EP4033931A1

EP4033931A1 - Method and system for analysing the use of an item of footwear

Info

Publication number: EP4033931A1
Application number: EP20775027.4A
Authority: EP
Inventors: Karim Oumnia
Original assignee: Zhor Tech SAS
Current assignee: Bal Inc
Priority date: 2019-09-24
Filing date: 2020-09-24
Publication date: 2022-08-03
Also published as: CN114727686A; WO2021058698A1; US20220338735A1

Abstract

The invention relates to a system (1) for analysing the use of items of footwear (11) configured to determine an index of association between values of use parameters (101) and values of shoe parameters (201), the system comprising a computer calculation device (30) configured to: Obtain or load values of posture or mobility parameters (301) calculated from raw data generated by at least one connected sole (10); - Obtain or load values of geographic parameters (401) corresponding to a location of the at least one connected sole (10); - Obtain or load values of shoe parameters (201) comprising values of structural parameters, geometric parameters and/or aesthetic parameters of the item of footwear (11); - Calculate one or more values of use parameters (101); - Determine a value of index of association between the value or values of use parameters (101) and the values of shoe parameters (201).

Description

METHOD AND SYSTEM FOR THE ANALYSIS OF THE USE OF A FOOTWEAR

The invention relates to the field of footwear and their design, the invention can find an application in the monitoring of daily or sports activities, or the monitoring of the physiological state of the subject of study so as to analyze a real use compared to a reference use of the article of footwear. f Prior art]

In the space of fifty years or so, the use of footwear has evolved considerably. Indeed, a few decades ago, the shoe was mainly used for its most basic function, that is to say a function of protection and support of the foot for the daily movements and had to show a significant resistance. to wear over time, as demonstrated in a study of the French footwear market carried out by J. Desabie and published in the journal of applied statistics, volume 2, n ° 1 (1954), p.69-82.

Growing health concerns prompt individuals to engage in both indoor and outdoor physical activity. Each of these activities may benefit from a footwear item with specific characteristics. In addition, the growing demand for novelty footwear is also a key factor for the global footwear industry. These footwear generally have particular mechanical characteristics not necessarily linked to the use that the user wishes to make of them. These trends have generated strong growth in demand for footwear for all types of categories, but with particular requirements depending on the destination, use and footwear. Thus, the number of shoe models with specific characteristics (mechanical characteristics, shape, structural composition of the different components of the shoe) for a given use has increased considerably during the last decades, whether it is linked to a use of relaxation, formal , sports, medical, professional or more simply recreational. In addition, to meet these growing needs, market players, in addition to analyzing uses and trends, are also focusing on innovation and the development of new personalized products. The main companies operating in the market seek to improve the design of their shoe by allowing the user to provide them with data related to the morphology of their feet so that it best matches the user's foot. Thus, the global footwear market can now be segmented by type of footwear, footwear end users, various footwear sales platforms, material used, and their sales in various geographies. In order to identify new trends or to identify the needs of users, nowadays, market studies are generally carried out quarterly and require the collection of a large amount of data, in particular related to the sale of shoe models, returns of users via satisfaction surveys, in order to be able to determine the needs of consumers. Thus, such studies have made it possible to demonstrate that the use of the shoe is no longer limited to the basic functions mentioned above. Indeed, whether in the context of health, or in the context of use in connection with sports practices or in the context of aesthetic preference, a wide range of shoes with very different technical characteristics are offered by the manufacturers. However, such studies are particularly difficult to perform, since being based in part on statistical analyzes, they require sampling a very large number of people in order for the results of the study to be meaningful. It then becomes increasingly difficult for shoe manufacturers, in view of the exponential growth of the footwear market and the number of shoe models and their use, to be able to identify trends related to the use of a specific type of shoe in a given context in order to develop new models of shoes adapted to the user's needs. The methods used in the context of these studies are based only on indirect and ad hoc analyzes of the needs or uses of users of footwear. In addition, the information collected is generally fragmentary and does not allow the information to be contextualized.

In addition, manufacturers have also sought to develop clothing personalization solutions accessible directly on their site from the Internet. A solution for personalizing a sports garment is described in particular in document EP3199046 and aims to associate data related to the user's approach (via the use of sensors) and to the context in which the user practices an activity. athletic. By contextualizing the practice of certain sports, in particular the environment in which the sport is practiced, it is then possible to offer the user sportswear that is most suited to the practice of his sport. However, such a solution does not make it possible to determine what use is made of the footwear worn by the user or to determine a trend linked to the evolution of the use of a type of footwear.

Thus, the studies carried out, whether consumption studies or research and development studies are based only on indirect information, potentially subjective or biased that cannot reflect what use is made of an article of footwear by the population or even determine a trend linked to the evolution of the use of a type of article of footwear.

There is therefore a need for a solution for analyzing the use of footwear in order to determine what use is made of an item of footwear by the population or else to determine a trend linked to the evolution of the use of footwear. 'a type of footwear. f Technical problem!

The aim of the invention is to remedy the drawbacks of the prior art. In particular, the aim of the invention is to propose a system for analyzing the use of articles of footwear allowing the determination of a use of an article of footwear worn by a user in a given context in order for example to identify trend of use of the footwear.

Brief description of the invention

Disclosed is a footwear wear analysis system configured to determine an association index between wear parameter values and shoe parameter values, mainly characterized by comprising a computing device configured to: load values of posture or mobility parameters calculated from raw data generated by at least one connected sole of an article of footwear; loading values of geographic parameters, said values of geographic parameters corresponding to a location of the at least one connected sole; loading shoe parameter values, said shoe parameter values comprising values of structural parameters, geometric parameters and / or aesthetic parameters of the article of footwear having the at least one connected sole; - calculate, for each connected sole, one or more usage parameter values from the posture or mobility parameter values; determining, for each connected sole, an association index value between the values of use parameters and the values of shoe parameters. In particular, the invention relates to a system for analyzing the use of articles of footwear configured to determine an index of association between values of parameters of use and values of shoe parameters, characterized in that it includes one or more computing computing devices configured to:

- obtain values of posture or mobility parameters calculated from raw data generated by at least one connected sole of an article of footwear;

obtaining values of geographic parameters, said values of geographic parameters corresponding to a location of the at least one connected sole;

- obtaining shoe parameter values, said shoe parameter values comprising values of structural parameters, of geometric parameters and / or of aesthetic parameters of the article of footwear comprising the at least one connected sole;

- calculate, for each connected sole, one or more usage parameter values from the posture or mobility parameter values; and

- determine, for each connected sole, an association index value between the use parameter value (s) and the shoe parameter values.

Such a system makes it possible to determine the use which is made of an article of footwear by a given user on the basis in particular of the monitoring of his gait through at least one connected sole fitted to the article of footwear. The data relating to the user's gait are associated with location data of the connected sole in order to be able to segment the data retrieved for a determined geographical area. It is thus possible to determine the use made by a user of an article of footwear in particular from the data generated by the connected sole fitted to the article of footwear. This makes it possible to demonstrate an association between an article of footwear, designed primarily by a manufacturer for a given activity, and the use actually made of it by the user of the article of footwear. The manufacturer can thus have access to previously inaccessible data, allowing him to optimize the technical characteristics of an article of footwear in line with the use made by the user. Thus, he can easily access the behavior of users to serve them more personally and on a large scale. According to other characteristics of the footwear use analysis system, the latter may optionally include one or more of the following characteristics, alone or in combination:

- The computing device is further configured to obtain plantar morphology parameter values from users of the connected sole and the association index values of these users are correlated with the plantar morphology parameter values. It is thus possible to establish correlations between certain plantar morphology observed in the population and trends in the use of footwear. Such comparisons can then be used to design footwear that is particularly suited to a group of users with similar plantar morphology.

the shoe parameter values include reference use parameters, the computing device is further configured to identify conventional and / or unconventional use, said identification comprising a comparison of the reference use parameters with the use parameter value calculated from the posture or mobility parameter values for each connected sole. This advantageously makes it possible to determine how the user uses the article of footwear. Depending on the item of footwear in question, it may be intended for a certain type of activity, an activity which may be characterized by values of reference posture or mobility parameters thus defining a reference use parameter for the footwear item. Thus, the calculated usage parameter value makes it possible to describe a degree of correspondence between the user's use of the footwear and a predetermined reference usage.

