KR20160084271A - Smart Insole and Smart Insole-Sensorpack set with combinable and seperable sensorpack for getting information on exercise - Google Patents

Abstract

The present invention relates to a smart insole having a receiving space to insert a sensor pack which can utilize any shoes or even sneakers as so-called ′smart shoes or sneakers′. More specifically, the present invention relates to a smart insole, which comprises a cushion layer used by being mounted in an upper floor inside shoes to protect a foot of a shoes wearer, and buffer an impact affecting the foot; and a smart insole-sensor pack set to obtain exercise information, which has a coupling structure to detach a sensor pack of a predetermined exterior including: an acceleration sensor to obtain exercise information, a communications module, and a battery.

Description

TECHNICAL FIELD [0001] The present invention relates to a smart insole and a smart insole, and more particularly, to a smart insole and a smart insole-sensor pack having a structure in which a sensor pack for acquiring motion information can be mounted and dismounted.

The present invention relates to a smart insole and a smart insole-sensor pack set having a receiving space for inserting a sensor pack, which enables any shoe or athletic shoes to be utilized as so-called 'smart shoes or running shoes'.

"Smart Fashion (Apparel)" was developed in the late 1990s with the support of the US Navy as the first joint venture between Georgia Institute of Technology and Sensatex. The clothes measure and record the vital signs such as respiration and pulse, and transmit them wirelessly to monitor the wearer's heart rate, respiration rate, body temperature and calorie consumption at the remote place as well as at home.

As modern society is rapidly urbanized and digitized, time and opportunities for physical activity and exercise are gradually diminishing. In response to this, there is an example in which a sensor is attached to a sportswear or a sneaker for the purpose of enhancing the exercise effect. By using these sportswear or sneakers, it is possible to perform efficient and continuous exercise according to the exercise amount and exercise method appropriate for different physical condition by individual exercise statistics.

Open Patent Publication 2002-0014005 discloses an information processing apparatus comprising a shoe having a momentum detecting sensor, a web server receiving identification information and exercise data from a sensor of a communication module and a shoe, a member database / momentum database, And provides a system to manage exercise. Here, various sensors and communication modules are attached / built in the front and rear portions of the insole accommodated in the shoe (see FIG. 1A).

Patent Document 10-1120548 discloses a motion information sensing shoe comprising a battery hole formed in a midsole of a shoe, a sensor / controller inserted into the receiving groove, a receiving groove, and a battery inserted into the battery hole.

Patent Document 10-2011-0071727 discloses a film type insole sensor for measuring a change in force applied by a user's foot as a resistance value, an acceleration sensor for measuring an acceleration value in accordance with a change in motion of the user's foot, And a microcontroller for predicting the current state and the momentum of the user by using the value and generating the state information and the momentum information of the user (refer to FIG. 1C).

Patent Document 10-2013-0043428 relates to a sensor unit, an insole sensor having a battery and a communication module incorporated therein (see FIG. 1D).

Meanwhile, Nike and Apple jointly launched a product called "Nike Plus", which includes a sensor pack that wirelessly communicates with an iPhone, etc., and that senses information such as distance, calories, time, And a special " dedicated " special running shoes in which a mounting hole for mounting the sensor pack is formed (see FIG.

However, according to these conventional techniques, sensors for sensing various kinds of exercise-related information are fixedly mounted on an insole or a shoe (prior art except for "NIKE PLUS ") or a sensor pack is independently provided, ("Nike Plus").

When the sensors are fixed on the shoe, the 'shoe' must be used to obtain motion-related information, so that the versatility is poor and it becomes impossible to use, for example, shoe cleaning. In addition, if any of the sensors or complex wires damaged by the bending or excessive impact of the sole is damaged, there is no way to repair it.

