodied in firmware or dedicated hardware in known manners (e.g., implemented by application specific integrated circuits (ASICs), programmable logic devices (PLDs), field programmable logic devices (FPLDs), discrete logic, etc.). Further, while specific algorithms are described with reference to the flowcharts shown herein, those skilled in the art will readily understand that many other methods for implementing the exemplary machine-readable instructions may alternatively be used.

[0066] The following exemplary configurations and settings are not intended to represent every embodiment or aspect of the present disclosure. Rather, many of the configurations and advantages of the present disclosure will become more readily apparent from the following representative examples. In this regard, each of the disclosed systems, methods, devices, protocols, etc. may include any of the configurations, options, and alternatives described herein with respect to other embodiments, alone and in any combination, unless explicitly disclaimed or logically prohibited.

[0067] Aspects of the present disclosure are directed to an intelligent electronic shoe system for a 1-foot user. The IES system includes an upper configured to be attached to the user's foot and a sole structure attached to the upper and configured to support the user's foot thereon. The sole structure has an outsole that defines the ground engagement portion of the IES. A light system attached to the sole structure and / or the upper is configured to generate light in response to a command signal. A wireless communication device is configured to wirelessly communicate with a remote computing node. The IES system includes a resident or remote footwear controller operatively connected to the wireless communication device and the lighting system. The footwear controller is configured to receive one or more location datasets indicative of the user's user location and the node location of the remote computing node. The footwear controller determines whether the user location is within the vicinity of a predetermined location or the node location. In response to the user location being within the vicinity of a predetermined location or the node location, the controller transmits a command signal to the light system to generate a predetermined light output.

[0068] For any of the disclosed IES systems, the footwear controller may be further configured to transmit a second command signal to the control system of a remote computing node to generate an audible or visual output, in response to, for example, the user's location being within the vicinity of a predetermined location / node location. The remote computing node may be an automobile having a vehicle headlamp system. In this case, the visual output may include illumination, flashing, and / or intensification of the light output of the vehicle headlamp system. The audible output of the vehicle may include activation and / or modulation of the audible output of the vehicle horn system. The footwear controller may be further configured to coordinate the light output of the vehicle headlamp system with a predetermined light output of the IES light system.

[0069] For any of the disclosed IES systems, the wireless communication device of the IES system is wirelessly connected to a portable electronic device and is thereby further configured to wirelessly communicate with a remote computing node. The IES system may include a tactile transducer attached to the sole structure and / or upper. The footwear controller may transmit a third command signal to the tactile transducer to generate a tactile cue, in response to, for example, the user's location being within the vicinity of a predetermined location / node location. As another option, the IES system may include an audio system attached to the sole structure and / or upper. The footwear controller may transmit a fourth command signal to the audio system to generate a predetermined audio output, in response to, for example, the user's location being within the vicinity of a predetermined location / node location.

[0070] For any of the disclosed IES systems, the remote computing node may be a security system, in which case the footwear controller may send an unlock command signal to the security system in response to, for example, the user's location being within the vicinity of a predetermined location or the node location. Optionally, the remote computing node may be a home automation system, in which case the footwear controller may send a fifth command signal to the home automation system when the user's location is within the vicinity of a predetermined location or the node location to lock or unlock a door, activate or deactivate an indoor light, and / or raise or lower the temperature of a thermostat.

[0071] For any of the disclosed IES systems, the predetermined location may include a geofence defined by the footwear controller. A command signal for activating the light system may be sent after detection of a remote computing node breaching the geofence. The IES system may further include a pressure sensor attached to the sole structure or upper, the pressure sensor being configured to detect the presence (or absence) of a foot within the upper. In this example, a command signal for activating the IES light system is sent at least in part in response to the detected presence of a foot within the upper. The pressure sensor may additionally (or alternatively) be configured to detect the weight of the user. In this case, the footwear controller receives a sensor signal from the pressure sensor indicating the detected weight of the user, determines whether the detected weight is within a predetermined range of a verified user weight stored in memory, and may send a command signal to the IES light system only if the detected weight is within the predetermined range of the verified user weight.

