Method for synchronizing features between smoking systems and related products and smoking systems

Abstract

A method of synchronizing features between a first smoking system including a first electronic vapor supply system and a second smoking system including a second electronic vapor supply system, wherein the first smoking system and the second smoking system are members of a synchronization group, the method comprising the steps of associating the first smoking system with a group identifier, the group identifier being associated with the synchronization group; detecting a signal from the second smoking system, the signal including data indicating that the second smoking system is a member of the synchronization group; and modifying a setting associated with an illuminated portion of the first vapor supply system to a setting common to members of the synchronization group.

Description

[0001] This application is a divisional application of the Chinese patent invention application "Feature synchronization system and method for electronic steam supply system" with application date of September 14, 2016 and application number 201680056711.8. Technical Field

[0002] The present disclosure relates to a feature synchronization system and method for an electronic vapor delivery system, such as an electronic nicotine delivery system (eg, an electronic cigarette). Background Art

[0003] Electronic vapor supply systems, such as e-cigarettes and other aerosol delivery systems, typically contain a reservoir of liquid to be vaporized, typically nicotine (sometimes referred to as "e-liquid"). When a user inhales on the device, an electrical (e.g., resistive) heater is actuated to vaporize a small amount of liquid, thereby actually creating an aerosol that is thereby inhaled by the user. The liquid may contain nicotine in a solvent such as ethanol or water, as well as glycerin or propylene glycol to aid aerosol formation, and may also contain one or more additional flavorants. Those skilled in the art will be aware of the many different liquid formulations that can be used in e-cigarettes and other such devices.

[0004] The practice of inhaling vaporized liquid in this manner is commonly referred to as "vaping."

[0005] The electronic cigarette may have an interface that supports external data communication. For example, the interface may be used to upload control parameters and / or updated software from an external source to the electronic cigarette. Alternatively or additionally, the interface may be used to download data from the electronic cigarette to an external system. The downloaded data may, for example, represent the usage parameters, fault conditions, etc. of the electronic cigarette. As those skilled in the art should know, many other forms of data may be exchanged between the electronic cigarette and one or more external systems (which may be another electronic cigarette).

[0006] In some cases, the interface for the electronic cigarette to communicate with the external system is based on a wired connection, such as a USB communication line using a micro, mini or ordinary USB connection to the electronic cigarette. The interface for the electronic cigarette to communicate with the external system can also be based on a wireless connection. Such a wireless connection has certain advantages over a wired connection. For example, the user does not need any additional cables to form such a connection. In addition, the user has greater flexibility in moving, establishing connections, and pairing the range of devices.

[0007] Note that many electronic cigarettes already provide support for USB interfaces to allow the electronic cigarette to be recharged. Therefore, the additional use of such a wired interface that also provides data communication is relatively simple. However, the situation of providing a wireless data connection is more complicated. Summary of the invention

[0008] In one aspect of the present disclosure, a method for synchronizing features between a first smoking system including a first electronic vapor supply system and a second smoking system including a second electronic vapor supply system is provided, wherein the first smoking system and the second smoking system are members of a synchronization group, the method comprising the following steps: associating the first smoking system with a group identifier, the group identifier being associated with the synchronization group; detecting a signal from the second smoking system, the signal comprising data indicating that the second smoking system is a member of the synchronization group; and modifying a setting associated with an illuminated portion of the first electronic vapor supply system to a setting common to members of the synchronization group.

[0009] In another aspect of the present disclosure, a first smoking system is provided, comprising: a first electronic vapor supply system; a memory comprising a group identifier associated with a synchronization group; a receiver arranged to detect a signal from a remote second smoking system, the remote second smoking system comprising a second electronic vapor supply system, the signal comprising data indicating that the second smoking system is a member of the synchronization group; a processor arranged to modify a setting associated with an illuminated portion of the first electronic vapor supply system to a setting common to members of the synchronization group.

[0010] In another aspect of the present disclosure, a second smoking system is provided, comprising: a second electronic vapor supply system; a memory comprising data indicating that the second smoking system is a member of a synchronization group; and a transmitter arranged to propagate a signal to a first smoking system comprising a first electronic vapor supply system, the signal comprising data indicating that the second smoking system is a member of the synchronization group. BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

[0011] Embodiments of the present disclosure will now be described by way of example with reference to the accompanying drawings, in which:

[0012] Figure 1 It is a schematic (exploded) diagram of an electronic cigarette according to some embodiments of the present disclosure.

[0013] Figure 2 According to some embodiments of the present disclosure Figure 1 Schematic diagram of the main electrical / electronic components of an e-cigarette.

[0014] Figure 3 According to some embodiments of the present disclosure Figure 1 A simplified schematic diagram of an electronic cigarette processor.

[0015] Figure 4 for Figure 1 Schematic diagram of wireless communication between an electronic cigarette and a mobile communication device.

[0016] Figure 5 It is a schematic (exploded) diagram of an atomizer cartridge of an electronic cigarette according to some embodiments of the present disclosure.

[0017] Figure 6 According to some embodiments of the present disclosure, Figure 5 Schematic (exploded) diagram of the evaporator of the atomizing cartridge.

[0018] Figure 7 is a schematic diagram of a mobile communication device according to some embodiments of the present disclosure.

[0019] Figure 8 is a schematic diagram of a feature synchronization system according to some embodiments of the present disclosure.

[0020] Fig. 9 Flow chart of a method for synchronizing features between an electronic vapor supply system and a mobile communication device of a first user according to some embodiments of the present disclosure.

[0021] Fig.10 is a flow chart of a method of synchronizing features between two smoking systems according to some embodiments of the present disclosure. DETAILED DESCRIPTION

[0022] A feature synchronization system and method for an electronic steam supply system is disclosed. In the following description, a number of specific details are presented in order to provide a thorough understanding of certain exemplary embodiments of the apparatus and method according to the present disclosure. However, it will be apparent to those skilled in the art that these specific details need not be used in all embodiments. Instead, for the sake of clarity, specific details known to those skilled in the art have been omitted where appropriate.

[0023] As mentioned above, the present disclosure relates to an electronic vapor supply system, such as an electronic cigarette. In the following description, the term "electronic cigarette" is used; however, the term can be used interchangeably with electronic vapor supply system, aerosol delivery system and other similar terms.

[0024] Figure 1 1 is a schematic (exploded) view of an electronic cigarette 10 (not to scale) according to some embodiments of the present disclosure. The electronic cigarette includes a body or control unit 20 and an atomizer cartridge 30. The atomizer cartridge 30 includes a reservoir 38 for a liquid (typically including nicotine), a heater 36, and a mouthpiece 35. The electronic cigarette 10 has a longitudinal or cylindrical axis that extends along the centerline of the electronic cigarette from the mouthpiece 35 at one end of the atomizer cartridge 30 to the opposite end of the control unit 20 (typically referred to as the top end). The longitudinal axis is at Figure 1 Indicated by the dotted line marked LA.

[0025] The liquid reservoir 38 in the atomizer cartridge may hold the (electronic) liquid directly in liquid form, or may use some absorbent structure (such as a foam matrix or cotton material, etc.) as a holder for the liquid. The liquid is then fed from the reservoir 38 to be delivered to the evaporator including the heater 36. For example, the liquid may be delivered to the evaporator via a wick ( Figure 1 36) flows from the reservoir 38 to the heater 36 by capillary action.

