Motorized Walking Shoes

Abstract

The present invention aims to provide incremental automotive transportation to a person wearing a pair of identical motorized shoes. Each shoe houses in its sole an assembly of electrically powered set of wheels clasped over longitudinally by a conveyor from heel to toe. The assembly, skewed at an adjustable angle from the longitude towards the instep, is initially in an elevated no-contact position with an underlying surface. When lowered and switched on, the assembly operates and transports the shoe forward, which is in contact with the surface through it only. The assembly is designed to neutralize forces acting to disrupt its operation during walking while the sole is equipped to provide stability by absorbing impacts. Further, multiple assemblies can be housed in one sole wherein some of them can be tilted, twisted, reflexively twisted, recessed and all have electronic sensors. Additionally, all electro-mechanical operations can be remote and computer controlled.

What is claimed is: 
     
         1 . A powered motorized shoe to provide a supplementary increase in a user's speed of movement for a time interval when a sole of the shoe is in contact with an underlying surface, wherein the shoe comprises:
 a mechanical assembly configured to move a point in contact with the underlying surface in a direction angled toward an instep relative to a substantially straight line from an apex of a heel section of the shoe to an apex of a toe section;   a motor coupled to the mechanical assembly to apply a locomotive force to the underlying surface.   
     
     
         2 . A powered motorized shoe as in  claim 1 , wherein the mechanical assembly provides the locomotive force in a plane substantially parallel to the plane of the sole when the assembly is in contact with the underlying surface. 
     
     
         3 . A powered motorized shoe as in  claim 1 , wherein the skew angle towards the instep is adjustable. 
     
     
         4 . A powered motorized shoe as in  claim 1  wherein the motor is electric and the powered motorized shoe further comprise a battery coupled to the electric motor. 
     
     
         5 . A powered motorized shoe as in  claim 1 , wherein the mechanical assembly is housed in a sole of the shoe, the sole including a wall surrounding the mechanical assembly. 
     
     
         6 . A powered motorized shoe as in  claim 1 , wherein the mechanical assembly can be elevated so that only the sole of the shoe makes contact with the underlying surface to discontinue the supplementary increase in a user's speed of movement. 
     
     
         7 . A powered motorized shoe as in  claim 1 , wherein the mechanical assembly is coupled to the shoe with one or more shock absorbing mechanisms. 
     
     
         8 . A powered motorized shoe as in  claim 1 , wherein the mechanical assembly is configured to oppose a backlash to the locomotive movement of the mechanical assembly when the mechanical assembly initially contacts the underlying surface. 
     
     
         9 . A powered motorized shoe as in  claim 1 , wherein the user, when wearing the shoe walks with normal walking action. 
     
     
         10 . A powered motorized shoe as in  claim 1 , wherein the shoe adds velocity to an existing movement force provided by the user. 
     
     
         11 . A powered motorized shoe as in  claim 1 , wherein the motor can be switched on and off via remote switch. 
     
     
         12 . A powered motorized shoe as in  claim 1 , wherein the mechanical assembly is configured to oppose a backlash to the locomotive movement of the mechanical assembly when the assembly initially contacts the underlying surface. 
     
     
         13 . A powered motorized shoe to provide a supplementary increase in a user's speed of movement for a time interval when a sole of the shoe is in contact with an underlying surface, wherein the shoe comprises:
 a mechanical assembly configured to bend along a length between a heel section and a toe section of the shoe to apply a locomotive force to the underlying surface; and   a motor coupled to the bendable mechanical assembly to supply the locomotive force.   
     
     
         14 . A powered motorized shoe as in  claim 13 , wherein the bendable mechanical assembly includes at least one conveyor. 
     
     
         15 . A powered motorized shoe as in  claim 13 , wherein the bendable mechanical assembly includes at least one of a roller or a wheel. 
     
     
         16 . A powered motorized shoe as in  claim 13 , wherein the bendable mechanical assembly is configured to bend about an axis non-parallel to the length of the assembly between the heel section and toe section. 
     
     
         17 . A powered motorized shoe as in  claim 13 , wherein the bendable mechanical assembly is configured to twist reflexively along an axis running the length of the assembly between the heel section and toe section. 
     
     
         18 . A powered motorized shoe as in  claim 13 , wherein the bendable mechanical assembly is configured to tilt away from the instep relative to the plane of the sole. 
     
     
         19 . A powered motorized shoe as in  claim 13 , wherein the mechanical assembly is configured to oppose a backlash to the locomotive force when the assembly initially contacts the underlying surface. 
     
     
         20 . A powered motorized shoe as in  claim 13 , wherein the user, when wearing the shoe walks with normal walking action. 
     
     
         21 . A powered motorized shoe as in  claim 13 , wherein the shoe adds velocity to an existing movement force provided by the user. 
     
