Multi-level authorization for aerosol-generating devices

Abstract

An aerosol-generating system, comprising: an aerosol-generating device configured to generate an aerosol from an aerosol-forming substrate; an image acquisition sensor configured to capture at least one image of a user of the aerosol-generating device; an acoustic sensor configured to detect a sound generated based on respiration of the user; and at least one processor configured to detect at least one of the at least one image of the user and the detected sound based on at least one of the at least one image of the user and the detected sound, at least one of the user's access to the aerosol-generating device, an amount of substance generated from the aerosol-forming substrate, and an amount of aerosol generated from the aerosol-forming substrate is controlled.

Description

Technical Field

[0001] The present disclosure relates to an aerosol generation system. In particular, the present disclosure relates to a system for controlling an aerosol generating device. Background Art

[0002] An aerosol generating device may include an electrically operated heat source configured to heat an aerosol-forming substrate to generate an aerosol, such as a nicotine-containing aerosol. However, such electronic devices should not be accessible to unauthorized users. Therefore, a system is needed that enables only authorized users to access the electronic device.

[0003] The use of an aerosol generating device may have an impact on a user under a particular biological condition of the user. For example, it may be preferable to restrict the use of an aerosol generating device by a user having a lung-related disease. Therefore, a system is needed that restricts the use of an electronic device based on the biological condition of the user.

[0004] An aerosol generating device may be used by multiple users. However, different users may require or prefer different amounts or components of an aerosol formed from an aerosol-forming substrate. Some users may require or prefer a different flavor content or a different drug content compared to another content of a substance compared to other users. For example, some users among multiple users may require or prefer to consume an increased content of a first substance compared to the content of a second substance of the aerosol-forming substrate provided in the electronic device. Therefore, a system is needed that selectively controls the metering of at least one substance or aerosol generated from the aerosol-forming substrate. Summary of the Invention

[0005] According to one aspect of the present invention, there is provided an aerosol generation system including: an aerosol generating device configured to generate an aerosol from an aerosol-forming substrate; an image acquisition sensor configured to capture at least one image of a user of the aerosol generating device; an acoustic sensor configured to detect a sound generated based on the user's respiration; and at least one processor configured to control at least one of (i) the user's access to the aerosol generating device, (ii) the amount of a substance generated from the aerosol-forming substrate, and (iii) the amount of an aerosol generated from the aerosol-forming substrate, based on at least one of the at least one image of the user and the detected sound. The aerosol-forming substrate may be provided in and / or engaged with the aerosol generating device.

[0006] The amount of the generated substance or aerosol can be controlled by, for example, controlling the temperature distribution of the heater of the aerosol generating device. Controlling the temperature distribution of the heater may include one or both of the following: controlling the temperature of the heater over time, and controlling the power supplied to the heater over time. The amount of the substance of the aerosol can be controlled by, for example, selecting one of a plurality of predetermined heater temperature distributions. Therefore, one of the plurality of predetermined heater temperature distributions can be selected based on at least one of the user's at least one image and the detected sound.

[0007] By providing an aerosol generating system including an image acquisition sensor and an acoustic sensor, an improved aerosol generating system is provided for controlling an aerosol generating device in a safe and reliable manner. Specifically, the aerosol generating system including the image acquisition sensor and the acoustic sensor allows restricting access to the aerosol generating device to only authorized users and provides multiple authorization levels. Additionally or alternatively, the aerosol generating system provides customized control of the aerosol generating device based on data from the image acquisition sensor and the acoustic sensor, where the acoustic sensor can be used to determine the user's biological condition. This allows modifying, for example, restricting the use of the aerosol generating device based on the user's biological condition. For example, the user's access to the aerosol generating device can be restricted to a predetermined number of puffs (e.g., within a predetermined time period) or a predetermined use duration.

[0008] Furthermore, the aerosol generating system may allow selective control of the metered feeding of at least one substance content (e.g., the flavor content or drug content of the aerosol-forming substrate) or selective control of the metered feeding duration of the aerosol-forming substrate, which can be based on the user profile of the authorized user.

[0009] At least one processor can be configured to determine the user's biological state, such as a lung-related condition or bronchitis level, based on the detected sound. Additionally or alternatively, at least one processor can be configured to determine at least one of the user's identity, physical state, and emotional state based on at least one image of the user. This allows controlling the aerosol generating device based on the user's biological state and at least one of the identity, physical state, and emotional state. To further improve security, at least one processor can be configured to verify the user's identity based on the user's biological state.

[0010] According to another aspect of the present invention, a method is provided, including: capturing at least one image of the user by an image acquisition sensor; detecting a sound generated based on the user's breathing by an acoustic sensor; and controlling at least one of the user's access to the aerosol generating device, the amount of the substance generated from the aerosol-forming substrate, and the amount of the aerosol generated from the aerosol-forming substrate based on at least one of the user's at least one image and the detected sound.

