Gesture recognition device for activating footwear motors

Abstract

To provide a gesture recognition device configured to detect a gesture performed by a user for operating a motor of a closing machine of an article of footwear.SOLUTION: A gesture recognition device may include a sensor unit with an accelerometer sensor, and an analysis unit in operative communication with the sensor unit. The analysis unit may be configured to execute a gesture confirmation algorithm to confirm or reject possible gesture event data received from the sensor unit as a true gesture event. If the gesture confirmation algorithm confirms the possible gesture event data as a true gesture event, the analysis unit may output a signal to actuate the motor.SELECTED DRAWING: Figure 14

Description

[Technical Field]

[0001] Each aspect of this disclosure generally relates to a circuit configured to be integrated into an article of footwear, and a process performed by the circuit to enhance posture recognition for operating a motor within the footwear. [Background technology]

[0002] This embodiment relates to footwear in general, and more particularly to an article of footwear having a gesture recognition device for operating a motor device within the footwear.

[0003] Footwear generally consists of two main elements: the upper structure and the sole structure. The upper is typically formed from multiple material elements (e.g., textiles, polymer sheet layers, foam layers, leather, synthetic leather) that are sewn together or bonded together to form a space for comfortably and securely receiving the foot inside the footwear. More specifically, the upper forms a structure that extends from the instep and toe area of ​​the foot, along the medial and lateral sides of the foot, and around the heel area of ​​the foot. The upper may also incorporate a lacing system that not only adjusts the fit of the footwear but also allows the foot to move in and out of the space within the upper. Additionally, the upper may include a tongue that extends beneath the lacing system to improve the adjustability and comfort of the footwear, and the upper may incorporate a heel counter.

[0004] The sole structure is fixed to the underside of the upper so as to be positioned between the foot and the ground. In athletic shoes, for example, the sole structure may include a midsole and an outsole. The midsole may be formed from a polymer foam material that reduces the reaction force of the ground during walking, running, and other walking activities (providing cushioning). For example, the midsole may also include a chamber, plate, cushioning material, or other element filled with fluid that further reduces force, improves stability, or affects the movement of the foot. The outsole forms the ground contact element of the footwear and is usually made of a durable and abrasion-resistant rubber material, including texturing to provide static friction. The sole structure may also include an insole located within the upper and close to the bottom surface of the foot to improve the comfort of the footwear.

[0005] To improve the fit of footwear to the user's feet, electronic actuators may be used to tighten or loosen the footwear. For example, an electronic actuator may allow for fine-tuning of the tightness during wear while the user is exercising throughout the day. An electronic actuator may also improve the speed at which the user puts on and takes off the footwear. An additional electronic actuator for tightening the footwear may enable users with reduced or other hand motor skills to effectively tighten the footwear to their feet. However, existing mechanisms for controlling the operation of such electronic actuators cannot effectively recognize gestures intended to activate the mechanism and cannot filter out signals that do not indicate the user's intended gesture.

[0006] Therefore, improved systems and methods are needed to address at least one of these technical shortcomings. [Overview of the Initiative] [Problems that the invention aims to solve]

[0007] Based on the above background, a simplified summary of this disclosure is provided below to provide a basic understanding of several aspects of the present invention. This summary is not a comprehensive overview of the invention. It is not intended to identify any major or important elements of the invention or to describe the scope of the invention. The following summary merely provides a simplified introduction to some of the concepts of the invention, serving as a preface to the more detailed description provided below. [Means for solving the problem]

[0008] Each aspect of the present invention relates to a footwear article which may include a motor configured to operate a lacing system of the footwear article. The footwear article may further include a gesture recognition device configured to detect a gesture made by the user to activate the motor. The gesture recognition device may include a sensor unit which includes an accelerometer sensor and a buffer module, and an analysis unit which operably communicates with the sensor unit. The analysis unit may be configured to execute a gesture confirmation algorithm which confirms or rejects possible gesture event data received from the buffer module as a true gesture event. If the gesture confirmation algorithm confirms the possible gesture event data as a true gesture event, the analysis unit may output a signal to activate the motor.

[0009] This summary is provided to introduce in a simplified form the selection of concepts further described below in modes for carrying out the invention. This summary is not intended to identify any important or fundamental features of the claimed subject matter, nor is it intended to be used to help determine the scope of the claimed subject matter.

[0010] The present invention is described in exemplary manner, and similar reference numerals are not limited to the accompanying drawings which indicate similar elements. [Brief explanation of the drawing]

[0011] [Figure 1]This figure shows an exemplary system, which may be configured to provide personal training and / or acquire data from the user's physical movements, according to an exemplary embodiment. [Figure 2] This figure shows an exemplary computer device that may be part of the system in Figure 1, or that may be communicating with the system in Figure 1. [Figure 3] This figure shows a specific sensor assembly that can be worn by a user, according to an exemplary embodiment. [Figure 4] This figure shows another exemplary sensor assembly that can be worn by a user, according to an exemplary embodiment. [Figure 5] This figure shows specific locations for sensing inputs, which may include physical sensors located on / inside the user's clothing and / or physical sensors based on the identification of the relationship between two moving body parts of the user. [Figure 6] A schematic representation of footwear articles in one or more embodiments described herein is shown. [Figure 7] A schematic diagram shows a gesture recognition device operably connected to a power supply and a motor, according to one or more embodiments described herein. [Figure 8] This is a flowchart of one or more processes for recognizing a gesture event in one or more aspects as described herein. [Figure 9] A flowchart of one or more processes performed by a gesture recognition device to monitor sensor data for possible gesture events, according to one or more embodiments described herein. [Figure 10] This is a flowchart of one or more processes performed by the analysis unit to execute a gesture confirmation algorithm according to one or more embodiments described herein. [Figure 11] This is a flowchart of a gesture confirmation algorithm according to one or more embodiments described herein. [Figure 12]A flowchart of one or more processes performed by an analysis unit for identifying impulse responses in possible gesture event data received from an accelerometer of a sensor unit, according to one or more embodiments described herein. [Figure 13A] This is a top perspective view of an article of footwear including a tension system in accordance with the principles of this disclosure, when the tension system is shown in a relaxed state. [Figure 13B] Figure 13A is a top perspective view of the footwear item when the tension system is in a tightened state. [Figure 14] Figure 13A is an external perspective view of the footwear item. [Figure 15] Figure 13A is an internal perspective view of the footwear item. [Figure 16] Figure 13A is a plan view of the bottom of the footwear item. [Figure 17A] This is a top perspective view of an article of footwear including a tension system in accordance with the principles of this disclosure, when the tension system is shown in a relaxed state. [Figure 17B] Figure 17A is a top perspective view of the footwear item when the tension system is tightened. [Figure 18] Figure 17A is a side perspective view of a footwear item. [Figure 19] Figure 17A is an internal perspective view of the footwear item. [Figure 20] Figure 17A is a plan view of the bottom of the footwear item. [Figure 21] This is a perspective view of an example of a tensile device based on the principles of this disclosure. [Figure 22] Figure 21 is an exploded view of the tensile device. [Figure 23] Figure 21 is a plan view of the tensioning device, showing the housing with the cover removed to expose the locking member, which is slidably positioned within the housing, when the locking member is in the locked position. [Figure 24] Figure 21 is a plan view of the locking device, showing the housing with the cover removed to expose the locking member, which is slidably positioned within the housing, when the locking member is in the unlocked position. [Figure 25] This is an exploded view of a tensile device based on the principles of this disclosure. [Figure 26] Figure 24 is a perspective view of the tensile device. [Figure 27] Figure 24 is a plan view of the tensile device, with the internal components of the tensile device hidden to show the structure of the tensile device housing. [Figure 28] Figure 24 is a partially enlarged view of the tensioning device, showing the tensioning device in the locked position. [Figure 29] Figure 24 is a partially enlarged view of the tensioning device, showing the tensioning device in the unlocked position. [Figure 30] This is a schematic diagram of the components of an electrically operated lacing system for footwear articles based on the principles of this disclosure. [Figure 31] Figure 30 is an exploded view of an example of a cord-tightening engine in an electric cord-tightening system. [Figure 32A] Figure 30 is a perspective view showing another example of a cord tightening engine in an electric cord tightening system. [Figure 32B] Figure 30 is a perspective view showing another example of a cord tightening engine in an electric cord tightening system. [Figure 33A] Figure 30 is a perspective view showing another example of a cord tightening engine in an electric cord tightening system. [Figure 33B] Figure 33A is a top view of a cord-fastened engine. [Figure 34] This is an exploded view of the components of an electric lacing system embedded in the sole structure of a footwear article according to the principles of this disclosure. [Modes for carrying out the invention]

[0012] Each aspect of this disclosure relates to the acquisition, storage, and / or processing of motion data relating to the physical movements of an athlete. Such motion data may be actively or passively sensed and / or stored in one or more non-temporary storage media. Another aspect relates to using the motion data to generate outputs such as, for example, calculated motion characteristics, feedback signals for providing guidance, and / or other information. These and other aspects will be discussed in relation to the following specific examples of personal training systems.

[0013] In the following descriptions of various embodiments, accompanying drawings forming part of this specification are referenced, and various embodiments that can carry out aspects of this disclosure are shown in exemplary form. It should be understood that other embodiments may be used, with structural and functional modifications, without departing from the scope and spirit of this disclosure. Furthermore, headings within this disclosure should not be construed as limiting aspects of this disclosure, and exemplary embodiments are not limited to exemplary headings.

[0014] The terms used herein are for illustrative purposes only and not limiting purposes. The steps, processes, and operations of the methods described herein should not be construed as necessarily having to be performed in a specific order described or illustrated unless expressly specified as such. Additional or alternative steps may be used.

[0015] When an element or layer is said to be “on top of” another element or layer, or to be “engaged,” “connected,” “pasted,” or “joined” to another element or layer, it may be directly on top of, directly engaged with, connected to, pasted, or joined to the other element or layer, or there may be an intervening element or layer. Conversely, when an element is said to be “directly on top of” another element or layer, or to be “directly engaged,” “directly connected,” “directly pasted,” or “directly joined” to another element or layer, there may be no intervening element or layer. Other words used to describe relationships between elements should be interpreted similarly (i.e., “between” vs. “directly between…”, “adjacent” vs. “directly adjacent,” etc.). As used herein, the term “and / or” includes any and all combinations of one or more related enumerations.

[0016] Terms such as "first," "second," and "third" may be used to describe various elements, components, regions, layers, and / or sections. These elements, components, regions, layers, and / or sections should not be limited by these terms. These terms may only be used to distinguish an element, component, region, layer, or section from other regions, layers, or sections. Terms such as "first," "second," and other numerical terms do not imply a sequence or order unless explicitly indicated in the context. Thus, the first element, component, region, layer, or section described below may be called the second component, region, layer, or section without deviating from the teaching of the exemplary configuration.

[0017] I. Examples of Personal Training Systems A. Specific Network

[0018] Each aspect of this disclosure relates to systems and methods that can be used across multiple networks. In this regard, certain embodiments may be configured to adapt to dynamic network environments. Further embodiments may operate in different individual network environments. Figure 1 shows an example of a personal training system 100 according to an exemplary embodiment. The exemplary system 100 may include one or more interconnected networks, such as a specific body area network (BAN) 102, a local area network (LAN) 104, and a wide area network (WAN) 106. As shown in Figure 1 (and as described throughout this disclosure), one or more networks (i.e., BAN 102, LAN 104, and / or WAN 106) may overlap with each other or be otherwise included. Those skilled in the art will understand that specific networks 102-106 may each be logical networks that include one or more different communication protocols and / or network architectures, and may be configured to have gateways to each other or to other networks. For example, BAN102, LAN104, and / or WAN106 may each be operably connected to the same physical network architecture, such as cellular network architecture 108 and / or WAN architecture 110. For example, a portable electronic device 112 may be considered a component of both BAN102 and LAN104 and may include a network adapter or network interface card (NIC) configured to convert data and control signals into or from network messages via one or more architectures 108 and / or 110 according to one or more communication protocols, such as Transmission Control Protocol (TCP), Internet Protocol (IP), and User Datagram Protocol (UDP). These protocols are well known in the art and will not be described in detail here.

[0019] Network architectures 108 and 110 can include, individually or in combination, one or more information distribution networks of any type or topology (e.g., cable, fiber, satellite, telephone, cellular, wireless, etc.), and thus can be configured in various ways, for example, having one or more wired or wireless communication paths (including, but not limited to, WiFi®, Bluetooth®, Near Field Communication (NFC), and / or ANT technology). Therefore, any device in the network of Figure 1 (e.g., portable electronic device 112 or other devices described herein) can be considered to be included in one or more different logical networks 102-106. With the above in mind, exemplary components of specific BANs and LANs (which can be coupled to WAN 106) are described below.

[0020] 1. Exemplary local area network LAN104 may include one or more electronic devices, such as computer device 114. Computer device 114, or any other component of system 100, may include a portable terminal such as a telephone, music player, tablet, netbook, or any portable device. In other embodiments, computer device 114 may include a media player or recorder, a desktop computer, a server, or a game console such as Microsoft® XBOX®, Sony® PlayStation, and / or Nintendo® Wii game console. Those skilled in the art will understand that these are merely illustrative devices for illustrative purposes and that the disclosure is not limited to consoles or computing devices.

[0021] Those skilled in the art will understand that the design and structure of the computer device 114 may vary depending on several factors, including the intended purpose. Figure 2, which shows a block diagram of the computing device 200, provides one implementation of the computer device 114. Those skilled in the art will understand that the disclosure in Figure 2 may be applicable to any device disclosed herein. The device 200 may include one or more processors, such as processors 202-1 and 202-2 (hereinafter generally referred to as “processor 202” or “processor 206”). The processors 202 may communicate with each other or with other components via an interconnection network or bus 204. The processors 202 may include one or more processing cores, such as cores 206-1 and 206-2 (hereinafter referred to herein as “multiple cores 206” or more generally “core 206”), which may be implemented on a single integrated circuit (IC) chip.

[0022] Core 206 may include a shared cache 208 and / or private caches (e.g., caches 210-1 and 210-2, respectively). One or more caches 208 / 210 may locally cache data stored in system memory, such as memory 212, for fast access by components of processor 202. Memory 212 may communicate with processor 202 via chipset 216 or communication bus 216. Cache 208 may be part of system memory 212 in certain embodiments. Memory 212 may include, but is not limited to, random access memory (RAM), read-only memory (ROM), and one or more solid-state memories, and may also include optical or magnetic storage and / or any other medium usable for storing electronic information. However, in other embodiments, system memory 212 may be omitted.

[0023] System 200 may include one or more I / O devices (i.e., for example, I / O devices 214-1 to 214-3, generally referred to as I / O device 214, respectively). I / O data from one or more I / O devices 214 may be stored in one or more caches 208, 210, and / or system memory 212. Each I / O device 214 may be configured permanently or temporarily to communicate with components of System 100 using any physical or wireless communication protocol.

[0024] Returning to Figure 1, it is shown that four exemplary I / O devices (labeled elements 116-122) are communicating with computer device 114. Those skilled in the art will understand that one or more devices 116-122 may be standalone devices or associated with other devices other than computer device 114. For example, one or more I / O devices may be associated with or interact with components of BAN 102 and / or WAN 106. I / O devices 116-122 may include, but are not limited to, motion data acquisition units such as sensors. One or more I / O devices may be configured to sense, detect, and / or measure motion parameters from a user such as user 124. For example, these may include, but are not limited to, accelerometers, gyroscopes, positioning devices (such as GPS), light (including visible light) sensors, temperature sensors (including ambient temperature and / or body temperature), sleep pattern sensors, heart rate monitors, image capture sensors, moisture sensors, force sensors, compasses, angular velocity sensors, and / or combinations thereof.

[0025] In further embodiments, I / O devices 116-122 may be used to provide outputs (i.e., audible, visual, or tactile indications) and / or to receive inputs such as user input from an athlete 124. Specific examples of the use of these I / O devices are provided below, but those skilled in the art will understand that such descriptions only illustrate a fraction of the many options within the scope of this disclosure. Furthermore, any reference to data acquisition units, I / O devices, or sensors should be interpreted as disclosing embodiments that may have (alone or in combination) one or more I / O devices, data acquisition units, and / or sensors disclosed herein or known in the art.

[0026] Information from one or more devices (via one or more networks) is used (or used to form) a variety of different parameters, metrics, or physiological characteristics, which include, but are not limited to, motor parameters (e.g., velocity, acceleration, distance, steps taken, direction, relative movement of a particular body part or object to another particular body part or object), or other motor parameters (e.g., which can be expressed as angular velocity, linear velocity, or a combination thereof), or physiological parameters (e.g., calories, heart rate, sweat detection, applied force, oxygen consumption, oxygen dynamics, and other metrics that may belong to one or more categories, such as pressure, impact force, information about the athlete (e.g., height, weight, age, demographic information, and combinations thereof)).

[0027] System 100 may be configured to transmit and / or receive exercise data, including parameters, metrics, or physiological characteristics collected within or provided to System 100. For example, WAN 106 may include Server 111. Server 111 may have one or more components of System 200 in Figure 2. In one embodiment, Server 111 includes at least one processor and memory, e.g., Processor 206 and Memory 212. Server 111 may be configured to store computer-executable instructions in a non-temporary computer-readable medium. Instructions may include exercise data, such as raw or processed data collected within System 100. System 100 may be configured to transmit data, such as energy consumption points, to or host a social networking website. Server 111 may be used to enable one or more users to access and / or compare athletic data. Thus, Server 111 may be configured to transmit and / or receive notifications based on exercise data or other information.

[0028] Returning to LAN104, it is shown that computer device 114 can operably communicate with display device 116, image capture device 118, sensor 120, and training device 122, which are described sequentially below with reference to exemplary embodiments. In one embodiment, display device 116 can provide audiovisual instructions to athlete 124 to perform special motor movements. Audiovisual instructions may be provided in response to computer-executable commands executed on computer device 114 or any other device including BAN102 or WAN. Display device 116 may be a touchscreen device or may be configured to receive user input.

[0029] In one embodiment, data may be acquired from an image capture device 118 and / or other sensors such as sensor 120. Sensor 120 may be used alone or in combination with other devices to detect (and / or measure) motion parameters or stored information. The image capture device 118 and / or sensor 120 may include a transceiver. In one embodiment, sensor 128 may include an infrared (IR), electromagnetic (Em), or acoustic transceiver. For example, the image capture device 118 and / or sensor 120 may transmit waveforms to an environment that includes a direction toward an athlete 124 and receives “reflections” or detects changes in these emitted waveforms. Those skilled in the art will readily recognize that, according to various embodiments, signals corresponding to a number of different data spectra may be utilized. In this regard, the devices 118 and / or 120 may detect waveforms emitted from an external source (i.e., not system 100). For example, the devices 118 and / or 120 may detect heat emitted from user 124 and / or the surrounding environment. Therefore, the image capture device 126 and / or sensor 128 may include one or more thermal imaging devices. In one embodiment, the image capture device 126 and / or sensor 128 may include an IR device configured to perform range phenomenology.

[0030] In one embodiment, the training device 122 may be any device that can be configured to enable or facilitate physical movement by the athlete 124, such as a treadmill or step machine. The device does not need to be fixed in place. In this regard, since wireless technology enables the use of portable devices, a bicycle or other mobile training device may be used according to a particular embodiment. Those skilled in the art will understand that the device 122 is or constitutes an interface for receiving electronic devices containing exercise data performed remotely from the computer device 114. For example, a user can download exercise data to element 122 of system 100 or any other device when they use sports equipment (described later in relation to BAN 102) and return home or to the location where the device 122 is located. Any I / O device described herein may be configured to receive activity data.

[0031] 2. Body Area Network BAN102 may include two or more devices configured to facilitate the reception, transmission, or collection of motion data (including passive devices). Exemplary devices may include, but are not limited to, one or more data acquisition units, sensors, or devices known in the art or disclosed herein, including I / O devices 116-122. Two or more components of BAN102 may communicate directly, but in other embodiments, communication may be carried out via a third device that may be part of BAN102, LAN104, and / or WAN106. One or more components of LAN104 or WAN106 may form part of BAN102. In certain embodiments, whether a device such as a portable device 112 is part of BAN102, LAN104, and / or WAN106 may depend on its proximity to the athlete's access point to enable communication with the mobile cellular network architecture 108 and / or WAN architecture 110. User activity and / or preferences may also influence whether one or more components are utilized as part of BAN102. Exemplary embodiments are provided below.

