Thermoelectric devices and systems

Abstract

The present disclosure provides wearable electronic devices with thermoelectric devices. The wearable electronic device may comprise a user interface for displaying information to a user. The thermoelectric device may comprise a heat collecting unit, a thermoelectric element, and a heat expelling unit. During use, the thermoelectric element may generate power upon the flow of thermal energy from the heat collecting unit, across the thermoelectric element, and to the heat expelling unit.

What is claimed is: 
     
         1 . A wearable electronic device, comprising:
 an electronic display with a user interface for displaying information to a user; and   a power management unit operatively coupled with said electronic display, wherein said power management unit comprises an energy storage device and at least one thermoelectric device in electrical communication with said energy storage device, wherein said thermoelectric device comprises (i) a heat collecting unit that rests adjacent to a body surface of said user, which heat collecting unit collects thermal energy from said body surface of said user, (ii) a thermoelectric element in thermal communication with said heat collecting unit, and (iii) a heat expelling unit in thermal communication with said thermoelectric element, which heat expelling unit expels thermal energy from said thermoelectric element,   wherein, during use, said thermoelectric element generates power upon flow of thermal energy from said heat collecting unit, across said thermoelectric element and to said heat expelling unit, wherein at least a portion of said power is stored in said energy storage device.   
     
     
         2 . The wearable electronic device of  claim 1 , wherein said wearable electronic device is integrated with said power management unit. 
     
     
         3 . The wearable electronic device of  claim 1 , wherein said power management unit provides at least about 10% of a power requirement of said wearable electronic device. 
     
     
         4 . The wearable electronic device of  claim 1 , wherein said power management unit provides at least about 20% of a power requirement of said wearable electronic device. 
     
     
         5 . The wearable electronic device of  claim 1 , wherein said power management unit provides at least about 30% of a power requirement of said wearable electronic device. 
     
     
         6 . The wearable electronic device of  claim 1 , wherein said power management unit provides at least about 40% of a power requirement of said wearable electronic device. 
     
     
         7 . The wearable electronic device of  claim 1 , wherein said power management unit provides at least about 60% of a power requirement of said wearable electronic device. 
     
     
         8 . The wearable electronic device of  claim 1 , wherein said power management unit provides at least about 80% of a power requirement of said wearable electronic device. 
     
     
         9 . The wearable electronic device of  claim 1 , wherein said power management unit further comprises an external power unit for providing external power to charge said energy storage device. 
     
     
         10 . The wearable electronic device of  claim 1 , further comprising a casing containing said electronic display and said power management unit. 
     
     
         11 . The wearable electronic device of  claim 10 , wherein said heat expelling unit is at a side portion of said casing. 
     
     
         12 . The wearable electronic device of  claim 10 , wherein said casing is in thermal communication with said heat collecting unit. 
     
     
         13 . The wearable electronic device of  claim 10 , wherein said casing is in thermal communication with said heat expelling unit. 
     
     
         14 . The wearable electronic device of  claim 10 , wherein said casing is in thermal communication with both of said heat collecting unit and said heat expelling unit. 
     
     
         15 . The wearable electronic device of  claim 10 , wherein said casing is substantially waterproof or water resistant. 
     
     
         16 . The wearable electronic device of  claim 10 , wherein said casing comprises lugs. 
     
     
         17 . The wearable electronic device of  claim 16 , wherein said lugs are in thermal communication with said heat expelling unit. 
     
     
         18 . The wearable electronic device of  claim 16 , wherein said lugs dissipate heat. 
     
     
         19 . The wearable electronic device of  claim 16 , wherein said lugs do not dissipate heat. 
     
     
         20 . The wearable electronic device of  claim 10 , wherein said casing further comprises a bottom subassembly. 
     
     
         21 . The wearable electronic device of  claim 20 , wherein said bottom subassembly comprises a conductive plate. 
     
     
         22 . The wearable electronic device of  claim 20 , wherein said bottom subassembly comprises said thermoelectric element. 
     
     
         23 . The wearable electronic device of  claim 20 , wherein said bottom subassembly comprises a conductive backing. 
     
     
         24 . The wearable electronic device of  claim 23 , wherein during use said conductive backing is in thermal communication with said body of said user. 
     
     
         25 . The wearable electronic device of  claim 20 , wherein said bottom subassembly snaps into said casing. 
     
     
         26 . The wearable electronic device of  claim 20 , wherein said bottom subassembly comprises threads and wherein said bottom subassembly threads into said casing. 
     
     
         27 . The wearable electronic device of  claim 26 , wherein said threads are thermally conductive. 
     