[0072] For any of the disclosed IES systems, a shoelace is attached to an upper, a race motor is attached inside a sole structure, and is configured to selectively transition between a tensioned state and a non-tensioned state of the shoelace. A footwear controller may communicate with the race motor to determine whether the shoelace is in a tensioned state or a non-tensioned state. A command signal for activating the IES optical system is further transmitted in further response to the shoelace being in a tensioned state. For some applications, the tensioned state includes a plurality of discrete tensioned positions. The IES system may include a race sensor that detects the current one of the discrete tensioned positions for the user. In this case, the footwear controller may receive a sensor signal from the race sensor indicating the current discrete tensioned position for the user. From this data, the controller may determine whether the current discrete tensioned position corresponds to a verified race tensioned position stored in memory. An activation command signal for the IES optical system may be transmitted in response to the current discrete tensioned position corresponding to the verified race tensioned position.

[0073] For any of the disclosed IES systems, a remote computing node may include an optical sensor operable to detect a predetermined optical output of the IES optical system. This optical output may include a personalized color and / or blinking pattern configured to authenticate the user to the remote computing node. In at least some embodiments, the wireless communication device of the IES system includes a BLE, CAT-M1, and / or CAT-NB1 wireless interface. The IES system may include a barcode, an RFID tag, and / or an NFC tag attached to the sole structure / upper, each of which is configured to communicate a security authentication code to the remote computing node.

[0074] Additional aspects of the present disclosure relate to a method of manufacturing a footwear product for a user's foot. The method includes providing an upper configured to receive and attach to the user's foot; providing a sole structure configured to support the user's foot thereon, the sole structure having an outsole that defines a ground engaging portion; attaching the sole structure to the upper; attaching an optical system to the sole structure and / or the upper, the optical system being configured to generate light in response to a command signal; attaching a wireless communication device to the sole structure and / or the upper, the wireless communication device being configured to wirelessly communicate with a remote computing node; and attaching a resident controller to the sole structure and / or the upper, the resident controller being operatively connected to the wireless communication device and the optical system. The resident controller is configured to receive location data indicating the location of the user, receive location data indicating the location of the remote computing node, determine whether the location of the user is within a vicinity of a predetermined location or the location of the node, and in response to the user being within the vicinity of the predetermined location / node, transmit a command signal to the optical system to generate a predetermined light output.

[0075] Other aspects of this disclosure are directed to methods of implementing an automated configuration of intelligent electronic shoes. The IES includes an upper of open or closed construction for attachment to a user's foot, a sole structure attached to the upper and defining a ground engaging surface, and a light system operable to generate light in response to an electronic command signal. The method includes receiving, by a resident footwear controller via a wireless communication device, location data indicating the location of the user and location data indicating the location of a remote computing node. The method also includes determining, via the footwear controller, whether the user's location is within a predetermined location or within a vicinity relative to the location of the node. In response to the user's location being within a vicinity relative to the location of the predetermined location / node, the footwear controller automatically transmits a command signal to the light system to generate a predetermined light output.

[0076] For any of the disclosed methods, the footwear controller may further respond to the user's location being within a vicinity relative to the location of the predetermined location / node by transmitting a second command signal to a control system of the remote computing node to generate an audible or visual output. In some applications, the remote computing node is an automobile having a vehicle headlamp system, in which case the visual output includes illumination, flashing, and / or enhancement of the light output of the vehicle's headlamp system. Optionally, the footwear controller may coordinate the light output of the vehicle's headlamp system with the predetermined light output of the IES's light system. The commanded audible output of the automobile may include activation and / or modulation of the audible output of the vehicle's horn system.

[0077] For any of the disclosed methods, a wireless communication device may be configured to wirelessly connect to a user's portable electronic device and thereby wirelessly communicate with a remote computing node. As yet another alternative, the IES may include a sole structure and / or a haptic transducer attached to the upper, in which case the footwear controller may automatically transmit a third command signal to the haptic transducer in response to the user's location being within the vicinity of a predetermined location / node location to generate a haptic cue. The IES may also include an audio system attached to the sole structure and / or the upper, in which case the footwear controller may automatically transmit a fourth command signal to the audio system in response to the user's location being within the vicinity of a predetermined location / node location to generate a predetermined audio output.