[0032] User 124 may be associated with any number of devices and / or detection locations such as a portable device 112, a shoe-mounted device 126, a wrist-worn device 128, etc. (i.e., all carrying, wearing, and / or interaction), which may include physical devices or locations used for information gathering. One or more devices 112, 126, 128, and / or 130 may not be specifically designed for fitness or exercise purposes. In fact, each aspect of this disclosure relates to collecting, detecting, and / or measuring exercise data using data from multiple devices, some of which are not fitness devices. In certain embodiments, one or more devices of BAN 102 (or any other network) may include fitness or sports devices specifically designed for a particular sport use. As used herein, the term “sports device” includes any physical object that may be used or involved in a particular sport or fitness activity. Exemplary sports equipment includes, but is not limited to, golf balls, basketballs, baseballs, soccer balls, footballs, powerballs, hockey pucks, weights, bats, clubs, sticks, paddles, mats, and combinations thereof. In further embodiments, exemplary fitness equipment may include the environment itself, such as goal nets, hoops, and backboards, as well as objects within the sports environment in which special movements occur, including parts of the field, such as median lines, outer boundary markers, bases, and combinations thereof.

[0033] In this regard, those skilled in the art will understand that one or more sports devices may be part of (or formed from) a structure, and conversely, a structure may include one or more sports devices or be configured to interact with sports devices. For example, a first structure may include a basketball hoop and a backboard, which are removable and can be replaced with goalposts. In this regard, one or more sports devices may include one or more sensors that provide information to be used in combination with other sensors, such as one or more sensors associated with one or more structures, such as one or more sensors described above in relation to Figures 1-3. For example, a backboard may include a first sensor configured to measure the force and direction of the force exerted by a basketball on the backboard, and a hoop may include a second sensor for detecting force. Similarly, a golf club may include a first sensor configured to detect grip characteristics on the shaft and a second sensor configured to measure the impact of a golf ball.

[0034] A specific portable device 112 could be a multipurpose electronic device, including, for example, a telephone or digital music player, an iPod®, iPad®, or iPhone®, a branded device available from Apple, Inc. in Cupertino, or a California, Zune®, or Microsoft® Windows device available from Microsoft in Redmond, Washington. As is known in the art, a digital media player can function as an output device, input device, and / or storage device for a computer. Device 112 may be configured as an input device for receiving raw or processed data collected from one or more devices in the BAN 102, LAN 104, or WAN 106. In one or more embodiments, the portable device 112 may include one or more components of a computer device 114. For example, to include a portable terminal, the portable device 112 may include one or more data acquisition devices, such as a display 116, an image capture device 118, and / or any of the I / O devices 116-122 described above, with or without additional components.

[0035] a. Specific apparel / accessory sensors In certain embodiments, I / O devices may be formed inside or in connection with the user's clothing or accessories, including watches, armbands, wristbands, necklaces, shirts, shoes, etc. These devices may be configured to monitor the user's motor movements. It should be understood that motor movements can be detected while the user 124 is interacting with the computer device 114 and / or operating independently of the computer device 114 (or any other devices disclosed herein). For example, one or more devices within the BAN 102 may be configured to function as a 24-hour activity monitor, measuring activity regardless of the user's proximity or interaction with the computer device 114. It should also be understood that the sensing system 302 shown in Figure 3 and the device assembly 400 shown in Figure 4, described in the following paragraphs, are merely specific examples.

[0036] i. Shoe mounting device In certain embodiments, the device 126 shown in Figure 1 may include footwear that may include one or more sensors, including, but not limited to, those disclosed herein and / or known in the art. Figure 3 shows an exemplary embodiment of a sensor system 302 that provides one or more sensor assemblies 304. The assembly 304 may include one or more sensors, such as accelerometers, gyroscopes, positioning components, force sensors and / or any other sensors disclosed herein or known in the art. In specific embodiments, the assembly 304 incorporates a plurality of sensors, which may include a force-sensitive resistor (FSR) sensor 306, but other sensors may be utilized. A port 308 may be located within the sole structure 309 of the shoe and is generally configured to communicate with one or more electronic devices. The port 308 may optionally be provided to communicate with an electronic module 310, and the sole structure 309 may optionally include a housing 311 or other structure for receiving the module 310. The sensor system 302 may further include a plurality of leads 312 connecting the FSR sensor 306 to port 308 to enable communication with module 310 and / or other electronic devices via port 308. Module 310 may be contained within a well or cavity in the sole structure of a shoe, and housing 311 may be located within a well or cavity. In one embodiment, at least one gyroscope and at least one accelerometer are provided within a single housing such as module 310 and / or housing 311. In at least one further embodiment, one or more sensors are provided configured to provide directional information and angular velocity data when operable. Port 308 and module 310 include complementary interfaces 314, 316 for connection and communication.

[0037] In certain embodiments, the force-sensitive resistor 306 shown in Figure 3 may include a first and second electrode or electrode electrical contact 318,320 positioned between the electrodes 318,320 to electrically connect the electrodes 318,320 together, and a force-sensitive material 322. When pressure is applied to the force-sensitive material 322, the potential between the electrodes 318,320 changes due to a change in the resistivity and / or conductivity of the force-sensitive material 322. The change in resistance can be detected by the sensor system 302 to detect the force applied to the sensor 316. The force-sensitive resistor material 322 can change its resistance under pressure in various ways. For example, the force-sensitive material 322 may have an internal resistance that decreases when the material is compressed. In further embodiments, a "volume-based resistor" which can be implemented via a "smart material" may be utilized. As another example, the resistance of material 322 can be changed by altering the degree of surface-to-surface contact, such as between two force-sensitive materials 322 or between the force-sensitive material 322 and one or both of the electrodes 318, 320. In some cases, this type of force-sensitive resistance behavior may be described as "contact-based resistance."

[0038] ii. Wrist-worn device As shown in Figure 4, the device 400 (similar to, or including, the sensing device 128 shown in Figure 1) may be configured to be worn by a user 124 on the wrist, arm, ankle, neck, etc. The device 400 may include an input mechanism such as an input button 402 configured for use during the operation of the device 400. The input button 402 may be operably connected to any other electronic component, such as one or more elements described with respect to the controller 404 and / or the computer device 114 shown in Figure 1. The controller 404 may be embedded in the housing 406 or be part of the housing 406. The housing 406 may be formed of one or more materials including elastic components and may include one or more displays, such as a display 408. The displays may be considered as illuminable parts of the device 400. The display 408 may include lighting elements or lighting members, such as a series of individual LED lights 410. The lights may be formed in an array and operably connected to the controller 404. The device 400 may include an indicator system 412 which is considered part or a component of the entire display 408. The indicator system 412 may operate in conjunction with the display 408 (which may have pixel members 414) to illuminate, or it may be completely separate from the display 408. The indicator system 412 may also include a plurality of additional illumination elements or illumination members, which may take the form of LED lights in exemplary embodiments. In certain embodiments, the indicator system may provide a visual representation of targets by illuminating some of the illumination members of the indicator system 412 to indicate progress toward one or more targets. The device 400 may be configured to display data expressed in activity points or currency earned by the user based on the user's activity, via either the display 408 and / or the indicator system 412.

[0039] The fastening mechanism 416, which allows the device 400 to be positioned around the wrist or part of the user 124, may be loosened and then the fastening mechanism 416 can be placed in the engaged position. In one embodiment, the fastening mechanism 416 may include an interface for operable interaction with devices such as computer device 114 and / or device 120 and / or 112, including but not limited to a USB port. In certain embodiments, the fastening member may include one or more magnets. In one embodiment, the fastening member may have no moving parts and rely entirely on magnetic force.

[0040] In certain embodiments, the device 400 may include a sensor assembly (not shown in Figure 4). The sensor assembly may include several different sensors, including those disclosed herein and / or known in the art. In exemplary embodiments, the sensor assembly may include or be operably connected to sensors disclosed herein or known in the art. The device 400 and / or its sensor assembly may be configured to receive data obtained from one or more external sensors.

[0041] iii. Apparel and / or body position sensing Element 130 shown in Figure 1 indicates an exemplary sensing location that may be associated with a physical device such as a sensor, data acquisition unit, or other device. However, in other embodiments, it may be a specific location of a body part or area monitored, for example, via an image capture device (i.e., image capture device 118). In certain embodiments, element 130 may include a sensor, and elements 130a and 130b may be sensors incorporated into apparel such as athletic wear / sportswear. Such sensors can be placed at any desired location on the user 124's body. Sensors 130a / b can communicate (i.e., wirelessly) with one or more devices (including other sensors) of the BAN 102, LAN 104, and / or WAN 106. In certain embodiments, the passive sensing surface may reflect waveforms such as infrared radiation emitted by the image capture device 118 and / or sensor 120. In one embodiment, the passive sensor located on the user 124's apparel may generally include a spherical structure made of glass or other transparent or translucent surface capable of reflecting waveforms. Different classes of apparel are available, where a given class of apparel has special sensors configured to be located near specific parts of the user's body when properly worn. For example, golf apparel may include one or more sensors located in the first configuration of apparel, while soccer apparel may include one or more sensors located in the second configuration of apparel.

[0042] Figure 5 shows specific locations for sensing input (see, for example, sensing locations 130a to 130o). In this regard, the sensors may be physical sensors located on / inside the user's clothing, but in other embodiments, the sensor locations 130a to 130o may be based on the identification of the relationship between two moving body parts. For example, sensor location 130a can be determined by identifying the movement of user 124 with an image capture device such as image capture device 118. Thus, in certain embodiments, the sensors may not be physically placed at specific locations (such as one or more sensor locations 130a to 130o), but rather may be configured to sense the characteristics of the location using image capture device 118 or other sensor data collected from other locations, for example. In this regard, the overall shape or part of the user's body can enable the identification of specific body parts. Regardless of whether image capture is used and / or whether a physical sensor is located on user 124 and / or whether data is used from other devices (such as sensing system 302), device assembly 400 or any other devices or sensors disclosed herein or known in the art, the sensor can sense the current position of a body part and / or track the movement of a body part. In one embodiment, sensing data associated with position 130m can be used to determine the user's center of gravity (also called the center of mass). For example, the relationship between position 130a and position 130f / 130l with respect to one or more positions 130m~130o can be used to determine whether the user's center of gravity has risen along the vertical axis (e.g., during a jump) or whether the user is bending or moving their knees to "fake" a jump. In one embodiment, sensor position 1306n may be located near the user's sternum. Similarly, sensor position 130o may be located near the user's navel. In certain embodiments, data from sensor positions 130m to 130o may be used (alone or in combination with other data) to determine the center of gravity of user 124.In further embodiments, the relationships between multiple sensor positions (e.g., sensors 130m to 130o) can be used to determine the orientation and / or rotational force of user 124, such as the torso twist of user 124. Furthermore, one or more positions (e.g., position 130m to 130o) can be used as the center (or approximation) of the moment position. For example, in one embodiment, one or more of positions 130m to 130o may be used as a point relative to the center of the moment position of user 124. In another embodiment, one or more positions may be used as the center of the moment for a particular body part or region.

[0043] Each aspect of the present invention relates to an energy collection device (also referred to as an energy capture device or energy capture and storage device) and a novel method of utilizing one or more energy collection devices. Advantageously, each aspect of the present invention described herein relates to the use of a thermoelectric generator to supply electrical energy to one or more electronic components of an exercise activity monitoring device (e.g., device 128, 400). In this method, electrical energy can be supplied to one or more electronic components (e.g., particularly processors, memory, transceivers) without requiring the user to provide an energy storage device / medium such as a battery with a wired energy source, the wired energy source being one from an electrical outlet (i.e., without requiring a wired connection to recharge one or more onboard batteries of the exercise activity monitoring device). In one implementation, one or more thermoelectric generator modules configured for use within an energy collection device can generate electrical energy in response to a thermal gradient without using an energy storage device or medium (i.e., except storage of bodies or phase-change materials in particular). In one example, one or more energy collection devices can be incorporated into a user's sportswear item, thereby allowing thermal energy to be stored when the sportswear item is washed. The thermal energy can then be used to generate electrical energy using one or more thermoelectric generator modules, as described in the following disclosure. Thus, the device incorporating the thermoelectric generator modules may not include additional elements for energy storage (i.e., it may not include a battery, otherwise referred to as an auxiliary energy storage medium) as described herein. In another example, a device incorporating a thermoelectric generator module, such as those described herein, can utilize a hybrid of battery storage in addition to generating electrical energy using the thermoelectric generator modules.

[0044] Figure 6 schematically shows an article of footwear according to an exemplary embodiment disclosed herein. The article of footwear 600 may include any type of footwear configured to be worn when participating in athletic activities and other everyday or formal events. The article of footwear 600 may be referred to as shoe 600 and is not limited to enclosed footwear embodiments. The article of footwear 600 is shown as including a motor 606, a gesture recognition device 604 and a power supply 608. It is assumed that the motor 606 is configured to actuate a lacing system, fastening system or fastening machine of the article of footwear 600, thereby allowing the motor 606 to tighten or loosen the article of footwear 600 on the user's foot. Although not shown in Figure 6, it is assumed that the motor 606 may have an electromechanical implementation and may be configured to actuate various fastening machines within the article of footwear 600 without departing from the scope of these disclosures. The operation of the motor 606 may be based on signals received from the gesture recognition device 604. Both the gesture recognition device 604 and the motor 606 can receive electrical energy from the power supply 608. The power supply 608 may include one or more chemical cells configured as a battery. Furthermore, or alternatively, the power supply 608 may include an element configured to store energy in a phase-change material and generate electrical energy using a thermoelectric generator. The power supply 608 may additionally or alternatively include an element configured to convert the dynamic energy of user motion into electrical energy that can be distributed to the gesture recognition device 604 and the motor 606. The articles of footwear 600 and various assemblies of the articles of footwear 600, as well as related processes including gesture recognition processes, described throughout this disclosure may additionally or alternatively include elements of U.S. Patent No. 10,568,381, “Gesture-Controlled Motorized Footwear,” and U.S. Patent Publication No. 2015 / 0046886 (filed on 7 August 2014, U.S. Patent Application No. 14 / 453,997, titled “Gesture Recognition”), all of which are incorporated herein by reference for any and all non-limiting purposes.

[0045] The relative positioning of the gesture recognition device 604, motor 606, and power supply 608 is assumed to differ from that schematically illustrated in Figure 6. In one example, the gesture recognition device 604, motor 606, and power supply 608 may be encapsulated within the sole structure 610 of the footwear article 600. In an alternative embodiment, one or more of the gesture recognition device 604, motor 606, and power supply 608 may be located within one or more structures of the upper 612 of the footwear article 600. It is assumed that the elements 604, 606, and 608 can communicate with each other in an operable manner using a wired connection. However, it is assumed that one or more of the elements 604, 606, and 608 can be wirelessly connected to each other using wireless data transmission protocols and / or wireless power transfer. In another example, two or more elements 604, 606, and 608 may be implemented as an integrated unit within the article of the footwear 600, and thus two or more elements 604, 606, and 608 may be encapsulated within a single structure and / or implemented in a single integrated circuit device. In one example, the power supply 608 may be configured with an interface for receiving electrical energy from an external source. This interface may include a connection port configured to receive a wired connection, or it may be an interface configured to perform wireless charging when the article of the footwear 600 is placed in close proximity to an external wireless charging dock or source. Furthermore, the gesture recognition device 604 and / or motor 606 may be configured to receive data from one or more sources outside the article of the footwear 600. Thus, the gesture recognition device 604 and / or motor 606 may include an interface configured to send and receive data via wired or wireless connection to an external data source, such as an external computing device. This external data source may be configured to receive activity data from the gesture recognition device 604, or to update the firmware of one or more of the gesture recognition device 604 and the motor 606. Each of the elements 604, 606, and 608 is envisioned to be configured to be encapsulated within the article of the footwear 600 so as to be shielded from contaminants such as dust, dirt, or water.

[0046] Figure 7 schematically shows a gesture recognition device 700 operably connected to a power supply 750 and a motor 760, according to one or more embodiments described herein. In one example, the gesture recognition device 700 may be similar to the gesture recognition device 604, the power supply 750 may be similar to the power supply 608, and the motor 760 may be similar to the motor 606 described in relation to Figure 6. The gesture recognition device 700 includes a sensor unit 702 and an analysis unit 732. Each of the sensor unit 702, the analysis unit 732, the power supply 750, and the motor 760 can communicate with each other operably for the transfer of electrical energy / power and / or data. Such transfer of electrical energy and / or data can be facilitated by wired or wireless transmission. As schematically shown in Figure 7, each of the elements 702, 732, 750, and 760 may be configured using an input / output (I / O) interface. Specifically, the sensor unit 702 includes an I / O interface 714, the analysis unit 702 includes an I / O interface 740, the power supply 750 includes an I / O interface 752, and the motor 760 includes an I / O interface 762. These I / O interfaces 714, 740, 752, and 762 are envisioned to consist of hardware, firmware, and / or software configured to receive wired or wireless data transmissions and / or power transmissions using any suitable transmission protocol and / or method. These I / O interfaces 714, 740, 752, and 762 are also envisioned to include different interface types using different transmission protocols or media, without departing from the scope of these disclosures.

[0047] The gesture recognition device 700 is schematically shown in Figure 7 as a single structure including a sensor unit 702 and an analysis unit 732. Furthermore, the power supply 750 and the motor 760 are schematically shown in Figure 7 as separate elements from the gesture recognition device 700. However, it is assumed that each of the elements 702, 732, 750, and / or 760 may be coupled in / on a single physical structure / chip or implemented as separate elements without departing from the scope of these disclosures.

[0048] The sensor unit 702 further includes a processor 704. The processor 704 may include one or more central processing units (CPUs), microprocessors, or graphics processing units (GPUs). In another example, the processor 704 may represent a microcontroller. In yet another example, the sensor unit 702 may be configured as an integrated microcontroller. The processor 704 may be implemented with any processing speed, one or more processing cores, and may utilize any chip architecture. The sensor unit 702 further includes a memory 706 called a non-temporary computer-readable medium for storing computer-executable instructions, which may be executed by the processor 704 and / or additional elements of the sensor unit 702. It is assumed that the memory 706 may have any memory hardware chip design and any memory storage capacity. The memory 706 may be in the form of persistent memory or may include volatile memory. Firmware related to the operation of any element of the sensor unit 702 may be stored in the memory 706 or in hardware within each schematically shown element of the sensor unit 702. The sensor unit 702 may further include a buffer 708, which may also be called a buffer module 708 or sensor unit buffer module 702. The buffer 708 may be in the form of a volatile memory that can be configured to temporarily store data received from one or more of the accelerometer 710 and gyroscope 712.

[0049] Buffer 708 can be implemented in any hardware configuration and may include one or more memory register circuits. Furthermore, buffer 708 may be configured to perform different memory storage operations / algorithms in response to an operating mode signal received from processor 704. This operating mode signal may include a data signal containing instructions to switch the operating mode of buffer 708 between several different operating modes. For example, buffer 708 can be configured to operate in continuous mode or first-in, first-out (FIFO) mode. When configured to operate in continuous mode, buffer 708 receives sensor data from one or more of the accelerometers 710 and / or gyroscopes 712 and stores the most recent data point (also known as a datum) of the received sensor data in an empty memory unit of buffer 708, or, if there are no available empty memory units in buffer 708, it can replace the oldest datum stored in buffer 708. When configured to operate in first-in, first-out mode, sensor data received from one or more of the accelerometers 710 and / or gyroscopes 712 is stored in an empty memory unit in buffer 708 until buffer 708 is full. The data stored in buffer 708 can communicate with external devices or elements of the processor 704 and / or sensor unit 702 via interface 714. In one example, analysis unit 732 exchanges signals requesting its interface 740 to transmit the data stored in buffer 708.

[0050] In one example, buffer 708 may be configured to store 500 to 1,000 sample data generated by accelerometer 710. These samples may include acceleration values ​​for each of the three axes of accelerometer 710. In a particular example, the accelerometer is configured to store 670, 678, 679, 680, 681, 682, 683, 684, 685, 690, 692, or 700 samples of acceleration data received from accelerometer 710. In one example, buffer 708 may have a storage capacity of 2 to 10 kB. In a particular example, buffer 708 may have a storage capacity of 4 kB.