[0011] By controlling a user's access to an aerosol generating device based on at least one image of the user and the detected sound, an improved aerosol generating system is provided that provides two - stage authentication via an image acquisition sensor and an acoustic sensor.

[0012] As used herein, the term "aerosol generating device" refers to a device that interacts with an aerosol - forming substrate to generate an aerosol. The aerosol generating device may interact with one or both of an aerosol - generating article that includes an aerosol - forming substrate and a cartridge that includes an aerosol - forming substrate. In some instances, the aerosol generating device may heat the aerosol - forming substrate to facilitate the release of volatile compounds from the substrate. An electrically - operated aerosol generating device may include an atomizer, such as an electric heater, to heat the aerosol - forming substrate to form an aerosol.

[0013] As used herein, the term "access to the aerosol generating device" may refer to access to the operation of the aerosol generating device to generate an aerosol. Thus, preventing access to the aerosol generating device may refer to preventing the operation of the aerosol generating device to generate an aerosol.

[0014] As used herein, the term "aerosol - forming substrate disposed in and / or engaged with the aerosol generating device" refers to a combination of the aerosol generating device and the aerosol - forming substrate. When the aerosol - forming substrate forms part of an aerosol - generating article, the aerosol - forming substrate disposed in the aerosol generating device refers to the combination of the aerosol generating device and the aerosol - generating article. The aerosol - forming substrate and the aerosol generating device may cooperate to generate an aerosol.

[0015] As used herein, the term "aerosol - forming substrate" refers to a substrate capable of releasing volatile compounds that can form an aerosol. The volatile compounds can be released by heating the aerosol - forming substrate. As an alternative to heating, in some cases, the volatile compounds can be released by a chemical reaction or by mechanical stimulation (such as ultrasound). The aerosol - forming substrate can be solid or can include both solid and liquid components. The aerosol - forming substrate can be part of an aerosol - generating article.

[0016] As used herein, the term "aerosol - generating article" refers to an article that includes an aerosol - forming substrate capable of releasing volatile compounds that can form an aerosol. The aerosol may include nicotine. The aerosol - generating article can be disposable. An aerosol - generating article that includes an aerosol - forming substrate (including tobacco) may be referred to herein as a tobacco stick.

[0017] The aerosol-forming substrate may include nicotine. The aerosol-forming substrate may include tobacco, for example, it may include tobacco-containing materials containing volatile tobacco flavor compounds, and the volatile tobacco flavor compounds are released from the aerosol-forming substrate when heated. In a preferred embodiment, the aerosol-forming substrate may include homogenized tobacco materials, such as cast leaf tobacco. The aerosol-forming substrate may include both solid components and liquid components. The aerosol-forming substrate may include tobacco-containing materials containing volatile tobacco flavor compounds released from the substrate when heated. The aerosol-forming substrate may include non-tobacco materials. The aerosol-forming substrate may further include an aerosol-forming agent. Examples of suitable aerosol-forming agents are glycerol and propylene glycol.

[0018] The present invention is defined in the claims. However, a non-exhaustive list of non-limiting examples is provided below. Any one or more features of these examples may be combined with any one or more features of another example, embodiment, or aspect described herein.

[0019] Example Ex1: An aerosol generation system, comprising: an aerosol generation device configured to generate an aerosol from an aerosol-forming substrate; an image acquisition sensor configured to capture at least one image of a user of the aerosol generation device; an acoustic sensor configured to detect sounds generated based on the user's breathing; and at least one processor configured to control at least one of access by the user to the aerosol generation device, the amount of material generated from the aerosol-forming substrate, and the amount of aerosol generated from the aerosol-forming substrate based on at least one of the at least one image of the user and the detected sounds.

[0020] Example Ex2: The aerosol generation system according to Example Ex1, wherein the at least one processor is configured to determine a biological state of the user based on the detected sounds.

[0021] Example Ex3: The aerosol generation system according to Example Ex2, wherein the biological state includes at least one of a lung-related condition and a bronchitis level of the user.

[0022] Example Ex4: The aerosol generation system according to one of Examples Ex2 and Ex3, wherein the at least one processor is configured to determine at least one of the identity, physical state, and emotional state of the user based on the at least one image of the user.

[0023] Example Ex5: The aerosol generation system according to Example Ex4, wherein access by the user to the aerosol generation device, the amount of substance generated from the aerosol-forming substrate, and the amount of aerosol generated from the aerosol-forming substrate are controlled based on at least one of the biological state and at least one of the user's identity, physical state, and emotional state.

[0024] Example Ex6: The aerosol generation system according to one of Examples Ex4 and Ex5, wherein the at least one processor is configured to determine a user profile based on at least one of the biological state and at least one of the user's identity, physical state, and emotional state, and wherein the amount of substance and / or aerosol generated from the aerosol-forming substrate is controlled according to the user profile.

[0025] Example Ex7: The aerosol generation system according to one of Examples Ex4 to Ex6, wherein the at least one processor is configured to verify the identity of the user based on the biological state of the user.

