# US 10,866,035 B1 · Wearable accessory with heat transfer capability > Agents: this data is available as JSON from the patentgrep API and MCP server — see https://patentgrep.com/llms.txt - Number: US 10,866,035 B1 - Document ID: US10866035B1 - Status: Granted - Kind: B1 - Application number: 16/664,067 - Filed: 2019-10-25 - Granted: 2020-12-15 - Earliest claimed: 2015-12-15 - Assignees: Facebook Technologies, LLC - Applicants: Facebook Technologies, LLC - Inventors: Sean Jason Keller; Tristan Thomas Trutna; David R. Perek; Bruce A. Cleary, III; Brian Michael Scally - Web page: https://patentgrep.com/patent/US10866035B1 ## CPC - G06F 3/016: {Input arrangements with force or tactile feedback as computer generated output to the user} - G06F 3/014: {Hand-worn input/output arrangements, e.g. data gloves} - A41D 19/01535: {Heated gloves} - F28F 13/00: Arrangements for modifying heat-transfer, e.g. increasing, decreasing (F28F1/00 - F28F11/00 take precedence) - F28F 2013/008: {Variable conductance materials; Thermal switches} - F28F 2270/00: Thermal insulation; Thermal decoupling - G06T 19/006: {Mixed reality (object pose determination, tracking or camera calibration for mixed reality G06T7/00)} - G06F: ELECTRIC DIGITAL DATA PROCESSING (computer systems based on specific computational models G06N) - A41D: OUTERWEAR; PROTECTIVE GARMENTS; ACCESSORIES - F28F: DETAILS OF HEAT-EXCHANGE AND HEAT-TRANSFER APPARATUS, OF GENERAL APPLICATION (water and air traps, air venting F16) - G06T: IMAGE DATA PROCESSING OR GENERATION, IN GENERAL ## Abstract A wearable heat transfer device provides a user with haptic feedback providing sensations of hot or cold. The wearable heat transfer device comprises a heat source/sink and a programmable interface having heat transfer characteristics that are modified based on a signal received by the programmable interface. For example, a thickness of the programmable interface changes based on the received signal, altering heat transfer by the programmable interface. In another example, an electric field is applied to the programmable interface, changing one or more properties of the programmable interface affecting heat transfer. ## Claims ### Claim 1 A system comprising: a heat source configured to generate thermal energy; a controller configured to: receive one or more instructions from a console, and responsive to receiving the one or more instructions, generate a voltage, one or more electrodes coupled to the controller, the one or more electrodes configured to receive the voltage and to generate a uniform electric field based on the received voltage; and a programmable foam coupled to the heat source and positioned relative to the one or more electrodes so the uniform electric field is applied to the programmable foam, the programmable foam comprising a flexible dielectric material and a plurality of voids that each include anisotropic molecules configured to align with field lines of the uniform electric field generated by the one or more electrodes. ### Claim 2 (depends on 1) The system of claim 1, wherein the generated voltage comprises one or more selected from a group consisting of: a transitory voltage pulse, a periodic voltage signal, a constant voltage signal, and any combination thereof. ### Claim 3 (depends on 1) The system of claim 1, further including a fan coupled to the heat source, the fan configured to provide a heat transfer path between the heat source and an environment external to the heat source. ### Claim 4 (depends on 1) The system of claim 1, wherein at least one of the anisotropic molecules is selected from a group consisting of: a nanosphere, a nanowire, a nanorod, and any combination thereof. ### Claim 5 (depends on 1) The system of claim 1, wherein at least one of the anisotropic molecules comprises nematic liquid crystal functionalized with a metal. ### Claim 6 (depends on 1) The system of claim 1, wherein at least one of the plurality of voids is filled with a fluid configured to uniformly suspend the anisotropic molecules within the at least one void. ### Claim 7 (depends on 1) The system of claim 1, wherein a magnitude of a thermal conductivity associated with the programmable foam is proportional to a magnitude of the generated electric field applied to the programmable foam. ### Claim 8 (depends on 1) The system of claim 1, wherein a thermal conductivity associated with the programmable foam increases in response to the anisotropic molecules aligning with the field lines of the uniform electric field generated by the one or more electrodes. ### Claim 9 A system comprising: a heat sink configured to dissipate thermal energy; a controller configured to: receive one or more instructions from a console, and responsive to receiving the one or more instructions, generate a voltage, one or more electrodes coupled to the controller, the one or more electrodes configured to receive the voltage and to generate a uniform electric field based on the received voltage; and a programmable foam coupled to the heat sink and positioned relative to the one or more electrodes so the uniform electric field is applied to the programmable foam, the programmable foam comprising a flexible dielectric material and a plurality of voids that each include anisotropic molecules configured to align with field lines of the uniform electric field generated by the one or more electrodes. ### Claim 10 (depends on 9) The system of claim 9, wherein the generated voltage comprises one or more selected from a group consisting of: a transitory voltage pulse, a periodic voltage signal, a constant voltage signal, and any combination thereof. ### Claim 11 (depends on 9) The system of claim 9, further including a fan coupled to the heat sink, the fan configured to provide a heat transfer path between the heat sink and an environment external to the heat sink. ### Claim 12 (depends on 9) The system of claim 9, wherein at least one of the anisotropic molecules is selected from a group consisting of: a nanosphere, a nanowire, a nanorod, and any combination thereof. ### Claim 13 (depends on 9) The system of claim 9, wherein at least one of the anisotropic molecules comprises nematic liquid crystal functionalized with a metal. ### Claim 14 (depends on 9) The system of claim 9, wherein at least one of the plurality of voids is filled with a fluid configured to uniformly suspend the anisotropic molecules within the at least one void. ### Claim 15 (depends on 9) The system of claim 9, wherein a magnitude of a thermal conductivity associated with the programmable foam is proportional to a magnitude of the generated electric field applied to the programmable foam. ### Claim 16 (depends on 9) The system of claim 9, wherein a thermal conductivity associated with the programmable foam increases in response to the anisotropic molecules aligning with the field lines of the uniform electric field generated by the one or more electrodes. ### Claim 17 A system comprising: a controller configured to: receive one or more instructions from a console, and responsive to receiving the one or more instructions, generate a voltage, one or more electrodes coupled to the controller, the one or more electrodes configured to receive the voltage and to generate an electric field based on the received voltage; and a programmable foam positioned relative to the one or more electrodes so the electric field is applied to the programmable foam, the programmable foam comprising a flexible dielectric material and a plurality of voids that each include anisotropic molecules configured to align with field lines of the electric field generated by the one or more electrodes, wherein a thermal conductivity of the programmable foam is adjustable based on the electric field. ### Claim 18 (depends on 17) The system of claim 17, wherein at least one of the plurality of voids is filled with a fluid configured to suspend the anisotropic molecules within the at least one void. ### Claim 19 (depends on 17) The system of claim 17, wherein a magnitude of the thermal conductivity of the programmable foam is proportional to a magnitude of the generated electric field applied to the programmable foam. ### Claim 20 (depends on 17) The system of claim 17, wherein the thermal conductivity of the programmable foam increases in response to the anisotropic molecules aligning with the field lines of the electric field.