ES2729929T3 - Device for foot measurement, procedure and computer program - Google Patents

Abstract

Apparatus for characterizing a person's foot and selecting a foot care product, the apparatus comprising: a surface (114) configured to allow a person (109) to place a foot (308) on it; a plurality of pressure sensors (101) for making measurements of a person's foot placed on the surface; a storage means (105) having data stored therein defining a plurality of foot length intervals, a plurality of intervals for a measurement of the height of the arch of the foot and, for each of the foot length intervals , a respective plurality of weight ranges; and a calculation means (104) arranged to receive signals representing quasi-dynamic pressure measurements of the plurality of pressure sensors while the person is standing on only one foot, in which the calculation means (104) is operable to process the signals to determine if the person stands on the surface (114) on just one foot determining if the person's center of force is within a predetermined area on the surface (114) and to receive signals representing the person's weight and operable to process the signals to: determine a person's foot length; determine a measurement of the height of the arch of the person's foot; identify one of the stored plurality of foot length intervals in which the determined length of the person's foot is; identify one of the stored plurality of weight ranges for the identified foot length range in which the person's weight is; identify one of the stored plurality of weight ranges for the measurement of the foot arch weight in which the determined measurement of the height of the arch of the foot of the person is; and select a foot care product for the person's foot according to the intervals identified.

Description

DESCRIPTION

Device for foot measurement, procedure and computer program

Field of the Invention

The present invention generally relates to the measurement of the feet and the analysis of measurement data of the feet.

Background

Many people require foot care products. Foot care products can be placed inside footwear to provide support, padding, to improve fit or comfort, etc. Examples of foot care products include orthopedic products (hereinafter referred to as "orthopedic"), insoles, plantar pads, heel cups, etc. Examples of footwear include sneakers, moccasins, shoes, heels, etc.

Foot care products are currently available in two different forms, namely, as a limited scale of prefabricated foot care products which can be purchased in retail store presentations, and as foot care products. made to measure, those that are manufactured individually for the particular requirements of a consumer.

However, both ways of acquiring foot care products have a number of problems.

In the case of pre-fabricated foot care products, although the presentation may provide some guidance, customers may have to assume which products are appropriate, for example, size, foot characteristics, and other attributes. However, even if a consumer has the opportunity to try on a product, the consumer may not know the best type of support or size of foot care product for their particular foot characteristics. This practice can result in the consumer buying multiple products before finally finding a product that meets the needs of the consumer. Therefore, retailers want to be able to provide a service to help customers select the right product without having to employ a person who has specialized training and / or knowledge about all possible products, whether for foot care or footwear, and different types of feet.

In the case of custom-made foot care products, significant experience and time is required to measure a client's feet, determine the required foot care product and manufacture the foot care product according to the specification of the client's feet. As a result, custom-made foot care products are typically more expensive than pre-fabricated foot care products. In addition, creating a custom-made foot care product usually requires a trained professional to take the measurements to the client and manufacture or order the foot care product.

Therefore there is a requirement for an automated apparatus and technique to take measurements of a person's feet to assist in the selection of a foot care product or to automatically select the foot care product.

US 6,331,893 B1 describes an apparatus and procedures for analyzing feet using pressure sensor matrices and optical sensors connected to a controller and a monitor. An apparatus includes a housing that houses a controller and a monitor and defines left and right footrests to receive the left and right feet, respectively. The floor of each footrest includes a pressure pad assembly that includes a matrix of pressure sensor contacts covered by a variable resistance pressure pad to form pressure sensor arrays. A digital signal processor normalizes and softens the pressure data for display on the monitor. Infrared LEDs and phototransistors are located around the perimeter of each footrest and are used to measure the length, width and heights of a foot. A microprocessor addresses each LED and phototransistor separately. The controller reads the data created by the DSP and IR microprocessor, calculates additional data and displays the resulting data on the monitor. According to one procedure, pressure sensors and optical sensors are used to determine, among others, foot length, foot width, shoe size, foot volume, foot shape, distribution of strength, pronation, bow type and last recommended type. In other procedures, the DSP and IR microprocessors provide data that allows the controller to perform calculations and comparisons to display orthopedic prescriptions or template selection information, as well as medical information related to the pressure center and postural balancing analysis.

US 2003/0079303 A1 describes procedures of two levels of orthotic customization. On a first level of personalization, orthotics are selected according to the needs and personal characteristics of an individual. On a second level of customization, inserts are added to the braces according to at least the individual's foot type.

US 6,289,107 B1 describes a device and a method for determining quickly and It specifies the size and shape of a human limb, such as a foot, projecting light around a periphery of the limb and capturing an image of the illuminated foot through a transparent plate. Several embodiments contemplate the use of light having a wavelength in the near infrared range to reduce contrast problems caused by dyes used in socks and skin tone problems created by highly pigmented individuals. An image of the foot is digitized and stored in a computer memory in both an illuminated and an unlit state, and the two images are subtracted. Additional stages of image processing in the subtracted image result in various measurement quantities, such as foot length, width, arch length, heel width and arch height.

US 2004/0181976 A1 describes a design concept for foot orthoses that has several different optional features and subcharacteristics. The design is useful to support and correct the abnormal posture of the foot. The disclosure includes different types of footwear in addition to gender, age, weight, foot size, activity level and medical condition of the user. Different types of sections of the midfoot and heel parts that have a specific arch support are used. The design also provides the benefits of bespoke foot plastering by having mass production parts. Design options for the thickness and width of the orthotics and the preferred materials for a wide range of applications are also disclosed. In addition, a procedure for choosing particular braces for a particular person from a set of possible braces available is disclosed. The orthosis set will contain subsets of arc heights, widths and specific orthosis thicknesses.

Document US 2005/0049816 A1 describes a system to assist in the selection of footwear that can select and present a type of footwear that suits a client by estimating the anatomical characteristics of a foot from the state of the foot. The system includes the following: an input portion of measured data to measure and enter data that shows the status of a foot of a person to be measured; a normalization processing portion to normalize the data input of the measured data input portion and store the normalized data at least temporarily; a shoe catalog database for storing information of a plurality of types of footwear; and a selection part to estimate the anatomical characteristics of the person's foot based on the standardized data, referring to the database of the footwear catalog according to the anatomical characteristics, and selecting and presenting a type of footwear that conforms to the person.

However, the inventors have found that there are a number of technical problems when such an apparatus / technique is implemented. For example, the device must be inexpensive, reliable and easy to use. Further:

(1) Before taking measurements of a person's feet, it is important to ensure that the person is standing correctly for the type of measurement sensor, otherwise the measurements may be inaccurate and variable.

(2) Even if a person is standing correctly, inaccuracies in foot measurement may occur, and the automated device / technique must therefore identify and address the cause of these errors.

(3) A measurement that often needs to be taken from a person's foot is the measurement of the arch of the foot. However, the problem arises of how to measure such a three-dimensional characteristic using a sensor that makes measurements in a two-dimensional plane, such as a two-dimensional pressure sensor.

(4) For some types of foot care products it is necessary to perform dynamic measurements of a person's foot (that is, measurements while the person is walking, for example to analyze the person's gait). Therefore, an apparatus that can perform such measurements is necessary. However, the device should not occupy a large volume otherwise it will take up too much space in a store. (5) The number of different types and sizes of foot care products is very large, and hence the number of foot measurements needed to select a product for a consumer is also very large. Therefore, an automated device / technique is required that reduces the number of measurements to be made, and thus the measurement time and opportunity for inaccuracies.

Summary of the invention

The present invention has been realized with these technical problems in mind.

In accordance with a first aspect of the invention, an apparatus is provided for characterizing a person's foot and selecting a foot care product, the apparatus comprising: a surface configured to allow a person to place a foot on the foot. same; at least one sensor to make measurements of a foot placed on the surface; storage media having data stored therein defining a plurality of foot length intervals, a plurality of intervals for a measurement of the foot arc height and, for each of the foot length intervals, a respective plurality of weight ranges; and a calculation means arranged to receive signals representing quasi-dynamic pressure measurements of at least one sensor while the person stands on one foot, in which the calculation means is operable to process the signals to determine if the person is for on the surface about only one foot determining whether the person's center of force is within a target area on the surface and to receive signals that represent the person's weight and operable to process the signals to determine a person's foot length; determine a measurement of the height of the arch of the person's foot; identify one of the stored plurality of foot length intervals in which the determined length of the person's foot is; identify one of the stored plurality of weight ranges for the identified foot length range in which the person's weight is; identify one of the stored plurality of weight ranges for the measurement of the foot arch weight in which the determined measurement of the height of the arch of the foot of the person is; and select a foot care product for the person's foot according to the intervals identified.

In accordance with a second aspect of the invention, a computer-implemented method is provided to characterize a person's foot and select a foot care product for the same, the method comprising: storing data defining a plurality of intervals of foot length, a plurality of intervals for a measurement of the height of the arch of the foot and, for each of the foot length intervals, a respective plurality of weight ranges; receive signals representing quasi-dynamic pressure measurements of a person's foot from at least one sensor while the person stands on one foot, in which the signals are processed to determine if the person is standing on the surface on one foot determining whether the person's center of strength is within a target area on the surface and receiving signals that represent the person's weight; and process the signals to: determine a person's foot length; determine a measurement of the height of the arch of the person's foot; identify one of the stored plurality of foot length intervals in which the determined length of the person's foot is found; identify one of the plurality of weight ranges stored for the identified foot length range in which the person's weight is found; identify one of the plurality of intervals stored for the measurement of the height of the arch of the foot in which the determined measurement of the height of the arch of the foot of the person is found; and select a foot care product for the person's foot according to the intervals identified.

Brief description of the drawings

For a better understanding of the present invention and to show how it can be done, reference will now be made, by way of example only, to the accompanying drawings, the contents of which are listed below:

Figure 1 illustrates a functional block diagram of an example kiosk, in accordance with an example embodiment of the present invention.

Figure 2 illustrates several dimensions of the example footer.

Figure 3a illustrates an example of the locations of alignment marks that may appear on a pressure mat.

Figure 3b illustrates the measurements that can be derived from the pressure measurements on a pressure mat. Figure 4 illustrates a flow chart of an example procedure for characterizing a person's feet based on pressure measurements and the selection of a recommended foot care product.

Figure 5 illustrates an example pressure map showing the dimensions of the foot that can be used to determine if a foot on a sensor is barefoot, in accordance with an exemplary embodiment of the present invention.

Figure 6 illustrates an example procedure that uses the dimensions of the foot of Figure 5 to determine if a bare foot is on a pressure mat.

Figure 7 illustrates an example procedure for taking pressure measurements to calculate estimates of biomechanical data, such as those in Figure 2, in accordance with an exemplary embodiment of the present invention.

Figure 8a illustrates an example decision matrix, in accordance with an example embodiment of the present invention.

Figure 8b illustrates an example procedure for the selection of a foot care product from a decision matrix, such as in Figure 8a, based on pressure measurements, in accordance with an example embodiment of the present invention.

Figure 9a illustrates an example kiosk that selects pre-fabricated orthoses, in accordance with an exemplary embodiment of the present invention.

Figure 9b illustrates an example internal structure of a pressure pad, according to an example embodiment.

Figure 9c illustrates an example internal structure of a layer-by-layer pressure pad, according to an example embodiment.

Figure 10a illustrates an example screen that can show foot care products, in accordance with an example embodiment of the present invention.

Figure 10b illustrates an example screen that can show a foot care product and its various components, in accordance with an example embodiment of the present invention.