[0026] Example Ex8: The aerosol generation system according to one of Examples Ex4 to Ex7, wherein at least one of the biological state and at least one of the user's identity, physical state, and emotional state is determined by using a neural network.

[0027] Example Ex9: The aerosol generation system according to one of Examples Ex1 to Ex8, wherein the at least one processor is configured to control the acoustic sensor to detect the sound based on the analysis of at least one image of the user, and wherein the analysis of at least one image of the user includes determining whether the user is authorized.

[0028] Example Ex10: The aerosol generation system according to one of Examples Ex1 to Ex9, wherein the at least one processor is configured to control the user's access to the aerosol generation device by restricting the use of the aerosol generation device to a predetermined number of puffs, such as a predetermined number of puffs within a predetermined time period, or a predetermined use duration.

[0029] Example Ex11: The aerosol generation system according to one of Examples Ex1 to Ex10, wherein controlling the amount of substance generated from the aerosol-forming substrate includes increasing the amount of one substance content of the aerosol-forming substrate relative to the content of another substance generated from the aerosol-forming substrate.

[0030] Example Ex12: An aerosol-generating system according to one of Examples Ex1 to Ex11, wherein the aerosol-generating system comprises at least one of the following: a temperature sensor configured to measure the temperature of the user, for example, the temperature of the skin in contact with a part of the aerosol-generating system (e.g., the aerosol-generating device); and an inertial motion unit (IMU) sensor, wherein the data of the IMU sensor is used to determine the usage behavior of the user, and wherein access by the user to the aerosol-generating device and at least one of the amount of the substance / aerosol generated from the aerosol-forming substrate are controlled based on at least one of at least one image of the user and at least one detected sound, and at least one of the usage behavior of the user and the temperature.

[0031] Example Ex13: An aerosol-generating system according to one of Examples Ex1 to Ex12, wherein the at least one processor is configured to determine whether the user is authorized to use the aerosol-generating device based on at least one image of the user, and wherein the at least one processor is configured to, when the user is unauthorized, perform at least one of the following operations: lock the aerosol-generating device to prevent unauthorized use by the user, and provide an alert to an authorized user of the aerosol-generating device, for example, by providing an alert to a mobile phone, computer, or other device linked to the authorized user.

[0032] Example Ex14: An aerosol-generating system according to Example Ex13, wherein the alert comprises information associated with the attempt by the unauthorized user on the aerosol-generating device.

[0033] Example Ex15: An aerosol-generating system according to Example Ex13 or Ex14, wherein the alert comprises at least one of the following: an audible alert, a visual alert, an audiovisual alert, or a vibration alert.

[0034] Example Ex16: An aerosol-generating system according to one of Examples Ex1 to Ex15, wherein the at least one processor is configured to control the image acquisition sensor to capture at least one image of the user based on an analysis of the sound.

[0035] Example Ex17: An aerosol-generating system according to Example Ex16, wherein the analysis of the sound comprises determining whether the user is in a physical condition for using the aerosol-generating device.

[0036] Example Ex18: The aerosol - generating system according to any of the foregoing examples when Example Ex4 is followed or subordinate to Example Ex4, wherein at least one of the user's identity, physical state, and emotional state is determined by determining a plurality of different features of the user's face.

[0037] Example Ex19: The aerosol - generating system according to one of Examples Ex1 to Ex18, wherein the substance includes at least one of a flavor content, a nicotine content, and a drug content.

[0038] Example Ex20: The aerosol - generating system according to Example Ex4 or any of the foregoing examples when subordinate to Example Ex4, wherein the user's emotional state includes at least one of a happy emotion, a sad emotion, an angry emotion, a calm emotion, a scared emotion, a neutral emotion, an excited emotion, a confused emotion, a stressed emotion, a disgusted emotion, a surprised emotion, an exhilarated emotion, and a fearful emotion.

[0039] Example Ex21: The aerosol - generating system according to Example Ex4 or any of the foregoing examples when subordinate to Example Ex4, wherein the user's physical state includes at least one of age, gender, a gesture related to the user's authorization, a fatigue state, a drunken state, and a stress state.

[0040] Example Ex22: The aerosol - generating system according to one of Examples Ex2 and Ex3 or any of the foregoing examples when subordinate to Example Ex2 or Ex3, wherein the user's biological state is determined based on at least one voice parameter obtained from the sound generated based on the user's breath, and the at least one voice parameter includes at least one of a loudness parameter, a pitch parameter, a harmonic intensity, a voice modulation parameter, a pitch parameter, a tone parameter, a speech rate parameter, a voice quality parameter, a voice parameter, a pronunciation parameter, a prosody parameter, a timbre parameter, and one or more psychoacoustic parameters.

[0041] Example Ex23: The aerosol - generating system according to one of Examples Ex1 to Ex22, wherein the image - acquisition sensor is included in the aerosol - generating device.

