Monitoring of a Wearable Athletic Device

Abstract

An athletic system for monitoring the condition of a wearable athletic device includes the wearable athletic device, first and second input parameters, a computer readable memory, and a microprocessor. At least one of the parameters may be provided a measurement device that may also be part of the athletic system or may be separate therefrom. The first parameter comprises at least one of an event count and a travel distance, while the second parameter comprises at least one of an athletic footwear device identifier, a physical property of the athletic footwear device, a physiological condition, an environmental condition, an event rate, a velocity, and an acceleration. The computer readable memory contains instructions for calculating a condition of the athletic footwear device. The microprocessor is configured to perform the instructions in order to calculate the condition of the athletic footwear device, the calculation being based at least in part on the parameters.

1 . An athletic system for monitoring the condition of athletic footwear, comprising:
 an athletic footwear device;   a first parameter comprising at least one of an event count and a travel distance;   a second parameter comprising at least one of an athletic footwear device identifier, a physical property of the athletic footwear device, a physiological condition, an environmental condition, an event rate, a velocity, and an acceleration;   computer readable memory containing instructions for calculating a condition of the athletic footwear device;   a microprocessor configured to perform the instructions to calculate the condition of the athletic footwear device, the calculation based at least in part on the parameters.   
   
   
       2 . The athletic system of  claim 1 , wherein the athletic footwear device comprises an athletic shoe or a pair of athletic shoes. 
   
   
       3 . The athletic system of  claim 1 , wherein the athletic footwear device comprises a tennis shoe, a jogging shoe, a running shoe, a basketball shoe, a soccer shoe, a hiking boot, a climbing boot, a snow boot, a downhill ski, or a cross-country ski. 
   
   
       4 . The athletic system of  claim 1 , further comprising a measurement device configured to provide a first parameter. 
   
   
       5 . The athletic system of  claim 4 , wherein the measurement device comprises at least one of a counter, a pedometer, an accelerometer, an altimeter, a compass, a watch, a stopwatch, an exercise machine, a treadmill, and a GPS device. 
   
   
       6 . The athletic system of  claim 4 , wherein at least one of the measurement device, the microprocessor, the instructions, the first parameter, and the second parameter is located on the athletic footwear device. 
   
   
       7 . The athletic system of  claim 4 , wherein at least one of the measurement device, the microprocessor, the instructions, the first parameter, and the second parameter is located on a wearer of the athletic footwear device. 
   
   
       8 . The athletic system of  claim 4 , wherein at least one of the measurement device, the microprocessor, the instructions, the first parameter, and the second parameter is located on a computer, the computer being at least one of a custom circuit, a custom electronic device, a desktop computer, a laptop computer, a notebook computer, and a mainframe computer. 
   
   
       9 . The athletic system of  claim 4 , wherein at least one of measurement device, the microprocessor, the instructions, the first parameter, and the second parameter is located at a remote cite accessible via a network connection. 
   
   
       10 . The athletic system of  claim 4 , further comprising a second measurement device configured to provide the second parameter, the second measurement device comprising at least one of a counter, a pedometer, an accelerometer, an altimeter, a compass, a watch, a stopwatch, an exercise machine, a treadmill, and a GPS device. 
   
   
       11 . The athletic system of  claim 1 , wherein the physiological condition is that of a user of the athletic footwear device, the physiological condition comprising at least one of a heart rate, a pulse rate, a blood pressure, a respiration rate, a body temperature, an age of the user, a weight of the user, a height of the user, a length of a body part of the user, and a stride length of the user. 
   
   
       12 . The athletic system of  claim 1 , wherein the environmental condition comprises at least one of an inclination, an altitude, a temperature, a surface type, a surface roughness, a surface condition, a stress in the athletic footwear device, a type of exercise machine, a weather condition, the presence of rain, the presence of snow, and the presence of ice. 
   
   
       13 . The athletic system of  claim 1 , further comprising a third parameter, wherein the calculation is based at least in part on the third parameter, the third parameter comprising at least one of an athletic footwear device identifier, a physical property of the athletic footwear device, a physiological condition, an environmental condition, an event rate, a velocity, and an acceleration. 
   
   
       14 . The athletic system of  claim 1 , further comprising at least one of an input device for entering at least one of the parameters and an output device for communicating the results of the calculation. 
   
   
       15 . The athletic system of  claim 14 , wherein the output device comprises a video display and/or an audio device. 
   
   
       16 . The athletic system of  claim 1 , wherein the condition of the athletic footwear device is at least one of an amount of usable life of the athletic footwear device, the amount of wear experience by the athletic footwear device, the amount of use time left until the athletic footwear device should be replaced, and the distance remaining before the athletic footwear device should be replaced. 
   
   
       17 . The athletic system of  claim 1 , wherein the microprocessor is further configured to calculate at least one of a distance, a velocity, and an acceleration. 
   
   
       18 . The athletic system of  claim 1 , wherein the athletic footwear device identifier is at least one of a model number, a brand name, a shoe size, a tread dimension, and a tread area. 
   
   
       19 . A monitoring system for athletic footwear, comprising:
 a first parameter comprising at least one of an event count and a travel distance;   a second parameter comprising at least one of an athletic footwear device identifier, a physical property of the athletic footwear device, a physiological condition, an environmental condition, an event rate, a velocity, and an acceleration;   computer readable memory containing instructions for calculating a condition of an athletic footwear device;   a microprocessor configured to perform the instructions to calculate the condition of the athletic footwear device, the calculation based at least in part on the parameters.   
   
   
       20 . A method monitoring the condition of athletic footwear, comprising:
 supplying an athletic footwear device for placement onto a user;   supplying or measuring a first parameter comprising at least one of an event count and a travel distance;   supplying or measuring a second parameter comprising at least one of an athletic footwear device identifier, a physical property of the athletic footwear device, a physiological condition, an environmental condition, an event rate, a velocity, and an acceleration;   supplying a microprocessor with instructions for calculating a condition of the athletic footwear device;   using the microprocessor to calculate the condition of the athletic footwear device, the calculation being based at least in part on the parameters.