Aerosol supply device

Abstract

A method of tracking a location of an aerosol supply device by a user device. The method comprises: determining a location of an aerosol supply device; and storing, by the user device, the location of the aerosol supply device. In this manner, and in response to a subsequent request for a location of the aerosol supply device at the user device, the user device may provide an indication of a last known location of the aerosol supply device based on the stored location. Providing the indication may include displaying a last known location on a map on a user interface of a display of the user device, and may further include displaying a representation of predetermined parameters of the aerosol supply device on the map, where the predetermined parameters include a shape of the aerosol supply device, and the shape of the aerosol supply device is not the shape of the aerosol supply device. The user can thus visually confirm that the type of device they see on the map is the type of device they want to locate.

Description

[0001] Technical Field and Background Art

[0002] The present disclosure relates to the field of aerosol supply devices. In particular, but not exclusively, the present disclosure relates to tracking the location of an aerosol supply device.

[0003] Known methods are described in WO2019121778A1, US2016331025A1, WO201816578A1, US2014174459A1 and US2018289074A1. Summary of the invention

[0004] From a first aspect, a method for tracking the location of an aerosol supply device by a user device is provided, the method comprising: when the user device remotely communicates with the aerosol supply device: receiving the location of the aerosol supply device from the aerosol supply device by the user device; storing the location of the aerosol supply device by the user device; and in response to a request for the location of the aerosol supply device at the user device, providing an indication of the last known location of the aerosol supply device by the user device based on the stored location.

[0005] From a second aspect, a device for tracking the location of an aerosol supply device is provided, the device being configured to: when the device is in remote communication with the aerosol supply device: receive the location of the aerosol supply device from the aerosol supply device by the device; store the location of the aerosol supply device by the device; and provide an indication of the last known location of the aerosol supply device based on the stored location in response to a request for the location of the aerosol supply device at the device.

[0006] From a third aspect, a computer-readable medium is provided, comprising instructions which, when executed by a processing circuit of a device, configure the device to: when the device is in remote communication with an aerosol supply device: receive the location of the aerosol supply device from the aerosol supply device by the device; store the location of the aerosol supply device by the device; and in response to a request for the location of the aerosol supply device at the device, provide an indication of the last known location of the aerosol supply device based on the stored location.

[0007] From a fourth aspect, a method for tracking the location of an aerosol supply device is provided, comprising: determining the location of the aerosol supply device through the aerosol supply device; and when the aerosol supply device communicates remotely with a user device, the aerosol supply device transmits the location of the aerosol supply device to the user device.

[0008] From a fifth aspect, an aerosol supply device is provided, comprising: a position determination element configured to determine the position of the aerosol supply device; and a communication element configured to transmit the position of the aerosol supply device to the user device when the aerosol supply device communicates remotely with the user device.

[0009] From the sixth aspect, a computer-readable medium is provided, comprising instructions which, when executed by a processing circuit of a device, configure the device to: determine the location of an aerosol supply device; and transmit the location of the aerosol supply device to the user device when the aerosol supply device communicates remotely with the user device.

[0010] From the seventh aspect, a method for tracking the location of an aerosol supply device is provided, the method comprising: determining the location of the aerosol supply device through the aerosol supply device; and when the aerosol supply device communicates remotely with a user device, the aerosol supply device transmits the location of the aerosol supply device to the user device; the user device receives the location of the aerosol supply device from the aerosol supply device; and sends the location of the aerosol supply device to a location storage service; the location storage service stores the location of the aerosol supply device; in response to a request for the location of the aerosol supply device at the user device, the user device requests the last known location of the aerosol supply device from the location storage service; in response to the request from the user device, the location storage service retrieves the last known location of the aerosol supply device and sends the last known location of the aerosol supply device to the user device; and the user device provides an indication of the last known location of the aerosol supply device based on the received location.

[0011] From an eighth aspect, a system for tracking the location of an aerosol supply device is provided, the system comprising: an aerosol supply device, comprising: a position determination element configured to determine the location of the aerosol supply device, and a communication element configured to transmit the location of the aerosol supply device to the device when the aerosol supply device communicates remotely with the device; and the device is configured to: receive the location of the aerosol supply device from the aerosol supply device, and send the location of the aerosol supply device to a location storage service when the device communicates remotely with the aerosol supply device; a location storage service, wherein the location storage service is configured to: store the location of the aerosol supply device; and wherein, in response to a request for the location of the aerosol supply device, the device is configured to request the last known location of the aerosol supply device from the location storage service; wherein the location storage service is configured to retrieve the last known location of the aerosol supply device in response to a request from the device, and send the last known location of the aerosol supply device to the device; and wherein the device is configured to provide an indication of the last known location of the aerosol supply device based on the received location.

[0012] From a ninth aspect, there is provided a method for tracking a location of an aerosol supply device by a user device, the method comprising:

[0013] When the user device is communicating with the aerosol supply device:

[0014] Locating the aerosol supply device; and

[0015] storing, by the user device, the location of the aerosol supply device; and

[0016] providing, by the user device, an indication of a last known location of the aerosol supply device based on the stored location, in response to a request for the location of the aerosol supply device at the user device;

[0017] The instructions also include:

[0018] displaying the last known location on a map on a user interface of a display of the user device; and

[0019] A graphical representation of predetermined parameters of the aerosol supply device is displayed on a map, wherein the predetermined parameters include a shape of the aerosol supply device.

[0020] From a tenth aspect, there is provided a method of tracking a location of an aerosol supply device by a user device, the method comprising:

[0021] When the user device is communicating with the aerosol supply device:

[0022] Locating the aerosol supply device; and

[0023] storing, by the user device, the location of the aerosol supply device; and

[0024] providing, by the user device, an indication of a last known location of the aerosol supply device based on the stored location, in response to a request for the location of the aerosol supply device at the user device;

[0025] The method further comprises:

[0026] A request for the location of the aerosol supply device is permitted only in response to the user device being logged into a predetermined account associated with the aerosol supply device, wherein the predetermined account is password protected.

[0027] From an eleventh aspect, there is provided a method for tracking a location of an aerosol supply device by a user device, the method comprising:

[0028] When the user device is communicating with the aerosol supply device:

[0029] Locating the aerosol supply device; and

[0030] storing, by the user device, the location of the aerosol supply device; and

[0031] providing, by the user device, an indication of a last known location of the aerosol supply device based on the stored location, in response to a request for the location of the aerosol supply device at the user device;

[0032] wherein the request is made on a first portion of a user interface of a display of the user device;

[0033] Wherein the indication is provided on a second portion of the user interface, wherein the first portion of the user interface and the second portion of the user interface are not displayed simultaneously.

[0034] Viewed from a twelfth aspect, there is provided a user device configured to communicate with an aerosol supply device, wherein the user device comprises a user interface from a display of the user device, wherein the user interface comprises a first portion. BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

[0035] Embodiments and examples of the present method will now be described, by way of example only, with reference to the accompanying drawings, in which:

[0036] Figure 1 is a schematic diagram showing an example of an aerosol supply device having consumables;

[0037] Figure 2 is a schematic diagram showing an example of a user device;

[0038] Figure 3 is a schematic diagram showing a non-flammable aerosol supply device, a user device and a location storage service;

[0039] Figure 4 is a flow chart illustrating the operation of an aerosol supply device and a user device in tracking the location of the aerosol supply device; and

[0040] Figure 5 is a flow chart illustrating the operation of an aerosol supply device, a user device, and a location storage service in tracking the location of the aerosol supply device.

[0041] Figure 6 is a schematic diagram showing an example of a portion of a user interface of a display of a user device according to some embodiments disclosed, the user device being able to interact with an aerosol supply device of the type mentioned above; and

[0042] Figure 7 is a diagram showing some embodiments of the disclosure Figure 6 A schematic diagram of an example of an additional portion of a user interface.

[0043] Although the presently described method is susceptible to various modifications and alternative forms, specific embodiments are shown by way of example in the drawings and described in detail herein. However, it should be understood that the drawings and their detailed description are not intended to limit the scope to the particular forms disclosed, but rather, the scope should cover all modifications, equivalents and alternatives that fall within the spirit and scope defined by the appended claims. DETAILED DESCRIPTION

[0044] According to the present disclosure, a "non-flammable" aerosol supply system is an aerosol supply system in which the constituent aerosol generating materials of the aerosol supply system (or components thereof) do not burn or ignite to facilitate delivery of at least one substance to a user.

[0045] The delivery system may be a non-flammable aerosol supply system, such as a powered non-flammable aerosol supply system.

[0046] The non-flammable aerosol delivery system may be an electronic cigarette, also known as a vapor device or an electronic nicotine delivery system (END), but it should be noted that the presence of nicotine in the aerosol generating material is not required.

[0047] The non-flammable aerosol supply system may be an aerosol generating material heating system, also referred to as a heat not burn system. An example of such a system is a tobacco heating system.

[0048] The non-flammable aerosol supply system can be a hybrid system that uses a combination of aerosol generating materials to generate an aerosol, wherein one or more of the aerosol generating materials can be heated. Each aerosol generating material can be, for example, in the form of a solid, liquid or gel, and may or may not contain nicotine. The hybrid system can include a liquid or gel aerosol generating material and a solid aerosol generating material. The solid aerosol generating material can include, for example, tobacco or non-tobacco products.