[0078] For any of the disclosed methods, the remote computing node may be a segment of a residential or commercial security system. In this case, the footwear controller may automatically transmit an arm / disarm (or arm) command signal to the security system in response to the user entering (or exiting) a predetermined location or vicinity with respect to a designated section of a residence or commercial building associated with the security system. Optionally, the remote computing node may be a segment of a home automation system. In this example, the footwear controller may lock or unlock a door, turn on or off interior lighting, and / or raise or lower the temperature of a thermostat in response to a user entering or exiting a home (or section of a home) associated with the home automation system by transmitting a fifth command signal to the home automation system. The predetermined location or vicinity may be at least partially defined by a geofence generated by the footwear controller. The arm or disarm command signal may be transmitted to the remote computing node or the IES subsystem after the remote computing node or the IES user detects a breach of the geofence.

[0079] For any of the disclosed methods, the IES may incorporate internally a pressure sensor that is attached to the sole structure or upper and configured to detect the presence of a foot within the upper. Transmission of a command signal by the footwear controller may further respond to detecting the presence of a foot within the upper. The pressure sensor attached to the sole structure / upper may be configured to detect the weight of the user. In this case, the footwear controller receives one or more sensor signals from the pressure sensor indicative of the detected weight of the user. Next, the controller determines whether the detected weight is within a predetermined range of the verified weight of the user stored in the memory. In response to the detected weight being within the predetermined range of the verified weight of the user, a command signal may be transmitted to a remote computing node or an IES subsystem.

[0080] For any of the disclosed methods, the IES may include a shoelace or strap attached to the upper and a lace motor attached to the shoe structure and configured to selectively transition the lace / strap between a tensioned state and a non-tensioned state. In this case, the resident footwear controller determines whether the shoelace is in a tensioned state or a non-tensioned state, and if the lace is tensioned, transmits a command signal in response to activate the IES subsystem. The tensioned state may be depicted at a plurality of discrete tensioned positions. In this case, the resident footwear controller may identify (e.g., using sensor signals received from a lace sensor or by monitoring the position of the lace motor output shaft) which of the discrete tensioned positions the lace is in. In response to the current tensioned position of the lace corresponding to a verified lace tensioned position stored in the memory, the footwear controller may transmit a command signal to a remote node or an IES subsystem.

[0081] For any of the disclosed methods, the remote computing node may include an optical sensor, in which case a predetermined optical output of the IES optical system is detectable by the optical sensor and may include a personalized color and / or blinking pattern configured to authenticate the user to the remote computing node. The IES wireless communication device may include a BLE, CAT-M1, and / or CAT-NB1 wireless interface. The IES may include a barcode, RFID tag, and / or NFC tag attached to the sole structure and / or upper and configured to communicate a security authentication code to the remote computing node.

[0082] This additional aspect of the disclosure is directed to footwear for a user's foot. The footwear includes an upper for receiving and attaching to the user's foot and a sole structure attached to the upper for supporting the user's foot thereon. An optical system and / or an audio system are attached to the sole structure and configured to generate light / sound in response to a command signal. A wireless communication device is attached inside the sole structure for wireless communication with a remote computing node. A resident controller, also attached inside the sole structure, is operatively connected to the wireless communication device and the optical system. The resident controller receives location data indicating the location of the user and the location of the remote computing node. The resident controller determines whether the location of the user is within the vicinity of the location of a predetermined location / node and, if so, the resident controller transmits one or more command signals in response to the optical system / audio system to generate a predetermined light / audio output.

[0083] While 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 thereto without departing from the scope of the present disclosure. The present disclosure is not limited to the exact structures and compositions disclosed herein, 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 clearly includes any and all combinations and sub-combinations of the foregoing elements and configurations. Additional configurations may be reflected in the following clauses.

