Aerosol supply system

Abstract

An aerosol delivery system configured to heat a consumable portion to generate an aerosol, the aerosol delivery system comprising a controller configured to: initiate heating of the consumable portion; monitoring, during heating of the consumable portion, a parameter associated with a user inhalation amount on the consumable portion over the plurality of puffs; and stopping heating of the consumable portion based on a parameter associated with the user inhalation amount.

Description

Technical Field

[0001] The present disclosure relates to aerosol supply systems. Background Art

[0002] The aerosol supply / delivery system generally comprises a reservoir of aerosol generating material (such as a portion of a solid, liquid or gel) or a source liquid, and / or the aerosol generating material may comprise an active substance and / or a flavoring agent, for example, an aerosol or vapor is generated from the aerosol generating material by thermal evaporation for inhalation by a user. Thus, the aerosol supply system / electronic cigarette system will generally comprise a heating chamber or aerosol generating chamber housing an aerosol generator (e.g., a heating element), which is arranged to vaporize or aerosolize a portion of an aerosolizable material (e.g., a solid material such as tobacco) to generate a vapor or aerosol in the aerosol generating chamber. When the user inhales on the device and power is supplied to the heating element, air is drawn into the device through the inlet aperture and along an air inlet channel connected to the aerosol generating chamber, where the air mixes with the vaporized precursor material to form a condensed aerosol. The air outlet channel is connected to the outlet in the mouthpiece from the aerosol generating chamber, and the air (which carries the aerosol) drawn into the aerosol generating chamber when the user inhales on the mouthpiece continues along the outlet flow path to reach the mouthpiece outlet for the user to inhale. Some aerosol supply systems may also include a flavoring element in the airflow path through the device to impart additional flavoring. Such a device may sometimes be referred to as a mixing device, and the flavoring element may, for example, include a portion of a solid aerosol generator and / or a flavoring material (such as tobacco) arranged in the airflow path between the aerosol generating chamber and the mouthpiece, so that the aerosol / condensed aerosol drawn by the device flows through the portion of the solid material before leaving the mouthpiece for the user to inhale. In some aerosol supply systems, the aerosol generating material includes a source liquid, which is included in a cartridge or a pod that also includes a heating element and an aerosol generating chamber, and the cartridge is mechanically and electrically connected to a control unit for use. The control unit includes a battery and a control circuit that together supply power to the heating element via the cartridge.

[0003] In some cases, the energy delivery to aerosolize the aerosol generating material in the aerosol supply / delivery system is configured according to a target heating time for the aerosol generating material in the aerosol delivery device. For example, the heating time may be predetermined during manufacturing or set by a user. When heating of the article including the aerosol generating material is initiated, a timer included in the control circuit of the aerosol delivery device counts the elapsed heating time, and the control circuit is configured to stop heating the aerosol generating material when the predetermined heating time has elapsed.

[0004] The inventors have recognised that it may be advantageous to control the time used to heat an article comprising an aerosol-generating material. Summary of the invention

[0005] According to a first aspect of the present disclosure, an aerosol delivery system is provided, which is configured to heat a consumable part to generate an aerosol, and the aerosol delivery system includes a controller, which is configured to: start heating the consumable part; during the heating of the consumable part, monitor a parameter associated with a user's inhalation volume on the consumable part within multiple puffs; and stop heating the consumable part based on the parameter associated with the user's inhalation volume.

[0006] According to a second aspect of the present disclosure, an aerosol delivery device is provided, which is configured to heat a consumable part to generate an aerosol, and the aerosol delivery device includes a controller, which is configured to: start heating the consumable part; during the heating of the consumable part, monitor a parameter associated with a user's inhalation amount on the consumable part within multiple puffs; and stop heating the consumable part based on the parameter associated with the user's inhalation amount.

[0007] According to a third aspect of the present disclosure, there is provided a method for controlling an aerosol delivery system including a controller to heat a consumable portion to generate an aerosol, the method comprising: operating the controller to perform the following steps: starting heating of the consumable portion; during heating of the consumable portion, monitoring a parameter associated with an amount of user inhalation on the consumable portion over multiple puffs; and stopping heating of the consumable portion when the parameter reaches a threshold value.

[0008] According to a fourth aspect of the present disclosure, a computer-readable storage medium is provided, the computer-readable storage medium comprising instructions, which, when executed by a processor, execute the method according to the third aspect.

[0009] It should be understood that the features and aspects of the invention described above with respect to the first and other aspects of the invention are equally applicable to the embodiments of the invention according to other aspects of the invention and may be appropriately combined therewith, and not just in the specific combinations described above. BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

[0010] Embodiments of the present disclosure will now be described, by way of example only, with reference to the accompanying drawings, in which: Figure 1 is a schematic diagram of an aerosol supply device according to some disclosed embodiments.

[0011] Figure 2 is a flow chart illustrating aspects of the operation of an aerosol delivery system according to the present disclosure.

[0012] Figure 3 is a schematic diagram showing monitoring of airflow rate for multiple puffs.

[0013] Figure 4 is a schematic diagram showing a method of establishing a heating duration based on integrating the airflow rate for a number of puffs.

[0014] Figure 5 is a schematic diagram showing monitoring of the temperature of a heater or consumable for multiple puffs.

[0015] Figure 6 is a schematic diagram showing a method of establishing a heating duration based on integrating the heater or consumable temperature for multiple puffs.

[0016] Figure 7 is a schematic diagram illustrating a method of modifying a predetermined heating duration based on user inhalation parameters. DETAILED DESCRIPTION

[0017] Various aspects and features of certain examples and embodiments are discussed / described herein. Some aspects and features of certain examples and embodiments may be conventionally implemented, and for the sake of brevity, these aspects and features are not discussed / described in detail. Therefore, it should be understood that aspects and features of the apparatus and methods discussed herein that are not described in detail may be implemented according to any conventional techniques for implementing such aspects and features.

[0018] The present disclosure relates to an aerosol supply / delivery system / device (which may also be referred to as a vapor delivery system / device). Throughout the following description, the terms "electronic cigarette system", "heat-not-burn" system, or "tobacco heating product" may sometimes be used, but it should be understood that these terms can be used interchangeably with aerosol supply / delivery system / device and electronic aerosol supply / delivery system / device. In addition, and as is common in the art, the terms "aerosol" and "vapor" and related terms such as "evaporation", "atomization", and "aerosolization" are often used interchangeably.

[0019] Aerosol supply systems typically (although not always) include modular assemblies that include both a reusable "device" portion and a replaceable "consumable" portion. Typically the replaceable consumable portion will include an aerosol-generating material that is heated to generate an aerosol, and the reusable portion will include a power source (e.g., a rechargeable power source), a control circuit, and a heater, the reusable portion being configured to heat the aerosol-generating material in the consumable portion when the hot consumable portion is connected to the reusable portion. In such an embodiment, heat is generally transferred from the heater in the reusable device portion to a portion of the consumable portion to aerosolize / evaporate the aerosol-generating material in the heated portion of the consumable portion, or an electric power or magnetic field is transmitted to the consumable portion so that an aerosol generator in the consumable portion generates an aerosol from the aerosol-generating material. Therefore, in some cases, the consumable portion includes an element associated with heating the aerosol-generating material in the consumable portion. For example, the consumable part may include a susceptor that may be inductively heated by a magnetic field generator / drive coil arrangement in the reusable device part in order to aerosolize the aerosol generating material in the consumable part; and / or the consumable part may include a heating element that receives power from the reusable device part via an electrical interface between the reusable device part and the consumable part when the consumable part and the reusable device part are connected together for use. The consumable part may be configured to be partially or fully inserted into the reusable device part for use, for example by inserting it into a chamber / receiving recess of the reusable device part, and the reusable device part may include an aerosol generating chamber or heating chamber located within the housing of the reusable device part. Such a chamber may be accessible via an orifice / opening provided in the housing of the reusable device part. When the aerosol generating material in a given consumable portion is exhausted, or the user wishes to switch to a different consumable portion having a different aerosol generating material, the consumable portion can be removed from the reusable device portion by withdrawing the consumable portion from the chamber via the orifice, and the replaceable consumable portion can be coupled to the reusable device portion in its place. Devices conforming to this type of two-piece modular configuration may generally be referred to as "two-piece" devices.

[0020] Aerosol supply systems / devices (and reusable device portions and consumable portions including them) typically have a generally elongated shape. To provide specific examples, certain embodiments of the present disclosure described herein will be considered to include such a generally elongated two-piece device that employs a reusable device portion that includes a heater and a consumable that includes an aerosol generating material. However, it should be understood that the basic principles described herein can be equally applicable to different aerosol supply system configurations, such as one-piece devices or modular devices including more than two parts, refillable devices and disposable devices, as well as devices conforming to other overall shapes, such as so-called "box-mod" high-performance devices based on a generally box-shaped, and so-called "pod-mod" devices that generally include a cartridge containing a heater and a supply of aerosol generating material (generally in liquid form); when the cartridge is received in the chamber, the cartridge is partially inserted into the chamber in the reusable device part via the docking of electrical contacts on the cartridge and electrical contacts provided in the chamber of the reusable device part to establish an electrical connection between the cartridge and the control circuit of the reusable device part. More generally, it should be understood that certain embodiments of the present disclosure are based on an aerosol supply system that is operatively configured to provide functionality according to the principles described herein, and that the construction aspects of the aerosol supply system configured to provide functionality according to certain embodiments of the present disclosure are not particularly important.

