Aerosol provision system with estimable liquid quantity

Abstract

An apparatus for an aerosol supply system includes a controller configured to: obtain a power level value indicating a power level applied to an evaporator of the aerosol supply system during a user aspiration, the evaporator being configured to generate aerosols by evaporating liquid from a reservoir of the aerosol supply system; obtain a aspiration duration value indicating the duration of aspiration; determine the mass of aerosols generated by the evaporator during aspiration using the power level value and the aspiration duration value; and estimate the amount of liquid in the reservoir after aspiration by using the determined mass of aerosols and a known amount of liquid in the reservoir before aspiration.

Description

Technical Field

[0001] This disclosure relates to an apparatus for an aerosol supply system, wherein the apparatus is configured to estimate the amount of liquid in a reservoir of the aerosol supply system, and also to an aerosol supply system including such an apparatus and a method for estimating the amount of liquid in the aerosol supply system. Background Technology

[0002] Aerosol delivery systems for delivering aerosols to users for inhalation are known and include electronic cigarettes and other electronic nicotine delivery systems that deliver nicotine in an aerosol. In some systems, the aerosol is generated by evaporating a liquid to form vapor, which is entrained in the airflow drawn through the system when the user inhales or "inhales" through the mouthpiece of the system. Evaporation is typically achieved by heating the liquid with an electrically powered heater comprising one or more heating elements; these and similar arrangements may be referred to as evaporators. The liquid is stored in a tank or reservoir of the system and delivered to the evaporator at a suitable rate for evaporation. This can be achieved, for example, by a porous wicking structure that establishes a liquid flow path between the interior of the reservoir and the heater.

[0003] As long as available liquid remains in the reservoir, the user can continue using the aerosol supply system. When the liquid is depleted, no more aerosol can be produced, and depending on the system's design, the user must replace the entire system, replace the reservoir with a new, full one, replace the cartridge portion of the system (including the reservoir and possibly the vaporizer) with a new cartridge containing a full reservoir, or refill the reservoir with more liquid from a separate storage structure. It is useful if the user can monitor liquid consumption, such as tracking the aerosol supply system's liquid usage, and also know when the reservoir is empty, to prepare for any of these actions requiring a new liquid supply. A range of options have been proposed for this purpose, including reservoirs with transparent walls through which the user can directly observe the amount of remaining liquid, and various sensors configured to measure or detect the liquid level in the reservoir. However, these methods require specific features of the reservoir or are directly associated with it, meaning that in systems with replaceable cartridges, they may need to be replaced along with the reservoir.

[0004] Therefore, the method used to determine the amount of liquid in the reservoir of an aerosol supply system is of concern. Summary of the Invention

[0005] According to a first aspect of some embodiments described herein, an apparatus for an aerosol supply system is provided, the apparatus comprising: a controller configured to: obtain a power level value indicating a power level applied to an evaporator of the aerosol supply system during user suction, the evaporator being configured to generate aerosol by evaporating liquid from a reservoir of the aerosol supply system; obtain a suction duration value indicating the duration of suction; determine, using the power level value and the suction duration value, the mass of aerosol generated by the evaporator during suction; and estimate, using the determined mass of aerosol and a known amount of liquid in the reservoir before suction, the amount of liquid in the reservoir after suction.

[0006] According to a second aspect of some embodiments described herein, an aerosol supply system including the apparatus according to the first aspect is provided.

[0007] According to a third aspect of some embodiments described herein, a method for estimating the amount of liquid in an aerosol supply system is provided, the method comprising: obtaining a power level value indicating a power level applied to an evaporator of the aerosol supply system during a user-induced aspiration, the evaporator being configured to generate aerosol by evaporating liquid from a reservoir of the aerosol supply system; obtaining a aspiration duration value indicating the duration of the aspiration; determining, using the power level value and the aspiration duration value, the mass of aerosol generated by the evaporator during the aspiration; and estimating the amount of liquid in the reservoir after the aspiration by using the determined mass of the aerosol and a known amount of liquid in the reservoir before the aspiration.

[0008] Other aspects of certain embodiments are set forth in the appended independent and dependent claims. It should be understood that features of the dependent claims may be combined with each other, and features of the independent claims may be combined with combinations other than those expressly stated in the claims. Furthermore, the methods described herein are not limited to the specific embodiments set forth below, but include and are contemplated any suitable combination of features presented herein. For example, aerosol supply systems, aerosol supply system apparatuses, and methods may be provided according to the methods described herein, which may, as desired, include any one or more of the various features described below. Attached Figure Description

[0009] Several embodiments of the invention will now be described in detail by way of example only with reference to the following accompanying drawings, in which: Figure 1 A simplified schematic longitudinal section is shown through an exemplary aerosol supply system to which aspects of this disclosure can be applied; Figure 2A graph showing the measurements of aerosol collection mass from a cluster of aerosol supply systems with the same type of evaporators for a range of evaporator power levels is presented relative to the suction duration. Figure 3 It shows Figure 2 The chart shows a linear best-fit line added for each evaporator power level; Figure 4 It shows Figure 2 The chart shows a non-linear best-fit line added for each evaporator power level; Figure 5 A simplified longitudinal section of an aerosol supply system configured according to an embodiment of an aspect of this disclosure is shown; Figure 6 A simplified schematic diagram showing aerosol mass relative to suction parameters with lines for three different liquid types is presented, and the deviation values ​​indicate how to adjust the line for one liquid to other liquid types; Figure 7 A highly schematic representation of a first embodiment of a liquid quantity in a reservoir is shown, which can be displayed on an indicator of an aerosol supply system to indicate to a user the amount of liquid in the reservoir. Figure 8 A highly schematic representation of a second embodiment of a representation that can be displayed on an indicator of an aerosol supply system to indicate the amount of liquid to a user; and Figure 9 A flowchart illustrating the steps of an exemplary method for estimating the amount of liquid in an aerosol supply system according to aspects of this disclosure is shown. Detailed Implementation

[0010] This document discusses / describes aspects and features of certain embodiments and implementations. Some aspects and features of certain embodiments and implementations can be conventionally implemented, and for the sake of brevity, these aspects and features are not discussed / described in detail. Therefore, it should be understood that aspects and features of the apparatuses and methods discussed herein that are not described in detail can be implemented according to any conventional techniques used to implement such aspects and features.

[0011] As described above, this disclosure relates to electronic aerosol or vapor supply systems, such as electronic cigarettes. In the following description, the terms "electronic cigarette" and "electronic e-cigarette" may sometimes be used; however, it should be understood that these terms are used interchangeably with aerosol (vapor) supply systems or devices. These systems are designed to generate an inhalable aerosol by forming a matrix in the form of an aerosol in liquid or gel form, which may or may not contain nicotine. Furthermore, mixing systems may include a liquid or gel matrix plus a solid matrix that is also heated. The solid matrix may be, for example, tobacco or other non-tobacco products, which may or may not contain nicotine. As used herein, the term "aerosolizable matrix material" refers to a matrix material that can be formed into an aerosol by applying heat or other means. The term "aerosol" is used interchangeably with "vapor."

[0012] As used herein, the term "component" refers to a part, segment, unit, module, component, or the like of an electronic cigarette or similar device, which may comprise several smaller parts or elements and may be located within a housing or wall. An electronic cigarette may be formed or constructed from one or more such components, and multiple components may be removably or detachably connected to each other, or may be permanently joined together during manufacturing to define the entire electronic cigarette. For example, a system may include (at least) two components that are detachably connected to each other, and these two components may be configured as an aerosolizable matrix material carrier component (cartridge, vaporizer cartridge, or consumable, or simply "vaporizer cartridge") and a control unit or device ("device") component, wherein the aerosolizable matrix material carrier component, for example, holds liquid or another aerosolizable matrix material, and the control unit or device component has a controller for controlling the operation of an aerosol supply system and a battery for providing power to operate elements for generating vapor from the matrix material. For the purpose of providing specific embodiments, this disclosure describes a cartridge or atomizing cartridge (cartridge component or consumable) as an embodiment of an aerosolizable matrix material carrier portion or component, wherein the aerosolizable matrix material is a liquid or gel held in a reservoir or canister (storage area). However, this disclosure is not limited to this aspect and can be applied to any configuration of an aerosol supply system having a liquid reservoir. Cartridge components may include more or fewer components than those included in the embodiments. The same applies to device components.

[0013] This disclosure relates particularly to an aerosol supply system and components thereof utilizing an aerosolizable matrix material in liquid or gel form, the liquid or gel form of which is held in a reservoir, tank, container, or other receiver included in the system. Such a system includes arrangements for conveying the matrix material from the reservoir to provide matrix material for generating vapor / aerosol. The terms “liquid,” “gel,” “fluid,” “source liquid,” “source gel,” “source fluid,” etc., are used interchangeably with “aerosolizable matrix material” and “matrix material” to refer to an aerosolizable matrix material having a form capable of being stored and conveyed according to embodiments of this disclosure.