[0049] Generally, a non-flammable aerosol supply system may include a non-flammable aerosol supply device and consumables for use with the non-flammable aerosol supply device.

[0050] The non-flammable aerosol supply system (such as a non-flammable aerosol supply device thereof) may include a power source and a controller. The power source may be, for example, an electrical source or an exothermic source. The exothermic source includes a carbon matrix that may be powered to distribute power in the form of heat to an aerosol generating material or a heat transfer material proximate to the exothermic source.

[0051] The non-flammable aerosol supply system may include an area for receiving a consumable product, an aerosol generator, an aerosol generating area, a housing, a mouthpiece, a filter and / or an aerosol modifier.

[0052] Consumables for use with a non-flammable aerosol supply device may include an aerosol generating material, an aerosol generating material storage area, an aerosol generating material delivery component, an aerosol generator, an aerosol generating area, a shell, a wrapper, a filter, a mouthpiece and / or an aerosol modifier.

[0053] A consumable is an article comprising or consisting of an aerosol generating material, and a user is intended to consume part or all of the consumable during use. A consumable may include one or more other components, such as an aerosol generating material storage area, an aerosol generating material delivery component, an aerosol generating area, a housing, a wrapper, a mouthpiece, a filter and / or an aerosol modifier. A consumable may also include an aerosol generator, such as a heater, which releases heat when used to generate an aerosol from the aerosol generating material. For example, the heater may include a combustible material, a material that can be heated by electrical conduction, or a receptor.

[0054] A susceptor is a material that can be heated by penetration with a changing magnetic field, such as an alternating magnetic field. The susceptor may be a conductive material, such that it causes inductive heating of the heating material by penetration with a changing magnetic field. The heating material may be a magnetic material, such that it causes hysteresis heating of the heating material by penetration with a changing magnetic field. The susceptor may be both conductive and magnetic, such that the susceptor can be heated by two heating mechanisms. In this article, a device configured to generate a changing magnetic field is referred to as a magnetic field generator.

[0055] An aerosol generator is a device configured to generate an aerosol from an aerosol generating material. In some embodiments, the aerosol generator is a heater configured to subject the aerosol generating material 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 to generate an aerosol from the aerosol generating material without heating. For example, the aerosol generator can be configured to subject the aerosol generating material to one or more of vibration, increased pressure, or electrostatic energy.

[0056] For convenience, non-flammable aerosol supply systems are usually very small, usually slightly larger than a traditional cigarette. This makes them easy to use, portable, and easy to store. However, this small size also makes it easier for the user to lose the non-flammable aerosol supply system.

[0057] The technology described herein provides a way to track the location of an aerosol supply device, such as may be used with a non-flammable aerosol supply system, for example, the non-flammable aerosol supply system may be used to help find the aerosol supply device if it is lost.

[0058] According to the technology described herein, the aerosol supply device is provided with a means of determining its own position. For example, the aerosol supply device may be provided with a position determination element, such as a global positioning system (GPS) element, which the aerosol supply device may utilize to determine its own position. It should be understood that other forms of global navigation satellite systems (GNSS) may be used with appropriate position determination elements provided for the system being used.

[0059] The aerosol supply device may then transmit the determined location to a user device (e.g., a mobile phone) for storage by the user device. Thus, if the user wishes to know the location of the aerosol supply device, the user may query the user device to request an indication of the last known location, even if the user is unable to determine the location directly from the aerosol supply device and the aerosol supply device is no longer in communication with the user device.

[0060] In this way, the user can obtain the estimated location of the aerosol supply device even when the user and the user device are not communicating with the aerosol supply device. As an illustrative example, consider a situation where a user leaves their aerosol supply system in a store and only later realizes that their aerosol supply device is lost. The method can enable the user to identify the location where they lost the aerosol supply device. Specifically, when in the store, the aerosol supply device can determine its location (for example, using a location determination element of the aerosol supply device) and transmit the location to the user device that stores the location. If the user subsequently leaves the store with the user device but leaves the aerosol supply device behind, the user can request an indication of the last known location of the aerosol supply device from the user device. Even if the aerosol supply device is not communicating with the user device at this time, the user device can provide an indication of the store as the last known location of the aerosol supply device.

[0061] It will be appreciated that the method involves sending data to and from the aerosol supply device and is used to cause the aerosol supply device to process stored data and / or received data. Furthermore, the method requires that the user device is able to communicate with the aerosol supply device. Such a user device may be able to communicate with other services or systems. Therefore, in order to illustrate a device suitable for providing such functionality, the following description is respectively provided with respect to Figure 1 and Figure 2 An exemplary aerosol supply device 10 and an exemplary user device 40 are illustrated.

[0062] Figure 1An example of an aerosol supply system is schematically shown in FIG. As shown, the aerosol supply system includes an aerosol supply device 10, which is shown to include a consumable with an element related to aerosol generation in use, such as an aerosol medium container or a cigarette cartridge 12 (in the case of an END device, the aerosol medium container or the cigarette cartridge 12 will contain nicotine or a nicotine-containing preparation). In addition to including an area for receiving consumables, the aerosol supply device 10 of the aerosol supply system also includes an aerosol generation chamber 14 and an outlet 16, through which the generated aerosol can be discharged. A battery 18 can be provided to power a heat generator element (such as a heater 20, which can take the form of a heater coil) in the aerosol generation chamber 14 (or functionally adjacent to the aerosol generation chamber). The battery 18 can also power a processor / controller 22, which can be used for the purpose of device use (such as activating a device for aerosol generation in response to an activation trigger), as well as for the purpose of communication and function control. The processor / controller 22 may access a memory 24, which may be used to store operating instructions for the processor / controller 22. The memory 24 may also be used to store data describing the operating conditions and / or states of the aerosol supply device and / or one or more of its components. The memory 24 may be internal to the processor / controller 22, or may be provided as an additional separate physical element.

[0063] In order to perform the transmission and reception of data and / or messaging, the processor / controller 22 is provided with a communication element, such as a transmitter / receiver element 26. The transmitter / receiver element 26 enables the aerosol supply device 10 to communicate with a connected device using a connection technology such as a personal area network protocol. Exemplary personal area network protocols include Bluetooth TM , Bluetooth Low Energy(tm) (BLE), Zigbee TM , wireless USB, and near field communication (NFC). Exemplary personal area network protocols also include protocols utilizing optical communications such as Infrared Data Association (IrDA) and data-over-voice. Other wireless technologies such as Wi-Fi may be used if the aerosol supply device has suitable capabilities. TM In other examples, the transmitter / receiver element 26 may be configured to provide a wired communication channel between a physical port of the aerosol supply device 10 and a connected device. Such a wired communication channel may utilize a physical connection technology such as USB. TM , Serial Port, FireWire TMOr other point-to-point wired connections. The remainder of this discussion will use the example of BLE, and will use BLE terminology, but it will be understood that corresponding or equivalent functionality of other personal area network technologies may be substituted. Thus, in this example, the transmitter / receiver element 26 is a BLE interface element that includes or is connected to a radio antenna for wireless communication. In other examples (such as those indicated above), this may be an interface element and / or a wired connection interface for alternative wireless technologies.

[0064] Any communication established with a connected device may be non-permanent or otherwise transient, as a channel may be established for a period of time required to perform a particular function, but may also be disconnected when not required. For this reason, such a connected device will be referred to herein as a user device, as the device may be used and / or controlled by a user of the aerosol supply device and the connected device. Figure 2 Examples of such a user device (which may also be referred to as a remote device, as the device is remote from the aerosol supply device, or as an intermediate device, as it is located between the aerosol supply device and the unlocking / age verification service) are described.

[0065] Return to Figure 1 As discussed above, the aerosol supply device 10 is provided with a position determination element 30 to determine the position of the aerosol supply device 10. The position determination element 30 may operate according to any one of a series of possible protocols for determining the position of the aerosol supply device 10. In some examples, the position determination element 30 is a global navigation satellite system (GNSS) element that is configured to determine the position using the GNSS. For example, the GNSS element may be any one of a global positioning system (GPS) element, a global navigation system (GLONASS) element, a Galileo element, or a Beidou navigation satellite system element (BDS), each of which is configured to determine the position of the aerosol supply device using a corresponding protocol.

[0066] In some examples, the location determining element 30 is a Wi-Fi TM Components for using Wi-Fi TMThe location of the aerosol supply device is determined based on the characteristics of nearby wireless access points. Alternatively or additionally, the location determination element 30 may be a cell phone tower location element to determine the location using cell phone tower triangulation. Furthermore, the location determination element 30 may be a low power wide area network (LPWAN) element or a low power Internet of Things (IoT) network element to determine the location using communications through an LPWAN or IoT network, respectively. The location determination element may be a near field communication (NFC) element to determine the location based on identifying a near field communication tag with a known location.

[0067] In some examples, position determining element 30 includes two or more position determining sub-elements operating according to different protocols (such as the protocols set forth above) to provide additional resilience and / or accuracy in the event that a position determination from one or some of the position determining sub-elements is unavailable or inaccurate.

