Fall response procedures for aerosol-generating devices

Abstract

To provide fall detection and associated response procedures for an aerosol-generating device that is initiated in response to, especially, one or more acceleration values.SOLUTION: A response procedure for an aerosol-generating device includes detecting a fall or shock using at least one acceleration value and initiating at least one response procedure using a controller. Acceleration values are provided by at least one accelerometer coupled to the aerosol-generating device. The response procedures may include initiating a mechanical change in the aerosol-generating device, initiating a modification to an external device interface, generating a human-perceptible beacon, storing data associated with the fall or shock in a persistent or non-volatile memory, initiating a diagnostic routine, monitoring for a lost device condition, and initiating a soft shutdown or restart.SELECTED DRAWING: Figure 1

Description

[Technical field]

[0001] The present disclosure relates to fall detection and related response procedures for aerosol generating devices, and in particular to response procedures initiated in response to one or more acceleration values. [Background technology]

[0002] Handheld aerosol generating devices, such as cartomizer e-cigarettes, are known, which utilize vaporized liquids or heated solid materials (which may include tobacco) to generate an inhalable aerosol. These devices may provide an alternative experience to traditional combustion cigarettes. Some devices may adopt a look and feel similar to traditional cigarettes, which may be familiar, easy to handle, portable, and simple to manufacture. In contrast to traditional cigarettes, e-cigarettes may have electronic circuits and other components that may be damaged due to the impact of a drop or impact. Such damage may have undesirable effects on the proper functioning of the device. It may be difficult for customer care to service the device without knowing how the device has been damaged.

[0003] It would be beneficial to provide an aerosol generating device with a response procedure that is implemented in response to a drop or impact that facilitates the desired functioning of the device, especially when damaged. It would also be beneficial to provide a response procedure that facilitates locating the aerosol generating device if it is lost after a drop. It would also be beneficial to provide a response procedure that facilitates proper maintenance of the aerosol generating device if the device is damaged. Summary of the Invention

[0004] Various aspects of the present disclosure relate to detecting a fall or impact based on at least one acceleration value using a controller, the acceleration value may be provided to the controller by at least one accelerometer coupled to the aerosol generating device.

[0005] Various aspects of the present disclosure relate to response procedures initiated upon detection of a drop or impact, including at least one of initiating mechanical changes within the aerosol generating device, initiating modifications to an external device interface, generating a human perceptible beacon, storing data associated with the drop or impact in persistent or non-volatile memory, initiating diagnostic routines, monitoring for lost device status, and initiating a soft shutdown or reboot.

[0006] Various aspects of the present disclosure relate to a non-transitory computer readable storage medium including a computer program stored thereon that, when executed on a programmable electrical circuit, causes the programmable electrical circuit to perform at least one of the response procedures.

[0007] In one aspect of the disclosure, a method for use with an aerosol generating device having a power source includes receiving at least one acceleration value, detecting a drop or impact based on the at least one acceleration value, and initiating at least one response procedure after detecting the drop or impact, the at least one response procedure including initiating a mechanical change within the aerosol generating device, initiating a modification to an external device interface, initiating a soft shutdown or reboot, generating a human perceptible beacon, monitoring a lost device status, storing data associated with the drop or impact in persistent or non-volatile memory, and initiating a diagnostic routine.

[0008] In another aspect of the present disclosure, an aerosol generating device includes a power source operably coupled to the aerosolizer and configured to generate an aerosol from the aerosol-generating substrate. The aerosol generating device also includes at least one accelerometer configured to measure at least one acceleration value. The aerosol generating device further includes a controller operably coupled to the power source and the accelerometer. The controller includes a processor configured to implement the methods of the present disclosure.

[0009] In another aspect of the disclosure, a non-transitory computer readable storage medium includes a computer program stored thereon that, when executed on a programmable electrical circuit, causes the programmable electrical circuit to perform the method.

[0010] In one or more aspects, the method includes detecting an end of the drop or impact based on the at least one acceleration value.

[0011] In one or more aspects, at least one of the response procedures is initiated prior to detecting the end of the drop or impact.

[0012] In one or more aspects, at least one of the response procedures is initiated after detecting the end of the drop or impact.

[0013] In one or more embodiments, the mechanical alteration includes at least one of sealing an aerosol-generating substrate container, unsealing a pressurized container, and electrically and mechanically isolating a power source.

[0014] In one or more aspects, the data associated with the drop or impact in persistent or non-volatile memory includes at least one of the drop or impact, a timestamp, a maximum acceleration value, a drop duration, a drop height, an impact value, a diagnostic flag, a static motion duration, a drop count, and device settings.

[0015] In one or more embodiments, the method further includes determining a drop or impact variance.

[0016] In one or more aspects, at least one response procedure is initiated in response to at least one of a drop or impact, a fall duration exceeding a time threshold, a maximum acceleration value, a fall height exceeding a height threshold, and an impact value exceeding an impact threshold.