- The computing device is further configured to calculate a global association index value from all of the association index values previously determined for each connected sole. This advantageously makes it possible to determine, for a set of connected soles considered in connection with a model of footwear worn by a plurality of users, a value describing the use of the model of footwear given for all of the connected soles. and therefore considered users.

the computing device is further configured to identify a trend, for a predetermined geographic area, from the global association index value correlated with the geographic parameter values of the at least one connected sole. This makes it possible to determine a value describing the use of an article model footwear given for a set of users considered for a given geographical area. Thus, it can be highlighted the emergence of trends linked to a particular use of a model of footwear, within a city or even a country for example. In addition, the values of geographic parameters may additionally include meteorological values. Thus, uses can be identified as a function of meteorological conditions or uses not suited to certain conditions (eg adhesion value not suited to the presence of icy ground).

- posture or mobility parameter values, geographic parameter values, shoe parameter values, usage parameter values and association index values are associated with a unique identifier of the connected sole . This makes it possible to structure all the data originating from or associated with a predetermined connected sole. It is thus possible to form a history of this data, for each connected sole, and thus to follow the evolution of the data issued or associated with each connected sole of an article of footwear over time.

the values of geographic parameters are generated and transmitted to the computing device by the connected sole. This advantageously makes it possible to dispense with the use of a third-party computer device, such as for example a smartphone or more generally a connected object, to generate the values of geographical parameters, thus avoiding the problems associated with the coupling, via a communication. short distance, from the connected soleplate to the third-party computing device through a dedicated application, which can reduce the autonomy of the energy source of the connected sole.

the computing device is further configured to identify a plurality of connected soles, each being associated with another item of footwear having shoe parameters substantially identical to the previously loaded shoe parameter values. This advantageously makes it possible to collect a larger number of data and increases the significance of the parameter values produced. In fact, it is thus possible to take into consideration the data generated or associated with connected soles of other models of footwear, in particular models predestined for a use substantially identical to that of the connected sole whose parameter values of shoes have been pre-loaded.

- the computing device is further configured to identify a plurality of third connected soles, each being associated with another item of footwear having posture or mobility parameters substantially identical to the values of posture or mobility parameters previously loaded. This advantageously makes it possible to collect a larger number of data and increases the significance of the parameter values produced. Indeed, it is thus possible to take into consideration the data generated or associated with connected soles of other models of footwear, in particular models predestined or not for a use substantially identical to that of the connected sole whose values of posture or mobility parameters have been loaded beforehand.

- The computing computing device is further configured to generate footwear design parameters based on the determined values of association indices between the usage parameter values and the shoe parameter values. This advantageously makes it possible to generate a personalized digital model from the shoe parameter values of the article of footwear associated with the connected sole and to generate design parameters from said shoe parameter values taking into account the use made. by the user of the footwear.

The computing device is further configured to generate production parameters relating to the manufacture of articles of footwear based on the determined values of association indices between the values of use parameters and the values of shoe parameters. . This advantageously makes it possible to determine, from the values of the shoe parameters of the article of footwear associated with the connected sole and by taking into account the use made by the user of the article of footwear, which materials should be used according to of the various parts forming the article of footwear.

- the computing device is further configured to generate values of logistics parameters relating to the manufacture and distribution of footwear on the basis of the values of geographic parameters, determined values of association indices between the usage parameter values and shoe parameter values. This advantageously makes it possible to determine, from the values of the shoe parameters of the article of footwear associated with the connected sole and by taking into account the use made by the user of the article of footwear, a routing route and means of transport adapted for the distribution of footwear according to the use of the user and according to his geographical position.

- the computing device is further configured to receive values of the wear parameter of the article of footwear associated with the connected sole and to generate production parameters relating to the manufacture of footwear on the basis of the determined values of association indices, values of shoe parameters and values of wear parameters. These values of wear parameters can come from the connected sole or from the presentation device (s) associated with the connected sole. The computing device can in particular receive values of wear parameters originating from several connected soles used in different geographical areas. Thus, it is possible to plan production cycles according to the use and even unexpressed needs of the users.

According to another aspect, the invention relates to a method for analyzing the use of articles of footwear to determine an index of association between parameters of use and parameters of footwear, said method being implemented by a device. computing computing and characterized in that said method comprises:

- a step of loading the values of posture or mobility parameters calculated from raw data generated by at least one connected sole of an article of footwear;

a step of loading the values of geographic parameters, said values of geographic parameters corresponding to a location of the at least one connected sole;

- a step of loading shoe parameter values, said shoe parameter values comprising values of structural parameters, geometric parameters and / or aesthetic parameters of the article of footwear comprising the at least one connected sole;

- a step of calculating, for each connected sole, one or more usage parameter values from the posture or mobility parameter values;

- a step of determining, for each connected sole, an association index value between the values of usage parameters and the values of shoe parameters.

In particular, the invention relates to a method of analyzing the use of footwear to determine an association index between parameters of use and parameters of footwear, said method being implemented by a computer device of calculation and characterized in that said method comprises: A step of obtaining values of posture or mobility parameters calculated from raw data generated by at least one connected sole of an article of footwear;

A step of obtaining the values of geographic parameters, said values of geographic parameters corresponding to a location of the at least one connected sole;

A step of obtaining shoe parameter values, said shoe parameter values comprising values of structural parameters, geometric parameters and / or aesthetic parameters of the article of footwear comprising the at least one connected sole;

A step of calculating, for each connected sole, one or more usage parameter values from the posture or mobility parameter values; and

A step of determining, for each connected sole, an association index value between the usage parameter value (s) and the shoe parameter values.

Such a method makes it possible to determine the use which is made of an article of footwear by a given user, in particular by monitoring his gait through at least one connected sole fitted to the article of footwear. The data relating to the user's gait are associated with the location data of the connected sole in order to be able to segment the data retrieved for a determined geographical area. It is thus possible to determine the use made by a user of a particular article of footwear from the data generated by the connected sole fitted to the article of footwear. This makes it possible to demonstrate an association between an article of footwear, originally designed by a manufacturer for a given activity, and the actual use made of it by the user of the article of footwear. The manufacturer can thus have access to previously inaccessible data, allowing him to optimize the technical characteristics of an article of footwear in line with the use made by the user.

According to other characteristics of the footwear usage analysis method, the latter may optionally include one or more of the following characteristics, alone or in combination:

the shoe parameter values include reference use parameters and in that said method comprises a step of identifying conventional and / or unconventional use, said identification comprising a comparison from reference use parameters to the use parameter value calculated from the posture or mobility parameter values for each connected sole. This advantageously makes it possible to determine how the user uses the article of footwear. Depending on the item of footwear in question, it may be intended for a certain type of activity, an activity which may be characterized by values of reference posture or mobility parameters thus defining a reference use parameter for the footwear item. Thus, the calculated use parameter value makes it possible to describe a degree of correspondence between the use made by the user of the article of footwear and a predetermined reference use.

- it includes a step of calculating a global association index value from all of the association index values previously determined for each connected sole. This advantageously makes it possible to determine, for a set of connected soles considered in connection with a model of footwear worn by a plurality of users, a value describing the use of the model of footwear given for all of the connected soles. and therefore considered users.

- It includes a step of identifying a trend, for a predetermined geographic area, from the global association index value correlated with the values of geographic parameters of the at least one connected sole. This makes it possible to determine a value describing the use of a given model of footwear for a set of users considered for a given geographical area. Thus, it can be highlighted the emergence of trends linked to a particular use of a model of footwear, within a city or even within a country for example.

- the posture or mobility parameter values have been calculated by one or more processors integrated into at least one connected sole. This helps secure gait data for connected sole users and also reduces the resource requirements for footwear usage analysis systems.

Other advantages and characteristics of the invention will become apparent on reading the following description given by way of illustrative and non-limiting example, with reference to the appended figures which represent:

FIG. 1 represents a system for analyzing the use of footwear according to one embodiment of the invention. FIG. 2 represents a system for analyzing the use of articles of footwear according to the invention detailing an electronic box of a connected sole.

Figure 3 shows a method of analyzing the use of footwear according to one embodiment of the invention.

[Description of the invention

In the remainder of the description, "mobility" or "gait" within the meaning of the invention corresponds to the posture, movements, locomotion, and balance of the user. The balance corresponds in particular to the postural balance linked to the stability of the body and more particularly to the stability of the center of gravity of a user. However, it can integrate both static and dynamic equilibrium.

The expression "mobility or posture parameters" or "gait parameter" corresponds to biomechanical parameters identified in the static or dynamic position of a person, a characteristic of a person's posture or mobility. A biomechanical parameter can be determined by various calculation operations from parameter values generated by sensors of a connected sole.

The expression "movement analysis", "mobility analysis" or "gait analysis" corresponds to the determination of a user's gait descriptor. It can correspond, within the meaning of the invention, to the attribution of one or more values, for example a score, a classification or a note to a trajectory or to the movement of a user's foot. This characterization of the gait can make it possible to obtain one or more numerical or alphanumeric values of bio-mechanical parameters representative of the gait.