Figure 11 illustrates a number of sample screens that display information, instructions, or that provide a language option.

Figure 12 illustrates an example instruction screen that directs a person to take off their shoes.

Figure 13a illustrates an example screen that can be shown to a person to help or help them achieve proper foot alignment and weight distribution.

Figure 13b illustrates an alternative example screen that can be shown to a person to help achieve proper foot alignment and weight distribution.

Figure 14 shows an example screen that can be shown to a person when the person has to balance their weight between the two feet.

Figure 15 illustrates an example screen containing instructions that can be shown to a person about taking quasi-dynamic foot measurements, in accordance with an exemplary embodiment of the present invention.

Figure 16a illustrates an example screen that can be shown after measurements of a single seat foot are taken, in accordance with an example embodiment of the present invention.

Figure 16b illustrates an alternative example screen that can be displayed after single-foot foot measurements are taken, in accordance with an example embodiment of the present invention. Figure 17a illustrates an example screen containing instructions that can be shown to a person about taking pressure measurements of the person while the person stands on his right foot, in accordance with an example embodiment of the present invention. .

Figure 17b illustrates an alternative example screen containing instructions that can be shown to a person about taking pressure measurements of the person while the person stands on his right foot, in accordance with an example embodiment of the present. invention.

Figure 18 illustrates an example screen that can be displayed after measurements of a single seat foot are taken, in accordance with an example embodiment of the present invention.

Figure 19 illustrates an example screen that can show a recommended foot care product selected, in this example, an orthopedic.

Figure 20 shows an example screen showing other information that can be represented to a person, in accordance with an exemplary embodiment of the present invention.

Detailed description of the example embodiments

To solve the above problem (1), the present invention provides an apparatus and method in which a plurality of pressure sensors are used to make pressure measurements of a person's foot on a surface. The signals from the pressure sensors are processed to calculate a force point on the surface for the person (preferably a force point center comprising the point on the surface through which the person's weight acts) and compare this force point for the person with a previously determined target area on the surface to achieve correct measurements using the sensors. A screen is presented to the user which shows the difference in location of the current point of force of the person and the target area in order to assist the user to move (and therefore change the point through which their weight acts) and bring your force point to the target area. Measurements of a person's foot are not taken until the person's point of strength is within the target zone.

The use of pressure sensors in contrast to optical approaches, mechanical calibrators or other approaches proposed above to measure the feet solves the problem of providing a robust, low-cost measurement system appropriate for use in a retail environment without personalized attention. In addition, the apparatus and procedure ensure that the user is stopped in such a way that accurate and reliable measurements can be taken using the pressure sensors.

With reference to the problem (2) above. The inventors have recognized that many measurement errors occur since the person is not using the measuring device correctly. In particular, the inventors have recognized that many people use an article of footwear such as a footwear or sock when measurements are made, while measurements must be taken when the user is not using any of these elements. Therefore, the present invention provides an apparatus and method in which the signals from the foot measurement sensor are first processed to determine a plurality of different foot dimensions, to calculate one or more proportions of the measured dimensions, and to compare the proportions calculated with one or more reference values to determine if the person is using a footwear item. In this way, additional measurements of a person's foot can be delayed until the person has removed any item of footwear, thus avoiding inaccurate measurement results.

To solve the above problem (3), the present inventors have designed a new technique to characterize the arch of a person's foot using measurements taken on a two-dimensional plane on which the foot is placed. More particularly, the present invention provides an apparatus and method in which a plurality of pressure sensors are used to generate a pressure map of the sole of a person's foot when placed on a two-dimensional surface and the pressure map It is processed to determine a measure of the arch of the foot. Preferably, the pressure map is processed to determine the portion thereof in relation to the arch of a person's foot, and the proportion of the area of the arch portion to the area of the foot is determined. This proportion is known herein as the "arch index" and the inventors have found that this index is particularly useful for characterizing the arch of a person's foot to allow the selection of an appropriate foot care product corresponding to the foot.

To solve the above problem (4), the inventors have understood that dynamic measurements when a person is walking can be replaced by static measurements taken when the person is standing in a position that simulates movement (such measurements are known herein as measurements "Quasi-dynamic"). In particular, the inventors have understood that the measurement of feet taken while a person rests on one foot can only be used to replace the measurements taken while the person is walking. In addition, the inventors have understood that the accuracy and reliability of the measurements taken while a person rests on one foot can be increased by using pressure sensors to perform the measurements.

Therefore, an apparatus and method are described below in which signals from a plurality of sensors associated with a surface are processed to determine if a person is standing on the surface on one foot only. In this way, incorrect measurements taken when the person is standing on both feet can be avoided. In accordance with the present invention, the determination of whether the person is standing on one foot only is based on the weight applied to the pressure sensors in an area of the surface (the area corresponding to one foot) and / or if a center of force for the person on the surface (such as the point through which the center of gravity of the person acts on the surface) falls within a predetermined area on the surface.

The present inventors have also understood that a person's foot can be better characterized, if two groups of foot measurements are used, namely a group of measurements taken while the user is standing on two feet and a group of measurements taken while the user is standing on one foot only.

Therefore, the following describes an apparatus and procedure in which one or more sensors associated with a surface are used to generate a group of measurement signals while a person is standing on both feet on the surface and a group of signals of measurement while the person is standing on the surface on one foot only. Signal groups are processed to determine a property of a person's foot, thereby improving accuracy.

With reference to the above problem (5), the inventors have designed a technique to accurately and reliably characterize a person's foot to allow a foot care product to correspond to the foot, which requires only a small number of Foot measurements, requires only a small amount of data storage and can be done quickly.

Next, an apparatus and procedure in which a foot is characterized is described and a foot care product is selected based on the length of the foot, a measure of the arch of the foot (such as arch index) and body weight . Other features can also be used, but these add to the complexity of measurements and product selection, and the inventors have found that only all three features provide foot characterization and selection of extremely accurate and reliable products. The data is pre-stored defining a plurality of scales of foot lengths and a plurality of scales for the measurement of the arch of the foot. For each foot length scale, a respective plurality of weight scales is also stored so that the weight scales are different for each foot length scale. Measurements of the length of a person's feet and the arch of the foot are made. The person's weight can be measured or supplied by the person. Foot length, arch measurement and weight are compared against pre-stored values and a pre-fabricated foot care product is selected based on the results of the comparison.

A product such as a computer program, such as a signal carrying a computer program or a storage medium that stores a computer program, for implementing the procedures is also provided below.

Figure 1 illustrates a functional block diagram of an example kiosk, in accordance with an example embodiment of the present invention. The example kiosk 100 can be used to take measurements of a person's feet, and based on the measurements, select a recommended foot care product. The kiosk 100 may include a foot measuring subsystem 114, for example, a plurality of pressure sensors 101. Pressure sensors 101 may be provided by using a pad with a set of pressure sensors made from pressure sensitive conductive inks, for example, sensors from Tekscan, Inc. (307 West First Street, South Boston, MA. 02127 -2109, USA), and / or the sensors described in US Patents 5,989,700 and 6,964,205. Other measurement technologies can also be used, for example, force plates, piezoelectric sensors, digital air pressure sensors, optical measurements, calibrators, thermal sensors, etc.

The pressure sensors 101 may be organized so that they obtain pressure measurements at different points of a person's foot. For example, the pressure sensors can be organized as a two-dimensional grid or a three-dimensional grid of multiple layers of sensors. Sensor cells up to 7.5 mm by 7.5 mm arranged in one set provide adequate detail to characterize feet up to size 15 for men. The sensor element can provide the necessary measurements to provide a map of exact foot pressures. For example, in an example, considering the area of the pressure pad, a minimum number of 1144 pressure sensors per foot area with a size of 6.86 mm x 6.65 mm provides an exact pressure map of one foot . Therefore, for two feet there would be 2288 pressure sensors. However, with a variable scale of sensor sizes, the number of sensors that may be necessary to accurately capture a map of foot pressures can vary. The area of the foot, and therefore the number of sensors, can also vary depending on the target population. For example, an example embodiment of the kiosk may contain pressure pads below the feet that are capable of measuring from children to adults, and the underlying pads would be large enough to capture the area of an adult's foot.

Pressure measurements taken from the plurality of pressure sensors 101 may, but need not be, the only foot measurements collected to select a recommended foot care product. For example, in alternative embodiments, a scale 113 can also be used in the foot measurement subsystem 101 to provide greater accuracy in estimating a person's weight. It will be appreciated that measurement approaches that produce a relative pressure distribution, without producing absolute pressure values, can also be used in place of absolute numerical pressure measurements.

The example kiosk 100 may also contain an output device 102, such as a video screen or LCD screen, and an input device 103, such as a keyboard, mouse, etc. An embodiment may contain a touch screen as a combination of the input device 103 and the output device 102. The output device 102 may present information received from a processor 104. Such information may include a recommended foot care product in the form of a drawing or a model number, instructions on how to use the kiosk, estimates of biomechanical data, data containing transactional information of the kiosk, etc. The output device 102 can present the foot pressure in real time when a user walks on the pressure sensors. If the output device is a digital display, the pressure can be presented in pixel format or contoured format, that is, a real-time smoothed version of the pixelated format for aesthetic presentation purposes. The screen can also display in real time a map of pressures and changes in the pressure map of a person's feet while the person is standing on the pressure sensors.

The output device 102 may also present a map of final peak pressures to a person. The peak pressure map is the combination of the maximum at each specific point. A dynamic pressure display can use a fixed color legend while a maximum pressure generated after data collection can use a floating (variable) legend based on the maximum pressure scale. Different pressure maps, such as the peak pressure map, can be used by other embodiments of a kiosk to detect critical points and recommend therapeutic products or pads. For example, critical points can be used to detect where the maximum pressure is applied in various areas of the foot. Pads or other padded foot products can then be recommended to apply to those areas.

While a person, such as a customer 109, can use the input device 103 to perform a procedure 108 to select a recommended foot care product based on the pressure measurements of the foot of one person, another person, such as a administrator 110, can use the input device 103 for configuration 111 of processor 104. Configuration 111 may involve adjusting the parameters used to select a recommended foot care product, calibrating pressure sensors, providing new product listings, etc.

An administrator 110 can calibrate the processor 104 to ensure the accuracy of the pressure measurements taken from the pressure sensors 101. Administrator 110 may employ two procedures: a force calibration (FC) or a Multi Level Pressure Calibration (MPC). Using a Force Calibration procedure, an administrator 110 measures the body weight of a calibrating individual on a calibrated weight scale and subsequently measures the body of the calibrating individual on the pressure mat 114. The body weight of the calibrating individual is entered into the processor and the calibrating individual will stand motionless on the pressure mat for a set time before beginning the calibration procedure. The set fixed time can be on the scale from as little as 1 second to 15 seconds. A system that could collect data or frameworks at higher rates could reduce the time needed.

Using a Multi-Level Pressure Calibration procedure, an automatic sensitivity adjustment can be performed. In the calibration window, a "sensitivity setting" button can be added. An individual calibrator can insert the pressure mat into the calibration mat in the calibration device and load the pressure mat at a known fixed pressure, such as 103.4 kPa (15 pounds per square inch or psi). The procedure may involve adjusting the sensitivity based on unprocessed digital readings. To perform multi-level pressure calibration, the entire pressure platform can be placed in a pressure calibration device. Then the pressure mat can be loaded at various pressure levels, such as 34.5 kPa (5 psi), 68.9 kPa (10 psi), 103.4 kPa (15 psi), 137.9 kPa (20 psi ), 206.8 kPa (30 psi), etc. A load output curve is generated for each sensor cell on the pressure mat, the sensor cell being an independent sensor cell. In addition, for the purpose of ensuring proper calibration, the processor can perform a test calibration of the pressure sensors in order to compensate for long-term deviations.