[0014] Figure 1 This is a high-resolution schematic diagram (not to scale) of a general exemplary aerosol / vapor supply system (such as an electronic cigarette 10), presented for the purpose of illustrating the relationships between the various components of a common system and explaining the general principles of operation. In this embodiment, the electronic cigarette 10 has a generally elongated shape extending along a longitudinal axis indicated by dashed lines and includes two main components, namely, a control or power component, segment or unit (device component) 20, and a cartridge component, assembly, or segment 30 (sometimes referred to as an atomizing cartridge or atomizer) that carries an aerosolizable matrix material and operates as a vapor-generating component.

[0015] The cartridge component 30 includes a reservoir 3 comprising a source liquid or other aerosolizable matrix material, which includes a formulation, such as a liquid or gel that generates an aerosol, and which, for example, contains nicotine. As an example, the source liquid may include approximately 1% to 3% nicotine and 50% glycerin, with the remainder comprising approximately equal amounts of water and propylene glycol, and may also include other ingredients, such as flavorings. Nicotine-free source liquids may also be used, for example, to deliver flavorings. A solid matrix (not shown), such as a portion of tobacco or other flavoring elements, may also be included, through which vapor generated from the liquid passes. The reservoir 3 has the form of a storage tank that serves as a container or receiver for storing the source liquid, allowing the liquid to move and flow freely within the tank. For the consumable cartridge component 30, the reservoir 3 may be sealed during manufacturing after filling so that it is disposable once the source liquid is depleted; otherwise, the reservoir may have an inlet port or other opening through which a user can add new source liquid. The cartridge component 30 also includes an electrically powered heating element or heater 4 located outside the reservoir 3 for generating an aerosol by heating and evaporating the source liquid. Note that in other embodiments, the source liquid may be generated by a replacement power device such as a vibrating mesh. More generally, the power device that causes the liquid to evaporate may be referred to as a vapor generating element or evaporator. Liquid transfer or delivery arrangements (liquid delivery elements) such as a wick or other porous element 6 may be provided to deliver the source liquid from the reservoir 3 to the heater 4 or other vapor generator. The wick 6 may have one or more portions located inside the reservoir 3 or otherwise in fluid communication with the liquid in the reservoir 3 to absorb the source liquid and transfer it by wicking or capillary action to other portions of the wick 6 adjacent to or in contact with the heater 4. The liquid is thus heated and evaporated to replace it with new source liquid from the reservoir, thereby delivering it to the heater 4 via the wick 6. The wick may be considered as a bridging structure, path, or conduit between the reservoir 3 and the heater 4, which delivers or transfers the liquid from the reservoir to the heater. The terms including conduit, liquid conduit, liquid transfer path, liquid delivery path, liquid transfer mechanism or element, and liquid delivery mechanism or element are used interchangeably in this document to refer to the wicking part or the corresponding component or structure.

[0016] The heater and wick (or similar) combination is sometimes referred to as an atomizer or atomizer assembly 7, and the reservoir 3 having its source liquid plus the atomizer 7 can be collectively referred to as an aerosol source. Other terms may include liquid delivery assembly or liquid transfer assembly, wherein these terms are used interchangeably in this context to refer to the vapor generating element (vapor generator) plus the wick or similar component or structure (liquid delivery element) that delivers or transfers liquid obtained from the reservoir to the vapor generator for vapor / aerosol generation. Various designs are possible, among which... Figure 1 Compared to the highly schematic representation, the components can be arranged differently. For example, the wicking portion 6 can be a completely separate element from the heater 4, or the heater 4 can be configured to be porous and at least a portion (conductive mesh, such as a metal mesh) capable of directly performing the wicking function. In electrical or electronic equipment, the vapor-generating element can be an electrically heated element that operates by ohmic / resistance (joule) heating or by induction heating. Therefore, in general, an atomizer can be considered as one or more elements that realize the function of a vapor-generating element or evaporation element capable of generating vapor from a source liquid supplied to the atomizer and a liquid delivery or transport element capable of transporting or transferring liquid from a reservoir or similar liquid storage structure to the vapor generator by wicking action / capillary force. Atomizers are typically housed in the cartridge component of an aerosol generation system. In some designs, liquid can be dispensed directly from a reservoir onto the vapor generator without the need for a separate wicking or capillary element. Embodiments of this disclosure apply to all and any such constructions consistent with the embodiments and descriptions herein.

[0017] return Figure 1 The cartridge component 30 also includes a mouthpiece or mouthpiece portion 35 having an opening or aerosol outlet through which the user inhales the aerosol generated by the atomizer 7. A single inhalation (during which the user obtains a certain amount of aerosol) will be referred to herein as a "puff". In other designs, the mouthpiece may be provided as a separate component, which may be permanently or detachably attached to the cartridge component 30.

[0018] The power unit or control unit, or simply, the device or device component 20 includes a battery cell or battery 5 (hereinafter referred to as a battery, and which may be rechargeable) to provide power to the electrical components of the electronic cigarette 10, particularly to operate the vaporizer such as the heater 4. Additionally, a controller 28, such as a printed circuit board and / or other electronic devices or circuits for overall control of the electronic cigarette, is present. When vapor is desired, the control electronics / circuit 28 uses power from the battery 5 to operate the heater 4, for example in response to a signal from an inhalation air pressure sensor or air flow sensor (“inhalation sensor”, not shown) on the detection system 10, during which air enters through one or more air inlets 26 in the wall of the device component 20. When the heater 4 is operating, it evaporates the source liquid supplied from the reservoir 3 via the liquid delivery element 6 to generate an aerosol, which the user then inhales through an opening in the mouthpiece 35. As the user inhales at the mouthpiece 35, the aerosol travels along one or more airflow channels connecting the air inlets 26 to the aerosol source. Figure 1 (Not shown) The air is transported from the aerosol source to the mouthpiece 35. In this embodiment, since the system's air inlet 26 is located within the device component 20, the cartridge component 30 has its own air inlet in airflow communication with the device component 20, allowing air drawn in through the device component's air inlet 26 to reach the interior of the cartridge component 30 and the atomizer 7. In other designs, the air inlet may be located in the outer wall of the cartridge component 30, allowing air to enter the cartridge component 30 directly, rather than reaching it via the device component 20.

[0019] In this embodiment, the device component (control unit) 20 and the cartridge component (atomizer, consumable) 30 are separate connectable parts that are detachable from each other and reattachable by moving along a direction parallel to the longitudinal axis, such as... Figure 1As indicated by the double-headed arrows in the diagram. Each component 20, 30 has a connecting portion 21, 31 at its corresponding end facing the other component, and when the aerosol supply system 10 is ready for use or in use, components 20, 30 are connected together by cooperative engagement elements (e.g., threaded or bayonet fit, push-in fit, snap-fit, or magnetic connection) at the connecting portions 21, 31. These connecting portions provide mechanical connectivity between the device component 20 and the cartridge component 30, and in this case, also provide electrical connectivity. If the heater 4 operates by ohmic heating, or in the case of using a vibrating mesh vapor generator or other electrically powered evaporator, an electrical connection is required such that current can be supplied through the heater 4 or otherwise to the evaporator, and / or to any other electrically powered component in the cartridge component 30 when these components in the cartridge component 30 are connected to the battery 5 in the device component 20. In systems using induction heating, if there is no vapor generating section requiring electricity located in the cartridge component 30, the electrical connection for vapor generation can be omitted, although electricity still needs to be supplied to other electrical components in the cartridge component. For induction heating, an induction coil can be housed in device component 20 and supplied with power from battery 5. The cartridge component 30 and device component 20 are shaped such that, when connected, heater 4 is appropriately exposed to the flux generated by the coil for the purpose of inducing current in the material of heater 4. For all non-induction powered portions, connection portions 21, 31 include electrical contacts to ensure the circuitry between the power portion and battery 5 is complete when cartridge component 30 and device component 20 are connected together. Furthermore, the connection portions 21, 31 of the two components 20, 30 include orifices for air to flow from device component 20 to cartridge component 30, and one or more air inlets 26 are designed in one or more outer walls of device component 20. Connection portions 21, 31 thus provide an interface between cartridge component 30 and device component 20. Figure 1 The design is merely an exemplary arrangement, and the various components and features may be distributed differently between device component 20 and cartridge component 30, and may include other elements not described. The two components 20 and 30 may be as follows: Figure 1The components are connected end-to-end in a longitudinal configuration or in a different configuration (such as parallel or side-by-side arrangements). The system may or may not be generally cylindrical and / or have a generally longitudinal shape. Any or both of components 20, 30 may be discarded and replaced when depleted (e.g., reservoir 3 is empty or battery 5 is depleted), or are intended for multiple uses through actions such as refilling reservoir 3, replacing the reservoir independently of cartridge component 30, and recharging battery 5. In other embodiments, the aerosol supply system 10 may be integral because some parts of device component 20 and cartridge component 30 are included in a single housing and cannot be separated. The embodiments and examples of this disclosure are applicable to any of these configurations and other configurations that will be apparent to those skilled in the art.