By "raw data" is meant data generated by sensors positioned in a connected sole, the raw data can thus come from an inertial unit, a gyroscope, an accelerometer and a magnetometer for example. Raw data is generally generated for a given period of time and depending on the user's approach.

For the purposes of the invention, the term “bio-mechanical parameter” is understood to mean a characteristic of the posture or of the mobility of the user. For the purposes of the invention, the term “advanced bio-mechanical parameter” is understood to mean a characteristic of the posture or of the mobility of the user determined at a key moment in a cycle and therefore more complex to determine. A cycle that can for example be a walking cycle. There are different types of activities such as walking, walking going up a step, going down a step, a stride, a jump, a flat, a droop, a trampling, a kneeling ... As a result, a cycle can also correspond to a plurality of activities of types different depending on the complexity of the movement performed by the user.

For the purposes of the invention, the term "substantially identical" is understood to mean a value varying by less than 30% relative to the compared value, preferably less than 20%, even more preferably less than 10%.

The term "sole" is understood to mean an object allowing the user's foot to be separated from the ground. A shoe may include an upper sole layer in direct contact with the user's foot and a lower sole layer in direct contact with the ground or more generally the external environment. A shoe can also have a removable insole.

The term “removable” is understood to mean the ability to be detached, removed or dismantled easily without having to destroy the fixing means either because there is no fixing means or because the fixing means are easily and quickly removable. (eg notch, screw, tongue, lug, clips). For example, by removable, it should be understood that the object is not fixed by welding or by any other means not provided to allow the object to be detached.

By "process", "calculate", "determine", "display", "transform", "extract", "compare" or more broadly "executable operation", within the meaning of the invention, an action performed by a device or processor unless the context indicates otherwise. In this regard, operations refer to actions and / or processes of a data processing system, for example a computer system or an electronic computing device, which manipulates and transforms the data represented as physical (electronic ) in computer system memories or other information storage, transmission or display devices. These operations can be based on applications or software.

The term “learning” within the meaning of the invention corresponds to a method designed to define one or more correspondences, which may or may not take the form of a function f, making it possible to calculate a value of Y from a base of n. observations labeled (X1 ... n, Y1 ... n) or not labeled (X1 ... n). Such a correspondence or function may correspond to a prediction model. Learning can be said to be supervised when it is based on labeled observations and unsupervised when it is based on unlabeled observations. In the context of the present invention, learning is advantageously used for the determination of an association index between parameters of use and parameters of footwear or for the generation of production parameters relating to the manufacture of articles of footwear.

The term “prediction model” is understood to mean any mathematical model making it possible to analyze a volume of data and to establish relationships between factors allowing the evaluation of risks or that of opportunities associated with a specific set of conditions, in order to '' orient decision-making towards a specific action.

The terms or expressions "application", "software", "program code", and "executable code" mean any expression, code or notation of a set of instructions, intended to cause data processing to perform a particular function. directly or indirectly (eg after a conversion operation to another code). Sample program code may include, but are not limited to, a subroutine, function, executable application, source code, object code, library, and / or any other sequence of instructions designed for the purpose. execution on a computer system.

For the purposes of the invention, the term "processor" is understood to mean at least one hardware circuit configured to perform operations according to instructions contained in a code. The hardware circuit can be an integrated circuit. Examples of a processor include, but are not limited to, a central processing unit, a graphics processor, an application specific integrated circuit (ASIC), and a programmable logic circuit.

By "coupled" is meant, within the meaning of the invention, connected, directly or indirectly with one or more intermediate elements. Two elements can be mechanically coupled, electrically coupled or linked by a communication channel.

In the remainder of the description, the same references are used to designate the same elements. In addition, the various characteristics presented and / or claimed can be advantageously combined. Their presence in the description or in different dependent claims does not exclude this possibility.

As has been mentioned, there has been an increase in footwear and their use for decades. In addition, the article of footwear has remained a fashion object subject to trends, in particular temporal and geographic trends.

Faced with this proliferation of models and uses, manufacturers must try to keep themselves informed and regularly carry out market studies so as to be able to predict their production in terms of content, volumes and destination. Nevertheless, this research is laborious and requires collecting a large volume of information and the results remain biased by the methodologies used.

To overcome this, the present invention proposes a solution based on the use of a connected sole and on information processing making it possible to extract usage indicators which were previously inaccessible.

In particular, the present invention makes it possible to determine the use of an article of footwear by one or more users.

Thus, according to a first aspect, the invention relates to a system 1 for analyzing the use of footwear 11. In particular, such a system is configured to determine one or more indices of associations between parameters of use. 101 and shoe parameters 201 relating to an article of footwear 11.

For this, and as illustrated in FIG. 1, a system 1 for analyzing the use of articles of footwear in accordance with the invention comprises a computing device 30, and at least one connected sole 10 of an article of footwear 11. .

In addition, a footwear usage analysis system 1 according to the invention may also include a presentation computing device 20 and a third-party computing device 40.

Thus, a system 1 according to the invention comprises one or more computing devices 30 configured to load values of posture or mobility parameters 301 calculated from raw data generated by at least one connected sole 10 of an article. footwear 11, load geographic parameter values 401, load shoe parameter values 201, calculate one or more usage parameter values 101 and determine one or more values of association indices between usage parameters 101 and shoe parameters 201. The loading of the parameter values can in particular correspond to the loading into memory of these data. A computing device 30 could be configured to obtain these values and in certain cases it could be configured to calculate them for example from raw data.

A computing device 30 according to the invention advantageously comprises a processing unit or a processor, for example in the form of a microcontroller cooperating with a data memory, optionally a program memory, said memories that can be dissociated. Such a data memory can be configured to store a computer program whose program instructions, which can be interpreted and executed by the processing unit, make it possible to automatically adapt a conventional computer device so that it turns into a device. computer processing 30 according to the invention.

The data memory can be partially or fully electrically erasable in order to be updated. Generally, a section of said data memory is not erasable by construction, or is protected against such erasure by a security mechanism. Such a memory section permanently records, in particular, the value of a unique identification datum characterizing a connected sole 10 with regard to other pair connected soles. The processing unit cooperates with said memories by means of an internal communication bus. Thus, the data coming from sensors positioned in said connected sole can be stored in such a data memory. Said data memory can further store personal data associated with the user of the connected sole. Computing computing device 30 may be located in a cloud. Thus, the data from the sensor (s) positioned in the connected sole 10 can be linked to the user's personal data, through the value of the unique identification data of the connected sole 10. The personal data associated with the The user of the connected sole 10 can correspond to data accessible on request from a computer device configured to store such personal data. Advantageously, the personal data are entered by the user of the connected sole 10 via a dedicated application installed on a computer presentation device 20. Thus, the user can enter personal data such as his gender, age, weight, its size, its size or more generally any morphometric or non-morphometric data of interest in the context of calculating the values of the user's posture or mobility parameters. Thus, provision is made for the user to be able to indicate, in the context of entering his personal information, one or more pathologies having an influence on his gait, or more generally any physical failure involving difficulty in moving. Such a pathology or such a physical failure can be selectable via a list through the dedicated application or else can be entered in a dedicated field. Such a pathology or such a physical failure can consist advantageously but in a nonlimiting manner in joint problems of one or more limbs of the user, a hallux valgus, a hallux rigidus, a toe claw ("hammer toe" ), a bunionette, Morton's syndrome, 2nd ray pain syndrome, inter-metatarsal bursitis, sesamoidopathies, tendinopathies or even any physical injury affecting the user's gait. In addition, through the application accessible via the presentation device, the user can also enter data relating to his daily activities, for example through a daily questionnaire, and can thus indicate a period (ie an interval time corresponding to a time slot) of daily sleep. Such a questionnaire can also allow the user to enter data relating to a given period of daily activity and in particular the type of activity practiced, whether of a sporting nature or not. This advantageously makes it possible to determine with more precision, from the personal data entered by the user, a usage parameter value as a function of the different daily periods.

Such a computing device 30 also comprises communication means configured to communicate through a long-range communication network R1 of the Internet, LoRa or Sigfox type or any other equivalent communication network. Advantageously, a computer computing device 30 according to the invention can correspond to a computer server or even to an electronic box of a connected sole 10. Of course, a computer computing device 30 according to the invention cannot be limited to a computer server and may also correspond to a computer type computer machine further comprising a man-machine interface, that is to say any element allowing a human being to communicate with a particular computer and without this list being exhaustive , a keyboard and means making it possible, in response to the commands entered at the keyboard, to carry out displays and possibly to select, using a mouse or a touchpad, elements displayed on a screen. Another exemplary embodiment is a touch screen making it possible to select directly on the screen the elements touched by the finger or an object and possibly with the possibility of displaying a virtual keyboard.