[0051] The accelerometer 710 of sensor unit 702 may include a 3-axis accelerometer. It is assumed that the accelerometer 710 can be implemented using any hardware, such as MEMS elements. The gyroscope 712 of sensor unit 702 may include a 3-axis gyroscope. Similarly, the gyroscope 712 can be implemented using hardware implementations, such as MEMS elements. In one example, the accelerometer 710 samples at frequencies between 350 and 450 Hz. In a specific example, the accelerometer 710 samples at frequencies of 409, 410, 413, 414, 415, 416, 417, 418, 420, or 421 Hz. In yet another example, the accelerometer 710 samples at one or more frequencies in the range between 0.1 Hz and 10 MHz.

[0052] The analysis unit 732 may include a memory 734, which may be similar to memory 706, and a buffer 738 (also referred to as the analysis unit buffer module 738), which may be similar to buffer 708. Furthermore, the analysis unit 732 may include a processor 734. The processor 734 may include one or more central processing units (CPUs), microprocessors, or graphics processing units (GPUs). The processor 734 may be implemented at any processing speed, with one or more processing cores, and may utilize any chip architecture. The processor 734 may be similar to the processor 704, or it may be a different type of processor configured to operate at a different processing speed and / or power consumption value. In one specific example, the processor 734 may be configured to have relatively higher processing power and / or power consumption than the processor 704. Thus, the processor 734 may be configured to operate in a low-power configuration, which may also be called idle, sleep, standby, or low-power configuration. Furthermore, the processor 734 may be configured to operate in a high-power configuration, which may also be called a wake configuration. In one example, processor 734 may execute one or more algorithms to switch between a high-power configuration and a low-power configuration, or between a low-power configuration and a high-power configuration. In one example, this transition may be triggered by a signal received from an external source via interface 740. In another example, processor 734 may switch between a high-power configuration and a low-power configuration in response to the detection of the completion of one or more processing tasks, or in response to the elapsed time of one or more timers. Thus, processor 734 may switch between a low-power configuration and a high-power configuration periodically, or in response to the duration of timeout timers of different lengths. In one specific example, an interrupt signal that processor 734 may receive may cause processor 734 to execute an interrupt algorithm. This interrupt algorithm may, in addition to causing processor 734 to execute an additional algorithm or task, also cause processor 734 to switch its operating mode from a low-power configuration to a high-power configuration. In one example, an interrupt signal received by processor 734 may also be called a hardware interrupt signal.The hardware interrupt signal can be received from a special hardware interrupt input of processor 734 and from interface 740.

[0053] For clarity, in some cases, processor 704 may be called the first processor 704, and processor 734 may be called the second processor 734. Similarly, memory 706 may be called the first memory 706, and memory 736 may be called the second memory 736. Buffer 708 may be called the first buffer 708, and buffer 738 may be called the second buffer 738.

[0054] Figure 8 is a flowchart 800 of one or more processes for recognizing gesture events according to one or more embodiments described herein. More specifically, flowchart 800 describes one or more processes configured to recognize gesture events for activating a motor of a footwear article. Thus, flowchart 800 may be executed by the gesture recognition device 700 to operate the motor 760. Block 802 represents one or more processes or algorithms executed by the gesture recognition device 700 to monitor sensor data. In one example, block 802 may represent a process executed by the sensor unit 702 to monitor output / data generated by the accelerometer 710. In one example, the sensor unit 702 may continuously monitor data from the accelerometer 710. The accelerometer data may be received in buffer 708 and / or memory 706. In one example, buffer 708 may be configured to receive and store data at a rate higher than the rate possible using memory 706. The processor 704 may be configured to analyze the accelerometer data received in buffer 708 and / or memory 706. The memory 706, buffer 708, and processor 704 are expected to operate at any operating speed or frequency.

[0055] Block 806 of the flowchart 800 represents one or more processes or algorithms performed by the gesture recognition device 700 to execute a gesture confirmation algorithm. In one example, block 806 may represent a process performed by the analysis unit 732 to receive possible gesture event data from the sensor unit 702 and to determine whether the received possible gesture event data represents a true gesture event. In one example, a possible gesture event may be detected by the sensor unit 702 as a possible double tap by the user on the sensor unit 702, or as a structure to which the sensor unit 702 is coupled. In additional or alternative implementations, a possible gesture event may be a single tap, three taps, four taps, five taps, etc., on the sensor unit 702 by the user. A tap gesture may be performed by the user by applying force to the sensor unit 702 using the user's appendages (including feet, hands, fingers, etc., legs, arms, or parts thereof). Block 808 of the flowchart 800 represents a decision point in one or more processes configured to identify a true gesture event in the received possible gesture event data. If the analysis unit 732 determines that the received possible gesture event data does not represent a true gesture event, the process proceeds to block 802 of the flowchart 800. If the analysis unit 732 determines that the received possible gesture event data does represent a true gesture event, the process proceeds to block 810 of the flowchart 800. Block 810 then represents one or more processes or algorithms performed by the gesture recognition device 700, which outputs a signal to activate a footwear motor, such as motor 760. The activation of the motor may then be configured to selectively tighten or loosen the fastening or lacing system of the footwear items worn by the user.

[0056] Figure 9 shows a flowchart 900 of one or more processes performed by the gesture recognition device 700 to monitor sensor data for possible gesture events. In one example, flowchart 900 further details the processes performed in block 802 of flowchart 800. Thus, in one example, flowchart 900 may be performed by the sensor unit 702 of the gesture recognition device 700. Block 902 of flowchart 900 represents one or more processes or algorithms performed by the sensor unit 702 to receive an operating mode signal. The operating mode signal may be received from an external source or from the analysis unit 732. The operating mode signal may be received by the processor 704 via interface 714. In response to the receipt of the operating mode signal, the processor 704 may selectively set the operating mode of the sensor unit 702. The operating mode of the sensor unit 702 can be selectively set to continuous mode or first-in, first-out mode. In one example, the operating mode of the sensor unit 702 can be set to continuous mode unless a possible gesture event is detected.

[0057] Block 904 of flowchart 900 represents one or more processes or algorithms executed by sensor unit 702 to receive data from accelerometer sensor 710. Block 906 of flowchart 900 represents one or more processes or algorithms executed by sensor unit 702 to store the received sensor data in buffer 708. In one example, accelerometer 710 can continuously generate data stored in buffer 708. Furthermore, processor 704 can continuously analyze the generated sensor data. Block 908 of flowchart 900 represents one or more processes or algorithms executed by sensor unit 702 to analyze the generated sensor data and determine whether the generated sensor data represents a possible gesture. Thus, in one example, the process or algorithm executed in block 908 represents a rough or high-level analysis of the data generated by accelerometer sensor 710 to identify a possible gesture. In one example, a possible gesture identified in block 908 may include a double tap by the user on sensor unit 702, or a structure to which sensor unit 702 is coupled. In additional or alternative implementations, possible gesture events may be single taps, triple taps, quadruple taps, quintuple taps, etc. Possible gesture events identified in block 900 may then be confirmed as true gesture events by analysis unit 732.

[0058] The decision block 910 represents one or more processes or algorithms executed by the sensor unit 702 in response to the execution of possible gesture algorithms in block 908. If it is determined that the received sensor data represents a possible gesture event, the process proceeds to block 912 of flowchart 900. However, if it is determined that the received sensor data does not represent a possible gesture event, the process proceeds to block 904 of flowchart 900.

[0059] Block 912 in flowchart 900 represents one or more processes executed by sensor unit 702 to output an interrupt signal. This interrupt signal is output via interface 714 and can be received by interface 740 of analysis unit 732. In one example, the interrupt signal may be a hardware interrupt signal configured to communicate with a special hardware port of processor 734.

[0060] Figure 10 is a flowchart 1000 of one or more processes executed by the analysis unit 732 to execute a gesture confirmation algorithm. In one example, flowchart 1000 further details the process executed in block 806 of flowchart 800. Block 1002 represents one or more processes or algorithms executed in response to an interrupt signal being received by the processor 734 from the sensor unit 702. In one example, upon receiving the interrupt signal, the processor 734 executes an interrupt algorithm that switches the processor 734 from low-power mode to high-power mode. Block 1004 represents one or more processes or algorithms executed by the processor 734 to activate a timer. This timer has a predetermined timer duration. Once the predetermined timer duration has elapsed, the processor 734 can execute subsequent processes. It is assumed that the predetermined timer duration may include any value. In one specific example, the predetermined timer duration is 10 to 100 ms. In a particular example, the predetermined timer duration is 35, 40, or 45 ms. Once the timer has elapsed, the analysis unit 732 can output an operating mode signal to the sensor unit 702. Advantageously, a timer associated with block 1004 may be used to ensure that buffer 708 captures sufficient accelerometer data from the accelerometer sensor 710, facilitating accurate determination of whether possible gesture event data represents a true gesture event. If a timer associated with block 1004 is not used, the buffer may be configured to operate in first-in, first-out mode, and may be filled with accelerometer data before buffer 708 has time to receive all the data necessary to verify that a possible gesture event is a true gesture event. The timer associated with block 1004 may include one or more timers and may be implemented by processor 734 and / or by a dedicated timer circuit. One or more processes or algorithms performed to output this operating mode signal may be performed in block 1006.For example, the operating mode signal transmitted from the analysis unit 732 to the sensor unit 702 may instruct the sensor unit to set its operating mode to first-in, first-out mode. Thus, the timer in block 1004 and the operating mode signal in block 1006 can be used to extend the storage history of the sensor unit 702 by delaying the switch to first-in, first-out mode, which adds data to buffer 708 until buffer 708 is full. This extension of the storage history allows data to be captured in buffer 708 and not saved or processed by the analysis unit 732. In this way, the extension of the storage history of the sensor unit 702 may enable more accurate identification of true gesture events in the detected sensor data received from sensors 710 and / or 712.

[0061] Block 1008 of flowchart 1000 represents one or more processes that receive possible gesture event data from sensor unit 702. In one example, when the operating mode of sensor unit 702 is set to first-in, first-out mode, buffer 708 stores data from accelerometer 710 until buffer 708 is full. When full, buffer 708 and / or processor 704 may generate a signal that can be received by analysis unit 732. Upon receiving a signal indicating that buffer 708 is full, analysis unit 732 can execute one or more processes or algorithms to receive the data stored in buffer 708.

[0062] The decision block 1012 represents one or more processes or algorithms executed by the analysis unit 732 to determine whether the received possible gesture event data is a true gesture event. Thus, the decision block 1012 can represent one or more processes or algorithms configured to execute a gesture confirmation algorithm that confirms or rejects the possible gesture event data as a true gesture event. If the decision block 1012 determines that the possible gesture event data does not represent a true gesture event, the process proceeds to block 1014 of flowchart 1000. If the decision block 1012 determines that the possible gesture event data represents a true gesture event, the flowchart 1000 proceeds to block 810 of flowchart 800, thereby causing the analysis unit 732 to output a signal to activate the footwear motor. Furthermore, if it is determined that the possible gesture event data represents a true gesture event, the process proceeds to block 1014 of flowchart 1000. In block 1014, one or more processes are performed by the analysis unit 732 to set the operating mode of the sensor unit 702 to continuous mode, which corresponds to the buffer 708 storing the latest datum of sensor data received from the accelerometer 710 in an empty memory unit within the buffer 708, or replacing the oldest datum stored in the buffer 708.

[0063] Figure 11 is a flowchart 1100 of the gesture confirmation algorithm. Flowchart 1100 further details the processes performed in block 1012 of flowchart 1000. For possible gesture event data received from sensor unit 702, the gesture confirmation algorithm of flowchart 1100 may be executed by sensor unit 702. Block 1102 corresponds to one or more processes or algorithms performed to identify a first impulse response in the data using the received possible gesture event data. This first impulse response is assumed to be based on the magnitude of the acceleration signal identified on one of the three axes of accelerometer 710. In another example, the first impulse response may be identified based on the magnitude of the acceleration signal identified on any of the three axes of accelerometer 710. In yet another example, the first impulse response may be identified based on the average, maximum, or minimum acceleration values ​​of two or more of the three axes of accelerometer 710. It is assumed that the first impulse response may be based on an acceleration value having an acceleration value exceeding a threshold, and / or an acceleration value exceeding a threshold duration, and / or an energy value or power value exceeding a threshold.

[0064] In certain examples, one or more impulse response processes or algorithms performed in block 1102 (and block 1106) may further include transmitting possible gesture event data received from sensor unit 702 through a low-pass filter. The output from the low-pass filter can be used to estimate a preset DC offset within the acceleration data received from accelerometer 710. In one example, this DC offset may be used as a reference value for comparison with the remaining accelerometer data from accelerometer 710. In certain examples, a process or algorithm performed in block 1102 may include analyzing input data in a rolling window and having the rolling window analyze a subset of the received possible gesture event data. The size of the subset of received possible gesture event data can vary between a single data point and all the data received from sensor unit 702. In one example, one or more processes performed in block 1102 may analyze the variance of the signal on one or more axes of the accelerometer data and flag data points or a series of consecutive data points that indicate an impulse when the acceleration signal deviates by a predetermined amount from the mean. In one example, this predetermined quantity may be between 0.05 and 0.15 g (where g is the acceleration due to gravity). In a specific example, this predetermined deviation may be at least 0.1 g from the mean.

[0065] Decision block 1103 corresponds to one or more processes or algorithms performed by the analysis unit 732 to determine whether the first impulse response was successfully identified. If the first impulse response was successfully identified, the process proceeds to decision block 1104 in flowchart 1100. If the first impulse response was not successfully identified, the process proceeds to block 1110 in flowchart 1100, and the received data is rejected. Decision block 1104 corresponds to one or more processes or algorithms performed by the analysis unit 732 to identify a low-dispersion state following the identification of the first impulse response in the received possible gesture event data. In one example, the first impulse response identified in block 1102 should return to a low-dispersion (silent) state within a threshold silence time after a high-dispersion impulse state. This threshold silence time is less than 0.2 seconds or less than 0.15 seconds. However, alternative silence time thresholds such as less than 1.0 seconds, less than 0.9 seconds, or less than 0.7 seconds may be used. In one example, this threshold time may be based on the sampling rate of the accelerometer 710, or it may be expressed as the number of data samples received from the accelerometer 710. Thus, in one example, the silence time can correspond to 10 to 100 data samples received from the accelerometer 710. In a particular example, if the accelerometer data does not return to a silent state within the threshold silence time from the high-dispersion data identified in block 1102, possible gesture event data may be rejected as non-events. Furthermore, low-dispersion states may be identified based on the magnitude of acceleration in a similar manner to the identification described in relation to block 1102. In addition, low-dispersion states associated with determination block 1104 may be identified based on the acceleration data received from the accelerometer 710 being below the magnitude, energy, or power of the threshold acceleration that persists over a low-dispersion duration between a lower time threshold and an upper time threshold. In one example, the lower time threshold for the low-dispersion duration may be 0.05 seconds, and the upper time threshold for the low-dispersion duration may be 1.0 seconds. In certain cases, the lower time threshold for low variance duration may be 0.1 seconds, and the upper time threshold for low variance duration may be 0.7 seconds.However, without deviating from the scope of these disclosures, it is assumed that arbitrary lower and upper time thresholds are available for low-dispersion durations. It is also assumed that the low-dispersion duration can correspond to many samples of data from accelerometer 710, rather than a special number of seconds / minutes. For example, the low-dispersion duration range can correspond to a large number of samples between 10 and 300, or between 30 and 280, among many other samples. Thus, one or more processes or algorithms performed in decision block 1104 can analyze the data to determine whether the signal has returned to a low-dispersion duration of a length that, for example, persists between 30 and 280 samples. If the timer duration during which the low-dispersion state persists is outside the range between the lower and upper time thresholds, the analysis unit 732 rejects possible gesture event data as non-events. This rejection of possible gesture event data is described in relation to block 1110 of flowchart 1100.

[0066] If a low-dispersion state is identified in decision block 1104, the process proceeds to block 1106 of flowchart 1100. Block 1106 corresponds to one or more processes or algorithms executed by analysis unit 732 to identify a second impulse response in the received possible gesture event data. Thus, the process executed in block 1106 may be similar to the process executed in block 1102. Decision block 1107 corresponds to one or more processes or algorithms executed by analysis unit 732 to determine whether the second impulse response was successfully identified. If the first impulse response was successfully identified, the process proceeds to decision block 1108 of flowchart 1100. If the second impulse response was not successfully identified, the process proceeds to block 1110 of flowchart 1100, and the received data is rejected. Block 1108 corresponds to one or more processes or algorithms to verify that the possible gesture event data corresponds to a true gesture event. If the possible gesture event data is verified as a true gesture event in block 1108, one or more processes associated with block 810 of flowchart 800 may be executed.

[0067] Figure 12 is a flowchart 1200 of one or more processes performed by the analysis unit 732 for identifying impulse responses in possible gesture event data received from the sensor unit's accelerometer 1200. Flowchart 1200 further describes one or more processes or algorithms performed in blocks 1102 and / or 1106 of flowchart 1100. Block 1202 corresponds to one or more processes or algorithms performed by the analysis unit 732 for identifying the incidence of high variance in possible gesture event data. The incidence of high variance in possible gesture event data may be identified based on the magnitude of the acceleration signal identified on one of the three axes of the accelerometer 710. In another example, the incidence of high variance responses may be identified based on the magnitude of the acceleration signal identified on any of the three axes of the accelerometer 710. In yet another example, the incidence of high variance may be identified based on the mean, maximum, or minimum acceleration values ​​of two or more of the three axes of the accelerometer 710. The occurrence rate of high-dispersion responses may be based on acceleration values ​​exceeding a threshold, and / or acceleration values ​​that persist during the threshold period, and / or acceleration values ​​with energy or power values ​​exceeding a threshold.

[0068] In response to the identification of a high variance in the possible gesture event data, proceeding to block 1204 of flowchart 1200, the analysis unit 732 can store a subset of the possible gesture event data in buffer 738. The subset of possible gesture event data stored in buffer 738 is assumed to have an arbitrary size. In one example, the subset of possible gesture event data stored in buffer 738 is a movement window in which the analysis unit 732 performs data analysis. In a particular example, buffer 738 may be configured to store between 20, 25, 30, 35, or 40 samples of accelerometer data received as part of the possible gesture event data. In one example, 30 samples of accelerometer data may constitute a subset of possible gesture event data as a movement window. Thus, all possible gesture event data received from sensor unit 702 is supplied via buffer 738, and 30 consecutive samples can be analyzed at once as a movement window analysis. In a specific example, buffer 738 may be able to analyze 5 to 200 samples, or it may be able to analyze 1 to a maximum number of samples received from sensor unit 702. In one example, buffer 738 may have a hardware configuration similar to buffer 708. In another example, buffers 708 and 738 may have different storage capacities and / or hardware configurations.

[0069] Block 1206 of flowchart 1200 corresponds to one or more processes or algorithms executed by the analysis unit 732 to perform a Fast Fourier Transform on a subset of data stored in buffer 738. It is assumed that all Fast Fourier Transform processes are available without departing from the scope of these disclosures. In one example, the Fast Fourier Transform may be configured to determine the frequency content of a subset of possible gesture event data in buffer module 738. The determination block 1208 corresponds to one or more processes or algorithms that may be executed by the analysis unit 732 to identify the energy threshold of the frequency content identified using the Fast Fourier Transform. The frequency content is analyzed to determine whether the energy threshold falls within a given impulse frequency band. For example, the analysis unit 732 is concerned with identifying intentional gestures by the user and excludes frequency content that does not indicate an intentional gesture by the user. In one example, one or more processes executed in the determination block 1208 may analyze possible gesture event data over a frequency range of 0 to 100 Hz. In another example, the analysis may take into account a frequency range of 0 to 60 Hz. However, without departing from the scope of these disclosures, it is assumed that any frequency range may be used in conjunction with the analysis described. For example, one or more processes performed in block 1208 may be configured to analyze a subset of frequency ranges (0–100Hz, 0–60Hz, and other subsets of frequency ranges). This analysis of a subset of the frequency content of the received possible gesture event data is configured to analyze frequency content close to the intrinsic frequency of sensor unit 702. Thus, a person skilled in the art will recognize that all structures vibrate at their intrinsic frequency / state when hit / tap impulses are received. In this case, analysis unit 732 is configured to identify when the user tapped sensor unit 702.The natural frequency / attenuation natural frequency of the sensor unit 702 or composite sensor unit 702 and one or more structures coupled to the sensor unit 702 or composite sensor unit 702 can be measured. In one example, this natural frequency may be in the range of 30 to 45 Hz. In another example, the natural frequency may be approximately 36 Hz. However, it is assumed that the methods described herein can be used with any natural frequency structure without departing from the scope of these disclosures. Thus, when a user hits / taps, the sensor unit 702 / composite sensor unit 702 and one or more structures coupled to the sensor unit 702 can vibrate at a natural frequency. The frequency response also includes energy within a range near the natural frequency. The analysis unit 732 may search for a frequency response having a threshold amount of energy within a given impulse frequency band, which is a subset of the entire frequency range analyzed by the fast Fourier transform of block 1206, in order to identify the impulse response. For example, in block 1208, the analysis unit 732 may determine that a subset of possible gesture event data is impulse if at least 70% of the energy of the acceleration signal falls within an impulse frequency band of 10–100 Hz. In another example, the energy threshold may be at least 80%. However, it is assumed that any energy threshold can be utilized without deviating from the scope of these disclosures. In yet another example, the impulse frequency band may be 14–56 Hz. However, it is assumed that any impulse frequency band can be utilized without deviating from the scope of these disclosures.