[0068] In one example, the processor / controller 22 may be an ARM-based processor such as that provided by ST Microelectronics. TM Cortex TM -M processor based STM32 microcontroller. In other examples, alternative microcontrollers or processors may be used, which may be based on ARM TM Architecture, Atom TM architecture or other low-power processor technology. Alternatively or additionally, in one example, the transmitter / receiver element 26 may include an nRF BLE chip for cooperating with the processor / controller to provide a BLE connection to the aerosol supply device. In other examples, other communication interface chips or modules may be deployed to provide connection services.

[0069] As shown, the processor / controller 22 can be connected to, for example, an aerosol medium container or a cigarette cartridge 12, an aerosol generating chamber 14, and a battery 18. The connection can be to an interface connection or output from a component in the components, and / or can be to sensors at or in some components in the components. These connections can provide access to the characteristics of the corresponding components by the processor. For example, a battery connection can be used to control the activation of an aerosol supply device for aerosol generation.

[0070] Other functionality of the processor / controller 22 and / or memory 24 will be described with reference to examples of the present method below.

[0071] Figure 2An example of a user device 40 is schematically shown in . The user device can be a device such as a mobile phone (cell phone) or tablet computer of a user (and / or owner) of the aerosol supply device 10. As shown, the user device 40 includes a receiver transmitter element 42 for communicating with the aerosol supply device 10. Therefore, the receiver transmitter element 42 will be configured to use the same connection and protocol as the aerosol supply device 10, etc., and in any given implementation, the receiver transmitter element will interact with the aerosol supply device. Therefore, in this example, the receiver transmitter element 42 is a BLE interface element, which includes a radio antenna for wireless communication or is connected to the radio antenna. In other examples (such as the examples indicated above), this can be an interface element and / or a wired connection interface for alternative wireless technologies.

[0072] The receiver transmitter element 42 is connected to a processor or controller 44, which can receive and process data or message transmission received from the aerosol supply device. The processor or controller 44 can access a memory 46, which can be used to store program information and / or data. The user device 40 may include an additional data transmission interface 48. The interface can, for example, provide one or more interface functions for a wired connection such as a wired local area network and / or for a wireless connection such as a wireless local area network and / or a cellular data service. The interface can, for example, be used to send message transmission to various other devices, computer systems and / or computer services as required by any specific implementation and receive message transmission from various other devices, computer systems and / or computer services. The interface can also or alternatively be used for communication related to other functions of the user device 40 that are unrelated to the operation or interaction of the aerosol supply device.

[0073] The user device 40 also includes a user interface element, which includes an output device 50 (which may include one or more of a display, audio output, and tactile output) and an input device 52 (which may include one or more of a button, a key, a touch-sensitive display element, or a mouse / touchpad).

[0074] The user device 40 may be pre-programmed or configured to provide functionality according to the methods discussed below. Additionally or alternatively, the user device may store software such as an application (e.g., in the memory 46) to enable the processor or controller 44 to have those functions when the software is executed. Thus, the user device may be a multi-purpose device that has the described functionality when the application is executed.

[0075] Software that enables a user device to become programmed for the techniques described herein may also be embodied or encoded in a computer-readable medium (such as a computer-readable storage medium) containing instructions. Instructions embedded or encoded in a computer-readable medium may cause a programmable processor or other processor to perform the method, for example, when the instructions are executed. Computer-readable media may include non-transitory computer-readable storage media and transient communication media, such as carrier signals and transmission media. Computer-readable storage media may include random access memory (RAM), read-only memory (ROM), programmable read-only memory (PROM), erasable programmable read-only memory (EPROM), electrically erasable programmable read-only memory (EEPROM), flash memory, hard disk, CD-ROM, floppy disk, tape, magnetic media, optical media, or other computer-readable storage media. The term "computer-readable storage medium" refers to a physical storage medium. Transient communication media may appear between components of a single computing system (e.g., on an internal link or bus between, for example, a memory and a processor) or between separate computing systems (e.g., connected via a network or other computing device), and may include transmission signals, carriers, etc.

[0076] Such software may be loaded directly to the user device 40 from a computer-readable medium, or may be loaded to the user device by connecting the user device to another computing device (such as a desktop computer, laptop computer, etc.) and using software on the other computing device to control the loading of the software to the user device.

[0077] Thus, there has been described an aerosol supply device and a user device which can interact to provide a number of additional functionalities of the aerosol supply device to a user of the user device. Examples of such functionalities will now be described.

[0078] Figure 3 is a schematic diagram showing an aerosol supply device 10, a user device 40, and a location storage service 60. Figure 3 As shown, the aerosol supply device 10 communicates with the user device 40. Such communication may be performed using any suitable communication technology and / or protocol, such as described above with reference to Figure 1 and Figure 2 Those technologies and / or protocols discussed. For example, the aerosol supply device 10 may communicate with the user device 40 via a BLE connection. However, the user device 40 and the aerosol supply device 10 may lose communication with each other. For example, this may occur due to exceeding the range of the communication form adopted (which may be the case if the connection is a BLE connection) or the physical connection between the aerosol supply device 10 and the user device 40 is broken.

[0079] In some examples, the user device 40 is also in communication with a location storage service 60. The location storage service provides a storage function for an indication of the location of the aerosol supply device 10. Therefore, instead of or in addition to storing an indication of the location of the aerosol supply device 10, the user device 40 may provide an indication of the location of the aerosol supply device 10 to the location storage service 60. Doing so may provide a backup of the stored location in case the information is lost from the user device 40 or the user device 40 itself is lost, and / or avoid the need to store the location on the user device 40, for example, reducing the storage requirements of the user device 40. In the event that the location storage service 60 is remote from the user device 40, the user device 40 may communicate with the location storage service 60 via the Internet.

[0080] The location storage service 60 may be implemented using remote hardware (eg, one or more servers), and may be operated, for example, by a supplier / manufacturer of the aerosol supply device 10, by a user, or by a third party.

[0081] Now refer to Figure 4 The operation of the aerosol supply device 10 and the user device 40 in tracking the location of the aerosol supply device 10 is described.

[0082] exist Figure 4 In step S1, the aerosol supply device 10 determines its own position. This is done using the position determination element 30 of the aerosol supply device 10 and can be done using the reference Figure 1 Described technique to complete.

[0083] The aerosol supply device 10 then transmits the position to the user device 40 at step S3, which is received by the user device at step S5. At least during the period in which the position of the aerosol supply device 10 is transmitting the position to the user device 40, the aerosol supply device 10 and the user device 40 are able to communicate with each other (e.g., within the BLE range). For example, such communication may be performed using BLE, or may be performed using an alternative communication mode, such as described above with reference to Figure 1 and Figure 2 Those communication modes described.

[0084] When the location of the aerosol supply device 10 is received, the user device 40 stores the location of the aerosol supply device 10 at step S7. The user device 40 may store the location locally (ie on the user device 40 itself) or may be arranged to store the location elsewhere. Figure 5This method of storing the location at the location storage service 60 is discussed. By storing the location in this way, the user device 40 is able to provide an indication of the location of the aerosol supply device 10 even if the user device 40 subsequently loses contact with the aerosol supply device 10 and is therefore unable to receive the location from the aerosol supply device 10.

[0085] like Figure 4 As shown in the dashed box 101 in FIG. 1 , at least when executing steps S3 to S5 , the aerosol supply device 10 and the user device 40 are in communication (eg, the devices are within the BLE range of each other). It should be understood that Figure 4 The method shown can be performed in the case where the duration of the communication between the aerosol supply device 10 and the user device 40 continues longer than the time required to perform steps S3 and S5. For example, although the aerosol supply device 10 and the user device 40 may lose contact with each other during the period between the user device 40 receiving the position from the aerosol supply device 10 (at step S5) and storing the position (at step S7), it is entirely possible to perform any one of steps S7 to S13 while the aerosol supply device 10 and the user device 40 are still communicating. Therefore, even when the aerosol supply device 10 and the user device 40 remain in communication, the user device 40 can still store the position (S7) and continue with the remaining steps of the method.

[0086] In addition, even when the aerosol supply device 10 is not communicating with the user device 40, the aerosol supply device may perform step S1, so that the aerosol supply device 10 may have a determined position, and when the aerosol supply device 10 and the user device 40 start communicating, the aerosol supply device may forward the determined position to the user device 40. In some implementations, when the aerosol supply device 10 and the user device 40 are not communicating, the aerosol supply device 10 may be configured to avoid performing step S1, for example, to avoid consuming power on step S1 when step S3 cannot be performed because there is currently no user device 40 communicating with the aerosol supply device 10.

[0087] In some examples, steps S1 to S7 are performed repeatedly in order to update the stored last known position. By performing these steps repeatedly, the user device 40 is more likely to obtain an up-to-date indication of the position of the aerosol supply device 10. In some examples, steps S1 to S7 involving determining the position of the aerosol supply device 10, sending the position to the user device 40, and storing the position are performed periodically (e.g., at predetermined intervals) and / or may be performed whenever it is detected that the aerosol supply device 10 has changed position (e.g., where the position has changed by more than a threshold distance amount).

