Hair care appliance

Abstract

The invention relates to a hair care appliance comprising an airflow generator for generating an airflow, a first sensor for detecting a first condition of use of the hair care appliance, and a second sensor for detecting a second condition of use of the hair care appliance. The hair care appliance also includes a control unit configured to determine whether the first usage condition satisfies a predetermined usage condition based on the output signal from the first sensor. Upon determining that the first usage condition satisfies the predetermined usage condition, the control unit is configured to control the airflow generator based on an output signal from the second sensor.

Description

Technical Field

[0001] The invention relates to a hair care appliance having a first sensor for detecting a first usage condition of the hair care appliance and a second sensor for detecting a second usage condition of the hair care appliance. Background Art

[0002] Blow drying hair has always been an important part of people's daily or weekly routine care. Hair care appliances (e.g., hair dryers) generally include a body that houses an air flow generator, which is configured to generate an air flow for drying and / or styling the user's hair. In most cases, the hair care appliance is manually controlled via one or more switches on the body of the hair care appliance. The one or more switches can be configured to enable the user to turn the air flow generator on or off, as well as control parameters such as the flow rate and temperature of the air flow. In this way, the hair care appliance can be used to provide a specific hair drying and / or styling effect.

[0003] When using such a manually controlled hair care appliance, the user may tend to leave the hair care appliance running for a period of time even when the airflow is not directed toward the hair (e.g., between blow-drying passes, when layering hair, or when applying product to the hair). This may result in energy waste, increased room temperature, increased ambient noise, and possible damage to previously styled portions of hair. Although the user may manually turn off the hair care appliance whenever the hair care appliance is away from the hair, this may be a nuisance to the user due to the frequent switching on and off.

[0004] Problems associated with manual operation of hair care appliances can be alleviated by automatically controlling the airflow generator, which may involve the use of sensors in the hair care appliance. For example, some hair care appliances automatically adjust the temperature of the airflow based on a proximity sensor that detects the proximity of the user's hair to the hair care appliance.

[0005] The present invention is designed based on the above considerations. Summary of the invention

[0006] In most general terms, the present invention provides a hair care appliance having an airflow generator, a first sensor and a second sensor. The first sensor is used to determine whether a predetermined use condition of the hair care appliance is met, and if the predetermined use condition is met, automatic control of the airflow generator is performed based on the second sensor. In this way, automatic control of the airflow generator is performed only under certain conditions, i.e., after it is determined that the predetermined use condition is met. For example, the airflow generator can be turned on or off, or the temperature and / or flow rate of the airflow can be controlled based on the output of the second sensor.

[0007] The inventors have found that in some cases, it may not be desirable to perform automatic control of the airflow generator, as this may result in unnecessary triggering or changes to the airflow. For example, when the hair care appliance is not in active use, it may not be desirable to use automatic control of the airflow generator, as this may result in unnecessary triggering of the airflow generator in some cases. Therefore, by first using the first sensor to check whether the predetermined use condition is met, it is possible to avoid automatically controlling the airflow generator in situations that may be inconvenient or unwanted, so as to improve the overall user experience of the hair care appliance. In other words, the present invention can achieve the convenience of automatic control of the airflow generator based on the sensor, while avoiding the adverse effects that may occur in situations where automatic control is not ideal.

[0008] According to a first aspect of the present invention, there is provided a hair care appliance, comprising: an airflow generator for generating an airflow; a first sensor for detecting a first use condition of the hair care appliance; a second sensor for detecting a second use condition of the hair care appliance; and a control unit configured to: determine whether the first use condition satisfies a predetermined use condition based on an output signal from the first sensor; and control the airflow generator based on the output signal from the second sensor after determining that the first use condition satisfies the predetermined use condition.

[0009] The hair care appliance may include any suitable type of hair care appliance, such as a hair dryer, a hairdryer, a curling iron or others.

[0010] The airflow generator may include a fan, a blower or any other device suitable for generating an airflow. The airflow generator may be located within a housing of the hair care appliance. The body may include an outlet for discharging the airflow from the airflow generator.

[0011] The control unit may include any suitable computing or processing device capable of performing the control steps described herein. For example, the control unit may be implemented using a microcontroller or the like. The control unit may have a processing element (e.g., a processor) and a memory coupled to the processing element, wherein the memory stores computer instructions that, when executed by the processor, cause the processor to perform the control steps described herein.

[0012] The first sensor may be communicatively coupled to the control unit (via a wired or wireless connection), i.e., such that the first sensor can transmit an output signal to the control unit. Likewise, the second sensor may be communicatively coupled to the control unit (via a wired or wireless connection), i.e., such that the second sensor can transmit an output signal to the control unit.

[0013] The first sensor is configured to detect a first use condition of the hair care appliance. The first use condition may include any suitable parameter or characteristic related to the current use or state of the hair care appliance. Various examples of the first use condition are described herein. For example, the first use condition may include one or more of: movement of the hair care appliance, orientation of the hair care appliance, and whether the hair care appliance is held by a user.

[0014] The first sensor may be a sensor type specifically adapted (configured) for detecting the first use condition in question. For example, when the first use condition comprises movement of the hair care appliance, the first sensor may comprise a motion sensor. When the first use condition is the orientation of the hair care appliance, the first sensor may comprise an orientation sensor. When the first use condition is whether the user is holding the hair care appliance, the first sensor may comprise a sensor for detecting the user's grip on the handle of the hair care appliance.

[0015] The second sensor is configured to detect a second use condition of the hair care appliance. The second use condition may be different from the first use condition. In other words, the second use condition may involve different parameters or characteristics related to the current use or state of the hair care appliance compared to the first use condition. Various examples of the second use condition are described herein. For example, the second use condition may include one or more of the following: distance to the user's hair, characteristics of the user's hair, characteristics of the hair care appliance surroundings, relative motion between the hair care appliance and the user's hair, and user commands.

[0016] The second sensor may be a sensor type specifically adapted (configured) for detecting the second use condition in question. For example, when the second use condition includes the distance to the user's hair, the second sensor may include a distance sensor. When the second use condition includes the characteristics of the user's hair, the second sensor may include an optical sensor for detecting the characteristics of the user's hair. More examples of second sensor types are given below.

[0017] The control unit is configured to receive the output signal from the first sensor and determine whether the first use condition satisfies the predetermined use condition. The output signal from the first sensor may indicate (e.g., represent) the first use condition. For example, the output signal from the first sensor may indicate a value (e.g., magnitude) of the first use condition. The control unit may be configured to determine whether the predetermined use condition is satisfied by comparing the first use condition (e.g., determined based on the output signal from the first sensor) with the predetermined use condition.

[0018] The predetermined use condition may be stored in a memory of the control unit. As an example, the predetermined use condition may correspond to a predetermined value or value range of the first use condition. If the first use condition determined by the output signal from the first sensor matches the predetermined value or value range, the control unit may determine that the first use condition satisfies the predetermined use condition.

[0019] Satisfying the predetermined usage condition may indicate that the user is using the hair care appliance. Conversely, not satisfying the predetermined usage condition may indicate that the hair care appliance is not currently being used by the user, for example, it may be placed on a surface. Thus, the predetermined usage selection may be set to a typical value corresponding to the usage condition detected by the first sensor when the user uses the hair care appliance.

[0020] After determining that the first use condition satisfies the predetermined use condition, the control unit further controls the airflow generator based on the output signal from the second sensor. In this way, it can be ensured that the airflow generator is automatically controlled using the second sensor when the predetermined use condition is met. In some cases, the airflow generator can be controlled based on the output signal from the second sensor only when the predetermined use condition is met.

[0021] The control unit may control the airflow generator based on the output signal from the second sensor by taking the output signal from the second sensor as an input, for example in an algorithm for controlling the airflow generator. The control of the airflow generator based on the output signal from the second sensor may be based on one or more predetermined rules, for example, which may be implemented in the control algorithm. The output signal from the second sensor may indicate (e.g., represent) the second use condition. For example, the output signal from the second sensor may indicate a value of the second use condition.

[0022] Controlling the airflow generator may include controlling the output of the airflow generator, i.e., controlling the airflow generated by the airflow generator. For example, controlling the airflow generator may include one or more of the following steps: starting the airflow generator (i.e., causing it to generate an airflow), deactivating the airflow generator (i.e., causing it to stop generating an airflow), controlling the flow rate of the airflow, and controlling the temperature of the airflow. Therefore, when the predetermined use condition is met, the output signal from the second sensor may be used as an input to automatically control the output of the airflow generator.

[0023] In some embodiments, there may be a plurality of (e.g., two or more) first sensors, each configured to detect a respective first use condition. Each first use condition may be associated with a corresponding predetermined use condition. The control unit may then be configured to control the airflow generator based on an output signal from the second sensor only when the corresponding predetermined use condition is met.