The example kiosk 100 may also contain a storage device 105, for example, RAM, a hard disk, instant memory unit, etc. that can transfer 120 information to be stored or sent, such as the instructions or software updates 115 necessary to operate the kiosk, a decision matrix 116 or mapping of foot care products to classified subgroups, an inventory list 117, demographic information 118 of the people using the kiosk, parameters 122 of the kiosk that are pre-configured and those that can be established by an administrator, records of the kiosk transactions 119, demographic information 118 regarding types of care products selected feet for foot types, etc. Inventory list 117 may store information on the types of products and also current availability in the presence of those products. This information can also be transferred through a communication medium 107, for example, a modem, DSL, cable, Ethernet, etc., to network servers 106 which can transfer 121 stored kiosk information from a plurality of kiosks 100

The network servers 106 or databases may store the corresponding information from a plurality of kiosks 100, including software instructions or updates 123, mappings or decision matrices 124, inventory 125 or product lists, demographic information 126, transaction information 127 , and parameters 128. It can be seen that the operation of the network-connected kiosks can be controlled alternatively by means of software instructions or updates 123 located only on the network servers 106. Alternatively, network-connected kiosks can share instructions and operational control with server 106. An administrator 110 can collect and analyze 112 data from network servers 106 to adjust the parameters used to select a recommended foot care product. or to adjust shipping of certain models of foot care products. In addition, inventory 125 can be analyzed, as will be explained below, to track inventory sales statistics or to record whether certain kiosks need to be resupplied or more products must be manufactured.

A processor 104 in the example kiosk 100 can be configured to perform a variety of tasks, such as taking pressure measurements from the pressure sensors 101. The processor can calculate estimates of biomechanical data of a person's foot based on pressure measurements. Estimates of biomechanical data may include estimated foot dimensions, estimated foot type, and estimated body weight. Foot types can indicate if the person has flat feet, supination, pronation, etc.

At the end of using the kiosk, or before using it during the day, an administrator 110 may initiate a review, or alternatively, the kiosk may initiate a self-review. A self-check may include a review of the condition of the pressure mat (not turned on when there is no load), handle sensor, review of the computer and handle, review of the touch screen, cleaning of system memory, calibration of the mat of pressure, calibration of a scale, take into account changes of schedules by daylight saving time, etc.

Before starting the kiosk, or while the kiosk is not in use, an administrator 110 can access the processor 104 using the input device 103 or the output device 102 which can act as an input, such as a touch screen interface . Or, if there is an error while the kiosk is in use, the error can produce the action of the administrator 110. An administrator can set parameters for error review, such as a weight scale limit, equation coefficients to calculate data estimates. biomechanics or to select a foot care product. An administrator can also download from a network 107 or load new product lists, inventory 117, music videos, language templates, etc. into the storage device 105.

Figure 2 illustrates several example foot dimensions. The estimated dimensions of examples for feet can be calculated based on pressure measurements taken by the example kiosk described above. A foot dimension may be a longitudinal line 200 that runs from the lateral center of a heel to the lateral center of a second finger. The length 201 of the foot can be the distance between the most posterior point, that is the point towards the heel, of the foot 204 and the most anterior point 213, that is, the furthest point towards the toes, on the pressure map of the Foot on the longitudinal line. The width 202 of the foot may be the projection of the distance between the middlemost point 206 and the most lateral point 207 of the foot pressure map, the projected width of the foot shown in the figure being perpendicular to the longitudinal line 200. An arc index is an estimate that can be used to characterize the arc. An arc index can be defined as the ratio of the area of the middle third of the toeless footprint to the total area of the toeless toe, known as the body of the foot. The division of the three segments is along a line 205 L which is drawn between the lateral center point of the second finger 211 at the level of the line 203 of the fingers and the lateral center of the heel 212 above the level of the point 204 more posterior heel. The foot is thus divided into thirds, A 208, B 209, and C 210, with each third with a length L divided by 3. The Arc Index is equal to the areas of B / (ABC), which is equal to B area divided by the Foot Body Area. It can be appreciated that foot dimensions can be estimated using alternative procedures or based on alternative measurement points.

Figure 3a illustrates an example of the locations of alignment marks that are presented on a pressure mat. When a person stands on a pressure mat, their feet must be located at the approximate angle of the two sketches formed by the 311 feet. An alignment edge 310 marks the farthest rear boundary capable of receiving measurements. Internally the grid of the sensor assembly can detect foot characteristics. As long as you can take some part of the measurement region, you can Determine if a person being measured is standing outside the measuring grid. Then the person will be instructed on how to move their feet in order to be within the measurement area. For example, one way to determine if a foot is in a measurement region is to determine if a part of a foot is on one side of the measurement grid, for example, if measurements can be taken on the sensor grid outside the measuring grid Therefore, a measuring grid 312 can be defined within a limit of the grid assembly 313 of larger current sensors. If the sensors detected measurements within 312 and also within 313 near that same area, then the system would recognize that one foot was off limits and directs the person to adjust their foot.

Figure 3b illustrates measurements that can be derived from pressure measurements on a pressure mat. In this alternative procedure of determining alignment, a person can stand within a designated area as in Figure 3a. A longitudinal line 307 can be calculated to provide indications of the location of a line connecting the center of the heel 305 and the center of the second toe 306. The outline 308 of the foot may be the general measurable limits for a person to place his foot. The outline can be large enough to fit a majority of people. For example, in one embodiment, slightly more than 15 centimeters (6 inches) can be provided for the fingers. A grid 309 may be provided for the purpose of supplying uniform measurement units and these may but not necessarily be provided to the person standing on the pressure mat.

Three Alignment Marks, X 301, Y 302, and Z 303 are designated across the width of outline 308. The Alignment Mark X 301 can be derived by taking 100% multiplied by the proportion of the Average Length of the First Metatarsal over The Average Length of the first finger. The average lengths can be derived by studying the average lengths of feet adapted to groups of people based on race, sex, type of foot, or a general population. The 303 Z alignment mark can be derived by taking 100% multiplied by the proportion of the Average Length of the Fifth Metatarsal over the Average Length of the Fifth Toe minus a predefined number of grids. The 302 alignment Y mark can be derived by taking an average length differential between the second and first metatarsal heads in the longitudinal direction. A generally hyperbolic tight curve can be drawn on the three points to represent a line 304 of the fingers. It can be seen that the average lengths may have some variation, and therefore, the exact location of the Alignment Marks can be slightly deviated.

In one embodiment, Alignment Mark X 301 can be estimated as 73% of the length of the pressure mat (= 100% * 19.29 / 25.32-38 grids; 19.29 = average Canadian length of the first Metatarsus; 26, 32 = average Canadian length of first finger). The 303 Z Alignment Mark can be estimated as 64% of the length of the pressure mat (= 100% * 16.9 / 21.69; 16.9 = average Canadian length of fifth Metatarsus; 21.69 = average Canadian length of fifth finger). Each grid can be equal to 6.73 mm. An average length differential between the second and first metatarsal heads in the longitudinal direction is 3.4 mm while another average is 3.2 mm. Taking the average of the two averages an average of 3.35 mm is derived. Assuming an average foot length of 26.32 cm, the location of the second metatarsal head can be moved up to 4.45 mm (= 3.35 * 35 / 26.32). If each grid is equal to 6.73 mm, the location of Alignment Mark 302 can be moved approximately 2/3 of the distance of a single grid. The location of the center of the heel 305 and the center of the second finger 306 can be derived from averages, but in this embodiment, it is defined between the ninth and tenth grid in the lateral direction.

Figure 4 illustrates a flow chart of an example procedure for characterizing a person's feet based on pressure measurements and selecting a recommended foot care product. The example procedure can be implemented by a kiosk, such as the example kiosk described in Figure 1. In 400, the example procedure can be initiated by an administrator. In 401, an exit device may present a display of attention attraction, for example, photos of products that can be sold in a merchandise display area of an example kiosk, and wait for an entry provided by a 402 person. While there is no entry, the attention attraction screen can continue presenting 401 foot care products or other images to attract a person's attention. In an alternative embodiment, a dispensing mechanism may replace a merchandise display area, and the dispensing mechanism may automatically, or upon request of the person, begin the procedure for dispensing the recommended foot care product. Intermittent audio and video music can accompany the presentation of foot care products.

When a person responds to the attention attraction screen, for example by touching a touch screen or pressing a start button, the procedure may indicate that several language options 403 may be available, for example, English or Spanish. The person may indicate a language preference and a 404 error review may be performed. While pressure measurements are taken, while a person's feet are grouped into a classified subgroup, or while selecting a recommended product for the care of feet, several screens can be presented. In each of these screens, errors may occur or the user may voluntarily cancel the procedure. These errors or cancellations and the corresponding screen of the occurrence can be tracked, for example when storing in the kiosk storage device or sending over a network to be tracked on a server 106. If an error or cancellation occurs, the procedure can begin again 405 and return to its standby mode presenting products for foot care 401.

If an error did not occur in 403, in 406, the procedure may resubmit the instructions or present more detailed instructions. The person can place their feet on the pressure mat, if they have not done so. In 407, the presentation can provide a person with feedback, for example, by displaying a real-time presentation of a map of the pressures of a person's feet. In 408, a person can be instructed to align the feet, for example using alignment marks such as those in Figure 3b. Alignment marks can be presented so that they correspond to exact locations on the pressure map. Alignment marks can include finger lines and longitudinal lines for the left foot and right foot and can be illustrated by different color zones. The center of the heel and the center of the second finger can be detected automatically. If not, a longitudinal line can be presented and the person can be asked to adjust the foot until the feet are aligned with the longitudinal line. Alternatively, as in Fig. 3a, the user may be encouraged to move their feet within the limits as detected by pressure sensors. The kiosk can determine if the feet are outside the limits of the pressure mat, if the person's body weight is outside a predetermined scale, or if a person's feet are barefoot. In 409, you can check if a person has bare feet while standing on the pressure mat.

In 410, multiple error revisions can be performed. Based on the above determinations, errors are signaled if the problems cannot be resolved. These errors may include: (1) it cannot be recognized that a person is standing on the pressure mat with bare feet (even when the person is); (2) the person is standing outside the limits of the pressure mat; (3) the person has their feet misaligned; or (4) the person's weight is not evenly placed on the pressure mat. In addition, other error fixes can be determined. For example, you can determine a minimum and maximum limit for a person's weight. A person's weight may be required to be between 31.7 kg (70 pounds) and 181.4 kg (400 pounds). It can be appreciated that a weight scale may vary and can also be represented in other metrics. As a result of the errors, the procedure may attempt to resubmit instructions 406 in order to help the person solve any problem. The procedure can reach a threshold where problems cannot be easily solved and therefore restart the entire procedure 405.

If there are no errors, the procedure continues to 411. In 411, foot measurements can be obtained, for example pressure measurements from a set of pressure sensors. Throughout the measurement procedure, the person under measurement can cancel the procedure, for example, by standing outside the pressure mat. The procedure can also be canceled if there are problems in the measurement procedure, such as a user who changes his weight in a non-uniform way. In 412, any error or measurement cancellation can be detected. If the problem cannot be resolved, the procedure can be restarted 405. In 413, based on pressure measurements and estimates of biomechanical data, a person can be grouped into a classified subgroup. In 414, a recommended foot care product is selected, based on a decision matrix or mapping. For example, a product can be selected for a person based on physical characteristics such as the arc index, weight, or foot length.

