Patent Publication Number: US-2021162561-A1

Title: Methods of Measuring and Grinding an Ice Blade, and Apparatuses Using Same

Description:
CROSS-REFERENCE TO RELATED APPLICATIONS 
     This application is a divisional application of U.S. patent application Ser. No. 15/782,372, filed on Oct. 12, 2017, which is a continuation application of PCT International Application No. PCT/CA2016/000147, filed on May 18, 2016, which claims priority under 35 U.S.C. § 119 to U.S. Provisional Patent Application No. 62/163,557 filed on May 19, 2015. 
    
    
     FIELD OF THE INVENTION 
     The present invention relates generally to sharpening and shaping ice blades used in ice skates, luges, bobsleds and other winter sports equipment which run over ice and, more particularly, to an apparatus and method of grinding an ice blade, an ice blade measuring system and method of measuring an ice blade, and an ice blade grinding system and method of grinding an ice blade. 
     BACKGROUND 
     Ice skates have blades which typically may be formed from metal and which have a specific shape designed to facilitate skating. In modern ice hockey skates typically a single ice blade is located under each foot of the skater. The ice blades are usually affixed longitudinally under the skate boot portion and may have a generally convex curve side profile from front to back as well as a concave or grooved bottom face. Typically, only a portion of the ice blade of the skate touches the ice at any one time and, during skating, the ice blade is angled from side to side as well as rocked back and forth by the skater against the ice surface to propel the skater. 
     According to prevailing theories of the science behind ice skating, a skater is capable of skating on ice because: (a) the weight of the skater is focused in a narrow area of ice under the concave portion of the bottom or ice contacting surface of the ice blade, which creates enough pressure to form a thin film of water under the ice blade, and a skater glides on this film of water with a greatly reduced amount of friction; and (b) ice has a natural “quasi-fluid” layered region at its surface which creates a naturally slippery surface. 
     Although ice blades are made from metal and may be harder than the ice, the ice blades still exhibit wear over time. In addition, the ice blade shape may become modified over time by inexact sharpening processes, stepping on other hard surfaces, or by being bent, dented or damaged in collisions during play or even nicked when not being used. Such wear or modifications may change the ice blade shape and may result in a loss of performance. Consequently, there is a constant need for skate shaping and sharpening. 
     Ice blade shapes can vary according to activity; an ice blade on a figure skate will have a different shape than an ice blade on a hockey skate, which will also be different from an ice blade on a speed skate. Further, even within one sport, at present the different manufacturers of ice blades may provide their own unique factory or OEM blade shape. Even further, within one sport, and with equipment from the same manufacturer, ice blade shapes may be customized by the user to try to optimize performance—for example, some hockey players prefer the ice blades to be sharpened and shaped in a particular way to suit their style of play or even to suit their specific position. Sharpened ice blades are also used in other activities, such as luge, skeleton and bobsledding all of which may have specific ice blade shaping and sharpening requirements, which may vary according to the athlete, the design of their sleds, or even the set-up of the track or course. 
     Modification of the shape of ice blades, such as those on OEM hockey skates, can be accomplished today using manually-operating grinding machines or automatic grinding machines. However, the determination of which shape to apply for any given skater is unscientific, typically using fixed jigs, templates, guides, and the like. For hockey players in particular, there may be recommendations for certain sharpening and shaping parameters based on whether the player plays a forward position, a defensive position or a goalie position. Further modifications to the ice blade may be suggested by the player based on their own experience with shaping or sharpening and the results provided. 
     Current skate sharpening systems have a major shortcoming in that there is no meaningful feedback to the user of how the ice blade sharpening affects their performance. Essentially the user either adapts to the sharpening shape selected for the ice blade, or makes a random change to another shape profile hoping to find one that feels right. Ice blade shapes are often established using fixed jigs, templates or guides, which may not be readily customizable. 
     In the past, ice blade shaping and sharpening techniques have been developed on a largely trial and error basis. For example, at the highest levels of professional sports, a final edge for a specific ice blade may be put on by a special craftsman, such as a custom sharpener, who through repeated interactions with a user athlete gets to know the requirements and what configuration is preferred by the athlete. However, such custom hand crafted attention is both expensive and not very precise. Not only is it difficult for the user to determine if any particular shaping or sharpening was effective, because of the variation in shaping and sharpening from one instance to the next, even if it was effective it can be difficult to reliably repeat the results. 
     The only feedback from the athlete as to whether any change in the shape or sharpening technique has been positive or negative to their performance is their own observations, which are impressions only and may be affected by confirmation bias. The vast majority of ice blade users therefore rely on either a person or an automatic machine with a fixed guide to deliver a shaped and/or sharpened blade with little control over the final shaped and sharpened configuration. However, as in all sports, a small improvement can result in the difference between winning and losing, and an improved approach to customized blade shaping and sharpening is greatly desired. 
     SUMMARY 
     An automated apparatus for grinding an ice blade on an ice skate comprises a processor, an input device in communication with said processor, a skate holder, a non-contact measuring device in communication with said processor, and a grinding device in communication with said processor. The input device permits a user to select an ice blade grinding option. The skate holder releasably holds at least one said ice skate to said apparatus. The non-contact measuring device is configured to measure a three-dimensional (3D) shape of said ice blade. The grinding device is configured to perform a grinding action on said ice blade in said holder based on said selected ice blade grinding option to change said 3D shape of said ice blade to a desired 3D shape. 
    
    
     
       BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS 
       The invention will now be described by way of example with reference to the accompanying figures, of which: 
         FIG. 1  is front view of an ice skate having an ice blade; 
         FIG. 2 a    shows an enlarged view of a cross-section of the ice blade of  FIG. 1 ; 
         FIG. 2 b    shows examples of other cross-sections of an ice blade according to embodiments of the present invention; 
         FIG. 3  is a side view of the ice blade of  FIG. 1  on an ice surface; 
         FIG. 4  is a perspective view of an automated apparatus for grinding an ice blade on an ice skate according to an embodiment of the present invention, with the ice skate of  FIG. 1  being held in a skate holder of the automated apparatus, and a mobile device being connected to the automated apparatus via a communication link; 
         FIG. 5  is a diagram showing two different grinding devices performing a grinding action on the ice blade, according to an embodiment of the present invention; 
         FIG. 6  is a network map showing a plurality of automated apparatuses and the mobile device of  FIG. 4  being operatively connected to the cloud and cloud accessible servers; 
         FIG. 7  is a perspective view of the ice skate held in the skate holder of  FIG. 4   
         FIG. 8  is a view of an ice contacting surface of an ice blade being measured by a measuring device according to an embodiment of the present invention; 
         FIG. 9  is a perspective view of the inside of the automated apparatus of  FIG. 4 , showing the ice skate being held in the skate holder in a fixed position relative to a measuring device and a grinding device; 
         FIG. 10  is a perspective view of a detail of  FIG. 9  centered on the grinding device; 
         FIG. 11  shows a vacuum device according to an embodiment of the present invention; 
         FIG. 12  shows a grinding surface of a grinding wheel of the grinding device engaging a single point diamond dressing pen positioned within the housing to dress the grinding surface and change the shape of the grinding surface, according to an embodiment of the present inventions; 
         FIG. 13  is a flow chart showing a method of operation of the automated apparatus of  FIG. 1 , according to an embodiment of the present invention; and 
         FIG. 14  shows an ice blade marking system, and a coating system, according to an embodiment of the present invention. 
     