[0024] In some embodiments, there may be a plurality (eg, two or more) of second sensors, each second sensor being configured to detect a corresponding second usage condition. The control unit may then use an output signal from each second sensor when controlling the airflow generator.

[0025] The first sensor may include a motion sensor for detecting the movement of the hair care appliance, and the control unit may be configured to determine the movement of the hair care appliance based on an output signal from the motion sensor, and determine that the predetermined use condition is met if the movement of the hair care appliance exceeds a first motion threshold. In this way, when the movement of the hair care appliance exceeds the first motion threshold, automatic control of the airflow generator is performed based on the second sensor. This can be used to ensure that automatic control is performed when the user is using the hair care appliance, for example, because the user usually moves the hair care appliance during use. On the other hand, when the hair care appliance is not in use (for example, when it is placed on a surface), its movement may be below the first motion threshold, so that automatic control based on the second sensor cannot be performed. For example, this can avoid unnecessary triggering of the airflow generator when the hair care appliance is placed on a surface.

[0026] The first motion threshold may be set such that typical motion of the hair care appliance during use will exceed the first motion threshold.

[0027] The motion sensor may include any sensor capable of detecting the motion of the hair care appliance. For example, the motion sensor may include an accelerometer and / or a gyroscope. The output signal from the motion sensor may indicate the amount or magnitude of motion (e.g., acceleration, rotation) of the hair care appliance. The first motion threshold may then correspond to a predetermined amount of motion of the hair care appliance.

[0028] The control unit may be configured to determine that the predetermined use condition is not met if the movement of the hair care appliance exceeds a second movement threshold, the second movement threshold being greater than the first movement threshold. In this way, the airflow generator may be automatically controlled based on the second sensor only when the movement of the hair care appliance is between the first movement threshold and the second movement threshold. The second movement threshold may be used to deactivate the automatic control in case of rapid or irregular movement of the hair care appliance. The inventors have found that when the hair care appliance moves rapidly or irregularly, the reading of the second sensor may be inaccurate and / or the control unit may not be able to effectively control the airflow generator due to rapid changes in the reading of the second sensor. Therefore, the second movement threshold may be used to avoid inaccurate control of the airflow generator in case of excessively rapid or irregular movement of the hair care appliance.

[0029] The first sensor may include a detector for detecting when a user is holding the hair care appliance, and the control unit may be configured to determine that the predetermined use condition is met if the output signal from the first sensor indicates that the user is holding the hair care appliance. In this way, the airflow generator may be automatically controlled using the second sensor while the user is holding the hair care appliance. This may be used to ensure that the automatic control is performed when the hair care appliance is actually used.

[0030] The detector may include any detector suitable for detecting when a user is holding the hair care appliance. For example, the detector may include a touch sensor for detecting when the user touches the hair care appliance. Such a touch sensor may be an optical sensor that detects light reflected from the user's hand, a capacitive touch sensor, or a sensor that detects the impedance of the user's skin. As another example, the detector may include a grip detector for detecting when the user is holding the handle of the hair care appliance. For example, the grip detector may detect compression of the handle of the hair care appliance when the user holds the handle. For example, the grip detector may be implemented using a sensor such as a strain gauge or a piezoresistive element. As a further example, the detector may include a switch or button that is arranged to be pressed by the user when holding the hair care appliance so that the control unit can detect when the user is holding the hair care appliance.

[0031] The first sensor may include an orientation sensor for detecting the orientation of the hair care appliance, and the control unit may be configured to determine the orientation of the hair care appliance based on an output signal from the orientation sensor, and determine that the predetermined use condition is met if the hair care appliance is oriented in a predetermined direction. In this way, when the hair care appliance is oriented in the predetermined direction, automatic control of the airflow generator may be performed based on the second sensor. The predetermined direction may correspond to an orientation in which the hair care appliance is typically held when in use. For example, the predetermined direction may correspond to an upright orientation of the hair care appliance (e.g., as opposed to a sideways orientation when the hair care appliance is laid flat on a surface). The predetermined direction may cover a range of orientations of the hair care appliance around the upright direction to allow a range of movements around the upright direction.

[0032] The orientation sensor may include any sensor suitable for detecting the orientation of the hair care appliance. For example, the orientation sensor may include one or more of an accelerometer, a gyroscope, a magnetometer, and / or a tilt switch.

[0033] The second sensor may include a distance sensor for detecting the distance between the distance sensor and the user's hair, and the controller may be configured to control the airflow generator based on the output signal from the second sensor in the following manner: determining the distance to the user's hair based on the output signal from the second sensor; and activating the airflow generator when the distance to the user's hair is less than the threshold activation distance. In this way, the airflow generator may be automatically activated when the distance to the user's hair is less than the threshold activation distance. This may avoid the user having to manually turn on the airflow generator, thereby facilitating the use of the hair care appliance. In addition, since the airflow generator is automatically activated after determining that the predetermined use condition is met, it is possible to avoid triggering the airflow generator in an unexpected or unnecessary situation. For example, when the hair care appliance is put down so that the predetermined use condition is not met, the airflow generator will not be triggered even if the distance sensor detects an object within the threshold activation distance.

[0034] The distance sensor may include any suitable sensor for detecting the distance from the user's hair. For example, the distance sensor may include a time of flight (ToF) sensor, or any other type of proximity sensor capable of detecting the distance from the user's hair. The distance sensor is configured to provide an output signal to the control unit, which the control unit can use to determine the distance from the user's hair. The output signal may indicate the distance from the user's hair, so that the control unit can determine the distance from the received output signal. The threshold activation distance may be set according to user preferences so that the airflow generator is triggered at the distance from the hair that the user typically holds the hair care appliance.

[0035] The controller may also be configured to activate the airflow generator after determining that the distance to the user's hair is less than the threshold activation distance for a predetermined activation delay. This may be used to ensure that the user has enough time to properly position the hair care appliance before the airflow generator is activated. This may also avoid damaging a portion of the user's hair that has already been styled.

[0036] The controller may also be configured to deactivate the airflow generator when the airflow generator is activated and after determining that the distance to the user's hair continues to exceed the threshold activation distance for a predetermined deactivation delay. In this way, once the airflow generator is activated, the airflow generator is deactivated only when the distance to the user's hair continues to exceed the threshold activation distance for more than the deactivation delay time. This may enable the airflow generator to be rapidly cycled or continuously passed over the user's hair without deactivating the airflow generator between passes over the user's hair.

[0037] The second sensor may include a detector for detecting a characteristic of the user's hair. For example, the detector may detect a characteristic of the user's hair, such as temperature, moisture content, color, thickness or type, hair strand arrangement, and / or gloss / reflectivity of the user's hair. The control unit may then control the airflow generator based on the detected characteristic of the user's hair. For example, when the temperature of the user's hair exceeds a predetermined threshold, the temperature of the airflow may be reduced.

[0038] The second sensor may include an environmental sensor for detecting a characteristic of the environment surrounding the hair care appliance. For example, the environmental sensor may detect a characteristic of the environment, such as the temperature of the environment or the humidity of the environment. The control unit may then control the airflow generator based on the detected environmental characteristic. For example, when the ambient temperature exceeds a predetermined threshold, the temperature of the airflow may be reduced.

[0039] The second sensor may include a sensor for detecting relative movement between the hair care appliance and the user's hair. Any suitable type of sensor may be used to detect relative movement between the hair care appliance and the user's hair. For example, the sensor may include an optical flow sensor for detecting relative movement between the hair care appliance and the user's hair. As another example, the sensor may include a roller configured to rotate in response to friction caused by relative movement between the hair care appliance and the user's hair. The movement of the roller may be detected in a variety of different ways, such as using an optical encoder (e.g., attaching a reflective element or pinhole to the roller) or a Hall effect sensor (e.g., placing a magnet on the roller) to detect the movement of the roller.

[0040] Controlling the airflow generator based on the relative motion between the hair care appliance and the user's hair can include a variety of different control steps. For example, the temperature of the airflow can be controlled based on the relative motion, for example, to maintain a consistent hair temperature regardless of the speed of the relative motion. As another example, if no relative motion is detected, the temperature of the airflow can be reduced, for example, to prevent overheating of the user's hair.

[0041] The second sensor comprises a user command detector for detecting a command from a user. In this way, the airflow generator can be controlled based on commands received from the user. For example, the user command detector can include a microphone for detecting voice commands from the user. As another example, the user command detector can include a gesture detector for detecting user gestures. By controlling the airflow generator based on the user command detector only when a predetermined use condition is met, undesired triggering / control of the airflow generator in response to a detected user voice when the hair care appliance is not in use can be avoided.

[0042] The control unit may be configured to control the temperature and / or flow rate of the airflow generated by the airflow generator based on the output signal from the second sensor.

