Abstract:
Apparel is disclosed that can be worn to assist an interactive game in tracking the movement of the wearer. More particularly, the apparel may include one or more tracking marks formed of designs, patterns, or reflective materials that can be easily tracked by an interactive game employing one or more cameras or other detectors for detecting a change in position of an object. The apparel may take the form of, for example, hats, shirts, jackets, pants, gloves, and shoes. By providing tracking marks on apparel, rather than using a special-purpose device that must be separately worn, a player may enjoy a more natural feel when playing the interactive game. Further, the player need not don any special equipment to play the game. Instead, a user can wear the apparel for everyday purposes, and then simply begin playing the game wearing the apparel without having to put on any additional equipment. The apparel may use reflective materials, and the interactive game can employ a camera and a light source configuration where the camera is located within the observation angle of a player employing retroreflective materials reflecting light from the light source.
Abstract:
A subtractive color change system for displaying a selected color to a viewer and a method of changing color. The system includes a layered assembly having transparent panels of primary and key colors, with a fixed-color background behind the layered assembly. The subtractive color change system may have a control unit to individually control the intensities and values of the primary color panels to render a color and to control the intensities and values of the panels in the layered assembly to reduce differences between the color rendered and the selected color and to display the selected color to a viewer.
Abstract:
The sole section of a shoe includes a midsole and an outsole which form a translucent sole section. The translucent midsole and translucent outsole are integrally molded with a translucent upper to create a fully translucent jelly footwear. An illumination system is located inside the translucent sole section, causing the jelly footwear to be internally illuminated when the illumination system is active. Due to the translucent nature of the midsole light from the illumination system reflects internally throughout the midsole, increasing illumination. The light will also illuminate the adjacent translucent outsole and translucent upper. Light from the illumination system can be blocked, such as by a colored mold injection, creating an illuminated design or logo. By blacking out or covering sections of the translucent outsole, shapes and letters of visible light can be created in the resulting negative space. This allows illuminated designs to easily be incorporated into footwear.
Abstract:
Articles of footwear and footwear systems include modules, e.g., for sensing physical and/or physiological characteristics associated with use of the footwear or for performing other functions. Such systems and methods may use physical or other interaction(s) between the module and the article of footwear for activating and/or deactivating the module and/or sensing devices included with the module, for confirming whether the module and footwear are authorized for use with one another, and/or for automatic data algorithm selection methods. Additionally, such systems and methods also may use the activation and/or authentication systems for the module for data input to the module. Some examples of such systems and methods may utilize magnets and magnetic sensing systems and/or light (or other radiation) sources and sensing systems for activation, authentication, data input, and/or algorithm selection.
Abstract:
An article of footwear may have an upper and a sole structure secured to the upper. The upper includes an illuminable panel and a plurality of strands positioned to extend adjacent and parallel to the illuminable panel. The illuminable panel has a surface with a covered area and an exposed area. The covered area includes a substantially opaque covering, and the exposed area is at least partially visible from the exterior of the footwear. The strands are located to correspond with the exposed area of the illuminable panel. Light from the exposed area of the illuminable panel may enhance, highlight, or otherwise increase the visibility of the strands or areas of the upper that include the strands.
Abstract:
The banding device for application to a segment of footwear, whether it be to the heel, sole, around the vamp portion of the shoe, in any combination thereof, which due to its elasticity allows for its stretching into position to be secured either as an endless or continuous loop, for application to these components of the shoe to vary the coloration, design, indicia, trademark, or other aesthetics for the footwear.
Abstract:
Provided herein are methods for the modulation of appearance or material properties within items of apparel or equipment. Also provided herein are design articles having alterable designs. Generally, such design articles comprise (1) a microfluidic circuit, and (2) an inlet and an outlet, the alterable design capable of being modulated through use of a docking system to deliver fluid to the microfluidic circuit.
Abstract:
The invention is directed to intelligent systems for articles of footwear that adjust automatically in response to a measured performance characteristic. The intelligent systems include one or more adjustable elements coupled to a mechanism that actuates the adjustable elements in response to a signal from a sensor to modify the performance characteristic of the article of footwear. The intelligent system adjusts the performance characteristics of the article of footwear without human intervention.
Abstract:
A shoe wear out sensor includes at least one detector for sensing a physical metric that changes as a sole of a shoe wears out, a processor configured to process the physical metric over time to determine if the shoe is worn out, and an alarm for informing a user of the shoe when the sole is worn out. A body bar sensing system includes a housing with at least one detector for sensing a physical metric that indicates a repetition movement of the housing when attached to the body bar, a processor for processing the physical metric over time to determine repetitions thereof, and a display for informing a user of the repetitions. A system assesses activity and displays a unitless activity value. A detector senses activity of a user. A processor reads sensed activity data from the detector. A display displays the unitless activity value. An enclosure houses the detector and the processor. The processor periodically reads the sensed activity data from the detector and processes the data to generate an activity number, the number being used to generate the unitless activity value based upon a maximum number and a display range.
Abstract:
The invention discloses a light-emitting decorative accessory which includes a shaft, a first shoulder, a second shoulder, and a light-emitting module. The first shoulder and the second shoulder connect two opposite ends of the shaft respectively. The shaft has hollow space therein, and the outer diameter of the shaft is shorter than each outer diameter of the first shoulder and the second shoulder. The second shoulder has an upper surface with an aperture forming through the second shoulder and protruding to the hollow space inside the shaft. The light-emitting module includes a light-emitting unit, a circuit board, and a vibration switch for triggering the light-emitting unit. The light-emitting unit is electrically connected to the circuit board disposed on the upper surface of the second shoulder. The vibration switch is contained inside the hollow space inside the shaft and electrically connected to the circuit board.