[0017] In one or more aspects, at least one response procedure is initiated according to a priority or user preference.

[0018] In one or more aspects, initiating the diagnostic routine includes at least one of performing the diagnostic routine after the drop or impact has ended, writing a flag to persistent or non-volatile memory to perform the diagnostic routine after the next device startup, displaying a warning related to the drop or impact, and storing the drop or impact in persistent or non-volatile memory.

[0019] In one or more embodiments, the diagnostic routine includes checking the resistance of the aerosolizer.

[0020] In one or more embodiments, monitoring the lost device status includes detecting a static operation duration of the aerosol generating device after detecting a drop or impact, and communicating a lost signal in response to the static position duration exceeding a lost time threshold.

[0021] In one or more embodiments, initiating the modification to the external device interface includes stopping a charging routine between the external power source and a power source of the aerosol generating device.

[0022] Advantageously, utilizing drop detection and associated response procedures with an aerosol generating device may facilitate safeguarding of power, heat, data, or consumables before, during, or after a drop or impact. The response procedures may provide information to a user to aid in locating the aerosol generating device after a drop or impact, even if the user is not yet aware that the aerosol generating device is lost. The response procedures may also facilitate customer care of damaged aerosol generating devices by understanding how the device was damaged. Other benefits will be apparent to those of ordinary skill in the art having the benefit of this disclosure.

[0023] All scientific and technical terms used herein have meanings commonly used in the art unless otherwise specified. The definitions provided herein are provided to facilitate understanding of certain terms used frequently herein.

[0024] The term "aerosol-generating device" refers to a device configured to use an aerosol-generating substrate to generate an aerosol. The aerosol-generating device also preferably includes an aerosolizer, such as an atomizer, cartomizer, or heater.

[0025] The term "aerosol-generating substrate" refers to a device or substrate that upon heating releases volatile compounds that can form an aerosol that is inhaled by a user. Suitable aerosol-generating substrates may include plant-derived materials. For example, the aerosol-generating substrate may include tobacco or tobacco-containing materials that contain volatile tobacco flavor compounds that are released from the aerosol-generating substrate upon heating. Additionally or alternatively, the aerosol-generating substrate may include non-tobacco-containing materials. The aerosol-generating substrate may include homogenized plant-derived materials. The aerosol-generating substrate may include at least one aerosol former. The aerosol-generating substrate may include other additives and ingredients, such as flavorants. The aerosol-generating substrate is preferably liquid at room temperature. For example, the aerosol-forming substrate may be a liquid solution, suspension, dispersion, or the like. In some preferred embodiments, the aerosol-generating substrate includes glycerol, propylene glycol, water, nicotine, and optionally one or more flavorants. Preferably, the aerosol-generating substrate includes nicotine.

[0026] The term "tobacco material" refers to a material or substance that contains tobacco, including, for example, a tobacco blend or flavored tobacco.

[0027] The term "cartomizer" refers to the cartridge and atomizer combination that is part of an electronic cigarette.

[0028] The terms "falling" or "falling" as used herein refer to the state of an object when gravity acts on the object, causing a change in acceleration toward the Earth's center of gravity. The acceleration caused by gravity is 1 G toward the center of gravity. 1 G on Earth is approximately 9.8 m / s 2 It is.

[0029] The terms "free fall" or "freely falling" as used herein refer to the state of an object in which the object falls due to gravity without any other significant forces that change the object's acceleration. An object in free fall on Earth may fall toward the center of gravity of the Earth.

[0030] The term "impact" refers to a sudden acceleration or deceleration of an object and may be described as a transient physical excitation. An impact may occur, for example, as a result of a fall when an object strikes the ground. The difference between an impact and a fall or free fall may be determined based on detecting the sudden acceleration or deceleration.

[0031] The term "impact" refers to the result of an object colliding with another object, such as the ground. The impact may be described in terms of acceleration, deceleration, force, or other effects due to the collision.

[0032] The term "accelerometer" refers to any suitable device that measures acceleration, which may be described as acceleration relative to free fall or acceleration experienced by a person or object.

[0033] The term "initiate" refers to the act of starting a process. A process may include multiple acts. For example, the opening or unsealing of a seal may be initiated by a controller, which sends a command or signal to an actuator, which physically performs the opening of the seal. Some or all of the acts of a process may be performed by the component that initiates the process. For example, an actuator may be considered part of a controller that performs all the acts of opening the seal.

[0034] While certain frequently used terms have been defined above, the response procedures of the present disclosure are described in more detail herein. In general, the response procedures may be initiated by the aerosol generating device in response to detecting a fall or impact. The procedures may be initiated at various times, such as before, during, or after detecting the fall or impact.

