Heater apparatus and method

Abstract

An apparatus for drying or styling hair comprises a user interface 11 for allowing a user to specify a desired treatment to be performed on hair S1 and that the user wishes to copy, wherein the user’s desired treatment comprises one or more desired sequences S2. Pre-stored data includes information on how the appliance should be moved by the user during each of the sequences. An appliance 1 is manipulable by the user to perform the desired treatment on the user’s hair is provided and includes sensors for monitoring movement of the appliance. Sensor data is compared with pre-stored data S4 to determine whether movement of the appliance deviates from how the appliance should be moved and if the difference is greater than a threshold value, feedback messages are displayed to the user. In an alternative embodiment, a heating zone 6 of the appliance is controlled such that if similar deviation of movement is detected, the hair is not heated S5, and thus the hair is not treated according to an undesired sequence.

Description

Field of the Invention The present invention relates to heating apparatus and methods. The heaters can be used for styling hair. Such styling of the hair may be performed by a user in respect of their own hair, for example, or by a hair stylist. The invention has particular, but not exclusive, relevance to a styling device comprising one or more low thermal mass heaters. Background to the Invention Heated hair styling tools use heat to increase the temperature of hair to a desired styling temperature. For example, a hair straightener having a heated plate applies heat directly via conduction to heat the hair, which may be either wet or dry, to achieve the desired temperature for styling. The hair may be heated to a temperature that is particularly suitable for styling hair (for example, to or beyond a hair glass transition phase temperature). At lower temperatures, the user may have to make many passes with the hair straightener over the hair to achieve a desired styling effect, whereas at higher temperatures, there is a risk of causing permanent damage to the hair. Similarly, a heated brush or hair dryer can also be used to style hair by heating air which in turn heats the hair to a temperature suitable for styling. The hair is typically styled from wet, for example after the user has washed their hair, although the hair could also be styled from dry. When a user wants to replicate a hair treatment (for example a hair style generated by a stylist, a friend or an influencer), the user has, at best, a video recording of the motions they need to do to achieve the treatment, or, at worst, the user has to work out the hair treatment from memory. Therefore, the users generally do not know the full instructions they should be following in order to achieve a desired treatment. The lack of full knowledge of the instructions often results in the hair of the user being treated according to a treatment which is different from the desired treatment, in turn resulting in a frustrating styling experience. Sometimes the user will have their hair damaged when styling. The present invention aims to address or at least partially ameliorate one or more of the above problems. Summary of the Invention Aspects and embodiments of the invention are set out in the appended claims. These and other aspects of the invention, and aspects and embodiments which are useful in understanding the invention set out in the appended claims, are also described in the disclosure herein. Any feature in one aspect of the disclosure may be applied to other aspects of the disclosure, in any appropriate combination. In particular, method aspects may be applied to device and computer program aspects, and vice versa. Furthermore, features implemented in hardware may generally be implemented in software, and vice versa. Any reference to software and hardware features herein should be construed accordingly. In one aspect the invention provides apparatus for drying or styling hair, the apparatus comprising: a user interface for allowing a user to specify a desired treatment to be performed on hair and that the user wishes to copy, wherein the user’s desired treatment comprises one or more desired sequences and is associated with pre-stored data, and wherein the pre-stored data includes information on how the appliance should be moved by the user during each of the one or more desired sequences to achieve the desired treatment; an appliance that is manipulable by the user to perform the desired treatment on the hair of the user; sensors for sensing and outputting sensor data indicative of operational parameters of the appliance during the treatment, wherein the sensor data includes motion data that indicates how the appliance is being moved by the user; a heater comprising a hair contacting surface for heating hair of a user that contacts the hair contacting surface by conduction, the heater comprising a plurality of independently controllable heater electrodes that define a plurality of independently controllable heating zones of the hair contacting surface; and a controller configured to control the apparatus to, for each of the one or more desired sequences of the user’s desired treatment: process the sensor data to determine whether a deviation of the user’s manipulation of the appliance from how the appliance should be moved by the user to complete the desired sequence is greater than a threshold value, and, if it is, to output one or more feedback messages for the user to modify the way the appliance is manipulated, to help the user to complete the desired sequence, and / or control the temperature or the power output of the one or more heating zones of the plurality of controllable heating zones which are engaged with the hair, to avoid the hair loaded into the apparatus to be treated according to an undesired sequence. The user interface may further be configured to output the more or more feedback messages to the user. The user interface may comprise at least one of a sound generator, lighting means, a thermal somatosensory feedback generator, and / or a haptic feedback generator. The controller may be configured to control the apparatus such that controlling the temperature or the power output of the one or more heating zones of the plurality of controllable heating zones which are engaged with the hair, comprises: turning off the heater, or individually reducing and / or capping and / or modifying the temperature or the power output of the one or more heating zones of the plurality of individually controllable heating zones which are engaged with the hair. The apparatus may further comprise communication circuitry such that the apparatus is configured to communicate with an external processing device, the external processing device comprising a user interface associated with the user. The communication circuitry may be such that the apparatus is configured to output the feedback message to the external processing device and wherein the output feedback message is output on the user interface associated with the user. The external processing device may be part of a server remote from the apparatus, and / or a mobile phone or a smartwatch, the external processing device being configured to run an application, remote from the apparatus. The one or more desired sequences may be ordered and / or be associated with a side of the user’s head, to achieve the user’s desired treatment, optionally wherein the one or more desired sequences are ordered in groups of equal priority in the order. The user interface may be configured to output the one or more desired sequences to the user, and / or output a name of the treatment, and / or a name of each of the one or more sequences, and / or written instructions, pictures and / or video instructions associated with the treatment and / or the one or more sequences, to help explain the treatment and / or the one or more sequences, and / or allow the user to specify when a desired sequence has been completed. The user interface may be configured to, after the desired treatment has been completed, output one or more user messages for the user, to allow the user to upload a picture of the completed treatment and / or rate the desired treatment. The communication circuitry may be configured to access the pre-stored data associated with the user’s desired treatment via the external processing device. The controller may be further configured to process the sensor data to filter out data corresponding to movements which are performed when moveable arms of the appliance are in an open position, in which the arms are spaced apart. The controller may be configured to keep as data indicative of the user’s manipulation of the appliance data corresponding to movements which are performed when the moveable arms in a closed position, in which the arms are adjacent each other. The controller may further be configured to process the sensor data to filter out data corresponding to movements which are greater than an amplitude threshold and / or a speed threshold. The controller may be configured to keep as data indicative of the user’s manipulation of the appliance data corresponding to movements which are smaller than the amplitude threshold and / or the speed threshold. The apparatus may be a hair straightener, a hair dryer, a hot paddle brush, a hot round brush, a heater roller, or a hair curler. In another aspect the invention provides apparatus for drying or styling hair, the apparatus comprising: an appliance that is manipulable by a stylist to perform a reference treatment to be performed on hair and that is destined to be copied by a user, the reference treatment being performed on the hair of the stylist; a heater for heating hair during drying and / or styling; sensors for sensing and outputting sensor data indicative of operational parameters of the appliance during the reference treatment, wherein the sensors comprise motion sensors and the sensor data includes motion data that indicates how the appliance is being moved by the stylist; and a controller configured to control the apparatus to: process the sensor data to record data representative of the stylist’s manipulation of the appliance, process the recorded data to determine which movements of the appliance effectively contribute to achievement of the reference treatment, and process the recorded data corresponding to the determined effective movements of the appliance to generate pre-stored data which includes one or more reference sequences to achieve the stylist’s reference treatment, each reference sequence including information on how the appliance should be moved by the user during the reference sequence. The sensors may further comprise sensors configured to sense