Aerosol generating device, aerosol generating system, and control method

Abstract

An aerosol generating device (1) comprises: a heating baking member (11) configured to receive and heat an aerosol generating substrate (31) to generate an aerosol; and a control circuit system (12) configured to control the heating baking member. The control circuit system comprises a communication module (17) configured to communicate with a remote device (2), and the control circuit system is configured to activate or deactivate the communication module depending on the current use state of the heating baking member, which is determined by the position of a movable closure member (15) and possibly also by a temperature sensor (16). By limiting the use state in which the communication module is activated, the control circuit can ensure that sufficient power can be supplied for both heating the substrate and communicating, and reduce the energy consumption of the device.

Description

Technical Field

[0001] The present disclosure relates to aerosol-generating devices configured to heat an aerosol-generating substrate to generate an aerosol. Such devices can heat or vaporize tobacco or other suitable aerosol-generating substrate material by conduction, convection, and / or radiation, rather than by burning, to generate an aerosol for inhalation. Background Art

[0002] Over the past few years, there has been a rapid increase in the popularity and use of reduced-risk or modified-risk devices (also known as vaporizers) to help habitual smokers who want to quit traditional tobacco products such as cigarettes, cigars, cigarillos, and roll-up cigarettes. Various devices and systems are available that heat or warm an aerosolizable substance, as opposed to burning tobacco in traditional tobacco products.

[0003] A commonly used, risk-reduced or risk-modified device is a heated substrate aerosol-generating device or heat-not-burn device. This type of device generates an aerosol or vapor by heating an aerosol-generating substrate, typically comprising moist tobacco leaves or other suitable aerosolizable material, to a temperature typically in the range of 150°C to 350°C. Heating, but not burning, or burning, the aerosol-generating substrate releases an aerosol that includes the components sought by the user but does not include the toxic and carcinogenic byproducts of combustion and burning. Furthermore, the aerosol generated by heating tobacco or other aerosolizable material typically does not include the burnt or bitter taste that may be unpleasant to the user due to combustion and burning, and therefore, the substrate does not require sugars and other additives that are typically added to such materials to make the smoke and / or vapor more palatable to the user. Summary of the Invention

[0004] It is desirable for such aerosol-generating devices to communicate with a remote device, for example, to extract usage data from the aerosol-generating device or to enable remote control of the aerosol-generating device or to enable control of the aerosol-generating device with an increased range of possible user inputs. However, such communication uses power, and this power usage competes with the power usage required to heat the aerosol-generating substrate. It is therefore desirable to provide an aerosol-generating device that is capable of communicating with a remote device without affecting its ability to heat the aerosol-generating substrate.

[0005] According to a first aspect, the present disclosure provides an aerosol generating device comprising: a heating baking member configured to receive and heat an aerosol generating substrate to generate an aerosol; and a control circuit system configured to control the heating baking member; wherein the control circuit system includes a communication module configured to communicate with a remote device, and the control circuit system is configured to enable or disable the communication module depending on the current usage status of the heating baking member.

[0006] Aerosol-generating devices are typically designed to supply the power required to power the heated bakeware, and nothing more. By activating or deactivating the communication module depending on the current state of use of the heated bakeware, the control circuitry can ensure that sufficient power is supplied for both heating the aerosol-generating substrate and communicating using the communication module, without compromising the effectiveness of either heating or communication.

[0007] On the one hand, the communication module may consume energy available in the aerosol-generating device.By limiting the usage conditions in which the communication module is enabled, the energy consumption of the aerosol-generating device may be reduced.

[0008] Optionally, the heating and baking component comprises an opening and a movable closing component for the opening, and the current use state of the heating and baking component comprises a position of the movable closing component.

[0009] By determining the current usage status of the heated toasting element based on the position of the movable closure element, the control circuitry can infer whether the aerosol generating device is currently in use and therefore determine whether it is appropriate to activate or deactivate the communication module.

[0010] Optionally, the control circuitry is configured to enable the communication module when the movable closure is in the open position.

[0011] When the movable closure is in the open position, the heating bakeware is open. Since the heating bakeware is opened to insert or remove the aerosol generating substrate, this state may be that the heating bakeware is in use, has been used recently, or is about to be used.

[0012] Optionally, the current usage status of the heating and baking element includes a change in the position of the movable closing element.

[0013] A change in the position of the movable closure member may be intentional by a user of the device and is another indication that the heated toasting member is in use, has recently been used or is about to be used.

[0014] Optionally, the movable closure is a sliding closure configured to move along a track.

[0015] An advantage of providing the movable closure in the form of a sliding closure is that it is easy to operate as it remains attached to the aerosol-generating device and has a well-defined range of movement.