A computer computing device 30 according to the invention can advantageously communicate with computer devices, such as a presentation computer device 20 or even with a connected sole 10 fitted to an article of footwear 11.

Indeed, one of the advantages of the invention is to be able to be based on raw data generated by one or more connected soles 10 in order to be able to determine the use made by the user of the article of footwear 11 with which the sole is associated. connected 10.

For this, an article of footwear 11 corresponds to a shoe intended to be worn by a user. Generally, the user will wear two articles of footwear 11, one on each foot. Footwear 11 will be equipped with one, preferably two connected soles

10 (i.e. one connected sole 10 per item of footwear).

A connected sole 10 is configured to generate raw data from which

It is possible to calculate values of parameters of mobility or posture 301. Such raw data could be sent directly to the computing device 30 which will then be configured to calculate the values of mobility or posture parameters 301 from the raw data received and to store them in its data memory. Provision is also made for the raw data generated by a connected sole 10 to be transmitted to a third party computing device which will then be configured to calculate the values of mobility or posture parameters 301 from the raw data received. The values of mobility or posture parameters 301 can thus be loaded either directly from the data memory of the computing device 30 or from the third-party computing device. In a particular embodiment, a connected sole 10 may include hardware and software resources configured to calculate values of mobility or posture parameters 301.

The mobility or posture parameters 301 can correspond to biomechanical parameters. Thus, the mobility or posture parameters 301 may be selected for example from: pronation / supination values, impact force values, step length values, contact time values, values of acceleration, angular velocity values, sole orientation values, propulsion speed, fatigue rate, Fick angle, propulsion direction and deceleration direction. Such parameters can also correspond to the length of the steps, the time of contact, the time of flight, lameness, the force of propulsion, the balance and several other parameters relating to the user and describing his gait, his postures and his movements.

Advantageously, the most relevant mobility or posture parameters 301 in the context of the present invention are: the parameters related to the health of the person such as the impact force parameter in contact with the ground (in particular if it shows a high value), pronation and / or supination parameters (especially if they show a high value), and / or lameness. In addition, the shoe wear parameter is also very relevant, especially since it can create injuries. Even more preferably, the mobility or posture parameters 301 include at least: the impact force parameter, the pronation parameter and / or the supination parameter.

As illustrated in Figure 2, it will be assumed that an article of footwear 11 comprises a pair of shoes equipped with a pair of connected soles. In each of said shoes, an electronic box 1001, 1002 is arranged in a sole of each of said shoes, thus corresponding to a connected sole according to the invention referenced 10-1, 10-2 in connection with Figure 2.

The connected soles according to the invention may, for example, correspond to outer soles or insoles, of an article of footwear. These soles can be removable or be permanently integrated into the sole of the footwear.

Conventionally, the connected soles 10-1, 10-2 each comprise an electronic box 1001, 1002. As shown in Figure 2, the electronic box 1001, 1002 is preferably positioned at a middle portion of the sole.

An electronic box 1001, 1002 advantageously weighs only a few grams and has a reduced dimension suitable for a sole of a shoe, this electronic box 1001, 1002 fits in a space-saving manner in any inner and / or outer sole. This low volume limits the impact on user comfort and has the advantage of optimizing production costs by making it cheaper and easier to integrate this technology into the sole during the industrial process.

The choice of material for the electronic box 1001, 1002 is made in such a way as to ensure its strength as well as the possibility of inserting it into a sole. Indeed, it is necessary to be able to manufacture a product which can, on the one hand, resist the weight of a person and, on the other hand, be easily inserted into a sole or a shoe. Combining miniaturization and resistance of the case is a real challenge: many prototypes had to be made before determining the material that allows such a case to be inserted into a sole, without altering the comfort of the latter.

Such an electronic box 1001, 1002 comprises an inertial platform 1111, 1121 configured to generate a set of data on the gait of a user wearing an article of footwear 11 comprising at least one connected sole 10. In particular, the inertial platform 1111, 1121 is configured to generate a set of data on a movement of the foot of a user equipped with the at least one connected sole 10. During a user's walk, the inertial platform 1111, 1121 acquires signals representative of a movement parameter (acceleration and / or speed, for example angular speed) of the foot along the X, Y, Z axes. In addition, this data can then be processed to generate at least one acceleration signal.

The electronic box 1001, 1002 can also include one or more magnetometers so as to acquire three additional raw signals corresponding to the values of magnetic fields on three dimensions.

Each electronic box 1001, 1002 can also include other sensors, including an inclinometer, a barometer, a temperature sensor, a humidity sensor and an altimeter to benefit from increased accuracy. In addition, the electronic unit can be coupled to other sensors, for example distributed in the sole, such as pressure sensors or force sensors. In particular, the pressure and / or force sensors can include electrodes and be made of piezoelectric materials.

The inertial platform consists for example of at least one accelerometer and a gyroscope. Preferably, it comprises several accelerometers and gyroscopes. More preferably, the inertial platform 1111, 1121 comprises at least one accelerometer and at least one gyroscope, and can be supplemented by other sensors, in particular a magnetometer, a barometer and an altimeter.

In addition, advantageously, the data generated by the electronic units 1001, 1002 are encrypted. In this case, advantageously, only the computer device intended to receive said generated data is configured to decrypt them.

In particular, the data generated by the electronic boxes 1001, 1002 are encrypted using public keys each associated with one of the electronic boxes and the computing device 30 can have the private keys necessary for decryption of the data generated.

In addition, the electronic unit 1001, 1002 can include a data processing module 1211, 1221 configured to transform all the data generated using predefined algorithms. Thus, the electronic units 1001, 1002 can be configured to perform processing of the signals generated by the inertial platform so as to facilitate subsequent processing by a computing device. The data received via the sensors located in the inner and / or outer soles are processed according to one or more algorithms in each of the electronic units. The processing module is advantageously configured to carry out preprocessing of the data generated and possibly to carry out sufficient processing to generate information on the posture or gait of the user, information that the electronic unit transmits to a computer device, in real time or in a deferred manner with raw data.

The electronic units 1001, 1002 can also be configured as a slave unit, which receives the data generated by the sensors located in its sole / shoe and transmits them to the master unit, called the main unit, which receives the data from the master unit, processes them. by comparing them with its own data and generates information on the posture of the user in general and of his feet in particular, information that the master unit transmits to a computer device in real time or in a deferred manner.

The processing module 1211, 1221 makes it possible to analyze in 3D the posture, the movements, the locomotion, the balance and the environment of the user, and more generally all that will be qualified as being his walk, from the data collected by the inertial platform and any additional sensors placed in the sole.

The processing module 1211, 1221 can be used to generate biomechanical parameters of the gait. Advantageously, the processing module 1211, 1221 is configured to transform the set of data into at least one mobility or posture parameter 301 such as those mentioned above.

In addition, the transformation by the processing module 1211, 1221 can advantageously comprise the segmentation of the data into a plurality of phases. Preferably, the data processing module 1211, 1221 is able to segment a step into at least four phases such as: the impact phase (corresponds to the precise moment of contact of the foot with the ground), the stance phase (takes place from the impact phase until the heel lifts off the ground), the propulsion phase (starts when the heel has left the ground and ends when the first toe leaves the ground) and the flight phase ( begins when the first toe has left the ground and ends when the heel touches the ground).

More particularly, the cutting or segmentation of the pitch can make it possible to identify the main areas of support for the user. Thus, it is possible to measure the shape of the step during walking or any other activity of the user in order to determine any malformations of the feet and postures of the user. The information generated will then be transmitted to the second electronic unit 1002, or more generally to the master unit or main unit by sending signals which may, by way of non-limiting example, be of the Bluetooth type.

The electronic box 1001, 1002 can advantageously be formed by the encapsulation of its components. For example, the encapsulation can take the form of an embedding coating or a resin (e.g. silicone, epoxy, polyurethane). The encapsulation of all the components (e.g. inertial platform, processing module, etc.) provides good insulation and thus combines good electrical properties with excellent mechanical protection.

When an electronic unit is not able to communicate in real time with the other unit and / or with the computing device, it stores the information collected and will transmit it deferred when the exchange is possible again. This deferred transmission of the data collected is made possible thanks to the storage capacity with which each of the electronic units is provided.