[0042] Example Ex24: The aerosol - generating system according to one of Examples Ex1 to Ex22, wherein the aerosol - generating system includes an image - acquisition device, such as a mobile phone or a computer, the image - acquisition device includes the image - acquisition sensor, the image - acquisition device is remote from the aerosol - generating device, and the image - acquisition device and the aerosol - generating device are connected to a wireless network.

[0043] Example Ex25: An aerosol generating system according to one of Examples Ex1 to Ex24, wherein the image acquisition sensor is configured to capture depth information of the user from at least one viewing point.

[0044] Example Ex26: An aerosol generating system according to one of Examples Ex1 to Ex25, wherein the image acquisition sensor includes one of a light detection and ranging (LIDAR) sensor, a wide-angle camera, an action camera, a closed-circuit television (CCTV) camera, a portable video camera, a digital camera, a camera phone, a time-of-flight (ToF) camera, and a night vision camera.

[0045] Example Ex27: An aerosol generating system according to one of Examples Ex1 to Ex26, wherein the acoustic sensor includes one of a recorder, an electric microphone, a dynamic microphone, a carbon microphone, a piezoelectric microphone, an optical fiber microphone, and a microelectromechanical system (MEMS) microphone.

[0046] Example Ex28: An aerosol generating system according to one of Examples Ex1 to Ex27, wherein the at least one processor is configured to control the image acquisition sensor to capture at least one image of the user.

[0047] Example Ex29: An aerosol generating system according to one of Examples Ex1 to Ex28, wherein the at least one processor is configured to control the acoustic sensor to detect the sound.

[0048] Example Ex30: An aerosol generating system according to Example Ex4 or any of the preceding examples when dependent on Example Ex4, wherein the aerosol generating system is configured to compare information associated with at least one image of the user with information associated with one or more pre-stored images to determine different facial features associated with the user, and wherein the determined different facial features are used to determine at least one of the identity, physical state, and emotional state of the user.

[0049] Example Ex31: The aerosol generating system according to Example Ex30, wherein the information associated with the one or more pre-stored images is stored integrally in the aerosol generating device or retrieved remotely from a server.

[0050] Example Ex32: An aerosol generation system according to one of Examples Ex2 and Ex3 or any of the foregoing examples when subordinate to Example Ex2 or Ex3, wherein the aerosol generation system is configured to compare information associated with the biological state with information associated with a pre-stored biological state to determine a level of a lung-related condition of the user, and wherein the determined level of the lung-related condition is used to control at least one of the user's access to the aerosol generation device and the amount of the substance and / or aerosol generated from the aerosol-forming substrate.

[0051] Example Ex33: The aerosol generation system according to Example Ex32, wherein the information associated with the pre-stored biological state is stored integrally in the aerosol generation device or retrieved remotely from a server.

[0052] Example Ex34: An aerosol generation system according to Example Ex12 or any of the foregoing examples when subordinate to Example Ex12, wherein the usage behavior includes a usage pattern of the aerosol generation device.

[0053] Example Ex35: The aerosol generation system according to Example Ex12, wherein the IMU sensor includes an accelerometer and a gyroscope, and the accelerometer and the gyroscope are configured to measure an angular rate, a force, and a position orientation of the aerosol generation device during use of the aerosol generation device.

[0054] Example Ex36: The aerosol generation system according to Example Ex12 or any of the foregoing examples when subordinate to Example Ex12, wherein at least one of the user's access to the aerosol generation device and the amount of the substance of the aerosol-forming substrate and / or the aerosol content is controlled based on the usage behavior and at least one of at least one image of the user and a detected sound.

[0055] Example Ex37: An aerosol generation device of the aerosol generation system according to any one of Examples Ex1 to Ex36, wherein the device includes any one, two, or all of the image acquisition sensor, the acoustic sensor, and the at least one processor.

[0056] Example Ex38: The aerosol generation system according to any one of Examples Ex1 to Ex37, further comprising an aerosol-forming substrate.

[0057] Example Ex39: The aerosol generation system according to any one of Examples Ex1 to Ex38, wherein the aerosol-forming substrate can be provided in the aerosol generation device and / or engaged with the aerosol generation device.

[0058] Example Ex40: A method includes: capturing at least one image of a user of an aerosol-generating device by an image capture sensor; detecting, by an acoustic sensor, a sound generated based on the user's breath; and controlling at least one of the following based on at least one of the at least one image of the user and the detected sound: the user's access to the aerosol-generating device, the amount of a substance content of an aerosol-forming substrate, and the amount of aerosol generated from the aerosol-forming substrate.

[0059] It should be understood that any of the above examples Ex2 - 38 of the system can be configured to be the method according to example Ex39. Description of the Drawings

[0060] Several examples will now be further described with reference to the drawings, wherein:

[0061] Figure 1 A schematic diagram of an aerosol-generating system is shown; and

[0062] Figure 2 is a flowchart showing a method of controlling an aerosol-generating device. Detailed Description

[0063] Figure 1 An aerosol-generating system is shown. The aerosol-generating system includes an aerosol-generating device 100 configured to generate an aerosol from an aerosol-forming substrate engaged with the aerosol-generating device 100. The aerosol-generating system includes an image capture sensor 100A configured to capture at least one image of a user 102. The aerosol-generating system further includes an acoustic sensor 100B configured to detect a sound generated based on the breath of the user 102.