[0084] Clause 1: An Intelligent Electronic Shoe (IES) system comprising an upper configured to attach to a user's foot, a sole structure attached to the upper and configured to support the user's foot thereon and define a ground engagement surface, an automatically controlled alarm system attached to the sole structure and / or the upper and configured to generate a visual output, an audible output, and / or a tactile output in response to a command signal, a wireless communication device configured to wirelessly communicate with a remote computing node, and a footwear controller operatively connected to the wireless communication device and the alarm system, the footwear controller receiving location data indicating the user's location, receiving location data indicating the location of the remote computing node, determining whether the user's location is within a vicinity of a predetermined location or the node location, and in response to the user's location being within a vicinity of a predetermined location or the node location, transmitting a command signal to the alarm system to generate a predetermined visual alarm, audible alarm, and / or tactile alarm perceptible by the user and / or the remote computing node.

[0085] Clause 2: The IES system of clause 1, wherein the footwear controller is further configured to transmit a second command signal to a control system of the remote computing node in response to the user's location being within a vicinity of a predetermined location or the node location to generate an audible output or a visual output.

[0086] Clause 3: The remote computing node is an automobile equipped with a vehicle headlamp system, and the visual output is the IES system described in Clause 2, including illumination, flashing, and / or enhancement of the light output of the vehicle headlamp system.

[0087] Clause 4: The warning system includes an optical system, and the footwear controller is further configured to coordinate the light output of the vehicle headlamp system with a predetermined light output of the optical system. The IES system described in Clause 3.

[0088] Clause 5: The remote computing node is an automobile equipped with a vehicle horn system, and the audible output is the IES system described in any one of Clauses 2 to 4, including activation and / or modification of the audible output of the vehicle horn system.

[0089] Clause 6: The user has a portable electronic device, and the wireless communication device is further configured to wirelessly connect to the portable electronic device, thereby wirelessly communicating with the remote computing node. The IES system described in any one of Clauses 1 to 5.

[0090] Clause 7: The warning system includes a tactile transducer, and the command signal causes the tactile transducer to generate a tactile cue. The IES system described in any one of Clauses 1 to 6.

[0091] Clause 8: The warning system includes an audio system, and the command signal causes the audio system to generate a predetermined audio output. The IES system described in any one of Clauses 1 to 7.

[0092] Clause 9: The predetermined location includes a geofence defined by the footwear controller, and the command signal is transmitted to the warning system after the remote computing node is detected to have broken through the geofence. The IES system described in any one of Clauses 1 to 8.

[0093] Clause 10: The IES system according to any one of Clauses 1 to 9, further comprising a pressure sensor attached to the sole structure and configured to detect the presence of a foot within the upper, wherein the command signal is further transmitted to the alarm system in response to the detection of the presence of a foot within the upper.

[0094] Clause 11: The IES system according to any one of Clauses 1 to 9, further comprising a pressure sensor attached to the sole structure and configured to detect the user's weight, wherein the footwear controller further receives from the pressure sensor a sensor signal indicative of the detected weight of the user and is further configured to determine whether the detected weight is within a predetermined range of a verified user weight stored in memory, and wherein the command signal is further transmitted to the alarm system in response to the detected weight being within the predetermined range of the verified user weight stored in memory.

[0095] Clause 12: The IES system according to any one of Clauses 1 to 11, further comprising a shoe lace attached to the upper and a lace motor attached to the inside of the sole structure and configured to selectively transition the shoe lace between a tensioned state and a non-tensioned state, wherein the footwear controller further communicates with the lace motor and is further configured to determine whether the shoe lace is in the tensioned state or the non-tensioned state, and wherein the command signal is further transmitted to the alarm system in response to the shoe lace being in the tensioned state.

[0096] Clause 13: The tensioned state includes a plurality of discrete tensioned positions, and the IES system further includes a race sensor configured to detect the current one of the discrete tensioned positions for the user. The footwear controller receives from the race sensor a sensor signal indicating the current one of the discrete tensioned positions for the user and is further configured to determine whether the current one of the discrete tensioned positions corresponds to a verified race tensioned position stored in memory. The command signal is further transmitted to the alarm system in response to the current one of the discrete tensioned positions corresponding to a verified race tensioned position stored in memory, the IES system according to Clause 12.