[0026] In other devices, the liquid may be provided in the form of plant material or some other (ostensibly solid) material of plant origin. In this case, the liquid may be considered to represent volatiles in the material that vaporize when the material is heated. Note that devices incorporating such material generally do not require a wick to deliver the liquid to the heater, but rather provide for a suitable arrangement of the heater relative to the material to provide suitable heating.

[0027] The control unit 20 includes a rechargeable unit or battery 54 (hereinafter referred to as a battery) for powering the electronic cigarette 10 and a printed circuit board (PCB) 28 and / or other electronic devices generally used to control the electronic cigarette 10 .

[0028] like Figure 1 As shown, the control unit 20 and the atomizer cartridge 30 can be separated from each other, but when the device 10 is in use, they are connected together, for example, by screws or bayonet fittings. Figure 1 Schematically shown as 31B and 21A respectively. This connection between the control unit and the atomizer cartridge provides mechanical and electrical connectivity between the two.

[0029] When the control unit is separated from the atomizer cartridge, the electrical connector 21A for connecting to the control unit of the atomizer cartridge can also be used as a socket for connecting a charging device (not shown). The other end of the charging device can be plugged into a USB socket to recharge the battery 54 in the control unit of the electronic cigarette. In other embodiments, the electronic cigarette can be provided with (for example) a cable for direct connection between the electrical connector 21A and the USB socket.

[0030] The control unit is provided with one or more holes for the air inlet adjacent to the PCB 28. These holes are connected to the air passage through the control unit to the air passage provided by the connector 21A. This in turn is connected to the air path through the atomizer cartridge 30 to the mouthpiece 35. It should be noted that the heater 36 and the liquid reservoir 38 are configured to provide an air passage between the connector 31B and the mouthpiece 35. The air passage can flow through the center of the atomizer cartridge 30, wherein the liquid reservoir 38 is confined in an annular region around the central path. Alternatively (or additionally), the airflow passage can be located between the liquid reservoir 38 and the housing of the atomizer cartridge 30.

[0031] When the user inhales through the mouthpiece 35, air is sucked into the control unit 20 through one or more air inlet holes. The airflow (or the associated pressure change) is detected by a sensor (e.g., a pressure sensor), which in turn actuates the heater 36 to vaporize the nicotine liquid fed from the reservoir 38. The airflow travels from the control unit to the vaporizer, where it combines with the nicotine vapor. This combination of airflow and nicotine vapor (in fact, aerosol) then passes through the atomizer cartridge 30 and flows out of the mouthpiece 35 to be inhaled by the user. When the supply of nicotine liquid is exhausted, the atomizer cartridge 30 can be separated from the control unit and disposed of (and then replaced with another atomizer cartridge).

[0032] It should be understood that Figure 1 The electronic cigarette 10 shown in the figure is presented by way of example only, and many other embodiments may be adopted. For example, in some embodiments, the atomizer cartridge 30 is divided into a cartridge containing a liquid reservoir 38 and a separate vaporizer portion containing a heater 36. In this configuration, the cartridge can be disposed of after the liquid in the reservoir 38 has been exhausted, but the separate vaporizer portion containing the heater 36 is retained. Alternatively, the electronic cigarette may be provided with a Figure 1 The atomizer cartridge 30 shown may be constructed as a one-piece (monoblock) device, but the liquid reservoir 38 is in the form of a (user) replaceable cartridge. Other possible variations include the heater 36 being located Figure 1 The heater 36 is positioned at the opposite end of the atomizer cartridge 30 shown, ie between the liquid reservoir 38 and the mouthpiece 35 , or along the central axis LA of the atomizer cartridge, and the liquid reservoir is in the form of an annular structure radially outside the heater 35 .

[0033] The skilled person will also be aware of a number of possible variations of the control unit 20. For example, in addition to or in lieu of the airflow adjacent to the PCB 28, the airflow may enter the control unit at the top end (i.e., at the opposite end of the connector 21A). In this case, the airflow will typically be drawn toward the atomizer cartridge along the passage between the battery 54 and the outer wall of the control unit. Similarly, the control unit may include a PCB located on or near the top end, such as between the battery and the top end. In addition to or in lieu of the PCB 28, such a PCB may also be provided.

[0034] Furthermore, in addition to or in lieu of charging at the connection point between the atomizer cartridge and the control unit, the electronic cigarette may also support charging at the tip or via a socket elsewhere on the device. (It will be appreciated that some electronic cigarettes are provided as essentially one-piece units, in which case the user cannot disconnect the atomizer cartridge from the control unit.) Other electronic cigarettes may also support wireless (inductive) charging in addition to (or in lieu of) wired charging.

[0035] Above Figure 1 The discussion of potential variations of the illustrated electronic cigarette is by way of example. Other potential variations (and combinations of variations) of the electronic cigarette 10 will be known to the skilled person.

[0036] Figure 2 According to some embodiments of the present disclosure Figure 1 Schematic diagram of the main functional components of the electronic cigarette 10. Note: Figure 2 Mainly relates to electrical connectivity and functionality - it is not intended to indicate the physical dimensions of the different components, nor the details of their physical arrangement within the control unit 20 or the atomizer cartridge 30. In addition, it should also be understood that Figure 2 At least some of the components shown in FIG. 5 as being located within the control unit 20 may be mounted on the circuit board 28. Alternatively, one or more such components may alternatively be housed in the control unit to operate with the circuit board 28, but not physically mounted on the circuit board itself. For example, these components may be located on one or more additional circuit boards, or they may be located separately (e.g., the battery 54).

[0037] like Figure 2 As shown, the atomizer cartridge includes a heater 310, which receives power through a connector 31B. The control unit 20 includes an electrical socket or connector 21A for connecting to a corresponding connector 31B of the atomizer cartridge 30 (or potentially connected to a USB charging device). This then provides electrical connectivity between the control unit 20 and the atomizer cartridge 30.

[0038] The control unit 20 also includes a sensor unit 61, which is located in or near the air path from the air inlet to the air outlet (through the connector 21A to the atomizer cartridge 30) through the control unit 20. The sensor unit includes a pressure sensor 62 and a temperature sensor 63 (also in or near the air path). The control unit also includes a capacitor 220, a processor 50, a field effect transistor (FET) switch 210, a battery 54, and an input device 59 and an output device 58.

[0039] The operation of the processor 50 and other electronic components (such as the pressure sensor 62) is typically at least partially controlled by a software program running on the processor (or other component). Such software programs may be stored in a non-volatile memory (such as a ROM), which may be integrated into the processor 50 itself or provided as a separate component. The processor 50 may access the ROM to load and execute various software programs when required. The processor 50 also includes appropriate communication facilities, such as pins or pads (plus corresponding control software), for communicating with other devices in the control unit 20 (such as the pressure sensor 62) when appropriate.

