Method of managing an aerosol generating device

Abstract

A method of operating an aerosol generating device is disclosed, the method comprising detecting a puff of a user inhalation; determining an orientation of the device; and providing an indication of a battery level to the user, conditional on the determined orientation of the device and the battery level, wherein the indication is provided within a predetermined interval after detecting the puff.

Description

Technical Field

[0001] This invention relates to a method for managing an aerosol generating device for efficient use. More specifically, this invention relates to an aerosol generating device, such as an electronic cigarette or a heated non-burning device, that can instruct the user on battery usage based on certain parameters. Background Technology

[0002] Inhalers or aerosol generating devices, such as e-cigarettes or other similar devices, are becoming increasingly popular. Unlike conventional tobacco products that burn tobacco, such aerosol generating devices typically heat or vaporize aerosolizable materials to produce an aerosol for inhalation. The resulting aerosol may contain flavorings and / or stimulants (e.g., nicotine or other active ingredients). These devices are usually battery-powered and require recharging as needed.

[0003] During use, users may be expected to know if the device is operating with low battery power and therefore needs to be recharged. However, frequent battery level notifications can be annoying to users. Furthermore, depending on usage patterns, battery level notifications may only be expected or needed at certain times.

[0004] Therefore, there is a need for a device that can provide users with intelligent battery level notifications based on usage during use. Summary of the Invention

[0005] According to one aspect of the invention, a method of operating an aerosol generating device is provided, the method comprising detecting a suction inhaled by a user; determining the positional orientation of the device; and providing the user with an indication of the battery level conditioned on the determined positional orientation of the device and a battery level, wherein the indication is provided within a predetermined interval after the suction is detected.

[0006] Advantageously, in this way, battery level notifications can be intelligently provided to the user based on the device's orientation, which corresponds to the operating mode. Therefore, the user is reminded to recharge the device at certain times during use without causing undue disturbance. By providing indications based on battery level, no battery level indication is provided when the device does not require charging. By providing indications at predetermined intervals after a suction is detected, indications can be provided automatically during device use and at moments when the user is likely to notice them. This allows indications to be provided without the user actively triggering them, thus improving the user experience.

[0007] Preferably, the method further includes: determining whether the battery level is below a predetermined level, wherein an indication is provided only if the battery level is below the predetermined level.

[0008] Preferably, the method further includes: determining whether a prior indication of the battery level has been provided based on the determined location orientation, wherein the indication of the battery level is provided conditionally upon the prior indication.

[0009] Preferably, if the device is positioned in a first orientation, a previous indication is determined by checking a flag set in a session that includes suctions grouped together according to configurable rules.

[0010] Preferably, if the indicator does not provide a previous indication during the session, an indication of the battery level is provided.

[0011] Preferably, the configurable rules include grouping detected suctions into corresponding sessions based at least on the interval between successive suctions.

[0012] Preferably, if the device is oriented in the second orientation, the previous indication is determined by a timestamp.

[0013] Preferably, the method further includes: determining whether a previous indication was provided during a preset time period, wherein an indication of the battery level is provided only if a previous indication was not provided during the preset time period.

[0014] Preferably, the method further includes: repeating the indication of the battery level conditioned on the determined positional orientation.

[0015] Preferably, no indication is generated if the next aspiration is detected within a predetermined interval.

[0016] According to another aspect of the invention, an aerosol generating device is provided, the aerosol generating device comprising: a suction sensor configured to detect a suction inhaled by a user; a sensor configured to determine the positional orientation of the device; and a controller configured to conditionally instruct an indicator to provide a battery level indication to the user based on the determined positional orientation of the device and the battery level, wherein the indication is provided within a predetermined interval after a suction is detected.

[0017] Preferably, the controller is further configured to determine whether the battery level is below a predetermined level, and to instruct the indicator to provide an indication only if the battery level is below the predetermined level.

[0018] Preferably, the controller is further configured to determine whether a previous indication of the battery level has been provided based on the determined location orientation, and to provide an indication of the conditional indicator based on that previous indication.

