Patent Publication Number: US-2015065920-A1

Title: Foot orthotic service system

Description:
CROSS-REFERENCE TO RELATED APPLICATION 
     This application claims priority of Taiwanese Patent Application No. 102132012, filed on Sep. 5, 2013. 
     FIELD OF THE INVENTION 
     The invention relates to an orthotic service system, more particularly to a foot orthotic service system. 
     BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 
     To keep track of an orthotic progress of a user&#39;s foot, in addition to the user&#39;s name, an initial entry of personal data (such as the user&#39;s age, weight, height, etc.) and footprints are obtained and stored in a conventional foot orthotic service system located at a foot orthotic service center, and then subsequent entries are entered into the same system during inspection of the user&#39;s foot to form an orthotic history file for the user. However, without the user visiting the foot orthotic service center, the service center is in no way to find out the progress of the user&#39;s foot. In other words, the conventional foot orthotic service system is unable to keep a real-time progress report or to monitor closely the progress of the user&#39;s foot. Moreover, each time the user returns to the foot orthotic service center for a progress check, the user&#39;s name must be manually input into the conventional foot orthotic service system in order to retrieve the orthotic history file associated with the user, which is inconvenient and shows room for improvement. 
     SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION 
     Therefore, the object of the present invention is to provide a foot orthotic service system that can eliminate at least one of the aforesaid drawbacks of the prior art. 
     According to the present invention, there is provided a foot orthotic service system including a foot orthotic device. The foot orthotic device includes a pressure sensing substrate and a management unit. The pressure sensing substrate is adapted for contact with a user&#39;s foot, and is capable of generating at least one signal by sensing pressure exerted thereon. The management unit is mounted in the pressure sensing substrate, and includes a signal processing module and a wireless communication module. The signal processing module is electrically connected to the pressure sensing substrate for receiving the signal therefrom, and processes the signal to generate pressure data that is associated with the pressure sensed by the pressure sensing substrate. The wireless communication module is electrically connected to the signal processing module and is capable of wirelessly transmitting the pressure data. 
    
    
     
       BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS 
       Other features and advantages of the present invention will become apparent in the following detailed description of the embodiments with reference to the accompanying drawings, of which: 
         FIG. 1  is a schematic perspective view of the first embodiment of a foot orthotic service system according to the present invention; 
         FIGS. 2 to 4  are block diagrams of parts of the first embodiment; 
         FIG. 5  is a bottom view of a foot orthotic device of the first embodiment; 
         FIG. 6  is a partly exploded perspective view of a foot orthotic device of the second embodiment of a foot orthotic service system according to the present invention; 
         FIG. 7  is a sectional view of the foot orthotic device of the second embodiment; 
         FIG. 8  is a perspective bottom view of a foot orthotic device of the third embodiment of a foot orthotic service system according to the present invention; 
         FIG. 9  is a top view of the foot orthotic device of the third embodiment; and 
         FIG. 10  is a sectional view of the foot orthotic device of the third embodiment. 
     
    
    
     DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE EMBODIMENTS 
     Before the present invention is described in greater detail, it should be noted that like elements are denoted by the same reference numerals throughout the disclosure. 
     Referring to  FIGS. 1 ,  2 ,  4  and  5 , the first embodiment of a foot orthotic service system includes a foot orthotic device  2 , a monitoring device  5 , a remote service device  6  and a portable pressure measuring device  7 . 
     The foot orthotic device  2  includes a pressure sensing substrate  21  and a management unit  22 . The pressure sensing substrate  21  is adapted for contact with a user&#39;s foot, is capable of generating at least one signal by sensing pressure exerted thereon, and includes a main body  210  and at least one sensing member  215 . The main body  210  has an orthotic surface  211 , an assembling surface  212 , a main groove  213  and a plurality of secondary grooves  214 . The orthotic surface  211  is used for contact with the user&#39;s foot, the assembling surface  212  is opposite to the orthotic surface  211 , and the main groove  213  and the secondary grooves  214  are formed in the assembling surface  212 . The sensing member  215  is mounted to the assembling surface  212  for generating the signal. In this embodiment, the pressure sensing substrate  21  includes a plurality of spaced-apart sensing members  215 . 
     During actual implementation, the foot orthotic device  2  is disposed in a shoe (not shown) for the user&#39;s foot to exert pressure directly onto the orthotic surface  211  of the pressure sensing substrate  21  while engaging in an activity such as jogging or walking, etc., and gradually corrects the user&#39;s foot due to the structural design/configuration of the pressure sensing substrate  21 . 
     In this embodiment, each of the sensing members  215  of the pressure sensing substrate  21  is a resistive or capacitive pressure sensor, and is not limited to what is disclosed herein as long as pressure can be measured/sensed. During installation, a waterproofing procedure is conducted to prevent each of the sensing members  215  from being damaged by moisture inside the shoe. 
     The management unit  22  is mounted in the main groove  213  in the assembling surface  212  of the pressure sensing substrate  21 , and includes a signal processing module  221 , a memory module  222 , a wireless communication module  223  and an identification module  224 . The signal processing module  221  is electrically connected to the pressure sensing substrate  21 , and specifically to the sensing members  215 , for receiving the signal therefrom, and processes the signal(s) to generate pressure data that is associated with the pressure sensed by the pressure sensing substrate  21  (or more specifically, the sensing members  215 ). The memory module  222  is electrically connected to the signal processing module  221  for electrically storing the pressure data. The wireless communication module  223  is electrically connected to the signal processing module  221  and is capable of wirelessly transmitting the pressure data. The identification module  224  electrically stores information associated with the user of the foot orthotic device  2 . In this embodiment, the signal processing module  221  is electrically connected to the sensing members  215  via a plurality of conductive wires  40 , each of which is mounted in a respective secondary groove  214 . In addition, the wireless communication module  223  is a WIFI communication module in this embodiment and is not limited hereto as long as wireless transmission of data is provided, and the identification module  224  is an RFID (Radio-Frequency Identification) tag. Furthermore, during installation, waterproofing procedure is also conducted to prevent the management unit  22  from being damaged by moisture. 
     The monitoring device  5  includes a first communication unit  51 , a computing unit  53  and an output unit  54 . The first communication unit  51  is capable of establishing an electrical connection with the wireless communication module  223  of the management unit  22  of the foot orthotic device  2  for receiving the pressure data therefrom, and is electrically connected to the output unit  54  for transmitting the pressure data thereto to be displayed by the output unit  54 . The computing unit  53  is electrically connected to the first communication unit  51  and the output module  54 , and generates an alarm signal when the pressure associated with the pressure data exceeds a reference pressure to indicate an anomaly. The output unit  54  is driven by the alarm signal generated by the computing unit  53  to output an alarm. The reference pressure may be set by personnel at the foot orthotic service center, or acquired using other methods. For instance, the monitoring device  5  of this embodiment further includes an analyzing unit  52 . The analyzing unit  52  is electrically connected with the first communication unit  51  for receiving pressure data therefrom, and is capable of analyzing multiple entries of the pressure data to generate a reference data that is associated with the reference pressure by, e.g., taking an average of the multiple entries. 
     In this embodiment, the monitoring device  5  is a smart phone, but may also be a tablet computer, a notebook computer and other portable electronic devices in other embodiments, and is not limited hereto as long as the device can be configured to perform the computation/processing described above and is capable of transmitting data. In addition, the output unit  54  may be a screen and/or a speaker so as to output the alarm in form of an alert message and/or sound notification. 
     The remote service device  6  is a personal computer or a server, and includes an input unit  61 , a storage unit  62 , a second communication unit  63 , a processing unit  64  and a display unit  65 . The input unit  61  is electrically connected to the storage unit  62  for input of, e.g., personal information to establish an orthotic history file associated with the user. The storage unit  62  is used for electrically storing the orthotic history file that is associated with the user. The second communication unit  63  is capable of establishing an electrical connection with the first communication unit  51  of the monitoring device  5  for receiving the pressure data therefrom. Alternatively, the second communication unit  63  is capable of establishing an electrical connection with the wireless communication module  223  of the foot orthotic deice  2  for directly receiving the pressure data therefrom. The processing unit  64 , which is a micro-processor in this embodiment, is electrically connected to the second communication unit  63  for receiving the pressure data, and is electrically connected to the storage unit  62  for updating the orthotic history file stored therein with the pressure data. The display unit  65  is electrically connected to the processing unit  64  for displaying the orthotic history files of the user. 