[0016] Optionally, the heating bake is configured to receive a consumable through the opening, and the consumable is longer than the heating bake, such that when the aerosol-generating substrate is received in the heating bake, the movable closure is in the open position.

[0017] Alternatively, the movable closure is biased to a closed position. By this configuration, the movable closure can automatically close the opening. For example, when there is no consumable product, the movable closure can be moved to the closed position.

[0018] Optionally, the control circuit system is configured to control the heating bakeware to be in one or more aerosol generating states, and the current usage state of the heating bakeware includes the current aerosol generating state of the heating bakeware.

[0019] Aerosol generating conditions may have associated power consumption by the heated toastie, and the control circuitry may be configured to determine that it is inappropriate to enable the communication module while supplying the required power to the heated toastie in certain aerosol generating conditions.

[0020] Optionally, the aerosol generating device further comprises a temperature sensor, and the current usage status of the heating toasting element comprises an indication of a temperature measured by the temperature sensor.

[0021] The temperature measured by the temperature sensor further indicates whether electricity is required to heat the bakeware and / or whether an aerosol generating process has recently occurred, is currently occurring, or is about to occur.

[0022] Optionally, the control circuit system is configured to enable the communication module when the current usage state of the heating baking component is an inactive state.

[0023] By enabling the communication module, in particular when the heating element is not activated, the strain on the power supply of the aerosol generating device may be reduced.

[0024] Optionally, the communication module is configured to transmit usage data to the remote device.

[0025] Optionally, the communication module is configured to receive instructions from the remote device, and the control circuit system is configured to control the heating bakeware based on the instructions.

[0026] Optionally, the control circuitry is configured to delay deactivation of the communication module until the communication session is completed. This has the advantage of improving the reliability of data transmission from the aerosol-generating device to the remote device and / or the reliability of instruction transmission from the remote device to the aerosol-generating device.

[0027] Optionally, the aerosol-generating device further comprises a communication indicator operable to indicate whether the communication module is activated or deactivated.

[0028] By indicating whether the communication module is enabled or disabled, the user may be prompted to keep the aerosol-generating device within communication range of the remote device when communicating.

[0029] According to a second aspect, the present disclosure provides a system comprising a remote device and an aerosol-generating device as described above, wherein the remote device is configured to run a software application to communicate with the aerosol-generating device.

[0030] Optionally, the communication module is a wireless communication module, and the remote device is a user terminal.This configuration enables a user to conveniently use both the aerosol-generating device and the remote device together to improve user interface capabilities relative to a separate aerosol-generating device.

[0031] According to a third aspect, the present disclosure provides a method for controlling an aerosol generating device, which includes a heating baking element configured to receive and heat an aerosol generating substrate to generate an aerosol; and a communication module configured to communicate with a remote device, wherein the method includes activating or deactivating the communication module depending on the current usage status of the heating baking element.

[0032] The method may be performed by control circuitry arranged in the aerosol-generating device.The control circuitry may store the method as computer program instructions in a memory and execute these instructions using a processor, or the method may be hard-coded in the control circuitry.

[0033] The method may also be stored as computer program instructions in a storage medium. When the instructions are read from the storage medium and executed by the control circuit system, the control circuit system executes the method.

[0034] According to a first option for the method, the heating baking element of the aerosol-generating device comprises an opening and a movable closure element for the opening, and the current usage state of the heating baking element comprises the position of the movable closure element.

[0035] According to a first embodiment of the first option, the method comprises activating the communication module when the movable closure is in the open position.

[0036] According to a second embodiment of the first option, the current usage state of the heating and baking element comprises a change in the position of the movable closing element.

[0037] According to a third embodiment of the first option, the method is performed in an aerosol-generating device, wherein the movable closure is a sliding closure configured to move along a track.

[0038] Optionally, the method includes controlling the heating bakeware to be in one or more aerosol generating states, and the current usage state of the heating bakeware includes the current aerosol generating state of the heating bakeware.

[0039] Optionally, the method is performed in an aerosol-generating device, the aerosol-generating device further comprising a temperature sensor, and the current usage status of the heating toasting element comprises an indication of a temperature measured by the temperature sensor.

[0040] Optionally, the method includes enabling the communication module when the current usage state of the heating baking component is an inactive state.

[0041] Optionally, the method comprises controlling the communication module to transmit usage data to the remote device.

[0042] Optionally, the method includes controlling the communication module to receive an instruction from a remote device, and controlling the heating of the bakeware based on the instruction.

[0043] Optionally, the method comprises delaying deactivating the communication module until the communication session is completed.