and output sensor data indicative of whether moveable arms of the appliance are: in a closed position, in which the arms are adjacent each other, or in an open position, in which the arms are spaced apart. The controller may be configured to control the apparatus to process the recorded data to determine that movements of the appliance performed when the moveable arms of the appliance are in the closed position effectively contribute to the achievement of the reference treatment, and / or determine that movements of the appliance performed when the moveable arms of the appliance are in the open position do not contribute to the achievement of the reference treatment. The controller may be configured to control the apparatus to process the recorded data to determine whether one or more movements of the appliance which effectively contribute to the achievement of the reference treatment are repeated at a frequency which is lower than a threshold, and if they are, group the determined repeated effective movements together into a sequence. The controller may be configured to control the apparatus to process the recorded data to compare the one or more grouped sequences and determine whether there is a deviation between at least two sequences of the one or more sequences, and if, there is, to determine whether the deviation between the at least two sequences is greater than a threshold value and if it is, to determine that the at least two sequences are reference sequences to achieve the stylist’s reference treatment. The controller may be configured to control the apparatus to process the recorded data to determine, if there is no deviation between the at least two sequences of the one or more sequences and / or if there is a deviation which is smaller than threshold value, that the at least two sequences correspond to a single reference sequence to achieve the stylist’s reference treatment. The controller may be configured to control the apparatus to process the recorded data to process the recorded data corresponding to the one or more reference sequences to determine whether there is a pattern of one or more sequences, and if there is, to assign an order and / or a side of the stylist’s head to the one or more reference sequences according to the determined pattern. The one or more desired sequences may be ordered in groups of equal priority in the order. The controller may be configured to control the apparatus to: process the sensor data to discard data which is representative of the stylist’s manipulation of the appliance above a movement safety line. The controller may be configured to process the data based on a set of deterministic rules and / or data for an artificial intelligence algorithm. The apparatus may further comprise communication circuitry such that the apparatus is configured to communicate with an external processing device, the external processing device comprising a user interface associated with the stylist. The external processing device is part of a server remote from the apparatus, and / or a mobile phone or a smartwatch, the external processing device being configured to run an application, remote from the apparatus. The apparatus may further comprise a user interface for allowing the stylist to assign a name to the treatment, and / or assign a name to the one or more reference sequences, and / or upload written instructions, pictures and / or video instructions associated with the reference treatment and / or the one or more sequences, to help explain the treatment and / or the one or more sequences. The apparatus may be a hair straightener, a hair dryer, a hot paddle brush, a hot round brush, a heater roller, or a hair curler. The heater may comprise a hair contacting surface for heating hair of a user that contacts the hair contacting surface by conduction, the heater comprising a plurality of independently controllable heater electrodes that define a plurality of independently controllable heating zones of the hair contacting surface. In another aspect the invention provides apparatus for performing a treatment on hair of a user, the apparatus comprising: an appliance that is manipulable by the user to perform the treatment on the hair of the user; a heater for heating hair during drying and / or styling; sensors for sensing and outputting sensor data indicative of operational parameters of the appliance during the treatment; and a controller configured to process the sensor data to filter out data corresponding to movements of the appliance which are performed when moveable arms of the appliance are in an open position, in which the arms are spaced apart, and / or filter out data corresponding to movements which are greater than an amplitude threshold and / or a speed threshold, and control the heating of the heater based on the sensor data based on the remaining data. The controller may further be configured to keep as data indicative of the user’s manipulation of the appliance data corresponding to movements which are performed when the moveable arms in a closed position, in which the arms are adjacent each other. The controller may further be configured to keep as data indicative of the user’s manipulation of the appliance data corresponding to movements which are smaller than the amplitude threshold and / or the speed threshold. In another aspect the invention provides a hair treatment method comprising: inputting a desired treatment to be performed on hair and that a user wishes to copy, wherein the user’s desired treatment comprises one or more desired sequences and is associated with pre-stored data, and wherein the pre-stored data includes information on how the appliance should be moved by the user during each of the one or more desired sequences to achieve the desired treatment; providing an appliance that is manipulable by the user to perform the desired treatment on the hair of the user, the appliance comprising a heater comprising a hair contacting surface for heating hair of a user that contacts the hair contacting surface by conduction, the heater comprising a plurality of independently controllable heater electrodes that define a plurality of independently controllable heating zones of the hair contacting surface; outputting sensor data indicative of operational parameters of the appliance during the treatment, wherein the sensor data includes motion data that indicates how the appliance is being moved by the user; controlling the apparatus to, for each of the one or more desired sequences of the user’s desired treatment: process the sensor data to determine whether a deviation of the user’s manipulation of the appliance from how the appliance should be moved by the user to complete the desired sequence is greater than a threshold value, and, if it is, to output one or more feedback messages for the user to modify the way is manipulated, to help the user to complete the desired sequence, and / or control the temperature or the power output of the one or more heating zones of the plurality of controllable heating zones which are engaged with the hair, to avoid the hair loaded into the apparatus to be treated according to an undesired sequence. In another aspect the invention provides a method for generating a hair treatment, apparatus comprising: providing an appliance that is manipulable by a stylist to perform a reference treatment to be performed on hair and that is destined to be copied by a user, the reference treatment being performed on the hair of the stylist, the appliance comprising a heater for heating hair of a user; outputting sensor data indicative of operational parameters of the appliance during the reference treatment, wherein the sensors comprise motion sensors and the sensor data includes motion data that indicates how the appliance is being moved by the stylist; and controlling the apparatus to: process the sensor data to record data representative of the stylist’s manipulation of the appliance, process the recorded data to determine which movements of the appliance effectively contribute to achievement of the reference treatment, and process the recorded data corresponding to the determined effective movements of the appliance to generate pre-stored data which includes one or more reference sequences to achieve the stylist’s reference treatment, each reference sequence including information on how the appliance should be moved by the user during the reference sequence. In another aspect the invention provides a corresponding computer program product comprising computer implementable instructions. Brief Description of the Drawings Embodiments of the invention will now be described, by way of example only, and with reference to the drawings in which: Figure 1a shows an overview of an exemplary hair styling device; Figure 1b shows a hair styling device in use; Figure 2 is a block diagram illustrating the main electronic components of the hair styling device shown in Figure 1; Figure 3a is an exploded view of a heater forming part of the hair styling device shown in Figure 1; Figure 3b is an assembled partially transparent view of the heater shown in Figure 3a; Figure 4a schematically illustrates the heating zones on the heating surface of the heater shown in Figure 3; Figure 4b schematically illustrates an alternative arrangement of heating zones; Figure 5 schematically illustrates a further alternative arrangement of heating zones that are of different sizes and shapes; Figure 6a illustrates the way in which the heating zones may be formed on a tubular substrate for use in a curling tong or the like; Figure 6b illustrates the way in which the heating zones may be arranged on a curved substrate which may be used on a heated brush; Figure 7 illustrates a tress of hair that partly overlaps with zones Z2 and Z4 of a heater; Figure 8 shows a flow chart illustrating an example method for operating an appliance according to the disclosure, for treating hair according to a desired treatment; Figure 9 shows a flow chart illustrating an example method for operating an appliance according to the disclosure, for generating a reference treatment; Figure 10 shows a flow chart illustrating an example method for performing some steps of the method of Figure 9; Figures 11 a, 11 b, 11 c, 11 d and 11 e show examples of one or more sequences obtained after a processing of raw data from an appliance according to the disclosure. Overview of Hair Styling Device Figure 1a illustrates a hand-held (portable) hair styler 1 (or hair styling appliance or apparatus in the present disclosure). The hair styler 1 includes a first movable arm 4a and a second movable arm 4b, which are coupled at proximal ends thereof to a shoulder 2. The first arm 4a bears a first heater 6a at its distal end, and the second arm 4b bears a second heater 6b