[0021] Figure 1 is a cross-sectional view through an exemplary aerosol supply system / heat-not-burn device 1 according to certain embodiments of the present disclosure. The aerosol supply system 1 includes two main components, a reusable device portion 2 and a replaceable consumable / cartridge / atomizer cartridge portion, which includes an aerosol generating material 43, an air inlet 42, an air outlet (e.g., included in a mouthpiece 41), and may include any of a filter / cooling element 44.

[0022] In normal use, the reusable part 2 and the consumable part are releasably coupled / attached together by partially or completely inserting the consumable part into a chamber 50 of the reusable device part 2, which chamber includes a heater chamber area / heating area 53. The chamber 50 can be considered a heating chamber / heater chamber in the sense that the consumable part is configured to be heated by the reusable device part 2 while being at least partially received in the chamber, for example, by heating the consumable part by a heater included in the reusable part 2, or the reusable part 2 supplies energy (i.e. electrical energy) to the consumable part so that it is heated by a heater included in the consumable part (e.g. by induction heating). Figure 1A reusable device portion 2 is schematically shown with a consumable part partially received in a chamber 50. The chamber 50 includes a cylindrical tube extending from the outer surface of the reusable device portion to the reusable device portion 2. In this example, when the user holds the reusable device portion in his hand for use, the chamber extends from the outer surface of the mouthpiece end of the reusable device portion 2 (defined as the uppermost part of the reusable device portion) to the device, and the chamber 50 extends parallel to the long axis of the reusable device portion 2. The orifice 51 is connected between the chamber 50 and the outside of the device. However, this arrangement for receiving the consumable part is exemplary, and other configurations known to those skilled in the art can be used (for example, the heater chamber can include an "oven" entered via a door, or by entering the two parts of the reusable device portion 2 separately, the consumable part or the loose aerosol generating material can be introduced therein). More generally, the consumable can take other forms known to those skilled in the art, including configurations in which the aerosol generating material includes a liquid or gel as further described herein.

[0023] In summary, the reusable device portion 2 is configured to generate an aerosol to be inhaled by a user, typically by heating one or more aerosol generating materials in the consumable portion directly via one or more heating elements associated with the heating area 53 of the chamber 50, or by transmitting electrical energy or a magnetic field into the consumable portion to activate an aerosol generator (such as an inductively heated heating element in or on the consumable portion). In use, the user inserts the consumable portion into the chamber 50 of the reusable device portion via the orifice 51, and then activates the reusable device portion 2 using, for example, a user input interface including a button 14, so that the reusable device portion 2 supplies power from the power source / battery 26 to the aerosol generating element 48, thereby aerosolizing the (one or more) aerosol generating materials included in the consumable portion for inhalation by the user. The user then draws on the mouthpiece 41 of the consumable portion extending from the orifice 51 at the mouthpiece end of the reusable device portion 2 to inhale the aerosol generated in the consumable portion. Figure 1 In the example of , when the user draws on the mouthpiece 41 of the consumable portion, air is drawn into the air inlet 24 disposed on the outer surface of the reusable portion 2, descends along the air inlet channel 25, and is drawn into the heating area 53 of the chamber 50, in which the air enters at least one air inlet 42 of the consumable portion, entraining the vapor / aerosol generated by the aerosolization / heating of the aerosol generating material 43 included in the consumable portion. In other embodiments, the air enters the air inlet 42 of the consumable portion directly without passing through the reusable device portion 2. For the same specific example, Figure 1A heating element 48 is schematically shown as further described herein arranged around a heating region 53 of a chamber 50, which transfers heat into the portion of the consumable portion containing the aerosol generating material 43. The entrained vapor / aerosol travels through the consumable portion toward the mouthpiece end of the reusable device portion 2 (from which the mouthpiece 41 of the consumable portion extends), wherein aerosol droplets condense or further condense from the vapor / aerosol in a cooling region 44 to form a condensed aerosol, which exits the mouthpiece 41 of the consumable portion for inhalation by the user.

[0024] The reusable part 2 includes a housing (the housing has an opening defining an air inlet 24), a power source 26 (e.g., a battery) for providing operating power to the aerosol supply system, a control circuit 22 for controlling and monitoring the operation of the aerosol supply system, an optional user input button 14, an optional display 16, and an optional visual display / visual indicator 28. The housing of the reusable device part 2 can be formed of, for example, a plastic or metal material or any other material known to those skilled in the art. To provide a specific example, in some embodiments, the reusable device part 2 can have a length of about 80 mm, and the consumable part extends from the mouthpiece end of the reusable device part when inserted into the chamber 50 by about 10 mm to 30 mm, so that when the consumable part and the reusable device part are connected together, the total length of the aerosol supply system 1 is about 90 mm to 110 mm. The consumable part can have a diameter of about 80 mm. However, and as has been noted, it should be understood that the overall shape and size of the aerosol supply system implementing the embodiments of the present disclosure are not important for the principles described herein.

[0025] The power source 26 in this example is rechargeable and may be of a conventional type, such as that commonly used in aerosol delivery systems, such as heat-not-burn devices, tobacco heating devices, electronic cigarettes, and other applications requiring relatively high currents to be provided for relatively short periods of time (e.g., lithium-ion batteries). The power source 26 may be recharged via a charging connector (not shown) in the reusable partial housing, the charging connector comprising, for example, a micro-USB or USB-C connector, which may also provide an interface for data transfer between the controller 22 and an external processing device (such as a smartphone or personal computer).

[0026] A user input button 14 may optionally be provided, which in this example is a conventional mechanical button, for example comprising a spring-mounted component that can be pressed by a user to establish an electrical contact. In this regard, the input button 14 may be considered to be an input device for detecting user input, and the specific manner in which the button is implemented is not important (for example, it may include a capacitive touch sensor and / or a touch-sensitive display element). A plurality of such buttons may be provided, with one or more of the buttons being assigned to functions such as turning the aerosol supply system 1 on and off and adjusting user settings, such as the power supplied from the power supply 26 to the aerosol generator 48, the heating period for the consumable portion, and / or selecting one or more device modes. However, the inclusion of a user input button is optional, and in some embodiments, such a button may not be included.

[0027] In some instances, an optional display unit 16 may be disposed on an outer surface of the housing of the reusable device portion 2. The display unit 16 (where included) may include a pixelated or non-pixelated display unit (e.g., including a single LED, an LED array, a liquid crystal display (LCD), a light emitting diode (LED) display, an organic light emitting diode (OLED) display, an active matrix organic light emitting diode (AMOLED) display, an electroluminescent display (ELD), a plasma display panel (PDP), an electronic ink display) connected to the controller 22. Such a display may be implemented by a person skilled in the art according to any method known in the art. Such a display may be used to display usage information related to the use of the aerosol supply system 1 to a user. Exemplary forms of usage information that may be displayed to a user via the optional display unit 16 are further described herein. The display may include an integrated user input function (e.g., the display may include a touch screen display unit), and in such an embodiment, a separate user input button 14 may be omitted.

[0028] At least one visual indicator / visual feedback indicator 28 may be provided, which may be in addition to or in place of the display 16, the visual indicator comprising a display area visible on the outer surface of the housing of the reusable device portion 2, the visual indicator 28 being configured to provide visual feedback to the user about one or more aspects of the operation or state of the device. Such visual feedback may include information about, for example, whether the system is turned on or off, the selected operating mode, how much power or aerosol generating material is left in the system, the temperature of the heating element, or the intensity of the user's inhalation on the device (e.g., derived from an airflow sensor as further described herein), or information related to the heating period of the consumable part, such as the remaining heating time or the change of the existing remaining heating time. Such information may be displayed before, during and / or after a puff or session on the aerosol supply device. A visual indicator for displaying such information may include a display panel (which includes a plurality of pixels), the display panel including, for example, an LCD, LED, OLED, AMOLED, ELD, PDP, an electronic ink display, or any other form of pixelated display panel known to those skilled in the art. Additionally or alternatively, the visual indicator 28 may include one or more non-pixelated display elements, such as one or more LEDs. Where visual indicator 28 includes one or more LEDs, the color of each LED may be selected from a set of LED colors known to those skilled in the art, and / or LEDs configured to display more than one color may be used (eg, one or more RGB LEDs may be used).