[0035] The aerosol generating device may include various components for use as an aerosol generating device and for performing a response procedure. For example, the aerosol generating device may include at least one of a housing, an accelerometer, a controller, a power source, an external device interface, an actuator, a communication interface, a pressurized container, a display, a speaker, a switch, a smoke puff sensor, an aerosolizer, and an aerosol-generating substrate. Certain components may be included to contribute to the generation of aerosol during general use, such as one or more of a controller, a power source, an external device interface, a switch, a smoke puff sensor, an aerosolizer, and an aerosol-generating substrate. Certain components may be included to contribute to the performance of a response procedure, such as one or more of an accelerometer, a controller, a power source, an actuator, a communication interface, a display, and a speaker.

[0036] The aerosol generating device may be charged or recharged. The power source may be portable so that the aerosol generating device may be used in a variety of locations. A specially designed charger may be operably coupled to the aerosol generating device to charge the portable power source of the aerosol generating device. The aerosol device charger may include another portable power source that may store electrical energy for charging the portable power source of the aerosol generating device when operably coupled. The charger may be connected to a non-portable power source, such as a wall outlet, to recharge at least one of the portable power sources.

[0037] The aerosol device charger may be external to the aerosol generating device and removably coupleable to the aerosol generating device. For example, the aerosol generating device may include an external device interface, which may include a charging interface that may be operably coupled to an interface of the charger. The charger may be portable such that a user may hold and carry the aerosol generating device coupled to the charger. One example of a charger is the IQOS charger sold by Philip Morris Products SA (Neuchâtel, Switzerland).

[0038] The housing may be used to house the components of the aerosol generating device. Some of the components may be coupled to the housing. The housing may provide a size and shape suitable for being held by a user's hand and inhaled by the user's mouth. The housing may be integrally formed in one piece or may be removably coupled together with multiple pieces.

[0039] The aerosol generating device may include a controller portion and a consumable portion. The housing may be divided between the controller portion and the consumable portion. In general, the controller portion may include components that are not intended to be replaced, and the consumable portion may include components that are intended to be replaced over the useful life of the aerosol generating device. For example, the controller portion may include a switch, a puff sensor, at least a portion of the aerosolizer, an accelerometer, a controller, a power source, an actuator, a communication interface, a display, or a speaker. The consumable portion may include, for example, an aerosol generating substrate or a portion of the aerosolizer. The controller and the consumable portion may be permanently or removably coupled together. The consumable portion may be replaced in its entirety, or various components of the consumable portion may be removed and replaced. The consumable portion may also be described as a mouth portion and may include a mouthpiece to facilitate a user taking a puff.

[0040] The aerosol-generating substrate may take any suitable form. For example, the substrate may be a solid or a liquid. The substrate may be contained within a substrate housing or cartridge, which may be coupled to a consumable portion of the housing. The aerosolizer is operably coupled to the aerosol-generating substrate and may generate an aerosol when activated.

[0041] The aerosolizer may also be coupled to the housing of the aerosol generating device. Some or all of the aerosolizer may be coupled to a consumable portion of the housing. Some or all of the aerosolizer may be coupled to a controller portion of the housing.

[0042] The aerosolizer may utilize any suitable technology to generate an aerosol from the aerosol-generating substrate. In some cases, the aerosolizer may be thermally or fluidly coupled to the aerosol-generating substrate. The aerosolizer may be adapted for use with various types of aerosol-generating substrates.

[0043] The aerosolizer may include a heating blade for use with a solid aerosol-generating substrate. The heating blade may be coupled to the controller portion of the housing, receive power from the power source, and be removably coupled to the consumable portion. For example, to generate an aerosol, the substrate may be provided in the form of a heat stick that includes a solid substrate. The heating blade may be inserted into the heat stick and heated to generate an aerosol from the solid substrate. The solid substrate may be smoking material, such as tobacco. The heat provided to the heat stick by the heating blade may not combust the smoking material.

[0044] The aerosolizer may include a heater, a heater coil, a chemical heat source (such as a carbon heat source), or any suitable means for heating the substrate to generate an aerosol. The aerosolizer may be coupled to a controller portion of the housing, may receive power from a power source, and may be disposed adjacent to the substrate. For example, the aerosolizer may be provided in the form of a heater, and the substrate may be contained within the substrate housing. A heating element of the heater may be disposed adjacent to the substrate housing and heated to generate an aerosol from the liquid or solid substrate. A portion of the aerosolizer may also be coupled to a consumable portion of the housing. For example, the heater coil may include a susceptor coupled to the consumable portion and an induction coil coupled to the controller portion configured to transfer energy to the susceptor to heat the substrate.

[0045] The aerosolizer may include an atomizer. The liquid aerosol-generating substrate may be contained within a substrate housing and in fluid communication with the atomizer. The atomizer may mechanically generate the aerosol from the liquid substrate, which need not be temperature dependent.