[0040] The output device 58 may provide visible, audio and / or tactile output. For example, the output device may include a speaker 58, a vibrator and / or one or more lights. The lights are typically provided in the form of one or more light emitting diodes (LEDs), which may be the same or different colors (or multiple colors). In the case of multiple color LEDs, different colors are obtained by switching LEDs of different colors (e.g., red, green or blue), optionally giving corresponding relative changes in color at different relative brightnesses. In the case of providing red, green and blue LEDs together, a full range of colors can be provided, whereas if only two of the three red, green and blue LEDs are provided, only a corresponding sub-range of colors can be obtained.

[0041] The output of the output device can be used to signal various conditions or states (e.g., low battery warning) within the electronic cigarette to the user. Different output signals can be used to signal different states or conditions. For example, if the output device 58 is an audio speaker, different states or conditions can be represented by tones or beeps of different pitches and / or durations, and / or by providing multiple such beeps or tones. Alternatively, if the output device 58 includes one or more lights, different states or conditions can be represented by using different colors, light pulses or continuous illumination, different pulse durations, etc. For example, one indicator light can be used to display a low battery warning, while another indicator light can be used to indicate that the liquid reservoir 58 is almost exhausted. It should be understood that a given electronic cigarette may include output devices that support multiple different output modes (audio, visual), etc.

[0042] The input device 59 can be configured in a variety of forms. For example, the input device (or devices) can be implemented as a button on the outside of the electronic cigarette - for example, as a mechanical, electrical or capacitive (touch) sensor. Some devices can support blowing into the electronic cigarette as an input mechanism (such blowing can be detected by a pressure sensor 62, which can then also be used as a form of input device 59), and / or connecting / disconnecting the cartridge booster 30 and the control unit 20 as another form of input mechanism. It should also be understood that a given electronic cigarette can include an input device 59 that supports multiple different input modes.

[0043] As described above, the electronic cigarette 10 provides an air passage from the air inlet through the electronic cigarette, through the pressure sensor 62 and the heater 310 in the atomizer cartridge 30 to the mouthpiece 35. Therefore, when the user inhales on the mouthpiece of the electronic cigarette, the processor 50 detects such inhalation based on information from the pressure sensor. In response to such detection, the CPU supplies power to the heater from the battery 54, thereby heating and vaporizing the nicotine from the liquid reservoir 38 for inhalation by the user.

[0044] exist Figure 2 In the specific embodiment shown, the FET 210 is connected between the battery 54 and the connector 21A. The FET 210 is used as a switch. The processor 50 is connected to the gate of the FET to operate the switch, thereby allowing the processor to turn on and off the flow of power from the battery 54 to the heater 310 according to the state of the detected airflow. It should be understood that the heater current can be relatively large, for example in the range of 1 to 5 amperes, and therefore the FET 210 should be implemented to support such current control (the same is true for any other form of switch that can be used to replace the FET 210).

[0045] In order to provide more fine-grained control over the amount of power flowing from the battery 54 to the heater 310, a pulse width modulation (PWM) scheme may be employed. The PWM scheme may be based on a repeating period of, for example, 1 ms. During each such period, the switch 210 is turned on for a portion of the period and turned off for the remainder of the period. This is parameterized by a duty cycle, where a duty cycle of 0 means that the switch is turned off (i.e., effectively permanently off) for all of each period, a duty cycle of 0.33 means that the switch is turned on for one-third of each period, a duty cycle of 0.66 means that the switch is turned on for two-thirds of each period, and a duty cycle of 1 means that the FET is turned on (i.e., effectively permanently on) for all of each period. It should be understood that these are given only as example settings for the duty cycle, and intermediate values ​​may be used where appropriate.

[0046] The use of PWM provides the heater with an effective power given by the nominal available power (based on the battery output voltage and the heater resistance) multiplied by the duty cycle. The processor 50 may, for example, utilize a duty cycle of 1 (i.e., full power) at the beginning of an inhalation to initially raise the heater 310 to its desired operating temperature as quickly as possible. Once the desired operating temperature is reached, the processor 50 may then reduce the duty cycle to some suitable value to provide the desired operating power to the heater 310.

[0047] like Figure 2 As shown, the processor 50 includes a communication interface 55 for wireless communication, in particular supporting Bluetooth Low Energy (BLE) communication.

[0048] Alternatively, the heater 310 can be used as an antenna for sending and receiving wireless communications by the communication interface 55. One motivation for doing so is that the control unit 20 may have a metal housing 202, while the atomizer cartridge portion 30 may have a plastic housing 302 (reflecting that the atomizer cartridge 30 is disposable, while the control unit 20 is retained and therefore can benefit from being more durable). The metal housing is used as a shield or barrier that can affect the operation of the antenna located in the control unit 20 itself. However, using the heater 310 as an antenna for wireless communications can help avoid such metal shielding due to the plastic housing of the atomizer cartridge, but will not add additional components or complexity (or cost) to the atomizer cartridge. Alternatively, a separate antenna (not shown) can be provided, or a portion of the metal housing can be used.

[0049] If the heater is used as an antenna, then Figure 2 As shown, the processor 50 (more specifically the communication interface 55) can be coupled from the battery 54 to the power line of the heater 310 through the capacitor 220 (via the connection 31B). This capacitive coupling occurs downstream of the switch 210 because the wireless communication can operate when the heater is not powered for heating (as discussed in more detail below). It should be understood that the capacitor 220 helps prevent the power supply from the battery 54 to the heater 310 from being diverted back to the processor 50.

[0050] Note that capacitive coupling may be implemented using a more complex LC (inductor-capacitor) network, which may also provide impedance matching to the output of the communication interface 55. (As known to those skilled in the art, this impedance matching may help support proper transmission of signals between the communication interface 55 and the heater 310 acting as an antenna, rather than reflecting the signal back along the connection).

[0051] In some embodiments, the processor 50 and the communication interface are implemented using a Dialog DA14580 chip from Dialog Semiconductor PLC of Reading, England. For more information (and a data sheet) on this chip, visit: http: / / www.dialog-semiconductor.com / products / bluetooth-smart / smartbond-da14580.

[0052] Figure 3A high-level and simplified overview of the chip 50 is presented, including a communication interface 55 for supporting Bluetooth low energy. The interface specifically includes a radio transceiver 520 for performing signal modulation and demodulation, etc., link layer hardware 512, and advanced encryption facilities (128 bits) 511. The output of the radio transceiver 520 is connected to an antenna (e.g., via capacitive coupling 220 and connections 21A and 31B to a heater 310 used as an antenna).

[0053] The rest of the processor 50 includes a general processing core 530, RAM 531, ROM 532, a one-time programming (OTP) unit 533, a general I / O system 560 (for communicating with other components on the PCB 28), a power management unit 540, and a bridge 570 for connecting two buses. The software instructions stored in the ROM 532 and / or the OTP unit 533 can be loaded into the RAM 531 (and / or in a memory provided as part of the core 530) for execution by one or more processing units within the core 530. These software instructions enable the processor 50 to implement the various functions described herein, such as interacting with the sensor unit 61 and controlling the heater accordingly. It should be noted that although Figure 3 The device shown in FIG. 1 serves as both a communication interface 55 and a general controller for the electronic vapor supply system 10 , but in other embodiments, these two functions may be separated between two or more different devices (chips) - for example, one chip may serve as a communication interface 55 while another chip may serve as a general controller for the electronic vapor supply system 10 .