[0043] The hair care appliance may also include: a body, wherein the airflow generator is arranged in the body, the body having an attachment area adapted to connect an accessory; an accessory that can be detachably attached to the body at the attachment area, wherein when the accessory is attached to the body at the attachment area, the accessory is adapted to receive the airflow from the airflow generator and discharge the received airflow toward the hair of the user; and an accessory detector for detecting the accessory when the accessory is attached to the attachment area; wherein the control unit is further configured to: determine whether a predetermined accessory condition is met based on an output signal from the accessory detector; and control the airflow generator based on an output signal from a second sensor only when the predetermined accessory condition is met. In this way, automatic control of the airflow generator can be performed based on the second sensor only when the predetermined accessory condition is met. The inventors have found that some accessories may be more suitable for automatic control of the airflow generator than other accessories. Therefore, the control unit can be configured so that the predetermined accessory condition is met only when certain predetermined types of accessories are attached at the attachment area, for example, so that the airflow generator is manually controlled by other types of accessories.

[0044] For example, the inventors have found that when a hair care appliance is used with certain attachments (such as a tooth comb attachment), the user may typically pass or circulate the hair care appliance over their hair at a relatively high frequency. Therefore, if automatic control of the airflow generator is used with such an attachment, it may cause the airflow generator to turn on and off frequently, which may interfere with the use of the hair care appliance. Therefore, when such an attachment (e.g., a tooth comb attachment or the like) is attached to the attachment area, automatic control of the airflow generator based on the output signal from the second sensor may be disabled, and manual control may be used instead.

[0045] As yet another example, some accessories may not be designed (or suitable) for use with the second sensor. Thus, such accessories may cause the readings of the second sensor to be unreliable, in which case, using the output of the second sensor to control the airflow generator may be undesirable. For example, when the second sensor includes an optical sensor (e.g., such as a time-of-flight sensor), the shape of the accessory may partially or completely obstruct the field of view of the optical sensor, resulting in inaccurate sensor readings. Therefore, when an accessory that is not suitable for use with the second sensor is attached to the attachment area, automatic control of the airflow generator based on the output signal from the second sensor may be disabled, and manual control may be used instead.

[0046] The attachment area may be located on the body of the hair care appliance adjacent to the outlet, such as around the outlet.

[0047] The accessory and / or the attachment area may include any suitable means for detachably attaching the accessory to the attachment area. For example, the attachment area and the accessory may include corresponding attachment elements that are configured to cooperate (e.g., engage) with each other to hold the accessory at the attachment area.

[0048] The attachment may be configured to direct and / or shape the airflow from the airflow generator when it is attached to the attachment area. For example, the attachment may include a channel or passageway for directing and / or shaping the airflow from the airflow generator.

[0049] An attachment type can refer to a style or category of attachment. For example, attachment types can include (but are not limited to): concentrator nozzle, diffuser, grooming / smoothing attachment, comb attachment, brush attachment. In some cases, an attachment type can also refer to a specific model of attachment.

[0050] The control unit may be configured such that if the accessory type is a first type, the predetermined accessory condition is satisfied, and if the accessory type is a second type, the predetermined accessory condition is not satisfied. For example, the control unit may be configured to determine the type of accessory based on an output signal from an accessory detector, and determine that the predetermined accessory condition is satisfied if the accessory type corresponds to a predetermined accessory type.

[0051] The attachment may include an identification, and the control unit may be configured to determine the type of the attachment based on the identification. This may facilitate determining the type of attachment attached at the attachment area. The identification may include any suitable element or feature of the attachment that may be used to determine the type of the attachment. The attachment detector may include any suitable type of detector for detecting the attachment attached to the attachment area. In particular, the attachment detector may be adapted to detect the identification.

[0052] For example, the identifier may include a visual identifier (e.g., one or more characters, a barcode, a QR code, a color, a shape, etc.), and the accessory detector may include an optical detector for detecting the visual identifier. As another example, the identifier may include one or more magnets on the accessory, and the accessory detector may include a magnetometer for detecting the one or more magnets on the accessory.

[0053] The control unit may be configured to cause the airflow generator to enter an idle state if the first use condition does not satisfy the predetermined use condition within a predetermined time period. In this way, the airflow generator may automatically enter an idle state if the hair care appliance has not been used within a predetermined time period. This may avoid keeping the airflow generator in a normal operating state during periods when it is not actively used (e.g., when it is temporarily put down by a user), thereby reducing energy consumption of the hair care appliance. This may also facilitate use of the hair care appliance, as the user does not need to open and close the hair care appliance each time the hair care appliance is picked up and put down. In particular, the user may occasionally place the hair care appliance on a surface in order to free their hands (e.g., to perform another task), which may result in objects on the surface being blown and / or heated if the airflow generator is in a normal operating state.

[0054] Here, the idle state of the airflow generator may refer to a state in which the flow rate and / or temperature of the airflow generated by the airflow generator is reduced compared to a normal operating state of the airflow generator. In some cases, the idle state may include a state in which the airflow generator is turned off.

[0055] As an example, the gradual reduction of the flow rate and / or temperature in the idle state may include a step-wise decrease of the flow rate and / or temperature, such as from an initial value to a final value below the initial value. As another example, the gradual reduction of the flow rate and / or temperature in the idle state may include a step-wise (e.g., incremental, sequential) decrease of the flow rate and / or temperature, such as from an initial value to a final value below the initial value.

[0056] The predetermined time period may correspond to a certain amount of time, for example, an amount of time preset in a memory of the hair care appliance. The predetermined time period may be set to avoid triggering the idle mode undesirably, for example, when the user is still using the hair care appliance. For example, the inventors have found that setting the predetermined time period to 1 second or longer may avoid triggering the idle mode unnecessarily, because such a predetermined time period may increase the likelihood that the failure to meet the predetermined condition is actually due to the user not currently using the hair care appliance.

[0057] Placing the airflow generator into an idle state may include gradually reducing the temperature and / or flow rate of the airflow generated by the airflow generator. In other words, once the predetermined use condition is not met within a predetermined time period, the temperature and / or flow rate of the airflow may be reduced (e.g., gradually or incrementally) over time. Since the airflow generator does not turn off immediately in the idle state, it may be able to respond more quickly when the user picks up the hair care appliance again. For example, the airflow generator may be able to reach a normal operating temperature and flow rate faster from the idle state than when it is completely turned off. Therefore, the user may not have to wait too long when picking up the hair care appliance in the idle state, thereby making the operation of the hair care appliance smoother and improving the user experience.

[0058] Gradually reducing the temperature and / or flow rate of the airflow generated by the airflow generator may include placing the airflow generator in a first idle state, in which the flow rate and / or temperature of the airflow is reduced compared to a normal operating state of the airflow generator; and if the first use condition is still not met after a predetermined idle period of time, placing the airflow generator in a second idle state, wherein the flow rate and / or temperature of the airflow in the second idle state is further reduced compared to the first idle state. Thus, if the predetermined use condition is not met within a predetermined period of time, the airflow generator may first be in the first idle state, and if the predetermined use condition is still not met after the predetermined idle state, then in the second idle state. In this way, the flow rate and / or temperature of the airflow may be gradually reduced based on the amount of time that the hair care appliance is not in active use (i.e., the amount of time that the predetermined use condition is not met). For example, if the user frequently puts down and picks up the hair care appliance, the airflow generator may reach the first idle state only when it is put down, so that the airflow generator can respond quickly when the user picks up the hair care appliance again. On the other hand, if the hair care appliance is put down for a longer time, the air flow generator may reach a second idle state, thereby further reducing energy consumption and noise, while still improving the response time of the air flow generator compared to the fully closed state.

[0059] The hair care appliance may include an internal clock (eg, a microcontroller clock or a crystal oscillator counter) for measuring the amount of time that a predetermined usage condition is satisfied.

[0060] The hair care appliance may further include a user interface for receiving user input, and the control unit may be further configured to: determine whether a predetermined user input condition is met based on an output signal received from the user interface; and control the airflow generator based on the output signal from the second sensor only when the predetermined user input condition is met. In this way, the airflow generator may be automatically controlled using the second sensor only when the predetermined user input condition is met. This may allow the user to determine whether and when to perform automatic control, thereby providing the user with a higher level of control over the operation of the hair care appliance. As an example, the user interface may include buttons, switches, a touch screen, or other suitable types of user interfaces.

[0061] The user interface may be arranged to enable selection of one or more operating modes of the hair care appliance. For example, the user interface may enable a user to switch between a "manual control" mode and an "automatic control" mode, or the like. The control unit may determine that a predetermined user input condition is met if an output signal from the user interface indicates that the selected operating mode corresponds to a predetermined operating mode (e.g. an "automatic control" mode or the like).