[0046] The aerosolizer may be compatible for use with an aerosol-generating substrate having a nicotine source and a lactic acid source. The nicotine source may include a sorption element (such as a polytetrafluoroethylene (PTFE) wick having nicotine adsorbed thereon), which may be inserted into the chamber forming the first compartment. The lactic acid source may include a sorption element (such as a PTFE wick having lactic acid adsorbed thereon), which may be inserted into the chamber forming the second compartment. The aerosolizer may include a heater for heating both the nicotine source and the lactic acid source. The nicotine vapor then reacts with the lactic acid vapor in the gas phase to form an aerosol.

[0047] The aerosolizer may have a capsule containing nicotine particles and be compatible for use with an aerosol-generating substrate disposed within a cavity. During a user's inhalation, airflow may rotate the capsule. The rotation may suspend and aerosolize the nicotine particles.

[0048] The switch may be coupled to a controller portion of the housing. The switch may be disposed in or on the housing such that it is accessible by a user. The switch may utilize any suitable mechanism for accepting input from a user. For example, the switch may include a button or lever. The switch may be activated or deactivated in response to being pressed, toggled, or otherwise manipulated by a user.

[0049] The switch may be associated with one or more functions. In particular, engagement of the switch may initiate various functions of the aerosol generating device. For example, the aerosolizer may be activated in response to engagement of the switch. The switch may be used to power on (e.g., activate) and power off (e.g., deactivate) the aerosolizer or other components.

[0050] Additionally, or as an alternative to a switch, a puff sensor may be operably coupled to the aerosolizer to activate the aerosolizer. The puff sensor may be operably coupled to a controller of the aerosol generating device. The puff sensor may detect inhalation by a user on a mouthpiece of the consumable portion. The puff sensor may be positioned in an airflow channel within the aerosol generating device to detect when a user inhales or puffs on the device. Puffs may be detected by the controller using the puff sensor. Non-limiting types of puff sensors may include one or more of a vibrating membrane, a piezoelectric sensor, a mesh-like membrane, a pressure sensor (e.g., a capacitive pressure sensor), and an airflow switch.

[0051] The switch may be described as part of a user interface of the aerosol generating device, which may include any component that interacts with any of the user's senses, such as touch, sight, hearing, taste, or smell.

[0052] The speaker may also be described as part of the user interface. The speaker may be coupled to the controller portion of the housing. The speaker may be located in or on the housing such that sounds generated by the speaker are audible to the user. The speaker may be of any size and type suitable for generating sounds for the portable aerosol generating device. The speaker may be simple or may include a buzzer to generate one or more tones. The speaker may have higher fidelity than a buzzer and may also be capable of providing audio or musical sounds.

[0053] The display may also be described as part of a user interface. The display may be coupled to the controller portion of the housing. The display may be disposed within or on the housing such that the display is visible to the user. The display may be of any size and type suitable for displaying images on the portable aerosol generating device. The display may be simple and may include a single light source, such as a light emitting diode, one or more pixels, or one or more colors. The display may have a higher resolution than a single light source and may be capable of displaying images.

[0054] The aerosol generating device may include a pressurized container, which is a cartridge filled with vaping-ready aerosol under pressure or liquid under pressure to generate an aerosol. The pressurized container may be used to expand the storage capacity of the cartridge and provide a more inhalation experience. This pressurized container is similar to an air bottle, similar to those used in scuba diving or asthma inhalers.

[0055] The external device interface of the aerosol generating device may include a communication interface. The communication interface may be coupled to the controller portion of the housing. The communication interface may be located within or on the housing.

[0056] The communication interface may be used to operatively couple to other devices to communicate data via a wired or wireless connection. The communication interface may be connected to one or more networks. For example, the communication interface may be connected to a Low Power Wide Area Network (LPWAN), such as one that uses technology from the Sigfox company or the LoRa Alliance organization.

[0057] The communication interface may be operably coupled to a remote user device. For example, the remote user device may be a smartphone, tablet, or other device remote from the aerosol generating device. The remote user device may include its own communication interface that connects to the aerosol generating device. The communication interface of the aerosol generating device may be connected to the Internet directly, or indirectly through a remote user device (e.g., a smartphone), or through a network such as an LPWAN.

[0058] The communication interface may include an antenna for wireless communication. The wireless communication interface may utilize a Bluetooth protocol, such as Bluetooth Low Energy. The communication interface may include a mini Universal Serial Bus (USB) port for wired communication. The wired communication interface may also be used as a power connection for charging.

[0059] The external device interface may be integral with or separate from the wired communication interface and may include a charging interface operably coupled to a power source for recharging the power source. The power source may be coupled to the controller portion of the housing. The power source may be disposed within or on the housing. The power source may be removably attached to the housing (intended to be replaced) or permanently coupled to the housing (not intended to be replaced).