[0020] During the operation of an aerosol supply system, a certain amount of aerosol is generated during suction on the system, and this aerosol is delivered to the user via a mouthpiece for inhalation. This aerosol is generated by the evaporation of liquid obtained from a reservoir; therefore, the amount of aerosol being suctioned corresponds to the amount of liquid evaporated to generate the suction, and as suction continues, liquid is consumed and the amount of liquid remaining in the reservoir decreases. Specifically, the mass of the aerosol being suctioned is related to the mass of the liquid used to generate the aerosol. This paper proposes using the relationship between aerosol generation and liquid consumption to estimate the remaining amount of liquid in the reservoir. By determining the mass of one or more aerosols being suctioned, the remaining amount of liquid in the reservoir can be estimated by subtracting the mass of the generated aerosol from the mass of liquid in the reservoir before suction, where the mass of liquid in the reservoir before suction is, for example, the total mass of liquid when the reservoir is full (in the case of tracking the total cumulative aerosol mass) or the mass of liquid in the reservoir before a particular suction (in the case where the mass of the suctioned aerosol is determined). Mass is a convenient metric for this process, but other metrics can also be used, such as volume, or the relationship between one metric for the amount of aerosol and another for the amount of liquid.

[0021] Since the generated aerosols are delivered internally to the user via inhalation, it is not feasible to directly measure the amount of aerosol during actual suction when the user is using the aerosol supply system. However, the amount of aerosol generated during suction depends on the measurable operating parameters of the aerosol supply system. For example, more aerosol is generated in longer suctions than in shorter suctions, so the aerosol amount depends on the suction duration. A higher amount of power delivered to the evaporator during suction can also increase the aerosol amount, for example, by heating the evaporator's heating elements to a higher temperature; therefore, the aerosol amount depends on the evaporator's operating power level. Parameters such as these can be readily measured during the operation of the aerosol supply system, and the controller can be configured to use the measured or otherwise determined values ​​of these parameters to determine the amount of aerosol during suction using a predetermined relationship between these parameters and the aerosol amount. This allows for the determination of a corresponding decrease in the amount of liquid in the reservoir, thus enabling the estimation of the remaining liquid. This can then be reported or indicated to the user. Users can then know their fluid consumption and prepare to replace or refill the reservoir when it is nearly empty.

[0022] It is conceivable that any technique can be used to determine the amount of aerosol produced in a manner that allows for a meaningful subtraction of the amount of liquid produced from the amount of liquid in the reservoir. As mentioned above, mass is a useful measure for this purpose. If mass is used, the method proposed herein for determining the mass of aerosols produced during suction is to use a measure designated as aerosol collection mass (ACM).

[0023] ACM can be characterized as the mass of aerosols collected from outside the aerosol supply system during one or more suction cycles of the apparatus under laboratory or test conditions. ACM can be determined for a given aerosol supply system under certain operating conditions by collecting aerosols in a laboratory aerosol analyzer / suction analyzer during one or more suction cycles performed by the aerosol analyzer under controlled conditions of gas flow (e.g., gas flow duration and gas flow rate profile). For example, aerosols may be collected on a fiber mat for one or more known number of suction cycles, or otherwise condensed from the aerosol / gas phase for analysis, and then weighed to determine their mass. This determines the mass of aerosols generated during suction cycles when a known aerosol generation system is operated at known values ​​of the operating parameters of that aerosol generation system.

[0024] Using this method, the mass of aerosols drawn under different operating conditions can be determined from a specific embodiment of an aerosol generation system. However, users will use other aerosol generation systems in the future, which may not function in the same way as the tested aerosol generation system, even if all these systems have the same design. It is known that there can be considerable system-to-system variations affecting aerosol generation, caused by factors including manufacturing variations and user drawing techniques, such that no two systems (even when expected to be exactly the same design) will perform exactly the same and generate exactly the same amount of aerosols in drawing under exactly the same operating conditions. To obtain meaningful ACM data that can be used for the purpose of estimating the amount of liquid in the reservoir presented herein, it is proposed to collect ACM data from a cluster of aerosol supply systems of the same design or type, particularly a cluster of aerosol supply systems with the same type of evaporator, and use this data to empirically derive the relationship between the mass of each drawn aerosol and the values ​​of the operating parameters of the aerosol supply system, which can be applied to determine the mass of each drawn aerosol in aerosol supply system of the same type subsequently supplied to the user. Using data from the cluster allows for the averaging effect of system-to-system variations, and it has been found that the resulting relationships provide results accurate enough to enable estimation of reservoir liquid levels with a level of precision useful to users.

[0025] Another potential source of error is that the mass of collected aerosols may differ from the mass of the evaporated liquid. This is because some aerosols may condense in or above multiple sections of the aerosol delivery system or aerosol analyzer, or be otherwise diverted and not collected for weighing. However, it has been found that this does not significantly affect the measurement data enough to disrupt the established relationship for the usability of the estimated reservoir liquid volume and can be ignored.

[0026] Generally, similar to averaging techniques, increasing the size of the cluster of aerosol supply systems of the same type or the same evaporator type from which data is collected can improve the accuracy of the determined relationship between the quality of the generated aerosol and the values ​​of the aerosol supply system operating parameters determined from the empirically obtained ACM data described above. Therefore, it is recommended to use the largest possible cluster within the constraints set by factors such as time, cost, and the number of evaporators and / or systems available for this purpose. For example, a cluster comprising approximately 20, 50, or 100 individual evaporators or aerosol supply systems of the same type (wherein, individual evaporators are included, for example, in individual cartridges, which are then used with the same or fewer devices to create a complete aerosol supply system) can be used as the main source for obtaining ACM data. However, larger or smaller clusters are not excluded.

[0027] It should be recognized that many factors influence the amount of aerosol included in a single suction in a specific type and design of aerosol supply system. These include tolerances in parts of manufacturing and assembly, ambient pressure, humidity, ambient temperature, liquid temperature, liquid properties, suction intensity (airflow velocity through the system and across the evaporator), suction duration, recent suction history, power level applied to the evaporator, actual operating power of the evaporator including capacitance differential, and evaporator efficiency. If all variables are considered when attempting to determine the amount or mass of aerosol in any given suction, the determination becomes extremely laborious. Furthermore, some factors are not directly measured or considered. Other factors have been experimentally determined to have no significant effect and can therefore be ignored without impairing the estimation results. These factors include liquid temperature, airflow velocity during suction, and the time between suctions.

[0028] Therefore, this paper focuses on a small number of easily measurable and verifiable parameters. In the first embodiment, it has been found that by taking into account the power level applied to the evaporator (which is typically a heater, but may not be as described above) and the pumping duration, sufficient accuracy to report a meaningful reservoir liquid volume to the user can be obtained. These two parameters are typically determined directly within the aerosol supply system. In some very simple systems, the power source (battery) supplies only a fixed power level to the evaporator, allowing a single power level value to be provided to the controller of the aerosol supply system for liquid volume estimation. More complex aerosol supply systems allow the user to set the power level, perhaps by selecting one from several available power levels, or by adjusting within a continuous range of available power levels. The selected power state may correspond to a constant power level on the pumping or a distribution of varying power levels on the pumping. The controller is configured to control the battery to supply the selected power level to the evaporator, allowing the controller to obtain a value for the power level used for any given pumping.

[0029] Regarding the duration of aspiration, some aerosol supply systems are "aspiration-activated" and include so-called aspiration detectors or sensors, which are configured to detect when a user inhales into the system. Such sensors detect changes in airflow or pressure and are typically used to initiate operation of the aerosol supply system. When inhalation is detected, the sensor sends a signal to the controller, which responds by controlling the power supply to the evaporator to generate vapor, and stops the power supply when the sensor detects that inhalation has ceased, at the end of the aspiration. In such an arrangement, the controller may be equipped with a clock configured to time the length of the aspiration, thus allowing the controller to obtain a value for the duration of the aspiration. Other aerosol supply systems are activated by user-operated control elements (such as switches or buttons) on the aerosol supply system. The user indicates the need for aerosol generation via the control element, and in response, the controller controls the power supply to the evaporator. For example, a user may press a button while inhaling into the aerosol supply system, causing the evaporator to be powered for the duration of the button press. In such a system, a suction sensor can be provided for the sole purpose of allowing the measurement of the suction duration, as described above, rather than for initiating aerosol generation. Alternatively, if it is assumed that the user will operate the user control element to obtain aerosol for approximately the duration of their suction, the operation of the user control element can serve as a proxy for the suction duration. Therefore, a clock can be provided configured to time the period between the start and stop of the user control operation, such as the duration a button is pressed, or the time elapsed between a switch being turned on and off. This period can then be used by the controller as the value of the suction duration.