In one embodiment, the foot care product may be a pre-fabricated orthopedic. In alternative embodiments, the pressure sensor or processor may be configured to collect pressure measurements to select another foot care product, for example a heel cup, a pressure pad, etc. The same pressure measurements can be implemented in the selection and recommendation procedures for different types of foot care products. However, alternative points can be taken from a pressure mat to recommend different types of foot care products. For example, while the same pressure measurements can be used to recommend an orthopedic and a heel cup, alternative points of concentrated heel measurements may be more accurate in determining a heel cup setting. Several procedures can be used and the processor and pressure sensors only need to be configured to accommodate both foot care products.

As an alternative, in 414, multiple foot care products can be selected, so that a person can choose. The person may also be encouraged to answer questions to provide additional information, for example, to provide the procedure with accuracy factors that can adjust parameters to find a more exact match. Such accuracy factors may use preferences, types of activities that the person frequently performs, the type of footwear with which the product can be used for foot care, sex of the person, etc. with the purpose of further decreasing the list of selected orthopedics. Alternative questions can be asked before in the procedure, such as before taking pressure measurements. Alternative factors may change the recommended foot care product from one type of foot care product to another, for example an orthopedic versus a heel cup.

In 415, various types of information can be presented, for example to the person using the kiosk described above. There may be indications that identify the recommended product model for foot care. These indications can help the person locate a corresponding foot care product that is located in a merchandise display area. In addition, along with the real-time pressure measurements that a person can already observe, a peak pressure map can be presented to show the pressure measurements taken by the kiosk. Information regarding any estimated biomechanical data, such as weight, type of foot, or other estimates may also be presented. Examples of estimates of biomechanical data that may be presented include foot length, foot width, body weight, arch index, foot outline and line of the fingers, a longitudinal line (drawn on the map of peak pressures), or the intersection of the longitudinal line and body of the foot, that is, the area of the foot excluding the fingers.

In 416, after the person has finished the measurements and received information about the recommended foot care product, the person can choose to restart the procedure or the person can withdraw from the measuring device, which automatically restarts the procedure for presenting products for foot care, in 401, while waiting for a new person to start the procedure.

If a person wishes to use the procedure with the example kiosk of Figure 1, values can be stored or sent over a network with respect to the kiosk transactions made. Examples of kiosk transaction information that can be stored are the number of times the kiosk has been used, the number of times the system was used to finish selecting a foot care product for a person, if a person canceled the use of the kiosk and what screen the person was observing at the time of canceling, a count of the products that have been recommended, and a total of the people who used the kiosk and the time the kiosk was used as well as the time spent in each person's kiosk. If the kiosk is not activated for a significant period or if the kiosk is programmed to operate during only certain times of the day, the last person can be measured and the kiosk can automatically be turned off or suspended in 417.

Measurements of a person's foot vary significantly if the foot is not barefoot. Accordingly, procedures can be provided to automatically detect if a person is wearing footwear whose foot is being measured. Figure 5 illustrates an example pressure map showing the dimensions of the foot that can be used to determine if a foot on a sensor is barefoot. The pressure map can be generated after collecting a static pressure for a prescribed period of time, for example, 2 seconds. On the pressure map, a longitudinal line 500 connects the lateral center of the heel 502 and the lateral center of the second finger 501. The center of the heel and the center of the second finger (and any other point of interest) can be determined by comparing the Foot profile measured with general foot models. Generalized foot models can be created by taking samples of current foot measurements or averaging many types of feet. Based on the pressure map, a geometric center of the feet can be determined. The general models of feet can be expanded or contracted depending on the size or length of the foot and the general model of feet can be compared with that of the outline of the pressure map using the geometric center as a reference point. A matching procedure, such as a better fit, can then be used to determine the most comparable general foot model. Using the most comparable general foot model, all other points of the foot can be estimated, including the center of the heel and center of the second toe.

For clarity and explanation, in Figure 5, the most anterior point and the most posterior point along the longitudinal line are projected outward as line 503 of the most posterior point and line 504 of the most anterior point, which are perpendicular to the longitudinal line. The projection of the line between the most posterior point and the most anterior point is the 505th Foot Length (FL) line, which is equal to the distance between the most posterior point and the most anterior point. Three points are identified along the longitudinal line measured in relation to the length of the foot. These are the 506 A point, measured at 16% of the 505 FL line from the rear end, the 507 B point, measured at 50% of the 505 FL line from the rear end, and the 508 C point, measured at 75% of the FL line from the rear end. It can be seen that these points may vary, and can be derived from tests on the feet of approximately 30 test subjects.

Line 509 A, is perpendicular to the longitudinal line and is drawn by point 506 A. Line 509 A intersects the boundaries of the pressure map, and the length of line 509 A can be truncated within the outline of the map. of pressures. The pressure map outline indicates the most external pressure points that are reflected in a real-time pressure measurement. The length of Line 509 A represents the heel width (HW). Line 510 B is perpendicular to the longitudinal line and is drawn by point B 507. Line 510 B intersects the boundaries of the pressure map in the intermediate area of the foot and the length is truncated within the outline of the map of pressures The length of Line 510 B represents an estimate of the Arc Width (AW). Line 511 C is perpendicular to the longitudinal line and is drawn through point 508 C. The widest points between Line 510 B and Line 511 C are projected outside as lines, parallel to the foot, on the middle side 512 and the side 513. The longest width of the pressure map between Line 510 B and Line 511 C, that is, the distance between lines 512 and 513, represents an estimate of the Forefoot Width (FW).

Figure 6 illustrates an example procedure using the dimensions of the foot of Figure 5 to determine if a bare foot is on a pressure mat. At 600, a pressure map can be generated at the beginning of barefoot detection. As explained above, the pressure map can be generated from collecting a static pressure for a prescribed period of time. In 601, the longitudinal line 500 is identified. In 602, the key points are identified, in particular point A 506, point B 507, and point 508 C. In 603, the estimated heel width can be determined, as explained in Figure 5 in relation to deriving Line 509 A. In 604, the estimated Arc Width can be determined, as explained in Figure 5 in relation to deriving Line 510 B. In 605, if there is no intersection with the pressure map, then in 607, a predetermined number is assigned to the arc width, for example some non-zero constant to avoid the situation where a number could be divided by zero. If the arc width has a value, then at 606, the arc width is assigned that value. In 608, the Forefoot Width can be determined, as explained in Figure 5 in relation to deriving Line 511 C. In 609, the previously recorded values are compared with predetermined values. Default values can be derived by recording and comparing values of current test subjects using shoes and comparing them with measurements when barefoot. For both feet, an example condition is:

(FL / HW> FL Low) & (FL / HW <FL_high) & (FW / HW> FW_limit) & (AW / HW> AW_limit)

In this example, FL_baja = 3.5; FL_high = 6.0; FW_limit = 1.2; AW_ Limit = 0.1.

In 610, after determining the condition, if the condition is "true" then, in 611, the person is recognized as barefoot. If the condition is false, then in 612, the user is recognized as using footwear. It can be appreciated that values can be added to the condition scale to have the option of determining if a person is wearing socks. The procedure to determine if a bare foot is on a pressure sensor ends in 613.

The objective proportions and constant values can be derived by comparing the proportions with current test subjects and calculating whether the proportions and constants correspond, on average, to the proportions for those test subjects. However, the proportions can also be altered by adjusting the point of Line 509 A, Line 510 B, or Line 511 C over varying degrees along the foot length line. The locations of these variable lines are derived from testing multiple subjects and calculating scales with minor errors. Alternative measurements may allow lines to vary or actually add additional lines. For example, you can add a line D between Line 509 A and Line B. The proportions of Line D compared to other widths and lengths can also create a new constant with which to compare the proportion. This new constant may be a floor or minimum constant or a ceiling or maximum constant when compared to the proportion of Line D at a measurement of length, width, arc width, some other newly derived line, etc.

Figure 7 illustrates an example procedure for taking pressure measurements to calculate estimates of biomechanical data, such as those in Figure 2, in accordance with an example embodiment of the present invention. In 700, the procedure can begin after a person's feet are on the pressure measurement sensors. At the beginning, other reviews can also be done to interact with a person being measured. For example, an exit can present a pressure map in real time as soon as a person stands on a pressure mat; You can ask a person to take off their shoes and stand on the pressure mat in precise areas on the pressure mat with their weight balanced between the left and right, front and back; You can ask the person to indicate if they are ready for measurement, by pressing a "Start" button. Several error checks may have been performed at the time of the pressure measurement, such as to determine if a bare foot is currently on the sensor as in Figure 6, or if there are other errors with alignment of feet, weight, etc. . as in 408 or 410 in Figure 4.

In 701, you can define a target zone. The target area may be the geometric center of the pressure footprint of both feet, but it may also be another geometric reference pressure point. When determining the target zone, the target zone can be changed 10% distally to force the user to lean forward slightly, and consequently, allow the person's fingers to have direct contact with the pressure mat. In 702, a person can be asked to take the force center (COF) to the target area. The center of force can be determined by calculating the torque moment for each sensor point and taking the force-weighted centroid at each point to create a general representation of the force of both magnitude and location of the different forces. The center of force can be used to indicate the center of gravity of the body.

In 703, if the length of the foot pressure map changes more than 15 mm, approximately a difference of 2 sensels, 701 is repeated and the target area can be re-calculated and presented to the person on an exit device. The length of pressure map change that would trigger a recalculation of the definition of a target area may depend on the use of the measurement. A threshold of 15 mm is approximately 2 shoe sizes and can justify a recalculation. The person can be asked to continue to match the person's COF within the new target zone. If in 703, there is no significant increase in foot pressure length, the initial target area may not be recalculated. In 704, the final target zone can be located in a fixed location unless the person moves or lifts their feet. In alternative embodiments, the target zone can also be determined dynamically, where the COF corresponds to a dynamic target zone, which can be defined as the area center.

At 705, a static pressure measurement can be started. Frames can be collected at different rates. Pressure data can be collected at a rate of 10 frames per second. While the frames are being taken, the target area can be presented on an output device. In 706, frames of pressure data can be collected. Depending on the desired accuracy of the pressure measurements, a minimum number of frames, such as 20 frames of the pressure data, may be necessary. Twenty frames of pressure data at 10 frames per second may require a person to maintain a target area for 2 seconds.

Among the frames collected, some of the frames may have been poor. Some frames may be discarded from using a qualification procedure. The qualification procedure can use any number of different procedures. For example, the procedure described in Figure 6 to determine if a foot is barefoot can also be used to determine if a frame is a suitable frame. If a foot is determined as barefoot, the frame would be fit. If the frame were not suitable as barefoot, the collected frame was probably deficient or there was an error and therefore would be removed. Another example procedure may be to determine if the weight balance between the front and back and the sides is properly distributed based on the COF.

In 707, based on the pressure measurements taken, a static foot sketch (SFO) can be derived from the pressure measurements. In 708, after static pressure measurements have been taken, the person can be informed that the static pressure measurement has been completed.

In 709, the quasi-dynamic pressure measurement procedure can begin. Generally, dynamic measurements are taken during a march to determine the pressure in various parts of the person based on their march. However, a quasi-dynamic procedure estimates the types of pressures created without the need for a march. Preferably, a quasi-dynamic procedure may allow pressure measurements to be taken while the person is standing on one foot for the purpose of simulating the pressure that can be generated during a ride.