Thus, the electronic box comprises a data storage module 1311, 1321, configured to store at least part of the transformed data and / or of the data generated by the processing module. Such a data storage module 1311, 1312 can advantageously have a memory capacity of less than 512 kb, preferably less than 128 kb, more preferably less than 32 kb and even more preferably less than 16 kb. In particular, the storage module can correspond to the memory available on a CPU.

In addition, the electronic box 1001, 1002 includes first communication means. Thus, in particular, each of the electronic boxes is designed so as to be able to communicate independently with the other and / or directly with a computer device or even with a communicating electronic device in order to be able to exchange its own information on posture / movement / the activity of his foot, from which he received the data via the various sensors of the inner and / or outer sole of the shoe thus equipped.

Preferably, the electronic box 1001, 1002 comprises first communication means 1411, 1421 configured so that the electronic box 1001, 1002 of at least one of the soles is able to transmit at least part of the raw data, in real or deferred time, to a computing device 30 or to a third-party computing device 40 or even to a presentation computing device 20. As presented, these data are preferably so-called raw data, that is to say data as generated by the inertial platform (preferably 9 axes and at least at 200 Hz), but can also be preprocessed data or values of posture or mobility parameters 301.

Advantageously, each electronic box 1001, 1002 comprises second communication means configured so that the electronic box 1001 of a connected sole is able to communicate with the electronic box 1002 of a second connected sole. Thus the electronic units 1001, 1002 will be able to exchange information in real time. Indeed, the generation of data by the inertial platforms must preferably be synchronized and this advantageously involves communication between the two electronic units 1001, 1002. More preferably, the electronic units 1001, 1002 are configured so as to be able to verify punctually their synchronization.

In particular, the two electronic boxes 1001, 1002 are configured to communicate with each other and to initiate the generation of data on the movement of a user's foot only after receiving a message from the other electronic box.

The first and second communication means are able to receive and transmit the data over at least one communication network R1. Preferably the communication is operated via a wireless protocol such as wifi, 3G, 4G, and / or Bluetooth. Preferably, the communication protocol is a BLE or ANT + protocol. These communications protocols allow low energy consumption.

Advantageously, each of the boxes 1001, 1002 is designed so as to be able to communicate with the second box, for example by short wave or high frequency signals of the Bluetooth Low Energy or ANT + type.

Thus, in particular, each of the boxes, whether master or slave, is designed so as to be able to communicate independently with the other and / or directly with a computer device in order to be able to exchange its own information on posture / movement. / the activity of his foot, from which he has received data via the various sensors of his connected inner and / or outer sole of an article of footwear.

Advantageously, due to its confinement inside a box placed under the body of a person, the antenna 1511, 1521 should preferably be placed inside the box on the side facing the outside of the body. the sole. This positioning of the antenna is preferable insofar as laboratory tests have made it possible to establish that the transmitted signal since a sole or a shoe is absorbed 70% by the human body. This antenna must therefore be positioned on the periphery of the foot and oriented in such a way as to always be able to transmit the signal to the housing of the second sole. Preferably, the antenna can be an antenna printed on an electronic card. Alternatively, the antenna can be printed on an interior face of the box and connected to the electronic card by wiring. The antenna can preferably be positioned on a lower part relative to the electronic card. Thus, the electronic card comes into contact with the antenna.

In addition, the electronic box 1001, 1002 has a power source 1611, 1621. The energy source is preferably of the battery type, rechargeable or not. Preferably the power source is a rechargeable battery. In addition, it can be associated with a recharging system by movement or by external energy. The system for recharging by external energy can in particular be a recharging system by wired connection, an induction recharging system or even a photovoltaic system.

The electronic box 1001, 1002 can include a source of energy 160 of the rechargeable battery type, the recharging of which can be carried out using different technologies:

- by charger, with a connector flush with the sole;

- With a mechanical recharging device integrated into the sole, such as for example a piezoelectric device capable of supplying electrical energy from walking;

- with a contactless device, for example by induction; or

- with a photovoltaic device.

In addition, the electronic box according to the invention may include a wired connection means, preferably protected by a removable tab. Such a tab can preferably be made of a polymer of the elastomer or polyurethane type. This wired connection means can be, for example, a USB or firewire port. Advantageously, the USB port is also resistant to water or humidity. This wired connection means can be used as mentioned above to recharge the battery but also to exchange data and for example update the firmware of the electronic card carrying the various components of the electronic box.

These different components of the electronic box are preferably arranged on an electronic card (or printed circuit). In addition, the various means and modules of the electronic box 1001, 1002 are shown separately in FIG. 2 but the invention can provide various types of arrangement such as for example a single module cumulating all the functions described here. Likewise, these means can be divided into several electronic cards or else grouped together on a single electronic card.

In addition, a system 1 in accordance with the invention comprises a presentation computer device 20 that can be configured to receive raw or preprocessed data, generated by a connected sole or more particularly by an electronic box 1001, 1002. The presentation computer device 20 is generally a tablet, a mobile phone (“smartphone” in English terminology). It can be configured to transfer its data to a remote computing computing device. It is then for example possible to access this remote computing device via a web interface.

Advantageously, a dedicated application is installed on the presentation computer device 20 in order to process the information transmitted by the boxes and allow the user to interact with the computer device in charge of processing the raw data generated by the connected sole 10. In particular, the user will be able to consult all of the parameter values generated by the connected sole or else by the computing device 30. Thus, a connected sole 10 can be associated, preferably coupled directly or indirectly to a computing device. presentation 20.

In particular, a system 1 according to the invention comprises a computing device 30 configured to determine the use of an article of footwear by one or more users.

A computing device 30 according to the invention can be configured to receive posture or mobility parameter values 301 calculated from raw data generated by at least one connected sole 10 of an article of footwear 11. The parameter values posture or mobility 301 are calculated from the raw or preprocessed data generated by each connected sole 10. Said posture or mobility values 301 can be calculated directly by the processing module 1211, 1221 of a connected sole 10 or else by a computing device 30 upon receipt of the data generated by the connected sole 10. Alternatively, the data generated by the connected sole 10 are sent to a third-party computing device 40 configured to calculate said posture or mobility values 301.

Furthermore, in an embodiment not shown, the computing device 30 corresponds to the electronic box of the connected sole 10 and it is not necessary for the connected sole 10 to transmit raw data, preprocessed data or values. parameters of posture or mobility 301. For example, the computing device 30 could correspond to a computer server accessible remotely, a computer, a connected object such as a telephone or a tablet, or else it could correspond to the electronic box of a connected sole.

The computing device 30 according to the invention can be configured to receive values of geographic parameters 401. The values of geographic parameters 401 can be transmitted by a presentation computing device 20 coupled to at least one connected sole 10. Indeed, the user can, through a dedicated application, or else via a Bluetooth type communication, retrieve the data generated by the connected sole. Said data generated by the connected sole can thus be sent to the presentation computer device 20 to which said connected sole is coupled. The data generated by the connected sole can thus be compiled with geographic positioning data from the presentation computer device 20. In fact, provision is made for the presentation computer device 20 to include a geolocation and satellite navigation module making it possible to determine the geographical positioning of said computer presentation device 20, at a given instant. In addition, provision is also made for the connected sole 10 to be able to include a geolocation and satellite navigation module and thus to transmit its geographical position directly to a computing device 30. Such values of geographic parameters 401 can correspond to any known coordinate format used by satellite positioning systems, such as the American system GPS (for “global positioning system” according to English terminology) or even the European system. Galileo. The invention cannot be limited to the reception of values of geographical parameters, provision is made for the presentation computer device 20 to be able to communicate other parameters such as a time stamp of the data transmitted by the connected sole 10 when the user is wearing an article of footwear 11 equipped with connected soles 10, such a time stamp making it possible to define time periods during which the article of footwear 11 is used. Further, it is provided that the presentation computing device 20 can transmit data relating to the external environment, such as meteorological data which may include the outdoor temperature, humidity level etc., in relation to the parameter values. geographic.

The computing device 30 according to the invention is configured to obtain or load shoe parameter values 201. The shoe parameters aim to describe the characteristics of the article of footwear used during the operation of the connected sole. These shoe parameters may concern both the technical characteristics of the shoes and the aesthetic characteristics or behavioral. This can include the shape, the properties of the materials used, possibly the mechanical characteristics, in particular of the sole. The shoe parameter values 201 can advantageously be stored in a database of the computing device 30 or else on a third-party computing device 40. In fact, it is provided that each connected sole 10 can be associated with an article of footwear 11. specific. By way of non-limiting example, the third-party computer device 40 may include a database, in particular that of a manufacturer or even of a reseller, indicating for each connected sole 10 to which model of article of footwear said connected sole is. associated. It is thus possible to associate shoe parameter values with a connected sole 10 and by extension to associate the data generated by said connected sole with a user equipped with a particular model of article of footwear.