[0044] Optionally, the method is performed in an aerosol-generating device, the aerosol-generating device further comprising a communication indicator, and the method comprises controlling the communication indicator to indicate whether the communication module is enabled or disabled. BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

[0045] Figure 1A is a schematic block diagram of an aerosol-generating system associated with a first state of use;

[0046] Figure 1B is a schematic block diagram of an aerosol-generating system associated with a second state of use;

[0047] Figure 2 is a schematic block diagram of the control circuit system 12 .

[0048] Figure 3 is a schematic timing diagram for controlling the heating of a baking element;

[0049] Figures 4A to 4D is a schematic external and cross-sectional representation of an aerosol generating device. DETAILED DESCRIPTION

[0050] Figure 1A and Figure 1B is a schematic block diagram of an aerosol generating system in different states of use.

[0051] The system comprises an aerosol-generating device 1 and a remote device 2 .

[0052] The aerosol-generating device 1 comprises a heating baking element 11 configured to receive and heat an aerosol-generating substrate to generate an aerosol, and a control circuit system 12 configured to control the heating baking element 11 .

[0053] In this embodiment, the heating baking member 11 takes the form of a can having an internal void, in which the aerosol generating substrate can be positioned for heating. The can can, for example, have a generally cylindrical shape. One or more walls of the can can be made of ceramic or metal material.

[0054] The heating baking member 11 includes at least one heating element 13, which is arranged adjacent to the wall of the heating baking member or arranged within the wall of the heating baking member. As an example, the heating element 11 can take the form of a resistance heater deposited on the wall of the heating baking member as a guide rail, can take the form of a thin film heater arranged to wrap around the outer wall of the heating baking member, can be embedded in the wall of the heating baking member, or can be a blade heater extending into the internal gap. Generally, any type of heating element 13 can be used. The heating element 13 is preferably an electronic heating element that can be directly controlled using an electronic switch (such as a transistor). The heating element 13 can alternatively be a chemical heating element configured to burn fuel or cause an exothermic chemical reaction. In this case, the heating element 13 can be controlled, for example, using a valve that controls the supply of chemical substances.

[0055] The heating bakeware 11 may additionally comprise one or more insulating elements 14 configured to reduce heat leakage from the heating bakeware to other parts of the aerosol-generating device 1 .

[0056] In this example, the aerosol-generating substrate is a solid substrate. The solid substrate can, for example, include nicotine or tobacco and an aerosol-forming agent. The tobacco can take the form of various materials, such as shredded tobacco, granulated tobacco, tobacco leaves, and / or reconstituted tobacco. Suitable aerosol-forming agents include: polyols such as sorbitol and glycerol, and glycols such as propylene glycol or triethylene glycol; non-polyols such as monohydric alcohols, acids such as lactic acid, glycerol derivatives, esters such as triacetin, triethylene glycol diacetate, triethyl citrate, glycerol, or vegetable glycerin. In some embodiments, the aerosol-generating agent can be glycerol, propylene glycol, or a mixture of glycerol and propylene glycol. The substrate can also include at least one of a gelling agent, a binder, a stabilizer, and a wetting agent.

[0057] In this example, the heating baking member 11 includes an opening at one end of its can shape and further includes a movable closure member 15. The movable closure member 15 is configured to be opened in a closed position (eg, Figure 1A shown) and the open position (as Figure 1B In the closed position, the closure member 15 blocks the opening of the heating and baking member 11, and in the open position, the closure member 15 does not block the opening of the heating and baking member 11.

[0058] More specifically, in this example, the movable closure 15 takes the form of a hinged lid with a well-defined range of motion. In other examples, the closure 15 may be more loosely attached to the aerosol-generating device 1 (e.g., via a tether), or may not be permanently attached to the aerosol-generating device at all (e.g., the closure 15 is only held in the closed position by a clip or gasket, or the closure 15 is a plug or stopper). For such a more loosely attached closure 15, the open position may be any position that is not the closed position.

[0059] The removable closure 15 can be used in a variety of different situations.

[0060] In one case, such as Figure 1B As shown, the aerosol-generating substrate 31 is provided as part of a consumable 3 that is longer than the heating and baking element 11. The consumable 3 may, for example, take the form of a cigarette, with the substrate 31 wrapped in a wrapper. Since the consumable 3 is longer than the heating and baking element 11, when the aerosol-generating substrate 31 is received in the heating and baking element 11, the movable closure 15 must be in the open position ( Figure 1B On the other hand, when the consumable product 3 has been consumed and discarded, the movable closure member 15 can be moved to a closed position to prevent any other material or object from inadvertently entering the heating and baking member 11.