[0070] As mentioned above, the total frequency range analyzed by the Fast Fourier Transform in block 1206 may be in the range of 0 to 100 Hz or 0 to 60 Hz. This represents a partial Fast Fourier Transform and does not include higher frequencies, as higher frequencies cannot be considered relevant to the identification of impulse responses indicating gestures performed by the user. In one example, the full Fast Fourier Transform considers frequencies in the range from 0 Hz to half the sampling frequency of the accelerometer 710. In a particular example, the sampling frequency of the accelerometer 710 may be 350 to 450 Hz. In a particular example, the sampling frequency of the accelerometer may be 410 Hz or 416 Hz. Advantageously, this partial Fast Fourier Transform can be performed more quickly by the analysis unit 732 and use less energy compared to the full Fast Fourier Transform. This, in turn, enables the gesture recognition device 700 to recognize gestures performed by the user more quickly and with greater energy efficiency than conventional devices. In certain cases, energy in the range of 0–10 Hz is assumed to be associated with human movement rather than gesture attempts. As previously mentioned, the Fast Fourier Transform may be performed on a subset of possible gesture event data, which is a moving window of a certain number of data samples from the accelerometer 710. In one example, this subset may contain 30 samples, and the Fast Fourier Transform may utilize a frequency resolution of approximately 14 Hz per band. Thus, energy contained within 0–14 Hz is determined to be human movement rather than gesture events. Energy contained in the 14–28 Hz, 28–42 Hz, and 42–56 Hz bands may be due to impulse responses from taps associated with gesture attempts on the sensor device 702. In certain cases, an impulse is detected in block 1208 if at least 70% or at least 80% of the signal energy of the samples used to generate the Fast Fourier Transform is contained within the 14–56 Hz band.For example, to improve the memory efficiency of the Fast Fourier Transform, a Taylor series approximation of the basis functions of the Fast Fourier Transform, which is performed in block 1206, may be used.

[0071] If it is confirmed that the energy threshold of the frequency content is within a predetermined impulse frequency band, the flowchart may proceed to block 1210. In block 1210, the analysis unit 732 can output a signal confirming that a subset of the data stored in buffer 732 corresponds to an impulse. However, if one or more processes performed in block 1208 determine that the energy threshold is not within the predetermined impulse frequency band, the flowchart may proceed to block 1212, and the data stored in buffer 738 is rejected as an impulse.

[0072] Referring to Figures 13-16, an example of an article of footwear 3010 including a system for providing variable tension is disclosed. In some implementations, the article of footwear 3010 includes an upper 2100 and a sole structure 2200 attached to the upper 2100. The article of footwear 3010 further includes a tension system 2300 and a tension device 2400, which are incorporated into at least one of the upper 2100 and the sole structure 2200, respectively. The tension system 2300 includes a cable 2302 and a series of cable placement elements 2304, 2306, 2308 configured to manage the tension of the upper 2100. The upper 2100, the tension system 2300, and the tension device 2400 work together to move the article of footwear 3010 between a loose state and a tightened state. Specifically, the cable 2302 moves the article of footwear 3010 in the tightening direction D to move it to the tightened state. T It can be moved. In some implementations, the upper 2100 and sole structure 2200 cooperate to provide a passage and guide for positioning a portion of the cable 2302 via a tensioning device 2400. The tensioning device 2400 is configured to selectively move the cable 2302 and fix it in a tightened state.

[0073] The article of footwear 3010 and its components may be described as including a front end 3012 associated with the foremost point of footwear 3010 and a rear end 3014 corresponding to the rearmost point of footwear 3010. As shown in the bottom view of Figure 16, the longitudinal axis A of footwear 3010 10 It extends along the length of the footwear 3010 from the front end 3012 to the rear end 3014, and generally divides the footwear 3010 into an outer side 3016 and an inner side 3018. Thus, the outer side 3016 and the inner side 3018 correspond to opposite sides of the footwear 3010 and extend from the front end 3012 to the rear end 3014, respectively.

[0074] The footwear item 3010 has a longitudinal axis A 10 The foot can be divided into one or more regions along these lines. These regions may include the anterior region 3020, the midfoot region 3022, and the heel region 3024. The anterior region 3020 may correspond to the toes and the joints connecting the metatarsals and phalanges of the foot. The midfoot region 3022 may correspond to the arch region of the foot, and the heel region 3024 may correspond to the posterior region of the foot, including the calcaneus.

[0075] The upper 2100 has multiple components that work together to define an internal void 2102 and an ankle opening 2104, which together receive and secure the foot to support it on the sole structure 2200. For example, the upper 2100 includes a pair of quarter panels 2106 in the midfoot region 3022 opposite the internal void 2102. The tongue 2108 extends across the top of the upper 2100 and defines an instep region that extends between the quarter panels 2106 from the ankle opening 2104 to the forefoot region 3020. In the illustrated example, the tongue 2108 is surrounded by material panels that extend between the opposing quarter panels in the instep region and cover the internal void 2102. Here, the material panel covering the throat 2108 may be formed from a material having a higher modulus of elasticity than the material forming the quarter panel 2106.

[0076] The upper 2100 of the footwear 3010 may further be described as including a heel side panel 2110 that extends through the heel region 3024 along the outer 3016 and inner 3018 of the ankle opening 2104. The heel counter 2112 wraps around the rear end 3014 of the footwear 3010 and is connected to the heel side panel 2110. The uppermost edges of the tongue 108, heel side panel 2110, and heel counter 2112 work together to form a collar 2114 that defines the ankle opening 2104 of the internal cavity 2102.

[0077] The upper 2100 may be formed from one or more materials that are sewn together or engaged to define internal voids 2102. Suitable materials for the upper 2100 include, but are not limited to, fibers, foam, leather, and synthetic leather. An exemplary upper 2100 may be formed from a combination of one or more substantially inelastic or non-stretchable materials and one or more substantially elastic or stretchable materials, placed in different areas of the upper 2100 to facilitate the movement of the article of the footwear 3010 between a tightened state and a loose state. The one or more elastic materials may include any combination of one or more elastic fabrics, such as spandex, elastane, rubber, or neoprene. The one or more inelastic materials may include any combination of one or more thermoplastic polyurethane, nylon, leather, vinyl, or other materials / fabrics that do not impart elastic properties.

[0078] As described above, the sole structure 2200 is attached to the upper 2100 and defines the contact surface 3026 of the footwear 3010. The sole structure 2200 includes a top surface 2202 and a bottom surface 2204 formed on the opposite side of the sole structure 2200 from the top surface 2202. The contact surface 3026 of the footwear 3010 can be defined by the bottom surface 2204 of the sole structure 2200. The sole structure 2200 further includes a peripheral side surface 2206 extending between the top surface 2202 and the bottom surface 2204, and the peripheral side surface 2206 defines the outer periphery of the sole structure 2200. The sole structure 2200 continuously extends from the first end 2208 of the front end 3012 of the footwear 3010 to the second end 2210 of the rear end 3014 of the footwear 3010.

[0079] The sole structure 2200 may also include one or more engagement features 2212 formed on the peripheral side surface 2206. In the illustrated example, the sole structure 2200 includes an arched lip 2212 extending from a second end 2210 of the sole structure 2200. Here, the lip 2212 extends along an arched path and forms a concave upper surface configured to receive the other front end 3012 of the article of the footwear 3010. Thus, the front end 3012 of the article of the first footwear 3010 can be engaged with the lip 2212 of the article of the second footwear 3010, facilitating the removal of the article of the second footwear 3010. Specifically, the rear end 3014 of the article of the second footwear 3010 may be held down by the lip 2212 so that the user can step out of the article of the footwear 3010. The wearer may optionally remove the footwear 3010 from their feet using the lip 2212, either barefoot or with their hands.

[0080] As described in the present application and claims, the sole structure 2200 and the upper 2100 define a “bite line” 3028 where the peripheral side surface 2206 and the upper 2100 intersect during the assembly of the footwear 3010. The bite line 3028 may extend along the entire footwear 3010 from the first end 2208 to the second end 2210 on either the outward or inward side, or both, and may also extend around the first end 2208, the second end 2210, or both.

[0081] The sole structure 2200 is configured to receive a tensile device 2400 and a portion of the tensile system 2300, and may include one or more cavities or conduits formed therein. In the illustrated example, the sole structure 2200 includes an opening or cavity 2214 formed between the top surface 2202 and the bottom surface 2204. The cavity 2214 is configured to receive the tensile device 2400 within the sole structure 2200. In some examples, the tensile device 2400 may be encapsulated within the sole structure 2200.

[0082] As described above, a pair of interwoven straps 2116, 2118 may be attached to the upper 2100, which are operable to move the upper 2100 between a relaxed or loose state (Figures 13A and 17A) and a contracted or tightened state (Figures 13B and 17B). Although described herein as part of the upper 2100, the straps 2116, 2118 may also be described as being included in the tension system 2300, as described below. For example, the straps 2116, 2118 work in cooperation with the cable 2302 of the tension stem 2300 to move the article of the footwear 3010 between a contracted or tightened state and a relaxed state.

[0083] Each strap 2116,2118 extends across the tongue 2108 of the upper 2100. As will be described in more detail below, each strap 2116,2118 is connected to the respective tension strands 2316,2318 of the tension element 2312 of the cable 2302 and works together via the tension device 2400 to selectively switch the upper 2100 between a tightened state and a loose state. The cable 2302 is routed from the tension device 2400 in the sole structure 2200 through a number of guides 2304 and loops 2306 to the straps 2116,2118. In some examples, the tension system 2300 may include a heel strap 2308 which extends around the rear end 3014 of the upper 2100 and includes one or more guides 2304 or loops 306 for positioning the tension strands 2316,2318 of the tension element 2312.

[0084] Referring to Figures 13 to 15, the straps 2116 and 2118 of the footwear 3010 include a first strap 2116 extending from the outer side 3016 of the upper 2100 over the throat 2108, and a second strap 2118 extending from the inner side 3018 of the upper 2100 over the throat 2108. Specifically, the first strap 2116 extends above the throat 2108 from a fixed end 2122 attached to the outer side 3016 of the article of the footwear 3010 to a free end 2124 on the inner side 3018 of the upper 2100. Similarly, the second strap 2118 extends above the throat 2108 from a fixed end 2122 attached to the inner side 3018 of the article of the footwear 3010 to a free end 2126 on the outer side 3016 of the upper 2100. In the illustrated example, the fixed ends 2120 and 2122 are attached to the footwear 3010 at a bite line 3028 formed between the upper 2100 and the sole structure 2200. Thus, the straps 2116 and 2118 work together to completely surround the upper 2100 in the midfoot region 3022.

[0085] As shown in the figure, each strap 216, 2118 extends in the direction from the free ends 2124, 2126 to the fixed ends 2120, 2122, and therefore the width W of each strap 2116, 2118 116 ,W 118 The diameter increases along the direction from the free ends 2124, 2126 to the fixed ends 2120, 2122. In other words, the straps 2116, 2118 can be described as tapered along the direction from the fixed ends 2120, 2122 to the free ends 2124, 2126. The fixed ends 2120, 2122 of each strap 2116, 2118 are located closer to the front end 3012 than the respective free ends 2124, 2126 of the straps 2116, 2118. Therefore, each strap 2116, 2118 is aligned with the longitudinal axis A of the footwear 3010. 10 It can be described as extending at an oblique angle relative to it. As shown in the figure, this arrangement causes straps 2116 and 2118 to cross and overlap each other across the throat 2108, forming an X-shaped enclosure above the upper 2100.

[0086] Each strap 2116,2118 includes multiple bands 2128 that extend parallel (i.e., non-intersecting) along the direction from the free ends 2124,2126 to the fixed ends 2120,2122. In the illustrated example, each band 2128a to 2128d extends from the first ends 2132a to 2132d of the fixed ends 2120,2122 of the straps 2116,2118 to the second ends 2124a to 2134d of the free ends 2124,2126 of the straps 2116,2126. Here, the first ends 2132a to 2132d of the bands 2128 are individually attached to the bite line 3028 and together form the fixed ends 2120,2122 of each strap 2116,2118. Therefore, bands 2128a to 2128d are spaced apart from each other at their fixed ends 2120 and 2122. Conversely, the second ends 2134a to 2134d of bands 2128a to 2128d are connected to each other at their free ends 2124 and 2126 of each strap 2116 and 2118. Adjacent bands 2128a to 2128d of each strap 2116 and 2118 define grooves 2130a to 2130c that continuously extend from the first ends 2132a to 2132d to the second ends 2134a to 2134d.

[0087] As shown in the figure, the free ends 2124, 2126 of the straps 2116, 2118 may include a header 2136 to which the second ends 2134a, 2134d of the bands 2128a, 2128d are attached together. In the illustrated example, the header 2136 and the bands 2128a, 2128d are integrally formed from the same material. However, in other examples, the header 2136 may be a separate component to which the second ends 2134a, 2134d are attached. In some examples, the header 2136 may be formed from a different material than the bands 2128. For example, the header 2136 may be formed from a rigid material such as plastic, composite, or metal. As will be described in more detail below, the header 2136 functions as a connecting interface between the multiple bands 2128a, 2128d of each strap 2116, 2118 and the tensile strands 2316, 2318 of the tensile element 2312.

[0088] In the illustrated example, each strap 116, 118 includes four parallel-extending bands 2128a to 2128d. For clarity, the bands 2128a to 2128d of each strap 2116, 2118 are described as the first band 2128a closest to the front end 3012, the second band 2128b, the third band 2128c, and the fourth band 2128d arranged in series from the first band 2128a. However, each strap 2116, 2118 may include more or fewer straps 2128a to 2128d. For example, each strap 2116, 2118 may include two bands 2128a and 2128b.

[0089] As described above, straps 2116 and 2118 can be described as a first strap 2116 extending from the outer side 3016 and a second strap 2118 extending from the inner side 3018. Generally, when assembling the footwear article 3010, at least one of the bands 2128a to 2128d of the first strap 2116 includes a first portion that overlaps with at least one of the bands 128a to 2128d of the second strap 2118 and a second portion that overlaps with at least one of the other bands 2128a to 2128d of the second strap 2118. Similarly, at least one of the bands 2128a to 2128d of the second strap 2118 includes a first portion that overlaps with at least one of the bands 128a to 2128d of the first strap 2116, and a second portion that overlaps with at least one of the other bands 2128a to 2128d of the first strap 2116. Thus, the bands 2128a to 2128d of straps 2116 and 2118 are configured in a braided structure.

[0090] In the illustrated example, each band 2128a to 2128d of the first strap 2116 is positioned below one or more bands 2128a to 2128d of the second strap 2118. Generally, each band 2128a to 2128d of the first strap 2116 is positioned below the bands 2128a to 2128d of the second strap, and each band 2128a to 2128d of the second strap corresponds to and is positioned in front of each of the bands 2128a to 2128d of the first strap 2128a to 2128d. For example, the first band 2128a of the first strap 2116 is positioned below the first band 2128a of the second strap 2118, and above the subsequent bands 2128b to 2128d of the second strap 2118. The second band 2128b of the first strap 2116 is positioned below the first band 2128a and the second band 2128b and above the subsequent bands 2128c and 2128d of the second strap 2118. The third band 2128c of the first strap 2116c is positioned below the previous three bands 2128a to 2128c and above the fourth band 2128d. The fourth band 2128d of the first strap 2116 is positioned below all four bands 2128a to 2128d of the second strap 2118.

[0091] Selectively, the arrangement of bands 2128a to 2128d of each strap 2116, 2118 can be described in relation to grooves 2130a to 2130c of the other straps 2116, 2118. For example, the first band 2128a of the first strap 2116 is routed through the first groove 2130a of the second strap 2118, the second band 2128b is routed through the second groove 2130b, and the third band 2128c is routed through the third groove 2130c. In the illustrated example, the first strap 2116 is shown on the outer side 3016 and the second strap 2118 is shown on the inner side 3018, but the arrangement of straps 2116, 2118 can be switched so that the first strap 2116 is on the inner side 3018 and the second strap 2118 is on the outer side 3016. Furthermore, although straps 2116 and 2118 are illustrated and described as woven together, straps 2116 and 2118 can be alternately stacked such that one of the straps 2116 and 2118 extends completely over the other strap 2116 and 2118.

[0092] Referring to Figures 13 to 15, the tension system 2300 includes a cable 2302 and a plurality of cable placement elements 2304, 2306, 2308 configured to position the cable 2302 along the upper 2100 via the sole structure 2200. Here, the tension system 2300 includes one or more cable guides 2304 or loops 2306 attached to the upper 2100 to position the cable 2302 and distribute the tension of the cable 2302 along the upper 2100. The heel strap 2308 extends around the heel counter 2112 and includes one or more cable guides 2304 or loops 2306.

[0093] The cable 2302 can have high lubricity and / or can be formed from one or more fibers having a low elastic modulus and a high tensile strength. For example, the fibers can include high modulus polyethylene fibers having a high strength-to-weight ratio and a low elastic modulus. Additionally or alternatively, the cable 2302 may be formed from woven steel with or without a shaped monofilament polymer and / or other lubricating coating. In some examples, the cable 2302 includes a plurality of strands of material woven together.

[0094] Referring to FIGS. 13-16, the cable 2302 includes a tension element 2312 that cooperates with cable arrangement elements 2304, 2306, 2308 and a tension device 2400 to move an article of the footwear 3010 between a tightened state and a relaxed state. The tension element 2312 is movable in a tightening direction D T to move the article of the footwear 3010 to a tightened state and is movable in a loosening direction D L to enable switching of the article of the footwear 3010 to a relaxed state. In the illustrated example, a tightening force F T can be applied by a tension device 2400 disposed in the sole structure.

[0095] As best shown in FIGS. 13-16, the tension element 2312 can be described as including an outer tension strand 2316 and an inner tension strand 2318. Referring to FIG. 14, the outer tension strand 316 of the tension element 2312 extends from a first end 2324 of the tension device 2400, passes through a heel strap 2308 along the outer side 3016 of the upper 2100, and is disposed to reach a second end 2326 attached to a free end 2124 of a second strap 2118. Referring to FIG. 15, the inner tension strand 2318 of the tension element 2312 extends from a first end 2324 of the tension device 2400, passes through a heel strap 2308 along the inner side 3018 of the upper 2100, and is disposed to reach a second end 2330 attached to a free end 2126 of a second strap 2118.

[0096] In some examples, the tensioning system 2300 may include one or more cable guides 2304. The cable guides 2304 are formed of a rigid, low-friction material (e.g., high-density polyethylene) and may have an arc-shaped inner surface for receiving the tension elements 2312. In some examples, the inner (i.e., cable contact) surface of the cable guide 2304 is lined or coated with a low-friction material such as a lubricating polymer (e.g., polytetrafluoroethylene) to facilitate the movement of the tension elements 2312 inside. By coating the cable guides 2304 with a low-friction material, the number of turns can be increased by each lacing pattern without introducing a high level of friction (e.g., degradation) that would otherwise be detrimental to the entire cable path.