In 710, the person can be asked to maintain a balance, such as holding on a balance beam or maintain his balance by himself, and then gently and slowly lift one foot while balancing and resting on a first foot of the seat. In 711, a target zone for the first seat foot can be defined based in part on the static foot sketch previously determined at 707. The location of the target zone can be modified slightly according to the pressure map of a foot. The user can be asked to match the target area for the first foot of the seat.

In 712, the biomechanical condition of the person can be monitored and different activators can be implemented to collect pressure frames. For example, an activator to begin the collection of pressure frames may be when the COF enters the target zone and is stable for a short pre-defined period, such as a second. Again a variable number of frames can be collected; for example, 20 frames can be collected at 10 frames per second. An alternative activator may be to collect frames when the load on the seat foot reaches 90% of body weight. It can be seen that variations and combinations of the biomechanical condition can activate frame collection. For example, frame collection can be activated when a person's COF corresponds to the target area and at least 95% static weight is achieved. In 713, once the measurement is finished, the person can be instructed to place or reposition the raised foot on the pressure mat.

In 714, if both feet have been measured individually, the parameters can be calculated at 715. If not, you can repeat 710 to 713 to collect frames for the second seat foot. The order of collecting frames for individual feet can be altered. During the second round of 710, when the second seat foot is measured, the SFO may need to be turned to match the pressure footprint of the second seat foot. In 711, a new target zone can also be defined based on the SFO. The location can also be modified slightly according to the pressure map for one foot.

In 715, based on measurements of static or quasi-dynamic pressures from collected frames, estimates of biomechanical foot data can be calculated. Only suitable frameworks are used to calculate the estimates of biomechanical data. The determination of suitable frames may involve the aforementioned procedures, such as using the procedure to determine if a foot is barefoot. The qualification procedure is generally performed before calculating estimates of biomechanical data since otherwise the processing would be wasted if a framework were discarded in the qualification procedure. However, the order to qualify and calculate estimates of biomechanical data can be altered. For example, the qualification can be performed for all frames and then calculations of estimates of biomechanical data can be made for the remaining frames or vice versa. Alternatively, the combination of the qualification procedure and calculation of biomechanical data estimates can be performed for each framework at the same time.

Using Figure 2 as a reference for the calculation of estimates of biomechanical data, the length 201 of the foot can be determined by searching along the longitudinal axis and determining the lowest and highest points. The distance between the most posterior point 204 of the heel and the most anterior point 213 can be calculated as the length 201 of the foot. A general foot profile may be used to match the pressure map, similar to the procedures described in Figure 5. A lateral center point of the second finger 211 and a lateral center of the heel 212 may be derived from the foot model and a longitudinal line can be derived which is a line between the two points. The longitudinal line becomes the axis of the search direction. Using pressure maps, the line 203 of the fingers can be determined by looking for pressure peaks and valleys. For example, the big toe is known to have a large peak in pressure and there are valleys in pressure between fingers. The distance between the line 203 of the toes and the most posterior point 204 of the heel is the distance of the line 205 L. The total area of the foot within the line L of the foot is the body of the foot, which consists of the sums of the areas of sections A 208, B 209, and C 210. Based on the pressure location, the area of A 208, B 209, and C 210 can be calculated. Arc index is equal to B divided by the area of the body of the foot. The arc index of a person's foot can then be the average arc index of all frames suitable for each foot.

Estimates of biomechanical data may include foot dimensions, estimated foot type, and estimated body weight. For example, estimates of biomechanical data that can be calculated can include maps of maximum pressure of both static and dynamic pressure, an artificial map of two-foot peak pressures derived from the combined quasi-dynamic foot pressure measurements left and right, foot length, foot width, body weight, a longitudinal line, an arc index, etc. Estimates of biomechanical data can be stored in the storage area of the kiosk or can be sent over a network to be stored. Demographic information, for example, information regarding the identification number of a user associated with estimates of corresponding biomechanical data and a recommended foot care product, can be stored in a storage device or transmitted over a network for storage in a database or central server.

Figure 8a illustrates an example decision matrix, in accordance with an example embodiment of the present invention. A decision matrix module is used to correlate classified subgroups with a model of foot care products. The decision may, in part, be derived from the different foot care products available, and may therefore vary based on the product specification list stored in the storage area. The classified subgroups can be based on estimates of biomechanical data or directly on the pressure measurements themselves. Another example of selecting a foot care product results in mapping between a classified subgroup and foot care products.

A group of 14 pre-fabricated orthopedics can be provided as described in the concurrently registered application entitled, "Cushioned Orthotic," US application no. 11 / 524,979 filed on September 21, 2006, assigned to Schering-Plow Healthcare Products, Inc. the assignee of the present application. These orthopedics include 4 lengths / sizes, 2 different levels of arch support and 2 different levels of padding. However, only one padding level is provided for the larger size. This is because people with larger feet require maximum padding.

The particular matrix in Figure 8a is divided into bands and indexed by the person's weight and arc index. The bands represent the length of the person's foot. For example, in the example matrix there are four bands: Band 850 A for foot lengths below 244 mm, Band B for foot lengths greater than and including 244 and less than 255 mm, Band C for foot lengths greater than 255 mm and less than 270 mm, and Band D for foot lengths greater than and equal to 270 mm. Each band contains a reciprocal reference between a weight and an arc index.

In the example matrix the weights are divided between low weight and high weight, although with more models and weights of products tested, the weight categories within a band can increase. The dividing weight between low weight and high weight is medium weight. The determination of the average weight is the average weight expected for people of a particular foot length. The type of support may require more padding for people of a certain foot length but heavier than the average weight for that foot length. Therefore the average weight varies between the different bands. As the foot length increases, the average weight is also expected to increase.

In the example matrix the arc index is divided between low, medium or normal, and high, although with more product models the arc index can increase in categories. The arc index scale scale under 853 can be defined as greater than 0.257. The average arc index scale 859 may be greater than 0.173 and less than or equal to 0.257. The 860 high arc index scale may be less than or equal to 0.173. In these examples, there is an inverse relationship between the arc index and the arc, for example, the higher the arc index, the lower the arc. It is possible that foot care products are sold individually for the left foot and for the right foot since it is possible that the right foot and the left foot have different arc indices. Preferably, the length of feet and body weight will not be different. If the foot care product were sold only in pairs, then the low or high arc index would dominate over the average / normal arc index. For example, if the right foot had a high arc index and the left foot had a normal arc index, the selected model would be for the high arc index. The most conservative product can be selected between the high arc index and the low arc index, for example the average arc index can be selected.

Using a person's foot length, arch index, and weight, you can select a product model and then recommend it to that person. For example, if a person has a foot length of 220 mm, he weighs 54.4 kg (120 pounds), and has an arc index of 0.261. The length of 220 mm would mean that the person is within the 850 A Band. The 850 A Band has an average 855 weight of 61.2 kg (135 pounds), therefore a person weighing 54.4 kg (120 pounds) ) would be classified under 851 low weight. An arc index of 0.261 would place the person in the low 854 arc of Band A. A low 854 arch within the 850 A band of low 851 weight would recommend "Product 1" 856. As another example, assume that a person has a foot length of 220 mm, weighs 68 kg (150 pounds), and has an arc index of 0.205. The length of the feet as before would fall in Band 850 A. Band 850 A has an average weight 855 of 61.2 Kg (135 pounds), therefore a person of 68 Kg (150 pounds) would be classified in weight 852 tall. An arc index of 0.205 would place the person in the middle or normal arc 858 of Band A. A medium 858 arc within Band 850 A weighing 852 high would recommend "Product 4" 857.

It can be seen that while this decision matrix is presented in this example as a spreadsheet, the organization of the products and estimates of biomechanical data can be organized, searched, and accessed in the storage of the kiosk using other procedures, such as a set, linked list, database table, etc.

Figure 8b illustrates an example procedure for selecting a foot care product from a decision matrix, such as in Figure 8a, based on pressure measurements, in accordance with an example embodiment of the present invention. The procedure can be used in the selection a recommended foot care product 414 as in Figure 4. In 800, when the procedure has begun, the person's weight, arch index, and foot length will have already been determined , from the pressure measurements, the scale, or the input provided by a person. In 801, the person is classified in a band. In 802, if the person's foot length is less than 244 mm the person is classified in Band A in 806. If not, in 803, if the person's foot length is greater than or equal to 244 mm or less that 255 mm the person is classified in Band B in 807. If not, in 804, if the person's foot length is greater than or equal to 255 mm or less than 270 mm the person is classified in Band C in 808 If not, in 805, if the person's foot length is greater than or equal to 270 mm, the person is classified in Band D in 809.

After the Band is determined, in 810 the person's arc index can have reciprocal reference with an arc index scale. In 811, if the arc index of people is greater than 0.257, the person is classified with a lower arc in 814. If not, in 812, if the arc index is greater than 0.173 or less than or equal to 0.257, the person is classified with an average arc in 815. If not, in 813, if the arc index is less than or equal to 0.173, the person is classified with a greater arc in 816.

After the person is classified in a band and arc index, in 817 the person is classified in a weight scale. In 818, if the person's weight is less than the average weight, the person is at a lower weight for the particular band 820. If not, in 819, and by default, if the person's weight is greater than or equal to the average weight, the person is classified in a greater weight for the particular band 821. As in Figure 8a, the average weight may vary depending on the particular band. The order of the designation of the arc index scale, weight scale, and Band may also vary. For example, depending on how the data is stored or how the software is written, the weight scale can be determined before the arc index scale. After a person is classified based on the selection criteria, the selection criteria may be reciprocal in 822 to determine the recommended product model. This product model is returned in 823 to be recommended to the person.

Figure 9a illustrates an example kiosk selecting pre-fabricated orthopedics, in accordance with an example embodiment of the present invention. A pressure mat 900 which can be removably attached to the kiosk is located at the bottom of the kiosk. On the surface 904 of the pressure mat 900, alignment marks corresponding to the exact locations of the pressure map may be presented. The foam model mat can cover the pressure sensors for the purpose of guiding a person using the kiosk at the location of the feet, and the entire combination of pressure sensors and foam model mat can form a pressure mat 900. A group of candidate products for foot care, in this orthopedic example, can be presented on or near the kiosk in a merchandise display area 901 located on the sides of the kiosk, for example stored in transparent plastic packages that can be removed. . Other forms of removable joints can be used to present products. It can be seen that the merchandise display area can be located in the kiosk or near the kiosk. Alternatively, foot care products can be dispensed like that of a product distribution machine. Handles 903 which a person can use to balance while standing on one foot during a pressure measurement procedure may be vertical bars, but in alternative kiosks, handlebars 903 may be located on the sides. An output device 902, such as a touch screen device, can be located at eye level or where a person standing on the pressure mat 900 can access and observe the touch screen.

Figure 9b illustrates an example internal structure of a pressure pad, such as the pressure pad 900 in Figure 9a. A set of sensor grilles for the left foot 906 and the right foot 907 is separated 908 by 10 cm in the lower-right corner of the sensor grid of the left foot 906 and the lower left corner of the sensor grill of the foot 907 right. The angle 905 of separation between the two sensor grilles is 17.5 degrees. The presentation of the grid is developed for the convenience of the user and is not necessary for measurement. The pressure pad also contains a handle 909. The pressure pad itself is tilted up an angle where the point at 915 is at a vertical height less than the point at 916. While the system can theoretically be calibrated to work with any Pressure pad angle, or a flat pressure pad, with an angled pressure pad reduced the likelihood that the device can be overridden by shopping carts in a retail environment without personalized attention. The reason for this is that people naturally tend to stand without so much pressure on the tips of their feet, and the angle forces the person to create a pressure image. The actual degree of inclination may vary, but an inclination of approximately 10% is recommended. The importance of the sensors receiving proper contact from the fingers is to ensure an appropriate reading of the foot length. The width 916 of the pressure mat can be 60.1 centimeters (24 inches) and the length 917 of 54.6 centimeters (21.5 inches).