[0061] In another embodiment, the aerosol generating substrate 31 can be sized to fit within the heating baking element 11 (the substrate 31 being provided as a packaged consumable or as loose material), and during heating of the aerosol generating substrate 31, the movable closure 15 can be moved to a closed position to retain the substrate 31 within the heating baking element 11 and / or to improve heating efficiency by suppressing heat loss through the opening.

[0062] In any case, the movable closure 15 may be biased toward the closed position so that it returns to the closed position unless manually held open or blocked by a consumable product 3 currently extending through the opening. For example, where the movable closure 15 is in the form of a hinged lid, the hinge may be spring-biased toward the closed position.

[0063] As a further option, in addition to biasing the movable closure member 15 from at least one first open position toward the closed position, the movable closure member 15 can be biased from at least one second open position toward the stable open position. In other words, the movable closure member 15 can have a bistable configuration, wherein the movable closure member 15 is biased toward the closed position or the stable open position depending on its current position.

[0064] The control circuitry 12 may be configured to detect the position of the movable closure 15. This may be implemented in a number of ways. For example, the closure 15 may include an electrical conductor configured to complete an electrical circuit when in the open position. Alternatively, the opening may include a push-type switch that is closed when the closure 15 is in the closed position. Alternatively, the closure 15 may include a magnet, and the aerosol-generating device 1 may include a Hall effect sensor arranged to detect the distance between the sensor and the magnet.

[0065] The present invention is generally applicable to any type of heating element and any type of aerosol-generating substrate. For example, the heating element 11 can alternatively be configured to receive and heat a liquid substrate. In this case, the liquid substrate can be delivered to the heating element 11 via a conduit and stored in a separate reservoir. Accordingly, the opening and removable closure 15 of the heating element 11 can be omitted. Alternatively, the heating element 11 itself can serve as a reservoir or receive a reservoir containing a liquid substrate, in which case the opening and removable closure 15 can also be present.

[0066] Furthermore, the aerosol generating device 1 optionally comprises a temperature sensor 16. The temperature sensor 16 is preferably integrated with the heating element 11, but may be arranged adjacent to the heating element 11, or may be arranged to measure the temperature of a different part of the aerosol generating device 1, such as the temperature of the control circuit system 12.

[0067] The control circuit system 12 includes a communication module 17 that is configured to communicate with the remote device 2. The communication module 17 preferably includes a wireless communication module. The wireless communication module can be, for example, a standardized communication module (such as or The communication module 17 may additionally or alternatively include a wired communication module (such as a USB module).

[0068] Control circuitry 12 is configured to control enabling and disabling of communication module 17. Communication module 17 may be a combination of hardware and software, and enabling / disabling the communication module may constitute enabling / disabling a portion of the hardware, a portion of the software, or both.

[0069] Figure 2 is a schematic block diagram showing additional optional details of the control circuitry 12 .

[0070] In addition to the communication module 17, the control circuit system 12 may include a processor 1201 configured to execute instructions and a memory 1202 configured to store instructions 1203 defining one or more control methods for controlling the heating and baking member 11 and the communication module 17. The instructions 1203 may be installed or updated through communication using the communication module 17. However, the control circuit system 12 need not have this universal architecture in all embodiments. For example, the control circuit system 12 may alternatively include an application-specific integrated circuit (ASIC) configured to control the heating and baking member 11 and the communication module 17 without substantially storing any data in memory.

[0071] Reference again Figure 1A and Figure 1B , the remote device 2 comprises a communication module 21 and a user interface 22 , and is configured to run a software application to communicate with the aerosol-generating device 1 .

[0072] The communication module 21 may be similar to the communication module 17 of the aerosol-generating device 1 .

[0073] The user interface 22 may include, for example, a touch screen, a display, and / or one or more buttons. The user interface 22 may be configured to display an application interface for the user to view information about the aerosol generating device 1 and / or for the user to remotely configure or control the aerosol generating device 1 .

[0074] For example, the remote device 2 may be a user terminal, such as a smartphone, tablet computer, laptop computer, PC, etc. Preferably, the remote device is a user terminal and the communication modules 17 and 21 are wireless communication modules, so that the user of the aerosol-generating device 1 can also conveniently use the application interface on the remote device 2. This enables the user to interact with the aerosol-generating device 1 in more ways without requiring additional user interface elements on the aerosol-generating device 1 itself.

[0075] The aerosol-generating device 1 and the remote device 2 may communicate directly with each other, or may communicate via one or more networks.For example, the software application on the remote device 2 may be a web-based application (eg an application implemented on a server or in the cloud).

[0076] right Figure 1A 、 Figure 1B and Figure 2 The above description provides structural details and optional structural features of the aerosol generating device 1 and the remote device 2. In the next part of the description, a control method that may be performed using such an aerosol generating device 1, for example by the control circuitry 12, is described.