[0097] Additionally, or instead of the rigid cable guides 2304, the tension system may include fabric loops 2306 attached to various points on the upper 2100 to position tension elements along the exterior of the upper 2100. The loops 2306 are formed of mesh or fabric material and can define passages for slidably receiving tension elements 2312. In the illustrated example, the tension system 2300 includes one of the loops 2306 positioned on the outer and inner panels 2110, respectively.

[0098] The tension system 2300 further includes a heel strap 2308 extending around the heel counter 2112 of the upper 2100. As shown in the figure, the heel strap 2308 includes a central portion 2342 attached to the upper 2100 at a rear end 3014 and a pair of ends 2344 extending in opposite directions from the central portion 2342 around the heel counter 2112. Thus, the first end of the ends 2344 is positioned on the outer side 3016 of the heel counter 2112, and the second end of the ends 2344 is positioned on the inner side 18 of the heel counter 2112. Each end 2344 of the heel strap 2308 includes one of the cable guides 2304, through which one of the tension strands 2316, 2318 of the tension element 2312 is positioned.

[0099] Next, with reference to Figures 14 and 15, the arrangement of the tension elements 2312 along the outer 3016 and inner 3018, respectively, is shown. Generally, each of the outer tension strands 2316 and inner tension strands 2318 of the tension element 2312 is positioned within the sole structure 2200 from the tension device 2400 along either the outer 3016 or the inner 3018 to one of the headers 2136 of each of the straps 2116 and 2118. In some examples, the outer tension strands 2316 and inner tension strands 2318 may be connected to each other within the tension device 2400.

[0100] As shown in Figure 14, in the outer part 3016 of the footwear article 3010, the outer tension strand 2316 includes a first end 2324 received by a tensioning device 2400 and a second end 2326 attached to the free end 2126 of the second strap 2118. Here, the outer tension strand 2316 is positioned from the tensioning device 2400 through the sole structure 2200 in a portion of the bite line 3028 in the heel region 3024 of the outer part 3016. The first segment of the outer tension strand 2316 extends along the outer panel 2110 from the bite line 3028 to a cable guide 2304 attached to the outer end 2344 of the heel strap 2308. Here, the outer tension strand 2316 is positioned through the cable guide 2304, and the second segment of the outer tension strand 2316 returns along the outer panel 2110 and is attached to the free end 2126 of the second strap 2118. Thus, the outer tension strand 2316 is configured to control the tension of the second strap 2118 crossing the upper 2100.

[0101] As shown in Figure 15, in the inner part 3018 of the footwear 3010, the inner tension strand 2318 includes a first end 2328 received by a tensioning device 2400 and a second end 2330 attached to the free end 2124 of the first strap 2116. Here, the inner tension strand 2318 is positioned from the tensioning device 2400 through the sole structure 2200 to a portion of the bite line 3028 in the heel region 224 of the inner part 3018. The first segment of the inner tension strand 2318 extends along the inner panel 2110 from the bite line 3028 to a cable guide 2304 attached to the inner end 2344 of the heel strap 2308. Here, the inner tension strand 2318 is positioned through the cable guide 2304, and the second segment of the inner tension strand 2318 returns along the inner panel 2110 and is attached to the free end 2124 of the first strap 2116. Therefore, the inner tension strand 2318 is configured to control the tension of the first strap 2116 that crosses the upper 2100.

[0102] In the illustrated example, the tensioning device 2400 may be an electrically operated cord tightening system, and therefore the tensioning element 2312 slackens in direction D by extending or retracting from the tensioning device 2400. L and tightening direction D T The tensioning device 2400 may include an electric spool that simultaneously winds up and unwinds the outer tension strands 2316 and the inner tension strands 2318, respectively. Referring to Figure 13A, the footwear article 3010 is shown to have the straps 2116, 2118 loose over the upper 100, allowing the upper 2100 to stretch around the wearer's foot.

[0103] Referring to Figure 13B, by retracting the tension element 2312 into the tension device 2400, the footwear 3010 is moved into a tightened position, thereby causing the tension strands 2316 and 2318 to tighten in the D direction. T Moves to the tightening direction. As each tensile strand 2316, 2318 moves in the tightening direction, the tightening force F in each tensile strand 2316, 318 increases.T As a result, the free ends 2126 and 2124 of each strap 2118 and 2116 are pulled toward the bite line 3028, causing the upper 2100 to move into a contracted or tightened state. As previously mentioned, when straps 2116 and 2118 are pulled toward the bite line 3028 beyond the throat 2108, each band 2128a to 2128d of each strap 2116 and 2118 passes through the corresponding grooves 2130a to 2130c formed on the other side of strap 2116 and 2118. This interwoven relationship between the bands 2128a to 2128d of straps 2116 and 2118 maintains an enhanced friction interface between straps 2116 and 2118 in the tightened position during use.

[0104] To return the upper 2100 and footwear 3010 to a slack or relaxed state, the tension device 2400 is operated in the opposite direction, rewinding or extending the tension strands 2316, 2318 from the tension device 2400. Thus, the tension strands 2316, 2318 slacken along the upper 2100 in direction D, allowing the free ends 2124, 2126 of the straps 2116, 2118 to move away from the bite line 3028 and the throat 2108 to expand. L This allows movement to [location].

[0105] Referring particularly to Figures 17A to 17B, an article a of footwear 3010 is provided, comprising an upper 2100, a sole structure 2200, and a tension system 2300a configured to operate with unpowered or manual tension devices 2400a, 2400b. With respect to article a of footwear 3010, taking into account the substantial structural and functional similarities of the components associated with the article of footwear 3010, similar reference numbers are used below and in the drawings to identify similar components, while similar reference numbers including letter extensions are used to identify modified versions of these components.

[0106] Referring to Figures 17A and 17B, the tension system 2300a includes a cable 2302a and a plurality of cable placement elements 2304, 2306, 2308, and 2310 configured to position the cable 2302a along the upper 2100 via the sole structure 2200. In addition to the cable guide 2304, loop 2306, and heel strap 2308 described above with respect to the tension system 2300, the tension system 2300a may include one or more sheaths 2310 for managing the slack of the cable 2302a. As will be described below, the sheaths 2310 keep the cable 2302a retracted relative to the upper 2100 when the upper 2100 is in a tightened state (Figure 17B).

[0107] Referring to Figures 17A and 17B, cable 2302a includes tension elements 2312 and control elements 2314 that work in cooperation with cable placement elements 2304, 2306, 2308, 2310 and tension devices 2400a, 2400b to move article a of footwear 3010 between a tightened state and a loose state. Here, tension elements 2312 and control elements 2314 may be collectively referred to as adjustment elements 2312 and 2314. Adjustment elements 2312 and 2314 move article a of footwear 3010 to a tightened state in the tightening direction D T It is movable and can loosen in direction D, allowing the footwear item a to be switched to a relaxed state. L It is movable. In some examples, the tightening force F applied to the control element 2314 T This is transmitted to at least a portion of the tension element 2312 via the tension devices 2400a and 2400b, and tightens the tension element 2312 in the direction D T Move it.

[0108] As shown in Figures 18 and 19, the tension element 2312 and the control element 2314 can be described as including outer strands 2316, 2320 and inner strands 2318, 2322. Thus, the control element 2314 includes outer control strands 2320 and inner control strands 2322 in addition to the outer tension strands 2316 and inner tension strands 2318 of the tension element 2312 described above. In the illustrated example, the outer tension strand 2316 of the tension element 2312 is connected to the outer control strand 2320 of the control element 2314 by tension devices 2400a, 2400b, as shown in Figure 20. Similarly, as shown in Figure 20, the inner tension strand 2318 of the tension element 2312 is connected to the inner control strand 2322 of the control element 2314 via tension devices 2400a, 2400b. Therefore, by moving the outer control strand 2320 and the inner control element 2322 of the control element 2314, the positions of the outer tension strand 2316 and the inner tension strand 2318 of the tension element 2312 can be adjusted.

[0109] As shown above and in Figure 18, the outer control strand 2320 of control element 2314 is connected to the outer tension strand 2316 of tension element 2312 via tension devices 2400a and 2400b, and extends from the first end 2332 of tension devices 2400a and 2400b to the second end 2334 along the upper 2100. Similarly, as shown in Figure 19, the inner control strand 2322 of control element 2314 is connected to the inner tension strand 2318 of tension element 2312 via tension devices 2400a and 2400b, and extends from the first end 2336 of tension devices 2400a and 2400b to the second end 2338 along the upper 2100. Referring to Figures 17A and 17B, the second end 2334 of the outer control strand 2320 is connected to the second end 2338 of the inner control strand 2322, so that the outer control strand 2320 and the inner control strand 2322 can form a continuous strand extending over the throat portion 2108 of the upper 2100. In other examples, the second ends 2334, 2338 of the outer control strand 2320 and the inner control strand 2322 may be indirectly connected by an intermediate connecting element (not shown).

[0110] A portion of the control element 2314 extending around the upper 2100 may be enclosed within one or more sheaths 2310. Each sheath 2310 may be formed from a material and / or fabric, the material and / or fabric being used to support the clamping force F of the control element 2314. T This causes it to move away from the upper 2100 (i.e., the control element 2314 moves in the tightening direction D). T When moving, the sheath 310 and control element 2314 are allowed to move from a relaxed state to an extended or expanded state. Tightening force F T When the sheath is removed, as shown in Figure 17B, the sheath 2310 automatically contracts into a relaxed state due to the material and / or fabric of the sheath 2310, receiving the bundle of control elements 2314 within it. As shown, the control elements 2314 are positioned adjacent to the front of the ankle opening 2104, passing through the sheath 2310 and beyond the throat 2108 of the upper 2100. Thus, the control elements 2314 extend across the upper 2100 in front of the wearer's ankle.

[0111] Continuing to refer to Figure 18, the sheath 2310 and outer control strand 2320 of the control element 2314 are positioned upward through the outer quarter panel 2106, exit the outer quarter panel 2106, and extend across the throat 108 to the outside of the 2100. Similarly, the inner control strand 2322 and sheath 2310 of the control element 2314 are positioned in a similar manner from the inner quarter panel 2106 to the throat 2108 of the upper 2100, thereby bonding the second ends 2334, 2338 of the outer control strand 2320 and the inner control strand 2322 to each other, directly or indirectly forming a continuous control element 2314 that extends over the throat 2108 of the upper 2100.

[0112] In the illustrated example, a separate tightening grip 2340 is operably connected to the sheath 2310 at an attachment position close to the throat 2108, and the user can apply a tightening force F T In addition, the control element 2314 is pulled from the upper 2100, and the control element 2314 and the tension element 2312 are each tightened in the D direction. T This allows movement to occur. Other configurations may include operably connecting one or more clamping grips 2340 along the length of the control element 2314 to other parts of the sheath 2310. In some implementations, the clamping grips 2340 are omitted, and the sheath 2310 is grasped directly by the user.

[0113] As described above with respect to the footwear 3010 article and tension system 2300 in Figures 13A to 16, the upper 2100 applies a tightening force F to the free ends 2124 and 2126 of the straps 2116 and 2118. T By applying or releasing a force, the position of the straps 2116 and 2118 can be adjusted, allowing them to move between a relaxed state and a tightened state. In the examples in Figures 17A to 20, a tightening force F is applied to the tension element 2312. T By selectively applying and releasing the force, the upper 2100 can also move between a relaxed state and a tightened state. However, the tensile force FT Unlike the example before the tension is applied by the tensioning device 2400, in the examples of Figures 17A to 20, the manual tightening force F T The system includes a dynamic tensile system 2300a to which tension can be applied by the user to the tensile element 2312.

[0114] As shown in the figure, a tightening force F is applied to the control element 2314. T By adding this, the cable 2302a of the tension system 2300a is tightened in direction D T It can be moved. For example, the user can apply a tightening force F to the control element 2314 by pulling the tightening grip 2340 and sheath 2310 from the upper 2100. T In addition, tighten the control element 2314 in the direction D T It can be moved to this position. Here, the tightening force F T The clamping force F is applied to each control strand 2320, 2322 and transmitted to each tension strand 2316, 2318 via tension devices 2400a, 2400b. T This pulls the tension strands 2316 and 2318 in the tightening direction, thereby pulling the free ends 2124 and 2126 of the straps 2116 and 2126 across the throat 2108 towards the bite line 3028.

[0115] As mentioned above, the locking or tensioning devices 2400a, 2400b can be placed within the cavity of the sole structure 2200, in their respective slack directions sD L The adjustment elements 2312 and 2314 can be biased to a locked state to restrict their movement. The tension element 2312 and control element 2314 pass through the housing 2402 of the tension devices 2400a and 2400b approaching from opposite directions, respectively. In some configurations, when locked, the tension devices 2400a and 2400b are in the tightening direction D T The adjustment elements 2312 and 2314 in D are made movable. The release mechanism 2404 switches the tension devices 2400a and 2400b from the locked state to the unlocked state, so that the adjustment elements 2312 and 2314 are D T ,D FThis allows movement in both directions.

[0116] The release mechanism 2404 has adjustment elements 2312 and 2314 D T ,D F To enable movement in both directions, the tensioning device 2400a is operable to switch from a locked state to an unlocked state. For example, the release mechanism 2404 may include a release cord or cable 2404 that is operable to move the tensioning devices 2400a, 2400b from a locked state to an unlocked state when the release cord 2404 is pulled. The release cord 2404 may extend from a first end 2406 attached to the tensioning devices 2400a, 2400b to a distal end 2408 fixed to the rear end 3014 of the upper 2100, thereby allowing the user to grasp and pull the release cord 2404 to move the tensioning devices 2400a, 2400b from a locked state to an unlocked state.

[0117] In some examples, the release cord 2404 includes a release grip 2410, such as a loop or sheath, which is located remotely from the tensioning device 2400a and allows the user to grasp and pull the release cord 2404 when it is necessary to move the tensioning devices 2400a, 2400b to an unlocked state and / or to release the tensioning devices 2400a, 2400b from an unlocked state. Figures 18 and 19 show the release cord 2404 with a release grip 2410 formed at the rear end of an ankle opening 2104 that extends from the sole structure 2200 and along the heel counter 2112.

[0118] Referring to Figures 21 to 24, in some implementations, the tensioning device 2400a includes a housing 2402a and a locking member 2412 slidably disposed within the housing 2402a and surrounded by a cover 2414 fixed to the housing 2402a. Figure 22 provides an exploded view of the tensioning device 2400a of Figure 21, showing the locking member 2412 and cover 2414 removed from the housing 2402a. The housing 2402a defines a length extending between a first end 2416 and a second end 2418. The housing 2402a includes a base portion 2420 having a cable receiving surface 2422 and a mounting surface 2424 located on the base portion 2420 opposite to the cable receiving surface 2422 and facing the outer surface of the upper 2100. The cover 2414 is located opposite the cable receiving surface 2422 of the base portion 2420 and defines a locking member cavity 2426 configured to receive a locking member 2412 and a portion of the tensioning system 2300a. In some configurations, the locking member cavity 2426 is bounded by first engagement surfaces 2428 and second engagement surfaces 2430 (Figures 23 and 24) converging toward each other, so that the locking member cavity 2426 is associated with a wedge-shaped configuration that gradually tapers toward the second end 2418 of the housing 2402a. Thus, the first engagement surfaces 2428 and second engagement surfaces 2430 include corresponding side walls of the housing 2402a that converge toward each other and extend between the cover 2414 and the cable receiving surface 2422 of the base portion 2420, defining the locking member cavity 2426.

[0119] As described above, the cable 2302a of the tension system 2300a may include a tension element 2312 and a control element 2314 connected to each other by a locking element 2315, the locking element 2315 including a first portion extending through a locking member cavity 2426 and along a first engagement surface 2428, and a second portion extending along a second engagement surface 2430. The tension element 2312 exits from a corresponding groove 2432 (Figures 23 and 24) formed near the first end 2416 via the opposing side walls of the housing 2402a. The control element 2314 exits from a corresponding groove 2432 (Figures 23 and 24) formed near the second end 418 via the opposing side walls of the housing 2402a.

[0120] In some implementations, the locking member 2412 includes a first locking surface 2434 facing the first engagement surface 2428 of the housing 2402a, and a second locking surface 2436 facing the second engagement surface 2430 of the housing 2402a when the locking member 2412 is positioned within the locking member cavity 2426 of the housing 2402a. In some examples, the first locking surface 2434 and the second locking surface 2436 converge to each other. Additionally or alternatively, the first locking surface 2434 may be substantially parallel to the first engagement surface 2428, and the second locking surface 2436 may be substantially parallel to the second engagement surface 2430. In the illustrated example, the locking surfaces 2434 and 2436 are aligned in the tightening direction D T (That is, tightening force F) T (When the force is applied to the control element 2314) it includes projections or teeth having angled surfaces that allow movement by the tension system 2300a, while when the locking member 2412 is in the locked state, the movement by the tension system 2300a is in the loosening direction D L The locking element 2315 is used to restrict movement. The biasing member 2438 (e.g., a spring) may include a first end 2440 attached to the second end 2418 of the housing 2402a and a second end 2442 attached to the first end 2444 of the locking member 2412 to attach the locking member 2412 to the housing 2402a.

[0121] In some embodiments, the locking member 2412 is slidably disposed within the housing 2402a and is movable between a locked position (FIG. 23) associated with the locked state of the tensioning device 2400a and an unlocked position (FIG. 24) associated with the unlocked state of the tensioning device 2400a. In some examples, the release mechanism 2404 (i.e., the release string 2404) moves the locking member 2412 from the locked position (FIG. 23) to the unlocked position (FIG. 24). The locking member 2412 may include a tab portion 2446 extending from an opposite end of the locking member 2412 than the first end portion 2444. In one configuration, the first end portion 2406 of the release string 2404 is attached to the tab portion 2446 of the locking member 2412. The tab portion 2446 is formed in one of the corresponding first locking surface 2434 and the second locking surface 2436 and may include a pair of retaining mechanisms or recesses 2448 that selectively receive one or more retaining mechanisms 2450 associated with the housing 2402a to maintain the tensioning device 2400a in the unlocked state. The retaining mechanisms 2450 associated with the housing 2402a include a first retaining mechanism 2450 and a second retaining mechanism 2450 disposed on opposite sides of the housing 2402a, and the retaining mechanisms 2450 are biased inwardly toward each other by the corresponding biasing members 2452 toward the cavity 2426. The retaining mechanism 2450 may be a protrusion formed integrally with the housing 2402a, and thus, the retaining mechanism 2450 functions as a living hinge movable between a retracted state (FIG. 23) and an extended state (FIG. 24).

[0122] FIG. 23 provides a plan view of the tensioning device 2400a of FIG. 21 with the cover 2414 removed to show the locking member 2412 disposed within the cavity 2426 of the housing 2402a when in the locked position. In some examples, the locking member 2412 may be biased towards the locked position. For example, FIG. 23 shows that the biasing member 2438 applies a biasing force F B (in direction D BThe addition of (as shown) pushes the first end 2444 of the locking member 2412 toward the second end 2418 of the housing 2402a, thereby biasing the locking member 2412 to the locked position. While in the locked position, the locking member 2412 restricts the movement of the tension system 2300a relative to the housing 2402a by sandwiching the locking element 2315 of the tension system 2300a between the locking surfaces 2434, 2436 and the engaging surfaces 2428, 2430. Thus, the locked position of the locking member 2412 restricts the direction D in which the tension system 2300a slackens. L Restricts movement to [location]. In the illustrated example, a tightening force F is applied to the tightening grip 2340. T When force is applied, the locking member 2412 allows the tension system 2300a to move, and in this direction, because the locking member 2412 is a typical wedge shape, the tension system 2300a applies force to the locking member 2412, moving the locking member 2412 to the unlocked state. The locking member 2412 automatically returns to the locked state when the force applied to the tightening grip 2340 is released due to the force applied to the locking member 2412 by the biasing member 2438.

[0123] Figure 24 provides a plan view of the tensioning device 2400a of Figure 21 with the cover 414 removed to show the locking member 2412 located within the cavity 2426 of the housing 2402a when in the unlocked position. In some examples, a release string 2404 attached to the tab portion 2446 of the locking member 2412 applies a release force F to the locking member 2412. R Adding this, the locking member 2412 is moved away from the first engagement surface 2428 and the second engagement surface 2430 relative to the housing 2402a. Here, the biasing force F of the biasing member 2438 B To overcome it, release power F R Because the force is sufficient, the locking member 2412 moves relative to the housing 2402a, allowing the tension system 2300a between the locking surfaces 2434, 2436 and the engaging surfaces 2428, 2430 to release the clamping force F applied by the release cord 2404. R When it is deactivated, the allied force F BThe locking member 2412 returns to the locked position by a sufficient or predetermined release force F. R When the release cord 2404 is pulled away from the upper 2100 relative to the diagram in Figure 24, the release force F of the release cord 2404 is R You may add this.