Figure 9c illustrates an internal layer-by-layer example structure of a pressure pad, such as the pressure pad 900 in Figure 9a and 9b. The first layer 909 is the upper part of the pressure mat and contains an image of the outline of the foot and limits of the foot measurement area, as can be seen by a person using the pressure mat. This is also the layer that is in direct contact with the person's feet. The second layer 910 may be a foam sheet that can provide padding for the feet. A third layer 911 can be a Teflon sheet, or other non-conductive material. A fourth layer 912 may be the sensor mat containing the pressure sensors. Extending from the sensor mat there can be a group of cables 915 fixed to a handle 914. The lower layer 913 is a hard layer that supports the pressure mat and can be made of acrylonitrile-butadiene-styrene (abs). The different layers of the pressure mat can be altered, either in order or in material, depending on several factors, such as pressure sensitivity, comfort level, or pressure mat height.

Figures 10a to 20 illustrate example screens that can be presented on an output device while performing the example procedure of Figures 4, 7, and 8b. Figure 10a illustrates an example screen that may present foot care products, according to example 401 in Figure 4, while the system is not in use. An example image 100 of a foot care product, for example a padded orthopedic, can be presented in the group of products available for foot care. As an alternative, a music video or a rotating image of the product can be presented. Audio can also be provided with the image or video. Descriptions 1002 of the presented foot care product may also accompany the video or image 1000. An instruction 1001 can also be presented to start the kiosk, for example a button that reads "Touch the Screen to Start." Figure 10b illustrates an example screen that can present a foot care product and its different components. For example, a cover layer 1003, padded layers 1004 and 1005, and a bottom shell layer 1006 of a foot care product, such as that shown in Figure 10a, may be presented on a page with an instruction 1001 for Start the kiosk.

Figure 11 illustrates any number of example screens that present information, instructions, or that provide a language option, according to examples 403 and 406 in Figure 4. For example, a title 1100 can be listed on the screen, which may contain the name of the system or the name or registered trademark of the company that uses the kiosk. Instructions 1102 on how to generally use the kiosk can also be presented. A language option can be presented, for example the user can choose instructions in English language 1101 or in Spanish language 1103. Alternatively, you can present an option "switch to Spanish" where by default the instructions can be in English language, or vice versa. It can be appreciated that other languages can be accommodated by inserting language files into the kiosk.

Figure 12 illustrates an example instruction screen that instructs a person to remove their shoes. The screen can show a 1200 map of real-time pressures of the person's feet. Instructions 1201 can be presented on another side of the screen. In the direction of the instruction screen, a person can take off their shoes and step back on the pressure mat. An error review can be performed using a procedure to determine if a bare foot is on the pressure mat, such as the procedure in the example of Figure 7. In addition, error reviews, such as those described in 410 of Figure 4. Subsequent error reviews can also be performed on any subsequent screen. If an error is detected, the person may be asked to restart the procedure, or more detailed instructions or instructions may be presented to help the person rectify any errors.

Figure 13a illustrates an example screen that can be presented to a person to help achieve proper foot alignment and weight distribution. Foot alignment can be determined according to foot measurement analysis, for example foot pressure measurement analysis as described above in example 408 in Figure 4. A person can be asked to position their fingers on a line 1300, and a corresponding line may also appear on the pressure mat to guide the person to stand in the appropriate position. A target Force Center 1303 and a current Force Center 1304 can be presented on the screen. Additional instruction may require the person to balance their weight evenly on both feet by aligning two ovals 1301 presented (in alternative embodiments circles or other shapes may be presented). As the person changes their weight, the COF is recalculated and the COF oval moves on the screen. While the weight is unbalanced, the person cannot advance to the next step since a 1302 "advance" button may not activate.

Figure 13b illustrates an alternative example screen that can be presented to a person to help achieve proper foot alignment and weight distribution. The alignment marks on the front of the feet can be replicated on the screen as the previous limit 1308 of the measurement limit. A foot pressure meter 1307 may be presented to allow the user to interpret the pressure results. The person can be instructed 1309 to move a yellow circle 1306 toward a target red circle 1305, similar to the example in Figure 13a where a person can be asked to move a current COF to a target COF.

Figure 14 illustrates an example screen that can be presented to a person when the person has their weight balanced on both feet. An active 1400 "forward" button may turn on and indicate active after the weight is balanced. This can be indicated if the current COF oval and target COF become an overlapping balanced COF 1401. Measurements can be obtained, for example, in a procedure described in 411 of Figure 4, or illustrated in detail in 705 to 708 of Figure 7.

Figure 15 illustrates an example screen containing instructions that can be presented to a person regarding quasi-dynamic foot measurements, for example, pressure measurements of the person while the person stands on the left foot, according with an exemplary embodiment of the present invention. 1500 instructions can be presented in one section and several steps can be highlighted as they are performed. A first instruction 1502 may request that the person place their hands on a bar for balance and safety purposes. The person can lean on bars, such as those of 903 of the example kiosk illustrated in Figure 9a-9c. The bars may contain sensors that can register contact so that a kiosk determines when this step has been performed. A second instruction 1503 can instruct the person to slowly lift the right foot completely out of the pressure mat. A third instruction 1504 can instruct the person to balance his weight on the remaining left foot, in this case the first foot of the seat. These three instructions can be implemented according to example 707 to 709 of Figure 7. Pressure measurements can be taken while the person is standing on the left foot. While pressure measurements are collected, a pressure map of the first foot 1501 can be presented, in this case the left foot.

Figure 16a illustrates an example screen that can be presented after taking measurements of a single seat foot, in accordance with an example embodiment of the present invention. An instruction 1600 can be highlighted after taking the measurements to indicate that the person's foot can be placed back on the pressure mat. When the person's foot is detected on the pressure mat, the real-time pressure map 1602 can present the foot that was previously outside the mat, in this example the right foot. This can be done according to example 710 in Figure 7. When the measurements are completed and the foot is placed again, a "forward" button 1601 can be activated to indicate to a person that the measurements of the left foot were taken.

Figure 16b illustrates an alternative example screen that can be presented after taking measurements of a single seat foot, in accordance with an example embodiment of the present invention. In the example screen, after placing your foot back on the mat you can ask the person for a 1603 weight entry asking if the person weighs less than a pre-defined weight. The pre-defined weight can be derived from an average weight of a particular band, for example, from a band as shown in Figure 8a. The screen in which the user is asked to supply the weight can be presented at any point in the measurement procedure. For example, the request for a weight entry can be displayed after measuring both feet individually, before measuring any foot, etc. Alternatively, the request may not be presented at all if the pressure measurements are considered accurate enough to calculate the weight, or if an optional scale is used to verify the weight calculation of the pressure measurement.

Figure 17a illustrates an example screen containing instructions that can be presented to a person with respect to the person's pressure measurements while the person stands on the right foot, in accordance with an example embodiment of the present invention. 1700 instructions can be presented in one section and several steps can be highlighted as they are performed. A first instruction 1702 may request that the person place their hands on a bar for balance and safety purposes. The person can lean on the bars, such as those of 903 of the example kiosk illustrated in Figure 9a-9c. The bars may contain sensors that can register contact so that a kiosk determines when this step has been performed. A second instruction 1703 can instruct the person to slowly lift the right foot completely out of the pressure mat. A third instruction 1704 can instruct the person to balance their weight on the remaining right foot, in this case the seat foot, by aligning the ovals, for example, an oval 1706 of current COF with that of an oval 1705 of objective COF . These three instructions can be implemented through repeated 707 to 709 of Figure 7. Foot measurements, for example pressure measurements, can be taken while the person is standing on the right foot, in this example the second seat foot . While the measurements are collected, a pressure map of the second seat foot 1701, in this case the right foot, can be presented on the screen. It will be appreciated that the order of the feet can be reversed, or only one foot can be measured.

Figure 17b illustrates an alternative example screen containing instructions that can be presented to a person with respect to the person's pressure measurements while the person stands on the right foot, in accordance with an exemplary embodiment of the present invention. . Instructions for measuring a 1712 foot can be presented and highlighted. The person can be instructed to move a yellow circle 1710 towards a red circle 1711 in order to balance the COF.

Figure 18 illustrates an example screen that can be presented after taking measurements of a single seat foot, in accordance with an example embodiment of the present invention. This screen is similar to Figure 16a-16b, although the instruction to replace the foot on the pressure map can be integrated with an activated 1800 button instructing the person to move forward. This can be done according to example 710 in the Figure 7. A real-time pressure map 1801 of the feet can be presented on the screen as the raised foot is placed back on the pressure mat. When the measurements have been completed and the person is ready to move forward, as indicated by pressing 1800, the estimates of biomechanical data can be calculated behind the scenes according to example 712 in Figure 7.

Figure 19 illustrates an example screen that can present a selected product recommended for foot care, in this example, an orthopedic. A 1900 image of the foot care product that a person can use to recognize the foot care product presented in the merchandise display area, such as that of 901 of Figure 9a-9c, can be presented. It can be appreciated that other indications can also be presented by identifying a recommended foot care product, such as a rotating image, or an image that a person can manipulate by means of a touch screen, or a music video that contains an audio description, etc. . It may be advantageous to color code several products so that a customer can more easily locate a recommended product.

Figure 20 illustrates an example screen presenting other information that can be presented to a person, in accordance with an example embodiment of the present invention. For example, the screen may present additional indications of the recommended product selected for foot care, such as a 2000 model number. The 2002 packaging of the foot care product can also be presented as it would appear in the merchandise display area 901, such as that of Figure 9a. A reset button 2001 may be presented, for the purpose of resetting the selection procedure according to example 414 in Figure 4, to allow a person to restart the selection procedure, or so that another person waiting to use the Kiosk can immediately start the procedure. Other information on the final screen can also be presented, for example, any estimated biomechanical data or pressure maps calculated above can be presented. The person can maneuver through several pages to look at the estimates of the person's own biomechanical data.

In alternative embodiments, when the selection procedure is completed, the kiosk may present several recommended foot care products. The person can then, from these few products selected for foot care, reduce the scale of products, either by eliminating decisions directly, or by answering a group of questions, such as comfort preferences, activities typically performed by the person, the particular activity with which the foot care product can be used, the type of footwear that the person can use, or the type of socks that are used. Foot care products can also be different types of products from which the user can choose. For example, the kiosk can present an assortment of orthopedic and heel cups. Alternatively, you can ask these preference decisions before the last page and the kiosk can automatically eliminate decisions for the person.

It will be understood from the foregoing description that the inventors of the present application have recognized an unmet need to provide an economical and efficient procedure and apparatus, which provide recommendations from a wide but not limited scale of pre-fabricated orthopedics including different amounts of Support, different sizes, and different padding. Using a limited number of measurements, the inventors have found that a large proportion of the population can be guided towards one of these pre-fabricated orthopedics, reaching at least part of the benefit of a specialized approach without the associated costs. In addition, the inventors of the present application have recognized a need and developed a solution that allows measurement and mapping using a kiosk without personalized attention located in a retail environment.