at its distal end. The first and second heaters 6a, 6b oppose one another and are brought together as the first and second arms 4a, 4b are moved from an open configuration to a closed configuration. As shown in Figure 1b, during use, a tress of hair 40 is sandwiched between the two arms 4 so that the user’s hair is in contact with, and therefore heated by, outer heating surfaces of the heaters 6a, 6b. Therefore, as the user pulls the hair styler 1 along the tress of hair 40, the tress of hair 40 is heated by conductive heating to a suitable temperature to facilitate styling. A user interface 11 is provided to allow the user to input information about them to the device and / or for the device to output information to the user. The user interface 11 may have a dial, button or touch display for allowing the user to input information to the device 1 and the user interface 11 may have an indicator light, display, sound generator or haptic feedback generator for outputting information to the user. In this embodiment, the user interface 11 also comprises a control button or switch 14 to enable the user to turn the device 1 on or off; and an indicator light 15 to show whether the power is on. A printed circuit board assembly (not shown) may be provided at any suitable location within the housing of the device 1 and carries the control circuitry for controlling the operation of the device 1 and for controlling the interaction with the user via the user interface 11. In this example, electrical power is provided to the device 1 by means of a power supply located at an end of the device, via a power supply cord 3. The power supply may be an AC mains power supply. However, in an alternative embodiment the power supply may comprise one or more DC batteries or cells (which may be rechargeable, e.g., from the mains or a DC supply via a charging lead), thereby enabling the device 1 to be a cordless product. In use, the device 1 is turned on, energising the heaters 6 to cause them to heat up. The user then opens the first and second arms 4a, 4b and, normally starting from the roots of the hair (i.e. near the scalp), a length or tress of hair 40 (which may be clumped) is introduced between the arms 4a, 4b, transversely across the heaters 6a, 6b. The user then closes the arms 4a, 4b so that the length of hair 40 is held between the first and second arms 4a, 4b and then the user pulls the hair through the closed arms (as illustrated in Figure 1b). The outer (hair contacting) surface of the heaters 6 is flat in this embodiment and so the hair styler 1 can be used to straighten the user’s hair. The hair styling device 1 shown in Figure 1 can also be used to curl the hair by turning the device 1 through approximately 180 degrees or more after clamping the hair between the arms 4a, 4b and before moving the device 1 along the tress of hair 40. Hair has a relatively high thermal mass and when in contact with the heating surface of the heater 6 the hair absorbs a significant amount of the heat energy. The heaters 6 must quickly supply the lost heat energy back to the heating surface otherwise the temperature of the heating surface will drop and potentially impact on the quality of the thermal styling. If the temperature of the heaters 6 fall below the glass transition temperature of the hair, the hair will not retain the styled shape. However, if the hair is heated to a temperature that is too high, the hair can undergo significant damage. Furthermore, different hair types require different amount of heat energy for hair styling (because of different thickness, quality, condition, thermal mass of hair). Typically, fine straight hair requires less heat than thick curly hair for styling. Depending on the type of hair, the glass transition temperature of the hair when dry may be a temperature in the range of approximately 40°C-200°C. When the hair is moist or damp, the glass transition temperature may be in the range of 0°C to 150°C. As such, the device 1 must be able to control the temperature so that the heating surface of the heaters 6 remains within a particular temperature range. Furthermore, it must maintain the temperature range both when hair is frequently and quickly loaded and unloaded onto the heating surface, and when hair is held on the heating surface for a prolonged period of time. Control Circuitry Figure 2 is a simplified block diagram of control circuitry 15 that controls the operation of the hair styler device 1 shown in Figure 1. As shown, the control circuitry 15 comprises a power supply 21 that, in this embodiment, derives power from a battery power source. A mains power supply input may be provided to charge the battery via an AC to DC converter (not shown), which may be external or internal to the device 1. Alternatively, the power supply 21 may derive power from an AC mains supply input. I n this example, power is provided to the heaters 6 for heating the user’s hair. The power supplied to the heaters 6 is controlled by a controller 28 having a microprocessor 29. The power supplied to the heaters 6 is controlled by drive circuitry 23 (which may include one or more power semiconductor switching devices (triacs)) which controls the application of an AC mains voltage, or a DC voltage derived from the AC mains or from a battery, to the heaters 6 in accordance with instructions from the microprocessor 29. The microprocessor 29 is coupled to a memory 30 (which is typically a non-volatile memory) that stores processor control code for implementing one or more control methods that control the heating of the heaters 6 in accordance with a desired operating temperature of the heaters 6 and sensed temperatures of the heaters obtained from temperature measurement circuitry 25. The microprocessor 29 allows for complex control of the heaters 6. For example, the controller 28 may be configured to adjust the power delivered to heaters by using an on / off triac based upon the output of the temperature measurement circuitry 25. The memory 30 may store a number of transfer functions such as: simple on-off control means or bang-bang control means; proportional-integral-derivative (PID) control means; a set of deterministic rules; data for an artificial intelligence algorithm; fuzzy logic; feed back control means; feed forward control means. The controller 28 comprises means to measure the input voltage or alternatively to detect the speed at which the heaters 6 heat up, so as to detect the type of input voltage. A high input voltage would lead to a faster heat up of the heaters 6 and hence a control loop can react appropriately. The input voltage and / or speed of heat up can also be used to detect a failure. The controller 28 may comprise means to detect the use of the hair styling appliance and control the power supply to the heaters accordingly. This feature helps to reduce power consumption and improve safety. For example, the controller 28 may comprise means to reduce the temperature of the heaters when they are not active and then rapidly heat them up when they are about to be used. The controller 28 may allow a heater to power down to a standby temperature if a user momentarily places the hair styling appliance on a table. The controller 28 may then power up the heater to an operating temperature when the hair styling appliance is picked up to be used. If the controller 28 detects that the hair styling appliance has not been used for a longer period of time, then the control means may shut down the hair styling appliance. This enables the hair styling appliance to meet the mandatory requirement of the safety standard that the appliance must turn off after 30 minutes whether it is being used or not. The hair styler 1 includes an arm sensor 32 configured to sense and output sensor data indicative of whether moveable arms 4a and 4b of the appliance are: in a closed position, in which the arms are adjacent each other, or in an open position, in which the arms are spaced apart. Detection of use may be achieved by detecting the opening and closing of the first movable arm and a second movable arm of the hair styling appliance, or through the use of one or more motion detection devices to detect the motion of the hair styling appliance or the used of a capacitive touch system. In some examples the arm sensor 32 is further configured to measure a pressure between the first movable arm 4a and the second movable arm 4b, e.g., when styling the hair. The one or more motion detection devices mentioned above are shown in Figure 2 and referred to with numerical reference 31. The one or more motion detection devices 31 may comprise any one of an accelerometer, a gyrometer, a magnetometer, a proximity sensor, an inclination sensor, as non-limiting examples. The temperature measurement circuitry 25 may be temperature sensors such as thermistors or they may use circuitry that senses the resistance of heater electrodes that are used to heat the heaters 6, which resistance depends on the temperature of the heater electrode. Figure 2 also shows that the user interface 11 is coupled to the microprocessor 29, for example to provide one or more user controls, input and / or output indications such as a visual indication or an audible alert. Finally, the control circuitry includes communications circuitry 27 to allow the appliance to communicate with an external processing device, such as a remote sensor, a remote server, or a remote application (e.g., on a mobile telephone or on a smartwatch). The communications circuitry 27 may use, for example, Bluetooth, Wi-Fi and / or 3GPP communication protocols to communicate with the external, remote processing device. The external processing device may comprise a user interface associated with the user, such as a dial, button or touch display for allowing the user to input information to the device 1 and the user interface 11 may have an indicator light, touch display, sound generator or haptic feedback generator for outputting information to the user. As already stated, the user interface 11 comprises feedback means for providing feedback to the user of the styler. The operation of the feedback means will be described in greater detail below. The feedback means may comprise a sound generator configured to provide a polyphonic sound. The means may provide a particular sound brand or jingle when switching on and / or off. The means may provide a sound to indicate particular events, such as reaching a desired operating temperature and / or sleep mode. Additionally or alternatively, the feedback means may comprise lighting means. The lighting means may provide a pleasing aesthetic appearance as well as indicate temperature or other events. The lighting means may comprise an electroluminescent backlight as it enables wide angle, wide area viewing. Alternatively or