[0124] While in the unlocked position, the locking member 2412 allows the tension system 2300a to move relative to the housing 2402a by allowing the locking element 2315 of the tension system 2300a to move freely between the locking surfaces 2434, 2436 and the engaging surfaces 2428, 2430. The unlocked position of the locking member 2412 applies force F to the control element 2314 and the tension element 2312, respectively. T, F L When this is added, the tension system 2300a tightens in direction D T and the direction of loosening D L It can move in both directions.

[0125] In some cases, a release force F of sufficient size and / or timer duration R When this force is applied to the release cord 2404, the release cord 2404 exerts a release force F. R (Figure 24) A biasing force F is applied to the locking member 2412. B The force is applied in the opposite direction to that shown in (Figure 23), and as a result, the locking member 2412 moves away from the engagement surfaces 2428, 2430 relative to the housing 2402a. At least one retaining mechanism 2450 of the housing 2402a receives the release force F R When the locking member 2412 is moved so that it is a predetermined distance away from the first engagement surface 2428 and the second engagement surface 2430 of the housing 2402a, it may engage with the holding mechanism 2448 of the locking member 2412. Here, the release force F R When released, the engagement between the retaining mechanism 2448 of the locking member 2412 and at least one retaining mechanism 2450 of the housing 2402a maintains the locking member 2412 in the unlocked position. When the locking member 2412 moves a predetermined distance, the release force F R When the biasing force F of the biasing member 2438 is removed, BThe force applied to the retaining mechanism 2450 by the pair of biasing members 2452 locks the retaining mechanism 2448 of the locking member 2412 into engagement with the retaining mechanism 2450 of the housing 2402a.

[0126] In some scenarios, a release force F associated with a first magnitude is used to move the locking member 2412 by a distance less than a predetermined distance from the engaging surfaces 2428, 2430, so that the retaining mechanisms 2448, 2450 do not engage. R A relaxation code 2404 can be applied. In these scenarios, the tension system 2300a is relaxed in direction D to adjust the fit of the internal space 2102 around the foot. L Or tightening direction D T Move it to (i.e., tighten the clamping grip 2340 with a clamping force F) T When it is desirable to add (a release force F associated with the first magnitude), R This can be maintained. When the desired fit of the internal space 2102 around the foot is achieved, the release force F R The lock is released, allowing the locking member 2412 to return to the locked position, and as a result, the loosening direction D L The movement of the tension system 2300a is restricted, and the desired fit can be maintained. Even when the locking member 2412 is in the locked position, the tension system 2300a is in the tightening direction D T Note that it can move to this position. Thus, release force F R Once released and the desired fit is achieved, the locking member 2412 automatically maintains the desired fit by locking the position of the tension system 300a relative to the housing 2402a.

[0127] In other scenarios, the release force F is associated with a second size that is larger than the first size. RIn addition to the release cord 2404, the locking member 2412 can be moved a predetermined distance away from the engagement surfaces 2428 and 2430 so that the corresponding retaining mechanisms 2448 and 2450 engage. The engagement of the retaining mechanisms 2448 and 2450 is achieved when the release cord 2404 is pulled a predetermined distance, and a biasing force F is applied to the retaining mechanism 2450 by the biasing member 2452. B This is facilitated by providing a retaining mechanism 2450 having a tapered edge facing the locking member 2412, which allows the locking member 2412 to move more easily against the release force F. R When released, the locking member 2412 is maintained in the unlocked position by the engagement between the corresponding holding functions 2448 and 2450.

[0128] A tightening force F is applied to the control element 2314. T When force is applied, the locking member 2412 returns to the locked position. That is, when force is applied to the outer control strand 2320 and the inner control element 2322, these control strands 2320 and 2322 are placed in a stretched state, and as the control strands 2320 and 2322 pass through a part of the retaining mechanism 2450, force is applied to the biasing member 2452 via the retaining mechanism 2450. In this way, the retaining mechanism 2450 compresses the biasing member 2452, separates the biasing members 2450 from each other, and disengages the retaining mechanism 2448 of the locking member 2412, thereby allowing the biasing member 2438 to return the locking member 2412 to the locked position.

[0129] During use, the tension system 2300a can be used to selectively move the footwear 3010 between a loose state (Figure 17A) and a tightened state (Figure 17B). When the footwear 3010 is initially provided in a loose state, the effective length of the tension strands 2316,2318 of the tension element 2312 (i.e., the length from the first ends 2324,2328 to the second ends 2326,2330) is maximized, while the tension element 2312 and straps 2116,2118 are in a loose state around the upper 2100, while the effective length of the control strands 2320,2322 of the control element 2314 (i.e., the length from the first ends 2332,2336 to the second ends 2334,2338) is minimized. Therefore, the user's foot can be inserted into the internal space 2102 of the footwear 3010, and the material of the upper 2100 allows the upper 2100 to stretch to accommodate the foot inside.

[0130] With the user's foot inserted into the internal gap 2102 of the upper 2100, the user moves the tension system 2300a to a tightened state, thereby securing the footwear 3010 to the foot. As previously mentioned, a tightening force F is applied to the tightening grip 2340 of the control element 2314. T By adding this, the tension system 2300a is moved to a tightened state, and the control element 2314 is moved in the tightening direction D T It can be moved. The control element 2314 is in the tightening direction D T As it moves, the cable 2302a is pulled through the housing 2402a of the tensioning device, thereby shortening the effective length of the tension strands 2316 and 2318 of the tensioning element 2312. Thus, the effective length of the tensioning element 2312 is minimized around the upper 2100, and the upper 2100 moves into a tightening position around the foot.

[0131] As mentioned above, the tension element 2312 is tightened in direction D T When moved, the outer tensile strand 2316 and the inner tensile strand 2318 are subjected to a tightening force F TThe force F is distributed to the free ends 2124 and 2126 of straps 2116 and 2118, tightening the straps 2116 and 2118 around the larynx 2108. The outer tensile strands 2316 and inner tensile strands 2318 of tensile element 2312 apply a tightening force F to the end 2344 of heel strap 2308. T The force is distributed, causing the heel counter 2112 to contract around the rear of the user's ankle. At the same time, the effective length of the control element 2314 may increase as the tension system 2300a moves to a tightening state. However, as shown in Figure 17B, the control element 2314 is maintained in a taut position relative to the upper 2100 by the elasticity of the sheath 2310, which adapts to the increased effective length of the control element 2314 by allowing the control element 2314 to "converge" within the sheath 2306 when the sheath 2310 contracts.

[0132] When a user wants to remove the footwear 3010 from their feet, they can move the tension stem 2300a to a relaxed state, allowing the upper 2100 to loosen around the foot. First, as mentioned above, the biasing force F of the biasing member 2438 B Sufficient release force F to overcome R By adding this, the tensioning device 2400a must be moved to the unlocked state. Once the tensioning device 2400a is moved to the unlocked state, pulling the footwear 3010 from the user's foot causes the cable 2302a to slacken in the direction D through the housing 2402a of the tensioning device. L This allows it to be pulled, which essentially expands the upper and increases the effective length of the tensile strands 2316, 2318 of the tensile element 2312.

[0133] Referring to Figures 25–29, another example of the manual tensioning device 2400b is shown, in which the tensioning device 2400b is embodied as a rotating mechanism. Figure 25 is an exploded view of the tensioning device 2400b, showing a housing 2402b defining a cavity 2454 configured to rotatably hold a spool 2456, a first pole 2458, and a second pole 2460. The tensioning device 2400b may include a lid 2462 fixed to the housing 2402b to prevent access to the cavity 2454 when the lid 2462 is fixed to the housing 2402b and to allow access to the cavity 2454 when the lid 2462 is removed from the housing 2402b. One or more fasteners 2464 extend through the lid 2462 and are fixed to screw holes 2466 in the housing 402b to secure the lid 2462 to the housing 2402b.

[0134] The housing 2402b defines a plurality of retainer grooves 2468, each retainer groove 2468 configured to receive and support a respective cable retainer 2470 in which a cable adjustment element is placed through a cavity 2454 of the housing 2402b. The housing 2402b can support a plurality of cable retainers 2470 such that the ends of the adjustment elements 2312, 2314 each extend through one of the cable retainers 2470.

[0135] As will be described in more detail below, the housing 2402b may further include a retaining wall 2472 located within the cavity 2454. The retaining wall 2472 is configured to cooperate with the first pole 2458. The retaining wall 2472 may further include a tactile groove 2474 configured to receive one or more tactile domes 2476. Referring to Figures 26-29, as will be described in more detail below, the first pole 2458 may engage with one or more tactile domes 2476 to provide a click or other sound indicating that the spool 2456 has changed position relative to the housing 2402b and / or that the tensioning device 2400b has switched from a locked state to an unlocked state.

[0136] Figure 27 is a plan view of housing 2402b showing a pair of mounting flanges 2478, 2480 located on the opposite side of housing 2402b. The mounting flanges 2478, 2480 are located on the inner surface of the cavity 2214 of the sole structure 2200, allowing the tensioning device 2400b to be mounted within the sole structure 2200. Optionally, the flanges 2478, 2480 can be attached to the strobel of the upper 2100. The strobel may be any support structure forming the foot portion of footwear 3010, located at least between the sole structure 2200 and the gap 2102. In some examples, a binder such as adhesive and / or epoxy may be applied to the contact surfaces of the mounting flanges 2478, 2480 and / or the inner surface of the cavity 2214 of the sole structure 2200 to attach housing 2402b within the cavity 2214. Additionally or alternatively, mounting flanges 2478, 2480 may define one or more mounting holes 2482, formed to allow the mounting flanges to pass through and configured to receive fasteners (not shown) for attaching the housing 2402b to the sole structure 2200.

[0137] FIG. 27 shows the housing 2402b with the poles 2458, 2460, the adjustment elements 2312, 2314, and other components of the tensioning device 2400b removed, exposing an elongated passage 2484 formed through the housing 2402b. As will be described in more detail below, the elongated passage 2484 is aligned with the attachment point of the first pole 2458, allowing the release string 2404 to pass under the housing 2402b and over the feed groove 2486 defined by the attachment flange 2480. The attachment flange 2480 also defines a notch region 2477 proximate to the supply groove 2486, providing a larger clearance for the release string 2404 (and / or the conduit surrounding the release string 2404) to extend from the housing 2402b. The attachment flanges 2478, 2480 may define a lip around the outer periphery of the housing 2402b such that the housing 402b is spaced from the cavity's 2214 mounting surface or strobel, allowing placement of the release string 2404 between the housing 2402b and the mounting surface of the cavity 2214 or strobel. Thus, the release string 2404 may freely extend below the housing 2402b between the elongated passage 2484 and the supply groove 2486. In some examples, the supply groove 2486 has a curved edge to prevent the release string 2404 from being captured or restricted by the housing 2402b.

[0138] Referring to FIG. 26, the spool 2456 is supported within the cavity 2454 of the housing 2402b and is rotatable relative to the housing 2402b. In some examples, when the adjustment elements 2312, 2314 move in the tightening direction D T the spool 2456 rotates relative to the housing 2402b in a first direction D S1 and when the adjustment elements 2312, 2314 move in the loosening direction D L the spool 2456 rotates in an opposite second direction D S2The spool 2456 includes a first passage or annular groove 2488 configured to collect a portion of the tension element 2312 and a second passage or annular groove 2490 configured to collect a portion of the control element 2314. The spool 2456 may include one or more anchor grooves 2492 formed through partition walls separating the passages 2488 and 2490 to fix the respective rotational positions of the adjustment elements 2312 and 2314 relative to the spool 2456.

[0139] The tensioning device 2400b also includes a ratchet mechanism 2494 associated with the spool 2456, having multiple teeth 2496 positioned circumferentially around the axis of the ratchet mechanism 2494 and projecting radially inward from there. In some implementations, the ratchet mechanism 2494 is integrally formed with the inner circumferential wall of the spool 2456, with the multiple teeth 2496 projecting radially inward from the passages 2488, 2490. In other examples, the ratchet mechanism 2494 is supported to rotate together with the spool 2456.

[0140] The first pawl 2458 is positioned within a cavity 2454 of the housing 2402b and is configured to work in cooperation with the ratchet mechanism 2494 to selectively prevent and allow rotation of the spool 2456, thereby selectively preventing and allowing movement of the adjustment elements 2312, 2314. In some examples, the first pawl 2458 includes one or more teeth 2498 configured to selectively and mesh with multiple teeth 2496 of the ratchet mechanism 2494. In some implementations, the first pawl 2458 is positioned relative to the housing 2402b on the first pawl rotation axis A FP To enable rotation around the first pole, it includes a first pole axis 2500 configured to support the first pole 458 within the housing 2402b.

[0141] The first pole spring 2502 is operably connected to the first pole shaft 2500 and the retaining wall 2472 located within the cavity 2454 of the housing 2402b, and the first pole 2458 is connected to the pole rotation axis A FP Around the first direction D FP1can be biased. The first pole rotation axis A FP can be substantially parallel to the rotation axis of the spool 2456 when the spool 2456 is received in the cavity 2454. Accordingly, the first pole spring 2502 can interact with the retaining wall 2472 and the first pole 2516 to apply a biasing force, by which the first pole 2458 rotates about the pole rotation axis A FP1 in the first direction D FP and engages with a plurality of teeth 2496 of the ratchet mechanism 2494, whereby the tension device 2400b operates in a locked state to restrict movement of the adjusting elements 2312, 2314 in the loosening direction sD L thereof.

[0142] Figures 28 and 29 respectively show a plan view of the first pole 2458 of the tension device 2400b. The first pole 2458 defines a first receiving surface 2504 configured to support the first pole spring 2502. The first pole shaft 2500 projects from the first receiving surface 2504 in a direction substantially perpendicular to the first receiving surface 2504. The first pole shaft 2500 can be formed integrally with the first pole 2458. The first pole 2458 also defines a second receiving surface 2506 configured to support the second pole spring 2516. An opening 2508 is formed through the second receiving surface 2506 and is configured to receive the second pole shaft 2514. The anchor post 2510 may project in a direction substantially parallel to the first pole shaft 2500 and away from the receiving surfaces 2504, 2506. The anchor post 2510 can define an opening 2512 for providing an attachment position for attaching the first end 2406 of the release string 2404 to the anchor post 2510. The anchor post 2510 can be formed integrally with the first pole 2458.

[0143] Referring to FIG. 26, the second pole shaft 2514 rotatably attaches the second pole 2460 to the first pole 2458 and enables the second pole 2460 to rotate about the second pole rotation axis A SP with respect to both the first pole 2458 and the housing 2402b. The second pole rotation axis A SP is the first pole rotation axis AFP and can extend substantially parallel to the axis of rotation of the spool 2456. In some examples, the second pole 2460 is associated with the second pole spring 2516, and the second pole spring 2516 is associated with the spool 2456 in the second direction D S2 When the engagement between the first pawl 2458 and the teeth 2496 of the ratchet mechanism 2494 is released to allow rotation, the second pawl 2460 is configured to be biased to engage with a control surface 2518 associated with the inner circumference of the spool 2456.

[0144] Figure 26 provides a perspective view of the tensile device 2400b in a locked state, where the first pole tooth 2498 of the first pole 2458 engages with the tooth 2496 of the ratchet mechanism 2494, and the spool 2456 moves in the second direction D S2 Selectively restrict rotation in the direction D of the slack of each of the adjustment elements 2312 and 2314. L Restricts movement in the first direction D. In some examples, when the teeth 2498 of the first pole 22458 engage with the teeth 2496 of the ratchet mechanism 2494, the spool 2456 moves in the first direction D. S1 It is tilted to allow rotation in the direction D, thereby allowing the tension member 2312 to tighten in the tightening direction D T Move to the tightening grip 2340 and apply the tightening force F T In response, the control member 2314 tightens in the direction D T It makes it possible to move to [location].

[0145] Spool 2456 is in the first direction D S1 When it rotates, the control element 2314 is pulled out from the second passage 2490 of the spool 2456, and the spool 2456 moves in the first direction D S1 When it rotates, the tension element 2312 simultaneously retracts into the first passage 2488 of the spool 2456. Therefore, the adjustment elements 2312 and 2314 are tightened in their respective tightening directions D TBy moving in this direction, the effective length of the control element 2314 increases and the effective length of the tension element 2312 decreases, thereby moving the upper 2100 into a tightened state and closing the internal gap 2102 around the user's foot. Here, the control element 2314 engages sequentially with the teeth 2496 of the ratchet mechanism 2494 while tightening in the D direction. T As the upper 2100 moves gradually, and therefore as the upper 2100 moves into a tightened state, the tension applied to the outer tension strands 2316 and inner tension strands 2318 of the tension element 2312 is gradually increased to tighten them to fit into the internal gap 2102 around the foot. More specifically, each of the outer tension strands 2316 and inner tension strands 2318 of the tension element 2312 is connected to and positioned within the first passage 2488 of the spool 2456, so that each of the tension strands 2316 and 2318 is wound and unwound by the spool 2456 at the same speed, providing a substantially uniform tightness of the upper 2100 around the foot.

[0146] In some examples, the release cord 2404 is operably connected to the anchor post 2510 of the first pole 2458, and a predetermined release force F R When the release cord 2404 is applied, the first pole 2458 selectively disengages from the teeth 2496 of the ratchet mechanism 2494. When the second pole 2460 engages with the control surface 2518, the second pole 2460 causes the adjustment elements 2312, 2314 to move in the second direction D S2 As it rotates, the spool 2456 is collected (i.e., wound up) or released (i.e., unwound) from the first passage 2488 and the second passage 2490, respectively, in the second direction D S2The rotational speed of the spool 2456 is operably controlled. In some configurations, the second pawl 2460 includes a cam surface that maintains engagement with one of each of the two control surfaces 2518 when it is kept disengaged from the teeth 2496 of the first pawl 2458 (i.e., when the tensioning device 2400b is operable in the unlocked state). Each control surface 2518 may be axially positioned on the opposite side of the ratchet mechanism 2494 such that the teeth 2496 are positioned between the control surfaces 2518 and project radially inward.

[0147] Referring to Figure 28, when the tensioning device 2400b is in the locked state, the first pawl 2458 is biased to engage with the teeth 2496 of the ratchet mechanism 2494. Here, the first pawl 2458 is biased in a first direction D such that the teeth 2498 of the first pawl 2458 engage with the teeth 2496 of the ratchet mechanism 2494. FP1 In the first pole rotation axis A FP It pivots and rotates around a central point. In some examples, the first pole 2458 includes a tactile projection 2520 configured to engage with the tactile dome 2476 to provide a "click" indicating a gradual change in the position of the spool 2456 while the first pole 2458 and the teeth 2496 engage sequentially.

[0148] Referring to Figure 29, the first end 2406 of the release cord 2404 is subjected to a predetermined release force F R The release cord 2404 is attached to the anchor post 2510 of the first pole 245 so as to allow selective disengagement of the first pole 2458 from the teeth 2496 of the ratchet mechanism 2494 when force F is applied. For example, a user grasps the release grip 2410 of the release cord 2404 and applies a predetermined force F to disengage the first pole 2458 from the teeth 2496 of the ratchet mechanism 2494. R You may add a predetermined force F. R This overcomes the biasing force of the first pole spring 2502, and the first pole 2458 rotates on the first pole axis A FP Centered on the second direction D FP2 It enables rotation. Furthermore, a predetermined force F RAs a result, the first pole 2458 disengages from the tooth 2496 and moves to switch the tensioning device 2400b to an unlocked state, the tactile projection 2520 engages with the tactile dome 2476 to provide a "click" sound.