[0064] At least one of the image capture sensor 100A and the acoustic sensor 100B may be included in the aerosol-generating device 100. Alternatively, at least one of the image capture sensor 100A and the acoustic sensor 100B may be remote from the aerosol-generating device 100.

[0065] The image capture sensor 100A may be part of an image capture device. The image capture sensor 100A, the acoustic sensor 100B, and the aerosol-generating device 100 may all be connected via a network. The network may be a wireless network.

[0066] The aerosol generating device 100 may be a heat-not-burn (HNB) device. The aerosol generation system may be used to detect a user profile associated with the user 102. Based on the detected user profile, the aerosol generation system may be configured to control at least one of the activation of the aerosol generating device and the quantitative feeding of one or more substances (such as nicotine content, flavor content or even other drug content) for the user.

[0067] The image acquisition sensor 100A may be configured to capture an image or a plurality of images of the user 102 using the aerosol generating device 100. The image acquisition sensor 100A may be configured to capture depth information or a plurality of depth values of the user from a single viewpoint or multiple viewpoints. Examples of the image acquisition sensor 100A may include a LIDAR (Light Detection and Ranging) sensor, a wide-angle camera, an action camera, a closed-circuit television (CCTV) camera, a portable video camera, a digital camera, a camera phone, a time-of-flight (ToF) camera, a night vision camera, an image sensor, and / or other image capture devices.

[0068] One or more captured images may indicate body information associated with the user 102 identified in at least one frame of the one or more captured images. The body information may indicate at least one of the age of the user, the movement information of the user, or the gesture associated with the user. Such body information about the user may be calculated based on different features (such as size, proportion, distance, and geometry) related to the face of the user 102, where such features may be estimated according to the captured user images.

[0069] One or more captured images may also be used to determine the facial state or expression of the user 102. The facial state or expression may indicate one or more movements or positions of the facial muscles of the user 102, where the facial expression may exhibit an emotion. The facial muscles may move the skin of the user, which may produce facial lines / wrinkles, or may cause the movement of facial features (such as the mouth, head, nose, eyes, and eyebrows) of the user. The aerosol generation system may be configured to determine the state of the user based on the determined facial state or expression of the user 102. The state of the user 102 may be tired, drunk, stressed, etc. The aerosol generation system may also be configured to determine the emotional state of the user 102 based on the determined facial state or expression of the user 102. The emotional state of the user 102 may be a happy emotion, a sad emotion, an angry emotion, a calm emotion, a scared emotion, a neutral emotion, an excited emotion, a confused emotion, a stressed emotion, a disgusted emotion, a surprised emotion, an excited emotion, or a fearful emotion.

[0070] In an example, the aerosol-generating device may include a built-in neural-network-based processor configured to communicate with the image acquisition sensor 100A for basic interactions associated with the image acquisition sensor 100A. The neural network may include electronic data such as, for example, software programs, the code of software programs, libraries, applications, scripts, or other logic or instructions for execution by a processing device such as an aerosol-generating system or the aerosol-generating device 100. The neural network may include code and routines configured to enable a computing device such as the aerosol-generating device 100 to perform one or more operations for classifying one or more inputs. Additionally, the neural network may be implemented using hardware, including processors, microprocessors (e.g., for performing one or more operations or controlling the execution of one or more operations), field-programmable gate arrays (FPGAs), or application-specific integrated circuits (ASICs). Alternatively, in some aspects, a combination of hardware and software may be used to implement the neural network. In another example, the aerosol-generating device 100 is configured to interact with a smartphone for advanced interactions associated with the image acquisition sensor 100A. For example, the image acquisition sensor 100A may be included in a smartphone or other handheld computing device, and the smartphone may be configured to process images obtained from the image acquisition sensor 100A. The smartphone may be configured to determine at least one of the identity, physical state, and emotional state of the user 102 based on at least one image of the user 102. At least one of the identity, physical state, and emotional state of the user 102 may be sent to the aerosol-generating device 100 for further processing. Alternatively, the smartphone may be configured to receive other information such as biological states for further processing. The result of such further processing may be sent to the aerosol-generating device 100 to control the aerosol-generating device 100. In one aspect, the smartphone obtains at least one image of the user 102 and sends the at least one image of the user 102 to the aerosol-generating device 100 for further processing.