[0029] The controller 22 is suitably configured / programmed to control the operation of the aerosol supply system to provide functionality in accordance with embodiments of the present disclosure as further described herein, as well as for providing conventional operating functionality of the aerosol supply system in accordance with established techniques for controlling such devices. The controller (processor circuit) 22 may be considered to logically include various subunits / circuit elements associated with different aspects of the operation of the aerosol supply system 1. In this example, the controller 22 includes a power supply control circuit for controlling the supply of power from the power supply 26 to the aerosol generator 48 in response to user input, a user programming circuit for establishing configuration settings (e.g., user-defined power settings) in response to user input, and functions associated with other functional units / circuits in accordance with the principles described herein and conventional operating aspects of the aerosol supply system (such as display drive circuits and user input detection circuits). It should be understood that the functionality of the controller 22 may be provided in a variety of different ways, such as using one or more appropriately programmed programmable computers and / or one or more appropriately configured application specific integrated circuits / circuits / chips / chip sets configured to provide the desired functionality. The controller 22 may include a wireless transceiver and associated control circuitry to enable data to be transmitted between the reusable device portion 2 and an external computing device such as a smartphone or personal computer (not shown) via a wireless transmission protocol such as Bluetooth, near field communication (NFC), or Zigbee. The controller 22 also includes one or more data storage elements (e.g., memory elements such as ROM or RAM elements) that can be used to store data associated with the use of the aerosol supply system in accordance with established techniques for data storage and transmission. Throughout this disclosure, it should be understood that when operation refers to (i) providing user input such as parameter selection and device mode to the user input interface of the reusable device portion 2, (ii) displaying information to the user on the display of the reusable device portion 2, and (iii) processing information (e.g., related to the determination of the heating time of the consumable) by the controller 22, one or more of these functions can be performed by an external electronic device (e.g., a smartphone, a refilling / charging dock or case, a personal computer (PC), a wearable device (e.g., a smart watch), or a server) to which the aerosol supply system is configured to connect via a wired or wireless communication protocol using a wired or wireless data interface between the aerosol delivery system 1 and the external electronic device. Therefore, the wireless transceiver integrated in the controller 22 can include a Bluetooth, ZigBee, WiFi, WiFi Direct, GSM, 2G, 3G, 4G, 5G, LTE, NFC or RFID module, or any other wireless communication module known to those skilled in the art, and / or a wired interface such as LISB-C, micro USB, Thunderbolt or other wired interface.Thus, user input provided on the external electronic device (e.g., a smartphone) may be transmitted to the controller 22 of the aerosol delivery device to control any operational aspects of the aerosol delivery device 1 as described herein. Processing of information / data may be performed via a processor / controller of the external electronic device (e.g., a smartphone) based on the information transmitted by the controller 22 to the external electronic device, wherein the processed information / data or control parameters based on such processing are transmitted back to the controller 22 to enable the controller 22 to modify the operation of the aerosol delivery system based on the data / parameters. Based on the indication-related information / data transmitted by the controller 22 to the external electronic device, visual, audible, or tactile notifications / indications related to the operation of the aerosol delivery system as described herein may be provided to the user by the external electronic device (e.g., a smartphone). Thus, generally, any functionality described herein related to user input, data processing, and providing instructions to the user may be "offloaded" to the external electronic device via a wired or wireless data connection, in a manner similar to the manner in which devices / computing nodes distributed over a wired or wireless computing network may transmit data between them to distribute the functionality of the system between different devices / nodes.

[0030] The reusable device portion includes a device for inferring the aerosolization rate of the aerosol generating material (which can also be considered as the consumption rate of the aerosol generating material 44 when using the aerosol generating system 1) by monitoring parameters associated with the amount of user inhalation on the consumable portion during a session including multiple puffs. This can be achieved by monitoring, for example, the airflow through the consumable portion, the temperature of the consumable portion, the power level supplied for heating the consumable portion, and / or the measurement of the heating time of the consumable portion, as further described herein. Therefore, in some embodiments of the present disclosure, the reusable device portion 2 may include an airflow sensor 30, such as a pressure sensor (e.g., a MEMS pressure sensor) or a flow rate sensor (e.g., a microphone or a hot wire anemometer), which is electrically connected to the controller 22 and is in fluid communication with a portion of the airflow path between the air inlet 24 and the mouthpiece 41. The airflow sensor 30 can, for example, be disposed in a wall of the air inlet channel 25 or chamber 50, and / or extend at least partially into or across a portion of the airflow path defined by the air inlet channel 25 or chamber 50. In some embodiments, a combined airflow and temperature sensor is used that allows the temperature of the airflow in a portion of the airflow path in the device to be determined. In some embodiments, the airflow sensor comprises a so-called "puff sensor" in that the controller 22 uses a signal from the airflow sensor 30 to detect when a user puffs on the device, and optionally detects the intensity of the puff as indicated by the pressure and / or airflow velocity. In some embodiments, the detection of a user puffing (e.g., by the controller 22 determining that a signal from the airflow sensor 30 indicating the pressure and / or flow velocity in the airflow path between the air inlet 24 and the mouthpiece 41 is above a predetermined threshold) is used by the controller 22 to initiate heating by controlling the supply of power to the aerosol generator / heater 48. In other words, the heater / device can be considered "puff activated". Thus, the controller 22 can allocate power from the power supply 26 to the aerosol generator 48, depending at least on the signal received by the controller 22 from the airflow sensor 30. In other embodiments, power to the aerosol generator 48 is initiated via other means (e.g., by detecting a user input on the button 14 or touch screen display 16; or by detecting that a consumable portion has been received in the chamber via a suitable sensor, including, for example, a mechanical switch or a capacitive sensor associated with the chamber 50). It should be understood that the inclusion of an airflow sensor is optional, and in some embodiments, an airflow sensor is not included, as further described herein, and information about the aerosol generation rate is provided to the controller 22 in another manner.24. The controller 22 is configured to initiate heating of the consumable based on receipt of a signal associated with a user interaction with the device, which signal may include at least one of a signal from a user input interface (e.g., button 14) indicating that a user has provided a control input, a signal from an airflow sensor 30 included in the aerosol delivery system indicating a change in the airflow rate through the aerosol delivery system, or a signal from a consumable sensor (not shown) included in the aerosol delivery system indicating that the consumable has been connected to the device.

[0031] In addition to or as an alternative to using an airflow sensor to provide information related to the aerosolization rate of the aerosol generating material 44 to the controller 22 (e.g., a parameter associated with the amount of user inhalation on the consumable part), such information may be provided by sensing / measuring / monitoring the temperature of the consumable part or inferring the temperature of the consumable part based on monitoring the temperature of the heater 48 when heating the consumable part. Where the aerosol generator 48 is configured to heat the consumable part, the temperature of a portion of the aerosol generator 48 and / or the heating region 53 of the chamber 50 or any portion of the consumable part or reusable device part 2 may therefore be detected by the controller 22 using one or more temperature sensors (not shown), which may be separate from or integrated into the heater 48. In other embodiments, the heater 48 is configured to allow it to be used to sense temperature. For example, the heating element included in the aerosol generator 48 may include a material having a temperature coefficient of resistance properties such that its resistance varies with temperature. The controller 22 may determine the resistance of the heating element 48 via known methods (e.g., by using a reference resistor circuit to determine the voltage across the heater at a known current determined by a voltage measurement across a current sensing resistor) and look up the heater resistance in a lookup table derived via experiments or modeling that relates the heating element resistance to temperature, so as to estimate the temperature of the aerosol generator 48 based on the measured resistance. Alternatively or additionally, one or more temperature sensing elements such as thermistors may be positioned near the heating region 53 (e.g., attached to or embedded in a tube that includes the heating region 53 of the chamber 50), the thermistors being connected to the controller 22 to enable the controller to monitor the temperature of the consumable portion and / or the heating region 53 or directly monitor the temperature of the heater 48. The temperature of the air in the air inlet passage 25 may also be monitored in a similar manner by one or more temperature sensors (e.g., a combined temperature and pressure sensor or thermistor). In some embodiments, an integrated pressure and temperature sensor is provided that can monitor parameters associated with the amount of user inhalation on the consumable portion, including both direct airflow and temperature measurements. In some embodiments, the parameter associated with the amount of inhalation by the user on the consumable portion is a function of the measured values ​​of both temperature and airflow rate (such as provided by separate or integrated pressure and temperature sensors) calculated by the controller 22. For example, the calculated parameter may include the sum or product of the measured values ​​of the parameters representing temperature and airflow rate, respectively, which may be scaled by suitable coefficients established by those skilled in the art based on experimentation and modeling. During the heating of the consumable portion over multiple puffs, experiments may be conducted using temperature and airflow sensors to monitor the temperature and airflow rate, while separately measuring the rate of aerosol generation from the device via an aerosol analysis device.A function of temperature and airflow rate can be fitted to the aerosol generation rate curve to obtain a fitted function that describes the aerosol generation rate as a function of temperature and airflow rate (or any of these parameters). It should be understood that the parameter can be a discrete parameter / variable (e.g., the cumulative number of puffs in a session / since the start of heating of the consumable part), or a continuous parameter / parameter representing a continuous variable (e.g., the instantaneous or integrated airflow rate through the aerosol delivery system, or a parameter related to the temperature of the consumable part / heating element or the power level delivered to the heating element, as further described herein). In some embodiments, the parameter is a continuous parameter representing the cumulative inhalation time, such as determined based on detecting the airflow through the aerosol delivery system / consumable part (using the airflow detection / measurement method further described herein). In some embodiments, the parameter associated with the user's inhalation amount on the consumable part within multiple puffs includes a discrete number of puffs (including multiple puffs) taken since the start of heating of the consumable part.

[0032] In some embodiments, the orifice 51 of the reusable portion 2 (through which the consumable portion is inserted into the chamber 50) can be opened and closed by a door (not shown) that can move between a closed position and an open position to allow the consumable portion to be inserted into the reusable device portion 2 when in the open position. The door can be coplanar with the mouthpiece end surface of the reusable device portion and configured to slide along an axis between an open position and a closed position or rotate between an open position and a closed position. A spring or magnet can bias the door in the open position and the closed position to maintain it in the open position or the closed position after the user has slid or rotated the door to either position.