[0097] Clause 14: The remote computing node includes an optical sensor, the alarm is detectable by the optical sensor, and the IES system according to any one of Clauses 1 to 13 includes a personalized color and / or blinking pattern configured to confirm the user to the remote computing node.

[0098] Clause 15: A method of executing an automated configuration of intelligent electronic shoes (IES), the IES including an upper for attachment to a user's foot, a sole structure attached to the upper and defining a ground-engaging surface, and an alarm system operable to generate a visual output, an audible output, and / or a tactile output in response to a command signal, the method including receiving location data indicative of a user's user location via a wireless communication device and via a resident footwear controller, receiving location data indicative of a node location of a remote computing node via the wireless communication device and via the resident footwear controller, determining via the resident footwear controller whether the user location is within a vicinity of a predetermined location or the node location, and in response to the user location being within the vicinity of the predetermined location or the node location, transmitting a command signal via the footwear controller to the alarm system to generate a predetermined visual alarm, audible alarm, and / or tactile alarm perceptible by the user and / or an automobile.

[0099] Clause 16: The method of clause 15, further including transmitting, in response to the user location being within a vicinity of a predetermined location or the node location, a second command signal via the footwear controller to a control system of the remote computing node to generate an audible output or a visual output.

[0100] Clause 17: The method of clause 16, wherein the remote computing node is an automobile equipped with a vehicle headlamp system, and the visual output includes illumination, flashing, and / or intensification of the light output of the vehicle headlamp system.

[0101] Clause 18: The method of clause 17, wherein the alarm system includes a light system, and the method further includes coordinating the light output of the vehicle headlamp system with a predetermined light output of the light system.

[0102] Clause 19: The remote computing node is an automobile equipped with a vehicle horn system, and the audible output is the method described in any one of Clauses 15 to 18, including activation and / or modification of the audible output of the vehicle horn system.

[0103] Clause 20: The user has a portable electronic device, and the wireless communication device is further configured to wirelessly connect to the portable electronic device, thereby wirelessly communicating with the remote computing node, the method described in any one of Clauses 15 to 19.

[0104] Clause 21: The warning system includes a tactile transducer, and the command signal causes the tactile transducer to generate a tactile cue, the method described in any one of Clauses 15 to 20.

[0105] Clause 22: The warning system includes an audio system, and the command signal causes the audio system to generate a predetermined audio output, the method described in any one of Clauses 15 to 21.

[0106] Clause 23: The predetermined location includes a geofence defined by a footwear controller, and the command signal is transmitted to the warning system after the remote computing node is detected to have breached the geofence, the method described in any one of Clauses 15 to 22.

[0107] Clause 24: Further includes receiving a sensor signal indicating the presence of a foot in the upper from a pressure sensor attached to the sole structure, and the command signal is transmitted to the warning system in further response to the detection of the presence of a foot in the upper, the method described in any one of Clauses 15 to 23.

[0108] Clause 25: The remote computing node includes an optical sensor, and the warning includes a personalized color and / or blinking pattern that is detectable by the optical sensor and is configured to confirm the user to the remote computing node, the method described in any one of Clauses 15 to 24.

[0109] Clause 26: An intelligent electronic shoe (IES) for a user's foot, comprising an upper configured to attach to the user's foot, a sole structure having an outsole attached to the upper and configured to support the user's foot thereon and defining a ground-engaging surface, a light system attached to the sole structure and / or the upper and configured to generate light in response to a command signal, a wireless communication device configured to wirelessly communicate with a remote computing node, and a footwear controller operatively connected to the wireless communication device and the light system, the footwear controller being configured to receive location data indicating the user's location, receive location data indicating the location of the remote computing node, determine whether the user's location is within a vicinity of a predetermined location or the node location, and in response to the user's location being within a vicinity of a predetermined location or the node location, transmit a command signal to the light system to generate a predetermined light output.