    
    
     DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE EMBODIMENTS 
     The present invention is described in more detail with reference to exemplary embodiments thereof as shown in the appended drawings. While the present invention is described in the embodiments below, it should be understood that the present invention is not limited thereto. Those of ordinary skill in the art having access to the teachings herein will recognize additional implementations, modifications, and embodiments which are within the scope of the present invention as disclosed and claimed herein. In the figures, like elements are given like reference numbers. For the purposes of clarity, not every component is labelled in every figure, nor is every component of each embodiment of the invention shown where illustration is not necessary to allow those of ordinary skill in the art to understand the invention. Orientative words such as “side”, “bottom”, “front”, “back”, “left”, and “right” as used herein are used for clarity with reference to the orientation of elements in the figures and are not intended to be limiting. 
     In this description the following terms shall have the following meanings. The term ice blade means any blade which may be used as a runner, glide or other contact point for traversing an ice surface and, without limiting the generality of the foregoing, includes ice skate blades, including speed skate, hockey skate, a leisure skate, and figure skate blades; luge, skeleton, and bobsled running blades; and any other blades which may be used to glide over an ice or snow surface. The ice blades may be made of metal or other materials suitable for shaping and sharpening by removing ice blade material via a grinding action. More particularly, the ice contacting surface is that part of the ice blade which makes contact with an ice surface during use. An ice surface includes a natural ice surface, an artificial ice surface, and a synthetic ice surface (i.e. high density polyethylene, or the like). As such, an ice surface is any type of surface on which an ice blade may be used on and glide over. 
       FIGS. 1 and 2  show a typical ice blade  10  on an ice skate  12  which is used a non-limiting example of the type of ice blade  10  to which the present invention may be applied.  FIG. 2  shows a cross sectional-view looking straight down the length of the ice blade  10 , showing a constant hollow  14  running through the length of the ice contacting surface  16  of the ice blade  10 . Although the hollow  14  shown in  FIG. 2 a    has a radiused, or concave-shaped hollow, other shapes may be used, including for example, as shown in  FIG. 2 b   , a V-shaped hollow  44 , a square-shaped hollow  46 , or other-shaped hollows, including a convex shaped hollow. All such shaped hollows are comprehended by the present invention. The hollow  14  yields sharp edges  24 ,  26  on each side of the hollow  14 .  FIG. 3  is a side view of the ice blade  10  and shows three sections of importance for ice blades: the toe section  28 , the heel section  30 , and the working section  32  which is located between the toe and heel sections  28 ,  30 . Other ice blades may have other shapes in side view, but are still comprehended by the present invention. The toe section  28  in this example has a radius at the front  34  of the ice blade  10  that arcs the ice blade  10  away from an ice surface  36  in use. The heel section  30  has a radius at the back  38  of the ice blade  10  that arcs the back of the ice blade  10  away from the ice surface  36  when in use. The working section  32  has a working radius between the toe section  28  and the heel section  30 . 
     When ice skates  12  are purchased new, the ice blade  10  is fairly standard in shape, within the tolerance limits of the original equipment manufacturer (OEM). Brand new, ice blades usually come unsharpened so that the cross-section as shown in  FIG. 2 a    has no functional hollow  14  or sharpened edges  24 ,  26  and the longitudinal dimension has a set radius in the working section  26 . Although the length of an ice blade  10  may differ according to the size of the ice skate  12 , generally, each ice blade  10  has a pre-shaped working section  32  determined by the OEM. For instance, most skates made by Bauer® come with ice blades that have a working section  32  having either a 9-foot radius or a 10-foot radius, and those made by CCM® come with a working section  32  typically having a 10-foot working radius. 
     Unfortunately, such pre-set working sections may only fit a small portion of users properly. It is well known that the shape of the ice contacting surface  16  of the ice blade  10  can hinder the skater&#39;s performance and abilities if the shape is not properly suited to the skater&#39;s skating style, abilities, or tendencies. 
     Also, the choice of hollow  14  may affect the performance of the ice blade  10 . With reference to  FIG. 2 b    a deeper hollow  40  may encourage better stopping and turning, whereas a shallower hollow  42  may encourage faster skating speeds. Additionally, the shape of the hollow  14  (i.e. concave-shaped hollow  14 ,  40 ,  42 , V-shaped hollow  44 , square-shaped hollow  46 , or other-shaped hollow) may also have different effects on the performance of the ice blade  10 . For reference, an ice blade  10  with no functional hollow is also shown in  FIG. 2 b    with numeral  48 . 
     Generally speaking, when viewing the ice blade shape from the side  50  as in  FIG. 3 , it can be seen that a smaller radius yields less contact area of the working section  32  on the ice surface  36 , which allows the skater to be more agile on the ice surface  36  as pivots can be achieved more readily. On the other hand, a larger radius yields more contact area of the working section  32  on the ice surface  36 , which allows for greater acceleration, but less lateral mobility. The present invention can be applied to either new ice blades as provided by the OEM, or to already shaped or sharpened ice blades in which the OEM shape has already been altered by a user. 
     With reference now to  FIG. 4  there is shown generally an automated apparatus  52  for grinding an ice blade  10  on an ice skate  12 , according to an embodiment of the present invention. The apparatus  52  has a housing  54  containing, among other things, a processor  56 , an input device  58 , a skate holder  60 , a measuring device  62 , and a grinding device  64 , while presenting a clean appearance. 
     The skate holder  60  is configured to releasably hold at least one ice skate  12  to the automated apparatus  52  in a fixed grinding position. However, the skate holder  60  may be configured to hold more than one ice skate  12 , including a pair of ice skates  12 , according to other embodiments of the present invention. The input device  58  may also be in communication with the processor  56 , and configured to provide either a local, and/or a remote user interface  66  to permit the user to select an ice blade grinding option, which may sharpen the ice blade  10 , or change a shape of the ice blade  10  to a desired shape  68 . The measuring device  62  may also be in communication with the processor  56 , and configured to measure a shape of the ice blade  10 . The grinding device  64  may also be in communication with the processor  56 , and configured to perform a grinding action on the ice blade  10  held in the skate holder  60 , to sharpen the ice blade  10 , or change a shape of the ice blade  10  to a desired shape  68 , the grinding action being based on the ice blade grinding option selected by the user using the user interface  66 . 
     Two alternate types of grinding devices  64  for performing a grinding action on an ice blade  10 , which removes material from the ice blade  10  to change the shape of the ice blade  10  from the measured shape  70  to a desired shape  68 , are shown in  FIG. 5 . The automated apparatus  52  includes one of the two types of grinding devices  64 . The grinding devices  64  are shown as capable of moving at least in the direction of the arrows  72 . In this example, the grinding action changes the side shape of the ice blade  10  (i.e. the shape of the ice blade  10  when viewed from the left or right side  50  of the ice blade  10 ). The left-most grinding device  64  is illustrated with a grinding wheel  74 , while the right-most grinding device is illustrated with a milling bit  76 . The left-most and right-most grinding devices  64  are illustrated as having spin axes that are perpendicular to one another. The measuring device  62  and the grinding device  64  are discussed in more detail below. 