additionally, the lighting means may comprise an LED lighting with a suitable light-pipe and / or optical diffuser. Additionally or alternatively, the feedback means may comprise a thermal somatosensory feedback generator and / or a haptic feedback generator, for outputting information to the user. Heaters The heaters 6a, 6b are low thermal mass heaters and can therefore heat up and cool down quickly. Figures 3a and 3b show an exemplary embodiment of such heaters 6a, 6b, which comprise a stack of thin layers. Referring in particular to Figure 3a, the heaters 6a, 6b include an upper dielectric (electrically insulating) layer 62, an electrode layer 63 that has a plurality of separate heater electrodes 64, and a lower dielectric layer 66 which electrically insulates the heater electrodes 64 from other components mounted behind the heater 6a, 6b. The three layers 62, 63 and 66 are bonded together either through an adhesive layer (pressure set or thermoset) or through diffusion bonding of the contacting materials (e.g. melting them together) and define a heater 6 that is very thin (the three layers have an overall thickness of between 30pm to 1000pm in the case of low voltage operation (less than about 40 Volts) and 0.8mm to 2.0mm in the case of AC operation) and with very low thermal mass. The upper surface of the layer 62 provides the hair contacting surface of the heater 6, although a non-stick coating may be applied to the upper surface of the layer 62 to facilitate the passage of the user’s hair over the heating surface. The bonded layers 62, 63 and 66 define a flexible heater 6 and rigidity of the heater is provided in the illustrated embodiment by mounting the heater layers 62, 63 and 66 into a rigid support 68 which forms a base. These layers may be mounted onto the rigid support after the layers themselves have been bonded together or they may be bonded one at a time (or multiple at a time) onto the rigid support 68. If a flexible heater is desired, then there is no need for the rigid support 68 or if a support is used, this may be a non-rigid support. In the illustrated embodiment, there are ten heater electrodes 64 that each snake across and back across the width of the heater 6, folding twice such that they each cross the width three times. The ends of each of the heater electrodes 64 are electrically connected through the lower dielectric layer 66 to electrical connections within the rigid support 68, which connect to an electrical connector 70. Drive circuitry 23 that is mounted within one of the arms 4 connects to the heater electrodes 64 via the electrical connector 70 and applies electrical power to the individual heater electrodes 64 to control the heat generated by each heater electrode 64. The electrical connector 70 extends from a surface of the rigid support 68 facing away from the surface layer 62 (shown in Figures 3a and 3b as extending directly away from the upper layer 62, but it could also be provided as extending in a perpendicular direction). Each of the heater electrodes 64 thus creates an individual heating zone 642 on the hair contacting surface of the heater 6, which spans the width (which we shall refer to as the x-direction) of the heater 6 and the heater electrodes 64 are arranged sequentially one after the other along the length (the y-direction) of the heater 6. Figures 4a and 4b show schematic views of different arrangements of such heating zones 642. Figure 4a shows an arrangement corresponding to that of Figures 3a and 3b, in which the heating zones 642-1 to 642-10 are arranged along the y-direction only. Figure 4b shows an alternative arrangement, in which heating zones 642-1 to 642-16 are arranged in both the x- and y-directions. Such an arrangement of heating zones 642 can be provided by arranging two sets of heater electrodes 64 like those shown in Figure 3a side by side in the width, x-direction. The heaters 6 may be separated in this way into any number of heating zones 642 and may comprise any number of heating zones along the x- and y-directions. In particular, whilst Figure 4b shows two zones along the x-direction, a greater number of zones in the x-direction could also be provided. The heating zones 642 of the heaters 6a, 6b can be operated (heated) independently, which can help to reduce hot / cold spots when using very low thermal mass heaters 6 such as those shown in Figure 3. The heating zones illustrated in Figure 4 are all the same size. Of course, different sized heating zones 642 may be provided, as illustrated in Figure 5, which shows a heater 6 having seven different sized heating zones (labelled Z1 to Z7). The way in which the heater electrodes 64 would be arranged to define these different sized zones would be understood by the skilled reader and will not be described in detail here. The heating zones 642 described above form part of a heater having a flat hair contacting surface. The heater is not limited to flat hair contacting surfaces and can be configured for use a tubular form (as illustrated in Figure 6a) for example for use in a hair curler device or in a curved form (as illustrated in Figure 6b) for example for use in a heated hair brush. The heater surface may have a corrugated or ribbed shape to provide a hair crimping device. The temperature of each heating zone 642 is independently controllable. Each heating zone 642 can be set to a target temperature. The target temperature of each heating zone 642 may be different. A separate temperature sensor may be provided for sensing the temperature of each heating zone 642 which is fed back to the microprocessor 29 to allow the microprocessor 29 to control the delivery of power to the heater electrode 64 of the corresponding heating zone 642. Alternatively, if the heater electrodes 64 are formed of a material having a Positive Temperature Coefficient (PTC) or a Negative Temperature Coefficient (NTC) (such that its resistance varies with its temperature), then the temperature of each heating zone 642 can be determined by determining the resistance of the corresponding heater electrode 64. When hair is present on the hair contacting surface, the temperature of the hair contacting surface drops more rapidly than when hair is not present. Therefore, when the hair styling appliance is unpowered, presence of hair can be detected by measuring a rate of change of temperature gradient of the hair contacting surface. Alternatively or additionally, and as discussed in more detail below, hair presence can be detected by zonal power loading. The microprocessor 28 controls the heating in order to reduce the difference between the actual temperature of the heating zone 642 and the target temperature for that heating zone 642. Heating Zone Sizing When the user loads a tress of hair 40 onto the heaters 6, some parts of the heater will be loaded with hair whilst other parts will not be loaded with hair. In the present disclosure, the size of the tress of hair can refer to a volume of hair, a number of hair fibres, a surface area of hair, or any combinations of the previous, such as a hair density. Upon loading with hair, and using the already described temperature measurement circuitry 25, more power is supplied to the heater 6 to ensure that all regions on the hair contacting surface can be retained within and / or recovered back to the desired operating temperature limits. Figure 7 shows a tress of hair 40 overlying heating zones Z2, Z3 and Z4, with heating zone Z3 being fully loaded with hair whilst heating zones Z2 and Z4 being only partially loaded with hair. Figure 7 extent of the heating zones gives the microcontroller 28 an indication of the size of the tress of hair 40 introduced between the arms of the styling appliance. Additionally or alternatively, the styler may comprise sensing means to determine the amount of hair introduced in the styling apparatus. The sensing means may include capacitive sensing means to detect the amount of hair between the heaters. Operation of the apparatus Achievement of a desired hair treatment Figure 8 shows a flow chart illustrating an example method 100 for operating an appliance for treating hair, according to the disclosure. In the method 100 of Figure 8, at S1, a user specifies a desired treatment to be performed on hair and that the user wishes to copy. In the method 100, the user’s desired treatment comprises one or more desired sequences and is associated with pre-stored data, the pre-stored data being for example stored in a remote server (not shown in the Figures). The pre-stored data includes information on how the appliance should be moved by the user during each of the one or more desired sequences to achieve the desired treatment. In the method 100, the user uses the user interface 11 (for example a touch display) to specify the desired treatment (such as “beach-curl” or “curtain bangs”, as non-limiting examples), for example among a library of available reference treatments. The specification could conventionally involve a search engine to search the library of pre-stored reference treatments. The communication circuitry 27 may be configured to access the pre-stored data associated with the user’s desired treatment via the external processing device already described. For example, the pre-stored data is downloaded from the remote server via a phone application or accessed remotely using a web browser. The user interface 11 is configured to output to the user, at S2, the one or more sequences of the desired treatment to the user, such as on the display of the user interface associated with the user on the external device. For example, the user interface 11 may be configured to output to the user a name to the treatment (such as “curtain bangs”), and / or a name of each of the one or more sequences (such as “straighten” and / or “curl front sections”), and / or output written instructions, pictures and / or video instructions associated with the desired treatment or the one or more sequence (such as “Split your hair into multiple sections over your whole head. Make sure there are two sections at the front, on the left and right sides”), to help explain the treatment and / or the one or more sequences. As already stated, the motion sensors 31 are configured to sense and output, at S3, sensor data indicative of operational parameters of the appliance during the treatment, including motion data that indicates how the appliance is being moved by the user. I n the method 100, for each of the one or more desired sequences of the user’s desired treatment, the microcontroller 28 determines, at S4, whether a deviation of the user’s manipulation of the appliance from how the appliance should be moved by the user to complete the desired sequence is greater than a threshold value. The threshold value corresponds to a tolerance in the