[0062] In some embodiments, the user interface of the hair care appliance may be provided on a separate (external) device that is communicatively coupled to the control unit in the hair care appliance (e.g., via a wired or wireless connection). The control unit may then determine whether a predetermined user input condition is met based on an output signal from the user interface. The control unit may be configured to control the airflow generator based on the output signal from the second sensor only when the predetermined user input condition is met. As an example, the separate device may be a smartphone or other computing device on which an application configured to provide the user interface is installed. This enables the user interface to have a variety of control options provided without the need to provide a large number of buttons or switches directly on the hair care appliance.

[0063] The control unit may also be configured to: determine the amount of time that the first use condition satisfies the predetermined use condition; and control the airflow generator based on the output signal from the second sensor only when the amount of time exceeds a predetermined threshold. This may be used to ensure that the hair care appliance is actually being used before initiating automatic control of the airflow generator. For example, this may enable automatic control to be initiated when the hair care appliance is picked up for use by a user, while avoiding triggering automatic control when the hair care appliance is bumped or knocked. This may also avoid accidental triggering in response to erroneous or false readings from the first sensor (e.g. due to noise spikes in the sensor readings), thereby improving the reliability of the operation of the hair care appliance. The predetermined amount of time threshold may be set so that a momentary change in the output signal from the first sensor does not trigger the automatic control, while a longer time change in the output signal from the first sensor triggers the automatic control. For example, the predetermined amount of time threshold may be set to 0.5 seconds, 1 second, or 2 seconds.

[0064] In a second aspect of the present invention, a method of operating a hair care appliance having an airflow generator for generating an airflow is provided, the method comprising: using a control unit of the hair care appliance, determining whether a first use condition of the hair care appliance meets a predetermined use condition based on an output signal received from a first sensor in the hair care appliance; and after determining that the first use condition meets the predetermined use condition, controlling the airflow generator by the control unit based on an output signal from a second sensor in the hair care appliance, the second sensor being arranged to detect a second use condition of the hair care appliance.

[0065] The method of the second aspect can be used to operate the hair care appliance of the first aspect. Therefore, any features discussed above with respect to the first aspect of the present invention can be shared with the second aspect of the present invention. For example, any control steps performed by the control unit in the first aspect of the present invention can be implemented as method steps in the second aspect of the present invention.

[0066] More generally, features described above in relation to the first aspect of the invention are equally applicable to the second aspect of the invention, and vice versa. BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

[0067] The present invention will now be described with reference to the accompanying drawings, in which:

[0068] Figure 1 is a schematic diagram of a hair care appliance according to an embodiment;

[0069] Figure 2 is a flow chart illustrating a method according to an embodiment;

[0070] Figure 3 is a flow chart illustrating a method that may form part of an embodiment;

[0071] Figure 4 is a schematic perspective view of a hair care appliance according to an embodiment;

[0072] Figure 5 yes Figure 4 A schematic cross-sectional view of a portion of a hair care appliance; and

[0073] Figure 6 is a flow chart illustrating a method that may form a part of an embodiment. DETAILED DESCRIPTION

[0074] Figure 1 1 is a schematic diagram of a hair care appliance 100 according to an embodiment. The hair care appliance 100 may be, for example, a hair dryer, a curling iron, or some other type of hair care appliance. The hair care appliance 100 includes a body 102 in which an air flow generator 104 is housed. The air flow generator 104 is configured to generate an air flow toward an outlet of the body 102 so that the air flow can be directed toward the user's hair 106. The air flow generator 104 may include any device suitable for generating an air flow, such as a fan, a turbine, or a blower. The body 102 may also contain a heater (not shown) for heating the air flow generated by the air flow generator 104.

[0075] The body 102 includes an attachment area 108 at one end of the body 102 to which an accessory 110 is removably attached. When the accessory 110 is connected to the body 102 at the attachment area 108, it is arranged to receive the airflow generated by the airflow generator 104 and discharge the airflow toward the user's hair 106. Specifically, the attachment area 108 can be positioned so that when the accessory 110 is attached at the attachment area 108, the airflow enters the accessory 110 from the outlet of the body 102, and the accessory then discharges the airflow toward the user's hair 106 located in front of the accessory 110. For example, the accessory 110 may include a hollow body that defines a channel or groove for guiding and / or shaping the airflow. Figure 1 , the accessory 110 is shown as being spaced apart from the attachment area 108, i.e., the accessory 110 is not attached to Figure 1 The attachment area 108 and the accessory 110 may include any suitable means for removably attaching the accessory at the attachment area 108. For example, the attachment area 108 and the accessory 110 may include engageable features configured to releasably engage with each other to hold the accessory 110 at the attachment area 108.

[0076] The body 102 further includes a control unit 112 , which may be implemented by a microcontroller, for example.

[0077] The control unit 112 is communicatively coupled (via a wired or wireless connection) to the airflow generator 104, such that the control unit 112 can control the operation of the airflow generator 104, for example by transmitting a control signal to the airflow generator 104. The control unit 112 is also communicatively coupled (via a wired or wireless connection) to a first sensor 118 and a second sensor 119. The first sensor 118 is configured to detect a first use condition of the hair care appliance 100, while the second sensor 119 is configured to detect a second use condition of the hair care appliance 100. The first sensor 118 is arranged to provide an output signal indicative of (representative of) the first use condition to the control unit 112, while the second sensor 119 is arranged to provide an output signal representative of the second use condition to the control unit 112.

[0078] The first sensor 118 may include a variety of different types of sensors, depending on the first use condition to be detected. For example, the first sensor 118 may be configured to detect the movement of the hair care appliance 100, in which case the first sensor 118 may include an accelerometer and / or a gyroscope. As another example, the first sensor 118 may be configured to detect when the user is holding the hair care appliance 100. In this case, the first sensor 118 may include a touch detector and / or a grip detector for detecting when the user is holding the handle 121 of the hair care appliance 100. Note that in this case, the first sensor 118 may be located in the handle 121, rather than in the handle 121 as shown in FIG. Figure 1 102. As a further example, the first sensor 118 may include an orientation sensor for detecting the orientation of the hair care appliance, for example, for detecting when it is in an upright position. Such an orientation sensor may be implemented using one or more of an accelerometer, a gyroscope, a magnetometer, and / or a tilt switch.

[0079] Likewise, the second sensor 119 may include a variety of different sensor types, depending on the second use condition to be detected. For example, the second sensor 119 may include a distance sensor configured to detect the distance between the distance sensor 119 and the user's hair 106 located in front of the hair care appliance 100. Various known types of distance sensors may be used. As an example, the distance sensor 118 may include a time-of-flight (ToF) sensor. Such a ToF sensor may include a light emitter (e.g., a laser or LED) and a receiver (e.g., a photodetector). The ToF sensor may be configured to emit a light signal using a light emitter and detect a reflected light signal reflected back from the user's hair 106. The light (i.e., electromagnetic radiation) emitted by the light emitter may be visible light, infrared light, ultraviolet light, radio frequency, microwave, or any other suitable type of electromagnetic radiation. The distance to the user's hair 106 may then be calculated using any suitable technique. For example, the distance to the user's hair 106 may be calculated from the amount of time the light signal is emitted by the emitter and the reflected light signal detected by the receiver. As another example, the distance to the user's hair 106 may be calculated based on the intensity of the reflected light signal detected by the receiver.

[0080] As another example, the second sensor 119 may include a detector for detecting a property of the user's hair, such as the temperature or humidity of the user's hair. For example, the second sensor 119 may include a temperature sensor for detecting the temperature of the user's hair. As a further example, the second sensor 119 may include an environmental sensor for detecting a property of the environment surrounding the hair care appliance 100. For example, the second sensor 119 may include a temperature sensor for detecting the temperature of the environment. As yet another example, the second sensor 119 may include a relative motion sensor for detecting relative motion between the hair care appliance and the user's hair 106.

[0081] The control unit 112 is configured to use the output from the first sensor 118 to determine whether the predetermined use condition is met. For example, the hair care appliance 100 may include a memory 120 accessible to the control unit 112. In some cases, the memory 120 may be part of the control unit 112 itself. The memory 120 is configured to store data indicating the predetermined use condition. In this way, the control unit 112 can compare the output signal received from the first sensor 118 with the data stored in the memory 120 to determine whether the predetermined use condition is met. For example, the predetermined use condition may correspond to a value or a range of values ​​of the output signal from the first sensor 118. Then, if the output signal from the first sensor 118 matches the value or range of values ​​stored in the memory 120, the control unit 112 can determine that the predetermined use condition is met.

[0082] After determining that the predetermined use condition is met, the control unit 112 is configured to control the airflow generator 104, taking the output signal from the second sensor 119 as input. Specifically, the control unit 112 can control the flow rate and / or temperature of the airflow generated by the airflow generator 104, and activate or deactivate the airflow generator. The control unit can control the airflow generator 104 based on the output of the second sensor 119 using a predetermined set of rules, for example, implemented in an algorithm executed by the control unit 112.