When the sensor or the complex wire is damaged due to warping or excessive impact even when the sensor is attached or embedded in the insole, the insole can not exhibit its function and the elasticity of the insole becomes uneven and the user feels inconvenience. In addition, there is a possibility of damage to the electronic device when cleaning the insole, which limits the usability.

In the case of "Nike Plus", it is possible to mount it on the wrist by using a separate mounting means (wrist band or holder) or fix it on any position of other sneakers, even if it is not a dedicated sneaker. However, when used in this way, noise (shaking motion other than the movement of the foot and the amount of the impact applied to the foot) is often generated, making it difficult to obtain accurate exercise-related information.

Published Patent Application No. 2002-0014005 Patent No. 10-1120548 Patent Document No. 10-2011-0071727 Patent Document 10-2013-0043428

https://secure-nikeplus.nike.com/plus/

The present invention can be applied to any footwear (sneakers) without limitation in a smart exercise system that can obtain information about the movement and movement of the foot when walking or exercising. The sensor pack, which can freely wash the insole, The present invention relates to a smart insole for acquiring exercise information having a structure that can be used in a sports game.

It is another object of the present invention to provide a removable smart insole-sensor pack set for obtaining exercise information in a smart exercise system capable of obtaining information on the motion of the foot when exercising.

According to an aspect of the present invention, there is provided an insole including a cushion layer, which is used by being seated on an inner upper floor of a shoe for protecting a foot of a shoe wearer and mitigating impact on the foot, The smart insole for acquiring exercise information is characterized by having a coupling structure in which a sensor pack of a predetermined outer shape including a module and a battery can be attached and detached.

As described above, according to the present invention, any kind of shoes or shoes can be utilized as a so-called 'smart shoe or athletic shoes' by detachably connecting the sensor pack for acquiring motion information to the insole to be used on the shoes.

Figures 1a-1e are drawings or photographs showing examples of insole or running shoes for smart shoes in the prior art.
2A is a photograph showing that medial longitudinal arches are formed inside the sole;
Figure 2b is a photograph showing an example of a functional insole.
FIG. 3A is a conceptual perspective view of a smart insole according to the present invention, and FIG. 3B is a photograph of a production example of a hill for smart insole according to the present invention.
FIG. 4A is a perspective view and a bottom perspective view of a smart insole design example according to the present invention, and FIGS. 4B and 4C are photographs of a bottom surface and an upper surface of a smart insole according to the present invention, respectively.
Figures 5a and 5b are longitudinal cross-sectional views, respectively, of a combined example of a smart insole-sensor pack set according to the present invention, and longitudinal cross-sections illustrating the process of combining a smart insole and a sensor pack.

Hereinafter, the present invention will be described in detail with reference to the accompanying drawings and production examples. It should be understood, however, that the drawings and examples are for illustrative purposes only and are not to be construed as limiting the scope of the present invention. It will be apparent to those skilled in the art that various changes and modifications can be made within the scope of the technical idea of the present invention based on these examples. It is also to be understood that when an element of a claim is referred to by reference to an element, it is for the purpose of illustration only and is not intended to limit the element.

As described above, the smart insole 10 for acquiring exercise information has a coupling structure in which a sensor pack 20 of a predetermined outer shape including an acceleration sensor, a communication module, and a battery for acquiring motion information can be attached and detached. .

The insole 10 protects the sole of the shoe wearer and is placed on the inner bottom of the shoe so as to mitigate the impact of the foot when walking or standing. The insole 10 is provided with a cushion layer 12, A cover material layer 13 made of artificial leather for absorbing perspiration and preventing slippage or a fabric such as microfiber, wool, and velvet. In addition, reflecting the structure of the medial longitudinal arch concaved in the soles (hereinafter simply referred to as 'arches' or 'arches', see FIG. 2a), the heel, which does not move relatively when walking, A relatively hard material heel cup 14 formed with an arch portion (a portion indicated by an ellipse in FIG. 2B) for stably fixing the arch in the center inner portion is provided on the cushion layer 12, (See Fig. 2B). At this time, the heel cup 14 may be formed only from the heel to the ball portion, which is a folded portion of the foot when walking, and at the center of the heel cup 14, there may be a heel cushion portion for absorbing impact applied to the heel when walking.