     
         28 . The wearable electronic device of  claim 1 , wherein said heat expelling unit includes one or more heat sinks. 
     
     
         29 . The wearable electronic device of  claim 28 , wherein said one or more heat sinks are heat fins. 
     
     
         30 . The wearable electronic device of  claim 1 , wherein thermal communication between said thermoelectric element and said heat expelling unit is provided by at least one heat pipe. 
     
     
         31 . The wearable electronic device of  claim 1 , wherein thermal communication between said thermoelectric element and said heat expelling unit is provided by a heat spreader plate. 
     
     
         32 . The wearable electronic device of  claim 1 , further comprising a control unit operatively coupled to said electronic display and said power management unit, wherein said control unit regulates display of said information on said user interface. 
     
     
         33 . The wearable electronic device of  claim 1 , wherein said wearable electronic device is a watch. 
     
     
         34 . The wearable electronic device of  claim 1 , wherein said user interface is a graphical user interface. 
     
     
         35 . The wearable electronic device of  claim 1 , wherein said user interface is an analog user interface. 
     
     
         36 . The wearable electronic device of  claim 1 , wherein said power management unit is included in a clasp that secures said electronic display to said body surface of said user. 
     
     
         37 . The wearable electronic device of  claim 1 , further comprising a flexible circuit operatively coupled and in electrical communication with said electronic display and said power management unit. 
     
     
         38 . The wearable electronic device of  claim 37 , wherein said flexible circuit is a flexible printed circuit. 
     
     
         39 . The wearable electronic device of  claim 37 , wherein said flexible circuit is a flexible-flat cable. 
     
     
         40 . The wearable electronic device of  claim 1 , further comprising one or more power generation units in electrical communication with said energy store device. 
     
     
         41 . The wearable electronic device of  claim 40 , wherein said one or more power generation units are selected from the group consisting of a solar cell, an inductive coupling unit, a radio frequency coupling unit, and a kinetic power generation unit. 
     
     
         42 . A method for using a wearable electronic device, comprising:
 (a) activating said wearable electronic device comprising:
 a. an electronic display with a user interface for displaying information to a user; and 
 b. a power management unit operatively coupled with said electronic display, wherein said power management unit comprises an energy storage device and at least one thermoelectric device in electrical communication with said energy storage device, wherein said thermoelectric device comprises (i) a heat collecting unit that rests adjacent to a body surface of said user, which heat collecting unit collects thermal energy from said body surface of said user, (ii) a thermoelectric element in thermal communication with said heat collecting unit, and (iii) a heat expelling unit in thermal communication with said thermoelectric element, which heat expelling unit expels thermal energy from said thermoelectric element; 
   (b) using said thermoelectric element to generate power upon flow of thermal energy from said heat collecting unit, across said thermoelectric element and to said heat expelling unit, wherein at least a portion of said power is stored in said energy storage device.   
     
     
         43 . The method of  claim 42 , wherein said wearable electronic device is integrated with said power management unit. 
     
     
         44 . The method of  claim 42 , wherein said power management unit provides at least about 10% of a power requirement of said wearable electronic device. 
     
     
         45 . The method of  claim 42 , wherein said power management unit provides at least about 20% of a power requirement of said wearable electronic device. 
     
     
         46 . The method of  claim 42 , wherein said power management unit provides at least about 30% of a power requirement of said wearable electronic device. 
     
     
         47 . The method of  claim 42 , wherein said power management unit provides at least about 40% of a power requirement of said wearable electronic device. 
     
     
         48 . The method of  claim 42 , wherein said power management unit provides at least about 60% of a power requirement of said wearable electronic device. 
     
     
         49 . The method of  claim 42 , wherein said power management unit provides at least about 80% of a power requirement of said wearable electronic device. 
     
     
         50 . The method of  claim 42 , wherein said power management unit further comprises an external power unit for providing external power to charge said energy storage device. 
     
     
         51 . The method of  claim 42 , wherein said wearable electronic device comprises a casing containing said electronic display and said power management unit. 
     
     
         52 . The method of  claim 51 , wherein said heat expelling unit is at a side portion of said casing. 
     
     
         53 . The method of  claim 51 , wherein said casing is in thermal communication with said heat collecting unit. 
     
     
         54 . The method of  claim 51 , wherein said casing is in thermal communication with said heat expelling unit. 
     
     
         55 . The method of  claim 51 , wherein said casing is in thermal communication with both of said heat collecting unit and said heat expelling unit. 
     
     
         56 . The method of  claim 51 , wherein said casing is substantially waterproof or water resistant. 
     