movements of the appliance. The tolerance allows for the user not to match the movements of the sequence perfectly, movement by movement. Each sequence has a certain tolerance to failure. For example, a regular sequence corresponding to "straighten hair" has a relatively high tolerance in movement, as the desired style is not greatly dependant on user error. However, a sequence for “curl hair in beach-curl” has a relatively low tolerance on the direction of rotation of the appliance. In other words, each of the desired sequence has its own threshold value. If it is determined at S4 that the deviation of the user’s manipulation of the appliance is greater than the threshold value, the method 100 moves to S5 where the microcontroller 28 outputs one or more feedback messages for the user to modify the way the appliance is manipulated, to help the user to complete the desired sequence. The user interface 11 is configured to output the more or more feedback messages to the user on the appliance. In such examples, the user interface 11 comprises at least one of a sound generator, lighting means, a thermal somatosensory feedback generator, and / or a haptic feedback generator already described. In such examples, it is determined at S4 that the deviation of the user’s manipulation of the appliance is greater than the threshold value, the controller is configured to control the apparatus to cause the sound generator, the lighting means, the thermal somatosensory feedback generator, and / or the haptic feedback generator to produce a feedback message, such as a sound of a given type (such as a buzz), a light of a given colour (such as red), heat up the somatosensory feedback generator and / or a given haptic feedback. The feedback prompts the user to modify the way the appliance is manipulated, to help the user to complete the desired sequence. Alternatively or additionally, the user interface 11 is configured to output the more or more feedback messages to the user on the external processing device. In such examples, when the user is connected to an application running on their mobile phone or their smartwatch, the communication circuitry of the appliance may output the feedback message (such as a visual indication or an audible alert) to the user interface associated with the user on the mobile phone or smartwatch. In such examples, haptic feedback may be produced e.g., via the smartwatch or the mobile phone, without needing to install haptic feedback generator in the appliance. Other examples of feedback messages are envisaged. Alternatively or additionally, if it is determined at S4 that the deviation of the user’s manipulation of the appliance is greater than the threshold value, at S5 the microcontroller 28 controls the temperature or the power output of the one or more heating zones of the plurality of controllable heating zones which are engaged with the hair, to avoid the hair loaded into the apparatus to be treated according to an undesired sequence. In such an example, controlling at S5 the temperature or the power output of the one or more heating zones of the plurality of controllable heating zones which are engaged with the hair, comprises turning off the heater or individually modifying and / or individually reducing and / or individually capping the temperature or the power output of the one or more heating zones of the plurality of individually controllable heating zones which are engaged with the hair. The controlling also prevents the hair being burnt. Some treatments do not have any ordered sequences or any particular orientation with respect to the head of the user, such as the treatment “straighten hair”. However, some treatments comprise one or more desired sequences which are ordered and / or are associated with a side the user’s head, to achieve the user’s desired treatment. For example, in order to achieve the style “curtain bangs”, the sequences “straighten hair and “curl front sections” are ordered such that the sequence “straighten hair" has to be performed and completed before the sequence “curl front sections” can be performed and completed. In some cases, the one or more desired sequences are ordered in groups of equal priority in the order, such that any sequences in a group can be performed and completed before or after another sequence in the group. In such examples, the user interface 11 is further configured to allow the user to specify when a desired sequence has been completed. It is determined at S6 whether the treatment has been completed. If it is determined at S6 that the treatment has been completed, the method 100 ends or moves to optional step S7. In S7, the user interface is configured to output one or more user messages for the user, to allow the user to upload a picture of the completed treatment and / or rate the desired treatment. Higher rated treatments may have a higher priority in the searchable library of available treatments and / or may help enhance the quality of new treatments. After the optional step S7, the method 100 ends. If it is determined at S6 that the treatment has not been completed, the method 100 moves to S3 for another sequence of the desired treatment. If it is determined at S4 that the deviation of the user’s manipulation of the appliance is smaller than the threshold value, the method 100 moves to S6 described above. Generation of a reference hair treatment Figure 9 shows a flow chart illustrating an example method 200 allowing a stylist (such as a professional stylist, a friend of the user or an influencer whom the user follows as non-limiting examples) to generate a reference hair treatment on an appliance according to the disclosure. In the method 200, the appliance is manipulable by the stylist to perform on their hair the reference treatment and that is destined to be copied by a user (using the method 100 already described with reference to Figure 8 described above). As already stated, the motion sensors 31 of the appliance are configured to sense and output, at S10, sensor data indicative of operational parameters of the appliance during the reference treatment, the sensor data including motion data that indicates how the appliance is being moved by the stylist. At S20, the raw data including the motion data corresponding to the sensor data representative of the stylist’s manipulation of the appliance is processed by the microcontroller 28, to be recorded. At S30, the microcontroller 28 processes the recorded data to determine which movements of the appliance effectively contribute to achievement of the reference treatment. At S40, the microcontroller 28 processes the recorded data corresponding to the determined effective movements of the appliance to generate pre-stored data which includes one or more reference sequences to achieve the stylist’s reference treatment, each reference sequence including information on how the appliance should be moved by the user during the reference sequence. For example, in order to achieve the reference style “curtain bangs", the sequences include the sequence “straighten hair" and the sequence “curl front sections". In some examples, at S40 the user interface 11 is configured to allow the stylist to assign a name to the treatment (such as “curtain bangs”), and / or assign a name to the one or more reference sequences (such as “straighten hair" for a sequence and “curl front sections" for another sequence), and / or upload written instructions, pictures and / or video instructions associated with the reference treatment and / or the one or more sequences (such as “Split your hair into multiple sections over your whole head. Make sure there are two sections at the front, on the left and right sides’), to help explain the treatment and / or the one or more sequences. In the method 200, the generated pre-stored data is then stored at S50, in a remote server (not shown in the Figures), for example among a library of reference treatments, conventionally searchable using a search engine. As already stated, the library of reference treatments may be accessed by a user via an external processing device. For example, the pre-stored data is downloaded from the remote server via a phone application or accessed remotely using a web browser. Some aspects of the processing performed in the method 200 are disclosed below. In Figure 9, atS10, the sensor data representative of the operational parameters of the appliance during the reference treatment further include sensor data output by the arm sensor 32, the further data being indicative of whether the moveable arms of the appliance are: in a closed position, in which the arms are adjacent each other, or in an open position, in which the arms are spaced apart. At S20, the microcontroller 28 processes the data to record the further data being indicative of whether the moveable arms of the appliance are in the closed position or in the open position, together with the motion data that indicates how the appliance is being moved by the user. At S30, the microcontroller 28 works on an assumption that movements which are performed when the arms of the appliance are in the closed position are intentional movements and are, in other words, movement which contribute to the achievement of the reference treatment. It may be also considered at S30 that movements which are performed when the arms of the appliance are in the open position do not contribute to the achievement of the reference treatment. Therefore, at S30, the microcontroller 28 processes the recorded data to determine that movements of the appliance performed when the moveable arms of the appliance are in the closed position effectively contribute to the achievement of the reference treatment. Alternatively or additionally, at S30, the microcontroller 28 processes the recorded data to determine that movements of the appliance performed when the moveable arms of the appliance are in the open position do not contribute to the achievement of the reference treatment. Figure 10 shows a flow chart illustrating some further steps of the step S40 of the method 200 of Figure 9. In the step S40 shown at Figure 10, at S41 the microcontroller 28 processes the recorded data including the further data as described above with reference to S30. At S42, the microcontroller 28 determines whether one or more movements of the appliance which effectively contribute to the achievement of the reference treatment are repeated at a frequency which is lower than a threshold. Movements of the appliance which are repeated at lower frequencies (such as one repetition every second or every other second, as non-limiting examples) are indicative of an intentional movement on different parts of the hair being styled. Higher frequencies of repetitions of movements are indicative of the stylist going over a same