[0083] The control unit 112 may also be communicatively coupled (via a wired or wireless connection) to an identifier sensor 114 located in the body 102. The identifier sensor 114 is configured to detect an identifier 116 located in the accessory 110 when the accessory 110 is attached to the body 102 at the attachment area 108. The identifier 116 indicates the type of the accessory 110. The identifier sensor 114 is configured to provide an output signal indicating the detected identifier 116 to the control unit 112, so that the control unit can determine the type of the accessory 110. For example, the memory 120 may store a database that associates each of a plurality of accessory types with a corresponding identifier. The control unit 112 may then look up the accessory type associated with the identifier detected by the identifier sensor 114 to determine the type of the accessory. Various types of identifiers may be used, and the identifier sensor 114 is specifically adapted to the type of identifier 116 used, so that the identifier sensor 114 can effectively detect the identifier 116 and generate a corresponding output signal. For example, the identifier 116 may include a distinguishing mark on the accessory 110, in which case the identifier sensor 114 may include an optical detector for detecting the distinguishing mark. As another example, the identifier 116 may include one or more magnets in the accessory 110, in which case the identifier sensor 114 may include a magnetometer for detecting the one or more magnets. As a further example, the identifier 116 may include an electrical component (e.g., a resistor, a capacitor, and / or an inductor) in the accessory 110, in which case the identifier sensor 114 may be configured to measure characteristics of the electrical component (e.g., resistance, capacitance, and / or inductance). In some cases, the identifier 116 may take the form of a radio frequency identification (RFID) tag in the accessory 110. The RFID tag may be passive or active. The identifier sensor 114 may, in turn, include an antenna configured to wirelessly read the RFID tag to obtain identification information from the RFID tag.

[0084] The hair care appliance 100 may also include a user input 123 in the form of a switch, button, or other suitable user interface. The user input 123 is communicatively coupled to the control unit 112 (via a wired or wireless connection) such that the control unit 112 can receive signals from the user input 123. For example, the user input 123 may be used to select an operating mode of the hair care appliance, as described below.

[0085] In some embodiments, the body 102 may be formed of a main body portion 122 and an intermediate body portion 124, wherein the airflow generator 104 is located in the main body portion, and the control unit 112, the identification sensor 114, the first sensor 118, the second sensor 119, and the memory 120 are located in the intermediate body portion. The intermediate body portion 124 may be detachably attached to the main body portion 122, for example, the intermediate body portion 124 may be engaged with the main body portion 122 to attach the intermediate body portion 124 to the main body portion 122. The main body portion 122 and the intermediate body portion 124 may have connectors (e.g., spring pins or the like) configured to engage with each other when the intermediate body portion 124 is attached to the main body portion 122, so as to connect the control unit 112 to the airflow generator 104. Alternatively, the control unit 112 may be configured to communicate wirelessly with the airflow generator 104. The attachment area 108 may be located at an end of the intermediate body portion 124 so that the intermediate body portion 124 may be connected between the main body portion 122 and the attachment 110 when in use. The intermediate portion 124 may be configured to transmit the airflow from the airflow generator 104 to the attachment 110, which then discharges (i.e., sprays) the airflow toward the user's hair 106. Housing electronic components such as the control unit 112, the identification sensor 114, the first sensor 118, the second sensor 119, and the memory 120 in the intermediate body portion 124 may enable a hair care appliance having a main body portion 122 to be retrofitted with the intermediate body portion 124 so that the airflow generator 104 can be controlled by the control unit 112.

[0086] Now refer to Figure 2 Discussing the operation of the hair care appliance 100, Figure 2A method 200 according to an embodiment is shown. The method 200 may be implemented by the control unit 112 discussed above. The method 200 may start at step 202, for example by turning on the hair care appliance 100 or otherwise starting a use session of the hair care appliance 100. At step 204, the control unit 112 checks whether a predetermined user input condition is met. To this end, the control unit 112 may receive an output signal from the user input 123. For example, the user input 123 may be a switch or a toggle that enables a user to select a manual control mode or an automatic control mode. If the user input 123 is set to the automatic control mode, the control unit 112 may determine that the predetermined user input condition is met, in which case the method proceeds to step 206. Otherwise, if the predetermined user input condition is not met (e.g., if the user input 123 is set to the manual control mode), the method proceeds to step 214.

[0087] At step 206, the control unit 112 determines whether the predetermined usage condition is satisfied. To this end, the control unit 112 receives the output signal from the first sensor 118 and compares the output signal with the predetermined usage condition stored in the memory 120. If the output signal matches the predetermined usage condition (e.g., if the value detected by the first sensor 118 matches the value or value range corresponding to the predetermined usage condition), the control unit 112 determines that the predetermined usage condition is satisfied, and the method proceeds to step 208. Otherwise, if the predetermined usage condition is not satisfied, the method proceeds to step 214.

[0088] At step 208, the control unit 112 determines whether the predetermined attachment condition is satisfied. To this end, the control unit 112 receives the output signal from the identification sensor 114 and determines the type of the attachment 110 attached at the attachment area 108. For example, the control unit 112 may look up the attachment type corresponding to the identification detected by the identification sensor 114 in the memory 120. If the determined attachment type corresponds to any one of one or more predetermined attachment types (e.g., stored in the memory 120), the control unit 112 determines that the predetermined attachment condition is satisfied, and the method proceeds to step 210. Otherwise, if the determined attachment type does not correspond to the predetermined attachment type, the method proceeds to step 214.

[0089] At step 210, the control unit 112 determines whether any timing conditions associated with any of steps 204-208 are satisfied. For example, a timing condition may be associated with step 206, whereby the timing condition of step 206 is satisfied only if the amount of time that the predetermined usage condition is satisfied exceeds a predetermined threshold. In other words, the predetermined usage condition must be satisfied for an amount of time that exceeds a predetermined threshold (which may be stored in the memory 120) in order for the timing condition at step 210 to be satisfied. Using such a timing condition may be used to ensure that the satisfaction of the predetermined usage condition is due to the user wanting to use the hair care appliance 100, and not due to a spike in the output signal from the first sensor 118. The control unit 112 may use an internal clock to count the amount of time that the predetermined usage condition is satisfied.

[0090] In step 212, the control unit uses the output signal from the second sensor 119 as an input to control the airflow generator 104. Specifically, the control unit 112 can use the output signal from the second sensor 119 as an input (e.g., in a control algorithm) to control the temperature and / or flow rate, and to activate or deactivate the airflow generator 104. Figure 4-5 A more specific example of the type of control that can be performed using the output signal from the second sensor 119 is discussed. After the airflow generator 104 is controlled at step 212, the method 200 returns to step 204 so that the checks of steps 204-210 are performed again to determine whether automatic control of the airflow generator 104 using the second sensor 119 should continue.

[0091] When any of the conditions checked in steps 204-210 are not met, the method proceeds to step 214. In step 214, the control unit 112 does not control the airflow generator 104 based on the output signal from the second sensor 119. In other words, if any of the conditions checked in steps 204-210 are not met, the automatic control of the airflow generator 104 using the second sensor 119 will be disabled. For example, if the predetermined user input condition is not met (step 204), this may mean that the user input 123 is set to a manual control mode, so that automatic control of the airflow generator 104 is not required. If the predetermined use condition is not met (step 206), this may mean that the hair care appliance 100 is not actively used by the user, so that automatic control of the airflow generator 104 may not be desired. If the attachment condition is not met (step 208), this may mean that manual control of the airflow generator is preferred for the type of attachment attached at the attachment area. If the timing condition is not met (step 210), this may mean, for example, that the predetermined usage condition has not been met long enough to confirm that the hair care appliance is actually being actively used by the user.

[0092] In some embodiments, at step 214, the airflow generator 104 may maintain its current state. For example, when the airflow generator 104 is in the closed (or open) state, it may remain in the closed (or open) state. When the airflow generator 104 is in the open state, the flow rate and temperature of the airflow may remain unchanged, or may be manually controlled at step 214 (e.g., when the user input 123 is set to a manual control mode). In some cases, at step 214, the output signal from the first sensor 118 may be used as an input to control the airflow generator, as described below. After step 214, the method 200 returns to step 204, so that the checks of steps 204-210 are performed again to determine whether automatic control of the airflow generator 104 should be performed using the second sensor 119.

[0093] The control unit 112 may repeat the loop of the method 200 at regular intervals to repeatedly determine whether the second sensor 119 should be used to control the airflow generator 104. In this way, the control of the airflow generator 104 may be dynamically adapted to the current usage conditions of the hair care appliance 100.

[0094] It should be noted that in some embodiments, steps 204, 208, and 210 may be optional, for example, these steps may not be required in all embodiments. For example, when the hair care appliance 100 does not have a user input 123, step 204 may be omitted. When the hair care appliance is not configured to detect accessories, step 208 may be omitted. It is also noted that although Figure 2 Steps 204-210 are shown as a linear sequence, but these steps do not necessarily need to be implemented in a linear sequence. For example, two or more of steps 204-210 can be performed in parallel. Additionally, in some cases, steps 204-210 can be performed in a different order.