[0030] Therefore, to obtain empirical data (from which a suitable equation correlates aerosol mass with power level and suction duration), a set of aerosol supply systems with identical or / or identical evaporator designs can be used to measure ACM for a range of different known power level values ​​and known suction duration values. The equation can then be obtained by fitting one or more functions to the empirical data.

[0031] Figure 2A graph illustrates empirical data obtained in this manner from a group of aerosol supply systems of the same type, wherein a set of atomizing cartridges or pods of the same design (each having an electrically powered vaporizer in the form of an electrically heated element and a reservoir for aerosolizing the liquid) are used with one or more different devices to form this group of aerosol supply systems. The graph indicates the inhalation duration in seconds on the x-axis and the ACM per inhalation in milligrams on the y-axis. Each data point represents the amount of aerosol in ACM per inhalation measured under laboratory conditions (the average of 25 inhalations). Different power level values ​​are selected for each inhalation duration value, as indicated. It can be seen that the data points cluster together for each combination of power level and inhalation duration values, but some variations caused by cartridge-to-cart or system-to-system variations discussed below are indeed shown. By proposing a method to transform variable experimental data obtained from a specific number of aerosol supply systems into an applicable algorithmic implementation, the proposed method aims to address this variation, and the applicable algorithm, when used under real-world conditions, can be applied to a larger group of the same type of aerosol supply systems.

[0032] Figure 3 It shows Figure 2 The graph also shows the best-fit linear function for each power level value. Therefore, for each power level value, a set of best-fit lines is obtained, each line relating the ACM to the aspiration duration value. The functions describing these lines can then be combined to obtain an equation relating the power level value and the aspiration duration value to the ACM. If the ACM is considered to correspond to the actual mass of the aerosol in aspiration, M in milligrams, and purely as an example, the equation can have the following form: M = A–Bt–CP + DtP Where A, B, C, and D are constants, t is the suction duration in seconds, and P is the power level in watts. For illustration, for a specific type of aerosol supply system, the values ​​of the constants are determined as A = 0.760722, B = 1.150802, C = 0.432436, and D = 0.622964. Those skilled in the art will understand that different values ​​of the constants and, in fact, different forms of the equations can be determined from other empirical data and other mathematical techniques.

[0033] When using equations of this type, obtained by linearly fitting empirical data, two sources of error can be identified. There is a systematic error caused by the mathematical methods employed to derive a single equation from multiple data points. The aerosol mass value predicted using the equation may be relatively far from the mean of the empirical data, making the calculated aerosol mass potentially inaccurate in reflecting the actual aerosol mass in real-world pumping. This can be found to be worse in some operating regions, for example, for the empirical data presented. Figure 3 In box 40, and at shorter pumping durations, as shown in enlarged illustration 42. These problems can be addressed to some extent by collecting empirical data from a larger number of aerosol supply systems to improve the accuracy of the function fit. There are also the aforementioned random bomb-to-bomb or system-to-system errors, caused by variations and differences in manufacturing and operation between the evaporator, reservoir, and the entire aerosol supply system. Even if the best-fit line is very accurate, allowing the equation to perfectly predict the average aerosol mass at the combination of pumping duration and power level, unpredictable variations will exist around this average, meaning that in real-world conditions, the calculated aerosol mass may differ from the actual aerosol mass during actual pumping. However, it has been found that the proposed method remains accurate enough to make a useful estimate of the remaining liquid volume that can be reported to the user meaningful.

[0034] While linear fitting to empirical data is straightforward and provides relatively simple equations that can be efficiently computed to calculate aerosol mass during the use of an aerosol supply system, in some other embodiments, more complex fittings can be applied to empirical data by fitting a nonlinear function to the data. This can improve the accuracy of the determined aerosol mass. Any nonlinear mathematical function can be chosen to optimally fit the curve to the empirical data; those skilled in the art will understand how this can be achieved by referencing the properties of data obtained from laboratory measurements. Examples of suitable functions include, but are not limited to, quadratic or cubic polynomial functions, or higher-order polynomial functions, spline functions, or piecewise linear functions.

[0035] Figure 4 It also shows Figure 2 The chart, and with Figure 3 The difference lies in showing the best-fit nonlinear function fitted to the data for each power level value. As previously mentioned, the function describing the best-fit line can then be combined to obtain a single equation relating both the power level value and the pumping duration value to the ACM. Again, this equation can be used to calculate the aerosol mass in the pump based on the pumping power level value and duration. Figure 4 and Figure 3The comparison shows that the systematic error is reduced compared to linear fitting, and is closer to zero because the predicted value represented by the line is closer to the average of the measured data. Unpredictable variations from pod to pod still exist, but on average, the total error should be lower than that when using linear fitting. As shown in the enlarged inset 44, the improvement is particularly significant at shorter puff durations. To further improve this, more empirical data can be collected for even shorter puff durations, for example, for other puff duration values ​​close to one second, such as at and / or between 0.5 seconds and 1.5 seconds.

[0036] Therefore, an equation relating the mass of aerosols drawn up to the power level at the evaporator used to generate the aerosols during the drawing up and the duration of the drawing up can be obtained from empirical data measured under laboratory conditions. This equation can be provided to the controller of the aerosol supply system and stored in the controller's memory (or memory accessible to the controller). The controller is configured to obtain the power level and the drawing up duration values ​​during drawing up on the aerosol supply system, as described above. When a user draws up on the aerosol supply system, the controller obtains the power level and drawing up duration values ​​and uses these values ​​and the equation to determine the mass of aerosols contained in the drawing up. The controller is also configured to use the determined mass of aerosols to estimate the amount of liquid in the reservoir of the aerosol supply system.

[0037] Broadly speaking, this estimation is achieved using the aerosol mass determined during aspiration and the known liquid level in the reservoir prior to aspiration. This can be implemented in various ways, where the controller receives or provides a value for the total capacity of the reservoir, which is the amount of liquid contained in the reservoir when it is full before any aspiration is performed. In some configurations, the aerosol cartridge or reservoir may be non-replaceable, and the controller is provided with a value for the total capacity of the reservoir during manufacturing. This value may or may not be mass; alternatively, it may be volume, and the controller is configured to, for example, convert volume to mass. In configurations where the aerosol cartridge or reservoir is replaceable, the manufacturer may provide only a reservoir with a single capacity, such that this capacity value is provided to the controller during manufacturing, and the controller is configured to identify when a new aerosol cartridge or reservoir is fitted, such that the amount of liquid in the reservoir at that time can be assumed to be equal to the pre-provided value for the total capacity.

[0038] In more complex arrangements, the controller can be configured to obtain the expected amount of liquid in the reservoir when it is newly installed into the aerosol supply system or when it is newly filled; that is, the value of the total liquid capacity of the reservoir when it is full. Reservoirs and / or aerosol cartridges / cartridges with identification elements are known to be provided, which can be read by the controller to obtain identification information about the reservoir / cartridge when the reservoir or aerosol cartridge is coupled to the aerosol supply system. In the current context, this information may include or otherwise indicate the value of the total liquid capacity of the reservoir. The identification information may include items of data or information about the aerosol cartridge or reservoir, or may provide a simple identification of the aerosol cartridge / reservoir from which the controller can determine data or information, such as data or information from storage structures of different aerosol cartridges / reservoirs held in or accessible by the controller from elsewhere. Embodiments of identification elements include: resistors, capacitors, chips, or other electrical or electronic components in the circuitry of the atomizing cartridge that can be electronically detected or interrogated by a controller; barcodes, QR codes, or other markings that can be optically read or otherwise sensed by sensors or detectors operated by the controller; and shaped features that engage with complementary features in or on the device, wherein the controller can sense the engagement. Other embodiments are not excluded. In the case of a refillable reservoir, a refilling action can be detected and reported to the controller, which can assume that the reservoir contains an amount of liquid matching its total liquid capacity after refilling. Once the controller has obtained the total liquid capacity of a full reservoir, the amount of liquid consumed from the reservoir during aspiration to be converted into aerosol can be determined using an equation and subtracted from the known total liquid capacity in the reservoir to estimate the amount of liquid remaining in the reservoir. The controller can store the new, reduced liquid amount and subtract the amount of aerosol for the next aspiration from that amount, and so on. In other words, the controller maintains a record of the amount of aerosol in the reservoir after each aspiration as it consumes, and subtracts the amount of aerosol aspirated from the reservoir's aerosol level immediately preceding the aspiration. Alternatively, the controller can accumulate the total amount of aerosol generated by adding the amount of aerosol aspirated in each aspiration to the amount aspirated in the previous aspiration, and subtract the total aerosol amount from the original total reservoir liquid capacity when it is necessary to estimate the remaining liquid level in the reservoir.