[0033] As further described herein, the reusable portion 2 typically includes an aerosol generator 48 located near the heating area 53 of the consumable chamber 50. As set forth in the embodiments of the present disclosure, an aerosol generator is an element or device configured to generate an aerosol from an aerosol generating material in the consumable portion, such as by heating. Therefore, in some embodiments, the aerosol generator 48 includes a heater that is configured to subject the aerosol generating material in the consumable portion to thermal energy so as to release one or more volatiles from the aerosol generating material to form an aerosol. In some embodiments, the aerosol generator is configured so that an aerosol is generated from the aerosol generating material without heating. For example, the aerosol generator 48 can be configured to subject the aerosol generating material in the consumable portion to one or more of vibration, increased pressure, or electrostatic energy so as to aerosolize the aerosol generating material. It should be understood that in embodiments such as Figure 1In the two-piece device shown, portions of the aerosol generator 48 may be in the reusable device portion 2 and / or the consumable portion. It is further understood that in some instances, the consumable portion may include a cartridge containing an electrically powered aerosol generator (e.g., a heater), and in addition to or in lieu of the aerosol generator 48 in the reusable device portion 2, the reusable device portion 2 may include an electrical interface including electrical contacts disposed in the chamber 50 that electrically connect the aerosol generator in the consumable portion to the power source 26 and controller 22 in the reusable device portion when the consumable portion is fully or partially received in the chamber 50.

[0034] In some embodiments of the present disclosure, an aerosol generator 48 including at least one heating element is formed as a cylindrical tube having a hollow internal heating chamber that is configured in use to provide thermal energy to a heating region 53 of a chamber / receiving recess 50 into which a consumable portion including an aerosol generating material 43 is inserted for heating. As further described herein, the heating element may directly form part of the tube including the chamber 50, or may be disposed around or proximate to the heating region 53 of the tube including the chamber 50. Different arrangements for the aerosol generator / heater 48 are possible. In some embodiments, the heater 48 may include a single heating element (e.g., a resistive trace, track, and / or winding), or may be formed of a plurality of heating elements aligned longitudinally or transversely (e.g., radially) to the longitudinal axis of the chamber 50. Each of the one or more heating elements included in the heater 48 may be annular or tubular, or at least partially annular or partially tubular around its circumference. The one or more heating elements may include one or more thin film heaters including one or more resistive tracks on a heat-resistant substrate including, for example, a polyimide film. The one or more heating elements may include a ceramic material including, for example, aluminum nitride or silicon nitride ceramics, which may be laminated and sintered with one or more heat-generating layers to form a heater according to methods known in the art. Other heater arrangements are also possible, including, for example, induction heating elements, infrared heater elements that heat by emitting infrared radiation, or resistive heating elements formed by, for example, resistive electrical windings. In the latter case, the resistive windings may be arranged around a ceramic, metal, or heat-resistant polymer tube, or embedded in such a tube, which includes a heating region 53 of the chamber 50, or is arranged around it to emit heat into a cavity within the heating region 53. The battery 26 is electrically connected to the heating element to supply power when needed, and heats the aerosolizable material in the consumable under the control of the control circuit 22 (as further discussed herein, to aerosolize the aerosolizable material without burning the aerosolizable material).

[0035] In some embodiments, at least one heating element included in the aerosol generator 48 is supported by and surrounds a heat conductive tube, for example formed of stainless steel, that includes a portion of the wall of the chamber 50 that receives at least a portion of the consumable portion. At least the portion of the tube proximate the heating element can be considered to include a heating region 53 of the chamber 50. The inner diameter of the tube including the chamber 50 is sized relative to the diameter of the consumable portion to be inserted into the tube. The tube can be slightly tapered (not shown) from a wider diameter at the orifice 51 to a narrower diameter at the base of the chamber away from the orifice 51, so that when the consumable portion is slid into the chamber 50, when the consumable portion reaches the end of its travel into the chamber 50, the end away from the mouthpiece 41 is slightly radially compressed, thereby causing the consumable portion to be gently retained in the chamber 50. If, for example, the reusable device portion is inverted during use, this arrangement can prevent the consumable from accidentally sliding out of the reusable device portion. The chamber 50 may also be slightly flared or chamfered at the orifice to allow the consumable portion to be easily guided into the chamber 50. Thus, the chamber 50 may be used as an elongated support for supporting the consumable portion comprising the aerosol generating material in use. The diameter of the chamber 50 in the heating region 53 will typically be selected to closely match the diameter of the consumable portion, ensuring contact between the outer surface of the consumable portion and a substantial portion of the inner surface of the heating region 53 of the chamber 50, thereby allowing efficient thermal transfer of heat from one or more heating elements included in the aerosol generator 48 to the consumable portion.

[0036] In embodiments where the aerosol generator 48 includes a heater, the tube including the heating region 53 of the chamber 50 includes a material that transfers heat from the heater 48 to the consumable portion, and typically includes a metal or metal alloy, such as one or more materials selected from the group consisting of aluminum, gold, iron, nickel, cobalt, conductive carbon, graphite, steel, ordinary carbon steel, mild steel, ferritic stainless steel, molybdenum, copper, and bronze. In other embodiments, the section of the tube including the heating region 53 of the chamber 50 can be made of different materials, as long as it is thermally conductive. In other embodiments, other heating elements 48 can be used. For example, the heating element 48 can include a susceptor (e.g., a portion of the tube including the chamber 50) that is heated via induction when exposed to a magnetic field generated by one or more magnetic field generators (such as a drive coil (not shown) disposed within the reusable portion 2).

[0037] Typically, where the aerosol generator 48 includes one or more heating elements, the aerosol generator 48 is sized relative to the distribution of aerosol generating material in the consumable portion such that when the consumable is inserted into the reusable device portion 2, substantially all of the aerosol generating material in the consumable portion can be heated during use (e.g., the longitudinal extent of the heating region 53 extending along the axis of the chamber 50 can match the longitudinal extent of the distribution of the aerosol generating material 43 in the consumable portion when the consumable portion is received into the chamber 50 for use). In some embodiments, the one or more heating elements included in the aerosol generator 48 can be arranged so that selected zones / regions of the aerosol generating material in the consumable portion can be independently heated, such as sequentially (over time) or together (simultaneously) as desired (e.g., by distributing independently controllable heating elements along the length of the chamber 50 including the heating region 53).

[0038] As further mentioned herein, in some embodiments, the aerosol generator 48 is in the form of a hollow cylindrical tube that includes, is embedded in, or surrounds a heating region 53 of a chamber 50. The chamber formed by the interior portion of the tube including the heating region 53 is typically in fluid communication with an orifice 51 at the mouthpiece end of the reusable device portion 2 via a non-heating region 52 of the chamber 50 (which may also be referred to as an expansion region / chamber). In such embodiments, the non-heating region 52 includes a tubular body having a first open end adjacent to or including the orifice 51 and a second open end adjacent to the heating chamber region 53 of the chamber 50. In this way, the non-heating region 52 and the heating region 53 can be considered to be tubular portions of the chamber 50 arranged end to end. Typically, the diameters of the expansion region 52 and the heating region 53 will match at the interface therebetween to ensure that the non-mouthpiece end of the consumable portion passes smoothly through the non-heating region 52 and into the heating region 53. The non-heating / expansion region 52 and the heating region 53 of the tube including the chamber 50 can be formed separately and connected via a mechanical joining process, or formed integrally. In some embodiments, the non-heated region 52 includes a flared section (not shown) that widens as it expands onto the orifice 51 , and a section of substantially constant inner diameter proximate the interface with the heated region 53 .

[0039] In some embodiments, when the consumable part is inserted into the reusable device part 2, the consumable part is in the form of a cylindrical rod having or containing aerosol generating material 43 at the end away from the mouthpiece 41 in a section of the consumable part located within the heating area 53 of the chamber 50. To provide a specific example, in one embodiment, the consumable part has a diameter of about 8 mm and a length of about 84 mm. The depth of the chamber 50 of the reusable device part is sized relative to the length of the consumable part so that when the consumable part is inserted into the chamber 50 for use, the mouthpiece end 41 of the consumable part generally extends from the orifice (e.g., extends 10 mm, 20 mm, 30 mm or more than 30 mm). Therefore, the mouthpiece end of the consumable part generally extends out of the orifice 51 from the reusable device part 2. The consumable part may include a filter / cooling element 44 for filtering / cooling the aerosol, which is disposed between the mouthpiece 41 and the area of ​​the aerosol generating material 43. The consumable portion is typically wrapped circumferentially in a wrapper / outer layer (not shown) which may include a paper material and / or a metal foil and / or a polymer film, such as Natureflex (TM). The outer layer of the consumable portion may be permeable to allow some heated aerosolized components from the aerosol generating material 43 to escape from the consumable portion 2 before reaching the mouthpiece 41. In some embodiments, the wrapper may include a metallic material located near the aerosol generating material 43, configured to act as a susceptor that is heated via induction by one or more magnetic field generators / drive coils (not shown) in the reusable device portion 2 to heat the aerosol generating material 43 via induction heating. For example, in such an embodiment, the aerosol generator 48 may include: one or more magnetic field generators / drive coils configured to induce induction heating of the metallic wrapper of the consumable; and / or one or more susceptor elements embedded within the aerosol generating material 43 within the consumable portion to cause heating of the aerosol generating material 43 in the consumable portion. It should be understood that the configuration of the consumable part set forth above is illustrative, and those skilled in the art may modify the overall structure of the consumable part according to methods known in the art.

[0040] In some embodiments, the aerosol generator 48 includes: at least one heating element configured to transfer heat into the consumable portion (according to the methods for heating further described herein); and at least one magnetic field generator / drive coil configured to inductively heat at least one susceptor element included in the consumable portion (according to the methods further described herein). In such embodiments, the aerosol generating material 43 can include a plurality of aerosol generating materials, wherein at least a first aerosol generating material is heated by heat transferred from the aerosol generator 48 into the consumable portion, and wherein at least a second aerosol generating material is heated by one or more susceptors included in or on the consumable.