[0054] In some embodiments, the processor 50 can be configured to prevent wireless communication when the heater is used to vaporize liquid from the reservoir 38. For example, when the switch 210 is turned on, wireless communication can be suspended, terminated, or prevented from starting. Conversely, if wireless communication is ongoing, actuation of the heater can be prevented - for example, by ignoring the detection of airflow from the sensor unit 61 and / or by not operating the switch 210 for turning on power to the heater 310 while wireless communication is ongoing.

[0055] In some embodiments, one reason to prevent the heater 310 from being used for simultaneous operation of heating and wireless communication is that it helps to avoid potential interference from the PWM control of the heater. The PWM control has its own frequency (based on the repetition frequency of the pulses), although it is usually much smaller than the frequency used for wireless communication, and the two frequencies may potentially interfere with each other. In some cases, this interference may not actually cause any problems, and the heater 310 may be allowed to be used for simultaneous operation of both heating and wireless communication (if desired). For example, this can be facilitated by techniques such as appropriately selecting signal strength and / or PWM frequency, providing suitable filtering, etc.

[0056] Figure 4 Schematic diagram showing Bluetooth low energy communication between the electronic cigarette 10 and an application (app) running on a smart phone 400 or other suitable mobile communication device (tablet, laptop, smart watch, etc.). Such communication can be used for a wide range of purposes, such as upgrading the firmware on the electronic cigarette 10, retrieving usage and / or diagnostic data from the electronic cigarette 10, resetting or unlocking the electronic cigarette 10, controlling the settings of the electronic cigarette, etc.

[0057] Generally speaking, when the electronic cigarette 10 is turned on, for example, by using the input device 59, or possibly by connecting the atomizer cartridge 30 to the control unit 20, the Bluetooth low energy communication is initiated. If the smart phone 400 receives the outgoing communication, the smart phone 400 requests to connect to the electronic cigarette 10. The electronic cigarette can notify the user of the request via the output device 58 and wait for the user to accept or reject the request via the input device 59. Assuming that the request is accepted, the electronic cigarette 10 is able to communicate further with the smart phone 400. It should be noted that the electronic cigarette can remember the identity of the smart phone 400 and can automatically accept future connection requests from the smart phone. Once the connection is established, the smart phone 400 and the electronic cigarette 10 operate in a client-server mode, where the smart phone operates as a client that initiates the request and sends the request to the electronic cigarette, so the electronic cigarette operates as a server (and responds to the request in an appropriate manner).

[0058] Bluetooth low energy link (also known as Bluetooth Smart ) implements the IEEE 802.15.1 standard and operates at 2.4-2.5 GHz, corresponding to a wavelength of about 12 cm, with data rates up to 1 Mbit / s. Connection establishment time is less than 6 ms, and average power consumption can be very low - about 1 mW or less. A Bluetooth low energy link can potentially extend to about 50 meters. However, for Figure 4 In the case shown, the electronic cigarette 10 and the smart phone 400 usually belong to the same person and will therefore be closer to each other - for example 1 meter. For more information about Bluetooth low energy, please visit: http: / / www.bluetooth.com / Pages / Bluetooth-Smart.aspx

[0059] It should be understood that the electronic cigarette 10 may support other communication protocols for communicating with the smart phone 400 (or any other suitable device). Such other communication protocols may be used in addition to or in place of Bluetooth low energy. Examples of such other communication protocols include Bluetooth (not the low-power variant), see for example www.bluetooth.com, Near Field Communication (NFC) (according to ISO 13157) and NFC communications operate at a much lower wavelength than Bluetooth (13.56MHz) and typically have a much shorter range - e.g. <0.2m. Figure 4 As shown, this short range is still compatible with most usage scenarios. At the same time, low power communication can be used between the electronic cigarette 10 and the remote device. Communications, such as IEEE802.11ah, IEEE802.11v, etc. In each case, a suitable communication chipset may be included on the PCB 28 as part of the processor 50 or as a separate component. Those skilled in the art will appreciate that other wireless communication protocols may be used in the electronic cigarette 10.

[0060] Figure 5 Schematic exploded view of an exemplary atomizer cartridge 30 according to some embodiments. The atomizer cartridge has a plastic housing 302, a mouthpiece 35 (which can be formed as part of the housing), a vaporizer 620, a hollow inner tube 612, and a connector 31B for attaching to a control unit. The airflow path through the atomizer cartridge 30 begins through the air inlet of the connector 31B, then passes through the vaporizer 625 and the interior of the hollow tube 612, and finally passes outside the mouthpiece 35. The atomizer cartridge 30 keeps the liquid in the annular region between (i) the plastic housing 302 and (ii) the vaporizer 620 and the inner tube 612. The connector 31B is provided with a seal 635 to help keep the liquid in the region and prevent leakage.

[0061] Figure 6 For Figure 5 Schematic exploded view of the vaporizer 620 of the exemplary atomizer cartridge 30 shown. The vaporizer 620 has a generally cylindrical housing (bracket) formed by two parts 627A, 627B, each of which has a generally semicircular cross-section. When assembled, the edges of the parts 627A, 627B do not completely abut each other (at least not along their entire length), but retain a slight gap 625 (such as Figure 5 610). This gap allows liquid from the external reservoir surrounding the evaporator and tube 612 to enter the interior of the evaporator 620.

[0062] exist Figure 6 627B of the evaporator for supporting the heater 310. Two connectors 631A, 631B are shown for supplying power (and wireless communication signals) to the heater 310. More specifically, these connectors 631A, 631B connect the heater to the connector 31B and from there to the control unit 20. (Note that by passing under the heater 310 and at Figure 6 Electrical connections not visible in the drawing, connector 631A is connected to a gasket 632A at the distal end of the evaporator 620 relative to connector 31B).

[0063] The heater 310 comprises a heating element formed of a sintered metal fiber material and is typically in the form of a sheet or porous conductive material such as steel. However, it should be understood that other porous conductive materials may be used. Figure 6 In the example of , the total resistance of the heating element is about 1 ohm. However, it should be understood that other resistances may be selected, for example, by considering the available battery voltage and the desired temperature / power dissipation characteristics of the heating element. In this regard, the relevant characteristics may be selected based on the desired aerosol (vapor) generation characteristics of the device depending on the source liquid of interest.

[0064] The main part of the heating element is generally rectangular, with a length (ie, the direction extending between the connector 31B and the contact 632A) of about 20 mm and a width of about 8 mm. In this example, the thickness of the sheet including the heating element is about 0.15 mm.

[0065] like Figure 6 As shown, the generally rectangular main portion of the heating element has slots 311 extending inwardly from each of the longer sides. These slots 311 engage key bodies 312 provided by the evaporator housing component 627B, thereby helping to maintain the position of the heating element relative to the housing components 627A, 627B.

[0066] The narrow slot extends inwardly about 4.8 millimeters and has a width of about 0.6 millimeters. The narrow slots 311 extending inwardly are separated from each other by about 5.4 mm on each side of the heating element, and the narrow slots extending inwardly from the opposite side are offset from each other by about half of the interval. The result of this narrow slot arrangement is that the current flowing along the heating element is actually forced to travel along a tortuous path, which leads to the concentration of current and electricity around the end of the narrow slot. The different current / electricity density at different positions on the heating element means that there is a relatively high current density area that is hotter than a relatively low current density area. This actually provides different temperature ranges and temperature gradients for the heating element, which is desirable in the case of an aerosol supply system. This is because different components of the source liquid may be atomized / vaporized at different temperatures, and therefore providing a heating element with a certain temperature range can help to simultaneously atomize a range of different components in the source liquid.