[0110] Clause 27: The IES according to clause 26, wherein the footwear controller is further configured to transmit a second command signal to a control system of the remote computing node in response to the user's location being within a vicinity of a predetermined location or the node location to generate an audible output or a visual output.

[0111] Clause 28: The remote computing node is an automobile equipped with a vehicle headlamp system, and the visual output includes illumination, flashing, and / or enhancement of the light output of the vehicle headlamp system. The IES according to clause 27.

[0112] Clause 29: The IES according to clause 28, wherein the footwear controller is further configured to coordinate the light output of the vehicle headlamp system with the predetermined light output of the light system.

[0113] Clause 30: The remote computing node is an automobile equipped with a vehicle horn system, and the audible output is the IES described in any one of Clauses 27 to 29, including activation and / or modification of the audible output of the vehicle horn system.

[0114] Clause 31: 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 the remote computing node, which is the IES described in any one of Clauses 26 to 30.

[0115] Clause 32: Further includes a tactile transducer attached to the sole structure and / or upper, and the footwear controller is further configured to send a third command signal to the tactile transducer in response to the user's location being within the vicinity of a predetermined location or the node location to generate a tactile cue, which is the IES described in any one of Clauses 26 to 31.

[0116] Clause 33: Further includes an audio system attached to the sole structure and / or upper, and the footwear controller is further configured to send a fourth command signal to the audio system in response to the user's location being within the vicinity of a predetermined location or the node location to generate a predetermined audio output, which is the IES described in any one of Clauses 26 to 32.

[0117] Clause 34: The remote computing node is a security system, and the footwear controller is further configured to send an activation release command signal to the security system in response to the user's location being within the vicinity of a predetermined location or the node location, which is the IES described in any one of Clauses 26 and 31 to 33.

[0118] Clause 35: The remote computing node is a home automation system, and the footwear controller is further configured to send a fifth command signal to the home automation system in response to the user location being within the vicinity of a predetermined location or the node location, to lock or unlock the door, activate or deactivate the indoor lights, and / or raise or lower the temperature of the thermostat, the IES according to any one of Clauses 26 and 31 to 33.

[0119] Clause 36: The predetermined location includes a geofence defined by the footwear controller, and the command signal is sent to the optical system after the remote computing node detects that it has breached the geofence, the IES according to any one of Clauses 26 to 35.

[0120] Clause 37: Further includes a pressure sensor attached to the sole structure and configured to detect the presence of a foot within the upper, and the command signal is further sent to the optical system in response to the detection of the presence of a foot within the upper, the IES according to any one of Clauses 26 to 36.

[0121] Clause 38: Further includes a pressure sensor attached to the sole structure and configured to detect the user's weight, the footwear controller is further configured to receive from the pressure sensor a sensor signal indicating the detected weight of the user, and to determine whether the detected weight is within a predetermined range of the verified user weight stored in memory, and the command signal is further sent to the optical system in response to the detected weight being within a predetermined range of the verified user weight stored in memory, the IES according to any one of Clauses 26 to 35.

[0122] Clause 39: The IES according to any one of Clauses 26 to 38 further includes a shoe lace attached to the upper and a lace motor attached to the inside of the sole structure and configured to selectively shift the shoe lace between a tensioned state and a non-tensioned state. The footwear controller is further configured to communicate with the lace motor and determine whether the shoe lace is in a tensioned state or a non-tensioned state. The command signal is further transmitted to the optical system in response to the shoe lace being in a tensioned state.

[0123] Clause 40: The tensioned state includes a plurality of discrete tensioned positions. The IES according to Clause 39 further includes a lace sensor configured to detect the current one of the discrete tensioned positions for the user. The footwear controller is further configured to receive a sensor signal from the lace sensor indicating the current one of the discrete tensioned positions for the user and determine whether the current one of the discrete tensioned positions corresponds to a verified lace tension position stored in memory. The command signal is further transmitted to the optical system in response to the current one of the discrete tensioned positions corresponding to a verified lace tension position stored in memory.