[0039] An estimate of the liquid level in the reservoir can be stored by the controller and used internally through processing by the aerosol supply system, and / or can be indicated or reported to the user. If the aerosol supply system is configured to communicate with a remote server or with the user's personal electronic device (such as a mobile phone), an example of processing could be automatically ordering a replacement aerosol cartridge when the reservoir is nearly depleted. Instructions to the user can be made periodically or periodically, either when the user operates the user controls of the aerosol supply system to request an instruction, or as needed, only when the aerosol cartridge is nearing empty (e.g., the remaining liquid level drops below a predetermined threshold) to warn the user that the liquid supply is about to run out.

[0040] The controller can be configured to store equations and directly use those equations to determine the mass of aerosols in a pump by utilizing the power level and pump duration values ​​from the obtained equations. This method requires the processor to perform calculations for each pump, but has low storage requirements because only the equations need to be stored. It can also provide a relatively accurate determination of the aerosol quantity for each pump, as the equation returns the aerosol quantity value for any given pump duration and power level; the equation extrapolates between discrete values ​​of the selected pump duration and power level, which are empirical data collected for this purpose and may not correspond to the actual pump duration and / or power level values.

[0041] In other embodiments, the controller may store a lookup table that stores corresponding values ​​for the aerosol mass in a pump for each combination of pump duration and power level. The controller is configured to retrieve, when a pump occurs, an aerosol mass value corresponding to the power level and pump duration values ​​already obtained by the controller for that pump from the lookup table. Thus, the lookup table maps the power level value and the pump duration value to the aerosol mass value. Providing a lookup table reduces the controller's computation because it eliminates the need to calculate the equation value for each pump, but increases storage requirements because the lookup table will be larger than the equation. Furthermore, accuracy may be reduced because the lookup table may only include a limited selection of possible values ​​for the pump duration and power level. In practice, the pump duration, and possibly the power level (depending on how the power selection is implemented in the aerosol supply system), can take any value that may not directly correspond to a value in the lookup table. Therefore, the controller may assign the obtained value to the most recent value recorded in the lookup table, or it may always round the obtained value up or down to the immediately adjacent recorded value. Alternatively, the lookup table can be configured to include ranges of values ​​for aspiration duration and / or power level, where these ranges map to a single value for aerosol mass. The lookup table can be populated with equations to determine the aerosol mass values ​​for each aspiration used to select different power levels and aspiration durations, values ​​that may or may not correspond to the power level and aspiration duration values ​​collected with respect to the original empirical data.

[0042] Figure 5 A highly simplified schematic diagram of an embodiment of an aerosol supply system having means configured to implement residual liquid volume estimation as described herein is shown. The aerosol supply system 10 is similar to... Figure 1The exemplary embodiments shown herein include device components 20 and cartridge components or atomizing cartridge components 30. System 10 may be integral, or the atomizing cartridge assembly 30 may be replaceable. As previously described, the atomizing cartridge assembly 30 includes a reservoir 3 for storing an aerosolizable liquid and having a total liquid capacity when full. The atomizing cartridge assembly 30 also includes an evaporator 4 for evaporating the liquid from the reservoir to generate an aerosol for delivery to the user during vaping. Also as previously described, the device components include a battery 5 for supplying power to the evaporator 4, and a controller 28 for controlling the power supply from the battery 5 to the evaporator 4. The controller 28 includes a processor 22 for performing operations and actions, such as controlling the power supply and estimating the amount of remaining liquid in the reservoir 3, as described herein. The controller 28 has a memory 23 storing an equation for determining the amount of aerosol in vaping, or a lookup table derived from that equation, as described above. Again, as described above, the controller 28 also includes a clock 24 for timing the aspiration duration, activated by the aspiration detector 32 or by user operation via a button or other user-operable controller 27 to start the evaporator. The atomizing cartridge assembly 30 may include an identification element from which the controller obtains a value of the total liquid capacity of the reservoir, also as described above. Finally, the aerosol supply system 10 may be provided with an indicator 29, such as a visual display on or within the housing or wall of the aerosol supply system 10, and operable by the controller 28 to display an estimated remaining liquid volume in the reservoir 3 as an indication. Embodiments of the indicator are further described below. Note that some parts of the aerosol supply system may be compatible with… Figure 5 The embodiments are positioned differently, for example, in another part of the atomizing bullet component and the device component.

[0043] The embodiments described above have utilized evaporator power level and suction duration as variable operating parameters considered to determine the amount of aerosol in the suction. As already mentioned, various factors can affect the amount of aerosol in the suction, some of which may be considered more or less difficult to interpret or more or less significant in their effects. In other embodiments disclosed herein, the type of liquid in the reservoir that generates the aerosol has also been considered. It has been determined that the liquid type can have a relatively significant effect on the amount of aerosol generated during suction and can be interpreted relatively directly, thereby improving the accuracy of the remaining liquid volume estimate. The term "liquid type" is intended to acknowledge that the liquid aerosol-forming matrix evaporated to generate aerosol delivered via the aerosol supply system can consist of many different components. For example, liquids with different nicotine strengths and different flavorings are readily available and can be composed of different components and proportions, which can affect the rate and temperature of liquid evaporation. Therefore, suction of equal power and duration performed on the same aerosol supply system using different liquids may tend to contain different masses of aerosol. Therefore, using a single equation to determine the mass of aerosol drawn each time without considering the potential impact of liquid type on the accuracy of the estimate of the remaining liquid volume is problematic.

[0044] It is possible that a particular aerosol supply system is configured to be used only with a single type of liquid. For example, an aerosol supply system may be designed in which the atomizing bomb or reservoir cannot be replaced or the reservoir cannot be refilled. In this arrangement, the type of liquid does not need to be considered when estimating the amount of liquid remaining in the reservoir. All of this requires empirical data (from which the controller uses equations to determine the amount of aerosol being pumped) to be collected using the same type of liquid contained in the reservoir, or alternatively, a type of liquid with the same or similar evaporation characteristics as the type of liquid contained in the reservoir, so that the equations are applicable and give sufficiently accurate results. Therefore, in the current context, a particular type of liquid is considered to have different evaporation characteristics or behaviors than another type of liquid.

[0045] However, other aerosol supply systems are configured to allow users to consume different liquid types by replacing the aerosol cartridge or reservoir with one that may contain a different liquid type, or by refilling the reservoir with a different liquid type. In such arrangements, it is useful that the controller is also able to consider the liquid type when determining the mass of the aerosol being pumped. Therefore, in some embodiments, the controller may be configured to obtain an indication of the liquid type in the reservoir and use the indicated liquid type in addition to the power level value and pumping duration to determine the mass of the aerosol.

[0046] The liquid type can be indicated to the controller in any convenient manner. For example, the atomizer cartridge or reservoir may include an identification element, as described in the context of enabling the controller to determine the total liquid capacity of the reservoir. In the context of liquid type indication, the information or indication carried by the identification element may include an indication of the liquid type, or enable the controller to obtain the liquid type from the identification code of the atomizer cartridge / cartridge. Thus, the controller reads or detects the identification element in or on the reservoir or atomizer cartridge to obtain an indication of the liquid type. In other embodiments, the controller may be configured to detect the liquid type more directly via one or more sensors or detectors capable of detecting the properties or characteristics of the liquid. Optical detectors may detect, for example, the color or opacity of the liquid, which may correspond to the liquid type. The liquid may contain components or additives that can detect and indicate the liquid type (e.g., by fluorescence or having specific reflective properties).

[0047] To account for the possibility of different liquid types in the reservoir, empirical ACM data can be collected for two or more different liquids, in addition to varying power levels and pumping durations. One option is to derive a single equation from the best-fit line or curve fitted to all the data, as described above; however, this is not straightforward because liquid type is not numerical, as the values ​​would need to be attributed to each liquid type, reflecting their distinct evaporation characteristics and their impact on aerosol formation, in order to incorporate liquid type as a parameter into the equation. Therefore, alternative methods have been proposed.

[0048] In the first embodiment, a separate equation is derived from the ACM collected for each type of liquid. Thus, two or more equations are derived, and each equation is provided to the controller and stored relative to its corresponding liquid type or otherwise labeled with its corresponding liquid type. As described above, the controller receives an indication of the liquid type in the reservoir and then uses the appropriate equation for the indicated liquid type to estimate the remaining liquid volume until the liquid volume in the reservoir is depleted. When the reservoir is replaced or refilled, the controller receives an indication of the liquid type now in the reservoir and continues accordingly with the appropriate equation.