[0088] In the event that steps S1 to S7 are performed more than once, the user device 40 may be arranged to replace the previously stored position indication upon receiving an updated position of the aerosol supply device 10, to avoid increasing the storage space occupied by the stored positions. However, in some examples, the user device 40 may maintain one or more previously stored positions so that a history of the movement of the aerosol supply device 10 may be established. In such examples, the user device 40 may be arranged to provide an indication of the movement of the aerosol supply device 10 based on the stored position history information.

[0089] At step S9, the user device 40 receives a request for the location of the aerosol supply device 10. The request may, for example, be received from a user and by an application running on the user device 40. However, in some examples, the user device 40 may receive the request for the location of the aerosol supply device 10 received from elsewhere, such as from a separate device.

[0090] In response to the request for the location of the aerosol supply device 10, the user device 40 retrieves the stored location of the aerosol supply device 10 (or if multiple locations have been stored, the latest location) at step S11. When the location has been stored locally at the user device 40 (e.g., in a system storage device of the user device 40), retrieving the stored location involves retrieving the location from the storage device. It should be understood that in the case where the location of the aerosol supply device 10 has been stored elsewhere, the retrieval can take a corresponding form.

[0091] After retrieving the stored location, at step S13, the user device 40 provides an indication of the last known location of the aerosol supply device 10 based on the stored indication. The indication may take the form of a message indicating the location displayed at the user device 40. Additionally or alternatively, the user device 40 may indicate the location by displaying the location of the aerosol supply device 10 on a map and / or by displaying the location of the aerosol supply device relative to the user device 40 (e.g., by displaying an arrow indicating the direction and spacing distance to the aerosol supply device 10).

[0092] Thus, a method has been described by which a user is able to receive an indication of the last known position of an aerosol supply device 10, based on a position measurement made by the aerosol supply device 10 and received by a user device 40, whilst the user device 40 remains in communication with the aerosol supply device 10, even if the aerosol supply device 10 and the user device are no longer in communication.

[0093] Figure 5 is a flow chart illustrating the operation of the non-flammable aerosol supply device 10 , the user device 40 , and the location storage service 60 in tracking the location of the non-flammable aerosol supply device 10 .

[0094] Figure 5 Methods and references described in Figure 4 The methods discussed have many common steps. Corresponding steps are illustrated using the same reference numerals and will not be discussed again in detail.

[0095] Figure 5 The method detailed in utilizes a location storage service 60 to store location information received from the aerosol supply device 10. The location storage service 60 may be remote from the user device 40 and may provide secure storage of the location information, thereby protecting the user device 40 from loss of such information and reducing storage requirements on the user device 40 for storing the location information. The method may also protect against loss of the user device 40, as a user whose user device 40 has been lost (permanently or temporarily) or is unusable may be able to access the locations stored at the location storage service from a replacement user device.

[0096] However, with Figure 4 Unlike the method described in , after the user device 40 receives the location of the aerosol supply device 10 at step S5, the user device 40 sends the location of the aerosol supply device to the location storage service at step S71. The location can be sent, for example, via the Internet, via a local area network, or via other communication means. The form of communication used can be selected based on the form of the location storage service 60. For example, the location storage service 60 can be operated by or on behalf of the manufacturer / supplier of the aerosol supply device, in which case the location storage service 60 can be implemented using a server operated by the manufacturer / supplier and accessible via the Internet. However, in some examples, the location storage service 60 can be implemented by a device owned by the user himself, so that when the user device 40 and the device that implements the location storage service 60 communicate with each other (for example, via a local area network / via a wired connection), the user device 40 sends the location to the location storage service 60.

[0097] After receiving the location at step S73, the location storage service 60 stores the location at step S75.

[0098] As shown in the dashed box 101, when the aerosol supply device 10 communicates with the user device 40, at least steps S3 to S5 are performed. Figure 4 As discussed, additional steps in the method may also be performed while the aerosol supply device 10 is in communication with the user device 40 .

[0099] As further shown in dashed boxes 102 and 103, when the user device 40 communicates with the location storage service 60, at least steps S71 to S75 and steps S111 to S115 (discussed below) are performed. Figure 4 In a similar manner to the discussion of the connection discussed in steps S3 and S5 in FIG. 1 , additional steps of the method may be performed when the user device 40 communicates with the location storage service 60 .

[0100] These steps may also be repeated one or more times and may be performed regularly so that the latest position of the aerosol supply device 10 is maintained at the position storage service 60 .

[0101] Since the location of the aerosol supply device 10 is stored at the location storage service, when the user device 40 receives a request for the location of the aerosol supply device 10 at step S9, the user device 40 requests the location of the aerosol supply device 10 from the location storage service 60 at step S111, rather than retrieving the location from the local storage device of the user device 40. The request is received by the location storage service 60 at step S113, and then the location storage service 60 provides the stored location to the user device 40 at step S115. In response to receiving the location at step S117, the user device 40 provides an indication of the last known location as received from the location storage service 60 at step S13.

[0102] Thus, a method has been described by which a location storage service 60 may be utilized to record a location determined by an aerosol supply device 10, thereby eliminating the need for the user device 40 to store the location and / or provide protection against loss of (data from) the user device 40. Thus, location information is available to the user device 40 when the user does not know the location of the aerosol supply device 10. Thus, if the user loses the aerosol supply device 10, the user device 40 and the location storage service 60 may be used to determine the last known location of the aerosol supply device 10, which may assist in finding the aerosol supply device 10.

[0103] In some examples, Figure 4 and Figure 5The functionality described may be combined into a hybrid arrangement so as to provide storage of a location received by a user device 40 in addition to providing storage of the location at the location storage service 60. This hybrid approach allows, for example, the location received at step S5 to be stored at the user device 40 while the user device is waiting to connect to the location service 60. The user device 40 may then continue to store the location received at step S5 after sending the location to the location storage service at step S71, or may stop storing the location once step S71 has been performed. This hybrid approach also allows the overall implementation to be robust to connection failures between the user device 40 and the location storage service 60, as well as loss of location information caused by the user device 40 and / or loss of the user device 40 (whether permanent or temporary). In this hybrid approach, a location request may be served using a locally stored location from the user device 40 when available, and a location retrieved from the location storage service 60 when the user device 40 does not have an available storage location. In some examples, the user device 40 may compare the storage location available at the user device 40 with the storage location from the location storage service 60, and provide the latest of the two storage locations.

[0104] In this application, the phrase "configured to..." is used to indicate that an element of a device has a configuration that enables the performance of a defined operation. In this context, "configuration" means the arrangement or manner of interconnection of hardware or software. For example, the device may have dedicated hardware that provides the defined operation, or a processor or other processing device may be programmed to perform the function. "Configured to" does not imply that the device elements need to be changed in any way to provide the defined operation.

[0105] 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 used 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.

[0106] For example, in this regard, and building on the above disclosure, it should also be understood that while in some embodiments the aerosol supply device may communicate a location to the user device 40, for example by using a location determination element of the aerosol supply device, it should be understood that in some embodiments this need not be explicitly the case. For example, in some embodiments, the user device 40 may alternatively use a location determination element of the user device to determine the location of the user device. In these embodiments, the location of the user device 40 may then be determined to be the location of the aerosol supply device - based on an approximation / understanding that when communicating with the aerosol supply device, for example using a Bluetooth protocol, the user device 40 may be in substantially the same location as the aerosol supply device 10 (i.e., close enough to make the approximation reasonable).

[0107] Therefore, in this way, and at a general level, the present disclosure may also provide a method for tracking the location of an aerosol supply device 10 by a user device 40, the method comprising, when the user device 40 communicates with the aerosol supply device: determining the location of the aerosol supply device 10; and storing the location of the aerosol supply device 10 by the user device 40.

[0108] According to some embodiments, determining the position of the aerosol supply device 10 may include the steps of determining the position of the user device 40 and determining the position of the aerosol supply device 10 as the position of the user device 40 , as described above.

[0109] However, where the position of the aerosol supply device 10 is determined and subsequently stored, it will be appreciated that the user device 40 may be configured to provide an indication of the last known position of the aerosol supply device 10 to a user of the user device 40 based on the stored position as previously described.

[0110] To the extent that any such indication may be provided, it will be appreciated that, according to some embodiments, the last known location may be displayed on a map 102 on the user interface 100 of the display 50 of the user device 40, such as Figure 7 Although not required, in the case where such a map 102 is provided, a graphical representation of predetermined parameters 104 of the aerosol supply device 10 may also be displayed on the map 102. As to what such predetermined parameters may be, this may obviously include, for example, the shape 104A of the aerosol supply device (e.g. Figure 7 aerosol supply device 10 model 104C (eg Figure 7ePod 2+ model shown); and / or any combination of types 104D of aerosol supply devices 10. Thus, by providing an illustration of the predetermined parameters on the map 102, this can provide a useful visual confirmation to the user that the last known location displayed is with respect to the specific aerosol supply device 10 that the user is attempting to locate. This can be very helpful, particularly in situations where a user or user device 40 is simultaneously operating multiple aerosol supply devices 10 of different types / models and / or visual characteristics, such that providing an illustration of the predetermined parameters 104 can help avoid confusion caused by a user inadvertently tracking the location of the wrong aerosol supply device 10.