[0095] Figure 3 A flow chart illustrating a method 300 that may be part of an embodiment of the present invention is shown. The method 300 may be used with the hair care appliance 100 and implemented by the control unit 112 discussed above. Specifically, the method 300 may be provided as an additional component or submodule of the method 200.

[0096] The method 300 is for gradually reducing the power consumption of the hair care appliance when the hair care appliance is not in active use (e.g., when it is put down by the user). In step 302, the control unit 112 uses the output signal from the first sensor 118 to determine whether a predetermined use condition is met. Step 302 may correspond to step 206 of the method 200 discussed above and may be implemented in the manner discussed above. If the predetermined use condition is met, then at step 304, the method returns to the method 200. Specifically, the subsequent steps (i.e., 208-214) of the method 200 may be performed as described above. Otherwise, if the predetermined use condition is not met, the method 300 proceeds to step 306.

[0097] In step 306, the control unit 112 determines whether a first idle timing condition is satisfied. In more detail, the control unit 112 determines the amount of time that the predetermined usage condition has not been satisfied. For example, the control unit 112 may start a timer upon initially determining that the predetermined usage condition is not satisfied so that it may determine the amount of time since the initial determination. If the predetermined usage condition is not satisfied within a predetermined first idle time period, the control unit 112 determines whether the first idle timing condition is satisfied. For example, the predetermined first idle time period may be a time period of at least 1 second, such as 1 second or 2 seconds. Thus, if the amount of time that the predetermined usage condition is not satisfied exceeds the predetermined first idle time period, the control unit 112 determines that the first idle timing condition is satisfied. Satisfying the first idle timing condition may indicate that the hair care appliance 100 has not been actively used for at least the predetermined first idle time period (e.g., 1 second or 2 seconds).

[0098] If the first idle timing condition has not been met, the method 300 returns to step 302. If the first idle timing condition is met, the method 300 proceeds to step 308 and places the airflow generator 104 in a first idle state. In the first idle state, the airflow generated by the airflow generator 104 has a reduced flow rate and / or temperature compared to a normal (i.e., non-idle) operating state of the airflow generator 104. In other words, in step 308, the flow rate and / or temperature of the airflow is reduced without completely shutting down the airflow generator 104. When the airflow generator 104 is in the first idle state 308, automatic control of the airflow generator 104 based on the second sensor 119 can be disabled, as shown in step 214 above. This can avoid undesirable control of the airflow generator 104 when it is in the first idle state.

[0099] After determining that the first idle timing condition is satisfied, the method 300 also proceeds to step 310, where the control unit 112 determines whether a second idle timing condition is satisfied. Specifically, the control unit 112 determines (e.g., using the timer mentioned above) whether the amount of time that the predetermined use condition is not satisfied exceeds a predetermined second idle time period, where the predetermined second idle time period is greater than the first predetermined idle time period. For example, the second predetermined idle time period may be 5 seconds or longer. Therefore, satisfying the second idle timing condition may indicate that the hair care appliance 100 has not been in active use for an extended period of time, i.e., has not been in active use for at least the predetermined second idle time period (e.g., at least 5 seconds).

[0100] If the second idle timing condition has not been met, the method 300 returns to step 302 to check again whether the predetermined use condition is met and determine whether the airflow generator 104 should remain in the first idle state. If the second idle timing condition is met, the method 300 proceeds to step 312 and places the airflow generator 104 in the second idle state. In other words, the airflow generator 104 is transformed from the first idle state to the second idle state. In the second idle state, the flow rate and / or temperature of the airflow generated by the airflow generator 104 is further reduced compared to the first idle state. In this way, when the hair care appliance 100 is not used for a long time, the energy consumption and noise of the hair care appliance 100 can be automatically reduced. In some cases, the airflow generator 104 can be turned off in the second idle state. After step 312, the method 300 returns to step 302 to check again whether the predetermined use condition is met to determine whether the airflow generator 104 should remain in the second idle state. When the airflow generator 104 is in the second idle state, automatic control of the airflow generator 104 based on the second sensor 119 may be disabled, as described above in step 214. This may avoid undesired control of the airflow generator 104 when it is in the second idle state.

[0101] exist Figure 3 In the example of , there are two idle states, corresponding to a gradual (step-wise) decrease in the temperature and / or flow rate of the airflow between the first idle state and the second idle state. In other examples, there may be more than two idle states (e.g., three, four, or more idle states), wherein each subsequent idle state is associated with a corresponding timing condition and involves a further decrease in the temperature and / or flow rate of the airflow compared to the previous idle state. In this way, the temperature and / or flow rate of the airflow may be gradually decreased over time as the user does not use the hair care appliance 100 for a longer period of time.

[0102] Steering Figure 4 and Figure 5, a hair care appliance 400 according to an embodiment will now be described. The hair care appliance 400 operates in a manner similar to the hair care appliance 100 described above, and any features discussed with respect to the hair care appliance 100 may be shared with the hair care appliance 400 (and vice versa). Figure 4 A schematic perspective view of a hair care appliance 400 is shown, and Figure 5 A partial schematic cross-sectional view of a hair care appliance 400 is shown.

[0103] The hair care appliance 400 includes a body 402 within which an airflow generator (not shown) is located. In this example, the airflow generator may be located in a handle 403 of the body 402. The body 402 includes an attachment area at an end of the body 402 to which an accessory 410 is removably attached (in a manner similar to how the accessory 110 is removably attached to the attachment area 108). Figure 4 and Figure 5 , accessory 410 is shown attached at the attachment area.

[0104] like Figure 5 As shown, the control unit 412 is installed in the body 402. The control unit 412 is distributed in two locations of the hair care appliance 400. Specifically, the control unit 412 includes a first microcontroller located in the central part of the body at the central axis of the body 402, and a second microcontroller located in the main part of the body 402. A first sensor in the form of a motion sensor 417 is located in the body 402 and is communicatively coupled to the control unit 412. For example, the motion sensor 417 can be implemented using an accelerometer. A second sensor in the form of a single pixel ToF sensor 418 and an identification sensor in the form of a magnetometer 414 are also installed in the body 402. It can be seen that the magnetometer 414 and the ToF sensor 418 are located in the central part of the body at the central axis of the body 402, so that the magnetometer 414 and the ToF sensor 418 are centered in the airflow channel 409 in the body 402. In this way, when the accessory 410 is attached at the attachment area, the magnetometer 314 and the ToF sensor 318 are centered relative to the attachment area, and therefore relative to the accessory 410. In other words, the magnetometer 414 and the ToF sensor 418 are arranged so that when the accessory 410 is attached at the attachment area, they are aligned with the central axis of the accessory 410. The body 402 may also include a memory accessible by the control unit 412, which performs a similar function to the memory 120 discussed above. The hair care appliance 400 may also include a user interface (e.g., similar to the user input 123) to enable selection between operating modes such as a manual control mode and an automatic control mode.

[0105] As described above, in this embodiment, the control unit 412 is distributed in two locations in the hair care appliance 400, which enables the various functions of the control unit 412 to be distributed in two locations. This can allow more processing power and achieve parallel processing at two locations. In one example, the first microcontroller located in the central portion of the body 402 can implement sensor reading functions (e.g., for ToF sensor 418 and magnetometer 414), as well as other functions such as LED control. The first microcontroller can also detect the state of the mode selection button on the hair care appliance 400 (e.g., selecting between automatic control and manual control modes). The second microcontroller located in the main portion of the body 402 can act as a master controller and can therefore implement the functions of controlling the airflow generator (including heater control) discussed herein. The first microcontroller can be connected to the second microcontroller to provide sensor readings to the second microcontroller to achieve control of the airflow generator. The second microcontroller can also read the status of various buttons (such as buttons for selecting heating levels and / or buttons for selecting flow levels) and implement fault detection processes. Using the first microcontroller to obtain sensor readings can facilitate providing the sensor readings to the second microcontroller because only a single communication channel is required between the first microcontroller and the second microcontroller (e.g., as opposed to individually connecting each sensor to the second microcontroller), which can facilitate integrating multiple sensors into the hair care appliance 400. Of course, in other embodiments, the control unit 412 can be implemented in a single location in the hair care appliance 400, such as using a single microcontroller.