[0071] The bioacoustic sensor 100B can be configured to capture an audio signal from the lungs of the user 102. The bioacoustic sensor 100B can also be configured to convert the captured audio signal into an electrical signal to determine the biological state of the user. For example, the biological state of the user can correspond to the level of bronchitis or other lung- or respiration-related diseases of the user 102. The captured audio signal can include multiple voice parameters, such as loudness parameter, intonation parameter, harmonic intensity, voice modulation parameter, pitch parameter, tone parameter, speech rate parameter, voice quality parameter, voice parameter, pronunciation parameter, prosody parameter, timbre parameter, and one or more psychoacoustic parameters, which can be converted into electrical signals to determine the biological state of the user (e.g., the level of bronchitis). Examples of the bioacoustic sensor 100B can include a recorder, an electric microphone, a dynamic microphone, a carbon microphone, a piezoelectric microphone, an optical fiber microphone, a (microelectromechanical system) MEMS microphone, or other microphones known in the art.

[0072] In operation, the aerosol generating device 100 can control the image acquisition sensor 100A to capture multiple images of the user 102. The aerosol generating device 100 can compare the information associated with one or more captured images with the information associated with pre-stored images to determine different facial features associated with the user 102. The information associated with the pre-stored images can be stored integrally in the aerosol generating device 100, or retrieved remotely from a server (e.g., a cloud server) or a smartphone via an appropriate communication network (e.g., via a Wi-Fi network). Based on the determined facial features, the aerosol generating device 100 can be configured to estimate the body parameters associated with the user. For example, the body parameters can include the age or emotional state of the user. The aerosol generating device 100 can further control the bioacoustic sensor 100B to detect the acoustic behavior of the user's lungs (e.g., the sounds possibly generated based on the user's breathing). Based on the detected acoustic behavior of the lungs, the aerosol generating device 100 can estimate the biological state of the user 102 (e.g., the level of bronchitis or the level of lung-related diseases). The aerosol generating device 100 can compare the information associated with the estimated level of the biological state with the information associated with the pre-stored biological state level to determine the biological level of the user 102 (e.g., the level of the lung condition). The information associated with the pre-stored biological state level can be stored integrally in the aerosol generating device 100, or retrieved from a remote server via an appropriate communication network. Based on the estimated body parameters of the user (e.g., age, stress level, fatigue level, or emotional state) and the biological state (e.g., the level of lung-related diseases), the aerosol generating device 100 can be configured to control at least one of the activation of the aerosol generating device or the quantitative feeding of one or more substances (e.g., nicotine content, flavor content, or even other drug content) for the user.

[0073] For example, the image capture sensor 100A may capture multiple images of the first user 104. The aerosol generation system may compare the captured multiple images with pre-stored images to determine different features 104A associated with the first user 104. The different features may correspond to at least one of age, gender, identity, or a gesture related to the authorization of the first user 104. Based on the determined features, if the first user 104 (e.g., a person below the age threshold) is not an authorized user, the aerosol generation device may be locked and / or turned off to prevent unauthorized use by the unauthorized user. The aerosol generation system may also generate an alert to the authorized user. For example, the alert may be provided to the authorized user or a device associated with the authorized user, such as the parent's mobile phone or the owner's mobile phone. The alert may include information about the unauthorized use of the aerosol generation device by the unauthorized user. The alert may include information associated with the attempt of the unauthorized user on the aerosol generation device. The alert may include at least one of an audible alert, a visual alert, an audiovisual alert, or a vibration alert. In another example, based on the determined features, if the captured images indicate that the authorized user is tired, drunk, stressed, or emotionally unstable, such that the user is in a sad, crying, or afraid condition, the aerosol generation device may automatically turn off the aerosol generation device 100 based on the user's condition.

[0074] If the second user is an authorized user (e.g., a person above the age threshold, the owner of the device 100), the aerosol generation device 100 may control the bioacoustic sensor 100B to detect acoustic behavior, such as sounds that may be generated based on the breathing of the second user's lungs. Based on the detected acoustic behavior of the lungs, the aerosol generation device may estimate the biological state. For example, the aerosol generation device may estimate the level of bronchitis of the second user. The estimated biological state level may be compared with a pre-stored biological state level to determine the biological level of the second user. In an example, if the second user does not meet the required biological level, e.g., if the user's lung condition is unstable, the aerosol generation device may be locked and / or turned off to prevent the second user from using it, and the second user may then be considered an unauthorized user. The aerosol generation device may also control at least one of the consumption amount or the consumption duration of the aerosol generation device. In another example, if the second user meets the required biological level, e.g., if the user's lung condition is stable, the aerosol generation device may be unlocked to allow the authorized user to use it.

[0075] This sequence of operations of the image capture sensor and the bioacoustic sensor is provided only as an example. The sequence of operations may be modified, reversed, or removed to achieve the same purpose. For example, the bioacoustic sensor may detect the user's acoustic behavior before the image capture sensor, or the bioacoustic sensor may detect the user's acoustic behavior simultaneously with the image detection of the user by the image capture sensor.