     The automated apparatus  52 , as shown in  FIG. 4 , is sized and shaped in the form of a self-serve kiosk. The front  86  of the automated apparatus  52  may include an opening  78  to permit the user to place the ice skate  12  into the skate holder  60 . The opening  78  is covered by a shield  80  adapted to block flying dust and debris formed during operation of the grinding device  64  from hitting the user, or to prevent the user from reaching into the automated apparatus  52  through the opening  78  with his or her fingers, hands, or arms during certain sequences in the operation of the automated apparatus  52 , thereby helping to prevent injury to the user. In an embodiment, the shield  80  is transparent to allow the user to look through the shield  80  into the opening  78  and see the action of the measuring device  62  and the grinding device  64  during certain sequences in the operation of the automated apparatus  52 . The shield  80  may be removably, or hingedly, attached to the housing  54  to allow the shield  80  to be moved out of the way to permit the user to access the inside of the housing  54  through the opening  78 , for example, to facilitate placing the ice skate  12  into the skate holder  60 , to permit cleaning the inside of the housing  54 , or to permit repair or adjustment of the measuring device  62 , the grinding device  64 , or other components of the automated apparatus  52  located inside of the housing  54 . To increase safety, the automated apparatus  52  has sensors in communication with the processor  56  and configured to ensure that certain sequences of operation of the automated apparatus  52 , such as for example the grinding device  64  performing a grinding action, will not start, or if started, will stop, when the sensors detect that the shield  80  is not in a closed position. 
     The automated apparatus  52  includes a raised base portion  82  to raise the opening  78  above the floor to a height that is comfortable for use while the user is standing. In other embodiments, the automated apparatus  52  may be provided without the raised base portion  82 , for example, and the automated apparatus  52  is designed to sit on a table, or a counter top. 
     As shown in  FIG. 4 , the input device  58  may be incorporated into the housing  54  to provide a local user interface  66 . The user interface  66  may have a display  84  and/or an input device  58  engageable by the user, such as buttons  88 . However, the present invention comprehends other input devices  58 , including other user interfaces, as well as user interfaces having other configurations of displays  84  and/or input devices; other forms of input devices comprehended by the present invention include a touch screen, a touch pad, a keyboard, a keypad, a trackball, a joystick, and the like. Furthermore, the user interface  66  may be provided only locally in association with the automated apparatus  52 , only remotely, or both locally and remotely as shown in  FIG. 4 . 
     To provide a remote user interface  66 , the input device  58  may be configured with a communication link  90  to a user&#39;s mobile device  92 , permitting data to be sent by the input device  58  and received by the mobile device  92 , and vice versa. The mobile device  92  may include a software application  94  configured to send and receive data to and from the input device  58  via the communication link  90 , and provide a user interface  66  on the mobile device  92 . In this way, the user may use the software application  94  on the mobile device  92  to operate the automated apparatus  52 , thereby eliminating the need for incorporating a user interface  66  into the automated apparatus  52  itself. In other words, the user may use the mobile device  92  to operate the automated apparatus  52  remote from but in close proximity to the automated apparatus  52 , or from a remote location that may be a great distance from the automated apparatus  52 . Of course, the present invention also comprehends embodiments in which the user interface  66  is provided both on the automated apparatus  52 , as well as on a mobile device  92 . 
     The communication link  90  may be enabled by any of a number of known ways, including a Bluetooth connection, a Wi-Fi connection, an NFC connection, an internet connection, and an SMS connection between the input device  58  and the user&#39;s mobile device  92 , or the like. Furthermore, the communication link  90  may be indirect and involve servers in the cloud  96 , as shown in  FIG. 6 , or accessible through the cloud  98 , as will be appreciated by persons skilled in the art. Such cloud based, or cloud accessible servers may contain the user accounts  100 . 
     Furthermore, the software application  94  may be web-based, such that the user can access the user interface  66  via a web browser on the mobile device  92 , or a web-browser on any other internet enabled device, including a desktop computer, a laptop computer, a PDA, a tablet, a netbook, a notebook, etc. Thus, while in an embodiment of the invention, the user may communicate with the automated apparatus  52  using the software application  94  on the mobile device  92 , in other embodiments of the invention, the user may accomplish the same by accessing the software application  94  on a website on a desktop computer, a laptop computer, a PDA, a tablet, a netbook, a notebook, etc. To gain access to the website, the user may log in to the website in a known manner, entering a login and password, sending an e-mail, through social media (i.e. using a Facebook account, a Twitter account, a Google account, etc.) or through a mobile app. 
     The user interface  66  allows the user to interact with and communicate with the automated apparatus  52 . The user interface  66  obtains information from the user and provides information to the user. The user interface  66  may prompt the user to select, or enter an option which the automated apparatus  52  is capable of carrying out, such as an ice blade grinding option. The ice blade grinding option may include changing a shape of the whole of the ice contacting surface  16  of the ice blade  10 , or only a portion thereof. Furthermore, the ice blade grinding option may include varying the change to the shape of the ice contacting surface  16  along the length of the ice blade  10 . Additionally, the ice blade grinding option may include changing the shape of the ice contacting surface  16  by changing the side shape at one or more of a toe section  28 , a working section  32 , and a heel section  30  of the ice contacting surface  16 . 
     The ice blade grinding option may further include changing the shape of the ice contacting surface  16  of the ice blade  10  in cross-section, for example, by one or more of forming a hollow  14 , changing the shape of an existing hollow  14 , removing an existing hollow  14 , and smoothening an existing hollow  14 . As mentioned above, the hollow  14  may be a concave-shaped hollow  14 ,  40 ,  42 , a V-shaped hollow  44 , a square-shaped hollow  46 , or other-shaped hollow, including a convex shaped hollow. In an embodiment, a different hollow  14  may be placed at different points of the ice blade  10 . In other words, the grinding action may create a new hollow  14  or change the shape of an existing hollow  14 , which varies along the length of the ice blade  10 . By way of example, an ice blade  10  with no hollow is shown in  FIG. 2 b    at  48 . As yet another example, the ice blade grinding option may include raising either the left blade edge  24  relative to the right blade edge  26 , or vice versa. Similarly, the ice blade grinding option may include making the left and right blade edges  24 ,  26  the same height. Furthermore, the ice blade grinding option may simply include sharpening the ice blade  10 . 
     The ice blade grinding option may include changing the shape of the ice contacting surface  16  to a desired shape  68  that is based on a model ice blade. For example, the model ice blade may be based on an ice blade  10  used by a professional hockey player, a professional figure skater, or the like. As another example, the model ice blade may be based on an actual ice blade having a particular skating characteristic, or a theoretical ice blade having a particular estimated skating characteristic. The automated apparatus  52  may include a memory  102 , embodied as a non-transitory computer-readable medium such as ROM memory, in communication with the processor  56 , and the memory  102  may be used to store one or more model ice blade datasets  104  corresponding to the shape of a model ice blade, or a portion thereof. Accordingly, an ice blade grinding option may include changing the shape of the ice contacting surface  16  of an ice blade  10  to a desired shape  68  that is at least partly based on a model ice blade dataset  104  corresponding to the model ice blade, or portion thereof, which is stored in the memory  102 . It is also contemplated that the model ice blade datasets  104  may be located remote from the automated apparatus  52  and accessible to the processor  56 . For example, the model ice blade dataset  14  may be stored in the cloud  96  or a cloud accessible server  98 . 