[0049] In other embodiments, a single equation, along with offset values ​​corresponding to different liquid types, is stored by a controller, and the controller is configured to apply appropriate offset values ​​to the results of the equation corresponding to the indicated liquid type. The offset values ​​compensate for the aerosol mass determined by the equation for the liquid type that has been evaporated. For example, the offset values ​​may be in the form of a percentage increase or decrease applied to the result of the equation, or an absolute value of the increase or decrease. The offset values ​​can be determined by deriving the equation for each liquid type from ACM empirical data, selecting one of these equations (perhaps the most commonly used liquid type), and evaluating how much the function of each equation deviates from the function of the selected equation. Then, when the liquid type differs from the liquid type of the selected equation, the controller can apply the offset values ​​to the results of the selected equation to adjust the results to be close to those calculated using the equation for the relevant liquid. Several alternatives have been proposed for the use of offsets.

[0050] In the first alternative, a single offset value is determined for each liquid type. This is a simple approach that assumes the effect of a different liquid type on evaporation is consistent across all power levels and pumping durations, and the result of the equation can be adjusted up or down by a fixed amount or percentage to compensate for the liquid's influence. This is advantageous because the storage requirements for storing these offsets in the controller's memory are low, but this can come at the cost of accuracy if differences in evaporation characteristics between liquids are not well represented by a fixed adjustment.

[0051] Figure 6 A simplified graphical representation of the equations for an embodiment with offsets is shown. The lines representing the equations for each of the three liquids X, Y, and Z are curves of aerosol mass versus suction parameters (suction duration and power level). Liquid X produces a certain amount of aerosol during suction. The equation for liquid X is stored in the controller. Liquid Y produces a smaller amount of aerosol per suction, and this can be calculated by applying an offset "a" to the aerosol mass calculated using the equation for liquid X, where "a" has a negative value, or is a percentage less than 100%, thus reducing the calculated aerosol mass. Liquid Z produces a larger amount of aerosol per suction, and this can be calculated by applying an offset "b" to the aerosol mass calculated using the equation for liquid X, where "b" has a positive value, or is a percentage greater than 100%, thus increasing the calculated aerosol mass. The controller uses the indicated liquid type to select the appropriate offset to apply to the equation, where, when the liquid type is liquid X, zero offset is applied or the offset step is omitted.

[0052] In the second alternative, it is recognized that a single offset value for each liquid type may not accurately reflect the variation in aerosol mass resulting from the evaporation characteristics of different liquids, as these variations may not be constant or a constant proportion across all pumping parameters. For example, variations may exist in the available power level schemes in the aerosol supply system. Therefore, in this embodiment, for each liquid type for which empirical data has been collected, a determined offset value is established for each of several power level values. The offset may be in the form of an absolute value or a percentage, to adjust the equation results upward or downward as previously done. All these offset values ​​are stored in the controller, labeled or stored with their corresponding liquid type and power level value plus a single equation used to calculate the aerosol mass from the power level value and the pumping duration, which has been determined from empirical data for one liquid type. The controller receives an indication of the liquid type, calculates the equation when pumping occurs to determine the aerosol mass in the pump using the pumping duration and power level value, and adjusts the equation results using the offset value for the indicated liquid type and the power level of the pump. This is particularly suitable for aerosol delivery systems where multiple fixed power level settings are available for user selection (rather than selecting from a continuous range), allowing an offset to be derived at each fixed power level for improved accuracy. However, this method is not excluded for systems with a continuous range of power levels, or for systems that provide power level settings different from or other than the user-selectable power level values. The controller can be configured to select an offset corresponding to the power level value closest to the pumped power level value, or, for example, by always rounding up or always rounding down the pumped power level value. This alternative requires storing more offset values ​​in the controller's memory but can provide improved accuracy in determining the aerosol quality during pumping.

[0053] In the third alternative, an offset value is used in conjunction with the aspiration duration. Two or more aspiration durations are specified, and an offset value is determined from each of these specified aspiration durations for each liquid type for which empirical data has been collected. Again, the offset can be in the form of an absolute value or a percentage to adjust the equation result up or down. The offset values ​​are stored in the controller, tagged or stored with their corresponding liquid type and aspiration duration, along with a single equation used to calculate the aerosol mass from the power level and aspiration duration, which has been determined from empirical data for a liquid type, as previously described. The controller receives an indication of the liquid type and calculates the equation when aspiration occurs to determine the aerosol mass in that aspiration using the aspiration duration and power level value. However, because the aspiration duration can vary on a continuous scale and depends entirely on the user's behavior for a particular aspiration, the actual aspiration duration will be unlikely to match any specified aspiration duration for which multiple offset values ​​have already been provided. Therefore, to obtain offset values ​​to adjust the equation results, the controller retrieves a pair of offset values ​​stored for the indicated liquid type, where the actual aspiration duration value lies between two aspiration values ​​of the offset value. The controller then interpolates between the retrieved pair of offset values ​​to obtain an offset value corresponding to the actual aspiration duration. For example, if there are stored offset values ​​for a one-second aspiration duration and for a three-second aspiration duration, the interpolated offset value for a two-second aspiration duration will be the average of the offset values ​​for the one-second and three-second durations. However, any mathematical interpolation technique can be used. The controller then applies the interpolated offset value to the aerosol mass calculated from the stored equation to adjust for the liquid type and thereby determine the aspiration mass. The storage requirements of the controller's memory for this method will depend on the number of specified aspiration durations for which offset values ​​are determined, where accuracy can be increased by specifying more aspiration durations (with closer intervals) at the cost of increased storage requirements to obtain more offset values.

[0054] The methods described above for adjusting the liquid type using offset values ​​for specific power levels or specific aspiration durations can be modified or combined. For example, in cases where neither the aspiration power level value nor any of the stored offset values ​​match, interpolation between the offset values ​​for the two power level values ​​can be used. Multiple offset values ​​can be obtained and stored for multiple aspiration duration values ​​to increase the chance of a match between the actual aspiration duration and the aspiration duration value with the offset, and in the absence of a match, the controller can select the offset value of the aspiration duration closest to the actual aspiration duration value, or always round up or down to the next or previous aspiration duration to select the offset value.

[0055] The preceding text described the use of a lookup table as an alternative to calculating the equations for each pumping operation. This lookup table maps power level and pumping duration values ​​to aerosol mass derived from the equations and used by the controller to determine the pumped aerosol mass. This concept can be extended to manage different liquid types by constructing and storing lookup tables based on equations derived from empirical data for each liquid type. The stored lookup tables are labeled with or referenced to the relevant liquid type. The controller then retrieves the aerosol mass corresponding to the obtained pumping duration and power level values ​​from the lookup table for the indicated liquid type.

[0056] It is possible that the controller cannot obtain an indication of the type of liquid in the reservoir. For example, the liquid type may not match any liquid type the controller is configured to handle, and is therefore unknown or unidentifiable to the controller. The identification element in the atomizing cartridge or reservoir designed to indicate the liquid type to the controller may be defective, missing, or otherwise unreadable or undetectable by the controller. In this case, the controller may be configured not to perform an estimation of the remaining liquid level to avoid indicating inaccurate liquid consumption information to the user. Alternatively, and more usefully, the controller may be configured to default to using an equation, offset, or lookup table corresponding to one of these liquid types, such as the most "average" liquid type known to the controller (e.g., having an intermediate evaporation characteristic or behavior, such as...). Figure 6 (Liquid X in the sample). It can be assumed that this liquid type is most likely similar to the unknown liquid type, which may make the determined aerosol mass result more accurate.

[0057] As described above, the aerosol supply device may include an indicator for informing the user of the amount of liquid in the reservoir. The controller is then configured to operate the indicator to indicate the estimated amount of liquid in the reservoir using an estimate obtained based on the mass of aerosol being drawn in, as determined as described above. The indicator may be configured to provide a visual indication to the user, such as including one or more lights (e.g., LEDs) that can be illuminated, or a display screen for displaying numbers, letters, or symbols. Since the information indicated to the user is the amount of liquid present or remaining in the aerosol cartridge with a certain liquid capacity when fully charged, the indicator may be configured to indicate the estimated amount of liquid in the reservoir as a percentage of the total liquid capacity remaining. For example, it may display “50%”, “0.5”, “1 / 2”, “one-half”, or an equivalent symbol when half of the original total liquid capacity has been used and half remains in the reservoir, or “25%”, “0.25”, “1 / 4”, “one-quarter”, or any equivalent symbol when three-quarters of the original total liquid capacity has been used and one-quarter remains in the reservoir.

