Methods and devices for manipulating temperature
Methods and devices for manipulating the temperature of a surface are generally provided. The present disclosure relates to a device including one or more heating and/or cooling elements, or other suitable thermal adjustment apparatus(es), placed near a surface, such as the skin of a user. The device may be configured to generate one or more (optionally alternating) thermal profiles at the surface, which may include a series of thermal pulses and/or essentially continuous or semi-continuous thermal input, which may vary over time. Such thermal profiles, when suitably applied, may provide enhanced thermal sensations for a user which, in some cases, may provide the user with a more pleasurable thermal experience than would otherwise be the case without the generation of the thermal profiles. In some embodiments, an alternating thermal profile may include an average frequency, an oscillation window, and/or an average temperature, each of which may be adjustable.
1. A device for manipulating a temperature of a surface, comprising:
at least one heating and/or cooling element constructed and arranged to be disposed adjacent the surface; and
a processor in electrical communication with the at least one heating and/or cooling element, the processor configured to cause the at least one heating and/or cooling element to generate a thermal profile at a region of the at least one heating and/or cooling element adjacent the surface, the thermal profile comprising a first portion comprising a ramp profile, a second portion comprising a first alternating temperature profile, and at least a third portion comprising at least a second alternating temperature profile, different than the first alternating temperature profile, wherein the ramp profile comprises an initial temperature and a setpoint temperature, wherein the processor is configured to initiate the ramp profile in response to a first user input and set the setpoint temperature in response to a second user input during the ramp profile, wherein the first user input is a press of a button and the second user input is a release of the button.
2. The device of claim 1 , wherein the processor is configured to set the setpoint temperature to a temperature of the ramp profile at a predetermined time before the second user input.
3. The device of claim 1 , wherein the first alternating temperature profile comprises a first average temperature, a first average frequency, and a first oscillation window.
4. The device of claim 3 , wherein the second alternating temperature profile comprises a second average temperature different than the first average temperature, a second average frequency different than the first average frequency, and/or a second oscillating window different than the first oscillation window.
5. The device of claim 1 , wherein a temperature of the thermal profile throughout a duration of the second portion and the third portion of the temperature profile is greater than the initial temperature.
6. The device of claim 1 , wherein a temperature of the thermal profile throughout a duration of the second portion and the third portion of the temperature profile is less than the initial temperature.
7. The device of claim 1 , wherein the first alternating temperature profile and the second alternating temperature profile vary with respect to time.
8. A device for manipulating a temperature of a surface, comprising:
at least one heating and/or cooling element constructed and arranged to be disposed adjacent the surface; and
a processor in electrical communication with the at least one heating and/or cooling element, the processor configured to cause the at least one heating and/or cooling element to generate an alternating thermal profile at a region of the at least one heating and/or cooling element adjacent the surface,
the alternating thermal profile comprising an average temperature, an average frequency, and an oscillation window, wherein the processor is configured to modify at least one of the average temperature, the average frequency, and the oscillation window, wherein the processor is configured to receive a signal from a user, wherein the signal is configured to cause the processor to modify at least one of the average temperature, the average frequency, and the oscillation window, wherein the signal includes a first user input and a second user input, wherein the processor is configured to initiate a ramp profile portion of the alternating thermal profile in response to the first user input and set the average temperature in response to the second user input during the ramp profile portion of the alternating thermal profile.
9. The device of claim 8 , wherein the processor is configured to receive a signal from a sensor, wherein the signal is configured to cause the processor to modify at least one of the average temperature, the average frequency, and the oscillation window.
10. The device of claim 9 , wherein the sensor is at least one selected from the group of a temperature sensor, physiological sensor, biometric sensor, accelerometer, and environmental sensor.
11. The device of claim 8 , wherein the processor is configured to set the average temperature to a temperature of the alternating thermal profile at a predetermined time before the second user input.
12. The device of claim 8 , wherein the first user input is a press of a button and the second user input is a release of the button.
13. The device of claim 8 , wherein the alternating thermal profile varies with respect to time.
14. A method for manipulating a temperature of a surface, comprising:
positioning a region of at least one heating and/or cooling element adjacent to the surface; and
generating a thermal profile at the region of the at least one heating and/or cooling element adjacent the surface, wherein generating the thermal profile includes:
generating a first thermal profile portion comprising a ramp profile;
generating a second thermal profile portion comprising a first alternating temperature profile;
generating a third thermal profile portion comprising a second alternating temperature profile different than the first alternating temperature profile, wherein the ramp profile comprises an initial temperature and a setpoint temperature; and
initiating the ramp profile in response to a first user input and setting the setpoint temperature in response to a second user input during the ramp profile.
15. The method of claim 14 , further comprising setting the setpoint temperature to a temperature of the ramp profile at a predetermined time before the second user input.
16. The method of claim 14 , wherein the first alternating temperature profile comprises a first average temperature, a first average frequency, and a first oscillation window.
17. The method of claim 16 , wherein the second alternating temperature profile comprises a second average temperature different than the first average temperature, a second average frequency different than the first average frequency, and/or a second oscillating window different than the first oscillation window.
18. The method of claim 14 , wherein the first user input is a press of a button and the second user input is a release of the button.
19. The method of claim 14 , wherein a temperature of the thermal profile throughout a duration of the second thermal profile portion and the third thermal profile portion is greater than the initial temperature.
20. The method of claim 14 , wherein a temperature of the thermal profile throughout a duration of the second thermal profile portion and the third thermal profile portion is less than the initial temperature.
21. The method of claim 14 , wherein the first alternating temperature profile and the second alternating temperature profile vary with respect to time.