     The memory  102  may also be used to store a user profile  106 . For example, the user profile  106  may include historical data, such as, shapes of ice blades previously used with the automated apparatus  52  (both before and after performing the grinding action), and ice blade grinding options previously selected by the user, including desired ice blade shapes applied to the user&#39;s ice blade(s). Additionally, the user profile  106  may include other data such as one or more biometric or other parameters of the skater associated with an ice blade  10 . By way of example, the user profile  106  may include the skater&#39;s height, weight, maximum bent knee angle while performing a skating motion, and spinal forward tilt while performing a skating motion. The other parameters may include, for example, a skater&#39;s skill level, age, experience, playing position in an ice-related activity such as the game of hockey, subjective preferences, skate make and model, etc. Other such parameters of the skater will be appreciated by the person skilled in the art, and are comprehended by the present invention. 
     The processor  56  accesses the memory  102  and analyzes the user profile  106  to determine one or both of an ice blade wear pattern and a skating style of a skater associated with the ice skate  12 . Furthermore, the processor  56  may be configured to select or recommend a desired ice blade shape  68 , at least partly based on the analysis. For example, if the user profile  106  includes the selected ice blade grinding option for one of a matched pair of ice skates  12 , the processor  56  may select or recommend a desired shape  68  for the other of the matched pair of ice skates  12 , based at least partly on the data of the first ice skate  12  stored in the historical data, to ensure that the ice contacting surfaces  16  of the pair of ice skates  12  will match. As another example, the processor  56  may be configured to alert the user of a “problem” in the gait of a skater associated with an ice skate  12 , based on an analysis of a plurality of stored user profiles  106  containing information associated with a plurality of skaters. It is contemplated that such analysis from a plurality of ice skate  12  shaping and sharpening sessions may reveal trends that may be used to identify such potential gait problems. The memory  102  may be incorporated into the automated apparatus  52 , and located inside the housing  54 . It is also contemplated that the user profile  106  may be located remote from the automated apparatus  52  and accessible to the processor  56 . For example, the user profile  106  may be stored in the cloud  96 , or a cloud accessible server  98  as shown in  FIG. 6 . Other ice blade grinding options will be appreciated by persons skilled in the art, including simple sharpening or smoothening of the ice contacting surface  16  of the ice blade  10 . 
     As shown in  FIG. 6 , a plurality of automated apparatuses  52  may be operatively connected to the cloud  96 , and cloud accessible servers  98 , according to an embodiment of the present invention. A mobile device  92  is shown with possible connections to automated apparatuses  52  which are direct  108 , such as for example Bluetooth, Wi-Fi, and NFC, or indirect  110  via the cloud  96 . As will be appreciated, the indirect connections via the cloud may be established via an internet connection using Wi-Fi, a cellular network, or the like. A cloud accessible main server  112  may be set up to allow an operator to control and maintain the network of automated apparatuses  52 . Accordingly, the main server  112  may be configured to store, maintain and update user accounts  100 , and user profiles  106 , including historical data, and biometric parameters of the skater associated with an ice blade  10 . The main server  112  may also be configured to store model ice blade datasets  104 , and control their distribution to automated apparatuses  52  in the network. For example, the main server  112  may allow the automated apparatus  52  to download, or use a model ice blade dataset  104  only if requested by a user or operator of the automated apparatus  52 , and/or a fee is paid for the use or download of the model ice blade dataset  104 . The model ice blade datasets  104  may be made available for purchase, or lease (i.e. made available for a limited time period). The main server  112  may also be configured to process payments made by the user and update user accounts  100 . It is also contemplated that a cloud accessible club server  114  may be set up to allow, for example, a hockey club or arena to control access to an automated apparatus  52  operated by the hockey club or arena. The club server  114  may be configured to store, maintain and updated user profiles  106 . 
     The skate holder  60  is shown in  FIG. 7 . The measuring device  62  and the grinding device  64  are operationally positioned relative to the skate holder  60 . The skate holder  60  has a body  116  having a first skate contacting surface  118  and a second skate contacting surface  120 . In this embodiment, the first skate contacting surface  118  is movable toward the second skate contacting surface  120  to permit the hockey skate  12  to be clamped between the first and second skate contacting surfaces  118 ,  120 . The second skate contacting surface  120  is fixed in position in this example. However, the opposite, in which the first skate contacting surface  118  is fixed in position, and the second skate contacting surface  120  is movable towards the first skate contacting surface  118 , is also comprehended by the present invention. Furthermore, both the first and second skate contacting surfaces  118 ,  120  may be configured to be movable towards each other at the same rate so that the ice blade  10  of the hockey skate  12  will be automatically centered in the body  116  of the skate holder  60 . Movement of the first skate contacting surface  118  and/or the second skate contacting surface  120  may be accomplished by a cam  122  and handle  124  arrangement which is manually operable by the user, as will be appreciated by the person skilled in the art. However, the movement of the first skate contacting surface  118  and/or the second skate contacting surface  120  may be accomplished by other mechanisms, such as for example, an actuator, which may also be controlled by the processor  56 . What such skate holders  60  may have in common is the ability to accurately hold the ice blade  10  in position, against the grinding action performed by the grinding device  64 . 
     The measuring device  62  is operationally positioned relative to the skate holder  60  to measure a shape of the ice contacting surface  16  of the ice blade  10 . The measuring device  62  is positioned and configured to measure a shape of the ice contacting surface  16  of the ice blade  10  to create a dataset which corresponds to the shape of the ice contacting surface  16  of the ice blade  10 . In various embodiments, the measuring device  62  may take several single point, two dimensional (2D) measurements, or 3D measurements. The measurements taken by the measuring device  62  are merged together, either by the measuring device  62  or the processor  56 , to construct a 3D measured dataset corresponding to the 3D shape of the ice contacting surface  16  of the ice blade  10 . The 3D measured dataset may then be stored in memory  102 . Thus, the measuring device  62  provides a precise measurements of the physical dimensions of the ice contacting surface  16  of the ice blade  10 , which is recorded into a measured dataset. 
     The measuring device  62  may be a non-contact or contact type device. Examples of non-contact type measuring devices  62  include, laser scanners, camera vision devices, and optical scanners. Examples of contact type measuring devices  62  include depth gauges, and micrometers. While measuring and/or inspecting the shape of the ice contacting surface  16  of an ice blade  10  is an automated noninvasive process, such as a high precision laser scanning system or other optical means, the method may include other mechanical devices such as depth gauges, micrometers, and the like, to either perform or complement the measurements taken with the laser scanning system. One example of a noninvasive laser scanner is currently manufactured by MICRO-EPSILON Messtechnik GmbH &amp; Co. KG (Raleigh, N.C., U.S.A.). Alternatively, optical based scanners with 3D functionality can also be used to perform these measurements, one example of such an optical scanner is the METRASCAN 3DTM manufactured by Creaform Inc. (Levis, Quebec, Canada). The measurements may be sufficiently accurate and sufficiently detailed to create an accurate 3D numerical representation of the ice contacting surface  16  of the ice blade  10 . In one embodiment, the invention may include a laser measurement device  126 , as shown in  FIG. 8 , with a scanner beam  128  which is able to read the ice contacting surface  16  of the ice blade  10  to at least ⅛-inch accuracy and, in some embodiments, to within about 1 to 10 microns accuracy. The laser measurement device  126  has a resolution of 10 microns or less and uses triangulation to measure the shape of the ice contacting surface  16  of the ice blade  10 . The laser measurement device  126  has a sample rate of at least 100 Hz and may also be a low power laser scanner having a power of less than 10 watts. Such a measuring device  126  or 3D scanner takes measurements across the hollow  14  and all along the length of the ice contacting surface  16  of the ice blade  10 . As will be understood, for the present invention to provide adequate results, the accuracy of the measurement for the dataset may be greater than, or equal to, the accuracy of the dimensional changes which may be made to the shape of the ice contacting surface  16  through the grinding action performed by the particular grinding device  64  included in the automated apparatus  52 . 