[0149] Figure 29 shows a predetermined force F applied to the release cord 2404. R When applied, the tensioning device 2400b is in an unlocked state corresponding to the slack cord 2404 selectively disengaging the first pole 2458 from the teeth 2496 of the ratchet mechanism 2494. When the tensioning device 2400b is in an unlocked state with the first pole 2458 disengaged from the teeth 2496 of the ratchet mechanism 2494, the spool 2456 moves in the second direction D S2 It can rotate, and a slackening force F is applied to the tension element 2312. L When this is added, the direction of slack in the tension element 2312 D L This allows movement to the second direction D. In some examples, spool 2456 moves in the second direction D S2 As it rotates, the first passage 2488 of the spool 2456 collects the tension element 2312, while the second passage 2490 of the spool 2456 loosens the control element 2314. Thus, the loosening direction D of the control element 2314 L The movement in allows for an increase in the effective length of the tension element 2312, thereby allowing the tension strands 2316 and 2318 to relax, and thus the upper 2100 to be easily switched from a tightened state to a relaxed state, and the foot to be removed from the internal gap 2102.

[0150] Referring back to Figure 25, the lids 2462 and housings 2402b of the tensioning device 2400b may each include a hub 2522 configured to support the first pole axis 2500 of the first pole 2458. The lids 2462 each support the first pole 2458 in the first direction D FP1 or second direction D FP2 The first pole rotation axis A FPWhen rotating around the axis, the anchor post 2510 of the first pole 2458 may include an elongated passage 2524 that works in cooperation with the elongated passage 2484 of the housing 2402b to allow the anchor post 2510 of the first pole 2458 to rotate freely relative to the housing 2402b and the cover 2462.

[0151] During use, the tension system 2300a can be used to selectively move the material of the footwear 3010 between a tightened state and a loose state. When the footwear 3010 is initially provided in a loose state, the effective length of the tension element 2312 is maximized, thereby causing the first cable to become loose around the upper 2100, while the effective length of the control element 2314 is minimized when the control element 2314 is wound around the spool 2456 of the tension device 2400b. Thus, the user's foot can be inserted into the internal space 2102 of the footwear 3010, and the material of the upper 2100 allows the upper 2100 to stretch to accommodate the foot inside.

[0152] With the user's foot inserted into the internal gap 2102 of the upper 2100, the user can move the tension system 2300a to a tightened state, thereby securing the footwear 3010 to the foot. As described above, the tension system 2300a applies a tightening force F to the tightening grip 2340. T By applying the force, it moves to a tightening state, thereby moving the control element 2314 in the tightening direction D T Move to the tightening direction D. Control element 2314 is tightened in direction D. T When it moves, spool 2456 moves in the first direction D S1 As it rotates, the control element 2314 is released from the second passage 2490. Simultaneously, the tension element 312 is wound up into the first passage 2488, and as a result, the tension element 2312 retracts into the tension device 2400b. Thus, the effective length of the tension element 2312 is minimized around the upper 2100, and the upper 2100 moves into a tightening position around the foot.

[0153] The release force F applied to the release cord 404 before, during, or after the tension system 2300a transitions to the tightened state. RWhen overcome by the first pole spring 2502, the first pole 2458 can move to the locked position by the biasing force of the first pole spring 2502. When the tensioning device 2400b is in the locked state, the teeth 2496 of the spool 2456 engage with the teeth 2498 of the first pole 2458, and the spool 2456 moves in the second direction D S2 (That is, the direction of slack D) L This prevents it from rotating. Thus, the tensioning device 2400b can maintain the tensioning system 2300a in a tightened state as long as the tensioning device 2400b is maintained in the locked position.

[0154] When a user wants to remove the footwear 3010 from their feet, they can move the tension stem 2300a to a relaxed state, allowing the upper 2100 to loosen around the foot. Initially, the tension device 2400b exerts a sufficient release force F to overcome the biasing force of the first pole spring 2502. R The lock must be released by applying force F. R When the biasing force is overcome, the engagement between the teeth 2498 of the first pole 2458 and the teeth 2496 of the spool 2456 is released, and the spool 2456 moves in the second direction D S2 It can be rotated.

[0155] Slackening force F L A tension is applied by the user to the tensile element 2312, causing the first cable to slacken in the direction D. L By moving it to this position, the effective length of the tension element 2312 is maximized, allowing the upper 2100 to relax. In the illustrated example, the slackening force F is created by pulling the front end 3012 of the upper 2100 downward. L A slack force F can be indirectly applied to the tensile element 2312, thereby forcing the internal gap 2102 to open and allowing the leg to slip out. Selectively, the user can apply a slack force F to the tensile element 2312. T To allow for direct application of tension, the tension element 2312 may be provided with one or more slack grips (not shown).

[0156] Direction D in which the tension element 2312 slackens L When it moves, spool 2456 moves in the second direction DS2 As it rotates, the tension element 2312 is released from the first passage 2488. As the tension element 2312 is released, its effective length increases, the tension strands 2316 and 2318 slacken, and the first strap 2116 and second strap 2118 can slacken around the upper 100. At the same time, the control element 2314 is wound up into the second passage 2490, and as a result, the control element 2314 retracts into the tensioning device 2400b. Thus, the effective length of the control element 2314 is minimized.

[0157] Figure 30 shows a block diagram of the components of an example of an electric tensioning device 2400 for the footwear 3010 article shown in Figures 13-16. This schematic diagram includes some, but not all, components of the electric tensioning system, including the lacing engine 2401, the receptacle 2532 (Figure 34), and the footwear 3010 below. As shown, the electric tensioning device 2400 includes an interface button 2534, an interface button actuator 2536, a foot detection sensor 2538, and a lacing engine housing 2402 enclosing the main PCB 2540 and the user interface PCB 2542. The user interface PCB 2542 includes the button 2534, one or more light-emitting diodes (LEDs) 2544 that can illuminate the button actuator 2536 or provide illumination visible on the outside of the footwear 3010 article, an optical encoder unit 2546, and an LED driver 2548 that can power the LEDs 2544. The main PCB 2540 includes a processor circuit 2550, an electronic data storage unit 2552, a battery charging circuit 2554, a wireless transceiver 2556, one or more sensors 2558 such as an accelerometer and a gyroscope, and a motor driver 2560.

[0158] The lace-tightening engine 2401 further includes a foot detection sensor 2538, such as a capacity sensor, a motor 2562, a transmission 2564, a spool 2566, a battery or power supply 2568, and a charging coil 2570. The processor circuit 2550 is configured by commands from the electronic data storage unit 2552 to cause the motor driver 2560 to drive the motor 2562 and rotate the spool 2566 via the transmission 2564 to apply a desired amount of tension to the cable 2302 wound on the spool 2566. The processor circuit 2550 can receive input from various sources, including the foot detection sensor 2538, sensor 2558, and a button 2534 for determining whether to increase or decrease the tension of the cable 2302 according to the command. For example, the foot detection sensor 2538 may detect the presence of a foot in the footwear 3010, and the processor circuit 2552 may set the tension to the current tension level. Sensor 2558 can detect movements that correspond to specific activity levels (i.e., casual walking, strenuous physical activity), and processor circuit 2550 can set the tension to a level that corresponds to that activity level, for example, relatively loose for casual walking and relatively tight for strenuous physical activity. The user can manually command a gradual or linear increase or decrease in tension by pressing button actuator 2536 as needed.

[0159] The battery 2568 generally supplies power to the components of the lacing engine 2401 and, in exemplary embodiments, is a rechargeable battery. However, alternative power sources such as non-rechargeable batteries and supercapacitors are also considered. In the illustrated example, the battery 2568 is coupled to a charging circuit 2554 and a charging coil 2570. When the charging coil 2570 is positioned close to an external charger 2574, the charging circuit 2576 can energize the transmitting coil 2578 to induce a current in the charging coil 2570, which can then be utilized by the charging circuit 2554 to recharge the battery 2568. Alternative recharging mechanisms (e.g., a piezoelectric generator located within the footwear 3010) are also considered.

[0160] The wireless transceiver 2556 is configured to communicate wirelessly with a remote user device 2580, such as a smartphone, wearable device, tablet computer, personal computer, or similar. In the illustrated example, the wireless transceiver 2556 is configured to communicate according to the Bluetooth® low-energy method, but the wireless transceiver 2556 can communicate according to any suitable wireless method, including Near Field Communication (NFC), 802.11 WiFi, etc. Furthermore, the wireless transceiver 2556 may be configured to communicate with multiple external user devices 2580 and / or according to multiple different wireless methods. The wireless transceiver 2556 can receive commands from the user device 2580, for example using an application running on the user device 2580, to enter a predetermined operating mode or to control the tethering engine 2401, including gradually increasing or linearly increasing or decreasing the tension on the cable 2302. The wireless transceiver 2556 can also transmit information about the tethering engine 2401 to the user device 2580, such as the amount of tension on the cable 2302, the orientation of the spool 2566, the amount of charge remaining on the battery 2234, and any other desired information generally relating to the tethering engine 2401.

[0161] Figure 31 is an exploded view of an example of a cord tightening engine 2401c for an electric tensioning device. The cord tightening engine 2401c includes a housing 2402 which includes an upper section 2419 and a base section 2420 that generally surround the cord tightening engine 2401c, with the exception of certain components which are outside the housing 2402. These components include a button actuator 2536 (and associated O-rings 2582 for protecting the cord tightening engine 2401c from environmental conditions such as moisture), a spool 2566 which is fixed to a transmission 2564 via set screws 2584 and sealed with a cover 2414c, and a dielectric foam 2586 for a foot detection sensor 538. The housing 2402 contains the main PCB 2540, user interface PCB 2542, motor 2562, transmission 2564, battery 2568, charging coil 570, and electrodes 2588 and foam 2590 of the foot detection sensor 2538. The optical encoder unit 546 is partially shown in the exploded view of Figure 32, as shown in Figure 31. Specifically, the three-dimensional encoder 2592 of the optical encoder unit 2546 is coupled to the motor 2562 and rotates in conjunction with the rotation of the motor 2562.

[0162] Figures 32A and 32B show a tethered engine housing 2402d and lid 2414d of another example of a tethered engine 2401d. In the block diagram of Figure 30, the tethered engine housing 2402d and lid 2414d can be used as housing 2402 and lid 2414, respectively. The tethered engine housing 2402d can be resized to enclose the tethered engine 2401d or any suitable tethered engine. The tethered engine housing 2402d includes a tab 2600 that connects to a pin 2602 on the lid 2414d via a snap fit or the like, forming a hinge 2604 to the lid 2414d, which can rotate relative to the housing 2402d.

[0163] Figure 32A shows the lid 2414d in an open configuration with the spool 2566d exposed and the cable 2302 (not shown) accessible or positioned in the tether groove. Figure 32B shows the lid 2414d in a closed configuration with the tab 2606 snapped into place on the side 2608 of the housing 2402d. In the closed configuration, the lid 2414d tends to restrain the cable 2302 within the tether groove.

[0164] The housing 2402d and the lid 2414d can be manufactured from any suitable material, including plastic or other polymers and metals, as needed. Using the housing 2402d and / or the housing 2402d and lid 2414d together can provide at least some degree of isolation to the tethered engine 2401d in response to environmental conditions such as moisture and sweat, as well as forces that may act on the housing 2402d (including impacts and mechanical stresses). The housing 2402d may be placed within a sleeve or other structure that can provide environmental isolation.

[0165] As shown in the illustration, the housing 2402d includes an aperture 2608 that allows the light emitted from the LED 2208 to be visible outside the housing 2402d. In the illustrated example, two apertures 2608 are aligned with tab 2606.

[0166] Figure 33A is a perspective view of an electrically operated tensioning device 2400e having an anti-tangle lacing passage 2612 for a lacing engine 2401e in an exemplary embodiment. Figure 33B is a top view of the electrically operated tensioning device 2400e of Figure 33A, showing a winding passage 2614 extending through a modular spool 2566e and aligned with the lacing passage 2612 through a housing structure 2402e. Similar to the spool 566 described above, the modular spool 2566e provides a storage position for a lace, such as a cable 302, when the modular spool 2566e is wound up and securely fastens the cable 2302 downward to the upper of the footwear article. The modular spool 2566e is assembled from various components, such as an upper plate 2616 and a lower plate 2618.

[0167] The modular spool 2566e can be located within the spool recess 2620 of the lacing passage 2612. The lacing passage 2612 is shaped to optimize or improve the performance of the modular spool 2566e when winding or unwinding the cable 2302 from the housing structure 2402e. In particular, as described below, the lacing passage 2612 may include a lacing passage switching section 2622 and other shapes, geometric shapes and surfaces that help prevent the cable 2302 from getting stuck in the spool recess 2620, for example, by bird nesting. The lacing passage switching section 2622 can provide a lacing passage 2612 with sufficient volume for housing the cable 2302 without compressing or entangling the cable 2302.

[0168] An exemplary cord-tightening engine 2401e may include upper components 2419e and lower components 2420e of the housing structure 2402e, case screws 2624, cord-tightening passage 2612 (also known as cord-tightening guide relief 2612), cord-tightening passage wall 2626, cord-tightening passage switching section 2622, spool recess 2620, button opening section 2628, button 2534, button membrane seal 2632, programming header 2634, modular spool 2566e, and winding passage (cord-tightening groove) 2614.

[0169] The housing structure 2402e is configured to provide a compact lacing engine for insertion into the sole of a footwear article, for example, as described herein. A case screw 2624 can be used to maintain engagement between the upper component 2419e and the lower component 2420e. The upper component 2419e and the lower component 2420e together provide internal space for arranging components of the motorized tensioning device 2400, such as components of the modular spool 2566e and the motor 2562. The lacing passage wall 2626 can be molded to guide the cable 2302 in and out of the housing structure 2402e, and the lacing passage switching section 2622 can be molded to guide the laces in and out of the modular spool 2566e. In one example, the cord-tightening passage wall 2626 extends effectively parallel to the main axis of the cord-tightening passage 2612, and the cord-tightening passage switching section 2622 extends at an angle to the main axis of the cord-tightening passage 2612 and between the cord-tightening passage wall 2626 and the spool recess 2620. The spool recess 2620 can form a partially cylindrical socket to accommodate a modular spool 2566e.

[0170] The cable 2302 can be positioned to extend within the tethering passage 2612 and the winding passage 2614. When the modular spool 2566e is rotated by the motor 2562, the cable 2302 is wound onto the drum 2636 between the upper plate 2616 and the lower plate 2618. A button 2534 can extend through a button opening section 2628 and can be used to activate the motor 2562 to rotate the modular spool 2566e clockwise and counterclockwise. A programming header 2634 can enable the connection of the main circuit board 2540 of the tethering engine 2401e to an external computing system, for example, to characterize the tethering operation and the operation of the motor 2562 provided by the button 2534.

[0171] Figure 34 is an exploded view of the components of the electric tensioning device 400 for the footwear article 3010 shown in Figures 13-16. Although the electric tensioning device 2400 is described in relation to the footwear article 3010, it should be recognized and understood that the principles described in relation to the footwear article 3010 are equally applicable to any of the various wearable articles. The tensioning device 2400 shown in Figure 34 includes a lacing engine 2401e having a housing 2402e, a cover 2414e, an actuator 2530, and a receptacle 2532. However, lacing engines 2401c, 2401d of other examples may also be incorporated into the tensioning device 2400.

[0172] Figure 34 shows the basic assembly procedure for the components of the electric tensioning device 2400, along with an example of the sole structure 2200 of the footwear article 3010. The tensioning device 2400 begins with a receptacle 2532, which is fixed into the cavity 2214 of the sole structure 2200. Next, the actuator 2530 is inserted into the opening on the outside of the receptacle 2532 opposite the interface button 2534, which can be embedded in the sole structure 2200. Then, the lacing engines 2401c-2401e are placed into the lacing engine cavity of the receptacle 2532. In various examples that do not include the receptacle 2532, the lacing engines 2401c-2401e can be housed directly in the cavity 2214 of the sole structure 2200. In one example, the tensioning device 2400 is inserted under the continuous loop of the cable 2302, and the cable 2302 is aligned onto a spool in the tethering engine 2401. Finally, the covers 2414c-2414e are inserted into the grooves of the receptacle 2532, fixed in the closed position, and locked into the recesses of the receptacle 2532. The covers 2414c-2414e can capture the tethering engine 2401 and help maintain the alignment of the tethering cable during operation.

[0173] The following clauses provide exemplary configurations of the footwear articles described above.

[0174] Article of footwear in Article 1, comprising an upper, a first strap extending from a first fixed end attached to a first side of the upper to a first free end on a second side of the upper, and a second strap extending from a second fixed end attached to the second side of the upper to a second free end on the first side of the upper, wherein a first portion of the first strap overlaps with a first portion of the second strap, and a second portion of the first strap overlaps with a second portion of the second strap.

[0175] In Clause 2, the footwear article of Clause 1, wherein the first portion of the first strap is parallel to the second portion of the first strap.

[0176] In Clause 3, the footwear article of Clause 1 or Clause 2, wherein the first portion of the second strap is parallel to the second portion of the second strap.

[0177] In Clause 4, an article of footwear according to any of Clauses 1 to 3, wherein the first portion of the first strap is a first band extending from the first end of the first fixed end to the second end of the first free end, and the second portion of the first strap is a second band extending from the first end of the first fixed end to the second end of the first free end.

[0178] In Clause 5, the footwear article of Clause 4, wherein the second end of the first band is attached to the second end of the second band at the first free end of the first strap.

[0179] In Clause 6, the footwear article of Clause 4, wherein the first end of the first band and the first end of the second band are attached separately to the first side of the upper.

[0180] In Clause 7, an article of footwear relating to any of Clauses 1 to 6, wherein the first free end of the first strap and the first free end of the second strap are attached to a tension element that is operable to selectively apply a tightening force to the first free end of the first strap and the first free end of the second strap, respectively.

[0181] In Clause 8, the footwear article according to any of Clauses 1 to 7, wherein the first fixed end and the second fixed end are attached to the midfoot region of the upper.

[0182] In Clause 9, the footwear article according to any of Clauses 1 to 8, wherein the first strap and the second strap extend to the midfoot region of the upper.

[0183] In Clause 10, the footwear article according to any of Clauses 1 to 8, wherein the width of the first strap gradually decreases from the first fixed end to the first free end.

[0184] Article of footwear, as described in Clause 11, includes an upper, a cable positioned along the upper and movable between a tightened state and a loose state, a first strap including a plurality of first bands, each attached to a first side of the upper and extending from a first end to a second end attached to a first portion of the cable on a second side of the upper, and a second strap including a plurality of second bands, each attached to a second side of the upper and extending from a first end to a second end attached to a second portion of the cable on the first side of the upper, wherein the plurality of first bands of the first strap are interwoven with the plurality of second bands of the second strap and are movable to move through the plurality of second bands when the cable is moved between the tightened state and the loose state.

[0185] In Clause 12, the footwear article of Clause 11, wherein the bands of the plurality of first bands are parallel to each other.

[0186] In Clause 13, the footwear article of Clause 11 or Clause 12, wherein the bands of the plurality of second bands are parallel to each other.

[0187] In Clause 14, the footwear article according to any of Clauses 11 to 13, wherein the second ends of the plurality of first bands are attached to the outside of the body.

[0188] In Clause 15, the footwear article according to any of Clauses 11 to 14, wherein the first end of each of the plurality of first bands is separately attached to the first side of the upper.

[0189] In Clause 16, in any footwear article according to Clauses 11 to 15, the first ends of the plurality of first bands and the first ends of the plurality of second bands are attached to the midfoot region of the upper.

[0190] In Clause 17, in any footwear article relating to Clauses 11 to 16, the first strap and the second strap extend over the midfoot region of the upper.

[0191] In Clause 18, the footwear article according to any of Clauses 11 to 17, wherein the width of the first strap gradually decreases from the first end to the second end.

[0192] Article 19 further comprises an article of footwear according to any of Articles 11 to 17, comprising a sole structure attached to an upper, and a tensioning device disposed within the sole structure and movable on a cable to selectively move between a tightened state and a loose state.

[0193] In Clause 20, the footwear article of Clause 19, wherein the cable includes a first strand forming the first portion of the cable and a second strand forming the second portion of the cable, the first strand and the second strand being arranged through a tensioning device.

[0194] This disclosure can be used with many other general-purpose or dedicated computing system environments or configurations. Examples of well-known computing systems, environments, and / or configurations suitable for use with this disclosure include, but are not limited to, personal computers, server computers, handheld or laptop devices, multiprocessor systems, microprocessor-based systems, set-top boxes, programmable consumer electronics, network PCs, minicomputers, mainframe computers, and distributed computing environments that include any of the above systems or devices.