[0060] The power source may provide power to the various components. The power source may be operably coupled to at least the aerosolizer. The power source may be operably coupled to the aerosolizer using a controller.

[0061] The power source may be a battery, which may be disposable or rechargeable.

[0062] The aerosol generating device may include at least one accelerometer. The accelerometer may be coupled to the controller portion of the housing. The accelerometer may be located within or on the housing. The accelerometer may be of any size and type suitable for detecting acceleration of the aerosol generating device. The accelerometer may measure at least one acceleration value. In general, the accelerometer may provide one or more measured acceleration values ​​that describe any acceleration forces applied to the aerosol generating device.

[0063] The accelerometer may be a three-axis accelerometer, which may be used to measure three different acceleration values, one for each axis. Each axis may be orthogonal to the other axes. The acceleration values ​​measured by the accelerometer may be normalized and represented by a single value. For example, a normalized acceleration value A N may be equal to the square root of the sum of the squares of the individual acceleration values. When using a three-axis accelerometer, the normalized acceleration value may be calculated according to Equation 1:

number

[0064] Here, A N is the normalized acceleration value, and A x is the acceleration value along the first axis (x-axis), and A Y is the acceleration value along the second axis (y-axis) perpendicular to the first axis, and A z is an acceleration value along a third axis (z-axis) orthogonal to the first and second axes. The accelerometers may report or provide individual acceleration values, and may optionally provide normalized acceleration values.

[0065] In general, a large acceleration value may mean that the acceleration applied to the device is large. When the device is not moving relative to the Earth, which may be described as a device in a static position, the only acceleration acting on the device may be the Earth's gravity. For example, a user may hold or store the device to resist the device's movement due to gravity. When stationary, the normalized acceleration value may be equal to about 1G. Forces greater than the Earth's gravity may result in individual or normalized acceleration values ​​greater than about 1G.

[0066] During a free fall, the individual and normalized acceleration values ​​may be analyzed to determine various fall characteristics. For example, the normalized acceleration value may be approximately 0G during a free fall. Thus, a free fall may be detected when the normalized acceleration value is equal to approximately 0G.

[0067] The end of free fall may occur when the device lands. The end of free fall may be marked by deceleration of the device (e.g., acceleration against gravity) such that the normalized acceleration value may transition from 0G to non-0G in a short period of time at the end of the fall. This deceleration may be described as an impact. For example, the normalized acceleration value may have an abrupt fluctuation when the device impacts the ground. For example, the normalized value may change from 0 to 1 in less than 1 second. The end of the impact may be marked by the device returning to a static position with the normalized acceleration value approximately equal to 1.

[0068] While some impacts may occur at the end of a fall, not all falls end with an impact and not all impacts begin with a fall. For example, a device being held by a user may be bumped into something that causes an impact without a fall. As another example, a device may be dropped but caught by a user, or may land gently without a sudden change in acceleration, causing a fall without an impact.

[0069] If the device is thrown, the horizontal or vertical acceleration value may increase as the device is thrown, but after the device begins to fall in free fall, the horizontal or vertical acceleration value may equal approximately 0 G. This is also true if the device is thrown with a large force, such that the normalized acceleration value exceeds 1 G before the device is released, and eventually, the normalized acceleration value may equal approximately 0 G after the device begins to fall in free fall.

[0070] The controller may be operatively coupled to the accelerometer to receive at least one acceleration value, such as an individualized acceleration value or a normalized acceleration value. The controller may be coupled to a controller portion of the housing. The controller may be disposed within or on the housing. The controller may also be coupled to other components, such as a power source, an aerosolizer, an actuator, a switch, a display, a speaker, a smoke evacuation sensor, or a communication interface.

[0071] The controller may be used to determine if a drop or impact is detected. The controller may be used to determine when to initiate a response procedure. In particular, the controller of the aerosol generating device may include a processor and a memory. For example, the processor may include a programmable electrical circuit capable of executing a computer program. The functionality of the controller may be implemented in firmware. At least one response procedure may be stored in a non-transitory computer-readable storage medium, such as a memory, and initiated by the processor in response to the processor detecting a drop or impact. The response procedure may be stored in the memory as a computer program. The computer program may control one or more components of the aerosol generating device, such as one or more actuators.

[0072] In some cases, the controller may be described as including an accelerometer. The accelerometer may be integral with the processor of the controller. For example, the processor and the accelerometer may be formed on the same chip or in the same integrated circuit. However, the processor may be a separate component coupled to the accelerometer.

[0073] To receive the acceleration values, the controller may use a sampling rate or frequency for measuring and determining the acceleration values. For each cycle of the sampling rate or frequency, one sample may be taken. One sample may correspond to a set of measurements. For example, the controller may use at least one accelerometer at the sampling rate to take measurements of individual acceleration values ​​and determine a normalized acceleration value in response to each of the set of measurements. One normalized acceleration value may be determined for each of the set of measurements or samples.

