Smart Sensing Insoles

Abstract

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

Description

Technical Field

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

Background Art

[0002] Since the feet support the weight of the body, according to medical literature and related research, there is a close relationship between the feet and the health of the body. Also, plantar pressure is an important indicator of walking pattern. Therefore, measuring plantar pressure distribution has important indicative significance in fields such as biomechanics, rehabilitation medicine, physical training, shoe manufacturing, etc. However, there are spatial limitations in the currently used pressure measurement boards and measurement tables. Also, conventional sensors for measuring plantar pressure have a sensing unit that comes into contact with the human foot and is prone to wear due to frequent contact with the sole. Therefore, they are not suitable for long-term wearing and measurement and cannot provide sufficient health information.

[0003] Prior art Patent Document 1 includes a pressure sensor, a temperature sensor, and a humidity sensor. However, the pressure sensor, temperature sensor, and humidity sensor are formed on the surface of the insole body and not formed inside the layer, so the sensors are prone to wear and have the drawback that the user feels uncomfortable. Also, each sensor can have length, width, and thickness dimensions of 1 mm × 3 mm × 0.02 mm, but needless to say, since each uses an individual device, it does not have mass production efficiency. Moreover, they do not target specific sites. That is, the priority of the configuration is not considered based on cost-effectiveness, and no specific position for arranging the sensors is determined. That is, since this prior art has a random configuration, data of important positions cannot be obtained and distortion occurs.

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

[0005] [Patent Document 1] Taiwan Patent Application Publication No. 201729704 [Overview of the Initiative] [Problems that the invention aims to solve]

[0006] This invention enables the complete measurement of information from the foot. The objective of this invention is to provide a smart insole that improves sensing effectiveness. [Means for solving the problem]

[0007] This invention discloses a smart sensing insole. The insole has a pressure sensing layer that includes an arrangement of longitudinal and transverse guides. The intersections of the longitudinal and transverse guides become sensing points, which detect changes in pressure and positional distribution when the pressure on the foot changes. The area of ​​the sensing points occupies 3 to 50% of the total area of ​​the bottom of the insole. Factors to consider regarding the placement of the sensing points include pressure peak locations, pressure center regions, or arch locations. The first position range (preferred placement) includes the big toe region, the first toe joint region, the fifth toe joint region, and the heel region. The second position range (second placement) includes the middle toe joint region, the heel-side region of the lateral longitudinal arch, the central region of the transverse arch, and the transverse arch-side region of the lateral longitudinal arch. The third position range (last placement) includes the transverse arch-side region of the medial longitudinal arch and the heel-side region of the medial longitudinal arch.

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

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

[0010] In one embodiment, the foot sensing module collects foot information to acquire individual foot pressure information and construct a relationship between movement and foot pressure, and can display it instantly via a mobile device. The foot sensing module is connected to one or any combination of a pressure sensing device, inertial sensor, infrared sensor, accelerometer, gyroscope, and GPS. By processing all the foot information, it is possible to acquire data on foot pressure distribution and foot blood circulation status.

[0011] In a further aspect of the present invention, it is possible to achieve accurate measurement of pressure and movement. Whether it is uphill or downhill movement, the accurate detection of data is advantageous for movement analysis. The present invention enables movement detection and management and provides details of each history. Based on the above, the present invention can solve the shortcomings of the prior art. According to one aspect of the present invention, it is possible to collect foot information and store it in a cloud big data database via a portable device. [Brief explanation of the drawing]

[0012] [Figure 1] Figure 1 shows a schematic diagram of the configuration of the present invention. [Figure 2A] Figure 2A shows the pressure sensing layer provided in the present invention. [Figure 2B] Figure 2B shows the pressure sensing layer provided in the present invention. [Figure 3] Figure 3 shows a functional block diagram of the smart sensing insole and portable device according to the present invention. [Figure 4] Figure 4 shows a functional block diagram of the cloud server and mobile device in the present invention. [Modes for carrying out the invention]

[0013] Herein, the present invention provides a detailed description of specific embodiments and aspects thereof. These descriptions are intended to interpret and explain the structure or step flow of the present invention and do not limit the scope of the claims. Therefore, the present invention is broadly implementable in other different embodiments besides the specific embodiments and preferred embodiments described herein. Embodiments of the present invention are described below by specific embodiments. Those skilled in the art will be able to understand the effects and advantages of the present invention from the disclosures herein. Furthermore, the present invention can be operated and implemented by other specific embodiments. Each detail detailed herein is applicable to different needs, and various different modifications or additions may be made as long as they do not deviate from the spirit of the invention.