[0019] According to another aspect of the present invention, a computer-readable storage medium including instructions that, when executed by a computer, cause the computer to perform the steps of the above-described method. Attached Figure Description

[0020] Embodiments of the invention will now be described by way of example with reference to the accompanying drawings, in which:

[0021] Figure 1 An aerosol generating apparatus according to one aspect of the present invention is shown;

[0022] Figure 2 It shows Figure 1 A block diagram of the various components of the device;

[0023] Figure 3 The operation is shown Figure 1 A flowchart of the method of the apparatus; and

[0024] Figure 4 The demonstration is shown Figure 1 A diagram showing the control operation of the device. Detailed Implementation

[0025] Next, various aspects of the invention will be described. It should be noted that in the following description of the drawings, the same or similar reference numerals are used to identify the same or similar parts. It should be noted that the drawings are schematic, and the scale of each size differs from the actual sizes. Therefore, specific sizes, etc., should be determined in consideration of the following description.

[0026] Figure 1 A non-combustible aerosol generating device 100 is shown, which is a means for inhaling an aerosol by heating or vaporization without combustion. The device 100 has a rod-like shape, with its body 101 extending from a non-mouthpiece end 102 to a mouthpiece end 103. An air passage or path is defined in the body 100 between the opposite ends 102, 103. The aerosol generating device 100 in this example is an electronic cigarette or inhalation device, and is referred to hereinafter as an electronic cigarette 100. The electronic cigarette 100 releases flavors and / or stimulants for inhalation by a user through the mouthpiece end 103 by vaporizing or heating an aerosol source inserted in the electronic cigarette 100. The construction and operation of such aerosol generating devices are well known in the art, and those skilled in the art will understand that the invention disclosed herein is applicable to aerosol generating devices of any shape and configured with any aerosol generating technology, and is not limited to this example.

[0027] The electronic cigarette 100 may include an enable switch 104, which can be configured to perform at least one of turning the power of the electronic cigarette 100 on and off. The enable switch 104 may be a push button or touch button located at any convenient position on the surface of the body 101 of the electronic cigarette 100. Alternatively, the electronic cigarette 100 does not rely on a switch button to enable the power of the heater, but relies on a puff sensor to detect airflow and trigger the device to start generating an aerosol.

[0028] Figure 2 A block diagram of various components or modules of an electronic cigarette 100 is shown. In one example, the electronic cigarette 100 includes a consumable module 201a and a heating element 202 that vaporizes a consumable article 201b received by the consumable module 201a to release an aerosol containing flavor and / or stimulants for inhalation by a user. In this example, the consumable article 201b is a substance containing nicotine. The presence of the consumable article 201b in the consumable module 201a can be detected by a detector 201c. The consumable article 201b can be in solid or liquid form and is heated by the heating element 202 to release an aerosol without combustion. If the consumable article 201b is a liquid reservoir, more than one consumable article can be received at the consumable module 201a. The heating element 202 can be powered by a power source 203.

[0029] The power source 203 is, for example, a lithium-ion battery. The power source 203 supplies the electricity necessary for the operation of the electronic cigarette 100. For example, the power source 203 supplies power to all other components or modules included in the electronic cigarette 100. The power source 203 (also referred to below as battery 203) can be recharged using an external power source via a wired connection (e.g., via a USB port or cable) or wirelessly (e.g., via a wireless charging dock).

[0030] For the purposes of this specification, it should be understood that the terms "vapor" and "aerosol" are interchangeable. In some examples, the heating element is arranged within the capsule or cigarette-shaped aerosol-generating material and may be connected to the aerosol-generating device, rather than being a component of the aerosol-generating device itself.

[0031] In one embodiment, a flavoring agent is present in consumable article 201b. The flavoring agent may include ethyl vanillin (vanilla), menthol, isoamyl acetate (banana oil), or the like. In another embodiment, consumable article 201b may include an additional flavor source (not shown) disposed on one side of the mouthpiece end 103, extending beyond consumable module 201a consumable article 201b, and generating a flavor to be inhaled by the user along with the aerosol generated from consumable article 201b. In yet another embodiment, electronic cigarette 100 includes more than one consumable article, each consumable article including a flavoring agent and / or a certain level of active ingredient (nicotine). In this case, each consumable article can be independently heated to generate an aerosol.