     The portable pressure measuring device  7  is capable of establishing an electrical connection with the first communication unit  51  of the monitoring device  5  in a wired or wireless manner. 
     Referring to  FIGS. 4 and 5 , an initial footprint of the user is obtained to facilitate customizing the foot orthotic device  2  to the user&#39;s foot condition and or shape, as well as to incorporate information associated with the user into the foot orthotic device  2 , e.g., storing the information in the identification module  24 . The information may be the user&#39;s ID number, name and/or the like, but is not limited hereto, and may further include the user&#39;s age, weight, height, etc. The initial footprint and the information are input via the input unit  61  of the remote service device  6  to be stored in the storage unit  62  as a first entry of the orthotic history file associated with the user. The information in the identification module  224  and in the storage unit  62  can be overwritten to provide accuracy. The foot orthotic service center generally serves multiple clients. Therefore, the storage unit  62  has stored therein a plurality of orthotic history files that are respectively associated with a plurality of users. 
     The personnel at the foot orthotic service center will then carry the portable pressure measuring device  7  and have the user step thereon to measure and obtain the user&#39;s foot&#39;s pressure information. Then, the portable pressure measure device  7  transmits the pressure information to the monitoring device  5 , which maybe carried by the personnel or the user, using wired or wireless communication. Afterward, the first communication unit  51  of the monitoring device  5  transmits the pressure information to the second communication unit  63  of the remote service device  6  using wired or wireless communication, so that the processing unit  64  can process the pressure information and store it in the orthotic history file, as part of the corrective process. 
     It should be noted that, since the pressure sensing substrate  21  is shaped according to the user&#39;s foot, the pressure information can be used as reference for the design and manufacture of the pressure sensing substrate  21 . 
     Referring to  FIGS. 2 and 5 , when the user steps on the foot orthotic device  2 , each of the sensing members  215  will sense the pressure exerted by the user&#39;s foot at the respective location and generates a signal. The signal processing module  221  of the management unit  22  processes the signal of each of the sensing members  215  and generates pressure data. The wireless communication module  223  then wirelessly transmits the pressure data, which is also stored in the memory module  222 . 
     If the user wishes to check the current plantar pressure or the latest foot condition, the user install vendor-supplied software or an APP in the monitoring device  5  and use, and use it to have the first communication unit  51  receive the pressure data transmitted by the wireless communication module  223 , and have the pressure data processed by the computing unit  53  to be outputted by the output unit  54 . 
     If abnormal foot pressure occurs, that is, when the current pressure associated with the current pressure data exceeds the reference pressure, the computing unit  53  will generate an alarm signal which is output by the output unit  54 . 
     During use of the foot orthotic device  2  by the user, the first communication unit  51  of the monitoring device  5  will continue to transmit the most recent pressure data to the second communication unit  63  of the remote service device  6 . The processing unit  64  of the remote service device  6  can update the orthotic history file with the newly received pressure data, allowing the personnel at the foot orthotic service center to obtain the latest foot condition of the user. 
     Referring to  FIGS. 3 to 5 , it is worth mentioning that, after the user has used the foot orthotic device  2  for a period of time, the user returns to the foot orthotic service center for progress inspection and foot orthotic device  2  tuning. The user only needs to place the foot orthotic device  2  proximate to the remote service device  6 , so that the second communication unit  63  can read the identification information from the identification module  224  of the management unit  22  of the foot orthotic device  2 . The processing unit  64  further receives the identification information from the second communication unit  63  and retrieves from the storage unit  62 , based on the identification information, one of the orthotic history files that is associated with the user with which the identification information is associated, and displays it via the display unit  65 . Since the orthotic history file is always updated, the personnel can quickly learn the user&#39;s current foot condition and proceed to perform progress inspection and foot orthotic device  2  tuning. 
     Furthermore, before tuning/adjusting, the user can again step on the portable pressure measuring device  7  to generate new pressure information that can be used for the processing unit  64  of the remote service device  6  to compare with the most recent pressure data stored in the orthotic history file and determine whether pressure sensing functionality of the pressure sensing substrate  21  is defective. This allows for simple detection of failure of the sensing members  215  of the foot orthotic device  2 . 
     In sum, the advantages of the present invention are as follows.
         1) With the provision of the sensing members  215  and the management unit  22  in the pressure sensing substrate  21 , the user can instantly view/check the changes in his/her plantar pressure via the monitoring device  5 , allowing the user to be more involved in the correction process.   2) When abnormal conditions are present in the plantar pressure, the monitoring device  5  will immediately generate an alarm to alert the user.   3) The remote service device  6  continuously receives pressure data and updates the orthotic history file, aside from allowing the foot orthotic service center to obtain and store the user&#39;s latest foot condition, every time the user returns to the foot orthotic service center, the user only needs to place the foot orthotic device  2  proximate to the remote service device  6  for the remote service device  6  to automatically search for and retrieve the orthotic history file associated with the user to whom the foot orthotic device  2  belongs such that personnel at the foot orthotic service center is immediately informed of the user&#39;s current foot condition, thereby enhancing service quality and speed.   4) The pressure information acquired by the portable pressure measuring device  7  may be used as a reference for manufacturing and adjusting the pressure sensing substrate  21 . On the other hand, by comparing the pressure information with the pressure data from the foot orthotic device  2 , malfunction of any of the sensing members  215  can be detected.       