The present invention can be utilized as a smart insole (10) for obtaining exercise information by specifically changing the structure of the insole (10) used by being seated on a shoe.

The sensor pack 20 applied to the smart insole 10 according to the present invention includes at least an acceleration sensor, a communication module, and a battery. In addition, various types of sensors and devices such as a gyro sensor may be incorporated. The type and function of the sensor added to the sensor pack 20, the type of wireless communication, the type of terminal, the type of the transmitted exercise information, and the processing (processing) of the transmitted exercise information are not subject to the present invention, . In the sensor pack 20 applied to the smart insole 10 according to the present invention, it is preferable that the communication module is a wireless communication module. Accordingly, various kinds of exercise information can be transmitted to a predetermined terminal (e.g., cellular phone) in real time.

It is preferable that the case of the sensor pack 20 is made of a high-strength plastic or metal so that the devices incorporated by the impact of the sensor pack 20 are not damaged.

When a predetermined sensor pack 20 is mounted on the smart insole 10 according to the present invention and applied to shoes (such as running shoes, hiking shoes, etc.), moisture may enter the shoes due to sweat or rain of the user. As a result, the sensor pack 20 may be damaged, so that it is preferable that the sensor pack 20 be sealed in a watertight manner to such a degree that life waterproofing is possible.

As another example, the sensor pack 20 is exposed only to a terminal (not shown) for connection with external equipment, for example, a USB terminal, and the remaining parts such as a PCB, a sensor, And may have an elastic stopper sealing the terminal. In this case, the battery can be charged through the terminal. Also in this example, the communication module of the sensor pack 20 is preferably a wireless communication module. In the case where the wireless communication module is not provided, a predetermined storage device for temporarily storing the exercise information is built in, so that information can be transferred to the terminal through a terminal or near field wireless communication.

In the present invention, the coupling structure means a structure and a shape in which the sensor pack 20 and the insole 10 can be coupled with each other. (1) When the sensor pack 20 is attached to and detached from the smart insole 10 according to the present invention (2) It shall not be detached or separated during use. (3) It shall withstand the shock of running or running by the user. (4) The four requirements that the foreign body sensation during use shall be minimized. Any structure or form will be possible if the conditions are met.

Therefore, the joining structure in the present invention may be formed either on the upper surface of the insole 10 or in the respective layers or layers of the insole 10, or on the lower surface of the insole 10. However, it is preferable that the coupling structure is formed on the lower surface of the insole 10 cushion layer 12 so as to more easily satisfy the above four conditions. At this time, it is preferable that the coupling structure is made of a hard plastic material so as to satisfy the above conditions, and a protective layer made of a hard plastic material is interposed between the coupling structure and the cushion layer 12. The coupling structure and the protective layer may be integrally made of the same material.

The thickness (height) of the portion where the sensor pack 20 is coupled (hereinafter, referred to as a 'coupling portion') in the present invention may be affected by the size of the sensor pack 20, I have to be thick. Therefore, in the present invention, it is preferable that the coupling structure is formed at a position corresponding to the soles of the foot or the heel of the shoe wearer, in which space is provided in the foot structure when the shoe is worn.

In the present invention, the coupling structure may be a shape in which the sensor pack 20 is embedded or a part of the surface of the sensor pack 20 is in contact with one surface of the smart insole 10 to be coupled.