[0076] In an example, the image capture sensor 100A may capture one or more images of a third user 106. The aerosol generating device may compare the one or more captured images with pre-stored images to determine different characteristics associated with the third user. The different characteristics may correspond to at least one of age, gender, identity, or a gesture related to the authorization of the third user. Based on the determined characteristics, if the third user is an authorized user, the aerosol generating device may be unlocked and / or opened to grant the authorized user (i.e., the third user, such as the identified owner who is above the age threshold of the aerosol generating device) access to use the aerosol generating device.

[0077] The aerosol generating system controls a bioacoustic sensor to detect acoustic behavior, such as an indication of a sound that may be generated based on the breathing of the third user or the lung condition of the third user. Based on the detected acoustic behavior of the lungs, the aerosol generating device may estimate the biological state of the third user (e.g., the level of bronchitis). The estimated biological state level is compared with a pre-stored biological state to determine the biological level of the third user. The biological level of the third user may be compared with a predetermined threshold to determine or detect a lung-related or breathing-related condition of the user. When a lung-related or breathing-related condition is not determined or detected, the aerosol generating device may continue to grant access to use to the third user.

[0078] Based on the estimated body parameters and biological state of the third user, the aerosol generating device may also determine information associated with the prescription dosing of one or more substances (e.g., nicotine content, flavor content, or even other drug content) for the third user. The information associated with the prescription dosing may be stored integrally in the aerosol generating device or retrieved remotely from a server via a suitable communication network. Based on the information associated with the prescription dosing, the aerosol generating device may control the dosing of one or more substances for the third user. In an example, the prescription dosing may involve an increased substance content compared to different substance contents.

[0079] Therefore, it is advantageous that the aerosol generating system is configured to selectively control the dosing of at least one substance content (e.g., the nicotine content or flavor content of a consumable provided in the aerosol generating device) based on the state of the authorized user, such as the facial state and the biological state. Further advantageously, the aerosol generating system is configured to prevent the overconsumption of certain products based on the biological level of the user (e.g., the lung condition level) via features such as controlling the consumption amount of the puffing and / or the consumption duration of the aerosol generating device.

[0080] The aerosol generation system may further include other sensors, such as a temperature sensor and an inertial motion unit (IMU) sensor, to determine the user's usage behavior. The temperature sensor may be configured to measure the user's temperature. The IMU sensor may include an accelerometer and a gyroscope, which may be configured to measure the user's angular rate, force, and position orientation during use of the aerosol generation device. The usage behavior may correspond to at least one of usage patterns, such as time, the duration of use of the aerosol generation device, or the number of puffs of the aerosol generation device. Based on the usage behavior, estimated body parameters, and biological state of a third user, the aerosol generation system may improve the control of the prescription dosing of one or more substances (such as nicotine content, flavor content, or even other drug content) for the third user.

[0081] Figure 2 is a flowchart showing a method 200 for controlling an aerosol generation device. At least one step of method 200 is performed by a processor or a computing device. For example, method 200 may be performed by an electronic device or an electronic system. Regarding Figure 1 the aerosol generation system described may perform method 200. In an example, method 200 is performed by the system, where any feature of the aerosol generation system described Figure 1 may be part of the system on which method 200 is performed.

[0082] Method 200 includes, in step 210, capturing at least one image of the user by an image acquisition sensor. The user may be attempting to use the aerosol generation device. For example, the user may provide an input to the aerosol generation device that instructs the image acquisition sensor to capture at least one image of the user. The image acquisition sensor may be part of the aerosol generation device or remote from the aerosol generation device.

[0083] In step 220, the sound generated by the user's breath is detected by means of an acoustic sensor. The acoustic sensor may be part of the aerosol generation device. Steps 210 and 220 may be performed simultaneously or sequentially. For example, step 220 may be performed after step 210. In an example, step 220 is performed after at least one image of the user has been processed by at least one processor. The at least one processor may determine whether the user is authorized to use the aerosol generation device by performing a face recognition method, and step 220 may only be performed when the user is authorized to use the aerosol generation device.

[0084] In step 230, access by the user to the aerosol generating device and at least one of the amount of the substance and / or aerosol generated from the aerosol-forming substrate engaged with the aerosol generating device are controlled based on at least one of the user's images and the detected sound. For example, access by the user to the aerosol generating device can be controlled by analyzing at least one of the user's images, the detected sound, or both. Additionally or alternatively, the amount of the substance and / or aerosol generated from the aerosol-forming substrate engaged with the aerosol generating device can be controlled by analyzing at least one of the user's images, the detected sound, or both.

[0085] Analysis of at least one of the user's images can include determining at least one of the user's identity, physical state, and emotional state based on the at least one of the user's images. The determined identity, the determined physical state, or the determined emotional state can be used to control access by the user to the aerosol generating device or to control the amount of the substance and / or aerosol generated from the aerosol-forming substrate.

[0086] Analysis of the detected sound can include determining the biological state of the user based on the detected sound. The biological state can include at least one of the user's lung-related condition and bronchitis level. The determined lung-related condition or the determined bronchitis level of the user can be used to control access by the user to the aerosol generating device or to control the amount of the substance content of the aerosol-forming substrate. The biological state and at least one of the user's identity, physical state, and emotional state can be determined by using a neural network.