[0058] The indicator can be updated after each aspiration to report to the user each minute reduction in the remaining liquid level, for example, by displaying the remaining amount as a percentage. However, such levels of detail and resolution may not be particularly valued by the user, and reporting in steps of larger reductions at lower resolution may be more helpful and easier to understand. This approach is also easier to represent using symbolic, non-numerical indicators. Furthermore, indicating the user with larger steps or ranges of the remaining liquid percentage protects them from inaccuracies inherent in the estimation, such as the systematic and random errors mentioned above. For example, the estimated remaining amount within a range around a half-full reservoir can simply be represented as "half-full," which most users would find sufficiently detailed and useful.

[0059] Therefore, while the controller can calculate the aerosol mass in each aspiration and can estimate the amount of liquid in the reservoir by subtracting the aspiration mass after each aspiration (as an alternative to periodically subtracting the aspiration mass accumulated after several aspirations, such as after every two, five, or ten aspirations), it is not necessary in all instances to indicate this change to the user after each aspiration. Instead, in some embodiments, it is proposed to periodically update the indication of the amount of liquid in the reservoir only when the estimated remaining amount decreases below a predetermined threshold level. In this case, the decrease between threshold levels will not be specifically indicated. This can be understood as the total liquid capacity of the reservoir (i.e., the amount of liquid held in the reservoir when full) being divided into N ranges (where N is an integer) of the remaining proportion of the total liquid capacity, and the indicator being configured to indicate or represent each of the N ranges, and operable by the controller to indicate or represent which of the N ranges the remaining liquid amount in the reservoir falls into at any given time.

[0060] A relatively small number of ranges can be used, further reducing the resolution of the liquid level indication presented to the user. For example, five or fewer ranges can be used, i.e., N ≤ 5. Furthermore, the N ranges can be chosen to have unequal sizes. In other words, at least one of the N ranges can be a larger proportion of the total liquid capacity than at least another of the N ranges. Alternatively, ranges of equal size can be used, but unequal ranges can help protect the user from inherent inaccuracies in the estimation. For example, if these inaccuracies are considered greater when the reservoir is closer to full or closer to empty, larger ranges can be assigned to the proportions of fuller or emptier reservoirs. Moreover, users may be more concerned with knowing when the reservoir is empty than with consumption when it is near full, so smaller proportions for emptier reservoirs can be useful to effectively increase the resolution of the indication as the reservoir empties.

[0061] As an example, assume N=5. For each range from 1 to 5, the indicator displays a different indication or representation to the user. If the total reservoir capacity is specified as liquid volume F, then range 1 can correspond to liquid volumes between F and f, where f < F, and f is a threshold between range 1 and range 2. When the estimated liquid volume is F or less than F but greater than f, the indicator operates to display the representation of range 1. Range 2 corresponds to liquid volumes between f and f', where f' < f, and f' is a threshold between range 2 and range 3. When the estimated liquid volume drops below f, the controller operates the indicator to display the representation of range 2. Range 3 corresponds to liquid volumes between f' and f'', where f'' < f', and f'' is a threshold between range 3 and range 4. When the estimated liquid volume drops below f', the controller operates the indicator to display the representation of range 3. Range 4 corresponds to liquid volumes between f'' and f''', where f''' < f'', and f''' is a threshold between range 4 and range 5. When the estimated liquid volume drops below f'', the controller operates the indicator to display a range of 4. Range 5 corresponds to the liquid volume between f''' and 0, and when the estimated liquid volume drops below f''', the controller operates the indicator to display a range of 5.

[0062] In this embodiment, range 1 can represent a full memory, and range 5 can represent an empty memory.

[0063] As an example only, when N=5, if the range is defined as a percentage of the total reservoir capacity F (100%), the thresholds between the ranges can be selected such that f=75%, f'=60%, f''=37.5%, and f'''=12.5%. Therefore, range 1 covers 25% of the total reservoir capacity (100% to 75%), range 2 covers 15% (75% to 60%), range 3 covers 22.5% (37.5% to 60%), range 4 covers 25% (12.5% ​​to 37.5%), and range 5 covers 12.5% ​​(0% to 12.5%). Thus, the ranges have different sizes, as described above. The range sizes can be selected to accommodate inaccuracies in the estimation.

[0064] Figure 7A schematic representation of a first instance of an indication that can be shown by an indicator for N=5 is shown; in other words, the indicator is configured to show five different indications or representations, one for each of the five ranges. In this non-limiting embodiment, these representations have the form of adjacent blocks or bars 50 (e.g., which can be displayed on an LCD screen), each representation having a different number of bars, and the number of bars decreasing from four to zero from range R1 to range R5. This form of indication is similar to the battery level indicators commonly displayed on consumer electronics devices, so it will be familiar and easy for the user to understand. Note that while four bars of equal size are used to indicate 100%, 75%, 50%, 25%, and 0% remaining liquid levels to the user, the thresholds between the ranges of chance that trigger from one representation to the next (as described above) do not necessarily match these values. For example, they could have the values ​​given in the preceding paragraphs. This further protects the user from the inherent errors in the method, which arise from equations derived using empirical data collected from systems with unconsidered inherent variations.

[0065] In another embodiment, N=4, such that the total reservoir capacity is divided into four ranges. As an example only, the thresholds between these ranges can be chosen as 60%, 37.5%, and 12.5%, such that range 1 covers the estimated liquid volume between 100% and 60%, range 2 covers the estimated liquid volume between 60% and 37.5%, range 3 covers the estimated liquid volume between 37.5% and 12.5%, and range 4 covers the estimated liquid volume between 12.5% ​​and 0%. Therefore, these ranges again have unequal sizes.

[0066] Figure 8 A schematic representation of a second embodiment of an indication that can be shown by an indicator for N=4 is shown; in other words, the indicator is configured to show four different indications or representations, each of the four ranges having one indication or representation. In this non-limiting embodiment, these representations have an illumination form of one or more lights (such as LEDs), wherein different illumination colors and / or sequences and / or brightness are used for each range. This can also be achieved by displaying colored symbols on a screen. Figure 8 In this system, different shades are used to represent different colors. For example, a "traffic light" system could be used where a green light or symbol is displayed for the estimated liquid level in range R1 (suggesting "full" to the user), an amber or yellow light or symbol is displayed for the estimated liquid level in range R2, a red light or symbol is displayed for the estimated liquid level in range R3, and a flashing red light is displayed for the estimated liquid level in range R4 (suggesting "empty" or "nearly empty" to the user).

[0067] Many other forms of representation that can be displayed by an indicator will be obvious to a person skilled in the art, and this disclosure is not limited to the examples above. Visual non-digital indicators are considered useful because they are easy and widely understood, but if preferred, the estimated remaining liquid can be indicated digitally.

[0068] As mentioned above Figure 3 and Figure 4 It has been noted that in some operating conditions of the aerosol supply system, the error in determining the mass of aerosol being pumped from the equations can be more significant. In particular, accuracy may be lower for short pumping durations and low power levels. Therefore, in some embodiments, it is recommended that the estimated volume of liquid in the reservoir not be reported if pumping enters such a state. For example, if the obtained pumping duration value is below a predetermined threshold, the controller can be configured to not operate an indicator, where the threshold is selected to correspond to a pumping duration below which the determination of aerosol mass is considered inaccurate, where the inaccuracy can be appropriately assessed for a particular system, taking into account the quality of the fit of the function to empirical data. Similarly, and alternatively or additionally, the controller can be configured to not operate the indicator when the obtained power level value is below a predetermined threshold, where the threshold is selected to correspond to a power level below which the determination of aerosol mass is considered inaccurate. If the system is used in a sub-threshold manner for an extended period, for example if the user chooses to always operate the aerosol supply system at a very low power level, the indicator can remain inactive until a higher-threshold manner is used. If the sub-threshold state is transient, such as if the user randomly performs a short pump, the controller can be configured not to determine the aerosol mass or estimate the reservoir liquid volume, thus ignoring the short pump during liquid consumption tracking from the reservoir. Alternatively, a predetermined, fixed aerosol mass value can be provided in the controller for use in such cases, based on the possible aerosol mass during short or low-power pumps, instead of a determined aerosol mass value.