[0195] This disclosure may describe computer-executable instructions, such as program modules, that are executed by computers, in a general context. Generally, program modules include routines, programs, objects, components, data structures, etc., that perform specific tasks or implement specific abstract data types. This disclosure may also describe tasks that are performed in a distributed computing environment, for example, by remote processing units linked over a communication network. In a distributed computing environment, program modules can reside on both local and remote computer storage media, including memory storage devices.

[0196] This disclosure provides technical advantages. In one example, the gesture recognition device 700 may be configured to recognize user input with higher accuracy than conventional sensor devices. Furthermore, the gesture recognition device 700 may be configured to improve gesture recognition capabilities while maintaining low power consumption. In one specific example, the gesture recognition device 700 utilizes the analysis unit 732 to improve gesture recognition accuracy while maintaining low power consumption by selectively setting the analysis unit 732 to operate in low power mode. Thus, the gesture recognition device 700 may be configured to provide an enhanced interface between a human user and an electromechanical device configured to tighten or loosen the fastening mechanism of footwear articles. In one specific example, it may be configured to recognize a double-tap gesture performed by a user on a part of a footwear article with improved accuracy and reduced power consumption, the double-tap gesture being converted into a signal configured to actuate a motor such as a motor 760.

[0197] The various embodiments described herein may be implemented by general-purpose or dedicated computer hardware. For example, the computer hardware may include a processor (also known as a microprocessor) having one or more processing cores configured to enable parallel processing / execution of instructions. Thus, the various disclosures described herein may be implemented as software coding, and those skilled in the computer field will recognize the various coding languages ​​that may be used with the disclosures described herein. Furthermore, the disclosures described herein may be used for the implementation of application-specific integrated circuits (ASICs) or for the implementation of various electronic components (also known as off-the-shelf components), including conventional electronic circuits. Furthermore, those skilled in the art will understand that the various descriptions contained herein may be implemented as data signals transmitted using various different techniques and processes. For example, it can be understood that the descriptions of the various disclosures described herein include one or more streams of data signals, data instructions, or requests, which are physically transmitted as bits or symbols represented by different voltage levels, currents, electromagnetic waves, magnetic fields, optical fields, or combinations thereof.

[0198] One or more disclosures described herein may include a computer program product having a computer-readable medium containing instructions, which, when executed by a processor, is configured to perform one or more methods, techniques, systems, or embodiments described herein. Thus, the instructions stored on the computer-readable medium may include actions performed to perform various steps of the methods, techniques, systems, or embodiments described herein. Furthermore, the computer-readable medium may include a storage medium containing instructions configured to be processed by a computing device, in particular a processor associated with the computing device. Such computer-readable media may include forms of persistent or volatile memory, such as hard disk drives (HDDs), solid-state drives (SSDs), optical disks (CD-ROMs, DVDs), tape drives, floppy disks, ROMs, RAMs, EPROMs, EEPROMs, DRAMs, VRAMs, flash memory, RAID devices, remote data storage (such as cloud storage), or any other media type or storage device suitable for storing data. Furthermore, combinations of different types of storage media may be implemented as hybrid storage devices. In one implementation, the first storage medium may have priority over the second storage medium, and different workloads may be implemented by storage media with different priorities.

[0199] Furthermore, a computer-readable medium may store software code / instructions configured to control one or more general-purpose or dedicated computers. Such software may be used to facilitate an interface between a user and a computing device and may include device drivers, operating systems, and applications. Thus, a computer-readable medium may store software code / instructions configured to perform one or more implementations described herein.

[0200] Those skilled in the art will understand that various exemplary logic blocks, modules, circuits, techniques, or method steps of the embodiments described herein may be implemented as electronic hardware devices, computer software, or a combination thereof. Thus, various exemplary modules / components are described throughout this disclosure in terms of general functionality, and in this case, those skilled in the art will understand that the described disclosures may be implemented as hardware, software, or a combination of both.

[0201] One or more implementations described throughout this disclosure may utilize logic blocks, modules, and circuits that can be implemented or run using general-purpose processors, digital signal processors (DSPs), application-specific integrated circuits (ASICs), field-programmable gate arrays (FPGAs) or other programmable logic devices, discrete gate or transistor logic, discrete hardware components, or any combination thereof designed to perform the functions described herein. A general-purpose processor may be a microprocessor, or any conventional processor, controller, microcontroller, or state machine. A processor may also be implemented as a combination of computing devices, such as a combination of a DSP and a microprocessor, a combination of multiple microprocessors, one or more microprocessors in use with a DSP core, or any other such configuration.

[0202] The techniques or steps of the methods described in relation to the embodiments disclosed herein may be embodied directly in hardware, software executed by a processor, or a combination of the two. In some embodiments, any of the software modules, software layers, or threads described herein may include an engine comprising firmware or software and hardware configured to perform the embodiments described herein. The functions of the software modules or software layers described herein may be embodied directly in hardware, as software executed by a processor, or as a combination of the two. The software modules may reside in RAM memory, flash memory, ROM memory, EPROM memory, EEPROM memory, registers, hard disks, removable disks, CD-ROMs, or any other form of storage medium known in the art. An exemplary storage medium is coupled to a processor so that the processor can read data from and write data to the storage medium. Alternatively, the storage medium may be integrated into the processor. The processor and storage medium may reside in an ASIC. The ASIC may reside in a user device. Alternatively, the processor and storage medium may reside as separate components in a user device.

[0203] In one embodiment, the footwear article may include a motor configured to operate the lacing system of the footwear article. The footwear article may further include a gesture recognition device configured to detect a gesture made by the user to activate the motor. The gesture recognition device may include a sensor unit having an accelerometer sensor and a buffer module, and an analysis unit operably communicating with the sensor unit. The analysis unit may be configured to execute a gesture confirmation algorithm that confirms or rejects possible gesture event data received from the buffer module as a true gesture event. If the gesture confirmation algorithm confirms the possible gesture event data as a true gesture event, the analysis unit may output a signal to activate the motor.

[0204] The sensor unit may further include a processor and a non-temporary computer-readable medium containing computer-executable instructions configured to receive an operating mode signal when executed by the processor and to selectively set the operating mode of the sensor unit to continuous mode or first-in, first-out mode in response to the reception of the operating mode signal. The computer-executable instructions may further include receiving accelerometer data from the accelerometer sensor, storing the received accelerometer data in a buffer module, executing an algorithm for detecting possible gesture events in the received accelerometer data, and outputting an interrupt signal in response to the detection of possible gesture events in the received accelerometer data. When the sensor unit is set to continuous mode, the most recent datum of the received accelerometer data can be stored in an empty memory unit in the buffer or replaced with the oldest datum stored in the buffer. When the sensor unit is set to first-in, first-out mode, the received accelerometer data is stored in the buffer module until the buffer module is full.

[0205] The aforementioned processor for the footwear article may be a first processor, and the non-temporary computer-readable medium may be a first non-temporary computer-readable medium. The analysis unit may include a hardware interrupt input configured to receive an interrupt signal from the sensor unit, a second processor, and a second non-temporary computer-readable medium containing a computer-executable instruction, and when the computer-executable instruction is executed by the second processor, a timer with a predetermined timer duration is started when an interrupt signal is received at the hardware interrupt input. The computer-executable instruction may further include setting the operating mode signal of the sensor unit to first-in, first-out mode after a predetermined timeout period has elapsed. The computer-executable instruction may further include receiving stored accelerometer data from the buffer module as possible gesture event data, executing a gesture confirmation algorithm to confirm or reject the possible gesture event data as a true gesture event, and outputting an operating mode signal to the sensor unit to set the sensor's operating mode to continuous mode.

[0206] A true gesture event could be a user double-tapping the structure to which the sensor unit is attached. This structure to which the sensor unit is attached could form part of a footwear item.

[0207] The gesture confirmation algorithm can identify possible gesture events as true gesture events immediately after identifying the first impulse response, the low-dispersion state following the first impulse response and persisting between the lower and upper time thresholds, and the second impulse response following the low-dispersion state in the received accelerometer data.

[0208] The buffer module may be a first buffer module, and the analysis unit may further include a second buffer module.

[0209] The identification of a first or second impulse response by a gesture confirmation algorithm may further include identifying the high variance rate of possible gesture event data, storing a subset of possible gesture event data in a second buffer module, performing a Fast Fourier Transform operation to determine the frequency content of the subset of possible gesture event data and the second buffer module, and identifying an energy threshold for the frequency content within a given impulse frequency band.

[0210] The Fast Fourier Transform operation may be a partial Fast Fourier Transform that evaluates the frequency content of the subset of the possible gesture event data over a frequency range of 0 to 100 Hz.

[0211] The energy threshold in the impulse frequency band may be 70%, or it may be in the range of 10 to 100 Hz.

[0212] The impulse frequency band may include the sensor unit's natural frequency / attenuation natural frequency.

[0213] A subset of possible gesture event data can be stored in a second buffer module as a rolling window via the received possible gesture event data.

[0214] The lower time threshold is 0.05 seconds, and the upper time threshold can be 1.0 seconds.

[0215] In another embodiment, a non-temporary computer-readable medium containing a computer-executable instruction may be configured such that, when the computer-executable instruction is executed by a processor, a timer with a predetermined timeout period is started at least immediately after receiving an interrupt signal from a sensor unit, and when the predetermined timer duration has elapsed, an operating mode signal is output to the sensor unit to set the operating mode of the sensor unit to first-in, first-out mode, thereby, when the sensor unit is set to first-in, first-out mode, the accelerometer data generated by the sensor unit is stored in the buffer module until the buffer module is full. The computer-executable instruction may further receive the accelerometer data stored in the buffer module from the buffer module as possible gesture event data, execute a gesture confirmation algorithm to confirm or reject the possible gesture event data as a true gesture event, and in response to confirming the possible event data as a true gesture event, a signal indicating that the user has performed a true gesture event is output on a hardware output signal port.

[0216] A true gesture event could be a user double-tapping the structure to which the sensor unit is coupled.

[0217] The gesture verification algorithm can identify possible gesture event data as true gesture events immediately after identifying a first impulse response, a low-dispersion state following the first impulse response and persisting between the lower and upper time thresholds, and a second impulse response following the low-dispersion state from possible gesture event data.

[0218] It is possible that the first impulse response or the second impulse response is identified by a gesture confirmation algorithm, which further includes identifying the occurrence rate of high dispersion of possible gesture event data, storing a subset of possible gesture event data in a buffer module, performing a fast Fourier transform operation to determine the frequency content of the subset of possible gesture event data in the buffer module, and identifying a threshold of energy of frequency content within a predetermined impulse frequency band.

[0219] The fast Fourier transform operation can be a partial fast Fourier transform that evaluates the frequency content of a subset of possible gesture event data over a frequency range of 0 to 100 Hz.

[0220] The threshold of energy of the impulse frequency band may be 70% and may be in the range of 10 to 100 Hz.

[0221] The impulse frequency band can include the attenuation natural frequency / natural frequency of the sensor unit.

[0222] A subset of possible gesture event data can be stored in the second buffer as a rolling window via the possible gesture event data.

[0223] The lower time threshold is 0.05 seconds and the upper time threshold can be 1.0 seconds.

[0224] A signal indicating that the user has performed a true gesture event may activate an external motor device.

[0225] In yet another embodiment, the gesture recognition device includes an analysis unit, which may further include a non-transient computer-readable medium containing a hardware interrupt input, a hardware output signal port, a processor, and computer-executable instructions executed by the processor. The computer-executable instructions may be configured to start a timer having a predetermined timer duration when an interrupt signal is received at the hardware interrupt input. The instructions may further include outputting an operating mode signal to a sensor unit after the predetermined timer duration has elapsed to set the sensor's operating mode to first-in, first-out mode, and once the sensor unit is set to first-in, first-out mode, accelerometer data generated by the sensor unit may be stored in the buffer module until the buffer module is full. The computer-executable instructions may further include receiving the stored accelerometer data from the buffer module as possible gesture event data, executing a gesture confirmation algorithm to confirm or reject the possible gesture event data as a true gesture event, and outputting a signal at the hardware output signal port indicating that the user has performed a true gesture event in response to confirming the possible gesture event data as a true gesture event. conclusion

[0226] The aspects of the embodiments are described in terms of their exemplary embodiments. A person skilled in the art will, by reading this disclosure, come up with many other embodiments, changes, and modifications within the scope of the appended claims and spirit. For example, a person skilled in the art will recognize that the steps shown in the exemplary drawings may be performed in a different order than described, and that one or more of the steps shown may be optional according to the aspects of the embodiments.

[0227] Therefore, the present invention is not limited to the embodiments disclosed herein, but is understood from the following claims, which should be interpreted as broadly as possible to the extent permitted by law.

[0228] [Cross-reference of related applications] This application claims priority to the U.S. Provisional Patent Application No. 63 / 130,059, titled “Gesture Recognition Device for Activating Footwear Motors,” filed on 23 December 2020, and the U.S. Provisional Patent Application No. 17 / 556,399, titled “Gesture Recognition Device for Activating Footwear Motors,” filed on 20 December 2021, the entirety of which is incorporated herein by reference for any and all non-limiting purposes.

Claims

1. Footwear, consisting of an upper and A motor configured to operate the lace-up system of the footwear item, A sensor unit comprising an accelerometer sensor and a sensor unit buffer module, The analysis unit includes an analysis unit that communicates operably with the aforementioned sensor unit, and the analysis unit further includes A hardware interrupt input configured to receive an interrupt signal from the aforementioned sensor unit, Hardware output signal port, Processor and A non-temporary computer-readable medium containing computer-executable instructions, wherein the computer-executable instructions, when executed by the processor, A step of outputting an operating mode signal to the sensor unit in order to set the operating mode of the sensor unit, wherein the output operating mode signal expands the stored history of the sensor unit. The steps include receiving the stored accelerometer data as gesture event data from the sensor unit buffer module, The steps include executing a gesture verification algorithm to verify or reject the gesture event data as a true gesture event, A footwear article configured to perform the steps of: confirming the gesture event data as a true gesture event; and outputting a signal at the hardware output signal port to activate the motor.

2. The processor is a first processor, the non-temporary computer-readable medium is a first non-temporary computer-readable medium, and the sensor unit is further, The second processor, The system comprises a second non-temporary computer-readable medium containing computer-executable instructions, wherein the computer-executable instructions, when executed by the second processor, The steps include receiving the aforementioned operating mode signal and, in response to the reception of the aforementioned operating mode signal, selectively setting the operating mode of the sensor unit to continuous mode or first-in, first-out mode, The steps include receiving accelerometer data from the accelerometer sensor, The steps include storing the received accelerometer data in the sensor unit buffer module, The steps include: executing an algorithm to detect gesture events in the received accelerometer data; The system is configured to perform the steps of: detecting the gesture event in the received accelerometer data and outputting the interrupt signal; When the sensor unit is set to the continuous mode, the latest datum of the received accelerometer data is stored in the free memory unit within the sensor unit buffer module, or replaces the oldest datum stored in the sensor unit buffer module. The footwear article according to claim 1, wherein when the sensor unit is set to the first-in, first-out mode, the received accelerometer data is stored in the sensor unit buffer module in the order it was received until the sensor unit buffer module is full, and thereafter the remaining received accelerometer data is not stored in the sensor unit buffer module.

3. The footwear article according to claim 1, wherein the true gesture event is a double tap by the user on the structure to which the sensor unit is coupled.

4. The footwear article according to claim 1, wherein the sensor unit is set to first-in, first-out operation mode after a predetermined duration has elapsed.

5. The aforementioned gesture confirmation algorithm is: Among the received and stored accelerometer data The first impulse response and, A low-dispersion state following the first impulse response, wherein the accelerometer data is below the magnitude of the first threshold acceleration and persists between the lower time threshold and the upper time threshold, The footwear article according to claim 1, wherein the gesture event data is identified as the true gesture event upon identification of a second impulse response following the low-dispersion state.

6. The footwear article according to claim 5, wherein the analysis unit further comprises an analysis unit buffer module.

7. The identification of the first impulse response or the second impulse response by the gesture confirmation algorithm further includes: The steps include identifying the frequency of high variance in the gesture event data where the accelerometer data exceeds the magnitude of a second threshold acceleration, The steps include storing a subset of the gesture event data in the analysis unit buffer module, The analysis unit buffer module includes the step of performing a Fast Fourier Transform operation to determine the frequency content of the subset of the gesture event data, The footwear article according to claim 6, comprising the step of identifying an energy threshold of the frequency content in the impulse frequency band.

8. The footwear article according to claim 7, wherein the Fast Fourier Transform operation is a partial Fast Fourier Transform that evaluates the frequency content of the subset of the gesture event data over a frequency range of 0 to 100 Hz.

9. The footwear article according to claim 8, wherein the energy threshold is 70% and the impulse frequency band is 10 to 100 Hz.

10. The footwear article according to claim 8, wherein the impulse frequency band includes the attenuation intrinsic circuit frequency of the sensor unit.

11. The footwear article according to claim 8, wherein the subset of the gesture event data is stored in the analysis unit buffer module while the analysis unit buffer module is in first-in, first-out mode.

12. The footwear article according to claim 5, wherein the lower time threshold is 0.05 seconds and the upper time threshold is 1.0 seconds.

13. A non-temporary computer-readable medium containing computer-executable instructions, wherein, when executed by a processor, at least, A step of outputting an operating mode signal to the sensor unit to set the operating mode of the sensor unit to a first-in, first-out mode, wherein when the sensor unit is set to the first-in, first-out mode, the accelerometer data generated by the sensor unit is stored in the sensor unit buffer module in the order it is received until the sensor unit buffer module is full, and thereafter the remaining received accelerometer data is not stored in the sensor unit buffer module. The steps include receiving accelerometer data stored in the sensor unit buffer module as gesture event data from the sensor unit buffer module, The steps include executing a gesture verification algorithm to verify or reject the gesture event data as a true gesture event, A non-temporary computer-readable medium that performs the steps of: outputting a signal at a hardware output signal port indicating that a user has performed the true gesture event in response to acknowledging the gesture event data as a true gesture event.

14. The non-temporary computer-readable medium according to claim 13, wherein the true gesture event is a double tap by the user on the structure to which the sensor unit is coupled.

15. The aforementioned gesture confirmation algorithm is: In the aforementioned gesture event data The first impulse response and, A low-dispersion state following the first impulse response, wherein the accelerometer data is below the magnitude of the first threshold acceleration and persists between the lower time threshold and the upper time threshold, The non-transient computer-readable medium according to claim 14, which identifies the gesture event data as the true gesture event by identifying the second impulse response following the low-dispersion state.

16. The step of identifying the first impulse response or the second impulse response using the gesture confirmation algorithm is: The steps include identifying the frequency of high variance in the gesture event data where the accelerometer data exceeds the magnitude of a second threshold acceleration, The steps include storing a subset of the gesture event data in a buffer module, The buffer module includes the step of performing a Fast Fourier Transform operation to determine the frequency content of the subset of the gesture event data, A non-temporary computer-readable medium according to claim 15, comprising the step of identifying an energy threshold of the frequency content in an impulse frequency band.

17. The non-temporary computer-readable medium according to claim 16, wherein the Fast Fourier Transform operation is a partial Fast Fourier Transform that evaluates the frequency content of the subset of the gesture event data over a frequency range of 0 to 100 Hz.

18. The non-transient computer-readable medium according to claim 16, wherein the energy threshold is 70% and the impulse frequency band is 10 to 100 Hz.

19. A non-temporary computer-readable medium according to claim 15, wherein the lower time threshold is 0.05 seconds and the upper time threshold is 1.0 second.

20. A gesture recognition device, It includes an analysis unit, and the analysis unit further includes Hardware interrupt input and Hardware output signal port, Processor and A non-temporary computer-readable medium containing computer-executable instructions, wherein the computer-executable instructions, when executed by the processor, A step of outputting an operating mode signal to the sensor unit to set the operating mode of the sensor unit to a first-in, first-out mode, wherein when the sensor unit is set to the first-in, first-out mode, the accelerometer data generated by the sensor unit is stored in the sensor unit buffer module in the order it is received until the sensor unit buffer module is full, and thereafter the remaining received accelerometer data is not stored in the sensor unit buffer module. The steps include receiving the stored accelerometer data as gesture event data from the sensor unit buffer module, The steps include executing a gesture verification algorithm to verify or reject the gesture event data as a true gesture event, A gesture recognition device configured to perform the steps of: confirming the gesture event data as a true gesture event; and outputting a signal at the hardware output signal port indicating that the user has performed the true gesture event.

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