Patent ID: 11915592
Assignee: NIKE, INC.
Field: Control (Instruments)
Classification: CPC G  A  B  H | IPC A  B  G  H

Claim 12:
13. An article of footwear for a foot of a user, the article of footwear comprising: a shoe structure with an upper configured to attach to the foot of the user and a sole structure attached to the upper and configured to support thereon the foot; a fastening mechanism mounted to the shoe structure and configured to secure the foot within the upper, the fastening mechanism including a lace, strap, latch, cable, or buckle; an electric motor mounted to the shoe structure and operable in a tensioning mode, whereby the electric motor tightens the fastening mechanism, and an alert mode, whereby the electric motor outputs a predetermined tactile alert perceptible by the user; a wireless communications device mounted to the shoe structure and configured to wirelessly communicate with a remote computing node; and a footwear controller mounted to the shoe structure and operatively connected to the wireless communications device and the electric motor, the footwear controller being configured to: receive a first input signal indicating a request to tighten the fastening mechanism; responsive to receipt of the first input signal, transmit a first command signal to the electric motor to activate the tensioning mode; receive a second input signal indicating a user location of the user is within a predetermined location or proximity to a motor vehicle; and responsive to receipt of the second input signal, transmit a second command signal to the electric motor to activate the alert mode and generate the tactile alert;
wherein the predetermined tactile alert includes a sequential tensioning and untensioning of the fastening mechanism in a predefined pattern.