[0111] Where any predetermined parameters 104 are also provided, it will be appreciated that in some embodiments, the predetermined parameters 104 may include a status 106 regarding whether the aerosol supply device 10 is locked for use; and / or a status 106 regarding whether the aerosol supply device 10 is unlocked for use. In this way, and as long as the user can see the location of the aerosol supply device 10 on the map 102, the user can also intuitively see whether the aerosol supply device 10 is in a state where it can be used. This can provide comfort to the user, for example, the map shows that the aerosol supply device is far away, but is in a locked state where it cannot be used. Reference Figure 7 In the embodiment shown in FIG. 1 , it is shown that such a locked / unlocked state of the aerosol supply device 10 can be achieved, for example, by displaying a red (for displaying a locked state) or green (for displaying an unlocked state) mark 108 on / around the illustrated shape of the aerosol supply device 10. Such a mark 108 can be, for example, a colored border around the illustrated shape of the aerosol supply device (e.g., a red or green border to reflect the locked / unlocked state of the aerosol supply device).

[0112] In terms of accessing the map 102, it is contemplated that the user device 40 may be configured to allow requests for the location of the aerosol supply device 10 to be made only in response to a user device logged into a predetermined account associated with the aerosol supply device 10, for example using Figure 6 User interface 100 is shown. To further restrict access to the location tracking service, the predetermined account can be password protected, for example, requiring the use of a predetermined password or some other biometric indicator (such as face / fingerprint / voice recognition) that can serve as an associated password for accessing the predetermined account.

[0113] Note the above, and reference from Figure 6 and Figure 7 Implementation Methods ( Figure 6 and Figure 7100 that can be used with the techniques described herein), it will be appreciated that any user interface 100 described herein may in some embodiments be part of an application that can be used on a user device 40 (e.g., Figure 6 and Figure 7 on the smartphone shown in ).

[0114] However, no matter what form of user interface is adopted, Figure 6 Another potential function of the user interface 100 may be to not only provide location tracking capability of the aerosol supply device, but also to allow a user to view and / or control various aspects of the operation of the aerosol supply device 10 .

[0115] In the case of adopting such a function of the user interface, such a function may be provided at the first portion 100A of the user interface 100 - such a first portion 100A is, for example, Figure 6 is shown in the embodiment of the present invention.

[0116] In some embodiments, such a first portion 100A may be separate from a second portion 100B of the user interface for providing an indication of the last known position of the aerosol supply device 10 - such a second portion 100B may be provided, for example, in Figure 6 100B) without being distracted by some visualizations from the first portion 100A of the user interface. In this way, and in other words, the first portion 100A of the user interface (e.g., such as Figure 6 ) and the second portion 100B of the user interface (e.g., Figure 7 embodied, and possibly including a map) may not be displayed simultaneously.

[0117] With regard to any first portion 100A that may be used, for example Figure 6 As shown in the embodiment of the present invention, for example, the first part 100A can be configured to be used as part of a user interface, wherein a user can make a request for the location of the aerosol supply device, for example using a button or some other option 110, which can be selected on the first part 100A of the user interface 100 (for example, by selecting a "Find My Vape" icon from the first part 100, as shown in FIG. Figure 6 Implementation method shown in FIG. 1 ).

[0118] In connection with any such functionality from the first portion 100A, the first portion 100A of the user interface 100 may also include an indication 112 as to whether the aerosol supply device 10 is in communication with the user device 40, in accordance with some embodiments that may help provide the user with appropriate visual confirmation of any current connection status between the user device and the aerosol supply device. Similarly, and as Figure 6 , to help confirm to the user that they are interacting with the correct aerosol supply device, the first portion 100A of the aerosol supply device 10 according to some embodiments may be configured to provide / illustrate any combination of a predetermined parameter 114 of the aerosol supply device 10, such as the shape 116 of the aerosol supply device; the color of the aerosol supply device; the model of the aerosol supply device; the type of the aerosol supply device; and / or even the name 118 of the aerosol supply device. For example, in Figure 6 In a specific embodiment, the first portion is configured to display the name of the aerosol supply device (i.e., James' ePod 2+), and is also configured to display the shape / model of the aerosol supply device (i.e., the shape of the ePod 2+ device). Therefore, by displaying such information, this can provide a clear visual confirmation to the user that the aerosol supply device 10 in question is the device they intend to interact with, which can be very helpful, particularly in situations where the user or user device 40 operates with multiple aerosol supply devices 10 of different types, so that providing such a visual can help avoid user confusion caused by inadvertently interacting with the wrong aerosol supply device 10.

[0119] Similarly, and as Figure 6 As shown in the embodiment in FIG. 1 , in some embodiments, the first portion 100A of the user interface 100 may further include a first selector 120 for switching the aerosol supply device 10 between i) a first locked position and ii) a second unlocked position. This is particularly useful in situations where the user knows that they will be somewhere where the aerosol supply device is not necessarily allowed to be operated (e.g., on an airplane, or in a theater or cinema), where the user can then simply use the selector to lock the aerosol supply device 10, thereby preventing the aerosol supply device from generating vapor when in the locked state.

[0120] When the user subsequently leaves the relevant location, the user may then simply use the first selector 120 to switch the aerosol supply device 10 back to the unlocked state.

[0121] The first portion 100A of the user interface may obviously additionally / alternatively include a second selector 122 for controlling the power delivered from the aerosol supply device 10 to the vaporizer 20 as part of the operation of the vaporizer 20. This selector 122 may then switch the power delivered to the vaporizer 20 between a plurality of different states (e.g., "low" / "high") or between three states (such as "low"; "medium" or "high" states). This functionality may be particularly useful when the user wants a means for customizing the operation of the vaporizer 20 to suit their needs at any particular time.

[0122] The first portion of the user interface may also additionally / alternatively include an indicator 124 for displaying the remaining power level in the power source / battery 18 of the aerosol supply device 10. In some embodiments, the indicator may be expressed as a percentage of the total capacity of the power source / battery 18 of the aerosol supply device 10 (e.g., Figure 6 In one embodiment, the indicator shows that the remaining power level is 100%. Specifically, when the indicator is then used together with the selector to control the power delivered from the aerosol supply device 10 to the vaporizer as part of the operation of the vaporizer 20, these two features can provide a synergistic effect by enabling the user to more easily control the power delivered to the vaporizer 20, for example, by increasing the power when there is still a lot of remaining power in the power source 18 of the aerosol supply device 10, and perhaps reducing the power delivered to the vaporizer 20 when the power source 18 of the aerosol supply device 10 becomes low.

[0123] Thus, from the foregoing it can be seen that where any such first portion 100A is provided for a user interface 100, this can be used as a very general control platform through which a user can view and / or interact with the functionality of the aerosol supply device 10.

[0124] It should also be understood that the subject matter of this specification may also be pursued in one or more registered designs and / or design patent applications. Such designs are considered to be the drawings, in particular Figure 6 and Figure 7 and the designs shown in the corresponding descriptions and any and all parts, portions, elements and / or combinations thereof. The right to claim any part, portion, element and / or combination of the disclosed design is also reserved, including replacing any solid line with a dashed line to disclaim any part, portion, element and / or combination of the disclosed design, or replacing any dashed line with a solid line to claim any part, portion, element and / or combination of the disclosed design. Therefore, with this in mind, and in some embodiments, based on Figure 6 and Figure 7The disclosure herein clearly also may be a decorative design for a user device, such as a smartphone, as shown and described (e.g., according to Figure 6 or Figure 7 Also provided herein is a decorative design of a display screen or portion thereof having a graphical user interface, as shown and described (e.g., according to Figure 6 or Figure 7 relevant disclosure).

[0125] constitutive set of clauses

[0126] 1. A method for tracking the location of an aerosol supply device by a user device, the method comprising:

[0127] When the user device is in remote communication with the aerosol supply device:

[0128] receiving, by the user device, from the aerosol supply device, a location of the aerosol supply device;

[0129] storing, by the user device, the location of the aerosol supply device; and

[0130] In response to a request for the location of the aerosol supply device at the user device, an indication of a last known location of the aerosol supply device is provided by the user device based on the stored location.

[0131] 2. A method according to clause 1, wherein:

[0132] The location of the aerosol supply device received by the user device is a location determined using a Global Navigation Satellite System (GNSS).

[0133] 3. A method according to clause 2, wherein:

[0134] The GNSS is selected from the group consisting of: Global Positioning System (GPS); Global Navigation Satellite System (GLONASS); Galileo; and BeiDou Navigation Satellite System (BDS).

[0135] 4. A method according to clause 1, 2 or 3, wherein:

[0136] The location of the aerosol supply device received by the user device is determined using Wi-Fi TM The determined location is located, wherein the location of the aerosol supply device is determined based on characteristics of nearby wireless access points.

[0137] 5. A method according to any preceding clause, wherein:

[0138] The location of the aerosol supply device received by the user device is a location determined using cell phone tower triangulation.

