Wireless charging assemblies for sensorized insoles, methods for charging sensorized insoles, and footwear systems including sensorized insoles

Inventors

Stevens, Travis • Purdy, Michael • LEE, Kogan • Garrity, Paul

Assignees

Orpyx Medical Technologies Inc

Abstract

A footwear system includes a sensorized insole and a charger. The sensorized insole has an insole bulk having a foot-facing upper surface. A sensor is embedded in the insole bulk for measuring a parameter of a user's foot, a battery is embedded in the insole bulk for providing energy to the sensor, and a receiver pod is embedded in the insole bulk and is spaced from the foot-facing upper surface for wirelessly receiving energy and providing energy to the battery. The charger provides energy to the receiver pod, and includes a cable for connecting to an energy source, and a transmitter pod electrically connected to the cable for receiving energy from the cable and wirelessly transmitting energy to the receiver pod. The transmitter pod is positionable against the foot-facing upper surface to wirelessly provide energy to the receiver pod through the insole bulk.

Core Innovation

The invention relates to a footwear system including at least a first sensorized insole having a first insole bulk with a first foot-facing upper surface, at least a first sensor embedded in the insole bulk for measuring a parameter of a user’s foot, and at least a first battery embedded in the insole bulk for providing energy to the first sensor. A first wireless charging receiver pod is embedded in the insole bulk for wirelessly receiving energy and providing energy to the first battery, where the receiver pod includes a first receiver coil spaced from the first foot-facing upper surface by a first spacing.

The insole bulk is custom manufactured for a user using an assessment of the user’s foot, and the first spacing is at least partially determined by the assessment. A charger provides energy to the wireless charging receiver pod, including a first cable for connecting to an energy source and at least a first wireless charging transmitter pod electrically connected to the first cable.

The transmitter pod includes a first transmitter coil for receiving energy from the cable and wirelessly transmitting energy to the wireless charging receiver pod through the insole bulk. The first wireless charging transmitter pod is positionable against the first foot-facing upper surface and is magnetically held in proximity to the first wireless charging receiver pod to wirelessly provide energy through the insole bulk, while the transmitter pod is configured to detect the first spacing.

The transmitter pod detects the first spacing and emits an electromagnetic field of a frequency tuned to the first spacing, thereby enabling wireless energy transfer through the insole bulk using a frequency selected based on the spacing between the receiver coil and the foot-facing upper surface. In the described charging method, a custom manufactured sensorized insole is received in a shoe and a wireless charging transmitter pod is inserted through a foot-receiving opening and positioned against the insole upper surface.

Claims Coverage

The partial content includes two independent claims: an apparatus claim for a footwear system and a method claim for charging a pair of sensorized insoles. The independent claims share the same core inventive structure, emphasizing spacing-dependent wireless power transfer to embedded receiver coils in custom sensorized insoles, with transmitter pods positioned and magnetically held against the insole upper surface.

Across the two independent claims, the key inventive theme is custom manufacturing of sensorized insoles such that the receiver-coil spacing is determined by foot assessment, and using transmitter pods that are positioned and magnetically held against the insole upper surface to detect the spacing and tune an emitted electromagnetic field frequency for wireless energy transfer through the insole bulk.

Stated Advantages

Documented Applications