(1) The form in which the sensor pack 20 is embedded in the insole 10 is that the sensor pack 20 is relatively simplified (for example, the sensor pack 20 for Nike Plus shown in FIG. 1 (e)) as a flattened hexahedron, And a housing space 11 corresponding to the outer shape of the sensor pack 20 is formed on the insole 10. In this case, At this time, the overall appearance of the smart insole 10 according to the present invention having the accommodation space 11 is equal to or similar to the shape of the space between the bottom of the shoe and the sole of the foot. In the smart insole 10 according to the present invention, the coupling structure in the form of the accommodation space 11 can be opened all or a part of the bottom surface or the side surface so that the sensor pack 20 can be easily attached and detached. The position and degree of the opening may be appropriately selected depending on the situation. Fig. 3A illustrates the smart insole 10 having only the bottom surface of the receiving space 11-shaped coupling structure opened and the bottom surface and the inner surface opened. 3B shows an injection example of the hill cup 14 having a receiving space 11 below the side surface in the arch portion and a photograph of the bottom surface in a state in which the hill cup 14 is assembled. The smart insole 10 according to the present invention can be completed by laminating a predetermined cushion layer 12 and a cover material layer 13 on the thus formed hill 14. In this case, the heel cup 14 functions as a 'protective layer' of a hard material.

4A and 4C are a perspective view and a bottom perspective view of a set of the insole 10 and the sensor pack 20 according to the present invention and FIGS. Top and bottom photographs, respectively. In the illustrated example, the receiving space 11 is formed in the transverse direction at the arch portion, but the position and direction are not limited thereto.

A predetermined fixing means such as a groove-protruding portion is provided at a corresponding position of the sensor pack 20 and the accommodating space 11 so as not to allow the inserted sensor pack 20 to be arbitrarily disengaged from the accommodating space 11 . Also, though not shown, a wear-out recessed groove may be formed on one side of the opening so that the attached sensor pack 20 can be easily detached using a nail or the like.

As shown in the figure, the shape of the insole 10 according to the present invention has a shape corresponding to the space formed by the inner upper floor of the shoe and the sole of the shoe wearer, (11) may be formed. In each example, the accommodation space 11 is formed long in the lateral direction of the foot, but is not limited thereto.

(2) A shape in which a part of the surface of the sensor pack 20 is brought into contact with the surface of the smart insole 10 is such that a groove-protruding portion in the form of a velcro or a sliding rail is formed on the contact surface between the sensor pack 20 and the insole 10 So that they are combined or separated. 5A is a longitudinal sectional view of the insole 10 and the sensor pack 20 coupled in the form of several sliding rails and FIG. 5B is a longitudinal sectional view showing the process of the insole 10 and the sensor pack 20 being coupled Respectively. 5A and 5B are vertical cross-sectional views taken along the line AA 'in FIG. 4B. In addition to the illustrated examples, various coupling schemes will be possible.

In this case, the outer shape of the combined body of the smart insole 10 and the sensor pack 20 according to the present invention is the same as or similar to the space shape between the bottom of the shoe and the sole of the foot. Therefore, as shown in the figure, in this case, the sensor pack 20 may take a somewhat complicated shape corresponding to the shape of the space between the [foot bottom to sole] of the shoe.

When the sensor pack 20 is in a form in which a part of the surface of the sensor pack 20 is in contact with and is in contact with the surface of the smart insole 10, the sensor pack 20 may be a relatively simple type internal sensor pack 21 such as a flat, hexagonal, And an outer housing 22 having an outer shape corresponding to the shape of space between the bottom of the shoe and the sole of the foot and having the accommodation space 11 for accommodating the inner sensor pack 21. [ At this time, the outer housing 22 is preferably made of a hard material so as to protect the inner sensor pack 21 from impact. The inner sensor pack 21 and the outer housing 22 may be detachable.

The present invention also relates to a smart insole 10 having the above-described coupling structure, an acceleration sensor for acquiring motion information that can be attached to and detached from the smart insole 10, a communication module, (10) -sensor pack (20) set comprising a plurality of sensor inlets (20) (see Figures 4a-4c).