[0014] This invention integrates artificial intelligence (AI) with dynamic sensing technology to eliminate discomfort when the user wears shoes, while accurately recording and analyzing the condition of the foot, providing the user with the most complete health management information. The immediate feedback of information via the application program (APP) not only assists in comprehensive exercise management, but also enables risk reduction by analyzing various characteristic data using exercise history and fully evaluating the condition. This is an indispensable tool for performing exercise and health management. In one embodiment, the plantar pressure sensing of this invention includes a pressure sensing board, which acquires pressure values ​​during the measurement process and subsequently acquires plantar pressure parameters and a pressure distribution map through processing.

[0015] Figure 1 shows a schematic diagram of the configuration of the present invention, including a cloud server 107 electrically connected to a big data database 108. In the present invention, foot information is collected using a smart sensing insole 101, and the user's foot pressure, blood oxygen (described later), etc., can be monitored. The smart sensing insole 101 is communicably connected to a portable device (e.g., an external computing electronic device such as a smartphone or tablet PC) 103. The present invention also includes an application program installed on the portable device. The application program includes commands for receiving and transmitting data between the smart sensing insole 101, the portable device 103, and the cloud server 107. The above application program can operate on an Android, Windows, or iOS operating system platform and can upload and store the collected relevant data / signals on the cloud server 107. Furthermore, it generates foot information through data analysis and computational processing and presents health management advice.

[0016] Figure 2A shows a plan view of the insole, in which the pressure sensing layer 12 is embedded inside the insole 10. The pressure sensing layer 12 includes a plurality of pressure sensors 12a. Each pressure sensor 12a is used as a sensing point to sense the change in pressure and positional distribution when the pressure on the foot changes. The pressure sensors 12a are electrically connected to the sensing module 16 via wires 24. The shape of the pressure sensors 12a includes rectangles, triangles, circles, pentagons, hexagons, or any of the appropriate shapes. The pressure sensors 12a may be resistive type, where the resistance changes when deformed under pressure, and the magnitude of the pressure is calculated using the change in resistance. The pressure sensing layer 12 is integrated into the insole 10 by a one-piece molding method. The insole 10 may include a polyester thermoplastic elastomer layer (TPEE). The insole 10 may also include an arch pad 14 integrated therein. The sensing module 16 is used to collect, process, and transmit the electronic signals from the plurality of pressure sensors 12a. The sensing module 16 is either built-in within the arch pad 14 of the insole or integrally molded within the insole 10, thus avoiding or minimizing contact and irritation to the wearer's foot.

[0017] In one embodiment, the smart sensing insole 101 of the present invention includes a pressure sensing layer 109 (shown in Figure 2) for detecting plantar pressure, left and right foot pressure distribution, gait, and pitch, and in one embodiment, a pressure board may be used. The present invention has a pressure sensing layer 109 embedded in the insole. The pressure sensing layer 109 includes an array arrangement composed of longitudinal wires 1091 and transverse wires 1092. The intersections of the longitudinal wires 1091 and transverse wires 1092 become individual pressure sensing points (sensors) that detect pressure data and positional distribution when the pressure on the foot changes. The pressure sensing layer 109 is electrically connected to a sensing module via wires. It should be noted that the longitudinal wires 1091 include vertical wires and longitudinally inclined wires with a longitudinal inclination angle of 1 to 30 degrees relative to the vertical. Furthermore, the lateral guide lines 1092 include horizontal guide lines and lateral inclined guide lines with a lateral inclination angle of 1 to 30 degrees relative to the horizontal direction. The vertical guide lines 1091 and lateral guide lines 1092 described above divide the area of ​​the insole into at least 10 to 120 sections, taking into account the sensing density to be arranged. To achieve both cost-effectiveness and a desirable sensing density, in one embodiment, 20 to 100 sections are constructed, and in another embodiment, 30 to 80 sections are constructed. The vertical and lateral inclined guide lines are arranged so as to match the matrix and the shape of the sole of the foot. In addition, the vertical or lateral inclined guide lines may include straight lines or curves. The area of ​​the sensing points occupies 3 to 50% of the total area of ​​the bottom of the insole, and in another embodiment, occupies 10 to 40%. These values ​​were obtained by conducting multiple experiments with experimental and control groups, and it was verified that the range of the area does not cause discomfort to the user and does not degrade sensing performance. This invention makes it possible to collect information on pressure distribution and confirm the position of the center of pressure. This allows for determination of whether the center of pressure is uneven when the user is standing, and by detecting abnormalities in the pressure distribution, it becomes possible to alert the user to their walking posture.

