Apple Patents: Apple Jumping into the Shoe Industry?

Apple Patents: Do you ever wonder when it may be time to replace your shoes? If so, you may be able to avoid all the confusion in the future thanks to Apple Inc. (NASDAQ:AAPL).

Dug up by AppleInsider, a patent application, first filed in July 2012, describes an alarm system built into footwear that can help the user decide when to replace worn-out soles.

Here is a brief excerpt from AppleInsider explaining the patent in greater detail:

“Apple’s application for a “Shoe wear-out sensor, body-bar sensing system, unitless activity assessment and associated methods” looks to make “smart shoes” that can alert owners when they need replacing.”

This may not have anything to do with the iPhone, iPad, or other similar devices, but when it comes to technology you can be rest assured that Apple Inc. (NASDAQ:AAPL) is on top of things.

There are three main components of the device, as explained in the same article:

“A detector for sensing when the shoe wears out; a processor to measure the detector’s data; and an alarm for alerting the user when a shoe is no longer stable.”

“There comes a point when a “critical wear level” is reached where a shoe may not provide enough support and can in some cases actually cause foot damage. Because this level of wear may not be apparent to the user, a sensor and alarm system could be a solution to preventing injury.”

If Apple Inc. (NASDAQ:AAPL) ever decides to move forward on this project in the future, they expect the system to be powered by a “built-in battery or a mechanical electric generation device.”

For more information from the US Patent and Trademark Office, visit this link.

Here is the official abstract explaining the device in specific detail:

“A body bar sensing system for sensing movement of a body bar may be provided. The body bar sensing system may include a housing having a coupling mechanism operative to couple to the body bar, a detector disposed within the housing and operative to sense movement of the body bar when the housing is coupled to the body bar, and a processor operative to determine a number of repetitions of the movement based on the sensed movement. The body bar sensing system may also include a display operative to display the determined number of repetitions of the movement to a user.”

As interesting as this sounds, it is hard to imagine Apple Inc. (NASDAQ:AAPL) would tie up resources in this type of project. Of course, the company has fooled us in the past.

What do you think about the “smart shoe” technology that Apple has patented? Share your thoughts in the comment section below.

Check back here for more updates on Apple Patents.

DISCLOSURE: I have no positions in any stock mentioned.

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