[0074] The sampling rate may be constant or uniform over time. However, the sampling rate is not uniform in time and may be adjusted depending on the needs of the device. A faster sampling rate may reduce the time required to detect a fall or impact. However, a faster sampling rate may reduce the amount of time available between charges (e.g., battery life). A value, or data, corresponding to each sample or set of measurements may be stored in memory. The stored values ​​may be used by the processor to determine the characteristics of the free fall or impact.

[0075] Various types of memory may be used in the controller. The memory may include volatile memory. The volatile memory may be used to store data for use by the processor while the memory is powered up (turned on). The data may be lost when the volatile memory is powered down (turned off). Any type of volatile memory suitable for use in a portable aerosol generating device may be used. For example, the volatile memory may include static or dynamic random access memory (SRAM or DRAM).

[0076] The controller's memory may include non-volatile memory (e.g., persistent memory). The non-volatile memory may be used to store data for use by the processor even after the memory is powered down and powered up again. Any type of non-volatile memory suitable for use in a portable aerosol generating device may be used. For example, the non-volatile memory may include non-volatile random access memory (NV-RAM) or electrically erasable programmable read-only memory (EEP-ROM). By using persistent or non-volatile memory, the stored data may be available even after a diagnostic routine or test is completed or the aerosol generating device is reset.

[0077] The sampling rate may be selected to allow the processor to determine that the device is falling before the end of a typical fall that may cause damage to the device. When the normalized acceleration value falls below a threshold, free fall may be detected. One technique for detecting free fall may use only one sample. For example, the sampling rate may be about 100 Hz, which means that one sample is taken every 0.01 seconds. Free fall may be detected at a sample after the device starts to fall, which is up to 0.01 seconds after the start of the fall. According to Equation 2, the device may fall a maximum distance D of 0.5 millimeters in free fall before one sample is taken that may be used to determine that the device is in free fall. D(meters)=1 / 2*1G*t(seconds) 2 (2)

[0078] Here, 1G on Earth is approximately 9.8m / s 2 . Some additional computation time may be required before the processor can determine that the device is undergoing free fall, but this may be at least many times smaller than the time between samples. The threshold value may be any value suitable for the portable aerosol generating device. The threshold value may be selected to balance between minimizing false identification of drops or impacts during typical use and robustly detecting potentially damaging drops. The threshold value may be about 0 or more, about 0.1 or more, about 0.2 or more, about 0.3 or more, about 0.4 or more, about 0.5 or more, about 0.6 or more, about 0.7 or more, about 0.8 or more, or about 0.9 or more. The threshold value may be less than about 1.

[0079] Free fall may be detected by the processor using one or more samples. One technique for detecting free fall may use two or more samples, or multiple samples. When the device is held by a waving user, acceleration may vary. Due to changes in acceleration caused by the movement of the device, using two or more samples may provide a more robust free fall detection compared to a single sample.

[0080] In one embodiment of detecting free fall, the sampling rate is about 50Hz, and the free fall may detect 20 samples after the device starts to fall, which is a maximum of 0.40 seconds after the start of the fall. According to Equation 2, the device may fall a maximum distance D of 196 millimeters in free fall before 20 samples are taken that can be used to determine that the device is in free fall. For example, if the device detects 0G for 20 consecutive samples, the device may determine that free fall is occurring. Some additional computation time may be required before the processor can determine that the device is undergoing free fall, but this may be at least many times smaller than the time between samples. The sample rate may be increased to about 100Hz or about 200Hz if the first detected sample significantly exceeds 1G, for example, 7G, due to the force provided by the user's hand. This may enable the device to determine free fall before the device reaches the floor. The number of samples may be reduced, for example to 10 samples, if the first detected sample significantly exceeds 1G. On the other hand, the sampling rate may be reduced, for example to 10 Hz, if the first detected sample is equal to about 1 G. The number of samples may be reduced, for example to 10, if the first detected sample significantly exceeds 1 G.

[0081] An impact at the end of a fall may be detected using the change in acceleration values ​​over time. After detecting the occurrence of a fall, an impact may be detected using at least two samples. A slope between samples relating acceleration values ​​versus time may be calculated. For example, using a sample rate of 100 Hz, a sample may have a normalized acceleration value equal to about 0, while a subsequent second sample taken 0.01 seconds later may have a normalized acceleration value equal to about 1. The change in acceleration values ​​or slope over time may be equal to about 100. The processor may determine that an impact has occurred when a threshold change value or threshold slope is exceeded. The threshold slope may be about 100 or less, about 90 or less, about 80 or less, about 70 or less, about 60 or less, about 50 or less, about 40 or less, about 30 or less, about 20 or less, about 10 or less, about 9 or less, about 8 or less, about 7 or less, about 6 or less, about 5 or less, about 4 or less, about 3 or less, about 2 or less, about 10 or less, about 9 or less, about 8 or less, about 7 or less, about 6 or less, about 5 or less, about 4 or less, about 3 or less, about 2 or less, or about 1 or less. The threshold slope can be about 1 or more, about 2 or more, about 3 or more, about 4 or more, about 5 or more, about 6 or more, about 7 or more, about 8 or more, about 9 or more, about 10 or more, about 20 or more, about 30 or more, about 40 or more, about 50 or more, about 60 or more, about 70 or more, about 80 or more, about 90 or more, or about 100 or more.