tress of hair, multiple times. If it is determined at S42 that one or more movements of the appliance which effectively contribute to the achievement of the reference treatment are repeated at a frequency which is lower than the threshold, then the microcontroller 28 groups at S43 the determined repeated effective movements together into a sequence, and the method moves to S44. At S44, the microcontroller 28 compares the one or more grouped sequences and determines whether there is a deviation between at least two sequences of the one or more sequences. If it is determined at S44 that there is a deviation between at least two sequences of the one or more sequences, the microcontroller 28 determines at S45 whether the deviation between the at least two sequences is greater than a threshold value. The threshold value corresponds to a significantly different action on the hair. If it is determined at S45 that the deviation between the at least two sequences is greater than a threshold value, then the microcontroller 28 determines at S46 that the at least two sequences are reference sequences to achieve the stylist’s reference treatment. However, if it is determined at S44 that there is no deviation between the at least two sequences of the one or more sequences, or if it is determined at S45 that there is a deviation which is smaller than the threshold value, the method moves to S47 where the microcontroller 28 determines that the at least two sequences correspond to a single reference sequence to achieve the stylist’s reference treatment. After S46 and S47, the method moves to S48, where the microcontroller 28 determines whether there is a pattern of one or more sequences. If it is determined at S48 that there is a pattern of one or more sequences, then the microcontroller 28 assigns an order and / or a side of the stylist’s head to the one or more reference sequences according to the determined pattern. In some examples, the one or more desired sequences are ordered in groups of equal priority in the order. After step S48 the method of Figure 10 moves to S50 already described with reference to Figure 9. If it is determined at S48 that there is no pattern of one or more sequences, then the microcontroller 28 does not assign any order to the one or more reference sequences, and the method moves to S50 already described. If it is determined at S42 that one or more movements of the appliance which effectively contribute to the achievement of the reference treatment are repeated at a frequency which is higher than the threshold, then the microcontroller 28 determines at S420 that the movements are indicative of the stylist going over a same tress of hair, multiple times, and the corresponding movements are not grouped into a sequence, but the microcontroller 28 determines that the movements correspond to a single movement for the achievement of the treatment. The method then moves back to S42 already described. In an example, the microcontroller 28 is configured to process the sensor data to discard data which is representative of the stylist’s manipulation of the appliance above a movement amplitude or movement speed safety line (for example shown in Figure 11a, discussed in greater detail below). In other words, any movement that is determined as too rapid (i.e., above the safety line shown in Figure 11a) is filtered out. In this example it is considered that when the styler is moved too rapidly, heat from the heater is not sufficiently applied to the hair, which in turn creates the need for repeat passes on the hair which ultimately ends up damaging the hair. The control of the heating of the heater is based on the remaining sensor data based on the data. The control of the heating of the heater is thus based on the safe movements for the hair. The microcontroller may process the data based on a set of deterministic rules and / or data for an artificial intelligence algorithm, stored in the memory 30 already described. Figures 11 a, 11 b, 11 c, 11 d and 11 e show an example result obtained after a processing of raw data from an appliance according to the disclosure. Figure 11 a shows the recorded raw data about the movement of the appliance, obtained at the step S30 described above, as a function of time. In Figure 11a, a first part of the curve (solid line in Figure 11a) shows the movements of the appliance performed with the arms of the appliance in the open position (and which will be filtered out), and a second part of the curve (dotted line in Figure 11a) shows the movements of the appliance performed with the arms of the appliance in the closed position (i.e. the effective movements for the achievement of the treatment). The mixed dotted line shows the safety line, above which the movements are not taken into account (the movements above the safety line are filtered out in the example of Figure 11a), for safety reasons, as explained above. Figures 11 b, 11 c, 11 d and 11 e respectively represent one or more sequences identified after the processing of the raw data according to the step S40 described above, as shown in Figure 11a. In a first example, the microprocessor 28 has determined that the treatment corresponding to the raw data of Figure 11a has two sequences. The first sequence comprises the effective movements of Figure 11b and the effective movements of Figure 11 e, with the movements of Figure 11b being performed on the right of the head of the user and the movements of Figure 11 e being performed on the left of the head of the user. The second sequence comprises the effective movements of Figure 11c and the effective movements of Figure 11d, with the movements of Figure 11c being performed on the right of the head of the userand the movements of Figure 11d being performed on the left of the head of the user. In the first example, the microprocessor 28 has also determined that the first sequence and the second sequence belong to the same priority, such that the order in which the sequences are performed with respect to each other has no impact on the achievement of the treatment. In a second example, the microprocessor 28 has determined that the treatment corresponding to the raw data of Figure 11a, has four ordered sequences. The first sequence comprises the effective movements of Figure 11b, with the movements of Figure 11 b being performed on the right of the head of the user. In the second example, the first sequence must be performed and completed before the second sequence. The second sequence comprises the effective movements of Figure 11e, the movements of Figure 11 e being performed on the left of the head of the user. In the second example, the second sequence must be performed and completed before the third sequence. The third sequence comprises the effective movements of Figure 11c, the movements of Figure 11c being performed on the right of the head of the user, and the fourth sequence comprises the effective movements of Figure 11 d, the movements of Figure 11 d being performed on the left of the head of the user. In the second example, it might be determined that the third sequence can be performed and completed before or after the fourth sequence. Modifications and alternatives Detailed embodiments and some possible alternatives have been described above. As those skilled in the art will appreciate, a number of modifications and further alternatives can be made to the above embodiments whilst still benefiting from the inventions embodied therein. It will therefore be understood that the invention is not limited to the described embodiments and encompasses modifications apparent to those skilled in the art lying within the scope of the claims appended hereto. The invention has been described above by way of implementation in a hair styling device for straightening hair (‘hair straighteners’) which employ flat hair styling heaters 6. However, it could alternatively be implemented in any form of hair styling device, such as (but not limited to) crimpers, curlers or heated brushes. The heaters 6 may define a heating surface that is flat, curved, ridged or in the shape of a barrel. The hair styling device may have two arms like the device illustrated in Figure 1 or it may be a single armed device. The heaters described above may also be used in hair dryers or in combination devices that use conductive heating and air to dry and style the user’s hair (such as those described in the applicant’s earlier PCT application WO 2021 / 019239). In embodiments where air is used, the heaters 6 may be perforated so that air passes through the heater and is warmed by the heater as the air passes through. In the above embodiments, Metal Oxide Semiconductor Field Effect Transistor (MOSFET) switches were used to control powering and sensing of the heater electrodes. As those skilled in the art will appreciate, other switches could be used instead. For example, Field Effect Transistors (FETs) could be used, such as Gallium Nitride FETs or bipolar junction transistors (BJTs). In the above embodiments, a DC power source was used to provide electrical power for heating the heater electrodes 64. This DC power source will typically be one or more batteries, although DC supplies that derive their power from a mains power AC signal may be used. Thicker or more dielectric layers are typically used between the heater electrodes 64 and the hair contacting surface of the hair styler when AC power is used to heat the heaters. In the above-described examples the hair styling device 10 may comprise a single heater 6, or may alternatively comprise two or more heaters 6. The heater may not comprise a plurality of independently controllable heater electrodes that define a plurality of independently controllable heating zones of the hair contacting surface, but the heater may have a single heating zone or one or more heating zones which are not independently controllable. Throughout the description and claims of this specification, the words “comprise” and “contain” and variations of the words, for example “comprising” and “containing”, means “including but not limited to”, and is not intended to (and does not) exclude other components, integers or steps. The expressions “to dry hair”, “drying hair” or “decrease a moisture level of hair” and 5 the like, as used in the present disclosure, can refer both to the removal of “unbound” water that exists on the outside of hair when wet, or the removal of “bound” water, which exists inside individual hairs, and which can be interacted with when heat styling hair. The “bound” water need not necessarily be removed when drying hair, although removal of some bound water may occur during a drying or styling process. 10 Various other modifications will be apparent to those skilled in the art and will not be described in further detail here.