[0124] Clause 41: The remote computing node includes an optical sensor, a predetermined light output is detectable by the optical sensor, and the IES according to any one of Clauses 26 to 40 includes a personalized color and / or blinking pattern configured to identify the user to the remote computing node.

[0125] Clause 42: The wireless communication device includes a Bluetooth (registered trademark) Low Energy (BLE), Category (CAT) M1 or CAT-NB1 wireless interface, and the IES according to any one of Clauses 26 to 41.

[0126] Clause 43: The IES according to any one of Clauses 26 to 42, further including a barcode, a radio frequency identification (RFID) tag, or a near field communication (NFC) tag, which is attached to the sole structure and / or the upper and configured to communicate a security authentication code to a remote computing node.

Prior Art Documents

Patent Documents

[0127]

Patent Document 1

Patent Document 2

Patent Document 3

Patent Document 4

Patent Document 5

Claims

**Claim 1** A shoe structure configured to be attached to a user's foot and to support the user's foot thereon; An alarm system attached to the shoe structure and configured to generate a visual output, an audible output, and / or a tactile output in response to a command signal; A wireless communication device configured to wirelessly communicate with a security system computer of a security system; A controller operatively connected to the wireless communication device and the alarm system, wherein the controller receives data indicating that the user's location is at or in a predetermined vicinity of a facility monitored by the security system, in response to the user's location being within the predetermined vicinity of the facility, transmits a deactivation command signal to the security system computer requesting permission for the user to enter the facility, and transmits an alarm command signal to the alarm system to generate a user-perceivable visual alarm, audible alarm, and / or tactile alarm indicating permission to enter the facility, is configured as such, An intelligent electronic shoe system. **Claim 2** The intelligent electronic shoe system according to claim 1, further comprising a sensor attached to the shoe structure and configured to detect the presence of the foot within the upper of the shoe structure, wherein the controller is further configured to receive a sensor signal from the sensor indicating that the foot is within the upper, and the deactivation command signal is transmitted in further response to the received sensor signal. **Claim 3** The intelligent electronic shoe system according to claim 1, wherein the facility includes a building having an entrance protected by the security system, and the deactivation command signal commands the security system computer to unlock the entrance. **Claim 4** The intelligent electronic shoe system according to claim 3, wherein the predetermined vicinity is defined by an active geofence generated by the controller, and the deactivation command signal is transmitted to the security system computer in further response to detection of the building breaching the active geofence. **Claim 5** The controller is further configured to transmit the security authentication data of the user to the security system computer, and the security system computer further responds to the received security authentication data to instruct the security system to unlock the entrance. The intelligent electronic shoe system according to claim 3.

6. The entrance of the building includes an automated security door that is closed and protected by the security system, and the security system unlocks the entrance by automating the opening of the automated security door. The intelligent electronic shoe system according to claim 3.

7. The user has a portable electronic device, and the wireless communication device is further configured to wirelessly connect to the portable electronic device, thereby wirelessly communicating with the security system computer. The intelligent electronic shoe system according to claim 1.

8. The alarm system includes a tactile transducer, and the alarm command signal causes the tactile transducer to generate a user-perceivable tactile cue. The intelligent electronic shoe system according to claim 1.

9. The alarm system includes an audio component, and the alarm command signal causes the audio component to generate a user-perceivable audio output. The intelligent electronic shoe system according to claim 1.

10. The alarm system includes an illumination component, and the alarm command signal causes the illumination component to generate a user-perceivable light output. The intelligent electronic shoe system according to claim 1.

11. A shoelace attached to the upper of the shoe structure, A lace motor attached to the shoe structure and configured to selectively transition the shoelace between a tensioned state and a non-tensioned state, The controller is further configured to determine whether the shoelace is in the tensioned state, The deactivation command signal and the alarm command signal are further transmitted in response to the shoelace being in the tensioned state. The intelligent electronic shoe system according to claim 1.

12. The intelligent electronic shoe system according to claim 1, further comprising a pressure sensor attached to a sole of the shoe structure and configured to detect the weight of the user, wherein the controller is further configured to receive a sensor signal from the pressure sensor indicating the weight of the user, and the deactivation command signal is further transmitted in response to the detected weight being within a predetermined range of a verified user weight stored in a memory.