The shoe parameter values may include values of structural parameters, geometric parameters and / or aesthetic parameters of the footwear 11 having the at least one connected sole 10.

In particular, the shoe parameter values 201 may include structural parameter values indicating the different elements constituting a predetermined footwear model 11. The shoe parameter values 201 can thus indicate the presence of a heel counter, a hard toe, a sole, a shank, a sockliner, a sockliner, a sockliner, rod. More particularly, the shoe parameter values 201 can describe the shape of each of the elements constituting the article of footwear 11 and their arrangement. The shoe parameter values 201 may further include geometric parameter values. Said geometric parameter values can indicate the dimensions relating to each of the structural elements of the article of footwear 11. Finally, the shoe parameter values 201 can also include aesthetic parameter values indicating for example for each structural element a color, a color. type of material, a particular aesthetic pattern.

For example, the footwear parameters may include technical or physical parameters such as, by way of non-limiting examples:

- a value associated with the cushioning,

- a value associated with adhesion, - a value associated with the “drop” of the sole of the article of footwear 11, that is to say the difference in height between the heel and the front of the foot or in other words the difference between the thickness of the sole at the rear and at the front of the article of footwear 11, a high “drop” resulting in increased use of the heel in the attack phase of the foot during a stride and therefore places greater strain on the athlete's knees,

- a value associated with flexibility,

- a value associated with robustness,

- a value associated with the presence of a reinforcement, and / or

- a category value describing in particular the belonging of the article of footwear 11 to a universal type stride, an overpronator or even supinator stride.

Footwear parameters may also concern:

- the type of sport or activity to which the footwear item 11 corresponds,

- the brand associated with the footwear 11, and / or

- an identifier of the connected sole 10 associated with the footwear 11.

A computing device 30 according to the invention is further configured to calculate, for each connected sole 10, one or more usage parameter values 101 from the posture or mobility parameter values 301. For this, the computing device 30 advantageously comprises, in a dedicated data memory, a usage repository. The usage benchmark may include posture or benchmark mobility values associated with a predetermined type of usage. By way of non-limiting examples, the determination of a use can be associated with a pattern of specific reference posture or mobility values. The determination of a use may also be subject to the exceeding or not of a predetermined threshold. Those skilled in the art will appreciate that the possibilities of determining a use as a function of the posture or mobility parameters are very numerous and that it will be possible to configure the computing device 30 to calculate one or more parameter values d. use 101 according to the posture or mobility parameters 301 deemed relevant for a given use.

By way of nonlimiting examples, a use parameter value may indicate a sporting, urban, recreational use of an article of footwear 11. For this, the computer computing device 30 can be configured to identify in the parameter values. of posture or mobility 301 previously loaded, values describing an impact force, a length of the steps, an acceleration, a speed of propulsion and a time of flight. In particular, the computing device 30 can be configured to compare the values describing impact force, stride length, acceleration, propulsion speed and time of flight at a plurality of reference value patterns for those posture and mobility parameters taken alone or in combination. Those skilled in the art will understand that in the context of a sporting practice, one or more parameters may be taken into account to identify the use of an article of footwear. In particular, a sporting practice of the running type may for example be characterized by values describing an acceleration, a particular flight time or a step length or else a running speed or even a combination of these parameters. It may also be of interest to identify which article of footwear 11 is used for a given use by a category of user. For this, the values of posture or mobility parameters 301 taken into account can include values of pronation and / or supination. In the context of problems rather related to the field of health, affecting for example the gait of a user, other posture or mobility parameters may be taken into account to identify which item of footwear 11 is used, for a given use. , by a user category. In particular, the posture or mobility parameters, affecting the user's gait, which can be analyzed are the presence of lameness, a fatigue rate of the sole orientation values, balance. Thus, it will be possible to determine on the one hand a particular use of an article of footwear within the framework of a sporting practice for example, for a given category of users.

The computing device 30 according to the invention is further configured to determine, for each connected sole 10, an association index value between the usage parameter values 101 and the shoe parameter values 201. This index value can in particular make it possible to determine whether the articles of footwear are used as intended during their design and in relation to their mechanical properties. Unanticipated uses can correspond to trends on the one hand but also to risks on the other hand. The association index value can be considered as the result of an analysis of correspondence between the values of use parameters 101 and the values of shoe parameters 201. The system according to the invention could therefore in certain aspects be considered as a correspondence engine or even a system of recommendations which establishes correspondence between activities and initial destination of footwear knowing that it can advantageously integrate many other parameters such as terrain, environment, geography, weather. ..

For this, the computing device 30 advantageously comprises, in a dedicated data memory, an association repository. The association repository comprises, for shoe parameter values 201, a usage parameter value reference. By way of non-limiting example, it is provided that each article of footwear 11 can be described through shoe parameter values 201. One or more of the shoe parameter values 201 can advantageously be associated with a parameter value of ′. use 101. Those skilled in the art will appreciate that depending on the recommended use, for a sports activity for example, an article of footwear has shoe parameter values 201 specific to said recommended use. Thus, the computing device 30 is advantageously configured to determine an association index value which may for example take the form of a value between 0 and 1 characterizing a match between the use value (s) of parameter d Use 101 calculated from the posture or mobility parameter values 301 for the article of footwear 11 whose shoe parameter values 201 have been loaded. Indeed, it is possible that the user uses an article of footwear 11 equipped with a connected sole according to the invention for a rather sporting use or then for a use in everyday life and therefore rather associated with a gait. less dynamic. Thus, the computing device 30 will be able to determine, for a series of posture or mobility parameter values 301 calculated from raw data generated by at least one connected sole 10 over a given time interval, a parameter value of usage 101. By way of non-limiting example, an association index value close to 1 will translate that the calculated value (s) of use parameters 101 correspond to the reference use value associated with the shoe parameter values 201 included. in the association reference guide for the article of footwear 11. On the contrary, an association index value close to 0 will translate that the calculated value (s) of use parameters 101 do not correspond to the reference use value associated with the shoe parameter values 201 included in the reference system. of association for the article of footwear 11.

The computing device 30 according to the invention can also be configured to identify a conventional and / or unconventional use, by a user, of an article of footwear 11 comprising a connected sole 10. Such identification can correspond to a operation of comparison of the calculated use parameter value (s) 101 with a reference use value included in the association reference system for the article of footwear 11 comprising the connected sole 10, the data of which have made it possible to calculate the or the use parameter values 101. If the reference use value is equal to the calculated use parameter value, then the use of the article of footwear 11 comprising the connected sole 10 is considered as conventional. Conversely, if the reference use value is not equal to the use parameter value calculated, then the use of the article of footwear 11 comprising the connected sole 10 is considered to be unconventional.

The computing device 30 according to the invention can also be configured to calculate a global association index value from all of the association index values determined beforehand for each connected sole 10. Indeed, it may be advantageous to determine, for an article of footwear model 11, what use is made by a set of users of said article of footwear 11 model. Thus, an overall association index value may correspond to an average calculated from a plurality of association index values previously calculated from the data generated by each connected sole fitted to a footwear model used by a plurality of people.

In order to determine a trend of use of a predetermined article of footwear model 11, a computing device 30 according to the invention can be configured to calculate an overall association index value taking into account only the data generated by one or more connected soles 10 of a predetermined geographical area. Such a geographical area can correspond to a set of geographical coordinates, for example defined by the longitude, the latitude and / or the altitude with respect to the mean sea level, describing the perimeter of a surface of a territory, such as as a non-limiting example, the geographic coordinates describing a country. As described above, a computing device 30 according to the invention is configured to load values of geographic parameters 401, said values of geographic parameters corresponding to a location of the at least one connected sole 10. Thus, the data generated by each connected sole 10 are associated with one or more geographic coordinates, and therefore, consequently, the parameter values calculated from said data are also associated with connected sole 10. The computing device 30 can be configured to filter the data. produced by one or more connected soles 10 taking into account only the connected soles 10 whose geographic parameter values 401 indicate a location of the corresponding connected sole in a determined geographical area. Such a usage trend can thus be compared to trend monitoring, in particular concerning the number of sales associated with a footwear item model, observed in a plurality of geographical areas, on social network platforms, in particular with profiles. individuals such as influencer profiles, or digital advertising media.

In order to facilitate the identification, by the computing device 30 according to the invention, of the data generated by a connected sole 10, in particular the values of parameters posture or mobility 301, geographic parameter values 401, shoe parameter values 201, usage parameter values 101 and association index values, all data and / or values loaded and calculated can be associated with a unique identifier of the corresponding connected sole 10.