[0032] The electronic cigarette 100 also includes a controller 204 configured to control various components within the electronic cigarette. For example, the controller 204 may control and / or monitor the power supply 203, timing unit 205 (including a timer), communication unit 206, memory 207, orientation sensor 208, and puff sensor 209 included in the electronic cigarette 100. The timing unit 205 is configured to provide time information (e.g., time of day) and generate timestamps for puff data or event data, which helps in analyzing user vaping preferences. The timing unit 205 is further configured to monitor the timing of each puff and interruptions between puffs, and provide this information to the controller 204 to monitor and potentially limit user use of the electronic cigarette 100. For example, the timing unit 205 may determine when to instruct the user when a puff threshold is reached. It should be noted that the functionality of the timing unit 205 may be incorporated into the controller 204.

[0033] The controller 204 monitors the charging and discharging state of the battery 203. Depending on the operating mode (described below), the controller 204 determines whether the battery level of the battery 203 is below a predetermined level and provides an indication to the user via the I / O interface 210. This indication is preferably based on inputs received from the orientation sensor 208, the suction sensor 209, and the timing unit 205.

[0034] Communication unit 206 is configured to manage communication with any personal computing device, server, tracking device, or other electronic cigarettes in the vicinity of electronic cigarette 100. Memory 207 is configured to store usage history and information, such as user settings and preferences.

[0035] The electronic cigarette 100 may also include various sensors, such as an orientation sensor 208 and a puff sensor 209. The orientation sensor 208 (such as a gyroscope and / or accelerometer, or a tilt sensor, or any other suitable sensor) is configured to determine the positional orientation of the electronic cigarette 100, for example, whether the electronic cigarette 100 is held face up or face down during use. When the electronic cigarette 100 is face up during use (so that the enable button 104 and / or the LED and / or logo face up), a first operating mode is activated. This mode is also referred to as session mode. It should be understood that the orientation sensor can be implemented through an algorithmic combination of information collected by various sensors to estimate the roll, pitch, and yaw of the device.

[0036] When the electronic cigarette is in use with its face down (so that the activation button 104 and / or the LED face down), the second operating mode is activated. This mode is also known as free mode. In other words, the electronic cigarette 100 can be rotated or turned 180 degrees along its longitudinal axis to switch between session mode and free mode.

[0037] It should be noted that the orientation of the e-cigarette 100 (face up or face down) can also be defined relative to any visual pattern (such as a logo or surface design) for user reference. The enable button and LEDs may not necessarily provide such a reference. In any case, the sensors on the device can operate independently of these physical or visual elements.

[0038] The suction sensor 209 is configured to detect the inhaled suction action, and its output can be used to determine the number of suction actions for inhaling the aerosol. The output of the suction sensor 209 can also be used to determine the time period required for one suction action for inhaling the aerosol. Recorded usage data may include suction duration (i.e., the length of the suction), suction interval (i.e., the time between successive suctions), and fluid and / or nicotine consumption. The suction sensor can be simply a detector (such as a microphone positioned in the flow path of the device) or a MEMS piezoresistive absolute pressure sensor.

[0039] The electronic cigarette 100 may also include a consumable identification sensor (not shown) configured to identify a consumable item 201b inserted into the electronic cigarette 100. The identification sensor may be included in a consumable module 201a or a detector 201c. The identification sensor may use NFC, RFID, or any other known technology to identify the intensity of the stimulant contained in the consumable item 201b from an NFC / RFID tag disposed on the consumable item 201b.

[0040] The electronic cigarette 100 may also include an input-output (I / O) or user interface 210 configured to provide instructions to a user and receive input from the user. The I / O interface 210 preferably includes indicating devices and input devices. The indicating devices may include visual light-emitting elements comprising one or more light-emitting diodes (LEDs), a screen display, or a sound transmitter, or other suitable means for providing instructions to the user. Visual light-emitting elements such as LEDs may be disposed at the tip of the non-mouthpiece end 102 or on a side surface of the electronic cigarette 100. Such LEDs may exhibit various light-emitting patterns to provide the user with the following indications: a puffing state where aerosol is being inhaled, a non-puffing state where no aerosol is being inhaled, a preheating state where the heater is heating, a ready-to-inhale state where the heater is operating at a target temperature to generate aerosol, a depletion state where the LED bar indicates the depletion level of the aerosol source, and any other information related to the operating state of the electronic cigarette. In this invention, the indicating devices of the I / O interface 210 also provide the user with a battery level indication. The indication may be configured to be provided to the user via visual, auditory, or tactile means. The input device may be one or more user-operable buttons or a perceptible touch panel that is pressed, switched or touched.

[0041] All the components described above transmit and / or receive commands and / or data via communication bus 211.