     Referring to  FIGS. 6 and 7 , the second embodiment of the foot orthotic service system according to the present invention is similar to the first embodiment, and only differs in that: the pressure sensing substrate  21  further includes a main body  210  having an orthotic surface  211  and an assembling surface  212 , a sensing member  215  in the form of a sheet and having a top surface that is in contact with the assembling surface  212  of the main body  210 , and a bottom surface that is opposite to the top surface and that is adapted to contact the inside of the shoe, a plurality of first conductive lines  216  mounted on the top surface of the sensing member  215 , and a plurality of second conductive lines  217  mounted on the bottom surface of the sensing member  215 . The sensing member  215  may be a capacitive or resistive film pressure sensor, which has a variable capacitance or resistance that varies in response to change in pressure experienced. The pressure sensing substrate  21  further includes a male connector  218  mounted on the assembling surface  212  of the main body  210  and electrically connected to the management unit  22 , and a female connector  219  mounted on the top surface of the sensing member  215  and engaged with and electrically connected to the male connector  218 . Electrical signals passing through the first and second conductive lines  216 ,  217  are transmitted to the management unit  22  via the male and female connectors  218 ,  219 . The second embodiment achieves the same effect as the first embodiment. 
     Referring to  FIGS. 8 to 10 , the third embodiment of the foot orthotic service system according to the present invention is similar to the first embodiment and only differs in the design of the pressure sensing substrate  21 . 
     Contrary to the first embodiment, the pressure sensing substrate  21  of the second embodiment does not include any sensing members  215 . Instead, the main body  210  of the pressure sensing substrate  21  is made of a dielectric material, preferably, the high-dielectric Barium Titanate (BaTiO 3 ), Barium Strontium Titanate (BaSrTiO 3 ), Strontium Titanate (SrTiO 3 ) and temperature-stable ceramic capacitor materials (NBC), or a combination thereof to form higher capacitance value, and is formed with, in addition to the main groove  213 , a plurality of first secondary grooves  2141  in the orthotic surface  211  and a plurality of second secondary grooves  2142  in the assembling surface  212 . In addition, the pressure sensing substrate  21  further includes a plurality of first conductive lines  216 , each of which is disposed in corresponding respective first secondary groove  2141 , and a plurality of second conductive lines  217 , each of which is disposed in corresponding respective second secondary groove  2142 . This way, the first and second conductive lines  216 ,  217  cooperate with the dielectric material of the main body  210  to form a capacitive pressure sensing device for generating the signal. 
     Alternatively, the first conductive lines  216  may be directly attached to the orthotic surface  211 , and the second conductive lines  217  may be directly attached to the assembling surface  212 . In other words, the first secondary grooves  2141  and the second secondary grooves  2142  are not necessary in order to achieve the same effect. Furthermore, in practice, the foot orthotic device  2  may be formed with a plurality of through holes (not shown) extending through the orthotic and assembling surfaces  211 ,  212 , for wires (not shown) between the first and second conductive lines  216 ,  217  allow electric connection therebetween. 
     While the present invention has been described in connection with what are considered the most practical embodiments, it is understood that this invention is not limited to the disclosed embodiments but is intended to cover various arrangements included within the spirit and scope of the broadest interpretation so as to encompass all such modifications and equivalent arrangements.