     The measuring device  126  may be a profile sensor which creates a point cloud measurement dataset, which is reconstructed into a 3D model of the ice blade  10  by the processor  56 . The measuring device  126  makes more than one scan of the ice contacting surface  16  of the ice blade  10  to create multiple point cloud sets which in turn are aligned in a common reference system by the processor  56  to generate the measured dataset. As shown in  FIG. 10 , the measuring device  126  is housed in a transparent protective housing  130 . The measuring device  126  will scan multiple times to create a number of datasets of the same ice blade  10  which datasets can then be merged for greater accuracy. Such a measuring device  126  will be able to measure off center issues like bent blades, damage in the form of nicks and the like, and excessive wear. The present invention comprehends measuring the ice contacting surface  16  of the ice blade  10  to measure the 3D shape of the ice contacting surface  16  of the ice blade  10  held in the holder  60 . 
     In the embodiment shown in  FIGS. 9 and 10 , the measuring device  62  is positioned adjacent to the grinding device  64  and shares a common carriage assembly  132 , which may be controlled by the processor  56 , to move the measuring device  62  and the grinding device  64  in at least two dimensions relative to the ice blade  10  held in the skate holder  60 . One of the two dimensions may be defined by a first axis  134  generally parallel to a longitudinal axis of the ice blade  10 , and the other dimension may be defined by a second axis  136  generally perpendicular to the first axis  134  and oriented in a plane parallel to the side surface  50  of the ice blade  10 . 
     The grinding device  64  is adapted to move in three dimensions, such that the third dimension is along third axis  138 , which is perpendicular to both of the above mentioned first axis  134  and second axis  136 . Accordingly, the grinding device  64  may comprise a grinding head  140  attached to a carriage assembly  132  that is configured to move the grinding head  140  along at least two dimensions relative to the ice blade  10  held in the skate holder  60 , and, in some embodiments, along all three dimensions. By way of example, the carriage assembly  132  may comprise linear controlled slide mechanisms, or rails  142 ,  144 ,  146  oriented to permit the grinding head  140  to move along each of the three dimensions. Suitable results have been obtained with ball rail tables available from Bosch-Rexroth Corporation (Charlotte, N.C., U.S.A.). The carriage assembly  132  may move the measuring device  62  and the grinding device  64  in a computer numerical controlled manner along three axes  134 ,  136 ,  138  relative to the ice blade, to an accuracy of at least 1/16-inch, and in an embodiment, to an accuracy between 10 and 20 microns. The carriage assembly  132  will be understood by persons skilled in the art and so its details will not be described further herein. 
     While providing the measuring device  62  and the grinding device  64  on a common carriage assembly  132  is convenient, and efficient and cost effective, it will be appreciated by persons skilled in the art that the measuring and grinding devices  62 ,  64  may be provided on separate carriage assemblies such that they can be moved independently relative to the ice blade  10  held in the skate holder  60 . Additionally, although the measuring and grinding devices  62 ,  64  are moved by the carriage assembly  132  relative to the ice blade  10  held in a fixed grinding position in the skate holder  60 , it will be appreciated by persons skilled in the art that the opposite arrangement may be used, according to other embodiments of the present invention. For example, the skate holder  60  may be configured to be moved by a carriage assembly in at least one, and in some embodiments three dimensions, relative to measuring and grinding devices  62 ,  64  which may be fixed in position in the housing  54 . Furthermore, it will be appreciated by persons skilled in the art that the measuring and grinding devices  62 ,  64  and the skate holder  60  may each be movable relative to one another, by separate carriage assemblies under independent control of the processor  56 , to accomplish their respective measuring, scanning and grinding functions. 
     The grinding head  140  includes one or more rotary grinding tools driven by an electric motor  148 . By way of example, the grinding tool may be a grinding wheel, grinding stone, abrasive point, cutting bit, router bit, milling bit, sanding band, or the like. Thus the grinding tool may be adapted to grind, cut, drill, or mill the material of the ice blade  10 . However, the term grinding comprehends any means for removing material from the ice blade  10  to shape the ice blade  10 , including grinding, cutting, drilling, milling, laser ablation, water ablation, and the like. In the embodiment shown in  FIGS. 9 and 10 , the grinding tool comprises three grinding wheels  74  attached to the same shaft  152  and driven by the same motor  148 . Each of the grinding wheels  74  has a different grinding characteristic. Examples of different grinding characteristics may include one or both of a difference in coarseness and a difference in the shape of the grinding surface  154  of the grinding wheel  74 . The shape of the grinding surface  154  may be selected from a flat shape, a ⅜ inch radius convex shape, a ½ inch radius convex shape, a 9/16 inch radius convex shape, a ⅝ inch radius convex shape, a ¾ inch radius convex shape, a 1 inch radius convex shape, a V-shape, a square shape, as well as any other shape that may be deemed suitable by the person skilled in the art. The ⅜ inch radius convex shape, ½ inch radius convex shape, 9/16 inch radius convex shape, ⅝ inch radius convex shape, ¾ inch radius shape, and 1 inch radius convex shape grinding surface shapes are suitable for applying ⅜ inch, ½ inch, 9/16 inch, ⅝ inch, ¾ inch, and 1 inch concave hollows  14 , which are commonly applied to ice blades. However, as will be appreciated by persons skilled in the art, the shape of the grinding surface  154  may be any shape and size required to shape the ice contacting surface  16  to the desired shape. Accordingly, the present invention comprehends all such shapes of grinding surfaces  154 , including convex, concave, and other custom shapes. The grinding head  140  further includes a deburring tool attached to the shaft  152 . For example, a deburring wheel in substitution with one of the three grinding wheels  74 , or in addition to the three grinding wheels  74  in the above example. 
     The grinding device  64  is configured to move relative to the ice blade  10  held in the holder  60  to bring the rotary grinding tool into contact with the ice contacting surface  16  of the ice blade  10  along the length of the ice blade  10  and perform a grinding action on the ice blade  10  based on the ice blade grinding option selected by the user, to change the shape of the ice blade  10  to a desired shape  68 . In other embodiments, the holder  60  may also be movable relative to a stationary, or independently movable grinding device, to bring the rotary grinding tool into contact with the ice contacting surface  16  of the ice blade  10  along the length of the ice blade and perform a grinding action on the ice blade  10 . The grinding action may remove material from the ice blade  10  to change the shape of the ice contacting surface  16  in cross-section. The change to the ice contacting surface  16  in cross-section may include forming a hollow  14  in the ice contacting surface  16 , changing the shape of an existing hollow  14  in the ice contacting surface  16 , removing an existing hollow  14  from the ice contacting surface  16 , smoothening an existing hollow  14  in the ice contacting surface  16 , or combinations thereof. As mentioned above, the hollow  14  may be a concave-shaped hollow  14 ,  40 ,  42 , a V-shaped hollow  44 , a square-shaped hollow  46 , or other-shaped hollow, including a convex-shaped hollow. By way of example, an ice blade  10  with no hollow is shown in  FIG. 2 b    at  48 . Furthermore, the change to the shape of the ice contacting surface  16  may vary along the length of the ice blade  10 . 
     The grinding action removes material from the ice blade  10  to change the side shape of the ice contacting surface  16  (i.e. the shape of the ice contacting surface as viewed from the left or right side  50  of the ice blade  10 ). The change to the side shape of the ice blade  10  may include a change at a toe section  28  of the ice blade  10 , a heel section  30  of the ice blade  10 , a working section  32  of the ice blade  10 , or combinations thereof. As yet another example, the grinding action may remove material from the ice blade  10  to raise either the left blade edge  24  relative to the right blade edge  26 , or vice versa. Similarly, the grinding action may remove material from the ice blade  10  to make the left and right blade edges  24 ,  26  the same height. Furthermore, the grinding action may simply sharpen the ice blade  10 . 
