Motorized shoe with gesture control
An article of footwear includes a motorized tensioning system, sensors, and a gesture control system. Based on information received from one or more sensors the gesture control system may detect a prompting gesture and enters an armed mode for receiving further instructions. In the armed mode the system may detect a variety of different control gestures that correspond to different tensioning commands.
1. A method for controlling a tensioning device used for tightening a lace laced through apertures of an upper of a first article of footwear, comprising:
receiving, with a control unit of the first article of footwear, information from a contact sensor positioned proximate an internal void of the article of footwear configured to admit a foot of a wearer, the contact sensor configured to detect force originating from the foot of the wearer;
entering, with the control unit, an enabled mode when the information from the contact sensor corresponds to a prompting gesture indicative of a presence of the foot in the article of footwear;
while in the enabled mode, receiving information from an angular velocity sensor in a second article of footwear configured to sense an angular velocity of at least one of an upper and a sole structure of the second first article of footwear different than the first article of footwear, the information communicated directly to the first article of footwear from the second article of footwear; and
controlling, with a control unit of the first article of footwear, the tensioning device of the first article of footwear in response to detection, from the information from the angular velocity sensor, of a heel double tap by the a second article of footwear, footwear different than the first article of footwear wherein the tensioning device includes a reel member and a motor, the tensioning device disposed in at least one of the upper and the sole structure of the first article of footwear, wherein a portion of the lace is joined to the reel member so that the lace can be wound and unwound from the reel member, wherein the controlling the tensioning device in response to detecting the heel double tap includes rotating the reel member with the motor to tighten or loosen the lace.
2. The method according to claim 1 , further including exiting the enabled mode if the information from the angular velocity sensor is not received in a predetermined time after entering the enabled mode.
3. The method according to claim 1 , wherein the contact sensor is disposed in a heel of the first article of footwear.
4. The method according to claim 1 , wherein the angular velocity sensor is disposed in a forefoot of the first article of footwear.
5. An article of footwear, comprising:
an upper and a sole structure;
a lace extending across at least one region of the upper and through an aperture of the upper;
a tensioning device including a reel member and a motor, wherein a portion of the lace is engaged by the reel member so that the lace can be wound and unwound from the reel member;
a contact sensor and an angular velocity sensor each configured to detect a movement of at least one of the upper and the sole structure, the contact sensor positioned proximate an internal void of the article of footwear configured to admit a foot of a wearer, the contact sensor configured to detect force originating from the foot of the wearer;
a control unit, the control unit configured to:
receive information from the contact sensor;
enter an enabled mode when the information from the contact sensor corresponds to a prompting gesture indicative of a presence of the foot in the article of footwear;
while in the enabled mode, receive information from the angular velocity sensor in a second article of footwear different than the first article of footwear, the angular velocity sensor configured to sense an angular velocity of at least one of an upper and a sole structure of the second first article of footwear, the information received by the first article of footwear directly from the second article of footwear; and
control the tensioning device in response to detection, from the information from the angular velocity sensor, of a heel double tap by a second article of footwear different than the article of footwear to loosen the lace.
6. The article of footwear according to claim 5 , wherein the contact sensor is disposed in a heel of the article of footwear.
7. The article of footwear according to claim 5 , wherein the angular velocity sensor is disposed in a forefoot of the article of footwear.
8. The article of footwear according to claim 5 , wherein the control unit is further configured to exit the enabled mode if the information from the angular velocity sensor is not received in a predetermined time after entering the enabled mode.