Claims

1. Apparatus for drying or styling hair, the apparatus comprising:a user interface for allowing a user to specify a desired treatment to be performed on hair and that the user wishes to copy,wherein the user’s desired treatment comprises one or more desired sequences and is associated with pre-stored data, andwherein the pre-stored data includes information on how the appliance should be moved by the user during each of the one or more desired sequences to achieve the desired treatment;an appliance that is manipulable by the user to perform the desired treatment on the hair of the user;sensors for sensing and outputting sensor data indicative of operational parameters of the appliance during the treatment,wherein the sensor data includes motion data that indicates how the appliance is being moved by the user;a heater comprising a hair contacting surface for heating hair of a user that contacts the hair contacting surface by conduction, the heater comprising a plurality of independently controllable heater electrodes that define a plurality of independently controllable heating zones of the hair contacting surface; anda controller configured to control the apparatus to, for each of the one or more desired sequences of the user’s desired treatment:process the sensor data to determine whether a deviation of the user’s manipulation of the appliance from how the appliance should be moved by the user to complete the desired sequence is greater than a threshold value, and, if it is, tooutput one or more feedback messages for the user to modify the way the appliance is manipulated, to help the user to complete the desired sequence, and / or control the temperature or the power output of the one or more heating zones of the plurality of controllable heating zones which are engaged with the hair, to avoid the hair loaded into the apparatus to be treated according to an undesired sequence.

2. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein the user interface is further configured to output the more or more feedback messages to the user, optionally wherein the user interface comprises at least one of a sound generator, lighting means, a thermal somatosensory feedback generator, and / or a haptic feedback generator.

3. The apparatus of claim 1 or claim 2, wherein the controller is configured to control the apparatus such that controlling the temperature or the power output of the one or more heating zones of the plurality of controllable heating zones which are engaged with the hair, comprises:turning off the heater, orindividually reducing and / or capping and / or modifying the temperature or the power output of the one or more heating zones of the plurality of individually controllable heating zones which are engaged with the hair.

4. The apparatus according to any of the preceding claims, further comprising communication circuitry such that the apparatus is configured to communicate with an external processing device, the external processing device comprising a user interface associated with the user.

5. The apparatus according to claim 4, wherein the communication circuitry is such that the apparatus is configured to output the feedback message to the external processing device and wherein the output feedback message is output on the user interface associated with the user.

6. The apparatus according to claim 4 or 5, wherein the external processing device is part ofa server remote from the apparatus, and / ora mobile phone or a smartwatch, the external processing device being configured to run an application, remote from the apparatus.

7. The apparatus according to any of the preceding claims, wherein the one or more desired sequences are ordered and / or are associated with a side of the user’s head, to achieve the user’s desired treatment, optionally wherein the one or more desired sequences are ordered in groups of equal priority in the order.

8. The apparatus according to any of the preceding claims, wherein the user interface is configured tooutput the one or more desired sequences to the user, and / oroutput a name of the treatment, and / or a name of each of the one or more sequences, and / or written instructions, pictures and / or video instructions associated with the treatment and / or the one or more sequences, to help explain the treatment and / or the one or more sequences, and / orallow the user to specify when a desired sequence has been completed.

9. The apparatus according to any of the preceding claims, wherein the user interface is configured to, after the desired treatment has been completed, output one or more user messages for the user, to allow the user to upload a picture of the completed treatment and / or rate the desired treatment, and / orwherein the apparatus is a hair straightener, a hair dryer, a hot paddle brush, a hot round brush, a heater roller, or a hair curler.

10. The apparatus according to any of claims 4 to 9, wherein the communication circuitry is configured to access the pre-stored data associated with the user’s desired treatment via the external processing device.

11. The apparatus according to any of the preceding claims, wherein the controller is further configured to process the sensor data to filter out data corresponding to movements which are performed when moveable arms of the appliance are in an open position, in which the arms are spaced apart, optionallythe controller being configured to keep as data indicative of the user’s manipulation of the appliance data corresponding to movements which are performed when the moveable arms in a closed position, in which the arms are adjacent each other.

12. The apparatus according to any of the preceding claims, wherein the controller is further configured to process the sensor data to filter out data corresponding to movements which are greater than an amplitude threshold and / or a speed threshold, optionallythe controller being configured to keep as data indicative of the user’s manipulation of the appliance data corresponding to movements which are smaller than the amplitude threshold and / or the speed threshold.

