Removable Insole Tracking Device for Indoor Outdoor Positioning
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Solution Overview
Problem
Existing personal tracking devices incorporated into footwear face limitations such as limited style options, increased cost, and non-functionality indoors due to satellite signal dependence and battery life issues.
Innovation Solution
A tracking system comprising removable footwear insoles with a short-range tracking device for indoor use and a long-range tracking device for outdoor use, utilizing a location determining device, wireless communication, and a power source, allowing seamless transition between footwear pairs and extended battery life through inductive charging and flexible battery options.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Reliability
If satellite-based tracking devices are used in footwear, then long-range tracking capability is achieved, but the device becomes nonfunctional indoors and battery life is diminished
Solution Approach 1:
The tracking system is segmented into two separate devices: a satellite-based long-range tracking device for outdoor use and a short-range tracking device for indoor use. This segmentation allows each device to be optimized for its specific function, with the satellite device remaining dormant indoors to conserve battery life while the short-range device activates to maintain continuous tracking capability.
Solution Approach 2:
The system employs periodic action by having the satellite tracking device activate only when outdoor conditions are detected, while the short-range device activates when indoor conditions are detected. This periodic switching between tracking modes based on location ensures reliable tracking functionality while minimizing unnecessary battery consumption from continuous satellite signal searching.
2Reliability
If tracking devices are incorporated into specialized footwear with cavities, then tracking functionality is achieved, but style options are limited and cost increases
Solution Approach 1:
The tracking devices are extracted from specialized footwear and placed into removable insoles that can be inserted into conventional footwear. This extraction allows users to maintain their existing footwear collection without modification while gaining tracking functionality, thereby preserving style options and avoiding the need for expensive specialized footwear.
Solution Approach 2:
The removable insole design provides universal compatibility with multiple pairs of conventional footwear. A single tracking device in an insole can be transferred between different shoe styles and occasions, making the tracking system adaptable to various footwear needs without requiring specialized shoes for each tracking scenario.
3Adaptability or versatility
If multiple pairs of GPS-enabled footwear are purchased for different occasions, then tracking functionality is maintained across all footwear, but the cost becomes prohibitive
Solution Approach 1:
The tracking functionality is extracted from the footwear itself and placed in removable insoles that can be shared across multiple shoe pairs. This allows one tracking device to serve multiple footwear options, eliminating the need to purchase separate GPS-enabled shoes for different occasions and significantly reducing the overall cost.
Solution Approach 2:
The removable insole design allows the tracking device to be discarded from one pair of footwear and recovered for use in another pair. This reusable approach replaces the expensive model of purchasing multiple specialized footwear items with a cost-effective solution where a single tracking device serves multiple purposes across different shoe pairs.
Applied Scientific Principles
This section explains which scientific principles are used to turn an abstract innovation direction into a practical engineering solution.
Function Achieved in This Case
Enables reliable tracking both indoors and outdoors without the need for specialized footwear, offering cost-effective and versatile tracking solutions by using removable insoles with integrated short-range and long-range tracking capabilities.
Implementation Method 1
an inductance charging element disposed at least partially within the first insole body and being electrically coupled to the battery
Data Source
AI summary
A novel tracking system is disclosed. In one embodiment, a long-range tracking device is incorporated into a removable footwear insole and a short-range tracking device is incorporated into another removable footwear insole. The long-range tracking device includes a location determining device, a wireless communication device, and a power source. In a more particular embodiment, the location determining device is a GPS receiver, and the communication device is a cellular modem.