[0077] The control circuit system 12 is configured to control the heating element 11 to perform heating. For example, when aerosol generation is desired, the control circuit system 12 may supply power to the heating element 11 or control the power supplied to the heating element 11. The control circuit system may also be configured to control the heating rate of the heating element 11 (i.e., the amount of electricity dissipated as heat by the heating element 11), for example, by varying the voltage signal supplied to the heating element 11 or by pulse-width modulation of the signal supplied to the heating element 11.

[0078] In one example, if Figure 3 As shown, the control circuit system 12 is configured to control the heating element 11 to go through four aerosol generating states during the aerosol generating process. Figure 3 , the t-axis indicates time, and the T-axis indicates temperature.

[0079] In a first state (which lasts from a starting time t0 to a first time t1), the temperature T increases relatively quickly from a starting temperature T0 (e.g., ambient temperature) to a peak temperature T2, which is at least high enough to cause the aerosol-generating substrate to release aerosol. The starting time t0 may be the moment when a user initiates the aerosol generation process via a user input element on the aerosol-generating device 1 or via a user interface 22 on the remote device 2. The first state requires a relatively high power supply to increase the temperature T.

[0080] In the second state (which lasts from the first time t1 to the second time t2), the temperature T is maintained at or near the peak temperature T2. The second state may be a state in which the user inhales one or more puffs of aerosol from the aerosol-generating substrate 31. The second state requires lower power than the first state because it only needs to maintain the temperature T.

[0081] In the third state (which lasts from the second time t2 to the third time t3), the temperature T is allowed to drop below the peak temperature T2 until the temperature T reaches the safety temperature T1. The safety temperature T1 can be, for example, a temperature at which the aerosol-generating substrate 31 can be safely removed from the heated baking member 11, or a temperature at which a new aerosol-generating process can be safely started. The third state requires less power than the second state, and may not require power at all, because the temperature T is allowed to drop.

[0082] In the fourth state (which lasts from the third time t3 to the fourth time t4), the temperature T is allowed to drop back to the initial temperature T0 or the ambient temperature. The fourth state does not require powering the heating element 11 because the temperature T is allowed to drop further and the aerosol generation process ends.

[0083] Temperatures T0, T1, and T2 may be measured temperatures or may be assumed based on the heating and cooling characteristics of the heating element 11. Alternatively, time periods (t1-t0), (t2-t1), (t3-t2), and (t4-t3) may be predetermined or determined based on corresponding aerosol generation thresholds or temperature thresholds met. In one example, T2 is 230°C, (t1-t0) is 20 seconds, (t2-t1) is 250 seconds, and (t3-t2) is 20 seconds.

[0084] Generally, the control circuitry 12 can be configured to control the heated toasting element 11 to be in any one or more aerosol-generating states during the aerosol-generating process. Each aerosol-generating state can include a corresponding temperature profile. Transitions between aerosol-generating states can be controlled based on, for example, one or more of: timing of a timer of the control circuitry 12; temperature measurements obtained from the temperature sensor 16; and user input received via an input interface of the aerosol-generating device or received from the remote device 2 via the communication module 17.

[0085] Additionally, the control circuitry 12 is configured to enable or disable the communication module depending on the current usage state 1204 of the heating element. The current usage state may be determined by the control circuitry 12 as needed and / or may be stored in the memory 1202.

[0086] In the first control case, the current use state 1204 of the heating and baking component is a set of information including the position of the movable closing component 15. The possible positions indicated in the current use state may include, for example, "closed position", "non-closed position" and "open position".

[0087] exist Figure 1A and Figure 1B In the illustrated case, the control circuit system 12 is configured to operate when the movable closure member 15 is in the open position (e.g. Figure 1B ) when the communication module 17 is enabled, and when the movable closure 15 is in the closed position (as shown Figure 1A The communication module 17 is deactivated when the aerosol generating device 1 is in use, about to be used, or recently used for generating aerosol. This configuration has the advantage that the aerosol generating device 1 only consumes power for communicating with the communication module 17 when it appears that the aerosol generating device 1 is currently in use, about to be used, or has recently been used for generating aerosol. As a result, the aerosol generating device 1 does not consume power between aerosol generation processes.

[0088] Additionally or alternatively, the current usage state 1204 of the heating and baking member 11 may include a change in the position of the movable closure member 15. For example, the usage state may indicate whether the position has been in a "closed position" and a "non-closed position" within a predetermined time period (e.g., 5 seconds) at the current time. The control circuit system 12 may, for example, be configured to activate the communication module for a predetermined time after detecting that the position of the movable closure member 15 has changed. The change in the position of the movable closure member 15 indicates that the user is interacting with the aerosol generating device 1, and therefore, this configuration provides an alternative way to activate the communication module 17 when the user has recently interacted with the aerosol generating device 1.