[0139] 6. A method according to any preceding clause, wherein:

[0140] The location of the aerosol supply device received by the user device is a location determined using communications over a low power wide area network (LPWAN).

[0141] 7. A method according to any preceding clause, wherein:

[0142] The location of the aerosol supply device received by the user device is a location determined using communications over a low power Internet of Things (IoT) network.

[0143] 8. A method according to any preceding clause, wherein:

[0144] The location of the aerosol supply device received by the user device is a location determined based on identifying a near field communication tag having a known location.

[0145] 9. A method according to any preceding clause, wherein:

[0146] Storing, by the user device, the location of the aerosol supply device includes: sending the location of the aerosol supply device to a location storage service; and

[0147] Providing, by the user device, an indication of a last known location of the aerosol supply device comprises retrieving the last known location of the aerosol supply device from a location storage service.

[0148] 10. A method according to any preceding clause, wherein:

[0149] The location of the aerosol supply device is received from the aerosol supply device via Bluetooth TM Agreement.

[0150] 11. A method according to any one of clauses 1 to 9, wherein:

[0151] The location of the aerosol supply device is received from the aerosol supply device via the mobile network.

[0152] 12. A method according to any preceding clause, wherein:

[0153] Providing, by the user device, an indication of a last known position of the aerosol supply device based on the stored position is performed when the user device and the aerosol supply device are not in remote communication.

[0154] 13. An apparatus for tracking the location of an aerosol supply device, the apparatus being configured to:

[0155] When the device is in remote communication with an aerosol supply device:

[0156] receiving, by the device, the position of the aerosol supply device from the aerosol supply device;

[0157] storing, by the device, the position of the aerosol supply device; and

[0158] In response to a request for the location of the aerosol supply device at the device, an indication of a last known location of the aerosol supply device is provided based on the stored location.

[0159] 14. An apparatus according to clause 13, wherein:

[0160] The position of the aerosol supply device received by the device is a position determined using a Global Navigation Satellite System (GNSS).

[0161] 15. An apparatus according to clause 14, wherein:

[0162] The GNSS is selected from the group consisting of: Global Positioning System (GPS); Global Navigation Satellite System (GLONASS); Galileo; and BeiDou Navigation Satellite System (BDS).

[0163] 16. An apparatus according to clause 13, 14 or 15, wherein:

[0164] The location of the aerosol supply device received by the device is determined using Wi-Fi TM The determined location is located, wherein the location of the aerosol supply device is determined based on characteristics of nearby wireless access points.

[0165] 17. Apparatus according to any one of clauses 13 to 16, wherein:

[0166] The location of the aerosol supply device received by the device is the location determined using cell phone tower triangulation.

[0167] 18. Apparatus according to any one of clauses 13 to 17, wherein:

[0168] The location of the aerosol supply device received by the device is a location determined using communications over a low power wide area network (LPWAN).

[0169] 19. An apparatus according to any one of clauses 13 to 18, wherein:

[0170] The location of the aerosol supply device received by the device is a location determined using communications over a low power Internet of Things (IoT) network.

[0171] 20. An apparatus according to any one of clauses 13 to 19, wherein:

[0172] The location of the aerosol supply device received by the device is a location determined based on identifying a near field communication tag having a known location.

[0173] 21. An apparatus according to any one of clauses 13 to 20, wherein:

[0174] To store the location of the aerosol supply device, the device is configured to send the location of the aerosol supply device to a location storage service; and

[0175] In order to provide an indication of the last known location of the aerosol supply device, the device is configured to retrieve the last known location of the aerosol supply device from the location storage service.

[0176] 22. An apparatus according to any one of clauses 13 to 21, wherein:

[0177] The location of the aerosol supply device is received from the aerosol supply device via Bluetooth TM Agreement.

[0178] 23. An apparatus according to any one of clauses 13 to 21, wherein:

[0179] The apparatus is configured to receive a location of the aerosol supply device from the aerosol supply device via the mobile network.

[0180] 24. An apparatus according to any one of clauses 13 to 23, wherein:

[0181] When the device is not in remote communication with the aerosol supply device, the device is configured to provide an indication of the last known position of the aerosol supply device based on the stored position.

[0182] 25. A computer readable medium comprising instructions which, when executed by a processing circuit of a device, cause the device to be configured to:

[0183] When the device is in remote communication with an aerosol supply device:

[0184] receiving, by the device, the position of the aerosol supply device from the aerosol supply device;

[0185] storing, by the device, the position of the aerosol supply device; and

[0186] In response to a request for the location of the aerosol supply device at the device, an indication of a last known location of the aerosol supply device is provided based on the stored location.

[0187] 26. A computer readable medium according to clause 25, wherein:

[0188] The position of the aerosol supply device received by the device is a position determined using a Global Navigation Satellite System (GNSS).

[0189] 27. A computer readable medium according to clause 26, wherein:

[0190] The GNSS is selected from the group consisting of: Global Positioning System (GPS); Global Navigation Satellite System (GLONASS); Galileo; and BeiDou Navigation Satellite System (BDS).

[0191] 28. A computer readable medium according to clause 25, 26 or 27, wherein:

[0192] The location of the aerosol supply device received by the device is determined using Wi-Fi TM The determined location is located, wherein the location of the aerosol supply device is determined based on characteristics of nearby wireless access points.

[0193] 29. A computer-readable medium according to any one of clauses 25 to 28, wherein:

[0194] The location of the aerosol supply device received by the device is the location determined using cell phone tower triangulation.

[0195] 30. A computer-readable medium according to any one of clauses 25 to 29, wherein:

[0196] The location of the aerosol supply device received by the device is a location determined using communications over a low power wide area network (LPWAN).

[0197] 31. A computer-readable medium according to any one of clauses 25 to 30, wherein:

[0198] The location of the aerosol supply device received by the device is a location determined using communications over a low power Internet of Things (IoT) network.

[0199] 32. A computer-readable medium according to any one of clauses 25 to 31, wherein:

[0200] The location of the aerosol supply device received by the device is a location determined based on identifying a near field communication tag having a known location.

[0201] 33. A computer-readable medium according to any one of clauses 25 to 32, wherein:

[0202] To store the location of the aerosol supply device, the instructions cause the device to send the location of the aerosol supply device to a location storage service; and

[0203] To provide an indication of a last known location of the aerosol supply device, the instructions cause the device to retrieve the last known location of the aerosol supply device from the location storage service.

[0204] 34. A computer-readable medium according to any one of clauses 25 to 33, wherein:

[0205] The location of the aerosol supply device is received from the aerosol supply device via Bluetooth TM Agreement.

[0206] 35. A computer-readable medium according to any one of clauses 25 to 33, wherein:

[0207] The apparatus is configured to receive a location of the aerosol supply device from the aerosol supply device via the mobile network.

[0208] 36. A computer-readable medium according to any one of clauses 25 to 35, wherein:

[0209] When the device is not in remote communication with the aerosol supply device, the device is configured to provide an indication of the last known position of the aerosol supply device based on the stored position.

[0210] 37. A method of tracking the location of an aerosol supply device, comprising:

[0211] determining, by the aerosol supply device, a position of the aerosol supply device; and

[0212] When the aerosol supply device is in remote communication with the user device, the location of the aerosol supply device is transmitted by the aerosol supply device to the user device.

[0213] 38. A method according to clause 37, wherein:

[0214] The position of the aerosol supply device is determined using the Global Navigation Satellite System (GNSS).

[0215] 39. A method according to clause 38, wherein:

[0216] The GNSS is selected from the group consisting of: Global Positioning System (GPS); Global Navigation Satellite System (GLONASS); Galileo; and BeiDou Navigation Satellite System (BDS).

[0217] 40. A method according to clause 37, 38 or 39, wherein:

[0218] Non-flammable aerosol supply locations are using Wi-Fi TM The determined location is located, wherein the location of the aerosol supply device is determined based on characteristics of nearby wireless access points.

[0219] 41. A method according to any one of clauses 37 to 40, wherein:

[0220] The location of the aerosol supply device was determined using cell phone tower triangulation.

[0221] 42. A method according to any one of clauses 37 to 41, wherein:

[0222] The location of the aerosol supply device is determined using communications over a low power wide area network (LPWAN).

[0223] 43. A method according to any one of clauses 37 to 42, wherein:

[0224] The location of the aerosol supply device is determined using communications over a low power Internet of Things (IoT) network.

[0225] 44. A method according to any one of clauses 37 to 43, wherein:

[0226] The location of the aerosol supply device is determined based on identifying a near field communication tag having a known location.

[0227] 45. A method according to any one of clauses 37 to 44, wherein:

[0228] The location of the aerosol supply device is transmitted to the user device via Bluetooth TM The agreement is carried out.

[0229] 46. ​​A method according to any one of clauses 37 to 44, wherein:

[0230] The communication of the location of the aerosol supply device to the user device is performed via the mobile network.

[0231] 47. An aerosol supply device comprising:

[0232] a position determining element configured to determine a position of the aerosol supply device; and

[0233] The communication element is configured to transmit the location of the aerosol supply device to the user device when the aerosol supply device is in remote communication with the user device.