In order to improve and better understand the use made of a model of an article of footwear 11, provision is made for the computer computing device 30 according to the invention to be able to be configured to identify a plurality of third connected soles 10 ′ each being associated with another article of footwear 11 'having shoe parameter values 201' substantially identical to the shoe parameter values 201, that is to say with another article of footwear model than that in connection with the article footwear 11. In fact, it is particularly advantageous to be able to identify whether or not the conventional use of an article of footwear 11 is specific to a certain model or whether such a conventional use or not is observable on other models of footwear. 'footwear 11'. The computing device 30 can then be configured to identify in a database referencing a multitude of articles of footwear, a shoe parameter value describing a category associated with an article of footwear and corresponding to the category of the article of footwear 11. Such identification can also consist of a comparison of the set of shoe parameter values 201 of the article of footwear 11 with the shoe parameter values of the articles of footwear referenced in the database, in order to determine another article. footwear 11 'having shoe parameter values 201' substantially identical to the shoe parameter values 201.

In order to improve and better understand the use made of a model of an article of footwear 11, provision is made for the computer computing device 30 according to the invention to be able to be configured to identify a plurality of third connected soles 10 ′ each being associated with another article of footwear 11 ′ having posture or mobility parameter values 301 ′ substantially identical to the posture or mobility values 301, that is to say with another article of footwear model than the one linked with the article of footwear 11. In fact, it is particularly advantageous to be able to identify whether the conventional use or not of an article of footwear 11 is specific to a certain model or whether such a conventional use or not is observable on d 'other models of footwear 11'. The computing device 30 can then be configured to identify in a database referencing a multitude of articles of footwear, one or more posture or mobility parameter values describing a use of an article of footwear by a user of the sole. connected third party 10 '. Such identification may consist of a comparison of the set of posture or mobility parameter values 301 of the article of footwear 11 with the values of posture or mobility parameters of the articles of footwear referenced in the database, in order to determine another article of footwear 11 'exhibiting values of posture or mobility parameters 301 ′ substantially identical to the values of posture or mobility parameters 301.

It is thus possible to identify other articles of footwear 11 'by means of substantially identical posture or mobility parameter values 301' and / or shoe parameter values 201 'substantially identical to those of the article. footwear 11. For this, the computing device 30 can store such a database referencing a multitude of footwear, preferably each of the footwear referenced comprises a connected 10 ′ third sole. Alternatively, such a database referencing a multitude of footwear items can be stored in a third-party computer device 40.

In order to improve and better understand the use made of a model of an article of footwear 11, provision is made for the computer computing device 30 according to the invention to be able to be configured to identify a plurality of third connected soles 10 ′ each being associated with another article of footwear 11 'having geographic parameter values 401' substantially identical to the values of geographic parameters 401, that is to say with another article of footwear model than that in connection with the article of footwear 11 In fact, it is particularly advantageous to be able to identify whether or not the geographical use of an article of footwear 11 is specific to a certain model or if such a geographical use is observable on other models of articles of footwear 11. '. The computing device 30 can then be configured to identify in a database referencing a multitude of footwear, a geographic parameter value describing a category associated with an item of footwear and corresponding to the category of the footwear 11. Such identification can also consist of a comparison of all the values of geographical parameters of the article of footwear 11 with the values of the geographical parameters of the articles of footwear referenced in the database, in order to determine another article of footwear 11 'exhibiting geographic parameter values substantially identical to the geographic parameter values 401.

In addition, the computing device 30 according to the invention could be configured to use data originating from other devices such as cardiac data, diary data, movement data originating for example from connected watches or other computing devices. In order to provide an article of footwear suitable for use by a user, the computing device 30 according to the invention may further be configured to generate design parameters of articles of footwear 11 on the basis of the determined values of association indices between the values of use parameters 101 and the values of shoe parameters 201. Indeed, the computing device can in particular be configured to generate a personalized digital model from the shoe parameter values of the footwear associated with the connected sole. The shoe parameter values of said article of footwear can thus be optimized, that is to say personalized by taking into account the use made of them by the user. It is thus possible to determine new values of shoe parameters in line with the use of the user, such as by way of nonlimiting examples of the values of shoe parameters in connection with a thickness of the midsole, increased outsole abrasion resistance, greater rigidity, insulation, midsole cushioning properties. In this way, the midsole, and more generally the article of footwear can be optimally adapted to the use of the user.

In order to enable the manufacture of an article of footwear suitable for use by a user, the computing device 30 may further be configured to generate production parameters relating to the manufacture of articles of footwear 11 based on the production parameters. determined values of association indices between the values of use parameters 101 and the values of shoe parameters 201. Such production parameters may include the materials used, their shape and dimensions, but also the design of the footwear (e.g. colors, logos, applications, etc.) or its functional properties (e.g. waterproofness, cushioning, etc. .) and can then be updated according to the values of usage parameters 101 obtained.

In order to enable the routing of articles of footwear suitable for a user's use, the computing device 30 may further be configured to generate values of logistics parameters relating to the manufacture and distribution of the articles. footwear 11 on the basis of the values of geographical parameters 401, determined values of association indices between the values of parameters of use 101 and the values of shoe parameters 201. More particularly, it may be advantageous to determine, at from the values of geographical parameters, one or more points of sale within a radius of between 1 kilometer and 20 kilometers in order to establish a routing route and to determine an adapted means of transport. According to another aspect, the invention relates to a method 500 for analyzing the use of articles of footwear 11 in order to determine an index of association between parameters of use 101 and parameters of shoes 201. Such a method is implemented. implemented by a computing device 30 within a system 1 in accordance with the invention.

As illustrated in connection with FIG. 3, an analysis method 500 according to the invention comprises a step of loading 510 the values of posture or mobility parameters 301, a step of loading 520 of the values of geographical parameters 401, a step of loading 530 the shoe parameter values 201, a step of calculating 540, for each connected sole 10, of one or more use parameter values 101, a determining step 560, for each connected sole 10, of an association index value.

A loading step 510, of a method according to the invention, consists in recovering the values of posture or mobility parameters 301 calculated from raw data generated by at least one connected sole 10 of an article of footwear 11. The posture or mobility parameter values 301 may be transmitted either by the sole connected 10 directly to the computing computing device 30, or by a presentation computing device 20 associated or coupled to the connected sole 10 or by a third-party computing device. 40 configured to store the raw data generated by the at least one connected sole 10 and to calculate associated posture or mobility parameter values 301.

A loading step 520, of a method in accordance with the invention, consists in recovering the values of geographical parameters, from the connected sole 10, or from a third-party computer device 40, or else from the device. presentation computer 20 coupled or associated with said connected sole. The geographic parameter values thus make it possible to locate the connected sole 10 and consequently the user.

A loading step 530, of a method in accordance with the invention, consists in recovering the values of shoe parameters 201 comprising values of structural parameters, of geometric parameters and / or of aesthetic parameters of the article of footwear 11 comprising the at least one connected sole 10. Preferably, the shoe parameter values 201 are stored in a dedicated database, stored in a data memory of a third-party computer device 40 accessible through a suitable communication network or else directly in a data memory of the computing device 30. A calculation step 540, of a method in accordance with the invention, of one or more usage parameter values 101, for each connected sole 10, is then implemented by the computing device 30, from previously loaded posture or mobility parameter values 301.

A step of determining 560, of a method according to the invention, for each connected sole 10, of an association index value between the values of use parameters 101 and the values of shoe parameters 201 is then followed. implemented by the computing device 30.

These steps of calculation 540 and / or of determination 560 could implement a learning model configured to refine the results as a function of the values which led to the selection of a use parameter value 101 or of a value d. 'association index. Learning can be supervised or unsupervised learning. The method or system according to the invention is suitable for implementing algorithms based on supervised or unsupervised learning methods. Thus, advantageously, the footwear usage analysis system or method according to the invention is configured to train and implement one or more algorithms. These algorithms may have been built from different learning models, including partitioning, supervised or unsupervised. The algorithm can be derived from the use of a supervised statistical learning model selected for example from kernel methods (eg Vast Marge Separators - Support Vector Machines SVM, Kernel Ridge Regression) described for example in Burges, 1998 (Data Mining and Knowledge Discovery. A Tutorial on Support Vector Machines for Pattern Recognition), the set methods (eg decision trees) described for example in Brieman, 2001 (Machine Learning. Random Forests), k-mean partitioning, decision trees, logical regression or neural networks described, for example, in Rosenblatt, 1958 (The perceptron: a probabilistic model for information storage and organization in the brain) or deep learning (The nuclei-based methods - Kernel Methods for Pattern Analysis Hardcover - lllustrated, Cambridge University Press, 2004; Ultra-low power microcontroller learning machine techniques: TinyML, Machine Learning with TensorFlow Lite on Arduino and Ultra- Low-Power Microcontrollers, O’Reilly, 2020; Dimensional reduction techniques for hyper-dimensional data, Topological Methods in Data Analysis and Visualization V: Theory, Algorithms, and Applications Mathematics and Visualization, Springer Verlag, 2020.)