     After the grinding device  64  performs the grinding action on the ice blade  10 , the processor may be configured to cause the measuring device  62  to re-measure the shape of the ice blade  10 . Then the processor  56  may calculate a difference between the re-measured shape and the desired shape  68 , and if the difference is greater than a predetermined acceptable value, the automated apparatus  52  may alert the user, and or repeat the grinding action. 
     The processor  56  determines if the ice blade  10  is unsuitable for the selected ice blade grinding option prior to the grinding device performing the grinding action. If the processor  56  determines that the ice blade  10  is unsuitable for the selected ice blade grinding option, the apparatus  52  may provide an alert to the user, for example with an indication on the user interface  66 . Furthermore, the processor  56  may be configured to render ice blade grinding options unavailable for selection by a user if the ice blade  10  is unsuitable. Alternately, the processor  56  may be configured to simply not act on a selected ice blade grinding option if the ice blade  10  is unsuitable. By way of example, the ice blade  10  may be unsuitable for the selected ice blade grinding option if the ice blade  10  is too warped, too worn, lacks sufficient material for the grinding action to change the shape of the ice blade  10  to the desired shape  68 , or the grinding action would result in the ice blade  10  being out of manufacturer defined tolerance limits. 
     As can be expected, the grinding action performed on an ice blade  10  by the grinding device  64  will remove material from the ice blade  10  creating dust and debris. To assist with containing the dust and debris, the automated apparatus  52  may be provided with a vacuum device  156 , as shown by way of example in  FIG. 11 , configured to capture and contain the dust and debris. The vacuum device  156  may also be in communication with, and controlled by the processor  56 . Alternately, the vacuum device  156  may be set to turn on at a predetermined time, such as when the grinding device  64  is active, and turn off at a predetermined time, for example, when the grinding device  64  is not activated. By way of example, the vacuum device  156  has a vacuum head  153  positioned relative to the grinding device  64  to suck up the dust and debris as it is formed by the grinding action. The vacuum head  153  may be operatively connected to a suction device (not shown) contained in housing  54  via a hose  157 . 
     The automated apparatus  52  further has a dressing tool  150 , shown in  FIG. 12 , dressing or shaping the grinding surface  154  of the rotary grinding tool (i.e. grinding wheel  74 ). According to one embodiment of the present invention, the grinding wheel  74  is constantly dressed with a diamond cutter in the grinding head  140  of the grinding device  64 , which constantly adjusts the grinding surface  154  to ensure that when performing a grinding action, the hollow radius will be the correct dimension. Additionally, the grinding wheels  74  may be provided in the grinding device  64  with the grinding surface  154  already dressed to the desired shape. However, since the grinding head  140  of the present invention is movable within the housing  54  along at least two dimensions, it is contemplated that the dressing tool  150  may include a diamond cutter, or other any other known dressing tool  150  positioned within the housing  54  at a position where the grinding head  140  can move to and engage the dressing tool  150  and cause the grinding surface to be dressed. As shown in  FIG. 12 , the dressing tool  150  may be a single point diamond dressing pen positioned within the housing  54 , and the processor  56  is configured to move the grinding head  140  to engage the dressing pen and draw the grinding surface  154  across the dressing pen in a computer numerically controlled manner to dress the grinding surface  154  or even to change the shape of the grinding surface  154 . Accordingly, it will now be understood that the present invention comprehends an automated apparatus  52  in which the grinding device  64  can change the shape of the grinding surface  154  of one or more of the grinding wheels  74  in the grinding head  140 . For example, a grinding wheel  74  that initially has a grinding surface  154  adapted to perform a grinding action on an ice blade  10  to grind a ⅜ inch radius concave hollow into the ice contacting surface  16 , may be changed so that it will instead grind a 1 inch radius concave hollow, a V-shaped hollow, a square-shaped hollow, or other-shaped hollow, including a convex-shaped hollow, and other custom or proprietary hollow shapes. 
     The automated apparatus  52 , as shown in  FIG. 4 , includes a printer  158  in communication with the processor  56  and configured to print a report  160 . As will be appreciated, the report  160  may include a summary of the user&#39;s session with the automated apparatus  52 , a receipt for payment, an analysis of the ice blade  10  before and after performing the grinding action, including problems detected, tracking information (i.e. number of times the blade was sharpened on the automated apparatus  52  or other automated apparatuses in a network), estimated life remaining (i.e. estimated number of sharpenings and/or shapings that can still be performed on the ice blade  10  before the ice blade  10  will be out of tolerance), etc. As can be appreciated, the printer  158  may be configured to print a report including any information stored in the memory  102 , the cloud  96 , or cloud accessible servers  98 , as well as secondary information derived from the stored information, for example results of analysis by the processor  56 , and recommendations to the user based on such analysis, etc. The report may also be sent to the user via electronic message or medium such as e-mail or posted to the user&#39;s account. 
     The automated apparatus  52 , as shown in  FIG. 4 , includes a payment device  162  in communication with the processor  56  and configured to receive user account identification information, or payment, from the user. The processor  56  may correlate the user account identification information to a user account maintained locally, for example in memory  102 , or remotely in the cloud  96 , or in a cloud accessible server  102 . The processor  56  may then credit the user account, or require a payment from the user before proceeding with a particular user selected option. By way of example, the payment device  162  may be an optical card reader, a magnetic strip reader, a chip reader, a credit card reader, a near field communication (NFC) reader, or a currency validator and collector device. Thus, the payment device  162  may be of the type that receives and collects physical currency, as is known in the art. The payment device  162  may also be of the type that reads bank issued cards or other devices to process debit or credit card payment transactions, as is known in the art. The payment device  162  may also read and process pre-paid cards, account cards, discount cards, tokens, coupons, or the like, which may be issued by the operator of the automated apparatus  52 , and which may or may not be linked to a user account  100 . The payment device  162  may also be configured with a communication link  90  to the user&#39;s mobile device  92  permitting data to be sent by the payment device  162  and received by the mobile device  92 , and vice versa, to enable the user to transmit account information, or make a payment to the payment device  162 . Furthermore, the communication link  90  between the payment device  162  and the mobile device  92  may be indirect and involve servers in the cloud  96 , or accessible through the cloud  98 , as will be appreciated by persons skilled in the art. As mentioned above, the user accounts  100  may be contained in the cloud  96 , in a cloud accessible server  102 , and/or in the main server  108 . In other embodiments, the automated apparatus  52  may include more than one payment device  162  to enable the automated apparatus  52  to provide a wide variety of payment options to the user. 
     The automated apparatus  52  includes an ice blade marking system  164 , shown in  FIG. 14 , adapted to mark the ice blade  10  when the ice skate  12  is held in the skate holder  60 . The ice blade marking system  164  is attached to the carriage assembly  132  adjacent to the grinding device  64 . The marking system  164  is in communication with, and controlled by, the processor  56 . The marking system  164  may be configured to print a mark  166  on, adhere the mark on, or etch the mark into, the ice blade  10 . For example, the marking system  164  may comprise an inkjet printer, or CO2 laser configured to print or etch, respectively, the surface of the side  50  of the ice blade  10  held in the holder  60 . Accordingly, the mark  166  may be one or more of a symbol, a UPC code, a QR code, an alpha-numeric code, a bar code, an RFID tag, and the like. Furthermore, the marking system  164  may be further adapted to read the marks  166  on the ice blade  10 . In this way, the marking system  164  may collect information on the particular ice blade  10  held in the skate holder  60 , and the processor  56  may be configured to use the information to recommend an ice blade grinding option to the user. Furthermore, the processor  56  may associate the information collected by the ice blade marking system with a user account  100 , and use the information to update historical data in a user profile  106 . 