[0042] In one embodiment, the electronic cigarette 100 is also configured to communicate with a personal computing device (not shown) owned by the user. The personal computing device may be a smartphone, tablet, or laptop. For simplicity, the personal computing device is referred to hereinafter as a smartphone. Preferably, the electronic cigarette 100 is configured to wirelessly connect or pair with the smartphone using Wi-Fi, Bluetooth, or other wireless communication standards. The smartphone preferably runs a mobile application (typically referred to as an App) that allows the user to interact with the electronic cigarette 100 through a user-friendly interface. The App may be hosted by the manufacturer of the electronic cigarette 100 and compatible with technologies such as iOS. TM and Android TM It is compatible with different mobile platforms.

[0043] Figure 3 A flowchart of process 300 for operating the electronic cigarette 100 is shown. It should be noted that the steps in process 300 may not necessarily be performed in the same order. Furthermore, not all steps are shown, and some steps may be optional and can be omitted.

[0044] In step 301, the user's inhalation of a puff is detected. In this example, the controller 204 begins monitoring the use of the electronic cigarette 100 using a puff sensor 209 and a timing unit 205. The puff sensor 209 detects each puff inhaled by the user, and the timing unit 205 timestamps each puff and monitors the start and end of each puff. When the device is in a first orientation corresponding to a session mode, the timing unit 205 starts and ends a timer between two consecutive puffs and monitors for interruptions in the puff session. However, when the device is in a second orientation corresponding to a free mode, the timing unit 205 monitors a preset time period. However, in both session mode and free mode, the number of puffs inhaled by the user is counted and recorded to analyze the user's puffing patterns over time.

[0045] In step 302, the orientation of the device is determined. In this example, when the user begins using the electronic cigarette 100, the orientation sensor 208 in the electronic cigarette 100 determines whether the electronic cigarette 100 is held in an up-facing or down-facing position. Optionally, the orientation sensor 208 can be activated when the user pushes the enable switch 104. Additionally, a motion sensor may be present, which detects movement of the electronic cigarette 100 in addition to detecting the activation of the enable switch 104. Signals from the orientation sensor 208, the enable switch 104, and the motion sensor can all be processed by the controller 204 to determine whether to enable one of the two operating modes. When the user inhales with an up-facing orientation, a session mode is enabled. In session mode, a session comprises puffs grouped together based on configurable rules. Configurable rules may include grouping detected puffs into corresponding sessions based at least on the interval between successive puffs. For example, if the interruption between puffs is less than 7 minutes, the next puff is counted in the same session, while if the interruption is greater than 7 minutes, the next puff is counted in a new session. On the other hand, when the user inhales face down, a free mode is activated, in which a preset time period is monitored, such as 7 minutes, unrelated to inhalation.

[0046] In step 303, a battery level indication is provided to the user conditioned on the determined device orientation and battery level. In this example, it is also determined whether a previous battery level indication has already been provided based on the determined orientation. The battery level indication is then provided conditioned on that previous indication. If the device is determined to be in a first orientation corresponding to a session mode, controller 204 checks whether a previous battery level indication was provided to the user during the current session. In session mode, this means whether an indication was provided to the user during the current session. Controller 204 determines the previous battery level indication by checking a flag, which may be a bit stored in the device's memory indicating that a notification has already been provided in the current session. However, if the flag indicates that a previous indication was not provided in the current session, a new indication can be provided. Controller 204 and timing unit 205 continue to monitor for interruptions between puffs to determine whether a new session should begin. After detecting the first puff of a new session, controller 204 determines the remaining battery level of battery 203 in electronic cigarette 100. Determining the remaining charge of a battery (e.g., a lithium-ion battery) is well known in the art. This determination is made to check whether the battery level has dropped below a predetermined threshold level (e.g., less than 25%). If the level drops above this threshold, the e-cigarette 100 may not operate at full efficiency or may simply stop operating if usage is not reduced or the battery is not recharged. Therefore, it is necessary to monitor the battery level of the e-cigarette 100 during use. If the battery level is found to be below the predetermined threshold level, an indication is generated for the user to provide a low battery notification via the I / O interface 210. Thus, in session mode, the indication is provided only once during the session and only when the battery level is below the predetermined level. In this way, the user is notified that the device has a low battery level without repeated indications during the session.