[0087] In an example, method 200 includes determining the identity of the user based on at least one captured image of the user and verifying the identity of the user based on the detected sound by determining that the features derived from the detected sound correspond to the features stored in the user profile. The features derived from the detected sound can be unique to the user.

[0088] For the purposes of this specification and the appended claims, unless otherwise indicated, all numbers expressing quantities, amounts, percentages, etc. should be understood to be modified in all instances by the term "about". Additionally, all ranges include the disclosed maximum and minimum points, and include any intermediate ranges therebetween, whether or not specifically enumerated herein. In such cases, the number A can be considered to include values within the general standard error for the measurement of the property modified by the number A. In some cases used in the appended claims, the number A can deviate from the percentages recited above, provided that the amount by which A deviates does not substantially affect the basic and novel features of the claimed invention. Additionally, all ranges include the disclosed maximum and minimum points, and include any intermediate ranges therebetween, whether or not specifically enumerated herein.

Claims

1. An aerosol generation system, comprising: an aerosol generation device configured to generate an aerosol from an aerosol-forming substrate; an image acquisition sensor configured to capture at least one image of a user of the aerosol generation device; an acoustic sensor configured to detect sounds generated based on the user's breathing; and at least one processor configured to: control at least one of the following based on at least one of the at least one image of the user and the detected sounds: the user's access to the aerosol generation device, the amount of material generated from the aerosol-forming substrate, and the amount of aerosol generated from the aerosol-forming substrate.

2. The aerosol generation system according to claim 1, wherein the at least one processor is configured to determine the user's biological state based on the detected sounds.

3. The aerosol generation system according to claim 2, wherein the biological state includes at least one of the user's lung-related condition and bronchitis level.

4. The aerosol generation system according to one of claims 2 and 3, wherein the at least one processor is configured to determine at least one of the user's identity, physical state, and emotional state based on the at least one image of the user.

5. The aerosol generation system according to claim 4, wherein the access of the user to the aerosol generation device and at least one of the amount of material or aerosol generated from the aerosol-forming substrate are controlled based on the biological state and at least one of the user's identity, physical state, and emotional state.

6. The aerosol generation system according to one of claims 4 and 5, wherein the at least one processor is configured to determine a user profile based on at least one of the biological state and at least one of the user's identity, physical state, and emotional state, and wherein the amount of material or aerosol generated from the aerosol-forming substrate is controlled according to the user profile.

7. The aerosol generation system according to one of claims 4 to 6, wherein the at least one processor is configured to verify the user's identity based on the user's biological state.

8. The aerosol generation system according to one of claims 4 to 7, wherein at least one of the biological state and at least one of the user's identity, physical state, and emotional state is determined by using a neural network.

9. The aerosol generation system according to one of claims 1 to 8, wherein the at least one processor is configured to control the acoustic sensor to detect the sounds based on an analysis of the at least one image of the user, wherein the analysis of the at least one image of the user includes determining whether the user is authorized.

10. The aerosol generating system according to one of claims 1 to 9, wherein the at least one processor is configured to control the user's access to the aerosol generating device by restricting the use of the aerosol generating device to a predetermined number of puffs or a predetermined duration of use.

11. The aerosol generating system according to one of claims 1 to 10, wherein controlling the amount of the substance generated from the aerosol-forming substrate includes increasing the amount of one substance generated from the aerosol-forming substrate relative to another substance generated from the aerosol-forming substrate.

12. The aerosol generating system according to one of claims 1 to 11, wherein the aerosol generating system includes at least one of a temperature sensor configured to measure the temperature of the user and an inertial motion unit (IMU) sensor, wherein data from the IMU sensor is used to determine the user's usage behavior, and wherein based on at least one of at least one image of the user and the detected sound, and at least one of the user's usage behavior and the temperature, at least one of the user's access to the aerosol generating device and the amount of the substance and / or aerosol generated from the aerosol-forming substrate is controlled.

13. The aerosol generating system according to one of claims 1 to 12, wherein the at least one processor is configured to determine whether the user is authorized to use the aerosol generating device based on at least one image of the user, and wherein the at least one processor is configured to, when the user is unauthorized, perform at least one of the following: locking the aerosol generating device to prevent unauthorized use by the user, and providing an alert to an authorized user of the aerosol generating device.

14. The aerosol generating system according to claim 13, wherein the alert includes information associated with the unauthorized user's attempt on the aerosol generating device, and wherein the alert includes at least one of the following: an audible alert, a visual alert, an audiovisual alert, or a vibration alert.

15. A method, comprising: capturing at least one image of the user by an image acquisition sensor; detecting a sound generated based on the user's breath by an acoustic sensor; and controlling at least one of the following based on at least one of the at least one image of the user and the detected sound: the user's access to the aerosol generating device, the amount of the substance generated from the aerosol-forming substrate, and the amount of the aerosol generated from the aerosol-forming substrate.

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