Haircare appliance

Abstract

A haircare appliance comprising drive circuitry, a controller in communication with the drive circuitry for controlling a drive current output by the drive circuitry, and a temperature sensor for supplying a temperature signal to the controller. The temperature signal is indicative of a temperature of an electronic circuit within the haircare appliance. The controller is configured to estimate an ambient temperature at least partly based on the temperature signal, and to prevent the drive circuitry from outputting the drive current when the estimated ambient temperature is lower than an ambient temperature threshold.

1 . A haircare appliance comprising:
 drive circuitry;   a controller in communication with the drive circuitry, for controlling a drive current output by the drive circuitry; and   a temperature sensor for supplying a temperature signal to the controller, the temperature signal being indicative of a temperature of an electronic circuit within the haircare appliance;   the controller being configured to estimate an ambient temperature at least partly based on the temperature signal, and to prevent the drive circuitry from outputting the drive current when the estimated ambient temperature is lower than an ambient temperature threshold.   
     
     
         2 . The haircare appliance of  claim 1 , wherein the electronic circuit comprises a processor, and the temperature sensor is configured to sense the processor temperature. 
     
     
         3 . The haircare appliance of  claim 2 , wherein the temperature sensor is integrated with the processor. 
     
     
         4 . The haircare appliance of  claim 2 , wherein the processor forms part of the controller. 
     
     
         5 . The haircare appliance of  claim 1 , wherein the controller is configured to estimate the ambient temperature at least partly based on the drive current or a power related to the drive current. 
     
     
         6 . The haircare appliance of  claim 1 , wherein the drive circuitry comprises a motor driver, the haircare appliance comprising an electric motor configured to be driven by drive current from the motor driver. 
     
     
         7 . The haircare appliance of  claim 1 , wherein the drive circuitry comprises a heater driver, the haircare appliance comprising a heating element configured to be driven by drive current from the heater driver. 
     
     
         8 . The haircare appliance of  claim 1 , wherein the controller is configured to estimate the ambient temperature based at least partly on multiple temperature signal values. 
     
     
         9 . The haircare appliance of  claim 8 , wherein the controller is configured to estimate the ambient temperature based at least partly on differential temperature values calculated based on changes in the temperature signal values over time. 
     
     
         10 . The haircare appliance of  claim 1 , comprising a first housing within which is disposed at least one heating element, and a second housing connected to the first housing, wherein the temperature sensor is disposed within the second housing. 
     
     
         11 . The haircare appliance of  claim 10 , wherein the first housing is connected to the second housing by a power and/or communications cable. 
     
     
         12 . The haircare appliance of  claim 10 , wherein the first housing comprises an electric motor and the second housing comprises a motor driver. 
     
     
         13 . The haircare appliance of  claim 12 , wherein the controller is configured to estimate the ambient temperature at least partly based on the drive current output by the motor driver, or a power related to the drive current output by the motor driver. 
     
     
         14 . A method of controlling a haircare appliance, the method comprising:
 repeatedly sensing a temperature of an electronic circuit within the haircare appliance;   estimating an ambient temperature at least partly based on the sensed temperature; and   preventing drive circuitry of the haircare appliance from outputting a drive current when the estimated ambient temperature is lower than an ambient temperature threshold.   
     
     
         15 . The method of  claim 14 , wherein the electronic circuit comprises a processor, and sensing the temperature comprises sensing the processor temperature. 
     
     
         16 . The haircare appliance of  claim 15 , wherein a temperature sensor is integrated with the processor, and sensing the processor temperature comprises reading a temperature value from a memory within, or associated with, the processor. 
     
     
         17 . The method of  claim 14 , comprising estimating the ambient temperature at least partly based on a drive current output by the drive circuitry. 
     
     
         18 . The method of  claim 17 , wherein the drive circuitry comprises a motor driver, the haircare appliance comprising an electric motor configured to be driven by the motor driver, the method comprising estimating the ambient temperature at least partly based on the drive current output by the motor driver. 
     
     
         19 . The method of  claim 14 , comprising estimating the ambient temperature based at least partly on multiple temperature signal values. 
     
     
         20 . The method of  claim 17 , comprising estimating the ambient temperature based at least partly on differential temperature values calculated based on changes in temperature signal values over time. 
     
     
         21 . The method of  claim 14 , wherein the haircare appliance comprises:
 a first housing within which is disposed at least one heating element or an electric motor; and   a second housing connected to the first housing, a first temperature sensor being disposed in the second housing.   
     
     
         22 . The method of  claim 21 , wherein the electric motor is disposed within the first housing, and the drive circuitry comprises a motor driver disposed within the second housing, the motor driver being configured to provide the drive current to drive the electric motor.