[0082] Prior to detecting a fall or impact, the controller may receive and temporarily store acceleration values, which may be used to determine the onset of a fall or impact. In one example, an impact may be determined based on a sudden change in acceleration values. Once an impact is detected, some historical data prior to the impact may be analyzed to determine characteristics of the fall, such as fall duration and fall height, which may be used to determine the onset of a fall that occurred. For example, for other types of impacts that do not involve a fall, historical data may not be utilized.

[0083] The processor may initiate at least one response procedure after detecting a fall or impact. Different moments associated with a fall or impact may be detected and used as triggers to initiate the response procedure. Detecting a fall or impact includes detecting the start of a fall, detecting the end of a fall, detecting the start of an impact, or detecting the end of an impact. For example, some response procedures may be initiated immediately after detecting the start of a fall to prevent damage before the device hits the ground. Some response procedures may be initiated only after detecting the end of an impact to diagnose damage after the device hits the ground. For example, the end of an impact may be determined in response to a normalized acceleration value becoming approximately 1 to indicate a static position.

[0084] One or more actuators may be coupled to the housing. The actuators may be disposed within or on the housing. In general, the actuators may be operatively coupled to at least one component of the aerosol generating device to affect a mechanical change in the component. The actuators may be operatively coupled to a controller to receive commands or signals to affect a mechanical change. For example, the actuators may seal or unseal a substrate container of the aerosol generating substrate. The actuators may seal or unseal a pressurized container. The actuators may isolate the power source. In particular, the actuators may electrically and mechanically isolate the power source. For example, the electrical and mechanical isolation of the power source may require a user to manually electrically reconnect the power source to other components of the aerosol generating device. The aerosol generating device may not power any components until reconnected.

[0085] One or more components, such as a controller, may include a processor, such as a central processing unit (CPU), computer, logic array, or other device capable of directing data into or out of the aerosol generating device. The controller may include one or more computing devices having memory, processing, and communication hardware. The controller may include circuitry used to couple the various components of the controller together or with other components operably coupled to the controller. The functions of the controller may be implemented by hardware and / or as computer instructions on a non-transitory computer-readable storage medium.

[0086] The processor of the controller may include any one or more of a microprocessor, a microcontroller, a digital signal processor (DSP), an application specific integrated circuit (ASIC), a field programmable gate array (FPGA), and / or equivalent discrete or integrated logic circuitry. In some embodiments, the processor may include multiple components, such as one or more microprocessors, one or more controllers, one or more DSPs, one or more ASICs, and / or one or more FPGAs, and any combination of other discrete or integrated logic circuitry. The functionality attributed to a controller or processor herein may be embodied as software, firmware, hardware, or any combination thereof. Although described herein as a processor-based system, alternative controllers may utilize other components, such as relays and timers, alone or in combination with a microprocessor-based system, to achieve the desired results.

[0087] In one or more embodiments, the exemplary systems, methods, and interfaces may be implemented using one or more computer programs using a computing device, which may include one or more processors and / or memory. The program code and / or logic described herein may be applied to input data / information to perform the functionality described herein and generate desired output data / information. The output data / information may be applied as input to one or more other devices and / or methods, as described herein or as would be applied in a known manner. In view of the above, it will be readily apparent that the controller functions as described herein may be implemented in any manner known to one of ordinary skill in the art.

[0088] A response procedure may be initiated in response to one or more parameters. For example, at least one response procedure may be initiated in response to at least one of detecting a drop or impact, determining that a drop duration exceeds a time threshold, determining that a drop height exceeds a height threshold, or determining that an impact value exceeds an impact threshold. The drop height may be calculated as a drop distance as described in Equation 2. The two parameters of time and drop height may be related to an impact value. A larger drop duration or drop height may be used to predict a larger impact value. A larger impact value may result in more damage or a different type of damage to the device. A particular response procedure may be more useful to initiate in response to certain thresholds being exceeded or not exceeded. In one embodiment, electrically and mechanically isolating the power source may be initiated in response to determining that a drop duration exceeds a time threshold or that a drop height exceeds a height threshold. As another example, a particular diagnostic procedure may be initiated if a particular threshold, such as an impact threshold, is exceeded.