[0067] Figure 6The heater 310 shown, having a generally planar shape elongated in one direction, is well suited for use as an antenna. In conjunction with the metal housing 202 of the control unit, the heater 310 forms an approximate dipole configuration, which is typically of the same physical size as the wavelength of Bluetooth low energy communications - i.e., a size of several centimeters relative to a wavelength of about 12 cm (allowing for the heater 310 and the metal housing 202).

[0068] although Figure 6 A shape and configuration of the heater 310 (heating element) is shown, but a person skilled in the art will know various other possibilities. For example, the heater can be set as some other configuration of a coil or a resistance wire. Another possibility is that the heater is constructed as a tube containing a liquid to be vaporized (e.g., a certain form of tobacco product). In this case, the tube can be mainly used to transport heat from the generation site (e.g., through a coil or other heating element) to the liquid to be vaporized. In this case, the tube still serves as a heater for the liquid to be heated. This configuration can again optionally be used as an antenna to support a wireless configuration.

[0069] As previously described herein, a suitable electronic cigarette 10 may communicate with a mobile communication device 400, such as by pairing the device using the Bluetooth low power protocol.

[0070] Thus, by providing appropriate software instructions (eg in the form of an application) to be run on a smartphone, additional functionality can be provided to the electronic cigarette and / or a system comprising the electronic cigarette and the smartphone.

[0071] Now turn to Figure 7 , a typical smartphone 400 includes a central processing unit (CPU) 410. The CPU may communicate with components of the smartphone via a direct connection or via an I / O bridge 414 and / or bus 430, if applicable.

[0072] exist Figure 7 In the example shown, the CPU communicates directly with the memory 412, which may include a permanent memory, such as flash memory, for storing an operating system and application programs (apps); and a volatile memory, such as RAM, for saving data currently being used by the CPU. Typically, the permanent memory and the volatile memory are formed by physically different units (not shown). In addition, the memory may include a plug-in memory, such as a memory card, and also include user information data on a subscriber information module (SIM) (not shown).

[0073] The smartphone may also include a graphics processing unit (GPU) 416. The GPU may communicate directly with the CPU or via an I / O bridge, or may be part of the CPU. The GPU may share RAM with the CPU or may have its own dedicated RAM (not shown) and is connected to a display 418 of the mobile phone. The display is typically a liquid crystal (LCD) or organic light emitting diode (OLED) display, but may be any suitable display technology, such as electronic ink. Optionally, the GPU may also be used to drive one or more speakers 420 of the smartphone.

[0074] Alternatively, the speaker may be connected to the CPU via an I / O bridge and bus. Other components of the smartphone may similarly be connected via the bus, including: a touch surface 432, such as a capacitive touch surface overlaid on a screen for providing touch input to the device, a microphone 434 for receiving speech from a user, one or more cameras 436 for capturing images, a global positioning system (GPS) unit 438 for obtaining an estimate of the smartphone's geographic location, and wireless communication means 440.

[0075] The wireless communication devices 440 may in turn include devices that conform to different standards and / or protocols such as Bluetooth (standard or low energy variants), near field communication, and ) and also includes phones based on communications (such as 2G, 3G and / or 4G).

[0076] The system is typically powered by a battery (not shown) which may be charged via a power input (not shown) which in turn may be part of a data link (not shown) such as USB.

[0077] It should be understood that different smartphones may include different features (eg, a compass or buzzer) and may omit some of those listed above (eg, a touch surface).

[0078] Therefore, more generally, in embodiments of the present disclosure, a suitable remote device (such as a smart phone 400) will include a CPU and memory for storing and running applications and a wireless communication device operable to activate and maintain wireless communication with the electronic cigarette 10. However, it should be understood that the remote device can be a device with these capabilities, such as a tablet computer, a laptop computer, a smart TV, etc.

[0079] One example of additional functionality that may be provided to the electronic cigarette 10 and / or the combination of the electronic cigarette 10 and the mobile communication device 400 is a method of synchronizing features between the electronic cigarette and a user's mobile communication device.

[0080] refer to Figure 8 and Fig. 9 , a method for synchronizing features between an electronic vapor supply system and a mobile communication device of a first user comprises:

[0081] In a first step s101 , current parameters of configurable features on one of the electronic vapor supply system and the mobile communication device are obtained.

[0082] It should be understood that configurable features may be obtained from either device, such as when the devices are first paired, or when a user uses an interface to modify a parameter or makes a selection that has the result of modifying a parameter, or when an event occurs as a result of modifying a parameter.

[0083] In the case of an electronic cigarette comprising a multi-color LED as previously described herein, examples of current parameters that may result from a configurable feature of the electronic cigarette include the current color of the LED (providing the "lit portion" of the electronic cigarette).

[0084] Initially, the color may be a default factory setting for the LED (e.g., the color may initially be randomly selected for each electronic cigarette, or may correspond to, for example, the model type), and this may be communicated to the mobile communication device upon first pairing. At other times, the current color may correspond to a warning state (e.g., "low battery" may correspond to one color, while "low storage" may correspond to another color), or may correspond to a color selection setting using an input from the electronic cigarette (e.g., a button on the electronic cigarette may cycle through a predetermined number of colors to allow direct personalization by the user).

[0085] In this case, the processor 50 of the electronic steam supply system is arranged to obtain current parameters of configurable features of the electronic steam supply system.

[0086] In contrast, in the case where the current parameter of the configurable feature obtained originates from the mobile communication device, the processor (CPU 410 of the mobile communication device) obtains the parameter. In this case, the parameter may be the main color within the color scheme of the application (e.g., the color in the menu bar, welcome screen, background area, etc.), the color scheme of the operating system (again involving the color in the menu bar, background area, etc.), and / or the main color of at least a part of the wallpaper image (e.g., the background image overlaid by the application icons during navigation). Thus, the parameter may be the color setting of a feature of a graphical interface displayed on the color display of the mobile communication device.

[0087] It should be understood that, depending on the functionality of the electronic cigarette, the configurable feature is not limited to the color of the LED. For example, in the case where the electronic cigarette includes a speaker 58, the current parameter of the configurable feature obtained from the mobile communication device may be a sound, such as a user-selected sound associated with an event (such as a notification). In this case, the electronic cigarette may include storage space for sound samples, and the selected sound may be downloaded to the electronic cigarette.

[0088] Similarly, the configurable feature can be time-varying; for example, it can be an illumination pulse or changing signal to cause the brightness of an LED or graphic feature of the mobile communication device to pulse or otherwise change in a certain pattern, or change color in a certain pattern; this signal can be periodically transmitted to the electronic cigarette to cause it to pulse synchronously. Where appropriate, a timing offset can be used to account for transmission delays between the mobile communication device and the electronic cigarette.