     The automated apparatus  52  includes a coating system  168 , shown in  FIG. 14 , in communication with the processor  56  adapted to apply a coating to the ice blade  10  held in the skate holder  60 . The coating system  168  is attached to the carriage assembly  132  adjacent to the grinding device  64 . Examples of coatings that may be applied to the ice blade  10  by the coating system  168  include a plastic coating, a wax coating, a ceramic coating, and a thin layer material coating. The coating system  168  may comprise a liquid reservoir and an applicator configured to apply the liquid from the reservoir to coat the surface of the side  50  of the ice blade  10  held in the holder  60 . As another example, the coating system  168  may comprise a coating wheel (not shown) on the grinding head  140  in place of one of the grinding wheels  74 , which is configured to hold a coating material, and release the coating material onto the ice blade  10  as when the grinding head  140  is moved by the carriage assembly  132  relative to the ice blade  10 . 
     The function of the automated apparatus  52  will now be described in greater detail with reference to  FIG. 13 . 
     The user begins at  200  by bringing an ice skate  12  to the automated apparatus  52 . Next at  202 , the user may place the ice skate  12  into the skate holder  60  and secure it by moving handle  124  to hold the skate  12  in the skate holder  60  in a fixed grinding position. Next at  204 , the automated apparatus  52  may scan and measure the shape of the ice contacting surface  16  of the ice blade  10  on the ice skate  12 . When the automated apparatus  52  finishes the scanning and measuring step  204 , it may provide a current condition report on the display  84  and/or printer  158  at  206 , and the automated apparatus  52  may proceed to make a determination at  208  on whether the ice blade  10  is in good condition, and suitable for performing a grinding action thereon. 
     If the determination is that the ice blade  10  is not suitable, the automated apparatus  52  may provide a suggestion on the display  84  that the user replace the ice blade  10 , or repair the ice blade at  210 . Otherwise, at  212 , the automated apparatus  52  may allow the user to select an ice blade grinding option and/or download user preferences from a user profile  106 . Next at  214 , the automated apparatus  52  may dress the grinding wheel  74  of the grinding device  64 , or load a rotary grinding tool into the grinding device  64 . Next at  216  the grinding device  64  may perform a grinding action on the ice blade  10  based on the selected ice blade grinding option, to change the shape of the ice blade  10  to a desired shape  68 . In this step, the measured shape  70  of the ice blade  10  may be compared to a desired shape  68  for the ice blade  10  to identify differences between the measured shape  70  and the desired shape  68 . The ice blade  10  may then be sharpened to remove from the measured shape  70  the differences with the desired shape  68 . Optionally, the grinding action step may involve determining which one of a plurality of grinding wheels  74  co-axially mounted in a grinding device  64  is suitable for performing the grinding action on the ice blade  10  to remove the difference. Performing the grinding action involves moving the grinding device  64  to contact the ice blade  10  with the determined grinding wheel  74  and performing the grinding action to remove the difference from the ice blade  10 . 
     Next at  218 , the automated apparatus  52  may scan and measure the shape of the ice blade  10  once more after the grinding action being performed by the grinding device  64 . Then at  220  the automated apparatus  52  may proceed to make a determination of whether the shape of the ice blade  10  after the grinding operation matches the desired shape  68 , or whether the difference is not greater than a predetermined acceptable value, meaning that the grinding action was successful. It the determination is that the grinding action was not successful, then at  222 , the automated apparatus  52  may repeat steps  204  to  220 . Otherwise, at  224 , the automated apparatus may provide a final report on the display  84  and/or printer  158  and store data in the user profile  106 . Operation of the automated apparatus  52  then ends at  226 . 
     Although the measuring device  126  is described as a part of the automated apparatus  52 , it will be understood that the measuring device  126  may be used independently of the automated apparatus  52 , for example as a part of an independent ice blade measuring system. For example, the ice blade  10  may be measured on a dedicated ice blade measuring system, and a dataset which corresponds to the 3D shape of the ice blade  10  may be created, without the ice blade  10  being shaped or sharpened. Then, at a later time, the ice blade  10  may be shaped or sharpened on a separate ice blade grinding system, based on the measured dataset constructed by the aforesaid measuring system. However, the measuring system also be incorporated into automated ice blade grinding systems. All such embodiments of the measuring device  126  are comprehended by the present invention. By way of example only, an ice blade measuring system is described in more detail below. 
     Accordingly, the present invention may also provide a means for making a precise measurement of the physical dimensions of the bottom surface and side surfaces of the ice contacting surface  16  of the ice blade  10 , which is recorded into a measured dataset. The measured dataset may be stored in a data storage means connected to the measurement means, such as for example memory  102 . The measurements may be sufficiently accurate and sufficiently detailed to create an accurate 3D numerical representation of the ice contacting surface  16  of the ice blade  10 . In one embodiment, the invention may include a laser measurement device, as shown in  FIG. 8  as  126  with a scanner beam  128 , which is able to read the ice contacting surface  16  of the ice blade  10  to within about 20 microns accuracy and, in some embodiments, to within about 1 to 10 microns accuracy. Such a measuring device  126  or 3D scanner can take measurements across the hollow  14  and all along the length of the ice contacting surface  16  of the ice blade  10 . As will be understood, the accuracy of the measurement for the dataset is greater than, or equal to, the dimensional changes to the shape of the ice contacting surface  16  that are possible by the grinding action performed by the grinding device  64 , for the present invention to provide adequate results. 
     Although the measuring device  126  is described as a part of the automated apparatus  52 , it will be understood that the measuring device  126  may be used independently of the automated apparatus  52 , for example as a part of an independent ice blade measuring system. For example, the ice blade  10  may be measured on a dedicated ice blade measuring system (i.e. having no means for shaping or sharpening the ice blade  10 ), and a dataset which corresponds to the 3D shape of the ice blade  10  may be created, without the ice blade  10  being shaped or sharpened. Then, at a later time, the ice blade  10  may be shaped or sharpened on a separate ice blade grinding system (i.e. having no means for measuring a 3D shape of the ice blade  10 ), based on the dataset created by the aforesaid measuring system. All such embodiments of the measuring device  126  are comprehended by the present invention. 
     The present invention may be provided in a first configuration, designated as the “arena” model, which may be typically operated directly by the end user via a kiosk type interface shown in  FIG. 4 . The present invention may also be provided in a second configuration, which may be typically operated by a trained skate sharpening technician and will vary in the options available to the technician for shaping and sharpening ice skates. The second configuration may range from a “pro” model to be used in specialty skate shops to a “club” model which may include more diagnostics options and ability to track athletes&#39; biometrics associated to the ice skates to be used for high level applications such as professional and high performance hockey leagues. Other configurations of the invention incorporating the aforedescribed elements are also possible. 
     The table below summarizes the three most common, but non-limiting, embodiments of the invention: 
     