13. Apparatus for drying or styling hair, the apparatus comprising:an appliance that is manipulable by a stylist to perform a reference treatment to be performed on hair and that is destined to be copied by a user, the reference treatment being performed on the hair of the stylist;a heater for heating hair during drying and / or styling;sensors for sensing and outputting sensor data indicative of operational parameters of the appliance during the reference treatment, wherein the sensors comprise motion sensors and the sensor data includes motion data that indicates how the appliance is being moved by the stylist; anda controller configured to control the apparatus to:process the sensor data to record data representative of the stylist’s manipulation of the appliance,process the recorded data to determine which movements of the appliance effectively contribute to achievement of the reference treatment, andprocess the recorded data corresponding to the determined effective movements of the appliance to generate pre-stored data which includes one or more reference sequences to achieve the stylist’s reference treatment, each reference sequence including information on how the appliance should be moved by the user during the reference sequence.

14. The apparatus according to the preceding claim, wherein the sensors further comprise sensors configured to sense and output sensor data indicative of whether moveable arms of the appliance are:in a closed position, in which the arms are adjacent each other, orin an open position, in which the arms are spaced apart, andwherein the controller is configured to control the apparatus to process the recorded data todetermine that movements of the appliance performed when the moveable arms of the appliance are in the closed position effectively contribute to the achievement of the reference treatment, and / ordetermine that movements of the appliance performed when the moveable arms of the appliance are in the open position do not contribute to the achievement of the reference treatment.

15. The apparatus according to any of the two preceding claims, wherein the controller is configured to control the apparatus to process the recorded data todetermine whether one or more movements of the appliance which effectively contribute to the achievement of the reference treatment are repeated at a frequency which is lower than a threshold, and if they are,group the determined repeated effective movements together into a sequence.

16. The apparatus according to the preceding claim, wherein the controller is configured to control the apparatus to process the recorded data tocompare the one or more grouped sequences and determine whether there is a deviation between at least two sequences of the one or more sequences, and if, there is, to determine whether the deviation between the at least two sequences is greater than a threshold value and if it is, todetermine that the at least two sequences are reference sequences to achieve the stylist’s reference treatment.

17. The apparatus according to the preceding claim, wherein the controller is configured to control the apparatus to process the recorded data todetermine, if there is no deviation between the at least two sequences of the one or more sequences and / or if there is a deviation which is smaller than threshold value, that the at least two sequences correspond to a single reference sequence to achieve the stylist’s reference treatment.

18. The apparatus according to any of claims 13 to 17, wherein the controller is configured to control the apparatus to process the recorded data toprocess the recorded data corresponding to the one or more reference sequences to determine whether there is a pattern of one or more sequences, and if there is, toassign an order and / or a side of the stylist’s head to the one or more reference sequences according to the determined pattern, optionally wherein the one or more desired sequences are ordered in groups of equal priority in the order.

19. The apparatus according to any of claims 13 to 18, wherein the controller configured to control the apparatus to:process the sensor data to discard data which is representative of the stylist’s manipulation of the appliance above a movement safety line.

20. The apparatus of any of claims 13 to 19, wherein the controller is configured to process the data based on a set of deterministic rules and / or data for an artificial intelligence algorithm.

21. The apparatus of any of claims 13 to 20, further comprising communication circuitry such that the apparatus is configured to communicate with an external processing device, the external processing device comprising a user interface associated with the stylist.

22. The apparatus according to the preceding claim, wherein the external processing device is part ofa server remote from the apparatus, and / ora mobile phone or a smartwatch, the external processing device being configured to run an application, remote from the apparatus.

23. The apparatus according to any of claims 13 to 22, further comprising a user interface for allowing the stylist toassign a name to the treatment, and / orassign a name to the one or more reference sequences, and / orupload written instructions, pictures and / or video instructions associated with the reference treatment and / or the one or more sequences, to help explain the treatment and / or the one or more sequences.

24. The apparatus of any of claims 13 to 23, configured as the apparatus of any of claims 1 to 12, and / orwherein the apparatus is a hair straightener, a hair dryer, a hot paddle brush, a hot round brush, a heater roller, or a hair curler, and / orwherein the heater comprises a hair contacting surface for heating hair of a user that contacts the hair contacting surface by conduction, the heater comprising a plurality ofindependently controllable heater electrodes that define a plurality of independently controllable heating zones of the hair contacting surface.

25. A hair treatment method comprising:inputting a desired treatment to be performed on hair and that a user wishes to copy, wherein the user’s desired treatment comprises one or more desired sequences and is associated with pre-stored data, andwherein the pre-stored data includes information on how the appliance should be moved by the user during each of the one or more desired sequences to achieve the desired treatment;providing an appliance that is manipulable by the user to perform the desired treatment on the hair of the user, the appliance comprising a heater comprising a hair contacting surface for heating hair of a user that contacts the hair contacting surface by conduction, the heater comprising a plurality of independently controllable heater electrodes that define a plurality of independently controllable heating zones of the hair contacting surface;outputting sensor data indicative of operational parameters of the appliance during the treatment,wherein the sensor data includes motion data that indicates how the appliance is being moved by the user;controlling the apparatus to, for each of the one or more desired sequences of the user’s desired treatment:process the sensor data to determine whether a deviation of the user’s manipulation of the appliance from how the appliance should be moved by the user to complete the desired sequence is greater than a threshold value, and, if it is, tooutput one or more feedback messages for the user to modify the way is manipulated, to help the user to complete the desired sequence, and / orcontrol the temperature or the power output of the one or more heating zones of the plurality of controllable heating zones which are engaged with the hair, to avoid the hair loaded into the apparatus to be treated according to an undesired sequence.

26. A method for generating a hair treatment, apparatus comprising:providing an appliance that is manipulable by a stylist to perform a reference treatment to be performed on hair and that is destined to be copied by a user, the reference treatment being performed on the hair of the stylist, the appliance comprising a heater for heating hair of a user;outputting sensor data indicative of operational parameters of the appliance during the reference treatment, wherein the sensors comprise motion sensors and the sensor data includes motion data that indicates how the appliance is being moved by the stylist; and controlling the apparatus to:process the sensor data to record data representative of the stylist’s manipulation of the appliance,process the recorded data to determine which movements of the appliance effectively contribute to achievement of the reference treatment, andprocess the recorded data corresponding to the determined effective movements of the appliance to generate pre-stored data which includes one or more reference sequences to achieve the stylist’s reference treatment, each reference sequence including information on how the appliance should be moved by the user during the reference sequence.

27. A computer program product comprising computer implementable instructions for causing a programmable device to carry out the method of any of claim 25 or claim 26.

28. Apparatus for performing a treatment on hair of a user, the apparatus comprising:an appliance that is manipulable by the user to perform the treatment on the hair of the user;a heater for heating hair during drying and / or styling;sensors for sensing and outputting sensor data indicative of operational parameters of the appliance during the treatment; anda controller configured to process the sensor data tofilter out data corresponding to movements of the appliance which are performed when moveable arms of the appliance are in an open position, in which the arms are spaced apart, and / orfilter out data corresponding to movements which are greater than an amplitude threshold and / or a speed threshold, andcontrol the heating of the heater based on the remaining sensor data.

29. The apparatus of claim 28, wherein the controller is further configured to keep as data indicative of the user’s manipulation of the appliance data corresponding to movements which are performed when the moveable arms in a closed position, in which the arms are 5 adjacent each other, and / orwherein the controller is further configured to process the sensor data to keep as data indicative of the user’s manipulation of the appliance data corresponding to movements which are smaller than the amplitude threshold and / or the speed threshold.1041

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