[0041] Typically, the primary flow path for heated aerosolized components produced by heating the aerosol generating material 43 by the heater 48 is axially through the consumable portion, through the filter / cooling element 44 (where included), and into the user's mouth through the open end of the mouthpiece 41. However, some of the aerosolized components may escape from the consumable portion through its permeable outer wrapper and enter the space surrounding the consumable portion in the non-heating chamber region 52 (e.g., the space formed by an optional gap (not shown) between the outer surface of the consumable and the inner surface of the chamber 50 in the expanded portion of the non-heating / expansion chamber region 53).

[0042] As used herein, the term "aerosol generating material" 43 generally includes materials that provide aerosolized components (usually in the form of vapor or aerosol) when heated. "Aerosol generating material" can be a material that does not contain tobacco or a material that contains tobacco. For example, "aerosol generating material" can include one or more of tobacco itself, tobacco derivatives, expanded tobacco, reconstituted tobacco, tobacco extracts, homogenized tobacco or tobacco substitutes. Aerosol generating materials can be in the form of ground tobacco, chopped tobacco, extruded tobacco, reconstituted tobacco, reconstituted aerosol generating materials, liquids, gels, amorphous solids, gelled sheets, powders or condensates, etc. "Aerosol generating materials" can also include other non-tobacco products, which may or may not contain nicotine, depending on the product. "Aerosol generating materials" can include one or more humectants, such as glycerol, propylene glycol, triacetin or diethylene glycol.

[0043] As described above, the aerosol generating material 43 may include an "amorphous solid", which may alternatively be referred to as a "bulk solid" (i.e., non-fibrous), or as a "dried gel". An amorphous solid is a solid material that can retain a fluid (such as a liquid) within it. In some cases, the aerosol generating material includes from about 50 wt%, 60 wt%, or 70 wt% amorphous solid to about 90 wt%, 95 wt%, or 100 wt% amorphous solid. In some cases, the aerosol generating material consists of an amorphous solid.

[0044] In some embodiments, the aerosol generating material is a non-liquid aerosol generating material, and the reusable device portion is used to heat the non-liquid aerosol generating material to aerosolize at least one component of the aerosol generating material.

[0045] The one or more active ingredients / substances included in the consumable portion may include one or more physiologically and / or olfactory active ingredients, which are included in the aerosolizable material to achieve a physiological and / or olfactory response in the user. In some embodiments, the active ingredient is a physiologically active ingredient and may be selected from nicotine, nicotine salts (e.g., nicotine bitartrate / nicotine bitartrate), nicotine-free tobacco substitutes, other alkaloids (such as caffeine) or mixtures thereof.

[0046] After all or substantially all of the aerosol-generating components of the aerosol-generating material in the consumable part have been consumed, the user can remove the consumable part from the reusable device part 2 and dispose of the consumable part. The user can then reuse the reusable device part 2 with another consumable part. However, in other corresponding embodiments, after the aerosol-generating components of the aerosol-generating material have been exhausted, the consumable part and the reusable device part 2 can be disposed of together. The consumable part can be configured with a certain amount of aerosol-generating material 43, which is configured to be heated and exhausted within a single heating cycle (e.g., an activation duration of 210 seconds), or can be configured with a certain amount of aerosol-generating material 43, which is configured to be exhausted within multiple heating cycles. In the latter case, the consumable part can be considered to be a reusable consumable part.

[0047] In some embodiments, the consumable part can be sold, supplied or otherwise provided separately from the reusable device part 2 that can be used with the consumable part. However, in some embodiments, one or more of the reusable device part 2 and the consumable part can be provided together as a system, such as a kit or assembly, possibly with additional components, such as cleaning utensils.

[0048] The inventors have recognized that it may be advantageous to allow the target time for heating a consumable part including an aerosol generating material to be adjusted based on information related to the aerosolization rate of the aerosol generating material and / or the consumption rate of the aerosol generating material. In conventional smoking articles (such as cigarettes), aerosol is generated by the progressive combustion of an aerosol generating material (such as tobacco), and the rate at which aerosol is generated and the rate at which the aerosol generating material is consumed / exhausted by combustion depend on the combustion rate. In the case of an increase in the combustion rate, aerosol generation increases, and at the same time the time required to consume the aerosol generating material is also reduced. Among other factors, the combustion rate is a function of the airflow rate through the smoking article. Therefore, users of conventional combustible smoking articles that draw longer and deeper can generally exhaust a single smoking article faster than users who draw relatively shorter and shallower puffs. The inventors have recognized that it may be desirable to control an electronic aerosol delivery device to provide a similar user experience in terms of the relationship between the duration of a heating cycle for a consumable and the way a user draws on the device. This may make the experience of using an electronic aerosol delivery device feel more similar to using a traditional smoking article, supporting users who are seeking to transition from traditional smoking articles to an electronic aerosol delivery device.

[0049] Therefore, an aerosol delivery system is provided, which is configured to heat a consumable portion to generate an aerosol, and the aerosol delivery system includes a controller, which is configured to: start heating of the consumable portion; during heating of the consumable portion, monitor a parameter associated with a user's inhalation volume on the consumable portion during multiple puffs; and stop heating of the consumable portion based on the parameter associated with the user's inhalation volume.

[0050] Figure 2 A flow chart outlining a method of operation of an aerosol delivery system according to the present disclosure is shown, according to which in a first step S1, heating of a consumable part is started. In a second step S2, during heating of the consumable part, a parameter associated with a user's inhalation volume on the consumable part during a plurality of puffs is monitored. In a third step S3, when the parameter reaches a threshold, heating of the consumable part is stopped. In an embodiment of the present disclosure, the threshold is predetermined.

[0051] Thus, in embodiments of the present disclosure, upon detecting a user input indicating that the user wants to start generating an aerosol from the consumable portion, the controller 22 initiates heating of the consumable portion or a region thereof to generate an aerosol from the aerosol-generating material included in the consumable portion, according to the methods further described herein (e.g., via puff detection, via detecting a user input on a button or other user input interface, or via detecting that the consumable portion has been coupled to the reusable device portion for use). The controller is further configured to stop supplying power to the heater for heating the consumable once a heating end condition is met, the heating end condition being based on a parameter associated with the amount of inhalation by the user on the consumable portion.

[0052] When the controller 22 supplies power to the heater to generate an aerosol from the consumable portion, a parameter associated with the amount of inhalation by the user on the consumable portion is monitored by the controller. As further described herein, the parameter may be the temperature of the heater (as determined by a dedicated temperature sensor, or inferred based on the heater resistance using the temperature coefficient of resistance (TCR) characteristic of the heater), or the temperature of the consumable (as determined by a temperature sensor). The parameter may be the power level provided to the heater, for example, to maintain a target temperature or set point temperature (T 设定 ) required power level. Based on the cooling rate of the heater and / or consumable portion being a function of the airflow through the device / consumable portion, the parameter including the temperature measurement is associated with the user inhalation. Therefore, in the case of higher airflow rates, the cooling rate of the consumable / heater may generally be higher. The parameter associated with the amount of user inhalation on the consumable portion may be the airflow rate as determined by an airflow sensor (such as a pressure sensor, microphone or hot wire anemometer), as further described herein.

[0053] Without wishing to be bound by any particular theory, the inventors have recognised that the rate at which a user inhales on a consumable portion comprising an aerosol generating material may generally be correlated with the rate at which the aerosol generating material in the consumable portion is consumed. Thus, where a user inhales more and / or takes longer puffs during a session of use of the consumable portion comprising multiple puffs, the consumable portion may generally be depleted more quickly (e.g., in terms of depletion of the supply of aerosol generating material) than where a user inhales less and / or takes shorter puffs during a session of use on the consumable. Thus, by taking into account a parameter associated with the amount of user inhalation on the consumable portion during a session, the heating duration may be dynamically adjusted to take into account the rate at which the consumable portion is consumed during a session, as inferred based on the parameter associated with the amount of user inhalation on the consumable.

[0054] Therefore, in some embodiments of the present disclosure, the controller is configured to integrate the parameters associated with the user's inhalation amount on the consumable part over time after starting the heating of the consumable part, and stop the heating of the consumable part when the integral of the parameter reaches a predetermined threshold. The parameter can be integrated according to any suitable method known to those skilled in the art. For example, in the case where the controller 22 runs at a given clock speed, the parameter value associated with the user's inhalation amount can be measured at each clock cycle (or each j-th clock cycle, where j is an integer of the clock cycle), and the integral of the parameter over time is calculated according to the parameter difference between the subsequent measured values ​​and the elapsed time between the measured values ​​using, for example, the trapezoidal rule for estimating the definite integral. In these embodiments, during each clock cycle (or each j-th clock cycle), the controller 22 compares the integral of the parameter associated with the user's inhalation amount during the heating duration (i.e., by adding the integral calculated for each clock cycle since the start of heating) with a predetermined threshold, and if the integral exceeds the predetermined threshold, the controller 22 stops supplying the heater with power for heating the consumable part.

[0055] Figure 3 A sequence of n puffs over time, comprising a session of n puffs, is schematically shown. The Y axis shows a parameter associated with the amount of user inhalation on the consumable part within a plurality of puffs, which in this example comprises an airflow rate through the consumable part / aerosol delivery system established based on the controller monitoring the output of the airflow sensor during the session. In this example, it is assumed that heating of the consumable part is started at T=0 (i.e. at the intersection of the X-axis and the Y-axis). During each puff, the airflow rate rises and falls, and between puffs, the airflow rate is zero. Figure 4 Will be from Figure 3 , and schematically illustrates the same session of n puffs, where the integral of the airflow rate over the heating duration is represented by the shaded area under the airflow rate curve. 阈值 At a time, the controller determines that the integral of the parameter associated with the user's inhalation volume (ie, the integral of the airflow rate over time) has reached / exceeded a predetermined threshold, and stops supplying power to the heater to generate aerosol from the consumable portion. Figure 4 In the example shown, T 阈值 Decline during user puff. In some embodiments, the controller is configured to stop supplying power for heating the consumable portion only after a puff has ended with a threshold drop (as determined, for example, by the output of the airflow sensor dropping below a threshold) to avoid a negative experience for the user, whereby aerosol generation stops while the user is taking a puff.