       
         
           
               
               
               
               
             
               
                   
               
               
                 Feature 
                 Arena 
                 Pro 
                 Club 
               
               
                   
               
             
            
               
                   
               
            
           
           
               
            
               
                 OPERATION 
               
            
           
           
               
               
               
               
            
               
                 Ice skate sharpening 
                 ✓ 
                 ✓ 
                 ✓ 
               
               
                 Ice blade inspection, measurement and analysis 
                 ✓ 
                 ✓ 
                 ✓ 
               
               
                 Ice blade condition report to user 
                 ✓ 
                 ✓ 
                 ✓ 
               
               
                 Monitor live of components if apparatus &amp; alert of 
                 ✓ 
                 ✓ 
                 ✓ 
               
               
                 need for maintenance 
               
               
                 Custom ice blade ID marking/engraving 
                 Opt. 
                 ✓ 
                 ✓ 
               
               
                 Custom ice blade shaping 
                   
                 ✓ 
                 ✓ 
               
               
                 Operated by 
                 User 
                 Tech 
                 Tech 
               
            
           
           
               
            
               
                 INTERFACE 
               
            
           
           
               
               
               
               
            
               
                 Touchscreen/mobile device software application 
                 ✓ 
                 ✓ 
                 ✓ 
               
               
                 User profile &amp; historical data 
                 App 
                 ✓ 
                 ✓ 
               
               
                   
                 only 
               
               
                 Changing ice blade shape to last user settings 
                 App 
                 ✓ 
                 ✓ 
               
               
                   
                 only 
               
               
                 Ability to customize hollow along length of ice blade 
                   
                 ✓ 
                 ✓ 
               
               
                 Change ice blade shape to suit user preferences 
                   
                 ✓ 
                 ✓ 
               
            
           
           
               
            
               
                 DATABASE 
               
            
           
           
               
               
               
               
            
               
                 Store user profile for record keeping 
                 Cloud 
                 Cloud 
                 Cloud 
               
               
                 User history and ice blade wear tracking 
                 ✓ 
                 ✓ 
                 ✓ 
               
               
                 Custom ice blade shaping based on wear history or 
                   
                 ✓ 
                 ✓ 
               
               
                 biometrics 
               
               
                 Custom ice blade shaping based on performance 
                   
                   
                 ✓ 
               
               
                 history or biometrics 
               
               
                 User ice blade settings and performance tracking 
                 App 
                 App 
                 ✓ 
               
               
                 functions 
                 only 
                 only 
               
               
                 Sharing/Downloading custom ice blade shapes and 
                 App 
                 App 
                 ✓ 
               
               
                 model ice blade datasets 
                 only 
                 only 
               
               
                 Team ice blade settings and performance tracking 
                   
                   
                 ✓ 
               
               
                 functions 
               
               
                   
               
            
           
         
       
     
     In other embodiments, the Arena model may have a machine add-on, such as a vending machine component that can dispense hockey tape, wax, laces, practice balls, pucks, tool kits (screws and screwdrivers for helmets, etc.) and other small items. Such a vending machine component may clip onto the side of the automated apparatus and be automatically integrated into the user account and payment systems. As would be understood by one with ordinary skill in the art, embodiments of the invention other than the three examples listed above are also possible and can include any combination of the elements described herein. 
     In the foregoing description, certain details are set forth in conjunction with the described embodiments of the present invention to provide a sufficient understanding of the invention. One skilled in the art will appreciate, however, that the invention may be practiced without these particular details. Furthermore, one skilled in the art will appreciate that the example embodiments described below do not limit the scope of the present invention, and will also understand that various modifications, equivalents, and combinations of the disclosed embodiments and components of such embodiments are within the scope of the present invention. Embodiments including fewer than all the components of any of the respective described embodiments may also be within the scope of the present invention although not expressly described in detail. Finally, the operation of well-known components and/or processes has not been shown or described in detail below to avoid unnecessarily obscuring the present invention. Therefore, the present invention is to be limited only by the appended claims.