[0234] 48. An aerosol supply device according to clause 47, wherein:

[0235] The position determination element is a Global Navigation Satellite System (GNSS) element configured to determine the position of the aerosol supply device using GNSS.

[0236] 49. An aerosol supply device according to clause 48, wherein:

[0237] The GNSS element is selected from the group consisting of: a Global Positioning System (GPS) element; a Global Navigation Satellite System (GLONASS) element; a Galileo element; and a BeiDou Navigation Satellite System element (BDS), and the GNSS is selected from the group consisting of: GPS; GLONASS; Galileo; and BDS.

[0238] 50. An aerosol supply device according to clause 47, 48 or 49, wherein:

[0239] The location determination element is configured to use Wi-Fi TM Wi-Fi positioning to determine the location of the aerosol supply device TM element, wherein the location of the aerosol supply device is determined based on characteristics of nearby wireless access points.

[0240] 51. An aerosol supply device according to any one of clauses 47 to 50, wherein:

[0241] The position determining element is a cell phone tower locating element configured to determine position using cell phone tower triangulation.

[0242] 52. An aerosol supply device according to any one of clauses 47 to 51, wherein:

[0243] The location determination element is a low power wide area network (LPWAN) element configured to determine the location of the aerosol supply device using communication over a low power wide area network (LPWAN).

[0244] 53. An aerosol supply device according to any one of clauses 47 to 52, wherein:

[0245] The location determining element is a low power Internet of Things (IoT) network element configured to determine location using communications over a low power Internet of Things (IoT) network.

[0246] 54. An aerosol supply device according to any one of clauses 47 to 53, wherein:

[0247] The location determining element is a near field communication (NFC) element configured to determine the location based on identifying a near field communication tag having a known location.

[0248] 55. An aerosol supply device according to any one of clauses 47 to 54, wherein:

[0249] The aerosol supply device is configured to communicate via Bluetooth TM The protocol communicates the location of the aerosol supply device to the user device.

[0250] 56. An aerosol supply device according to any one of clauses 47 to 54, wherein:

[0251] The aerosol supply device is configured to transmit the location of the aerosol supply device to the user device via the mobile network.

[0252] 57. A computer readable medium comprising instructions which, when executed by a processing circuit of a device, cause the device to be configured to:

[0253] Locating the aerosol supply device; and

[0254] When the aerosol supply device is in remote communication with the user device, the location of the aerosol supply device is transmitted to the user device.

[0255] 58. A computer readable medium according to clause 57, wherein:

[0256] The position of the aerosol supply device is determined using the Global Navigation Satellite System (GNSS).

[0257] 59. A computer readable medium according to clause 58, wherein:

[0258] The GNSS is selected from the group consisting of: Global Positioning System (GPS); Global Navigation Satellite System (GLONASS); Galileo; and BeiDou Navigation Satellite System (BDS).

[0259] 60. A computer-readable medium according to clause 57, 58 or 59, wherein:

[0260] Non-flammable aerosol supply locations are using Wi-Fi TM The determined location is located, wherein the location of the aerosol supply device is determined based on characteristics of nearby wireless access points.

[0261] 61. A computer-readable medium according to any one of clauses 57 to 60, wherein:

[0262] The location of the aerosol supply device was determined using cell phone tower triangulation.

[0263] 62. A computer-readable medium according to any one of clauses 57 to 61, wherein:

[0264] The location of the aerosol supply device is determined using communications over a low power wide area network (LPWAN).

[0265] 63. A computer-readable medium according to any one of clauses 57 to 62, wherein:

[0266] The location of the aerosol supply device is determined using communications over a low power Internet of Things (IoT) network.

[0267] 64. A computer-readable medium according to any one of clauses 57 to 63, wherein:

[0268] The location of the aerosol supply device is determined based on identifying a near field communication tag having a known location.

[0269] 65. A computer-readable medium according to any one of clauses 57 to 64, wherein:

[0270] The location of the aerosol supply device is transmitted to the user device via Bluetooth TM The agreement is carried out.

[0271] 66. A computer-readable medium according to any one of clauses 57 to 64, wherein:

[0272] The communication of the location of the aerosol supply device to the user device is performed via the mobile network.

[0273] 67. A method of tracking the location of an aerosol supply device, the method comprising:

[0274] determining, by the aerosol supply device, a position of the aerosol supply device; and

[0275] When the aerosol supply device is in remote communication with the user device, the aerosol supply device transmits the location of the aerosol supply device to the user device;

[0276] receiving, by the user device, from the aerosol supply device, a location of the aerosol supply device;

[0277] storing, by the user device, the location of the aerosol supply device; and

[0278] In response to a request for the location of the aerosol supply device at the user device, an indication of a last known location of the aerosol supply device is provided by the user device based on the stored location.

[0279] 68. A method according to clause 67, wherein:

[0280] The position of the aerosol supply device is determined using the Global Navigation Satellite System (GNSS).

[0281] 69. A method according to clause 68, wherein:

[0282] The GNSS is selected from the group consisting of: Global Positioning System (GPS); Global Navigation Satellite System (GLONASS); Galileo; and BeiDou Navigation Satellite System (BDS).

[0283] 70. A method according to clause 67, 68 or 69, wherein:

[0284] Non-flammable aerosol supply locations are using Wi-Fi TM The determined location is located, wherein the location of the aerosol supply device is determined based on characteristics of nearby wireless access points.

[0285] 71. A method according to any one of clauses 67 to 70, wherein:

[0286] The location of the aerosol supply device was determined using cell phone tower triangulation.

[0287] 72. A method according to any one of clauses 67 to 71, wherein:

[0288] The location of the aerosol supply device is determined using communications over a low power wide area network (LPWAN).

[0289] 73. A method according to any one of clauses 67 to 72, wherein:

[0290] The location of the aerosol supply device is determined using communications over a low power Internet of Things (IoT) network.

[0291] 74. A method according to any one of clauses 67 to 73, wherein:

[0292] The location of the aerosol supply device is determined based on identifying a near field communication tag having a known location.

[0293] 75. A method according to any one of clauses 67 to 74, wherein:

[0294] Storing, by the user device, the location of the aerosol supply device includes: sending the location of the aerosol supply device to a location storage service; and

[0295] Providing, by the user device, an indication of a last known location of the aerosol supply device comprises retrieving the last known location of the aerosol supply device from a location storage service.

[0296] 76. A method according to any one of clauses 67 to 75, wherein:

[0297] The location of the aerosol supply device is transmitted to the user device via Bluetooth TM The agreement is carried out.

[0298] 77. A method according to any one of clauses 67 to 75, wherein:

[0299] The communication of the location of the aerosol supply device to the user device is performed via the mobile network.

[0300] 78. A method according to any one of clauses 67 to 77, wherein:

[0301] Providing, by the user device, an indication of a last known position of the aerosol supply device based on the stored position is performed when the user device and the aerosol supply device are not in remote communication.

[0302] 79. A system for tracking the location of an aerosol supply device, the system comprising:

[0303] An aerosol supply device comprising:

[0304] a position determining element configured to determine the position of the aerosol supply device, and

[0305] a communication element configured to communicate the location of the aerosol supply device to the device when the aerosol supply device is in remote communication with the device; and

[0306] A device configured to, when the device is in remote communication with an aerosol supply device:

[0307] a location receiving the aerosol supply device from the aerosol supply device, and

[0308] The location where the aerosol supply device is stored; and

[0309] In response to the request for the location of the aerosol supply device, an indication of a last known location of the aerosol supply device is provided based on the received location.

[0310] 80. A system according to clause 79, wherein:

[0311] The position determination element is a Global Navigation Satellite System (GNSS) element configured to determine the position of the aerosol supply device using GNSS.

[0312] 81. A system according to clause 80, wherein:

[0313] The GNSS element is selected from the group consisting of: a Global Positioning System (GPS) element; a Global Navigation Satellite System element (GLONASS); a Galileo element; and a BeiDou Navigation Satellite System element (BDS), and the GNSS is selected from the group consisting of: GPS; GLONASS; Galileo; and BDS.

[0314] 82. A system according to clause 79, 80 or 81, wherein:

[0315] The location determination element is configured to use Wi-Fi TM Wi-Fi positioning to determine the location of the aerosol supply device TM element, wherein the location of the aerosol supply device is determined based on characteristics of nearby wireless access points.

[0316] 83. A system according to any one of clauses 79 to 82, wherein:

[0317] The position determining element is a cell phone tower locating element configured to determine position using cell phone tower triangulation.

[0318] 84. A system according to any one of clauses 79 to 83, wherein:

[0319] The location determination element is a low power wide area network (LPWAN) element configured to determine the location of the aerosol supply device using communication over a low power wide area network (LPWAN).

[0320] 85. A system according to any one of clauses 79 to 84, wherein:

[0321] The location determining element is a low power Internet of Things (IoT) network element configured to determine location using communications over a low power Internet of Things (IoT) network.

[0322] 86. A system according to any one of clauses 79 to 85, wherein:

[0323] The location determining element is a near field communication (NFC) element configured to determine the location based on identifying a near field communication tag having a known location.