[0089] Alternatively, the illumination pulse signal may be responsive to a musical beat, extracted for example using a low pass filter applied to a sound source such as an MP3 recording being played by the mobile communication device or ambient sounds detected by a microphone of the mobile communication device.

[0090] In a second step s102 , the method comprises communicating the parameter to the other of the electronic vapor supply system and the mobile communication device.

[0091] Where the parameters originate from an electronic cigarette, the communication interface 55 operates as a transmitter arranged to communicate the parameters to the mobile communication device.

[0092] The communication is provided in a format that indicates that the mobile communication device should reconfigure the corresponding feature in response to the communicated parameters; for example a predetermined flag or bit / byte sequence may be associated with the communication to indicate this.

[0093] Conversely, in the case where the parameter originates from the mobile communication device, the wireless transmitter 440 is arranged to communicate the parameter to the electronic vapor supply system. Again, the communication is provided in a format indicating that the electronic vapor supply system should reconfigure its corresponding features in response to the communicated parameter, for example again using a predetermined flag, introducing a predetermined bit / byte sequence within the communication.

[0094] As will be appreciated from the examples given above, the parameter may comprise a single value, which may be interpreted appropriately by a processor of the corresponding device, or may comprise data for use by a processor of the corresponding device, such as in the case of a sound sample.

[0095] In a third step s103, the method comprises reconfiguring the other of the electronic vapor supply system and the mobile communication device of corresponding features thereof in response to the communicated parameters.

[0096] Referring back to the example above, in the case where the starting parameter is the color of the LED of the electronic cigarette, the corresponding feature of the mobile communication device may be one or more selected from the following, including: the color scheme of the application, the color scheme of the operating system, and the color of at least a portion of the wallpaper image, or more generally, as described above with respect to the case where the color parameter originates from the mobile communication device, the color setting of the feature of the graphical interface displayed on the color display of the mobile communication device. Conversely, in the case where the user selects the color or scheme of the graphical feature of the user interface of the mobile communication device, the corresponding feature of the electronic cigarette may be the color of the LED (or other indicator).

[0097] Typically, the color can be represented as a triplet of values ​​corresponding to red, green, and blue levels, and these values ​​are used to drive the red, green, and blue light sources of the multicolor LED at corresponding brightness levels to produce a composite color. In the case where the electronic cigarette includes a multicolor LED that does not cover the full color range / gamut (e.g., the multicolor LED includes only red and green light sources, or only green and blue light sources, or only blue and red light sources, or some other combination of colors (such as red, green, and white)), then the mobile communication device (or more specifically, an application that provides the functionality described herein) can be set to provide selectable colors within the functional range of the multicolor LED of the electronic cigarette.

[0098] Optionally, the color correction subsystem can be included in the mobile communication device, for example as part of an application. When applied to a mobile communication device display, the color correction subsystem can use a color correction table and / or a color correction formula to modify the color parameters for the electronic cigarette LED. The table and / or formula can be used to take into account the difference in color range between the LED of the electronic cigarette and the display of a specific mobile communication device model; for example, a corresponding table can be constructed empirically or based on product data of a popular mobile phone manufacturer to visually match the color of the display to the color of the electronic cigarette LED. Alternatively or additionally, a table and / or formula can be used to take into account the current brightness setting of the mobile phone, for example by adding or subtracting an offset to the color parameters to visually match the effective brightness of the electronic cigarette LED.

[0099] Reducing color variability between the e-cigarette LED and the mobile communication device display advantageously enables more colors to be selected distinctively; for example, color selection based on a range of 16 values ​​from minimum to maximum brightness in each color channel can be extended to a range of 32, 64, 128 or 256 values ​​per channel.

[0100] It should be understood that, by means of corresponding features between the electronic cigarette and the mobile communication device, there can optionally be mutual synchronization, so that if the user manually changes the color of the LED on the electronic cigarette (for example using a button or a rotatable sleeve on the device to cycle through preset color selections), the corresponding parameters are transmitted to the mobile communication device which updates the color of the feature of the displayed graphical interface; conversely, if the user selects a feature of the displayed graphical interface as part of a software environment operating according to the method (for example part of an application that provides enhanced functionality and / or reporting for the electronic cigarette), the corresponding parameters are transmitted to the electronic cigarette, which updates the color of the LED accordingly.

[0101] Therefore, more generally, where there is a corresponding feature between the electronic cigarette and the mobile communication device, whether the feature is based on lighting color, lighting timing, sound or tactile feedback (such as vibration), parameters reflecting aspects of the feature setting can be obtained from the electronic vapor supply system and communicated to the mobile communication device, or parameters can be obtained from the mobile communication device and communicated to the electronic vapor supply system.

[0102] Other examples of parameters that may be obtained from either device, depending on the circumstances, include system settings, such as the intensity or vapor supply level of an e-cigarette, which may be set on the device or remotely via a mobile communication device; in which case a corresponding LED color or pulse rate or sound may be used to indicate intensity, and the associated parameters may be synchronized between the devices.

[0103] Similarly, the corresponding type of liquid (e.g., flavor) for vaporization can be indicated by a syncable color or sound. In the case where the electronic cigarette and the reservoir are arranged so that the reservoir can indicate the type of contents to the electronic cigarette, the electronic cigarette can select the corresponding LED color and transmit the color parameter to the mobile communication device. Alternatively, in the case where the reservoir does not indicate the type of contents or the electronic cigarette cannot detect the contents, the user can manually select the fragrance via a menu on the mobile communication device application; the mobile communication device can then select the corresponding LED color and send the parameter to the electronic cigarette. In either case, the color scheme can be used as a reminder to the user, especially for convenience, the user has multiple similar brands of electronic cigarettes, each brand of electronic cigarette is loaded with electronic liquids of different flavors.

[0104] It should be understood that in the case where a user has multiple electronic cigarettes paired with a single mobile communication device, the mobile communication device can maintain multiple corresponding configuration files so that the parameters for each electronic cigarette remain different. In the case where more than one paired electronic cigarette communicates with the mobile communication device, the mobile communication device can select a configuration file based on which electronic cigarette was most recently used and synchronize with that electronic cigarette.

[0105] Therefore, the above exemplary embodiments can allow a user to personalize an electronic cigarette system including an electronic cigarette and its mobile phone (e.g., the appearance of the user interface of an application running on the mobile phone). This personalization can include selecting default colors and / or sounds for normal use of the electronic cigarette and / or various warnings (e.g., low battery, low storage).

[0106] This personalization is particularly useful in situations where multiple users of similar e-cigarette devices may be confused; for example, a couple owns corresponding e-cigarettes and wants to identify their own e-cigarettes for use at the beginning of the day, or in a bar or club, several people place e-cigarettes on a table and want to eliminate ambiguity of ownership.

[0107] Conversely, this personalization can be used in the opposite way for social purposes; for example, a group of friends could choose a specific color that they all use.

[0108] Regarding this use, refer again to Figure 8 And now also refer to Fig.10 In an embodiment of the present disclosure, the mobile communication device 400 may be adapted to facilitate synchronization of one or more parameters of the electronic cigarette 10 and optionally the mobile communication device 400 of a first user with the electronic cigarette 10 ′ and optionally the mobile communication device 400 ′ of a second or other user.