[0056] The controller 22 can establish a predetermined threshold for the user's inhalation parameter integral in a variety of different ways. For example, the reusable device part 2 of the aerosol delivery system may include a circuit configured to receive an identifier from the consumable part when the consumable part is received in the reusable device part, wherein the identifier directly encodes the value for the threshold, or includes an identifier that the controller 22 can cross-reference with a table (e.g., a lookup table) or other data structure to identify the appropriate value for the threshold. The identifier may include an optically readable identifier (e.g., a QR code or a barcode) printed on the outer surface of the consumable device part, which is read by an optical sensor connected to the controller 22 and is positioned so that when the consumable part is received in the reusable device part, the identifier is close to the optical sensor. The optical sensor may include a light source for illuminating the identifier to capture an image of the identifier. Alternatively, the consumable part may include a radio frequency identification RFID tag or a near field communication NFC tag, which is included in or on the consumable part, wherein the RFID or NFC reader module is located in the reusable device part and is connected to the controller to read data including the identifier from the RFID or NFC tag when the consumable part is received in the reusable device part. In other examples, the user may input a threshold value or select one of a set of predetermined threshold values ​​using a user input interface of the aerosol delivery device or an associated electronic device (e.g., by selecting a threshold value via an application (APP) running on a smartphone that has a data connection link with the controller 22 of the aerosol delivery system). In other examples, the predetermined threshold value is established for the controller 22 during manufacturing and represents a default value that is used regardless of the consumable portion received and heated in the aerosol delivery system.

[0057] The predetermined threshold (or multiple predetermined thresholds, which can be selected based on an identifier associated with a given consumable portion or selected via user input) can be established based on experiments or modeling, or by analyzing previous use of the aerosol delivery system by a user. For example, a threshold for a given consumable portion can be established based on a characteristic value of an integral of a parameter associated with an amount inhaled by a user, which is the amount inhaled by the user that is required to deplete a consumable portion of the same type as the consumable portion received in the device. Thus, in a laboratory setting, different consumable portions of a first type can be heated by an aerosol delivery system according to the present disclosure using a standard power delivery curve (e.g., a constant power delivered to the heater, or a predetermined time-varying heating curve delivered to the heater), wherein sample consumable portions of the first type are subjected to different total integrated airflow values ​​through the consumable portion during the heating curve before analyzing to determine how much aerosol generating material for aerosolization remains in the consumable portion. An appropriate predetermined threshold of the integrated airflow to be used can be determined based on the amount of the integrated airflow, which is established to correspond to a characteristic consumption of the aerosol generating material in the consumable portion, for example at least 50%, at least 60%, at least 70%, at least 80%, at least 90%, at least 95% or at least 99% (as determined, for example, by quantifying the amount of aerosol generated by the consumable portion over time when heated, such that it is assumed that 100% consumption of the aerosol generating material has occurred when no aerosol is no longer generated, or the aerosol generation rate has dropped below a threshold, or consumption has occurred when it is determined that unwanted heating byproducts are being generated above a threshold).

[0058] In other cases, the controller 22 can "learn" the appropriate threshold value of the integrated airflow rate to be used by receiving user input from the user (e.g., via a button). For example, the user can train the controller 22 to use the appropriate threshold value by using one or more "training" heating cycles, wherein power is supplied to the heater to generate an aerosol from the consumable portion, and the user provides a user input (e.g., a button press) to indicate to the controller when they believe the consumable has been exhausted and should no longer be heated (e.g., because the amount and / or quality of the aerosol has decreased). The controller can integrate the airflow rate (or other parameters associated with the user's inhalation volume as described herein) over the heating duration after heating begins until the user provides a user input to indicate that the consumable has been exhausted. The integral of the airflow rate at the point where the user provides this input can be saved by the controller 22 and subsequently used as a predetermined threshold value to stop supplying power to the heater in subsequent heating periods / sessions.

[0059] In some embodiments of the present disclosure, the controller may apply a scheme by which the controller 22 may stop heating using two conditions, one based on an integral parameter associated with the amount of user inhalation on the consumable, as further described herein, and the other based on the time elapsed since the start of heating. Thus, in some embodiments, after the start of heating, a threshold value of the elapsed heating time may be applied by the controller such that if the threshold value is reached, the controller stops supplying power to the heater even if the integral of the parameter associated with the amount of user inhalation on the consumable has not yet reached a predetermined threshold value. The threshold value of the elapsed heating time may be determined based on experiments, and in some examples may correspond to the amount of time it takes to deplete the consumable portion using a given power delivery curve used by the aerosol delivery system to heat the consumable portion, wherein the time is the time to deplete the consumable portion without any airflow through the system (and wherein depletion / depletion of the consumable portion is defined as described herein).

[0060] In other embodiments of the present disclosure, the parameter associated with the amount of user inhalation on the consumable part comprises a temperature associated with the consumable part or the heater, as determined based on the controller 22 monitoring the output of the temperature sensor during heating of the consumable, as further described herein. Where the temperature is used as the parameter associated with the amount of user inhalation on the consumable part, the control of the duration of heating based on the parameter associated with the amount of user inhalation on the consumable part may be performed in the same manner as described for the embodiment in which the parameter associated with the amount of user inhalation on the consumable part is based on the output of the airflow sensor, with the following optional modifications.

[0061] Figure 5 Will be from Figure 3 and Figure 4 identified in the Figure 3 and Figure 4 The puff time sequence is the same as the puff time of Figure 5 In the example of , the parameter associated with the amount of user inhalation on the consumable part includes a temperature associated with the consumable part or a heater for heating the consumable part. In this example, a fixed power level is supplied to the heater so that the temperature of the heater / consumable rises to a predetermined steady-state heating temperature Temp 设定 , as indicated by the rising temperature curve to the left of the first puff "Puff T" (although the specific heating curve is not important). Since the power level supplied to the heater is constant, in this example, the temperature of the heater varies with the user's inhalation volume (e.g., airflow rate). Therefore, the difference between the actual temperature of the heater / consumable during heating is indicative of the user's inhalation volume. Figure 5This is schematically illustrated in FIG. 1 , where during each of n puffs the temperature of the heater / consumable changes from a steady-state value with no airflow (e.g., Temp. 设定 ) decreases to a reduced value, wherein the reduction in temperature is proportional to the cooling rate (i.e. to the air flow rate through / through the consumable portion). Figure 6 Will be from Figure 5 The integral of the steady-state value of the heater / consumable temperature in the absence of airflow (i.e., Temp 设定 The difference between the integral of the actual temperature of the heater / consumable determined from the temperature measurements of the heater and / or consumable using the method described herein. Figure 3 and Figure 4 In the described embodiment, at time T=T 阈值 When the controller 22 determines the integral of the parameters associated with the amount of inhalation by the user on the consumable part (in this case including the temperature parameter, and the integral is the actual temperature and the steady-state temperature Temp 设定 The difference between the integrals of the aerosol delivery system and ... 设定 The temperature of the heater is determined by the

[0062] As already described with respect to embodiments, a suitable value for the predetermined threshold may be established where the parameter associated with the amount of inhalation by the user on the consumable portion is the airflow rate, and may therefore be established in a controlled laboratory environment based on known consumption characteristics of the consumable portion, or by user training the controller 22 of the aerosol delivery system, as further described herein (e.g., by the user providing input when it is determined that the consumable portion is depleted, and using the actual heater / consumable temperature with the Temp at the point where the user input was provided as the predetermined threshold for future heating cycles). 设定 The corresponding difference of the integral of Temp. 设定 The value of Temp may be constant or may vary with time and represents the temperature of the heater / consumable portion under the conditions of no airflow through the consumable portion / aerosol delivery system (e.g., steady-state temperature without air cooling due to mass air flow through the consumable) and the heater control characteristic (e.g., fixed or time-varying power) used by the controller. A person skilled in the art may establish Temp based on experimentation or modeling. 设定 , and can be time-varying.

[0063] In other embodiments, the temperature set point (T设定 ) and supply different power levels to the heater to control the heater power to seek to maintain the set point during the heating duration of the consumable portion (e.g., using a pulse width modulation method known to those skilled in the art). In such an example, the temperature may not change with the airflow (although the temperature may drop slightly before the heater temperature increases to compensate for the cooling effect), but as the user inhalation on the consumable increases, the cooling rate of the heater / consumable increases, and the power delivered to the heater to maintain the temperature set point also increases. Therefore, in such an embodiment, the amount of power delivered to the heater to maintain the temperature set point can be used as a parameter associated with the amount of user inhalation on the consumable portion, and can be integrated to determine when to stop heating based on comparing the integrated power with a predetermined threshold as further described herein. Suitable values ​​for the predetermined threshold can be established in a controlled laboratory environment based on known consumption characteristics of the consumable portion as further described herein, or established by user training the controller 22 of the aerosol delivery system as further described herein (e.g., when it is determined that the consumable portion is exhausted, an input is provided by the user), and the integrated power delivered to the heater at the point where the user input is provided as the value of the predetermined threshold is used.