[0047] On the other hand, if the device is determined to be in a second orientation corresponding to the free mode, the controller 204 checks whether a previous indication of the battery level has been provided to the user within a preset time period. The controller 204 determines this previous indication by checking the timestamp of the indication, and the preset time period is recorded as starting from the moment of the previous battery notification. If an indication has been previously provided to the user, no further indication is generated. However, if no such indication has been previously generated, the controller 204 determines the remaining battery level of the battery 203 in the electronic cigarette 100. If the battery level is found to be below a predetermined threshold level (as explained above), an indication is generated for the user to provide a low battery notification via the I / O interface 210. In other words, in free mode, the moment of the previous indication recorded by the timestamp is compared with a preset time period (e.g., 7 minutes). If the timestamp is outside the preset time period (i.e., no indication has been provided in the past 7 minutes), the device can then provide a new battery indication. Therefore, an indication is provided only once within the preset time period and only when the battery level is below the predetermined level. In this way, the user is notified that the device has a low battery level without repeated indications within the preset time period.

[0048] In both cases, when the battery level of battery 203 drops below a predetermined level during use, controller 204 signals I / O interface 210 to generate an indication for the user. This indication can be provided by causing an LED to flash in a certain color or pattern and / or by causing the electronic cigarette 100 to vibrate for a short period of time. Preferably, the indication is generated after a short period of time following the completion of a puff or a predetermined interval. For example, the predetermined interval can be one second, two seconds, five seconds, or ten seconds after the detection of the end of a puff, or any value in between. If the next puff is detected during this predetermined interval, no indication is generated. By configuring controller 204 to generate an indication within a short period of time after a puff, an automatic warning is provided to the user when the battery level is below the predetermined level. As a result, the user is not responsible for triggering the indication to monitor the battery level by using user input, and the user experience is improved because they do not need to worry about checking the low battery level. Furthermore, since the indication is generated within a short period of time after a puff, the user is also more likely to notice the indication when it is given. Conversely, if the indication were provided immediately when the battery level drops below the predetermined level instead, the user might not actively use the device and might therefore miss the indication. In addition, this allows the device to check the battery level only after each suction, meaning the device does not have to waste processing power by continuously monitoring the battery level.

[0049] During a session or within a preset time period, if the battery level is determined to be below a predetermined threshold, the user is notified of the battery level only once. In session mode operation, after notifying the user of the battery level via an indication, controller 204 sets a flag (as described above) to indicate that a notification has been provided in the current session, preventing subsequent pumps in the same session from triggering further indications. In free mode operation, after the device notifies the user of the battery level, timing unit 205 records a timestamp of that indication (as described above). No further notifications are provided to the user within a preset time period (e.g., 7 minutes) from the timestamp.

[0050] It should be noted that in all the embodiments described above, when a battery level notification is provided at the start of a session or a preset time period, no additional indication is generated during the session or preset time period.

[0051] A low battery level notification can be provided only after the first puff is detected. In session mode operation, once the user activates the device and begins puffing, the device begins recording puffing sessions grouped according to configurable rules. Since no indication can be provided before the first puff of a session, the device will check its battery level and provide an indication that the battery level is extremely low. However, in this example, if no indication is provided after the battery level is detected to be above a predetermined threshold level (e.g., 25%), the device will not check its battery level or provide a notification in the same session. In other words, even if no battery level indication was previously provided in the currently recorded puffing session, the device will not provide a notification after subsequent puffs in the same session. If the battery level is extremely low when the user begins puffing, a notification about the battery level will be provided after the first puff. If the battery level is not extremely low (e.g., above 25%), the device will not provide any indication of the battery level, even if the battery level becomes lower as the user puffs due to powering the heating element. This will not cause unnecessary disturbance to the user during use of the e-cigarette 100. In free mode operation, with a preset time period of 7 minutes, when a user begins inhalation by performing the first pump, the device determines whether a notification was previously provided within the past 7 minutes (regardless of whether the device was used for inhalation). If the user makes an interruption longer than 7 minutes without providing a notification, the device checks its battery level. If the battery level is extremely low (e.g., below 25%), a notification is provided (i.e., after the first pump).