     
         57 . The method of  claim 51 , wherein said casing comprises lugs. 
     
     
         58 . The method of  claim 57 , wherein said lugs are in thermal communication with said heat expelling unit. 
     
     
         59 . The method of  claim 57 , wherein said lugs dissipate heat. 
     
     
         60 . The method of  claim 57 , wherein said lugs do not dissipate heat. 
     
     
         61 . The method of  claim 51 , wherein said casing further comprises a bottom subassembly. 
     
     
         62 . The method of  claim 61 , wherein said bottom subassembly comprises a conductive plate. 
     
     
         63 . The method of  claim 61 , wherein said bottom subassembly comprises said thermoelectric element. 
     
     
         64 . The method of  claim 61 , wherein said bottom subassembly comprises a conductive backing. 
     
     
         65 . The method of  claim 62 , wherein during use said conductive backing is in thermal communication with said body of said user. 
     
     
         66 . The method of  claim 61 , wherein said bottom subassembly snaps into said casing. 
     
     
         67 . The method of  claim 61 , wherein said bottom subassembly comprises threads and wherein said bottom subassembly threads into said casing. 
     
     
         68 . The method of  claim 67 , wherein said threads are thermally conductive. 
     
     
         69 . The method of  claim 42 , wherein said heat expelling unit includes one or more heat sinks. 
     
     
         70 . The method of  claim 69 , wherein said one or more heat sinks are heat fins. 
     
     
         71 . The method of  claim 42 , wherein thermal communication between said thermoelectric element and said heat expelling unit is provided by at least one heat pipe. 
     
     
         72 . The method of  claim 42 , wherein thermal communication between said thermoelectric element and said heat expelling unit is provided by a heat spreader plate. 
     
     
         73 . The method of  claim 42 , wherein said wearable electronic device comprises a control unit operatively coupled to said electronic display and said power management unit, wherein said control unit regulates display of said information on said user interface. 
     
     
         74 . The method of  claim 42 , wherein said wearable electronic device is a watch. 
     
     
         75 . The method of  claim 42 , wherein said user interface is a graphical user interface. 
     
     
         76 . The method of  claim 42 , wherein said user interface is an analog user interface. 
     
     
         77 . The method of  claim 42 , wherein said power management unit is included in a clasp that secures said electronic display to said body surface of said user. 
     
     
         78 . The method of  claim 42 , wherein said wearable electronic device comprises a flexible circuit operatively coupled and in electrical communication with said electronic display and said power management unit. 
     
     
         79 . The method of  claim 78 , wherein said flexible circuit is a flexible printed circuit. 
     
     
         80 . The method of  claim 78 , wherein said flexible circuit is a flexible-flat cable. 
     
     
         81 . The method of  claim 42 , wherein the wearable electronic device further comprises one or more power generation units in electrical communication with said energy store device. 
     
     
         82 . The method of  claim 81 , wherein said one or more power generation units are selected from the group consisting of a solar cell, an inductive coupling unit, a radio frequency coupling unit, and a kinetic power generation unit. 
     
     
         83 . A method for manufacturing a wearable electronic device, comprising (i) assembling an electronic display with a user interface for displaying information to a user, and (ii) assembling a power management unit to yield said wearable electronic device,
 wherein said power management unit is operatively coupled with said electronic display, wherein said power management unit comprises an energy storage device and at least one thermoelectric device in electrical communication with said energy storage device, wherein said thermoelectric device comprises (i) a heat collecting unit that rests adjacent to a body surface of said user, which heat collecting unit collects thermal energy from said body surface of said user, (ii) a thermoelectric element in thermal communication with said heat collecting unit, and (iii) a heat expelling unit in thermal communication with said thermoelectric element, which heat expelling unit expels thermal energy from said thermoelectric element,   wherein said wearable device is configured such that during use, said thermoelectric element generates power upon flow of thermal energy from said heat collecting unit, across said thermoelectric element and to said heat expelling unit, wherein at least a portion of said power is stored in said energy storage device.   
     
     
         84 . The method of  claim 83 , wherein said wearable electronic device comprises a casing containing said electronic display and said power management unit. 
     
     
         85 . The method of  claim 84 , wherein said casing comprises a top side and a bottom side and wherein said electronic display is disposed adjacent to said top side of said casing. 
     
     
         86 . The method of  claim 84 , wherein said electronic display and said power management unit are loaded into said casing from said top side of said casing. 
     
     
         87 . The method of  claim 84 , wherein said electronic display and said power management unit are loaded into said casing from said bottom side of said casing.