In the present invention, the specific shape and size of the sensor pack 20 accommodation space 11 and the sensor pack 20 may be variously selected. However, it is preferable that the flat inner bottom of the shoe and the insole 10, The size of the space between the arch portions of the sensor pack 20 was examined. It was confirmed that the size of the sensor pack 20 was preferably within 50 × 20 × 10 mm. In the following production example, the size of the accommodation space 11, that is, the size of the sensor pack 20, is determined to be 40.4 x 18.8 x 8.7 mm. However, it is possible to further reduce the size of the sensor pack 20 by adjusting and optimizing the shape and volume of the PCB, the communication means, the number and type of sensors, the capacity and size of the battery, and the like incorporated in the sensor pack 20.

On the other hand, in the production example, the sensor pack 20 (and thus the accommodation space 11) is formed into a long rectangular parallelepiped shape, but it may be a flat circular or elliptic cylindrical shape. For example, the accommodation space 11 corresponding to the sensor pack 20 for NikePlus as shown in FIG. 1e may be formed.

[Production example]

The function space according to the present invention in which the accommodation space 11 having the size of the accommodation space 11 (size of the sensor pack 20) is 40.4 x 18.8 x 8.7 mm and which is integrally made of a hard material on the bottom surface corresponding to the arch portion The insoles 10 and the sensor pack 20 corresponding to the accommodation space 11 and having a rigid case are exemplarily manufactured (see Figs. 4B and 4C).

In the production example, a hard plastic material is mixed with PC (poly carbonate) and PP (polyporpylene) for surface gloss, but they may be used alone or TPU (thermoplastic polyurethane) may be used. However, when there is a terminal exposed to the sensor pack 20, the elastic cap for sealing the terminal of the sensor pack 20 is made of an elastic material such as rubber in order to be watertight.

As shown in the photograph, the bottom surface of the portion where the accommodation space 11 is formed is located above the bottom surface of the other portion of the insole 10 in the manufacturing example, so that it is not possible to feel a special foreign body feeling even if the user wears it. In the production example, an empty space (a portion indicated by a red arrow in FIG. 4C) is placed in the middle of the accommodation space 11, but this is not essential.

The sensor pack 20 corresponding to the insole 10 according to the present invention manufactured as described above is inserted into the accommodation space 11 and then mounted on any shoe.

10. Insole
11. Receiving space 12. Cushion layer 13. Cover layer
14. Hill
20. Sensor Pack
21. Internal sensor pack 22. External housing

Claims (8)

Claims [1] An insole comprising a cushion layer, which is used by being placed on the inner upper floor of a shoe to protect the foot of the shoe wearer and to mitigate impact on the foot,
A smart insole for acquiring exercise information, characterized by having a coupling structure in which an outer shape sensor pack including an acceleration sensor, a communication module, and a battery for acquiring motion information can be attached and detached.
The method according to claim 1,
Wherein the coupling structure is formed on the bottom surface of the insole cushion layer.
3. The method of claim 2,
Wherein the coupling structure is made of a hard plastic material, and a hard layer made of a hard plastic material is interposed between the coupling structure and the insole cushion layer.
The method according to claim 1,
Wherein the joint structure is formed at a position corresponding to a sole of a foot wearer or a heel of a shoe wearer.
The method according to claim 1,
Wherein the coupling structure is a receiving space corresponding to the outer shape of the sensor pack.
The method according to claim 1,
Wherein the engaging structure is a Velcro or a groove-protruding portion in the form of a sliding rail formed on the contact surface between the sensor pack and the insole.
(A) an insole according to any one of claims 1 to 6;
(B) a sensor pack coupled to and separated from the coupling structure of the insole;
Wherein the smart insole-sensor pack set includes:
8. The method of claim 7,
Wherein the sensor pack is a watertight type in which a terminal for connection with external equipment is mounted,
Further comprising an elastic stopper for sealing the terminal. The smart insole-sensor pack set for obtaining exercise information.

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