[0109] Therefore, reference Figure 8 and Fig.10 , a method of synchronizing features between a first smoking system including a first electronic vapor supply system and a second smoking system including a second electronic vapor supply system, wherein the first and second smoking systems are members of a synchronization group, comprising:

[0110] In a first step s201 , a first smoking system is associated with a group identification (ID), the group identification being associated with a synchronization group;

[0111] In a second step s202, detecting a signal from a second smoking system, the signal comprising data indicating that the second smoking system is a member of the group; and

[0112] In a third step s203, the settings associated with the illuminated portion of the first electronic vapor supply system are modified to settings common to the members of the group.

[0113] Here, a "smoking system" may include an electronic vapor supply system alone (ie, an electronic cigarette), or a combination of an electronic cigarette and a mobile communication device (ie, a mobile phone running a suitable application).

[0114] If the first smoking system comprises only the first electronic vapor supply system, the first electronic vapor supply system may comprise: a memory (e.g. a memory associated with the processor 50) for storing the group ID; a receiver (e.g. a communication interface 55) arranged to receive the signal; and a processor (e.g. the processor 50) arranged to verify the data indicating that the second smoking system is a member of the same group, and if so, to modify the setting if the data is verified. In this case, the verification may comprise comparing the stored group ID with the group ID included in the received signal.

[0115] Meanwhile, if the first smoking system further comprises a first mobile communication device paired with the first electronic vapor supply system, the first mobile communication device may comprise: a memory 412 arranged to store a group ID; a receiver 440 arranged to receive a signal; a processor 410 arranged to verify data indicating that the second smoking system is a member of the same group; and a transmitter arranged to send instructions to the first electronic vapor supply system to modify the settings of the illuminated portion of the first electronic vapor supply system if the data is verified. As previously described herein, such transmission may include, for example, an indication in a format indicating that the first electronic vapor supply system should reconfigure the settings of the illuminated portion in response to the communicated modification of the settings. Optionally, as previously described, the mobile communication device will modify the corresponding features of its graphical user interface.

[0116] In the case where the first smoking system also includes a first mobile communication device, the verification may be more sophisticated than simply comparing the stored group ID with the group ID included in the received signal. For example, the received signal may include a token received by the second smoking system from a trusted server (not shown). The first mobile communication device can then send the token and the locally stored group ID to the server, which returns data indicating whether the token and group ID are effectively associated at the server. In this way, neither smoking system needs to propagate the group ID so that the first smoking system determines that it belongs to the same group as the second smoking system. This provides a safer means to synchronize electronic cigarettes within a group.

[0117] Accordingly, if the second smoking system only comprises the second electronic vapor supply system 10', the second electronic vapor supply system should comprise: a memory comprising data indicating that the second smoking system is a member of a group (e.g., a group ID or a token); and a transmitter (e.g., a communication interface 55) arranged to propagate a signal to a remote first smoking system comprising the first electronic vapor supply system, the signal comprising data indicating that the second smoking system is a member of the group. In this case, the group ID or the token may be transmitted in advance to the second electronic vapor supply system by a paired second mobile communication device, which then does not exist as part of the second smoking system.

[0118] This transmitted signal may then be received by the first smoking system (ie the first electronic vapor supply system and / or the first mobile communication device).

[0119] At the same time, if the second smoking system does also include a second mobile communication device 400`, it may include a memory 412 comprising: data indicating that the second smoking system is a member of a group (e.g., a group ID and / or token received from a trusted server when registering to a group service); and a transmitter 410, which is arranged to propagate a signal to a remote first smoking system comprising a first electronic vapor supply system, the signal comprising data indicating that the second smoking system is a member of the group.

[0120] Thus, independent of the composition of the first smoking system or the second smoking system, in the case where two or more such electronic cigarettes (or their paired mobile communication devices when applicable) are within wireless range, the lighting areas of the electronic cigarettes are synchronized in a similar manner as previously described herein, such as selecting a common color or selecting a common time variation in brightness or color. It should be understood that the above color or time variation can be predefined for the group, either as a factory setting, or as a value that can be extracted from the group ID itself or obtained from a trusted server when applicable. Alternatively, modifications to the color or time setting can be transmitted by the second smoking system and received by the first smoking system from it, thereby allowing the second user to select the color or time setting of his choice. This may be advantageous in the case where the default or pre-set color or time setting is not obvious enough among a group of other users; for example, if the default or pre-selected color is red, and the user enters a bar where a large number of other users already have electronic vapor supply systems with red lights, the user can select a significantly different color for the group, so that the identity of the group members can be clear.

[0121] Examples of who the group members are (and therefore who holds the group ID) include e-cigarettes from the same manufacturer, e-cigarettes of the same model, and e-cigarettes holding the same e-liquid. In the latter case as described above, the liquid reservoir can automatically notify the e-cigarette of its contents, or this can be input via a selection mechanism of an application on a mobile communication device. Subsequently, the user can easily find other users of the same liquid because these e-cigarettes all turn into the same color light or time sequence when they are close to each other. This may be advantageous in the case where the liquid contains a specific scent because it allows users of a specific scent to gather together and avoid mixing smells.

[0122] Another example of a group is a mobile communication device running a specific application. In this case, the application retains a group ID and optionally a token associated with the group ID. In the first case, any mobile communication device running the application is a member of the group of the application. In another case, the application enables users to register as a social group. In this way, a group of friends can associate themselves as a group so that their electronic cigarettes display synchronized colors and / or timing behaviors when they are close to each other.

[0123] Such an application may have a group setting mode arranged to detect the broadcast ID from a friend's e-cigarette or associated mobile phone, and these may then be used as a token indicating membership of the group; with the group ID being shared between group members. Alternatively, in the case where friends are not close enough to communicate directly when setting up a group, this may be done via a remote trusted server to generate a group ID and token for use as described earlier herein.

[0124] The group ID may be a one-time group ID. Thus, another example of a group is two or more users who share a one-time group ID. For example, a dating website may automatically include the group ID (and optionally a token if server verification is to be used) in other contact information. Subsequently, in a bar or other institution, two users who may not have met before may recognize each other by means of synchronized color and / or brightness and / or color changes of their e-cigarettes, and optionally may also use the graphic features of their mobile phones. This provides a discreet means of identifying someone in a potentially crowded environment.

[0125] The disposable group ID may subsequently be discarded (i.e. removed from the memory of the electronic vapor supply system and / or mobile communication device or similarly from a trusted server). Alternatively or in addition to discarding the group ID when the second smoking system is verified as belonging to the same group as the first smoking system, such a disposable group ID may also be discarded if a predetermined period of time has passed.

[0126] It should be understood that the smoking system can be a member or potential member of more than one group at the same time, such as a separate friend group, couple, application and e-liquid group. Optionally, the user can choose to actively participate in the group, for example by using an on / off setting in the application. Optionally, the setting can be communicated to a paired and suitable electronic cigarette so that the electronic cigarette (if necessary) can be operated as a smoking system independently of the mobile phone.