Some previous devices have been proposed that use measurement approaches including optical measurements using two-dimensional or three-dimensional optical or laser scanners, thermal imaging, foot measurements by ink stains, and physical measurement with calipers. However, none of these types of devices have been found economically effective or reliable enough to be used in a widely distributed device in a mass market retail environment. In addition, many of these measurements require careful supervision by an operator and may not be appropriate for use in a measurement kiosk application without personalized attention. In contrast, the inventors of the present application have recognized the unmet need for a device that can reliably and accurately characterize a client's foot in order to choose a foot care product, for example, an orthopedic, where The measuring device is cheap and relatively robust, making it suitable for use in a mass market retail environment. As disclosed in the present application, the inventors have identified pressure measuring devices, for example, using a piezo mat, particularly suitable for use in this environment.

When a podiatrist or other trained person adjusts a custom orthopedic to a patient, the podiatrist can make a large number of observations and measurements. In particular, the podiatrist, in addition to static measurements of the foot, can observe and / or measure the dynamic progress of the patient. While there are instruments for gait analysis, they are not suitable for use in a retail device without personalized attention. Therefore, the inventors of the present application have recognized the unmet need for procedures and apparatus that can characterize a person's foot and identify a product for the care of appropriate feet, for example, an orthopedic. The inventors have developed procedures and a system that incorporates elements of dynamic gait analysis so that it is suitable for use in a measurement kiosk without relatively simple and cheap personalized attention. These procedures and systems include quasi-dynamic foot measurement, to provide some of the advantages of dynamic gate analysis using a simple and automated tool. In particular, the inventors of the present application have developed procedures and systems for characterizing the foot based on pressure measurements of a person standing on one foot, which can be used to add a dynamic element to a two-foot static measurement. This solution may allow a more accurate characterization of the foot and a better recommendation of a foot care product, for example, an orthopedic, without the need for more complicated and expensive additional measurements and / or measurement devices.

To provide a device that can accurately characterize a user's foot and recommend a foot care product that is appropriate for use in a retail environment without personalized attention, several other problems have been resolved. First, the inventors of the present application have observed that, without proper supervision, users may improperly use a measuring device. For example, users may be wearing shoes when they must be barefoot, and users may lean over the device instead of standing. Accordingly, the inventors have recognized an unmet need for systems and procedures which automatically determine if a user makes proper use of the measuring device, for example, by detecting whether the user is wearing footwear, socks, or is barefoot, determining whether The user leans on the device or places its total weight on the measuring system, to determine if the user's weight is properly centered on the measuring device, to determine if the user's foot is properly positioned on the measuring device. In addition, there is an additional unmet need, once the pressure sensors are adopted, to solve these problems using only pressure measurements, or with pressure measurements plus a limited scale of ease to obtain information that does not add great cost to the measuring device (for example, a simple weight measurement or user inquiry).

In some exemplary embodiments of the present invention, a kiosk measures a person's feet and determines a recommended foot care product, for example, a pre-fabricated orthopedic and the recommended product can be dispensed or selected by The person from a screen. Measurements can be taken with a surface that contains pressure sensors to measure a person's feet. A processor can correlate foot care products with the person's foot measurements. In one example, the kiosk may contain a video screen that provides instructions to the person. The system selects a recommended foot care product from a group of candidate products based at least in part on a plurality of pressure measurements received from the pressure sensors. The group of candidate foot care products may be presented on or near the kiosk in a merchandise display area, and the person will be provided with indications of the recommended foot care product, such as a photo of the product, the product model number, a color or symbol, etc. The person can then easily locate the foot care product that will provide the best calculated fit and support for the person's needs. Alternatively, the products can be dispensed from a kiosk, for example, the kiosk can be configured as a vending machine. The foot care product sold may be a pre-fabricated orthopedic, and the group of candidate products may be a group of different pre-fabricated orthopedic models of varying attributes, such as size, arch support levels, index of arch, padding levels (i.e. foam density, padding material used, etc.), etc. The scale of models provided are chosen to indicate the most common conditions that a foot care product needs, while they come in a scale of sizes and models necessary to adjust and provide an appropriate level of support for the vast majority of the population of potential users

An exemplary embodiment of the present invention may be a system that includes a surface, in which the surface is configured to allow a person to stand on it; a plurality of pressure sensors located below the surface forming a set of two-dimensional sensors; a measurement system configured to obtain measurements for a customer's feet; a processor in communication with the plurality of pressure sensors, the processor configured to receive a plurality of pressure measurements from at least a subset of the plurality of pressure sensors while the person stands on the surface, the processor further configured to select a recommended foot care product from a group of candidate products based at least in part on the plurality of pressure measurements, wherein the processor is configured to receive at least a first subgroup of the plurality of pressure measurements while the person stands on one foot; an output device presenting information received from the processor, the information identifying the recommended product for foot care to the person; an input device configured to receive an input provided by a person to select a recommended product; and a merchandise display area, the merchandise display area configured to present the candidate foot care product group.

The use of pressure sensors in contrast to optical approaches, mechanical calibrators or other approaches previously proposed to characterize the foot solves the problem by providing a robust, low-cost measurement system suitable for use in a retail environment without personalized attention. In addition, the use of pressure measurements allows measurement by approximating the results that would be obtained from A dynamic gait analysis, without the need for more complicated measurements inappropriate for use in a retail kiosk. By providing a scale of products of different levels of support, padding, and size, for example, the 14 products provided in a preferred embodiment disclosed below solve the problem of providing better comfort and fit for consumers at a product cost similar to conventional pre-fabricated inserts, without cost for attention or inconvenience of obtaining a custom-made product. By measuring the customer and recommending exactly an appropriate product, the consumer can obtain a better fit and superior comfort than simply a standard product purchased in store and may wish to pay a higher price for a pre-manufactured product. The customer can also avoid having to buy wrong products, which can cause frustration and dissatisfaction.

An alternative example illustrating the present invention may be a procedure for selecting a recommended orthopedic, including determining whether a foot on a sensor is barefoot; collecting a first set of pressure measurements from one person's foot while the person stands stationary on one foot, where a plurality of pressure measurements are taken from different points of a person's foot; calculating an estimate of biomechanical foot data using pressure measurements, where biomechanical data includes foot length, foot width, body weight, arch index, outline of the foot and finger line, a map of peak pressures, a longitudinal line drawn on a map of peak pressures, or an intersection of a longitudinal line and a body of the foot; comparing biomechanical data with values from a decision matrix of orthopedic and classified subgroups; and selecting an orthopedic based on the comparison.

The use of pressure sensors can provide superior results to optical measurements. In addition, the use of pressure sensors solves the problem of providing a robust solution suitable for use in a retail kiosk without personalized attention. However, because the pressure data is much more limited than the total data scale used by a podiatrist in a foot analysis, the systems and procedures presented herein solve the problem of providing a broad scale of biomechanical characteristics. of the user's foot, using only the pressure data, or pressure data plus a limited amount of other data, for example, the weight of the customer on a scale or in response to an inquiry. This can solve the problem of how to accurately characterize the user's foot with only a limited amount of data.

The use of a matrix of orthopedic mapping decisions and classified subgroups of measurements solves the problem of how to map a client's feet to recommended products using only limited data. These mappings have been developed based on testing and mapping current users.

Because the example embodiments described herein are designed to be used in a retail environment without personalized attention, customers will use them without supervision. If a customer uses the system while using footwear, this will alter the measurements and may produce an unsatisfactory product recommendation. The system and procedure to determine if a client is wearing shoes or barefoot solves the problem, which will always be potentially present in a system without personalized attention, automatically identifying a client who is using the system inappropriately, so that appropriate use can be promoted from the kiosk.

An alternative exemplary embodiment of the present invention may be an apparatus with a surface, multiple pressure sensors located on the surface, and a processor in communication with the plurality of pressure sensors, the processor configured to receive multiple pressure measurements from a subgroup of the multiple pressure sensors while the person stands on the surface. The procedure can also be configured to select a recommended foot care product from a group of candidate foot care products based at least in part on multiple pressure measurements. The surface can be configured to allow a person to stand on it. Foot care products may include orthopedics. The group of candidate foot care products includes a group of orthopedics, the group including pre-fabricated orthopedics with a plurality of different sizes and a plurality of different support levels. The pressure sensors can be a grid of pressure sensors, possibly formed from a two-dimensional assembly. There may be 1144 sensors in a set for a single foot. The sensors can be 7.5 mm x 7.5 mm or smaller. Pressure sensors may include a pressure sensitive conductive ink, a piezoelectric sensor, etc. The device can select a recommended foot care product and the selection can be made without taking other foot measurements other than pressure measurements. In alternative embodiments, a scale can be used to provide a measure of the person's weight.

The exemplary embodiment of the apparatus may also contain input and output characteristics. The device may contain an output device to present information received from the processor, the information identifying the recommended foot care product to the person. The output device may be a video screen configured to present an image of the recommended foot care product, estimates of biomechanical data, or instructions presented, the instructions directing the person to stand on a single foot. Biomechanical data can include at least one of foot length, foot width, body weight, arch index, outline of the foot and finger line, a map of peak pressures, a longitudinal line drawn on a map of peak pressures, or an intersection of a longitudinal line and a standing body. The video screen can also be a touch screen, configurable to receive both inputs and outputs. A separate input device can also receive inputs to configure the processor.

The presentation of measured data to the system can help solve the problem of getting the user of a kiosk without personalized attention to use the system properly, and get involved with its use. For example, systems and procedures are presented to encourage the user to properly center his weight on the machine, particularly when single foot measurements are taken, so that proper characterization of the user's foot can be achieved.

The device can also be configured to receive and calculate pressure measurements with a processor. The processor can be configured to take pressure measurements while the person stands on one foot or can be configured to receive at least a first subgroup of the plurality of pressure measurements while the person stands on one foot. The processor can be configured to receive at least a second subgroup of the plurality of pressure measurements while the person stands on both feet. The processor can be configured to receive demographic information.

Taking single-foot or "quasi-dynamic" measurements can provide more accurate characterization of the user's foot, compared to a single static measurement of two feet. This allows a more accurate recommendation of an appropriate foot care product using a relatively simple and robust measurement system, without the cost of a full-size test.

To select a recommended foot care product, a storage device can store a mapping of foot care products to classify subgroups. The storage device may also store a storage record that contains a device transaction. The processor can be configured to calculate estimates of biomechanical data based on the plurality of pressure measurements. The categories of estimated biomechanical data include estimated foot dimensions, estimated foot type, and estimated body weight. The dimensions of the foot can be a longitudinal line that runs from the center of a heel to the center of a second toe, a line of the fingers that is a curve adjusted by three alignment marks, a length of the foot that is the projection of the distance between the most anterior point and the most posterior point of the foot pressure map on the longitudinal line, a width of the foot that is the projection of distance between the most middle point and the most lateral point of the foot pressure map on the perpendicular line of the longitudinal line, the arc index which is the ratio of the area of the middle third of the toeless toe to the toeless, etc. The processor can be configured to select a recommended foot care product based on biomechanical data estimates. The device's processor can also be configured to determine if a bare foot, a shoe, or a sock is over the pressure sensors. The processor can use any of the biomechanical data estimates or pressure measurements to make this determination.