13. A footwear product for a user's foot, an upper configured to attach to the user's foot, a sole structure attached to the upper and configured to support the user's foot thereon, an alarm system attached to the sole structure and / or the upper and configured to generate a visual output, an audible output, and / or a tactile output in response to a command signal, a wireless communication device attached to the sole structure and / or the upper and configured to wirelessly communicate with a security system, and an electronic controller attached to the sole structure and / or the upper and operatively connected to the wireless communication device and the alarm system, wherein the electronic controller receives data indicating that the user's location is within a predetermined location or a predetermined vicinity of a facility location monitored by the security system, transmits a deactivation command signal to the security system requesting permission for the user to enter the facility in response to the user's location being within the predetermined location or the predetermined vicinity of the facility, receives approval from the security system granting permission for the user to enter the facility, and transmits an alarm command signal to the alarm system to generate a user-perceivable visual alarm, audible alarm, and / or tactile alarm indicating permission to enter the facility. configured as footwear product.

14. A method of operating an intelligent electronic shoe, wherein the intelligent electronic shoe includes a shoe structure having a sole and an upper attached to a user's foot and configured to support the user's foot thereon, and the method includes Receiving, via a wireless communication device and through a controller, location data indicating a user location of the user wearing the intelligent electronic shoes; Determining, via the controller, whether the user location is within a predetermined location or a predetermined vicinity relative to a facility monitored by a security system; In response to the user location being within the predetermined location or the predetermined vicinity relative to the facility, transmitting, via the wireless communication device and through the controller, a deactivation command signal to a security system computer of the security system that requests permission for the user to enter the facility; Transmitting, via the controller, an alarm command signal to an alarm system attached to the shoe structure to generate a user-perceivable visual alarm, audible alarm, and / or tactile alarm indicating that the user has permission to enter the facility, including; A method.

15. The method of claim 14, further comprising receiving, via the controller, a sensor signal from a sensor attached to the shoe structure indicating that the foot is within an upper of the shoe structure, wherein the deactivation command signal is transmitted in further response to the received sensor signal.

16. The method of claim 14, wherein the facility includes a building having an entrance protected by the security system, and the deactivation command signal commands the security system by the security system computer to unlock the entrance.

17. The method of claim 16, wherein the predetermined vicinity is defined by an active geofence generated by the controller, and the deactivation command signal is transmitted to the security system computer in further response to the building breaching the active geofence.

18. The method of claim 16, further comprising transmitting, via the controller, security authentication data of the user to the security system computer, wherein the security system computer commands the security system to unlock the entrance in further response to the received security authentication data.

19. The entrance to the building includes an automated security door that is closed and protected by the security system, and the security system unlocks the entrance by automating the opening of the automated security door, the method according to claim 16.

20. 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 the security system computer, the method according to claim 14.

21. The alarm system includes a tactile transducer, and the alarm command signal causes the tactile transducer to generate a user-perceivable tactile cue, the method according to claim 14.

22. The alarm system includes an audio component, and the alarm command signal causes the audio component to generate a user-perceivable audio output, the method according to claim 14.

23. The alarm system includes an illumination component, and the alarm command signal causes the illumination component to generate a user-perceivable light output, the method according to claim 14.

24. The intelligent electronic shoes further include a shoelace attached to the shoe structure and a lace motor attached to the shoe structure and configured to selectively transition the shoelace between a tensioned state and a non-tensioned state, and the method further includes determining, via the controller, whether the shoelace is in the tensioned state, and the deactivation command signal and the alarm command signal are further transmitted in response to the shoelace being in the tensioned state, the method according to claim 14.

25. The method further includes a pressure sensor attached to the shoe structure and configured to detect the weight of the user, and receiving, via the controller, a sensor signal from the pressure sensor indicative of the weight of the user, and the deactivation command signal is further transmitted in response to the detected weight being within a predetermined range of a verified user weight stored in memory, the method according to claim 14.

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