DEVICES, SYSTEMS, AND METHODS FOR EQUALIZING THE THERMAL DENSITY OF A HEATER CONSTRUCTED FROM A FLEXIBLE CIRCUIT

1 . An article, comprising:

a power source; and

a flexible circuit electrically coupled to the power source, wherein the flexible circuit comprises a trace comprising a deformable conductor configured to generate a predetermined amount of thermal energy when a voltage from the power source is applied to the trace.

2 . The article of claim 1 , wherein the trace is a first trace, wherein the predetermined amount of thermal energy is a first predetermined amount of thermal energy, and wherein the flexible circuit further comprises at least one second trace comprising the deformable conductor, wherein at least a portion of the at least one second trace defines a region of the flexible circuit, and wherein the region is configured to generate a second predetermined amount of thermal energy when the voltage from the power source is applied to the at least one second trace.

3 . The article of claim 1 , further comprising:

a processor communicably coupled to the power source and the flexible circuit; and

a memory configured to store instructions that, when executed by the processor, cause the processor to:

receive a signal from the flexible circuit corresponding to a characteristic of the flexible circuit;

determine that the characteristic of the flexible circuit is below a predetermined threshold based on the received signal; and

cause the power source to increase the voltage and/or a current applied to the trace based on the determination that the characteristic is below the predetermined threshold.

4 . The article of claim 1 , further comprising:

a processor communicably coupled to the power source and the flexible circuit; and

a memory configured to store instructions that, when executed by the processor, cause the processor to:

receive a signal from the flexible circuit corresponding to a characteristic of the flexible circuit;

determine that the characteristic of the flexible circuit exceeds a predetermined threshold based on the received signal; and

cause the power source to lower the voltage and/or a current applied to the trace based on the determination that the characteristic exceeds the predetermined threshold.

5 . The article of claim 4 , wherein the flexible circuit is configured as a strain sensor, and wherein the signal from the flexible circuit comprises strain data corresponding to a physical change in the trace.

6 . The article of claim 2 , wherein the flexible circuit is configured for selective control of current flowing through the first trace and the at least one second trace.

7 . The article of claim 1 , wherein the trace comprises switchbacks, wherein the article has at least one extremity, and wherein the switchbacks are located at the at least one extremity.

8 . The article of claim 4 , wherein the voltage and/or the current applied to the trace is based on a motion of the article, and wherein the motion is inferred by the processor and the memory from the received signal.

9 . A system, comprising:

a power source;

an article comprising a flexible circuit configured to be electrically coupled to the power source, wherein the flexible circuit comprises a trace comprising a deformable conductor, and wherein the trace is configured to generate thermal energy when a voltage from the power source is applied to the trace;

a processor communicably coupled to the power source and the flexible circuit; and

a memory configured to store instructions that, when executed by the processor, cause the processor to:

receive a signal from the flexible circuit corresponding to a characteristic of the flexible circuit;

determine that the characteristic exceeds a predetermined threshold based on the received signal; and

cause the power source to lower the voltage and/or a current applied to the trace based on the determination that the characteristic exceeds the predetermined threshold.

10 . The system of claim 9 , wherein the trace is a first trace, wherein the characteristic is a first amount of thermal energy generated by the first trace, and wherein the flexible circuit further comprises at least one second trace comprising the deformable conductor, wherein at least a portion of the at least one second trace defines a region of the flexible circuit, and wherein the region is configured to generate a second amount of thermal energy when the voltage from the power source is applied to the at least one second trace.

11 . The system of claim 9 , wherein the article is configured to lower the voltage and/or the current applied to the trace based on a motion of the article.

12 . The system of claim 10 , wherein the signal is a first signal, the characteristic includes the second amount of thermal energy, and when executed by the processor the instructions further cause the processor to:

receive a second signal from the flexible circuit;

determine that the second amount of thermal energy exceeds a predetermined threshold based on the second signal; and

cause the power source to lower the voltage and/or the current applied to the at least one second trace based on the determination that the second amount of thermal energy exceeds the predetermined threshold.

13 . The system of claim 9 , wherein the flexible circuit is configured as a strain sensor, and wherein the signal comprises strain data corresponding a physical change in the trace.

14 . The system of claim 9 , wherein the flexible circuit is configured for selective control of current flowing through the trace.

15 . The system of claim 12 , wherein the at least one second trace is configured to have a plurality of switchbacks, wherein the article has at least one extremity, and wherein the plurality of switchbacks are located at the least one extremity.

16 . A method of controlling a generated amount of thermal energy by a flexible circuit of an article, wherein the flexible circuit comprises a trace comprising a deformable conductor, wherein the trace is configured to generate a first amount of thermal energy when a voltage is applied to the trace via a power source, the method comprising:

causing, via a processor, a power source to apply the voltage to the flexible circuit;

receiving, via the processor, a first signal from the flexible circuit corresponding to the first amount of thermal energy;

determining, via the processor, that the first amount of thermal energy is below a predetermined threshold based on the first signal;

generating a second amount of thermal energy when the voltage is applied to the trace in response to a motion of the article;

receiving, via the processor, a second signal from the flexible circuit corresponding to the second amount of thermal energy;

determining, via the processor, that the second amount of thermal energy exceeds the predetermined threshold based on the second signal; and

causing, via the processor, the power source to lower the voltage and/or current applied to the trace based on the determination that the second amount of thermal energy exceeds the predetermined threshold.

17 . The method of claim 16 , wherein the flexible circuit is configured as a strain sensor, and wherein at least one of the first signal or the second signal comprises strain data corresponding to a physical change in the trace.

18 . The method of claim 16 , wherein the processor is either mechanically coupled to the article or remotely located relative to the article.

19 . The method of claim 16 , wherein the article further comprises a transmitter mechanically coupled to the article and electrically coupled to the flexible circuit, and wherein the transmitter is configured to transmit at least one of the first signal or the second signal to the processor.

20 . The method of claim 16 , wherein at least a portion of the flexible circuit is configured to be locked out, and wherein the first amount of thermal energy and the second amount of thermal energy are generated at portions of the flexible circuit that are not locked out.