As stated above, the apparatus can select a recommended foot care product from a group of candidate foot care products. The group of candidate foot care products can include a group of different pre-fabricated orthopedics. The group of different pre-fabricated orthopedics may include orthopedics that differ in size, arch support levels, and padding levels. The group of different variations of pre-fabricated orthopedics can be calculated to fit the majority of the population. The processor can be configured to receive accuracy factors from a person. Accuracy factors can be received before making the recommendation or after making a recommendation. Accuracy factors can be integrated with the calculations and procedures performed for the selection of the recommended foot care product but it can also be a completely separate procedure. The apparatus may also include a merchandise display area configured to present the group of candidate foot care products.

The collection of accuracy factors, for example questions about the type of the client's body, weight, height, etc., solves the problem of how to perform exact characterizations and recommendations using only relatively simple and robust measurement systems, such as sensors. pressure described herein. In addition, because some of the example embodiments described herein are designed to be used without personalized attention in a retail environment, bars are provided for customers to lean for example, while standing on one foot. Accordingly, there is a problem that customers can lean over or stand on their own while measurements are taken, possibly resulting in inaccurate foot characterizations or incorrect product recommendations. The use of additional confirmation information by the customer helps to validate that the measurements have been taken accurately. It also allows the collection of demographic data by improving the system in the long term.

An exemplary embodiment of the present invention may be a "point of sale" system for selling orthopedics including a group of pre-fabricated orthopedics of different types, a measurement system configured to obtain measurements from the feet of a customer, and a processor configured to receive measurements and to recommend an orthopedic to the client from the group of pre-manufactured orthopedics based at least in part on the measurements. The measurement system may contain a plurality of pressure sensors. The processor is You can configure to derive biomechanical data from measurements collected by the measurement system. Biomechanical data can be selected from foot length, foot width, body weight, arch index, outline of the foot and finger line, a map of peak pressures, a longitudinal line drawn on a map of peak pressures, and an intersection of a longitudinal line and a standing body, among others. A dispensing mechanism can provide the person with an orthopedic from among the group of pre-fabricated orthopedics.

An example illustrating the present invention can also perform a method of characterizing a foot. The procedure can collect a first group of pressure measurements from one person's foot while the person stands stationary on a single foot and characterizes the foot based on the first group of pressure measurements. The selection of a foot care product can then be based on the characterization of at least the only foot. The procedure can collect a second group of pressure measurements from both feet of a person while the person stands on both feet and characterize the foot based on the first group and second group of pressure measurements. Alternatively, the procedure can only collect pressure measurements from both feet as the first pressure measurement group of a person and characterize the foot based on the first group, in this example, the pressure measurements of both feet. The procedure can also calculate estimates of biomechanical foot data using pressure measurements. The procedure can compare biomechanical data with values from an orthopedic decision matrix and classified subgroups, where a classified subgroup can include the person's weight, the person's band (i.e. a band based on the length of the feet of a person), an index of the person's arc, etc. The procedure may involve calibrating a plurality of pressure sensors and a processor using a Force Calibration procedure or a Multi Level Pressure Calibration procedure. The procedure may involve adjusting coefficients in a processor to change the accuracy factors to recommend an orthopedic. The decision matrix can be created based on a list of product specifications.

An example illustrating the present may also perform a procedure of selecting an orthopedic. The procedure may include collecting a plurality of pressure measurements at different points of a person's foot and selecting an orthopedic based on the pressure measurements. The procedure can perform a combination of grouping a person into one of a plurality of subgroups classified based on pressure measurements; recommending a foot care product based on a classified subgroup of the person; deriving estimates of biomechanical data from the pressure measurements of at least one of a person's two feet, a person's left foot, or a person's right foot; estimating the biomechanical data of the person's feet using the first group of pressure measurements and the second group of pressure measurements; confirming that the person is balanced based on the pressure measurements received; confirming that the person does not wear footwear based on pressure measurements; confirming that the person does not wear footwear based on estimates of biomechanical data; receiving the second group of pressure measurements when the load on the individual seat foot reaches a predetermined percentage of body weight; receiving the second group of pressure measurements when the Person's Force Center enters a target zone, where a target zone is a pressure reference point; receiving the second group of pressure measurements when the center of Force equals a target zone and at least 95% of the static weight, the weight calculated by the sum of forces created by the feet when it remains relatively motionless; or generating a static outline of the foot based on pressure measurements. Biomechanical data may include foot length, foot width, body weight, arch index, outline of the foot and finger line, a map of peak pressures, a longitudinal line drawn on a map of peak pressures, or an intersection of a longitudinal line and a standing body. A specific body weight percentage may be between the scale of 90 to 95 percent body weight.

Calculating the different biomechanical data based on pressure measurements, the problem of obtaining an adequate characterization of the user's foot to make a product recommendation using only a relatively simple and cheap measurement system in a system without personalized attention is solved. Mapping the data in subgroups based on empirical analysis solves the problem of automatically recommending a good solution for the vast majority of customers using only a limited scale of pre-manufactured products and a limited amount of measurement data.

By having the client match a force center, being solves the problem of having a client correctly using a kiosk without personalized attention. The target Force Center can be displayed on the screen, which helps the client balance and place his weight properly on the measuring device so that accurate measurements can be made. Similarly, tracking percentage body weight helps verify that the user is properly balanced on the system when a single foot measurement is taken, solving the problem of how to take an exact measurement in a system without personalized attention, particularly given that users are prone to lean or balance inappropriately when standing on one foot.

By generating the different foot characterization measurements described, the problem of providing an efficient characterization of the user's foot to make recommendations for exact products using only a pressure measurement map, or a pressure measurement map with little complementary information is solved.

An example illustrating the present invention can also perform a method of determining if a foot on a sensor is barefoot. The procedure may include determining the plurality of the dimensions of the foot, calculating a plurality of proportions of foot dimensions, and comparing the proportions of foot dimensions with predetermined values (eg, 3.5; 6.0; 1.2; and 0.1). Foot dimensions can be selected from the group consisting of foot length, heel width, arch width, and forefoot width, although it will be appreciated that other dimensions can also be used. The proportions of foot dimensions may include foot length (for example the length of the line between the most posterior point and the most anterior point of each foot pressure footprint) over the heel width (for example the length of a first line that is perpendicular to a second line, where the second line is a line between the center of the heel and the center of the second finger, and the first line is located at 16%, however it can be on a scale between 5 and 20% ), forefoot width / heel width, and arch width / heel width.

Several examples of the present invention are specifically illustrated and described herein. However, it will be appreciated that modifications and variations of the present invention are covered by the above teachings. However, the scope of protection is determined exclusively by the appended claims.

Claims (20)

1. Apparatus for characterizing a person's foot and selecting a foot care product, the device comprising: a surface (114) configured to allow a person (109) to place a foot (308) on it; a plurality of pressure sensors (101) for making measurements of a person's foot placed on the surface; a storage means (105) having data stored therein defining a plurality of foot length intervals, a plurality of intervals for a measurement of the height of the arch of the foot and, for each of the foot length intervals , a respective plurality of weight ranges; and a calculation means (104) arranged to receive signals representing quasi-dynamic pressure measurements of the plurality of pressure sensors while the person is standing on only one foot, in which the calculation means (104) is operable to process the signals to determine if the person stands on the surface (114) on just one foot determining if the person's center of force is within a predetermined area on the surface (114) and to receive signals representing the person's weight and operable to process the signals for: determine a person's foot length; determine a measurement of the height of the arch of the person's foot; identify one of the stored plurality of foot length intervals in which the determined length of the person's foot is; identify one of the stored plurality of weight ranges for the identified foot length range in which the person's weight is; identify one of the stored plurality of weight ranges for the measurement of the foot arch weight in which the determined measurement of the height of the arch of the foot of the person is; and Select a foot care product for the person's foot according to the intervals identified. 2. Apparatus according to claim 1, further comprising means (113) for weighing the person. 3. Apparatus according to claim 1 or claim 2, wherein the calculation means (104) is arranged to determine the measurement of the height of the arch of the person's foot: generating a pressure map of the person's foot; determining an arc portion of the pressure map and the area of the arc portion; and determining the relationship of the area of the arch portion with the area of the foot on the pressure map. 4. Apparatus according to claim 3, wherein the calculation means (104) are operable to determine the arc portion and determine the relationship of the area of the arc portion with an area of the foot on the pressure map: dividing the pressure map into three sections along a line between the lateral center point of the second toe at the level of the toe line and the lateral center of the heel at the level of the most posterior point of the heel; and determining the relationship of the area of the central section of the three sections with the total area of all sections. 5. Apparatus according to claim 4, wherein the calculation means (104) are operable to divide the pressure map into the three sections, so that each section has a length along the line of one third of the total length of the line. 6. Apparatus according to any one of claims 1 to 5, wherein the storage medium (105) has data stored therein defining four foot length intervals. 7. Apparatus according to any one of claims 1 to 6, wherein the storage medium has data stored therein defining two weight ranges for each foot length interval. 8. Apparatus according to claim 7, wherein the two weight ranges for each foot length range are defined by an average weight for the foot length range. 9. Apparatus according to any of claims 1 to 8, wherein the storage medium (105) has data stored therein defining three intervals for measuring the height of the arch of the foot. 10. A procedure implemented by computer to characterize a person's foot and select a product for foot care, including the procedure: storing data (105) defining a plurality of foot length intervals, a plurality of intervals for a measurement of the height of the foot arch and, for each of the foot length intervals, a respective plurality of weight ranges ; receiving signals representing quasi-dynamic pressure measurements of a person's foot from a plurality of pressure sensors (101) while the person is standing alone on one foot in which the signals they are processed to determine if the person stands on the surface (114) on a single foot by determining if the person's center of force is within a predetermined area on the surface (1l4) and receiving signals representing the person's weight ; and process the signals to: determine a person's foot length; determine a measurement of the height of the arch of the person's foot; identify one of the stored plurality of foot length intervals in which the determined length of the person's foot is found; identify one of the stored plurality of weight ranges for the identified foot length range in which the person's weight is located; identify one of the plurality of intervals stored for the measurement of the height of the arch of the foot in which the determined measure of the height of the arch of the foot of the person is found; and Select a foot care product for the person's foot according to the intervals identified. 11. A method according to claim 10, further comprising weighing the person. 12. A method according to claim 10 or claim 11, wherein the measurement of the height of the arch of the person's foot is determined: generating a pressure map of the person's foot; determining an arc portion of the pressure map and the area of the arc portion and; determining the relationship of the area of the arch portion with an area of the foot on the pressure map. 13. A method according to claim 12, wherein the arc portion and the ratio of the area of the arc portion and an area of the foot on the pressure map is determined: dividing the pressure map into three sections along a line between the lateral center point of the second toe at the level of the toe line and the lateral center of the heel at the level of the most posterior point of the heel; and determining the relationship of the area of the central section of the three sections with the total area of all sections. 14. A method according to claim 13, wherein the pressure map is directed to the three sections so that each section has a length along the line of one third of the total length of the line. 15. A method according to any of claims 10 to 14, wherein data defining four foot length intervals is stored. 16. A method according to any of claims 10 to 15, wherein data defining two weight ranges for each foot length interval is stored. 17. A method according to claim 16, wherein the two weight ranges for each foot length range are defined by an average weight for the foot length range. 18. A method according to any of claims 10 to 17, wherein data defining three intervals for measuring the height of the arch of the foot is stored. 19. A storage medium that stores computer program instructions (115, 123) for programming a programmable processing apparatus to be operable to perform a procedure as set forth in at least one of claims 10 to 18. 20. A computer program that includes instructions (115, 123) for programming a programmable processing apparatus to be operable to perform a procedure as set forth in at least one of claims 10 to 18.