[0018] From this research and the accumulation of experience, the placement positions of pressure sensing can be divided into at least three position ranges. Since having too many sensors is disadvantageous for obtaining favorable data, the sensors should be placed at effective locations. From this research and the accumulation of experience, the placement positions can be divided into at least three position ranges, and the pressure peak position, the pressure center region, and each position of the arch are the main consideration factors. The first position range 1000 is the first priority placement range and includes the hallux region, the first metatarsophalangeal joint region, the fifth metatarsophalangeal joint region, and the heel region. The second position range 2000 is the second priority placement range and includes the middle metatarsophalangeal joint region, the heel-side region of the lateral longitudinal arch, the central region of the transverse arch, and the transverse arch-side region of the lateral longitudinal arch. The third position range 3000 is the third priority placement range and includes the transverse arch-side region of the medial longitudinal arch and the heel-side region of the medial longitudinal arch. Based on cost and effectiveness, they can be placed in the above order, and the number can be arranged accordingly. Also, when more are needed, they can be placed in other regions outside the above three position ranges.

[0019] Figure 2 is a schematic diagram. For the sake of easily illustrating the longitudinal conductor 1091 and the transverse conductor 1092, those spanning the ranges 1000, 2000, and 3000 are not described, but actually they may span the above ranges.

[0020] The longitudinal conductor 1091 and the transverse conductor 1092 constitute an array arrangement, and the intersection of the two lines forms a pressure sensing point. In one embodiment, the pressure sensing layer 109 may include resistive pressure sensing elements. The resistive pressure sensing lines are composed of conductive polymers. The conductive polymer changes its resistance according to the change in pressure. When force is applied, conductive particles become contactable, increasing the current passing through the sensing line, and the pressure value is calculated. Also, in another embodiment, capacitive pressure sensing is adopted. In capacitive pressure sensing, a diaphragm is used to separate the vertical conductor and the horizontal conductor. When the diaphragm is deformed by pressure, the gap between the diaphragm and the two conductors changes, and further the capacitance changes, and the magnitude of the pressure is calculated from the change in capacitance.

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

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

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

[0024] The smart sensing insole 101 communicates with an external portable device 103. The smart sensing insole 101 includes a foot sensing module 116 built into the arch of the insole to receive and analyze foot pressure distribution and blood circulation data of the foot. It also transmits the above data to a computing device or server at a remote terminal via a wireless transmit / receive (TX / RX) module 132 located within the foot sensing module 116.

[0025] The foot sensing module 116 is capable of executing software applications and includes a microprocessor and a memory unit. The microprocessor may be a microcontroller, a digital signal processor (DSP), an application-specific integrated circuit (ASIC), a programmable logic circuit, or other digital data processing device that performs processing and calculations in accordance with the present invention by executing instructions. The microprocessor is capable of executing various application programs stored in the memory unit. This includes the execution of firmware algorithms. The memory unit may also include read-only memory (ROM), random access memory (RAM), electrically erasable and rewritable ROM (EEPROM), flash memory, or any memory commonly used in computers.

[0026] Figure 3 shows a case where a wireless transmit / receive (TX / RX) module 132 transmits / receives data from a foot sensing module 116. In one embodiment, the wireless transmit / receive module 132 may be a Bluetooth®, WiFi, or similar wireless data transmit / receiver. In other words, the wireless transmit / receive module 132 conforms to a wireless communication standard (e.g., WiFi, Bluetooth, RFID, NFC, 5G, or some other future wireless communication standard). The foot sensing module 116 may be electrically connected to a pressure sensor 138 in the pressure sensing layer 109 via connection terminals, or it may be connected to an infrared sensor 139, an inertial sensor 140. The foot sensing module 116 further includes a processing system (e.g., one or more microprocessors), memory, etc.

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

[0028] The portable device 103 includes a processor 142 and a user interface 143, an internet interface 144, and a storage device 146, each connected to the processor 142. The user interface 143 includes one or more input devices (e.g., a touchscreen, an audio input device, etc.), one or more audio output devices (e.g., a speaker, etc.), and / or one or more visual output devices. The internet interface 144 includes one or more internet devices (e.g., a wireless LAN (WLAN) device, a wired LAN device, a wireless WAN (WWAN) device, etc.). The storage device 146 includes a flash memory device. The wireless transmit / receive (TX / RX) module 145 is capable of transmitting / receiving data with the wireless transmit / receive (TX / RX) module 132.

[0029] In one embodiment, the big data database 108 is connected to the cloud server 107. Referring to Figures 1 and 4, the big data database 108 is electrically connected to the AI ​​computing module 148. In one embodiment, the AI ​​computing module 148 provided in the cloud server 107 is capable of analyzing the information data collected by the big data database 108. The AI ​​algorithm may include a series of steps: pre-filtering and normalization processing of the input signal, extraction of time-domain and frequency-domain characteristics, and output of classification results using a convolutional neural network (CNN) model. The cloud server 107 similarly includes a user interface 143a, an internet interface 144a, and a storage device 146a, each connected to the processor 142a. In one embodiment, appropriate health management is performed by accurately detecting data using insoles, regardless of the type of exercise. Furthermore, exercise analysis is performed after AI analysis using data such as the user's weight, speed, and pressure. These are functions that cannot be achieved with conventional insole technology or sports watches.