[0052] Optionally, the method described above includes repeating the battery level indication conditioned on the determined location orientation. If the battery notification criterion is met after the first puff and a notification is provided accordingly, the device periodically repeats the notification (i.e., not only after the first puff, but also after every nth puff). This is done to remind the user to recharge the e-cigarette 100 when the battery is low. It should be noted that in free mode, when the detected period is a preset time period (e.g., 7 minutes, 10 minutes, or 15 minutes), the device will trigger a periodic notification for each period if the battery is low. In the example with a preset value of 7 minutes, a new period will be recorded every 7 minutes, and a notification will be provided every 7 minutes accordingly if the battery notification criterion is met.

[0053] In an alternative embodiment, the device monitors all puffs during a puffing session and checks whether a notification criterion for triggering a battery level indication is met after each detected puff. In this case, once the user receives the device and begins a puffing session by making the first puff, if the battery level is not below a predetermined threshold and no notification is provided after the first puff, the device checks the battery level after each subsequent puff, and if the determined battery level falls below the threshold level, the device triggers a notification. Therefore, if the battery level is above a predetermined level (e.g., 25%) after the first puff but drops below 25% after a few minutes of puffing, the user is notified of the low battery level midway through the puffing session. Accordingly, an indication is generated to provide a notification to the user. This is to ensure timely notification to the user whenever the battery level drops to an extremely low level, which is advantageous for users engaging in long puffing sessions (e.g., puffing for more than approximately 30 minutes).

[0054] Figure 4 A graph 400 illustrates the corresponding responses of the timing unit 205 and the vaping sensor 209 in the electronic cigarette 100. The response of the timing unit 205 is plotted on the X-axis, while the response of the vaping sensor 209 is plotted on the Y-axis. The vaping sensor 209 detects the first vaping 400-1 performed by the user. Once the first vaping 400-1 ends (i.e., at the falling edge of the vaping ripple), the timing unit 205 starts a timer. The timing unit 205 continues to monitor the time, and the timer remains on until the next vaping is detected. Once the next vaping is detected (i.e., at the rising edge of the next vaping ripple), the timer is turned off. The timer is then turned on again at the falling edge of this vaping ripple.

[0055] In one example, after the first pump 400-1 is detected, a timer is started to monitor the time after the first pump 400-1 ends. Once the next pump 400-2 is detected, the timer is turned off. The time interval between starting and stopping the timer is determined. In this example, this time interval is determined to be less than a preset time period (i.e., 7 minutes). Therefore, pumps 400-1 and 400-2 are grouped into one session. Similarly, the subsequent pump 400-3 is also detected within the 7-minute time period, so pumps 400-1, 400-2, and 400-3 are grouped into the same session. For this particular example, no more than one battery level notification is provided during the same session.

[0056] After pumping 400-3, the user made a relatively long interruption before the next pumping 400-4. The time interval between pumping 400-3 and pumping 400-4 was determined to be longer than 7 minutes; therefore, pumping 400-4 was recorded as a new session. As previously explained, at this time, the device's battery level was determined, and if the battery level was found to be below a threshold level, a battery level notification was provided to the user. In this case, an indication to the user of low battery power was provided within a predetermined time interval after pumping 400-4 ended. For example, the user was indicated by auditory, visual, tactile means, or a combination thereof, within 1 to 10 seconds after pumping 400-4 ended.

[0057] In session mode, controller 204 uses information from timing unit 205 to monitor interruptions made by the user between sucks. If the interruption period between two consecutive sucks (as determined by timer on and off) is within a preset time period, controller 204 continues counting the sequential sucks within the same session. On the other hand, when the interruption period exceeds a preset time period (e.g., 7 minutes), controller 204 restarts counting sucks in a new session. Figure 4 As shown, after the third spool 400-3, the user experiences a longer interruption, followed by the next spool 400-4. If this longer interruption is less than 7 minutes, then timing unit 205 counts the interruption as the fourth spool in the same session. However, if this longer interruption is longer than 7 minutes, timing unit 205 resets the count and counts spool 400-4 as the first spool in a new session.

[0058] While the user actually intends to continue holding the e-cigarette 100 face-up (and thus operates in session mode), the controller 204 also monitors for situations where the user accidentally holds the e-cigarette 100 face-down (and thus operates in free mode). If the user turns the e-cigarette 100 back to face-up orientation within a calibration threshold, the controller 204 determines that the e-cigarette was accidentally held face-down. Therefore, the controller 204 continues to count puffs in session mode. In this way, the device intelligently determines puffing sessions without unduly disturbing the user.