[0089] Additionally or alternatively, the control circuit system 12 may be configured to enable or disable the communication module 17 in response to a predetermined sequence of changes in the position of the movable closure member 15 and / or depending on the current activation / deactivation state of the communication module 17. For example, when the control circuit system 12 detects that the position sequence of the movable closure member 15 is open position -> closed position -> open position, the control circuit system 12 switches the communication module 17 from currently deactivated to activated, or vice versa.

[0090] Additionally or alternatively, the current usage state 1204 of the heating bakeware 11 may include the current aerosol generation state of the heating bakeware (such as the above-mentioned Figure 3 aerosol generation state).

[0091] Preferably, the control circuit system 12 is configured to enable the communication module 17 only when the current use state 1204 of the heating baking member 11 is in an inactive state. For example, preferably, when the heating baking member 11 is in the above Figure 3 In any of the aforementioned aerosol generation states, the control circuit system 12 deactivates the communication module 17 .

[0092] Alternatively, given Figure 3 The first state (t0 to t1) in the embodiment of the present invention requires a relatively high power supply for heating the baking member 11, and the aerosol generating device 1 may not be able to effectively supply this required power while also operating the communication module 17. Therefore, the control circuit system 12 may preferably deactivate the communication module 17 so that aerosol generation can be properly performed. On the other hand, in the embodiment of the present invention, Figure 3 In the third and fourth states ( t2 to t4 ), less power is required to heat the baking member 11 , and the control circuit system 12 may be configured to enable the communication module 17 .

[0093] The control circuit system 12 controls the current aerosol generation state, so the control circuit system 12 immediately knows whether to decide to activate or deactivate the communication module 17. Alternatively, the current usage state 1204 of the heating bakeware may include an indication of the temperature measured by the temperature sensor 16. For example, the current usage state 1204 of the heating bakeware may include an indication of whether the measured temperature is above or below a recent activity threshold T4. If the temperature is above threshold T4, the control circuit system 12 detects that the heating bakeware 11 was recently used, even if the control circuit system 12 is not currently controlling the heating bakeware 11 to place it in the aerosol generation state.

[0094] As another alternative, the current usage status 1204 may include a measurement of the current or power currently being supplied to the heating element 11 , and the control circuitry 12 deactivates the communication module 17 if the current or power exceeds a threshold.

[0095] Once the communication module 17 is enabled according to one of the above criteria, the communication module 17 attempts to establish a connection with the communication module 21 of the remote device 2. This can be achieved by detecting a broadcast signal output by the remote device 2 indicating its availability and replying to the broadcast signal. Alternatively, the communication module 17 can generate a broadcast signal and wait for a reply from the remote device 2. Establishing this connection may require security checks, such as Pairing. A similar process may be used by the communication module 17 when attempting to re-establish a broken connection.

[0096] The control circuit system 12 can be configured to deactivate the communication module 17 after a predetermined period of time (e.g., one minute) if the communication module 17 is unable to establish a connection. This avoids continuously sending broadcasts or continuously listening for broadcasts when the remote device 2 is not actually nearby (in the case of direct communication) or is not connected to the network (in the case of communication via the network). The control circuit system 12 can follow a similar process when the communication module 17 is unable to reestablish a broken connection within the predetermined period of time.

[0097] Control circuitry 12 may further be configured to not deactivate communication module 17 while a communication session is ongoing. For example, if communication module 17 has only transmitted or received a portion of the current information when deactivation of communication module 17 is triggered according to one of the above-described procedures, control circuitry 12 may delay deactivating communication module 17 until the communication session is complete. This has the advantage of reducing the risk of data loss.

[0098] Once a communication connection has been established between the aerosol-generating device 1 and the remote device 2 , the connection may be used for a variety of purposes.

[0099] In one example, the control circuitry may be configured to store usage data 1205 in the memory 1202. The usage data may, for example, include one or more of the following: a count of the number of aerosol generation processes performed using the aerosol generating device 1; a timestamp for each aerosol generation process; the number of puffs of aerosol inhaled during each aerosol generation process (which may be detected by identifying a drop in temperature associated with a user drawing air and aerosol from the heated toasting element 11); and / or the type of consumable or aerosol generating substrate used for each aerosol generation process.

[0100] The control circuitry 12 may be further configured to transmit usage data 1205 to the remote device 2 when the communication connection is established.

[0101] When transmitting data to the remote device 2, the control circuit system 12 can be configured to retain a copy of the usage data 1205 until the remote device 2 confirms receipt of the usage data. This improves the reliability of communication over the communication connection. Alternatively, the control circuit system 12 can be configured to delete the usage data from the memory 1202 after the usage data 1205 has been transmitted.