[0064] Thus, embodiments have been described in which the value for the total heating duration of a consumable portion is not fixed or otherwise defined before heating commences, but is a function of an integral of a parameter associated with the user's inhalation volume.

[0065] In other embodiments of the present disclosure, the controller 22 stops the heating of the consumable part based on determining the duration of time that has passed since the heating of the consumable part was started. During heating, the elapsed time can be modified based on monitoring a parameter associated with the user's inhalation volume and optionally comparing the parameter with the control parameter.

[0066] Therefore, according to some embodiments of the present disclosure, the controller is configured to establish an initial defined value for the heating duration of the consumable part before starting the heating of the consumable part, adjust the heating duration from the initial defined value based on a parameter associated with the user's inhalation amount on the consumable part during the heating of the consumable part, and stop the heating of the consumable part after the adjusted heating duration has passed since the start of the heating of the consumable part.

[0067] In some embodiments of the present disclosure, the controller is configured to determine, during heating of the consumable portion, a remaining heating duration for the consumable portion based on an initially defined value of the heating duration and a time elapsed since the start of heating of the consumable portion; compare a parameter associated with the user's inhalation volume (as described herein) with a control parameter, and if the value of the parameter associated with the user's inhalation volume on the consumable is greater than the value of the control parameter, reduce the remaining heating duration for the consumable portion, or if the value of the parameter associated with the user's inhalation volume on the consumable is less than the value of the control parameter, increase the remaining heating duration for the consumable portion to obtain an adjusted remaining heating duration; and stop supplying power to the heater when the adjusted remaining heating duration has passed.

[0068] An initially defined (i.e., predetermined) value for the heating duration can be established for a consumable portion based on a heating curve used by the aerosol delivery system to supply heat to the consumable portion during a session including multiple puffs, based on a characteristic time period taken to consume / exhaust a given type of consumable portion. The characteristic time period can be established based on the time taken to consume the consumable portion based on average user puff frequency, duration, and puff intensity. This can be based on experimental data collected for multiple users, or based on characteristic session behavior (in terms of average user puff frequency, duration, and puff intensity) of a particular user of the aerosol delivery system. Thus, consumable portions provided for use with an aerosol delivery system according to the present disclosure can each be associated with a predetermined / initially defined heating duration. This duration can be set in the controller 22 during manufacturing (e.g., the aerosol delivery system is configured to use a single type of consumable part), or the initially defined heating duration can be set separately for different consumable parts, such as by encoding the initially defined heating duration in a consumable part identifier (e.g., a QR code, RFID, or NFC tag), as described herein, and receiving the initially defined heat duration at the controller 22 when the consumable part is connected to the aerosol delivery system for use (or looking it up in a table or other data structure using a unique identifier associated with the consumable part). Thus, the controller 22 can establish an appropriate initially defined heating duration for the consumable part in a manner similar to that used to establish an appropriate predetermined threshold in other embodiments herein. In other examples, the initially defined heating duration can be determined by the controller 22 based on previous usage information (e.g., based on an average heating duration for multiple previous sessions, or can be manually entered by a user via a user input interface).

[0069] In embodiments of the present disclosure, a control parameter may be determined, in some cases, including an average value of a parameter associated with a user's inhalation volume on a consumable portion within a heating duration, as determined based on experiments or analysis of a user's previous use of an aerosol delivery device. In some embodiments, the heating duration used to determine the control parameter corresponds to an initially defined heating duration as further described herein. In some embodiments, the heating duration is a characteristic heating duration taken for a consumable portion to be consumed / depleted as determined according to a method for determining consumption / depletion of a consumable portion as further described herein. Thus, the control parameter may represent an average value (e.g., average airflow rate, average temperature, or average power) of a parameter associated with a user's inhalation volume on a consumable portion within multiple puffs, within a characteristic time taken to consume the consumable portion, given a user's inhalation volume within multiple puffs, and may include an average value of puffs taken within many sessions on many consumable portions.

[0070] According to an embodiment of the present disclosure, the controller is configured to compare the integral of the parameter associated with the user's inhalation amount on the consumable with the integral of the control parameter within an integration time shorter than the initial defined value of the heating duration, and if the integral of the parameter associated with the user's inhalation amount on the consumable is greater than the integral of the control parameter, the heating duration is reduced from the initial defined value (or from a previously modified heating duration calculated based on a determination made in a previous integration time); or if the integral of the parameter associated with the user's inhalation amount on the consumable is less than the integral of the control parameter, the heating duration is increased from the initially defined value (or from a previously modified heating duration calculated based on a determination made in a previous integration time). Typically, the controller in such an embodiment is configured to increase or decrease the remaining heating duration, so that the integral of the control parameter within the increased or decreased remaining duration is increased or decreased by an amount that is proportional to the difference between the integral of the parameter associated with the user's inhalation amount on the consumable within the integration time and the integral of the control parameter within the integration time.

[0071] Figure 7 An example of the above scheme is schematically shown, wherein the value of the initially defined heating duration set before starting heating is from T=0 to extend to the initially defined end time "T 结束，1 " Duration. The heating of the consumable part starts at T=0 (e.g., at the intersection of the X-axis and the Y-axis), and the controller starts to calculate the time elapsed since the start of heating, wherein the condition for stopping heating is that the elapsed time reaches a predetermined end time T 结束，1 During the integration time ( Figure 7), the controller controls (i) the value of a parameter associated with the user's inhalation volume on the consumable (in this example, the airflow rate, but can be any parameter associated with the user's inhalation volume on the consumable described herein) and (ii) a control parameter as further described herein (shown here as A 控制 ) and calculate the difference between the two integrals. The difference is schematically shown as the shaded area of ​​the airflow curve over the integration time. In this case, the integral of the actual airflow rate is higher than the integral of the control parameter for the airflow rate, and therefore the remaining heating duration (i.e. the time the controller will stop supplying power to the heater) is reduced, so that the original end time T 结束，1 Update to the new end time T 结束，2 , where T is selected 结束，2 Make A 控制 In period T 结束，2 and T 结束，1 The integral within is equal to the integral of the parameter associated with the user's inhalation amount on the consumables and the integral of the control parameter in the integral time. This program can be followed at each clock cycle of the controller or every j clock cycles, thereby dynamically adjusting the remaining heating duration during heating. In some embodiments, if the integral of the parameter associated with the user's inhalation amount on the consumables is lower than the integral of the control parameter, the heating duration can be extended. Such a scheme considers the heating duration initially defined, and then allows adjustment based on the characteristics of the user's inhalation during heating, which may be considered to be advantageous because they allow the use of previously determined information about the characteristic heating duration consumed by a given type of consumable part to determine how to heat this type of consumable part (for example, the characteristic of the consumable part may be a heating duration with 1 minute, 2 minutes, 3 minutes, 4 minutes, 5 minutes or 6 minutes, or any other suitable duration depending on the nature of the consumable part), but if the user's inhalation characteristic deviates from the characteristic / estimated mode of the user's inhalation based on the predetermined duration (i.e., deviates from the "average" usage mode), then the time is allowed to be adjusted. According to the methods set forth herein, the amount by which the predetermined duration may be increased or decreased may be limited by the controller to a percentage of the predetermined duration (e.g., 1%, 5%, 10%, 15%, 20%, 30%, 40%, or 50% of the predetermined duration) that is above and / or below the predetermined duration (i.e., the duration may only be extended or only be decreased during heating, or the duration may be extended or decreased). Once an adjustment limit above or below the predetermined duration is reached, the controller may not allow further adjustment beyond that limit, regardless of the airflow through the consumable portion.

[0072] In an embodiment of the present disclosure, information related to a characteristic / average pattern of the user's use of a consumable portion may be indicated to a user. As further described herein, information about the characteristic number of puffs a user can obtain from a given type of consumable portion may be predefined during manufacturing, or may be derived from monitoring the use of an aerosol delivery system (e.g., in terms of puff frequency, puff duration, puff intensity, and the number of puffs characteristically obtained from a given type of consumable portion before the consumable portion is exhausted). Such monitoring may be performed for a single user of a particular aerosol delivery system, or may be performed for multiple users by collecting information from multiple aerosol delivery systems. Data obtained from monitoring the usage behavior of one or more users may be used to determine one or more indications to be provided to the user (e.g., via a display on the aerosol delivery system, via an application on a computing device (e.g., a smartphone) having a data connection to the aerosol delivery system, or by tactile or audible indications provided by the aerosol delivery system or a connected computing device). For example, where usage monitoring provides information relating to the average number of puffs available to a user from a given type of consumable (e.g., determined as the average number of puffs available per discrete consumable portion, as calculated over multiple consumable portions by one or more users), the information may be indicated to the user via a visual, tactile, or audible indication. The information may be queried by the user, or may be provided automatically in response to a trigger, such as the insertion of an unused consumable portion into the aerosol delivery system.

[0073] In the embodiments described herein, reference has been made to supplying power to the heater to generate an aerosol from the consumable portion. It will be appreciated that in embodiments of the present disclosure, the consumable portion may include a plurality of different regions that may be selectively heated by a plurality of heaters or by different heating regions of a single heater to generate an aerosol. In such embodiments, the control scheme set forth herein may be applied individually and sequentially or in parallel to each of the plurality of regions of the consumable (e.g., a first selectable heating region and a second selectable heating region), in which heating is initiated and stopped after a duration has elapsed from initiation, wherein the duration is dependent on a parameter associated with a user's inhalation volume on the consumable. Thus, in some embodiments, the controller may be configured to: initiate heating of a first region of the consumable portion; during heating of the first region of the consumable portion, monitor a parameter associated with a user's inhalation volume on the consumable portion over multiple puffs; based on the parameter associated with the user's inhalation volume, stop heating of the first region of the consumable portion; initiate heating of a second region of the consumable portion; during heating of the second region of the consumable portion, monitor a parameter associated with a user's inhalation volume on the consumable portion over multiple puffs; and based on the parameter associated with the user's inhalation volume, stop heating of the second region of the consumable portion.