[0059] The processing steps described herein, performed by the main control unit or controller, can be stored in a non-transitory computer-readable medium or storage device associated with the main control unit. The computer-readable medium can include both non-volatile and volatile media. Volatile media can, in particular, include semiconductor memory and dynamic memory. Non-volatile media can, in particular, include optical discs and magnetic disks.

[0060] The foregoing description of illustrative embodiments has been presented for purposes of demonstration and description. The precise forms disclosed are not intended to be exhaustive or limiting, and modifications and variations are possible in accordance with the foregoing teachings, or may be derived from practice of the disclosed embodiments.

[0061] As used herein, the term "non-transitory computer-readable medium" is intended to refer to any tangible computer-based device implemented in any way or by any technique for the short-term and long-term storage of information such as computer-readable instructions, data structures, program modules and submodules, or other data in any device. Therefore, the methods described herein can be encoded as executable instructions presented in a tangible non-transitory computer-readable medium, including but not limited to storage devices and / or memory devices. When executed by a processor, such instructions cause the processor to perform at least a portion of the methods described herein. Furthermore, as used herein, the term "non-transitory computer-readable medium" includes all tangible computer-readable media, including but not limited to non-transitory computer storage devices, including but not limited to volatile and non-volatile media, as well as removable and non-removable media such as firmware, physical and virtual storage devices, CD-ROMs, DVDs, and any other digital source such as networks or the Internet, and digital devices yet to be developed, with the sole exception of transient propagation signals.

[0062] As will be understood based on the foregoing description, the embodiments described above in this disclosure can be implemented using computer programming or engineering techniques, including computer software, firmware, hardware, or any combination or subset thereof. According to the embodiments discussed in this disclosure, any such generated program having computer-readable code means can be presented or provided in one or more computer-readable media, thereby creating a computer program product, i.e., an article of manufacture. An article of manufacture containing computer code can be made and / or used by executing the code directly from a medium, by copying the code from one medium to another, or by transmitting the code over a network.

Claims

1. A method for operating an aerosol generating device, the method comprising: Detects the suction inhaled by the user; Determine the orientation of the device; as well as The device provides a battery level indication to the user based on its determined orientation and battery level, wherein the indication is provided at predetermined intervals after the suction is detected. If the device is oriented in the first orientation, determine whether a previous indication of the battery level has been provided during the current session, wherein the battery level indication is provided only if the previous indication has not been provided; If the device is oriented in the second orientation, determine whether the previous indication was provided during a preset time period, wherein the battery level indication is provided only if the previous indication was not provided during the preset time period.

2. The method of claim 1, further comprising: Determine whether the battery level is below a predetermined level, wherein the indication is provided only if the battery level is below the predetermined level.

3. The method as described in claim 1, wherein, If the device is positioned in the first orientation, the previous indication is determined by checking the flags set in the session, which includes suctions grouped together according to configurable rules.

4. The method of claim 3, wherein, The configurable rule includes grouping detected suckers into the appropriate session based at least on the interval between successive suckers.

5. The method according to any one of claims 1-4, wherein, If the device is oriented in the second orientation, the previous indication is determined by a timestamp.

6. The method of any one of claims 1-4, further comprising: Repeat the battery level indication conditioned on the determined position orientation.

7. The method according to any one of claims 1-4, wherein, If the next aspiration is detected within the predetermined interval, no indication is generated.

8. An aerosol generating apparatus, the aerosol generating apparatus comprising: A suction sensor configured to detect suction inhaled by the user; A sensor configured to determine the positional orientation of the device; as well as A controller configured to provide a battery level indication to the user based on the determined positional orientation of the device and the battery level, wherein the indication is provided at predetermined intervals after the suction is detected. If the device is oriented in the first orientation, determine whether a previous indication of the battery level has been provided during the current session, wherein the battery level indication is provided only if the previous indication has not been provided; If the device is oriented in the second orientation, determine whether the previous indication was provided during a preset time period, wherein the battery level indication is provided only if the previous indication was not provided during the preset time period.

9. The apparatus of claim 8, wherein, The controller is further configured to determine whether the battery level is below a predetermined level, and to instruct the indicator to provide the indication only if the battery level is below the predetermined level.

10. A computer-readable storage medium comprising instructions which, when executed by a computer, cause the computer to perform the steps of the method as claimed in any one of claims 1 to 7.

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