[0127] It should also be understood that the smoking system can be the first smoking system and the second smoking system as described herein at the same time, both transmitting data indicating group membership and attempting to detect such data from other devices. Therefore, when these devices enter the range, they can all receive data from each other and each verify that the membership of another device is in the same group. In the case where the setting modification data is also transmitted, in the case of being modified to a preset, whether as a factory setting or as a setting predetermined by a group, then whether each smoking system adopts the setting modification data of another is unimportant, because they are the same. However, in these cases that are different for some reason, optionally, the setting modification data that has been changed most recently is preferentially adopted. To achieve this, a timestamp or version number can be associated with the setting modification data. Alternatively, the main group members can be pre-selected during the group establishment period in which the setting modification data is prioritized. Similarly, priority can be set using the member joining order.

[0128] It will be appreciated that any method described herein may be performed either by software instructions or on suitable conventional hardware by the inclusion or replacement of dedicated hardware.

[0129] Thus, the desired adaptation of existing parts of conventional equivalent devices may be implemented in the form of a computer program product comprising processor-implementable instructions stored on a tangible, non-transitory machine-readable medium (such as a floppy disk, optical disk, hard disk, PROM, RAM, flash memory, or any combination of these or other storage media, etc.), or implemented in hardware as an ASIC (Application Specific Integrated Circuit) or FPGA (Field Programmable Gate Array) or other configurable circuit suitable for adapting conventional equivalent devices. In addition, such a computer program may be transmitted via a data signal on a network (such as an Ethernet, a wireless network, the Internet, or any combination of these and other networks).

[0130] In order to solve various problems and improve technology, the present disclosure shows various embodiments of the invention that can be implemented by explanation. The advantages and features of the present disclosure are only representative samples of embodiments, and are not exhaustive and / or exclusive. They are only provided to help understand and teach the invention that is claimed. It should be understood that the advantages, embodiments, examples, functions, features, structures and / or other aspects of the present disclosure should not be considered as limitations on the present disclosure defined by the attached claims or limitations on the equivalents of the attached claims, and other embodiments can be used without departing from the scope of the claims and can be modified. In addition to those specifically described herein, various embodiments may appropriately include or consist of or substantially consist of various combinations of disclosed elements, components, features, parts, steps, devices, etc. The present disclosure may include other inventions that are not currently claimed but may be claimed in the future.

Claims

1. A method of synchronizing features between a first smoking system comprising a first electronic vapor supply system and a second smoking system comprising a second electronic vapor supply system, wherein: The first smoking system and the second smoking system are members of a synchronization group, and the method comprises the following steps: associating the first smoking system with a group identifier associated with the synchronization group; detecting a signal from the second smoking system, the signal comprising data indicating that the second smoking system is a member of the synchronization group; and Settings associated with an illuminated portion of the first electronic vapor supply system are modified to be settings common to members of the synchronization group.

2. The method according to claim 1, wherein: The first electronic steam supply system comprises: a memory arranged to store the group identification; a receiver arranged to receive the signal; and A processor is arranged to verify the data indicating that the second smoking system is a member of the synchronization group to modify the setting if the data is verified.

3. The method according to claim 1, wherein: The first smoking system includes a first mobile communication device.

4. The method according to claim 3, wherein: The first mobile communication device comprises: a memory arranged to store the group identification; a receiver arranged to receive said signal; a processor arranged to verify said data indicating that said second smoking system is a member of said synchronization group; and A transmitter is arranged to transmit instructions to said first electronic vapor supply system to modify said settings if said data is verified.

5. The method according to claim 4, wherein: The data indicating that the second smoking system is a member of the synchronization group is a token associated with the group identity at a trusted server; and the method comprises the following steps: The first mobile communication device transmits the stored group identifier and the received token to the trusted server; and The first mobile communication device receives from the trusted server an indication of whether the token is validly associated with the group identification at the trusted server.

6. The method according to any one of claims 1 to 5, wherein: The signal is sent by the second electronic vapor supply system.

7. The method according to any one of claims 1 to 5, wherein: The second smoking system comprises a second mobile communication device, and the signal is sent by the second mobile communication device.

8. The method according to any one of claims 1 to 5, wherein: The group identifier is common to groups selected from a list consisting of: i. Electronic steam supply systems from the same manufacturer; ii. an electronic steam supply system of the same model; iii. An electronic vapor supply system that maintains the same fluid; and iv. Applications for mobile communication devices.

9. The method according to any one of claims 1 to 5, wherein: The group identifier is common to the registered user group.

10. The method according to any one of claims 1 to 5, wherein: The group identifier is a one-time identifier.

11. The method according to claim 10, wherein: The group identifier is discarded after satisfying one or more criteria selected from the list consisting of: i. the second smoking system is verified as belonging to the synchronization group; and ii. A predetermined period of time has passed.

12. The method according to any one of claims 1 to 5, wherein: The feature to be synchronized is the color of a respective lighting area of ​​each of the first electronic vapor supply system and the second electronic vapor supply system, and the setting relates to the color.

13. The method according to any one of claims 1 to 5, wherein: The feature to be synchronized is the timing of the respective lighting zones of each of the first and second electronic vapor supply systems, and the setting relates to the timing.

14. The method according to any one of claims 1 to 5, wherein: Modifications to the settings are predefined for the synchronization group.

15. The method according to any one of claims 1 to 5, wherein: Modifications to the settings are received from the second smoking system.

16. A computer program product comprising a computer readable medium storing computer program code adapted to perform the method of any one of claims 1 to 15.

17. A first smoking system, comprising: First electronic steam supply system; a memory including a group identifier associated with a synchronization group; a receiver arranged to detect a signal from a remote second smoking system comprising a second electronic vapour supply system, the signal comprising data indicating that the second smoking system is a member of the synchronization group; A processor is arranged to modify settings associated with an illuminated portion of the first electronic vapor supply system to settings common to members of the synchronization group.

18. The first smoking system according to claim 17, wherein: The receiver is arranged to receive a modification to the setting from the remote second smoking system.

19. The first smoking system according to claim 17 or 18, wherein: The first electronic vapor supply system includes the memory, the receiver, and the processor.

20. The first smoking system according to claim 17 or 18, comprising: a first mobile communication device; And wherein, the first mobile communication device includes the memory, the receiver and the processor.

21. The first smoking system according to claim 20, wherein: the processor of the first mobile communication device being arranged to obtain a modification to the setting corresponding to a configurable feature of the first electronic vapor supply system; The transmitter of the first mobile communication device is arranged to communicate the modification to the setting to the first electronic vapor supply system in a format instructing the first electronic vapor supply system to reconfigure a corresponding feature of the first electronic vapor supply system in response to the communicated modification to the setting.

22. A second smoking system, comprising: a second electronic vapor supply system; a memory including data indicating that the second smoking system is a member of a synchronization group; a transmitter arranged to propagate a signal to a first smoking system comprising a first electronic vapour supply system, the signal comprising data indicating that the second smoking system is a member of the synchronisation group, wherein the transmitter is arranged to transmit a modification of a setting to the remote first smoking system, wherein the modification is to modify a setting associated with an illuminated portion of the first electronic vapour supply system to a setting common to the members of the synchronisation group.

23. The second smoking system according to claim 22, wherein: The second electronic vapor supply system includes the memory and the transmitter.

24. The second smoking system according to claim 22 or 23, comprising: a second mobile communication device; And wherein, the second mobile communication device includes the memory and the transmitter.

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