Shoe with light and sound activated manually and automatically

Abstract

This invention is directed to an article of footwear having both one or more light sources such as LEDs, and a loudspeaker, which are activated either by a manual switch or an inertia switch. Indicia mounted to the shoe, or to the manual switches carried by the shoe, correspond to the sounds produced by the loudspeaker.

1 . An article of footwear, comprising: 
 an outsole, and an upper mounted to said outsole;    an electrical circuit mounted to at least one of said outsole and said upper, said electrical circuit including:    (i) a loudspeaker;    (ii) a light source;    (iii) a controller coupled to said loudspeaker and to said light source;    (iv) a first switch coupled to said controller, said controller being effective in response to operation of said first switch to activate said light source;    (v) a second switch coupled to said controller, said controller being effective in response to operation of said second switch to activate said loudspeaker for producing a sound;    an indicia associated with said second switch, said sound produced by said loudspeaker corresponding to said indicia.    
     
     
         2 . The article of footwear of  claim 1  in which said controller is a light integrated circuit and a separate sound integrated circuit.  
     
     
         3 . The article of footwear of  claim 1  in which said first switch is an inertia switch.  
     
     
         4 . The article of footwear of  claim 1  in which said second switch is a manual switch.  
     
     
         5 . The article of footwear of  claim 1  in which said indicia is a number.  
     
     
         6 . The article of footwear of  claim 5  in which said controller is effective to cause said loudspeaker to sound the word for said number in response to operation of said second switch.  
     
     
         7 . The article of footwear of  claim 1  in which said indicia is a shape.  
     
     
         8 . The article of footwear of  claim 7  in which said controller is effective to cause said loudspeaker to sound the word for said shape in response to operation of said second switch.  
     
     
         9 . The article of footwear of  claim 1  in which said second switch is operated independently of said first switch.  
     
     
         10 . The article of footwear of  claim 1  in which said second switch is a manual switch mounted to one of said outsole and said upper, said article of footwear further including a patch overlying said manual switch.  
     
     
         11 . The article of footwear of  claim 10  in which said patch is marked with said indicia.  
     
     
         12 . The article of footwear of  claim 10  in which said indicia is a shape, said patch including in said shape of said indicia.  
     
     
         13 . An article of footwear, comprising: 
 an outsole, and an upper mounted to said outsole;    an electrical circuit mounted to at least one of said outsole and said upper, said electrical circuit including:    (i) a loudspeaker;    (ii) a light source;    (iii) a controller coupled to said loudspeaker and to said light source;    (iv) a first switch coupled to said controller, said controller being effective in response to operation of said first switch to activate said light source;    (v) a second switch and a third switch each coupled to said controller, said controller being effective in response to operation of each of said second and third switches to activate said loudspeaker, said loudspeaker producing a different sound dependent on which one of said second and third switches is operated;    a different indicia associated with each of said second and third switches, said different sound produced by said loudspeaker corresponding to a respective one of said different indicia.    
     
     
         14 . The article of footwear of  claim 13  in which said indicia associated with said second switch is one number, and said indicia associated with said third switch is a different number.  
     
     
         15 . The article of footwear of  claim 14  in which said controller is effective to cause said loudspeaker to sound the word for a number corresponding to whichever one of said second and third switches is operated.  
     
     
         16 . The article of footwear of  claim 13  in which said indicia associated with said second switch is one shape, and said indicia associated with said third switch is a different shape.  
     
     
         17 . The article of footwear of  claim 16  in which said controller is effective to cause said loudspeaker to sound the word for a shape corresponding to whichever one of said second and third switches is operated.  
     
     
         18 . An article of footwear, comprising: 
 an outsole, and an upper connected to said outsole;    an electrical circuit mounted to at least one of said outsole and said upper, said electrical circuit including:    (i) a first light source, and a second light source;    (ii) a controller coupled to said first and second light sources;    (iii) a first switch coupled to said controller, said controller being effective to activate said first light source in response to operation of said first switch;    (iv) a second switch coupled to said controller, said controller being effective to activate said second light source in response to operation of said second switch, said second switch being operative independently of said first switch.    
     
     
         19 . The article of footwear of  claim 18  in which said first switch is an inertia switch.  
     
     
         20 . The article of footwear of  claim 19  in which said controller is effective to activate said first light source in a flashing sequence in response to operation of said inertia switch.  
     
     
         21 . The article of footwear of  claim 18  in which said second switch is a manual switch.  
     
     
         22 . The article of footwear of  claim 21  in which said second light source is a first LED and a second LED.  
     
     
         23 . The article of footwear of  claim 22  in which said controller is effective to activate said first LED and said second LED in a different sequence dependent on the number of times said second switch is operated.