[0102] The software application on the remote device 2 may, for example, be configured to: perform statistical analysis of the usage data 1205 ; transmit the usage data 1205 to a server or cloud; and / or present the usage data 1205 or a statistical analysis of the usage data 1205 via the user interface 22 .

[0103] In another example using the communication connection between the communication module 17 and the communication module 21, the remote device 2 may use the communication connection to send instructions to the communication module 17. The control circuit system 12 may then control the heating of the bakeware 11 based on the instructions.

[0104] For example, the instruction may define a new set of aerosol generating states for the aerosol generating process. Then, the control circuit system 12 may control the heating baking element 11 to be in the new set of aerosol generating states when the aerosol generating process is next performed. Figure 3 As described, the new set of aerosol generation states may specify one or more target temperatures and one or more time periods for the set of aerosol generation states.

[0105] Additionally or alternatively, the instructions may directly instruct the control circuitry 12 to begin controlling the aerosol generating process.

[0106] As a further possibility, the instructions may instruct the control circuitry 122 to change the usage data 1205 that is configured to be recorded in the memory 1202 .

[0107] In another example, the connection can be used to communicate the current state of the aerosol generating device 1 to the remote device 2. For example, the current state of the internal power supply (such as a battery) of the aerosol generating device 1 can be communicated to the remote device 2. Additionally or alternatively, the current state of use of the heating element can be communicated to the remote device 2. The current state of use can be the current stage in a series of stages of the aerosol generation process, such as the current state of use of the heating element. Figure 3 One of the aerosol generation states described. The remote device 2 can display at least a part of this state in the user interface 22. The transmission of the current usage state of the heating baking component does not need to involve a large amount of data or put a lot of pressure on the power supply, and therefore can be allowed during the aerosol generation process in some cases. Providing the usage state of the heating baking component to the remote device 2 (such as a smartphone) can advantageously provide an indication of the device status. Using this information about the usage state of the baking component, the smartphone can determine whether to transmit data (especially large data transmission) to the aerosol generating device 1, because the aerosol generating device 1 may not be able to optimally support large amounts of data communication with the remote device 2 during some or all stages of the described aerosol generation process. As mentioned above, the aerosol generating device 1 enables or disables the communication module depending on the current usage state of the heating baking component.

[0108] Figures 4A to 4D is a schematic external and cross-sectional representation of a more detailed embodiment of an aerosol generating device 100. This more detailed embodiment may be operated according to any of the control methods described above.

[0109] For the aerosol generating device 100, the movable closure 15 takes the form of a sliding closure 106. The sliding closure 106 is configured to be Figure 4A The closed position shown is the same as Figure 4B Move between the open positions shown.

[0110] When the sliding closure 106 is in the open position, the opening 104 of the heat bake 114 is exposed to receive the aerosol-generating substrate.

[0111] The sliding closure 106 may be configured to move freely, may be biased toward a closed position, or may have a bistable configuration in which the sliding closure 106 is biased toward a closed position or an open position depending on its current position.

[0112] Additionally, as shown in the detailed specific example, the aerosol-generating device 100 may include a user interface 112. The user interface 112 may be at least partially disposed on the housing 102 of the device 100.

[0113] The user interface 112 may include one or more user inputs, such as buttons and sliders, for providing user input to the control circuitry 12. For example, a button may be used to trigger the start of an aerosol generating process.

[0114] Additionally, the user interface 112 may include one or more status indicators, such as lights (e.g., LEDs) or tactile output devices (vibrators or sound generators), which are controlled by the control circuit system 12. The tactile input devices may then likewise be disposed within the housing 102, and even the lights may be disposed within the housing 102 if the housing 102 includes one or more transparent or translucent portions.

[0115] In one example, the status indicator indicates the current usage status of the heated toasting element. The status indicator may be simply a warning indicator that is activated when the temperature of the aerosol generating device 1 is above a threshold, or may be a more detailed indicator of the progress of the aerosol generating process.

[0116] In another example, the status indicator indicates whether the communication module 17 is enabled or disabled. For example, this may indicate to the user that they should keep the aerosol-generating device 1 within communication range of the remote device 2.

[0117] Figure 4C and Figure 4D is a partial cross-section showing additional detail of the aerosol-generating device 100 within the housing 102 .

[0118] First, the sliding closure 106 is linked to the track 116, which constrains the sliding closure 106 to move along the track 116. Figure 4C In the embodiment, the peg connected to the sliding closure 106 is near the first end of the track 116 and the sliding closure 106 is in the closed position. Figure 4D , the peg linked to the sliding closure 106 is proximate a second end of the track 116 opposite the first end, and the sliding closure 106 is in the open position.