[0030] From another perspective, by combining a computing system with the portable device 103 and processing data from sensors inside the shoe, it becomes possible to analyze pressure distribution, gait, pitch, and center of pressure (COP). Foot pressure distribution plays a crucial role when humans move. Furthermore, foot shape and walking (running) posture affect changes in the human body's posture and skeleton, as well as the performance and limits of athletes. The insole with an integrally molded sandwich-type sensor provided in this invention, when placed inside a shoe, can acquire parameter data of the foot pressure distribution of many users over time and space. This data is then uploaded to an external computing device (e.g., smartphone, PC, computer server, etc.) via wireless transmission for calculation and analysis, and stored in a cloud system to form a related big data database. Conventional technologies lack visualization / data-based learning criteria to allow users to clearly understand each detail of their movement state. Therefore, this invention assists users in understanding the foot pressure distribution and adjusting their walking posture, and also provides detailed trajectories during movement.

[0031] Furthermore, the smart sensing insole provided in this invention can be integrated with an infrared sensor 139 to provide synchronized information on the user's blood circulation status. This eliminates the conventional limitation that data acquisition and analysis are only possible at medical institutions and exercise research institutions, allowing more users to obtain personalized foot information. In one embodiment, the above data is transmitted wirelessly. By combining it with an application program APP, it can be displayed immediately, achieving visualization of the above data. In this invention, the analytical data accumulated in the big data database 108 can not only be provided for consumers' own health management, but can also be used in collaboration with other industries to provide foot sole information as a reference for hospitals and the shoe industry. Moreover, the big data database 108 uses blockchain as its communication architecture. This makes it impossible to alter the data and encrypts the transmission.

[0032] The present invention includes a wireless charging induction coil located on one side of the smart sensing insole 101 so that the power required for the smart sensing insole can be supplied by wireless charging. Needless to say, the smart sensing insole 101 has a rechargeable battery and an electrical supply module. In another embodiment, the wireless transmit / receive (TX / RX) module 132 may be replaced with a USB (Universal Serial Bus) connection port for data transmission and wired charging, or both may be used.

[0033] The above embodiments are merely for illustrative purposes and are not limiting. While the present invention and its effects have been described in detail with reference to the above embodiments, those skilled in the art should understand the following: Namely, the descriptions of each of the above embodiments may be modified, or some technical features may be replaced with equivalent ones. Furthermore, such modifications or replacements will not cause the essence of the corresponding technical solution to deviate from the claims of the present invention. [Explanation of Symbols]

[0034] 10 Insoles 12 Pressure sensing layer 12a Pressure sensing layer 14 Arch Pad 16 Sensing Modules 24 Conductor 101 Smart Sensing Insoles 103 Mobile devices 105 Cloud Network 107 Cloud Servers 108 Big Data Databases 109 Pressure Sensing Layer 116 Foot Sensing Module 132 Wireless Transmitter / Receiver Module 138 Pressure Sensor 139 Infrared Sensor 140 Inertial Sensors 142,142a processor 143,143a User Interface 144,144a Internet Interface 145 Wireless Transmitter / Receiver Module 146,146a Storage device 148 AI Computation Modules 1091 Vertical conductor 1092 Lateral conductor

Claims

1. It is a smart sensing insole, A sensing module placed inside the insole, A pressure sensing layer including a sensing array, wherein the sensing array is A vertical conductive line, comprising a vertical conductive line and an inclined conductive line connected to the vertical conductive line, wherein the inclined conductive line includes a curve, A pressure sensing layer comprising a lateral conductive line and a pressure sensing layer, wherein the intersection of the longitudinal conductive line and the lateral conductive line functions as a pressure sensor that senses changes in pressure as a sensing point, the pressure sensor is connected to the sensing module, and the area of ​​the sensing point occupies 3 to 50% or 3 to 70% of the total area of ​​the bottom of the insole. An inertial sensor connected to the sensing module, A wireless charging coil is placed inside the insole and connected to the sensing module, A smart sensing insole including a wireless transmit / receive module connected to the sensing module.

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

3. A smart sensing insole according to claim 1, comprising an infrared sensor, GPS, or any combination thereof.

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

5. The smart sensing insole according to claim 4, wherein the external portable device is connected to a cloud server, and the cloud server includes the steps performed by an AI computing module to pre-filter and normalize the input signal, extract time-domain and frequency-domain characteristics, and output a classification result using a Convolutional Neural Network (CNN) model.

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