[0074] Thus, an aerosol delivery system has been described that is configured to heat a consumable portion to generate an aerosol, the aerosol delivery system comprising a controller that is configured to: initiate heating of the consumable portion; during heating of the consumable portion, monitor a parameter associated with a user's inhalation volume on the consumable portion over multiple puffs; and based on the parameter associated with the user's inhalation volume, stop heating of the consumable portion.

[0075] The various embodiments described herein are presented only to help understand and teach the claimed features. These embodiments are provided only as representative samples of embodiments and are not exhaustive and / or exclusive. It should be understood that the advantages, embodiments, examples, functions, features, structures and / or other aspects described herein should not be considered as limitations on the scope of the invention defined by the claims or limitations on the equivalents of the claims, and other embodiments may be utilized and may be modified without departing from the scope of the claimed invention. In addition to those specifically described herein, various embodiments of the present invention may appropriately include appropriate combinations of disclosed elements, parts, features, parts, steps, devices, etc., be composed of appropriate combinations of disclosed elements, parts, features, parts, steps, devices, etc., or be substantially composed of appropriate combinations of disclosed elements, parts, features, parts, steps, devices, etc. In addition, the present disclosure may include other inventions that are not currently claimed but may be claimed in the future.

Claims

1. An aerosol delivery system configured to heat a consumable portion to generate an aerosol, the aerosol delivery system comprising a controller configured to: Initiating heating of the consumable portion; During heating of the consumable portion, monitoring a parameter associated with a user's inhalation volume on the consumable portion over a plurality of puffs; and Heating of the consumable portion is stopped based on the parameter associated with the user's inhalation volume.

2. The aerosol delivery system according to claim 1, wherein: The parameters monitored include continuous parameters.

3. The aerosol delivery system according to claim 2, wherein: The monitored parameters include temperature associated with heating of the consumable portion.

4. The aerosol delivery system according to claim 3, wherein: The aerosol delivery system comprises a heater, and the temperature comprises a temperature of the heater.

5. The aerosol delivery system according to claim 4, wherein: The temperature of the heater is established based on measuring the resistance of the heater.

6. An aerosol delivery system according to any one of claims 1 and 2, wherein: The parameters include a power level used to heat the consumable portion.

7. The aerosol delivery system according to claim 3, wherein: The aerosol delivery system comprises a temperature sensor configured to measure a temperature of the consumable portion, and the parameter comprises the temperature of the consumable portion measured by the sensor.

8. The aerosol delivery system according to claim 2, wherein: The apparatus comprises an air flow sensor configured to measure air flow through the consumable portion, and the parameter comprises an air flow rate through the consumable portion measured by the air flow sensor.

9. The aerosol delivery system of claim 2, wherein: The apparatus comprises an air flow sensor configured to detect air flow through the consumable portion, and the parameter comprises a cumulative duration of air flow through the consumable portion measured by the air flow sensor since initiation of heating of the consumable portion.

10. An aerosol delivery system according to any one of claims 8 and 9, wherein: The airflow sensor includes a microphone, a pressure sensor or a hot wire anemometer.

11. An aerosol delivery system according to any one of claims 8 to 10, wherein: The airflow sensor includes an integrated temperature and pressure sensor.

12. An aerosol delivery system according to any one of the preceding claims, wherein: The controller is configured to compare the parameter associated with the user's inhalation volume with a control parameter; and reducing the remaining heating duration for the consumable part in case the value of the parameter associated with the user's inhalation volume on the consumable part is greater than the value of the control parameter, Wherein the controller is configured to stop heating of the consumable portion when the remaining heating duration has elapsed.

13. An aerosol delivery system according to any one of the preceding claims, wherein: The controller is configured to compare the parameter associated with the user's inhalation volume with a control parameter; and increasing a remaining heating duration for the consumable part if the value of the parameter associated with a user inhalation volume on the consumable part is less than the value of the control parameter; Wherein the controller is configured to stop heating of the consumable portion when the remaining heating duration has elapsed.

14. An aerosol delivery system according to any one of claims 1 to 11, wherein: The controller is configured to integrate the parameter over time and to cease heating of the consumable portion when the integral of the parameter reaches a predetermined threshold.

15. An aerosol delivery system according to any one of claims 12 to 14, wherein: The predetermined threshold or control parameter value is established for a given consumable part based on identification information associated with that consumable part.

16. An aerosol delivery system according to any one of claims 12 to 14, wherein: The predetermined threshold or control parameter value is established based on user input to a user input interface associated with the aerosol delivery system.

17. An aerosol delivery system according to any one of claims 14 to 16, wherein: The threshold value is established based on a characteristic value of an integration of the parameter associated with a user inhalation volume required to deplete the consumable portion.

18. An aerosol delivery system according to any one of claims 1 to 11, wherein: The controller is configured to: After a heating duration has elapsed from the start of heating of the consumable portion, stopping the heating of the consumable portion; Prior to commencing heating of said consumable portion, establishing an initially defined value for said heating duration; During heating of the consumable part, the heating duration is adjusted from the initially defined value based on the parameter associated with a user inhalation volume on the consumable part.

19. An aerosol delivery system according to claim 18, wherein: The initially defined value of the heating duration is established based on a characteristic period of time taken to deplete a consumable part according to a predetermined heating curve.

20. An aerosol delivery system according to any one of claims 18 and 19, wherein: The initially defined value of the heating duration is established for a given consumable part based on identification information associated with the consumable part.

21. An aerosol delivery system according to any one of claims 18 and 19, wherein: The initially defined value for the heating duration is established based on user input to a user input interface associated with the aerosol delivery system.

22. An aerosol delivery system according to any one of claims 18 to 21, wherein: The controller is configured to compare an integral of the parameter associated with a user inhalation volume on the consumable part with an integral of a control parameter over an integration time shorter than the initially defined value of the heating duration, and: reducing the heating duration if the integral of the parameter associated with the user's inhalation volume on the consumable part is greater than the integral of the control parameter; or In case the integral of the parameter associated with the user's inhalation volume on the consumable part is less than the integral of the control parameter, the heating duration is increased.

23. An aerosol delivery system according to claim 22, wherein: The controller is configured to increase or decrease the heating duration so that the integral of the control parameter over the overall increased heating duration differs from the integral of the control parameter over a previously determined heating duration by an amount that is proportional to the difference between the integral of the parameter associated with the user's inhalation volume on the consumable part over the integration time and the integral of the control parameter over the integration time.

24. An aerosol delivery system according to any one of claims 22 and 23, wherein: The integration time comprises the duration of a clock cycle associated with the controller.

25. An aerosol delivery system according to any one of claims 12, 13, 15, 16, 22 and 23, wherein: The control parameter comprises an average value of a parameter associated with a user's inhalation volume on the consumable portion over a characteristic heating duration of component portion depletion.

26. An aerosol delivery system according to claim 25, wherein: The average value of the parameter associated with the user's inhalation volume on the consumable part during the characteristic heating duration of depletion of the component part is established based on experiments or modelling using the same type of consumable part.

27. An aerosol delivery system according to any one of the preceding claims, wherein: The device is configured to initiate heating of the consumable portion based on receipt of a signal associated with a user interaction of the device.

28. An aerosol delivery system according to any preceding claim, configured to selectively heat a plurality of different regions of the consumable portion, and wherein: The controller is configured to: initiating heating of a first region of the consumable portion; monitoring a parameter associated with a user's inhalation volume on the consumable portion over a plurality of puffs during heating of the first region of the consumable portion; as well as ceasing heating of the first region of the consumable portion based on a parameter associated with an inhalation volume by a user; initiating heating of a second region of the consumable portion; monitoring a parameter associated with a user's inhalation volume on the consumable portion over a plurality of puffs during heating of the second region of the consumable portion; as well as Based on a parameter associated with a user's inhalation volume, heating of the second region of the consumable portion is stopped.

29. The aerosol delivery system of claim 27, wherein: The signal includes at least one of: a signal from a user input interface indicating that a user has provided a control input, a signal from an airflow sensor included in the aerosol delivery system indicating that an airflow rate through the aerosol delivery system has changed, and a signal from a consumable sensor included in the aerosol delivery system indicating that a consumable portion has been connected to the device.

30. An aerosol delivery device configured to heat a consumable portion to generate an aerosol, the aerosol delivery device comprising a controller configured to: Initiating heating of the consumable portion; During heating of the consumable portion, monitoring a parameter associated with a user's inhalation volume on the consumable portion over a plurality of puffs; and Based on the parameter associated with the user's inhalation volume, heating of the consumable portion is stopped.

31. A method of controlling an aerosol delivery system comprising a controller to heat a consumable portion to generate an aerosol, the method comprising operating the controller to perform the following steps: Initiating heating of the consumable portion; During heating of the consumable portion, monitoring a parameter associated with a user's inhalation volume on the consumable portion over a plurality of puffs; and When the parameter reaches a threshold value, heating of the consumable part is stopped.

32. A computer readable storage medium comprising instructions which, when executed by a processor, perform the method of claim 31.

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