[0119] Additionally, if Figure 4C and Figure 4D As shown, the aerosol-generating device 100 includes an internal power source 118 (e.g., a battery). The internal power source 118 is configured to power the control circuit system 12 and the heating and baking member 114 (heating and baking member 11). The internal power source 118 can limit the power that can be supplied to the heating and baking member 114 and / or the communication module 17, and can implement power usage restrictions (e.g., disabling the communication module 17) to relieve pressure on the internal power source 118. In other embodiments, the aerosol-generating device 100 can be configured to be connected to an external power source for recharging the internal power source 118 or for directly powering the heating and baking member 114 and / or the communication module 17. When an external power source is present, the internal power source 118 can be omitted.

[0120] In addition, if Figure 4C and Figure 4D As shown, in this example, the control circuitry 12 takes the form of one or more PCB sections 120 on which the communication module 17 is located.

[0121] Additionally, to control heat dissipation within housing 102, a heat sink 122 may be attached to heating element 114. While it is most preferred that heat not escape from heating element 114, heat sink 122 serves to direct any heat that does escape from heating element 114 to the outside of housing 102 without heating control circuitry 120 or internal power supply 118.

Claims

1. An aerosol-generating device, comprising: a heating bake member configured to receive and heat the aerosol-generating substrate to generate an aerosol; as well as a control circuit system configured to control the heating baking element, wherein the control circuit system includes a communication module configured to communicate with a remote device, and the control circuit system is configured to activate or deactivate the communication module depending on a current usage state of the heating baking member, The heating and baking component includes an opening and a movable closing component for the opening, and the current use state of the heating and baking component includes the position of the movable closing component. The control circuit system is configured to enable the communication module when the current use state of the heating and baking component is an inactive state.

2. The aerosol generating device according to claim 1, wherein: The control circuitry is configured to enable the communication module when the movable closure is in the open position and / or the control circuitry is configured to deactivate the communication module when the movable closure is in the closed position.

3. The aerosol generating device according to claim 1, wherein: The current usage state of the heating and baking element includes the changing sequence of the position of the movable closing element.

4. The aerosol generating device according to any one of claims 1 to 3, wherein: The movable closure is a sliding closure configured to move along a track.

5. The aerosol generating device according to claim 1, wherein: The heating bakeware is configured to receive a consumable through the opening, and the consumable is longer than the heating bakeware, so that when the aerosol-generating substrate is received in the heating bakeware, the movable closure is in an open position, and the aerosol-generating substrate is provided as part of the consumable.

6. The aerosol generating device according to claim 1, wherein: The movable closure member is biased to a closed position.

7. The aerosol generating device according to claim 1, wherein: The control circuit system is configured to control the heating bakeware to be in one or more aerosol generating states, and the current usage state of the heating bakeware includes the current aerosol generating state of the heating bakeware.

8. The aerosol generating device according to claim 1, wherein: The aerosol-generating device further comprises a temperature sensor, and the current usage status of the heated toasting element comprises an indication of a temperature measured by the temperature sensor.

9. The aerosol generating device according to claim 1, wherein: The communication module is configured to transmit a current status to the remote device, wherein the current status is a current stage of the aerosol generating process.

10. The aerosol generating device according to claim 1, wherein: The communication module is configured to transmit usage data to the remote device.

11. The aerosol generating device according to claim 1, wherein: The communication module is configured to receive instructions from the remote device, and the control circuitry is configured to control the heating bakeware based on the instructions.

12. The aerosol generating device according to claim 1, wherein: The control circuitry is configured to delay deactivating the communication module until a communication session is completed.

13. An aerosol-generating device according to claim 1, further comprising a communication indicator operable to indicate whether the communication module is enabled or disabled.

14. A system comprising a remote device and an aerosol-generating device according to any preceding claim, wherein The remote device is configured to run a software application to communicate with the aerosol-generating device.

15. The system according to claim 14, wherein: The communication module is a wireless communication module, and the remote device is a user terminal.

16. A method of controlling an aerosol generating device, The aerosol generating device comprises: a heating bake member configured to receive and heat the aerosol-generating substrate to generate an aerosol; as well as a communication module configured to communicate with a remote device, The method includes activating or deactivating the communication module depending on the current usage status of the heating bakeware, wherein the heating and baking element comprises an opening and a movable closing element for the opening, and the current use state of the heating and baking element comprises the position of the movable closing element, Wherein, the method includes activating the communication module when the current use state of the heating and baking component is an inactive state.

17. A storage medium storing computer program instructions which, when executed by control circuitry of an aerosol-generating device, cause the control circuitry to perform the method of claim 16.

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