[0324] 87. A system according to any one of clauses 79 to 86, further comprising:

[0325] Location storage service;

[0326] wherein, in order to store the location of the aerosol supply device, the device is configured to send the location of the aerosol supply device to a location storage service; and

[0327] In order to provide an indication of the last known location of the aerosol supply device, the device is configured to retrieve the last known location of the aerosol supply device from the location storage service.

[0328] 88. A system according to any one of clauses 79 to 87, wherein:

[0329] The aerosol supply device is configured to communicate via Bluetooth TM The protocol communicates the location of the aerosol supply device to the user device.

[0330] 89. A system according to any one of clauses 79 to 87, wherein:

[0331] The aerosol supply device is configured to transmit the location of the aerosol supply device to the user device via the mobile network.

[0332] 90. A system according to any one of clauses 79 to 89, wherein:

[0333] When the device is not in remote communication with the aerosol supply device, the device is configured to provide an indication of a last known position of the aerosol supply device based on the received position.

[0334] 91. An ornamental design for a consumer device, such as a smartphone, as shown and described.

[0335] 92. An ornamental design for a display screen or portion thereof having a graphical user interface as shown and described.

Claims

1. A method for tracking the location of an aerosol supply device by a user device, the method comprising: When the user device is communicating with the aerosol supply device: determining a position of the aerosol supply device; as well as storing, by the user device, the position of the aerosol supply device; and providing, by the user device, an indication of a last known location of the aerosol supply device based on the stored location, in response to a request for the location of the aerosol supply device at the user device; Wherein, providing the instruction further includes: displaying the last known location on a map on a user interface of a display of the user device; and A graphical representation of predetermined parameters of the aerosol supply device is displayed on the map, wherein the predetermined parameters include a shape of the aerosol supply device.

2. The method according to claim 1, wherein: The position of the aerosol supply device is a position determined using a Global Navigation Satellite System (GNSS).

3. The method according to claim 2, wherein: The GNSS is selected from the group consisting of: Global Positioning System (GPS); Global Navigation Satellite System (GLONASS); Galileo; and BeiDou Navigation Satellite System (BDS).

4. The method according to claim 1, 2 or 3, wherein: The location of the aerosol supply device is determined using Wi-Fi TM The determined location is located, wherein the location of the aerosol supply device is determined based on characteristics of nearby wireless access points.

5. A method according to any preceding claim, wherein: The position of the aerosol supply device is determined as the position of the user device when the user device is in communication with the aerosol supply device.

6. A method according to any preceding claim, wherein: The method comprises: when the user device communicates with the aerosol supply device via Bluetooth TM The position of the aerosol supply device is determined during protocol communication.

7. A method according to any preceding claim, wherein: The method comprises determining the position of the aerosol supply device when the user device and the aerosol supply device are physically connected together.

8. The method according to claim 7, wherein: The physical connection includes a wired connection.

9. The method according to claim 7, wherein: The physical connection comprises a USB connection.

10. A method according to any preceding claim, wherein: The predetermined parameters also include any combination of the following: i) the color of the aerosol supply device; ii) the model of the aerosol supply device; iii) the type of aerosol supply device; iv) a status as to whether the aerosol supply device is locked for use; and / or v) Status as to whether the aerosol supply device is unlocked for use.

11. The method according to the preceding claim, wherein: The graphical representation is displayed at the last known location on the map.

12. A method according to any preceding claim, wherein: The method further comprises: The request for the location of the aerosol supply device is permitted only in response to the user device being logged into a predetermined account associated with the aerosol supply device.

13. The method according to claim 12, wherein: The predetermined account is password protected.

14. The method according to claim 12 or 13, wherein: allowing the request for the location of the aerosol supply device to be made only in response to the user device being logged into a predetermined account associated with the aerosol supply device, further comprising: The request for the location of the aerosol supply device is permitted via a user interface of a display of the user device only in response to the user device being logged into a predetermined account associated with the aerosol supply device.

15. The method according to claim 14, wherein: The user interface is part of the application program.

16. A method according to any preceding claim, wherein: The user device includes a smartphone.

17. A method of tracking the location of an aerosol supply device by a user device, the method comprising: When the user device is communicating with the aerosol supply device: determining a position of the aerosol supply device; as well as storing, by the user device, the position of the aerosol supply device; and providing, by the user device, an indication of a last known location of the aerosol supply device based on the stored location, in response to a request for the location of the aerosol supply device at the user device; Wherein, the method further comprises: The request for the location of the aerosol supply device is permitted only in response to the user device being logged into a predetermined account associated with the aerosol supply device, wherein the predetermined account is password protected.

18. The method according to claim 17, wherein: Providing the indication includes providing the indication on a user interface of the user device.

19. The method according to claim 17 or 18, wherein: Providing the indication includes providing the indication on a user interface of a display of the user device.

20. The method according to any one of claims 17 to 19, wherein: Providing the instructions also includes: The last known location is displayed on a map on a user interface of a display of the user device.

21. The method according to claim 20, wherein: Providing the instructions also includes: A graphical representation of predetermined parameters of the aerosol supply device is displayed on the map.

22. The method according to claim 21, wherein: The predetermined parameters also include any combination of the following: i) the color of the aerosol supply device; ii) the model of the aerosol supply device; iii) the type of aerosol supply device; iv) the shape of the aerosol supply device; v) a status as to whether the aerosol supply device is locked for use; and / or vi) Status as to whether the aerosol supply device is unlocked for use.

23. A method of tracking the location of an aerosol supply device by a user device, the method comprising: When the user device is communicating with the aerosol supply device: determining a position of the aerosol supply device; as well as storing, by the user device, the position of the aerosol supply device; and providing, by the user device, an indication of a last known location of the aerosol supply device based on the stored location, in response to a request for the location of the aerosol supply device at the user device; wherein the request is made on a first portion of a user interface of a display of the user device; Wherein the indication is provided on a second portion of the user interface, wherein the first portion of the user interface and the second portion of the user interface are not displayed simultaneously.

24. The method according to claim 23, wherein: The first portion of the user interface also includes an indication as to whether the aerosol supply device is in communication with the user device.

25. The method according to claim 23 or 24, wherein: The first portion of the user interface also includes a first selector for switching the aerosol supply device between: i) a first locked position; and ii) A second unlocked position.

26. The method according to any one of claims 23 to 25, wherein: The first portion of the user interface also includes a second selector for controlling power delivered from the aerosol supply device to a vaporizer as part of operation of the vaporizer.

27. The method according to claim 26, wherein: The second selector is configured to allow a user to switch the power delivered to the evaporator between a plurality of different power settings.

28. The method according to any one of claims 23 to 27, wherein: The first portion of the user interface also includes an indicator for displaying the remaining charge in a battery of the aerosol supply device.

29. The method according to claim 28, wherein: The indicator is expressed as a percentage of the total capacity of the battery of the aerosol supply device.

30. A user device configured to communicate with an aerosol supply device, wherein: The user device comprises a user interface of a display of the user device, wherein the user interface comprises a first portion.

31. The user device according to claim 30, wherein: The first portion of the user interface includes an indication as to whether the aerosol supply device is in communication with the user device.

32. The user device according to claim 30 or 31, wherein: The first portion of the user interface also includes a first selector for switching the aerosol supply device between: i) a first locked position; and ii) A second unlocked position.

33. The user device according to any one of claims 30 to 32, wherein: The first portion of the user interface also includes a second selector for controlling power delivered from the aerosol supply device to a vaporizer as part of operation of the vaporizer.

34. The user device according to claim 33, wherein: The second selector is configured to allow a user to switch the power delivered to the evaporator between a plurality of different power settings.

35. The user device according to any one of claims 30 to 34, wherein: The first portion of the user interface also includes an indicator for displaying the remaining charge in a battery of the aerosol supply device.

36. The user device according to claim 35, wherein: The indicator is expressed as a percentage of the total capacity of the battery of the aerosol supply device.

37. The user device according to any one of claims 30 to 36, wherein: The user interface also includes a second portion.

38. The user device according to claim 37, wherein: The first portion of the user interface and the second portion of the user interface are configured not to be displayed simultaneously.

39. The user device according to claim 37 or 38, wherein: The second portion of the user interface is configured to be accessed from the first portion of the user interface.

40. The user device according to claim 39, wherein: The second portion of the user interface is configured to be accessed from a button or icon of the first portion of the user interface.

41. The user device according to any one of claims 37 to 40, wherein: The second portion of the user interface is configured to provide an indication of a last known location of the aerosol supply device.

42. The user device according to claim 41, wherein: The last known location is displayed on a map of the second portion.

43. The user device according to claim 42, wherein: The indication further comprises a graphical representation of predetermined parameters of the aerosol supply device on the map.

44. The user device according to claim 43, wherein: The predetermined parameters include any combination of the following: i) the color of the aerosol supply device; ii) the model of the aerosol supply device; iii) the type of aerosol supply device; iv) the shape of the aerosol supply device; v) a status as to whether the aerosol supply device is locked for use; and / or vi) Status as to whether the aerosol supply device is unlocked for use.

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