Article of Footwear With An Indicator For A Heating System

Abstract

An indicator for a heated article of footwear that includes an outer shell and a removable inner liner is described. The inner liner includes a heating system with an indicator disposed on a forefoot region of the inner liner. The heating system is integrated within the inner liner and is removable with the inner liner from the outer shell. A viewing window is disposed on the outer shell at a location corresponding to the indicator located on the inner liner. With this arrangement, the status condition of the heating system on the inner liner may be communicated to a wearer of the article through the viewing window from within the interior of the article.

1 - 20 . (canceled) 
     
     
         21 . An article of footwear, comprising:
 an upper;   a sole structure secured with respect to the upper and forming a void with the upper configured to admit a foot of a wearer;   an output system, secured to one of the upper and the sole structure, configured to impart energy on the article of footwear to change a physical property of the article of footwear, the output system including electronics and a power source operatively coupled to the electronics, the output system having a status condition indicative of an operating state of the output system; and   a visual indicator arrangement comprising a plurality of lights visible on an exterior of the article of footwear, the visual indicator operatively coupled to the electronics and the power source, the visual indicator configured to display a status condition of the output system by illuminating individual ones of the plurality of lights according to a predetermined pattern corresponding to the status condition.   
     
     
         22 . The article of footwear of  claim 21 , wherein the output system has a plurality of status conditions and the visual indicator has a plurality of predetermined patterns, each of the plurality of predetermined patterns corresponding to one of the plurality of status conditions. 
     
     
         23 . The article of footwear of  claim 22 , wherein the plurality of status conditions include that the output system is operating in a first mode, that the output system is operating in a second mode different than the first mode, and that the power source has low power, 
     
     
         24 . The article of footwear of  claim 23 , wherein the plurality of predetermined patterns include a plurality of predetermined sequences in which individual ones of the plurality of lights are illuminated. 
     
     
         25 . The article of footwear of  claim 23 , wherein the plurality of predetermined patterns include different colors in which the plurality of lights are illuminated. 
     
     
         26 . The article of footwear of  claim 21 , further comprising a user input control mechanism, operatively coupled to the output system, wherein the status condition is based, at least in part, an in input received via the user input control mechanism. 
     
     
         27 . The article of footwear of  claim 26 , wherein the user input control mechanism is configured to allow a user to vary the physical property of the article of footwear. 
     
     
         28 . The article of footwear of  claim 27 , wherein the user input control mechanism is remote from the output system. 
     
     
         29 . The article of footwear of  claim 21 , wherein the output system is configured to impart energy to the upper. 
     
     
         30 . The article of footwear of  claim 21 , wherein the visual indictor arrangement is a linear array of light emitting diodes (LEDs). 
     
     
         31 . A method of making an article of footwear, comprising:
 securing a sole structure with respect to an upper, forming a void with the upper configured to admit a foot of a wearer;   securing an output system to one of the upper and the sole structure, the output system configured to impart energy on the article of footwear to change a physical property of the article of footwear, the output system including electronics and a power source operatively coupled to the electronics, the output system having a status condition indicative of an operating state of the output system; and   securing a visual indicator arrangement comprising a plurality of lights so that the visual indicator arrangement is visible on an exterior of the article of footwear, the visual indicator operatively coupled to the electronics and the power source, the visual indicator configured to display a status condition of the output system by illuminating individual ones of the plurality of lights according to a predetermined pattern corresponding to the status condition.   
     
     
         32 . The method of  claim 31 , wherein securing the output system comprises securing the output system having a plurality of status conditions; and
 wherein securing the visual indicator comprises securing the visual indicator having a plurality of predetermined patterns, each of the plurality of predetermined patterns corresponding to one of the plurality of status conditions.   
     
     
         33 . The method of  claim 32 , wherein the plurality of status conditions include that the output system is operating in a first mode, that the output system is operating in a second mode different than the first mode, and that the power source has low power. 
     
     
         34 . The method of  claim 33 , wherein the plurality of predetermined patterns include a plurality of predetermined sequences in which individual ones of the plurality of lights are illuminated. 
     
     
         35 . The method of  claim 33 , wherein the plurality of predetermined patterns include different colors in which the plurality of lights are illuminated. 
     
     
         36 . The method of  claim 31 , further comprising operatively coupling a user input control mechanism to the output system, wherein the status condition is based, at least in part, an in input received via the user input control mechanism. 
     
     
         37 . The method of  claim 36 , wherein the user input control mechanism is configured to allow a user to vary the physical property of the article of footwear. 
     
     
         38 . The method of  claim 37 , wherein the user input control mechanism is remote from the output system. 
     
     
         39 . The method of  claim 31 , wherein the output system is configured to impart energy to the upper. 
     
     
         40 . The method of  claim 31 , wherein the visual indictor arrangement is a linear array of light emitting diodes (LEDs).