[0069] Figure 9A flowchart illustrating the steps of a method for estimating the amount of liquid in an aerosol supply system is shown, generally consistent with the features disclosed above. The method can be performed by a controller included within the aerosol supply system, such as within a device component of the aerosol supply system, which may be coupled to a cartridge component or atomizing cartridge component to form a complete aerosol supply system. A first step S1 is optional and includes obtaining an indication of the liquid type in the reservoir of the aerosol supply system. As mentioned above, considering the liquid type when estimating the liquid amount can improve accuracy, but this step can be omitted, such as for simplicity, or when the liquid type in the reservoir is known and / or cannot be changed. In a second step S2, a power level value is obtained, which is the power level applied to the evaporator of the aerosol supply system during vaping performed by a user of the aerosol supply system. The evaporator operates when powered to generate an aerosol for vaping by evaporating the liquid from the reservoir. In the third step S3 (note that steps S2 and S3 can be performed sequentially or simultaneously), the inhalation duration value is obtained, during which power at the obtained power level value is applied to the vaporizer. After obtaining the power level value and the inhalation duration value, the method proceeds to step S4, where the power level value and the inhalation duration value are used to determine the aerosol mass during inhalation. If an indication of the liquid type in the reservoir was obtained in step S1, this liquid type indication is also used for determination. The aerosol mass can be determined using an equation that correlates the power level and the inhalation duration with the aerosol mass. This equation is a function fitted to empirical data derived from measurements of the mass of aerosol produced during inhalation at known inhalation duration values ​​previously performed on a set of aerosol supply systems or cartridges used in aerosol supply systems, and the aerosol supply system has an vaporizer of the same type as the aerosol supply system in which the method is implemented.

[0070] After the mass of the aerosol being aspirated has been determined, the method proceeds to step S5, in which the determined mass of the aerosol and the previously known amount of liquid in the reservoir are used to estimate the amount of liquid in the reservoir. Optionally, in step S6, an indication of the estimated amount of liquid in the reservoir may be provided to the user of the aerosol supply system. In some embodiments, this indication may usefully be an indication of the remaining percentage of the reservoir's total liquid capacity, which is the amount of liquid in the reservoir when it is full. In some embodiments, the indication may be a visual non-numerical indication.

[0071] In summary, to address various problems and improve the prior art, this disclosure illustrates, by way of description, various embodiments in which the claimed invention can be implemented. The advantages and features of this disclosure are merely representative examples of embodiments and are not exhaustive and / or exclusive. They are intended only to aid in understanding and teaching the claimed invention. It should be understood that the advantages, embodiments, examples, functions, features, structures, and / or other aspects of this disclosure should not be considered as limitations on this disclosure as defined by the claims or on the equivalents of the claims, and other embodiments may be utilized and modifications may be made without departing from the scope of the claims. In addition to those specifically described herein, various embodiments may suitably include various combinations of, constitute, or substantially constitute various combinations of the disclosed elements, components, features, portions, steps, devices, etc. This disclosure may include other inventions not currently claimed but which may be claimed in the future.

Claims

1. An apparatus for an aerosol supply system, comprising: The controller is configured as follows: A power level value is obtained, which indicates the power level applied to the evaporator of the aerosol supply system during suction performed by the user, the evaporator being configured to generate aerosols by evaporating liquid from the reservoir of the aerosol supply system. Obtain the suction duration value, which indicates the duration of suction. The power level value and the suction duration value are used to determine the mass of aerosol generated by the evaporator during suction. as well as The amount of liquid in the reservoir after aspiration is estimated by using the determined mass of the aerosol and the known amount of liquid in the reservoir before aspiration.

2. The apparatus according to claim 1, wherein, The controller is also configured to obtain an indication of the liquid type of the liquid in the reservoir, and to use the indicated liquid type to determine the mass of the aerosol, in addition to the power level value and the suction duration value.

3. The apparatus according to claim 1 or 2, wherein, The controller is configured to determine the mass of the aerosol using an equation that correlates power level and puff duration with the mass of the aerosol. This equation is obtained by fitting empirical data from measurements of the mass of the aerosol generated during puffing, performed on a cluster of aerosol supply systems with vaporizers of the same type as the aerosol supply system, or on a cluster of cartridges for the aerosol supply system with vaporizers of the same type as the aerosol supply system, given known puff duration and power level values.

4. The apparatus according to claim 3, wherein, The equation was obtained by linearly fitting the empirical data.

5. The apparatus according to claim 3, wherein, The equation was obtained by nonlinear fitting of empirical data.

6. The apparatus according to any one of claims 3 to 5, wherein, The controller stores the equation and is configured to determine the mass of aerosol being drawn in by using the mass of aerosol calculated using the equation.

7. The apparatus according to claim 6 when dependent on claim 2, wherein, The controller stores one or more additional equations, each of which is obtained by fitting empirical data from measurements taken using different liquid types, and the controller is configured to use the equation corresponding to the indicated liquid type.

8. The apparatus according to claim 6 when dependent on claim 2, wherein, The controller stores offset values ​​for the equation, each offset value being used to compensate for the equation for a different liquid type, and the controller is configured to use the offset value corresponding to the indicated liquid type to compensate for the mass of aerosol determined from the equation.

9. The apparatus according to claim 6 when dependent on claim 2, wherein, The controller stores offset values ​​for the equation, including offset values ​​for each of a set of power levels for each of the different liquid types, and the controller is configured to use offset values ​​corresponding to the obtained power level values ​​and the indicated liquid type to compensate for the mass of aerosol determined from the equation.

10. The apparatus according to claim 6 when dependent on claim 2, wherein, The controller stores offset values ​​for the equation, including offset values ​​for two or more aspiration durations for each of the different liquid types, and the controller is configured to select a pair of offset values ​​corresponding to the indicated liquid type, interpolate between these offset values ​​to obtain an interpolated offset value corresponding to the obtained aspiration duration, and use the interpolated offset value to compensate for the mass of aerosol determined from the equation.

11. The apparatus according to any one of claims 3 to 5, wherein, The controller stores a lookup table constructed using the equation, which maps a power level value or a range of power level values ​​to a suction duration value or a range of suction duration values ​​to a value of aerosol mass, and is configured to use the lookup table to determine the mass of the suctioned aerosol.

12. The apparatus according to claim 11 when dependent on claim 2, wherein, The controller stores one or more additional lookup tables, each constructed using equations fitted to empirical data from measurements taken with different liquid types, and the controller is configured to use the lookup tables corresponding to the indicated liquid type to determine the mass of the aspirated aerosol.

13. The apparatus according to any one of the preceding claims further comprises: An indicator for indicating to a user the amount of liquid in the reservoir, wherein the controller is configured to operate the indicator to indicate the estimated amount of liquid in the reservoir.

14. The apparatus according to claim 13, wherein, The indicator is configured to indicate the estimated amount of liquid in the reservoir as a remaining percentage of the reservoir's total liquid capacity.

15. The apparatus according to claim 14, wherein, The total liquid capacity of the reservoir is divided into N ranges representing a remaining proportion of the total liquid capacity, the indicator is configured to indicate each of the N ranges, and the controller is configured to operate the indicator to indicate the range into which the estimated amount of liquid in the reservoir falls.

16. The apparatus according to claim 15, wherein, The N ranges are of unequal size.

17. The apparatus according to claim 15 or claim 16, wherein, N is 5 or less.

18. The apparatus according to any one of claims 13 to 17, wherein, The indicator is configured to provide a visual, non-digital indication.

19. The apparatus according to any one of claims 13 to 18, wherein, The controller is also configured to not operate the indicator if the obtained power level value is below a predetermined threshold, wherein the threshold corresponds to a power level below which the determination of aerosol quality is considered inaccurate, and / or to not operate the indicator if the obtained aspiration duration value is below a predetermined threshold, wherein the threshold corresponds to an aspiration duration below which the determination of aerosol quality is considered inaccurate.

20. An aerosol supply system comprising the apparatus according to any one of claims 1 to 19.

21. A method for estimating the amount of liquid in an aerosol supply system, the method comprising: A power level value is obtained, which indicates the power level applied to the evaporator of the aerosol supply system during suction by the user, the evaporator being configured to generate aerosols by evaporating liquid from the reservoir of the aerosol supply system. Obtain the suction duration value, which indicates the duration of suction. The power level value and the suction duration value are used to determine the mass of aerosol generated by the evaporator during suction. as well as The amount of liquid in the reservoir after aspiration is estimated by using the determined mass of the aerosol and the known amount of liquid in the reservoir before aspiration.

22. The method of claim 21, further comprising: The liquid type of the liquid in the reservoir is indicated, and the mass of the aerosol is determined in addition to the power level value and the suction duration value.

23. The method according to claim 21 or claim 22, wherein, The mass of the aerosol is determined using an equation that correlates power level and puff duration with the mass of the aerosol. This equation is a function fitted with empirical data derived from measurements of the mass of the aerosol generated during puffing. These measurements are performed on a cluster of aerosol supply systems with vaporizers of the same type as the aerosol supply system, or on a cluster of cartridges with vaporizers of the same type as the aerosol supply system, with known puff duration and power level values.

24. The method according to any one of claims 21 to 23, further comprising: The estimated amount of liquid in the reservoir is provided to the user as a percentage of the total liquid capacity remaining in the reservoir.

25. The method according to claim 24, wherein, The indication is a visual, non-numerical indication.

Images