     
         22 . A powered motorized shoe to provide a supplementary increase in a user's speed of movement for an interval of time when a sole of the shoe is in contact with an underlying surface, wherein the shoe comprises:
 a first mechanical assembly in a toe section of the shoe;   a second mechanical assembly in a heel section of the shoe, at least one of the first mechanical assembly and the second mechanical assembly being configured to apply a locomotive force to the underlying surface;   a motor coupled to the at least one of the first mechanical assembly and the second mechanical assembly to supply the locomotive force.   
     
     
         23 . A powered motorized shoe as in  claim 22 , wherein the motor is coupled to both of the first mechanical assembly and the second mechanical assembly and wherein a speed of the motor is the same when the first mechanical assembly and the second mechanical assembly apply the locomotive force to the underlying surface. 
     
     
         24 . A powered motorized shoe as in  claim 22 , wherein both the first and second mechanical assemblies include at least one conveyor. 
     
     
         25 . A powered motorized shoe as in  claim 22 , wherein the at least one conveyor in the first mechanical assembly is substantially parallel to the at least one conveyor in the second mechanical assembly. 
     
     
         26 . A powered motorized shoe as in  claim 22 , wherein at least one conveyor in the second mechanical assembly includes a mechanism to allow the conveyor to continue moving at a constant speed despite an intermittent opposing force or an intermittent supplementing force. 
     
     
         27 . A powered motorized shoe as in  claim 22 , wherein a length of the first mechanical assembly is unequal to the length of the second mechanical assembly. 
     
     
         28 . A powered motorized shoe as in  claim 22 , wherein a least the second mechanical assembly is configured to oppose a backlash to the locomotive movement of the mechanical assembly when the assembly initially contacts the underlying surface. 
     
     
         29 . A powered motorized shoe as in  claim 22 , wherein the user, when wearing the shoe walks with normal walking action. 
     
     
         30 . A powered motorized shoe as in  claim 22 , wherein the shoe adds velocity to an existing movement force provided by the user. 
     
     
         31 . A pair of electrically powered motorized shoes to provide a supplementary increase in a user's speed of movement for a time interval when a sole of each shoe is in contact with an underlying surface, wherein each shoe comprises:
 a mechanical assembly configured to contact the underlying surface;   a motor coupled to the mechanical assembly to apply a locomotive force to the underlying surface; and   a computer coupled to the motor and in communication with another shoe of the pair to synchronize the locomotive force between the pair of shoes.   
     
     
         32 . A pair of electrically powered motorized shoes as in  claim 31 , wherein the communication between the pair of shoes is wireless. 
     
     
         33 . A pair of electrically powered motorized shoes as in  claim 31 , wherein the computer controls the speed of the mechanical assembly in each shoe to be synchronous. 
     
     
         34 . A pair of electrically powered motorized shoes as in  claim 31 , further comprising at least one sensor in a first shoe of the pair to determine the speed of the user or a pressure pattern of the user's foot, wherein the computer controls the speed of a first mechanical assembly in the first shoe in response to a determined speed or pressure pattern and communicates the controlled speed to a second shoe of the pair to synchronize the speed of a second mechanical assembly in the second shoe with the speed of the first mechanical assembly. 
     
     
         35 . A pair of electrically powered motorized shoes as in  claim 31 , wherein the mechanical assembly is configured to oppose a backlash to the locomotive movement of the mechanical assembly when the assembly initially contacts the underlying surface. 
     
     
         36 . A pair of electrically powered motorized shoes as in  claim 31 , wherein the user, when wearing the shoe walks with normal walking action. 
     
     
         37 . A pair of electrically powered motorized shoes as in  claim 31 , wherein the shoe adds velocity to an existing movement force provided by the user. 
     
     
         38 . A powered motorized shoe to provide a supplementary increase in a user's speed of movement for a time interval when a sole of the shoe is in contact with an underlying surface, wherein the shoe comprises:
 a mechanical assembly configured to contact the underlying surface;   a motor coupled to the mechanical assembly to supply a locomotive force to the underlying surface through the mechanical assembly;   one or more sensors housed in the shoe to determine an intended speed of the user; and   a computer coupled to the one or more sensors and coupled the motor to control the supplementary increase in the user's speed of movement in response to the determined intended speed of the user.   
     
     
         39 . A powered motorized shoe as in  claim 38 , wherein the one or more sensors include a sensor to determine a pressure pattern of the user's foot. 
     
     
         40 . A powered motorized shoe as in  claim 38 , wherein the one or more sensors include a sensor to determine a speed. 
     
     
         41 . A powered motorized shoe as in  claim 38 , wherein the computer controls the supplementary increase in the user's speed of locomotion in response to the determined pressure pattern of the user's foot to deduce the user's intention. 
     
     
         42 . A powered motorized shoe as in  claim 38 , wherein the mechanical assembly includes a plurality of conveyors and the computer controls the speed of each of the plurality of conveyors synchronously. 
     
     
         43 . A powered motorized shoe as in  claim 38 , wherein the user, when wearing the shoe walks with normal walking action. 
     
     
         44 . A powered motorized shoe as in  claim 38 , wherein the shoe adds velocity to an existing movement force provided by the user.