[0106] The motion sensor 417 is configured to detect the movement of the hair care appliance 400 and generate an output signal indicating (representing) the movement. For example, the motion sensor 417 can detect the acceleration and / or angular velocity of the hair care appliance 400 and output a signal indicating the magnitude of the acceleration and / or angular velocity. The ToF sensor 418 is configured to detect the distance of the user's hair in a manner similar to the distance sensor 118 discussed above. Specifically, the ToF sensor 418 may include an emitter configured to emit a light signal toward the user's hair, and a receiver configured to detect a reflected light signal from the user's hair. The ToF sensor can then provide an output signal to the control unit 412, which indicates the amount of time required for the reflected light signal to reach the receiver. Since the ToF sensor 418 is located in the center of the body 402, when the attachment 410 is attached to the attachment area, the light signal can pass through the opening in the attachment 410 to reach the user's hair. Alternatively, a window can be formed in the attachment 410 for transmitting the light signal between the ToF sensor 418 and the user's hair.

[0107] The accessory 410 includes a plurality of magnets that can be used to secure the accessory 410 to an attachment area on the body 402. For example, the body 402 can include a set of magnets that are arranged to attract magnets in the accessory 410 so as to hold the accessory 410 in the attachment area. The magnets in the accessory 410 also serve as an identification of the accessory (e.g., like the identification 116 discussed above). Specifically, when the accessory 410 is attached to the attachment area, the magnetometer 414 can detect the magnetic field caused by the magnets in the accessory 410 and generate an output signal indicating the magnetic field experienced by the magnetometer 414. For example, the magnetometer 414 can be a 3-axis magnetometer, so that the magnetometer 414 can determine the strength and / or orientation of the magnetic field. The control unit 412 can then determine the type of accessory based on the output signal received from the magnetometer 414. Different accessories can include different magnet arrangements, which can cause the magnetometer 414 to detect different field strengths and / or orientations. For example, different numbers of magnets can be used, magnets with different polarization arrangements can be used, and / or magnets of different sizes and strengths can be used. In this manner, each accessory type can have a specific magnet arrangement that produces a magnetic signature identifiable for that accessory type. The control unit 412 can then determine the accessory type using a database (e.g., stored in a memory located in the body 402) that associates each of a plurality of accessory types with a corresponding magnetic signature (e.g., magnetic field strength and / or orientation detected by the magnetometer 414).

[0108] In order to control the airflow generator in the hair care appliance 400, the control unit 412 implements a method similar to the above-described method 200. In more detail, the control unit 412 uses the output signal from the motion sensor 417 to determine whether the predetermined use condition is met at step 206. Specifically, the control unit 412 determines the movement amplitude (e.g., acceleration and / or angular velocity) of the hair care appliance 400 from the output signal received from the motion sensor 417, and compares the movement amplitude with the first movement threshold. If the movement amplitude is greater than the first movement threshold, the control unit 412 determines that the predetermined use condition is met and proceeds to step 208 of the method 200. The first movement threshold may correspond to a predetermined movement amplitude, which indicates that the hair care appliance 400 is being held and used by the user. In this way, if the movement amplitude of the hair care appliance 400 exceeds the first movement threshold, this may indicate that the user is using the hair care appliance 400, so that automatic control of the airflow generator may be performed.

[0109] In some cases, in step 206 of the method 200, the control unit 412 may also be configured to compare the amplitude of the movement of the hair care appliance 400 to a second movement threshold value that is greater than the first movement threshold value. If the amplitude of the movement of the hair care appliance 400 is greater than the second movement threshold value, the control unit 412 determines that the predetermined use condition is not satisfied. In other words, the control unit 412 may only determine that the predetermined use condition is satisfied if the amplitude of the movement of the hair care appliance 400 is between the first movement threshold value and the second movement threshold value. Using a higher second movement threshold value may be used to cut off automatic control of the hair care appliance 400 in the event that the hair care appliance 400 moves quickly or irregularly, as automatic control of the hair care appliance 400 may not be appropriate in such a situation.

[0110] If the control unit 412 determines that the conditions of steps 204-210 are met, the control unit 412 uses the output signal from the ToF sensor 418 as an input to control the airflow generator. The control unit 412 implements a control algorithm that takes the distance to the user's hair (determined by the ToF sensor 418) and any other suitable sensor readings as input. Controlling the airflow generator may include activating the airflow generator, deactivating the airflow generator, controlling the flow rate of the airflow (e.g., by controlling the speed of the airflow generator), and / or controlling the temperature of the airflow (e.g., by controlling a heater in the body 402).

[0111] An example of control performed by the control unit 412 on the airflow generator will now be described. The control unit 412 may be configured to activate the airflow generator only when the distance from the user's hair is less than a threshold activation distance. In this way, the airflow generator may be activated when the airflow generator is within the threshold activation distance from the user's hair, and may be deactivated when the airflow generator moves farther than the threshold activation distance from the user's hair. This may avoid having to manually turn the hair care appliance 400 on or off, thereby reducing energy waste and facilitating use of the hair care appliance 400. The threshold activation distance may be a preset parameter stored in a memory of the hair care appliance 400.

[0112] In addition to using a threshold activation distance, the control unit 412 may also use an activation delay. Specifically, the control unit 412 may be configured to activate the airflow generator only after the control unit 412 determines that the distance to the user's hair is less than the threshold activation distance and continues for an amount of time corresponding to the activation delay. In other words, the user must hold the hair care appliance 400 within the threshold activation distance for at least the activation delay time in order to activate (i.e., turn on) the airflow generator. This can avoid erroneous or accidental activation of the airflow generator and can be used to ensure that the hair care appliance 400 is properly aligned with the user's head before activating the airflow generator. Similarly, the control unit 412 may also use a deactivation delay. Specifically, the control unit 412 may be configured to deactivate the airflow generator only after the control unit 412 determines that the distance to the user's hair has continuously exceeded the threshold activation distance for an amount of time corresponding to the deactivation delay after activating the airflow generator. In other words, the control unit 412 will deactivate (i.e., turn off) the airflow generator only when the user continues to hold the hair care appliance 400 at a distance greater than the threshold activation distance for more than the deactivation delay time. This may avoid intermittent switching off of the airflow generator, for example when the hair care appliance 400 is passed quickly over the user's head.

[0113] In addition to or in lieu of the examples given above, the control unit 412 may perform other types of control. For example, the control unit 412 may adjust the temperature and / or flow rate of the airflow generated by the airflow generator based on the distance from the user's hair. For example, in some cases, when the distance from the user's hair exceeds a threshold activation distance, the control unit 412 may reduce the temperature and / or flow rate of the airflow instead of shutting down the airflow generator. The control examples given for the control unit 412 are equally applicable to the control unit 112 discussed above, and may be adapted for use with different types of sensors (e.g., in addition to or in lieu of the ToF sensor 418).

[0114] Figure 6 A flow chart illustrating a method 600 that may be part of an embodiment of the present invention is shown. Method 600 represents an improvement of method 300 for a hair care appliance of the present invention that uses a motion sensor as its first sensor. For example, method 600 may be used with hair care appliance 400 described above. For purposes of illustration, method 600 will be described in the context of hair care appliance 400, however, method 600 is not limited to use with hair care appliance 400.

[0115] Similar to method 300, method 600 is used to gradually reduce the power consumption of the hair care appliance when the hair care appliance is not in active use (e.g., when it has been put down by the user). In step 602, the control unit 412 determines whether the movement of the hair care appliance 400 is below a first movement threshold. Specifically, as described above, the control unit 412 uses the output signal from the motion sensor 417 to determine whether the movement of the hair care appliance 400 is below the first movement threshold. If it is determined that the movement of the hair care appliance 400 is not below the first movement threshold (e.g., above the first movement threshold), the method 600 moves to step 604. In step 604, the control unit 412 again uses the output signal from the motion sensor 417, this time to determine whether the movement of the hair care appliance 400 is below a second movement threshold. If it is determined that the movement of the hair care appliance 400 is below the second movement threshold, it can be determined that the predetermined use condition is met. In other words, the combination of steps 602 and 604 can correspond to determining whether the predetermined use condition is met in step 206 of method 200. If it is determined that the predetermined use condition is satisfied (i.e., if the movement of the hair care appliance is between the first and second movement thresholds), then in step 606, the method returns to method 200. Specifically, after determining that the predetermined use condition is satisfied (i.e., steps 208-214), the steps of method 200 may be performed as described above. Otherwise, if it is determined in step 604 that the movement of the hair care appliance 400 is not below the second movement threshold (e.g., above the second movement threshold), then the predetermined use condition is not satisfied and the method proceeds to step 608. At 608, the control unit 412 determines not to use the second sensor (e.g., ToF sensor 418) to control the airflow generator. In other words, step 608 corresponds to step 214 of method 200 described above.

[0116] If it is determined in step 602 that the movement of the hair care appliance 400 is below the first movement threshold, the control unit moves to step 610 to check whether a first idle timing condition is met.