As part of a step of determining, for each connected sole, an association index value between the values of parameters of use and of the shoe, a method according to the invention may include the generation of an alert to destination of the user of the connected sole. Such an alert could take the form of digital media informing, for example, of a mismatch between the use made of the shoe and its original destination. A personalized digital medium encodes for example one or more information in a format selected from the format: Text, images, video, sounds and their combinations.

For example, when the user uses articles of footwear for rock climbing activities or in the rain while the article of footwear has a grip value suitable for such use, the method according to the invention may include the generation of an alert warning him of the dangers associated with continuing the activity.

Likewise, the use of footwear suitable for long-distance running for primarily a jumping activity may result in the generation of an alert. Such an alert could be transmitted to a presentation computing device coupled to at least one connected sole.

Such warnings could be based on predetermined warning indicators and function of shoe parameter values (e.g; cushioning, grip ...).

In addition, the shoe parameter values 201 of a method 500 according to the invention may include reference usage parameters. In this case, the step of determining 560 can be preceded by a step of identifying 550 of a conventional and / or unconventional use implemented by the computing device 30, said identification possibly comprising a comparison of the parameters d. 'reference use to the use parameter value calculated from the posture or mobility parameter values 301 for each connected sole 10.

A method 500 in accordance with the invention can furthermore comprise a step 570 for calculating, implemented by a computing device 30, of a global association index value from all of the values of association index determined beforehand for each connected sole 10. A method 500 in accordance with the invention can also comprise a step of identification 580, implemented by a computer device for calculating 30, of a trend, for a zone predetermined geographic, from the global association index value correlated with the values of geographic parameters 401 of the at least one connected sole 10.

A method in accordance with the invention may also include a step of correlation between the association index values of these users and the values of plantar morphology parameters. Such correlations can be calculated within the framework of the training model training. Morphology parameter values plantar users can be obtained from dedicated servers or information presentation device coupled to the connected sole. The plantar morphology parameters may preferably correspond to one or more photographs of the foot or else to a three-dimensional model of the foot. These parameters of plantar morphology may include dimensions of the foot (length / height of the arch, length / width of the foot), size and position of the toes, and / or shape of the arch of the foot (eg sagging or exaggerated for flat foot or hollow foot respectively).

In addition, a process according to the invention can be repeated for all the articles of footwear 11 of the same user. Thus, the method according to the invention may also include a step of analyzing the association indices generated for each of the footwear 11 of a user. In addition, the method according to the invention can be configured to identify an item of footwear more suitable for the use of a user, for example according to his activities and the season. Advantageously, the method according to the invention will be able to identify the item of footwear which tires the user the least.

Claims

1. System (1) for analyzing the use of footwear (11) configured to determine an association index between values of use parameters (101) and values of shoe parameters (201), characterized in that it comprises one or more computing devices (30) configured for:

- Obtain values of posture or mobility parameters (301) calculated from raw data generated by at least one connected sole (10) of an article of footwear (11);

- obtaining values of geographic parameters (401), said values of geographic parameters corresponding to a location of the at least one connected sole (10);

- obtaining shoe parameter values (201), said shoe parameter values comprising values of structural parameters, of geometric parameters and / or of aesthetic parameters of the article of footwear (11) comprising the at least one connected sole ( 10);

- calculate, for each connected sole (10), one or more usage parameter values (101) from the posture or mobility parameter values (301); and

- determining, for each connected sole (10), an association index value between the use parameter value (s) (101) and the shoe parameter values (201).

2. System (1) according to claim 1, characterized in that the computing device (30) is further configured to obtain (590) values of plantar morphology parameters of users of third-party connected insoles and in that the association index values of these users are correlated with the values of plantar morphology parameters.

3. System (1) according to one of claims 1 or 2, characterized in that the shoe parameter values (201) include reference use parameters and in that the computer device or devices (30 ) are further configured to identify conventional and / or unconventional usage, said identification comprising a comparison of the reference usage parameters to the usage parameter value calculated from the posture or mobility parameter values (301 ) for each connected sole (10).

4. System (1) according to any one of claims 1 to 3, characterized in that the computing device (30) is further configured to calculate an overall association index value from the set. previously determined association index values for each connected sole (10).

5. System (1) according to claim 4, characterized in that the computing device (30) is further configured to identify a trend, for a predetermined geographic area, from the global association index value. correlated with the values of geographic parameters (401) of the at least one connected sole (10).

6. System (1) according to claim 5, characterized in that the values of geographic parameters (401) further include meteorological values.

7. System (1) according to any one of claims 1 to 6, characterized in that the posture or mobility parameter values (301), the geographic parameter values (401), the shoe parameter values ( 201), the values of usage parameters (101) and the values of association indices are associated with a unique identifier of the connected sole (10).

8. System (1) according to any one of claims 1 to 7, characterized in that the values of geographic parameters (401) are generated and transmitted to the computing device (30), by the connected sole (10).

9. System (1) according to any one of claims 1 to 8, characterized in that the computing device (30) is further configured to identify a plurality of connected soles (10 '), each being associated with a. another article of footwear (11 ') having shoe parameters (201') substantially identical to the values of shoe parameters (201) previously obtained.

10. System (1) according to any one of claims 1 to 9, characterized in that the computing device (30) is further configured to identify a plurality of connected soles (10 ') third, each being associated with another article of footwear (11 ') having posture or mobility parameters (301') substantially identical to the values of posture or mobility parameters (301) obtained previously.

11. System (1) according to any one of claims 1 to 10, characterized in that the computing device (30) is further configured to generate design parameters of articles of footwear (11) on the basis of the. values determined of association indices between the values of parameters of use (101) and the values of parameters of footwear (201).

12. System (1) according to any one of claims 1 to 11, characterized in that the computing device (30) is further configured to generate production parameters relating to the manufacture of footwear (11). on the basis of the determined values of indices of association between the values of use parameters (101) and the values of shoe parameters (201).

13. System (1) according to any one of claims 1 to 12, characterized in that the computing device (30) is further configured to generate values of logistics parameters relating to the manufacture and distribution of products. footwear (11) on the basis of the geographic parameter values (401), determined values of association indices between the wear parameter values (101) and the shoe parameter values (201).

14. System (1) according to any one of claims 1 to 13, characterized in that the computing device (30) is further configured to receive wear parameter values of the article of footwear associated with the. connected sole (10) and for generating production parameters relating to the manufacture of footwear (11) based on the determined values of association indices, shoe parameter values (201) and parameter values wear.

15. Method (500) for analyzing the use of articles of footwear (11) to determine an index of association between parameters of use (101) and parameters of footwear (201), said method being implemented. by a computing device (30) and characterized in that said method comprises:

- A step of obtaining (510) values of posture or mobility parameters (301) calculated from raw data generated by at least one connected sole (10) of an article of footwear (11);

- A step of obtaining (520) geographic parameter values (401), said geographic parameter values corresponding to a location of the at least one connected sole (10);

A step of obtaining (530) values of shoe parameters (201), said shoe parameter values comprising values of structural parameters, of geometric parameters and / or of aesthetic parameters of the article of footwear (11) comprising the at least one connected sole (10); A step of calculating (540), for each connected sole (10), one or more usage parameter values (101) from the posture or mobility parameter values (301); and

A step of determining (560), for each connected sole (10), an association index value between the values of usage parameters (101) and the values of shoe parameters (201).

16. The method (500) according to claim 15, characterized in that the shoe parameter values (201) include reference use parameters and in that said method comprises a step of identifying (550) a conventional and / or unconventional use, said identification comprising a comparison of the reference use parameters to the use parameter value calculated from the posture or mobility parameter values (301) for each connected sole (10) .

17. Method (500) according to one of claims 15 or 16, characterized in that said method comprises a step of calculating (570) a global association index value from all of the values d. 'association index previously determined for each connected sole (10).

18. Method (500) according to claim 17, characterized in that said method comprises a step of identifying (580) a trend, for a predetermined geographical area, from the correlated global association index value. with the values of geographic parameters (401) of the at least one connected sole (10).

19. Method (500) according to any one of claims 15 to 18, characterized in that the values of posture or mobility parameters (301) have been calculated by one or more processors integrated into the at least one connected sole. (10).