[0117] Step 610 is equivalent to step 306 described above and is performed in a similar manner. Specifically, the control unit 412 determines the amount of time that the movement of the hair care appliance 400 continues to be below the first movement threshold, such as using a timer. If the amount of time that the movement of the hair care appliance 400 has been below the first movement threshold has continued for more than the first idle duration, the control unit 412 determines that the first idle timing condition is satisfied. If the control unit 412 determines that the first idle timing condition has not been satisfied, the method 600 returns to step 602.

[0118] If the first idle timing condition is met in step 610, the method 600 proceeds to step 612 and causes the airflow generator to enter the first idle state. This is equivalent to step 308 described above and may involve the same operations associated with step 308. After determining that the first idle timing condition is met, the method 600 also proceeds to step 614, where the control unit 412 determines whether the second idle timing condition is met. Step 614 is equivalent to step 310 described above and is performed in a similar manner. Specifically, the control unit 412 determines the amount of time that the movement of the hair care appliance 400 continues to be below the second movement threshold, such as using a timer. If the amount of time that the movement of the hair care appliance 400 continues to be below the second movement threshold exceeds the second idle time period (greater than the first idle time period), the control unit 412 determines that the second idle timing condition is met. If the second idle timing condition has not been met, the method 600 returns to step 602 to check again whether the movement of the hair care appliance 400 is below the first movement threshold to determine whether the airflow generator should remain in the first idle state. If the second idle timing condition is met, the method 600 proceeds to step 616 and places the airflow generator in the second idle state. Step 616 is equivalent to step 312 described above and may involve the same operations associated with step 312.

[0119] The method 600 is implemented in the form of a loop, and the control unit 412 can repeat the loop at regular intervals to repeatedly determine whether the airflow generator should be placed in any idle state and / or whether the automatic control based on the second sensor should be performed. In this way, the control of the airflow generator can be dynamically adapted to the current usage conditions of the hair care appliance 400.

[0120] The features disclosed in the foregoing description, the attached claims or the drawings are expressed in their specific forms or in means for performing the disclosed functions, or in methods or processes for obtaining the disclosed functions, and as a result, they can be used to realize different forms of the invention individually or in any combination of these features, as appropriate.

[0121] Although the present invention has been described in conjunction with the above exemplary embodiments, many equivalent modifications and variations will be apparent to those skilled in the art when given the present disclosure. Therefore, the above exemplary embodiments of the present invention are considered to be illustrative rather than restrictive. Various changes may be made to the described embodiments without departing from the spirit and scope of the present invention.

[0122] For the avoidance of any doubt, any theoretical explanations provided herein are intended to enhance the reader's understanding. The inventors do not wish to be bound by any of these theoretical explanations.

[0123] Any section headings used herein are for organizational purposes only and are not to be construed as limiting the subject matter described.

[0124] Throughout the specification, including the following claims, unless the context requires otherwise, the words "comprise" and "comprising" and variations such as "including", "comprising" and "containing", will be understood to imply the inclusion of stated integers or steps or groups of integers or steps but not the exclusion of any other integers or steps or groups of integers or steps.

[0125] It must be noted that throughout the specification and the appended claims, the singular forms "a," "an," and variations thereof include plural referents unless the context clearly dictates otherwise. Ranges may be expressed herein as from "about" one particular value, and / or to "about" another particular value. When such a range is expressed, another embodiment includes from the one particular value and / or to the other particular value. Similarly, when values ​​are expressed as approximations, by using the antecedent "approximately," it is understood that the particular value forms another embodiment. The term "about" in relation to a numerical value is optional, for example to indicate + / -10%.

Claims

1. A hair care device comprising: An airflow generator, used for generating an airflow; a first sensor for detecting a first usage condition of the hair care appliance; a second sensor for detecting a second usage condition of the hair care appliance; as well as A control unit, configured as follows: determining whether the first use condition satisfies a predetermined use condition based on an output signal from the first sensor; and After determining that the first use condition satisfies the predetermined use condition, the airflow generator is controlled based on an output signal from the second sensor.

2. The hair care device according to claim 1, wherein: The first sensor comprises a motion sensor for detecting motion of the hair care appliance, and wherein the control unit is configured to determine the motion of the hair care appliance based on an output signal from the motion sensor, and to determine that the predetermined usage condition is met if the motion of the hair care appliance exceeds a first motion threshold.

3. The hair care device according to claim 2, wherein: The control unit is configured to determine that the predetermined usage condition is not met if the movement of the hair care appliance exceeds a second movement threshold, the second movement threshold being greater than the first movement threshold.

4. A hair care appliance according to any one of the preceding claims, wherein: The first sensor includes a detector for detecting when a user is holding the hair care appliance, and wherein the control unit is configured to determine that the predetermined use condition is satisfied if an output signal from the first sensor indicates that a user is holding the hair care appliance.

5. A hair care appliance according to any one of the preceding claims, wherein: The first sensor comprises an orientation sensor for detecting an orientation of the hair care appliance, and wherein the control unit is configured to determine the orientation of the hair care appliance based on an output signal from the orientation sensor, and determine that the predetermined use condition is satisfied if the hair care appliance is oriented in a predetermined direction.

6. A hair care appliance according to any one of the preceding claims, wherein: The second sensor comprises a distance sensor for detecting the distance of the distance sensor from the user's hair, and wherein the controller is configured to control the airflow generator based on an output signal from the second sensor by: determining a distance to the user's hair based on an output signal from the second sensor; and The airflow generator is activated when the distance from the user's hair is less than a threshold activation distance.

7. The hair care appliance of claim 6, wherein the controller is further configured to: After determining that the distance from the user's hair is less than a threshold activation distance for a predetermined activation delay, activating the airflow generator; and / or When the airflow generator is activated, and after determining that the distance from the user's hair continues to exceed a threshold activation distance for a predetermined deactivation delay, the airflow generator is deactivated.

8. A hair care appliance according to any one of the preceding claims, wherein The second sensor includes a detector for detecting a characteristic of the user's hair.

9. A hair care appliance according to any preceding claim, wherein the second sensor comprises an environmental sensor for detecting a property of the environment surrounding the hair care appliance.

10. A hair care appliance according to any preceding claim, wherein the second sensor comprises a sensor for detecting relative movement between the hair care appliance and the user's hair.

11. A hair care appliance according to any preceding claim, wherein the second sensor comprises a user command detector for detecting a command from a user.

12. A hair care appliance according to any one of the preceding claims, wherein the control unit is configured to control the temperature and / or flow rate of the air flow generated by the air flow generator based on the output signal from the second sensor.

13. A hair care appliance according to any one of the preceding claims, further comprising: a body, wherein the airflow generator is disposed in the body, the body having an attachment area adapted to connect an accessory; an accessory removably attachable to the body at the attachment region, wherein when the accessory is attached to the body at the attachment region, the accessory is adapted to receive airflow from the airflow generator and discharge the received airflow toward the hair of a user; and an accessory detector for detecting the accessory when the accessory is attached to the attachment area; Wherein, the control unit is further configured as follows: determining whether a predetermined accessory condition is satisfied based on an output signal from the accessory detector; and If the predetermined additional condition is met, the airflow generator is controlled based solely on the output signal from the second sensor.

14. The hair care appliance according to any of the preceding claims, wherein the control unit is configured to cause the airflow generator to enter an idle state if the first usage condition does not satisfy the predetermined usage condition within a predetermined period of time.

15. The hair care appliance of claim 14, wherein placing the airflow generator into an idle state comprises gradually reducing a temperature and / or a flow rate of the airflow generated by the airflow generator.

16. The hair care appliance of claim 15, wherein gradually reducing the temperature and / or flow rate of the airflow generated by the airflow generator comprises: placing the airflow generator in a first idle state, in which the flow rate and / or temperature of the airflow is reduced compared to a normal operating state of the airflow generator; and If the first usage condition is still not met after a predetermined idle period, the airflow generator is placed in a second idle state, in which the flow rate and / or temperature of the airflow is further reduced compared to the first idle state.

17. The hair care appliance according to any one of the preceding claims, further comprising a user interface for receiving user input, wherein the control unit is further configured to: determining whether a predetermined user input condition is satisfied based on an output signal received from the user interface; and If the predetermined user input condition is met, the airflow generator is controlled based only on the output signal from the second sensor.

18. A hair care appliance according to any one of the preceding claims, wherein The control unit is also configured as follows: determining an amount of time that the first usage condition satisfies the predetermined usage condition; and When the amount of time exceeds a predetermined threshold, the airflow generator is controlled based solely on the output signal from the second sensor.

19. A method of operating a hair care appliance having an airflow generator for generating an airflow, the method comprising: using a control unit of the hair care appliance to determine, based on an output signal received from a first sensor in the hair care appliance, whether a first use condition of the hair care appliance satisfies a predetermined use condition; and After determining that the first usage condition satisfies the predetermined usage condition, the airflow generator is controlled by the control unit based on an output signal from a second sensor in the hair care appliance, the second sensor being arranged to detect a second usage condition of the hair care appliance.

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