[0089] The response procedures may be initiated according to a priority order, which may be adjusted by user preferences. The priority order may, for example, give higher priority to response procedures that may directly protect the device from damage over other types of response procedures. Non-limiting examples of response procedures that may directly protect the device from damage include sealing a substrate container, unsealing a pressurized container, or isolating a power source. The user preferences may indicate which response procedures the user would like to execute in response to detection of a drop or impact. The user preferences may be adjusted by the user or automatically depending on a user profile or history. The priority order or user preferences may include some or all of the response procedures to be initiated in response to a drop or impact.

[0090] The response procedure may include various actions initiated by the processor, for example, the response procedure may include at least one of initiating a mechanical change within the aerosol generating device, initiating a modification to an external device interface, initiating a soft shutdown or reboot, generating a human perceptible beacon, monitoring a lost device status, storing data associated with the drop or impact in persistent or non-volatile memory, determining the drop or impact, or initiating a diagnostic routine.

[0091] Some response procedures may be particularly suitable to be initiated before the end of the drop or impact, while some may be particularly suitable after the end of the drop or impact. Non-limiting examples of response procedures that may be particularly suitable to be initiated before the end of the drop or impact include initiating a mechanical change within the aerosol generating device, initiating a diagnostic routine, storing data associated with the drop or impact in persistent or non-volatile memory, or initiating a soft shutdown or reboot. Non-limiting examples of response procedures that may be particularly suitable to be initiated after detecting the end of the drop or impact include generating a human-perceptible beacon, initiating a diagnostic routine, storing data associated with the drop or impact in persistent or non-volatile memory, or monitoring a lost device status.

[0092] Some of the response procedures may be particularly suitable for initiation in response to the non-drop shock itself. Non-limiting examples of response procedures that may be particularly suitable for a non-drop shock include initiating a diagnostic routine, storing data associated with the shock in persistent or non-volatile memory, or initiating a soft shutdown or reboot.

[0093] Initiating the mechanical change in the aerosol generating device may mechanically or physically alter at least one component of the device. The change may be initiated after detecting a drop. In particular, the change may be initiated after detecting the start of a drop such that the mechanical change may be completed before the end of the drop. For example, initiating the mechanical change in the aerosol generating device may include sealing a substrate container, unsealing a pressurized container, or isolating a power source.

[0094] In one embodiment, sealing the substrate container may seal the nicotine liquid reservoir. This response procedure may be particularly useful when the aerosol-generating substrate is electronic cigarette liquid (e-liquid). The controller may initiate sealing of the substrate container by sending a command or signal to an actuator operably coupled to close a valve in fluid communication with the nicotine liquid reservoir, closing the e-liquid opening. The seal may help protect the device from damage resulting from impact after a drop. For example, closing the e-liquid opening may prevent leakage of e-liquid within the device after the drop has ended.

[0095] In another example, unsealing the pressurized container may be used to empty the container with pressurized contents, especially before the end of the drop. The pressurized container may be used to store more liquid compared to a non-pressurized container or cartridge, which may result in an extended service life. The pressurized container may also be used to store pressurized aerosols. The controller may initiate the unsealing of the pressurized container by sending a command or signal to an actuator operably coupled to open a valve in fluid communication with the pressurized container to close the container opening. The seal may help protect the device from damage caused by impact after the drop. For example, the impact associated with the impact may deform the container (e.g., elastically or plastically), which may cause a sudden decrease in volume causing a spike in the pressure inside the container, which may cause the container to rupture. The pressurized rupture of the container may cause damage to other components and may also cause leakage from the container. Unsealing the pressurized container before the end of the drop may prevent such ruptures and pressure ruptures that result in leakage.

[0096] In yet another example, isolating the power source may include electrically and mechanically isolating the power source from the remainder of the electronic circuitry. The controller may initiate the isolation of the power source by sending a command or signal to an actuator operably coupled between the power source and at least one other component of the device to physically break the electrical connection to the power source. Isolating the power source may prevent electrical damage caused by impact with the ground. For example, welds or components may break or move, causing a short circuit due to the impact after the drop. Removing the power may prevent electrical damage due to an electrical short to the component. This response procedure may take precedence over other response procedures. Electrically and mechanically isolating the power source may power down the controller or memory, which may stop writing data to the memory that may be desirable to store and prevent the accelerometer from operating. In some cases, isolating the power source may be the lowest priority response procedure in the order of priority. Also, isolating the power source may not be initiated if the predicted impact is below a certain threshold. The extent of the impact may be predicted based on, for example, the drop duration or the drop height.

[0097] Initiating a modification to the external device interface may change the operable coupling between the device and another device. The modification may be initiated after detecting a fall. In particular, the modification may be initiated after detecting the start of a fall such that the modification may be completed before the end of the fall. In one embodiment, initiating a modification to the external device interface may stop a charging routine between an external power source and a power source of the aerosol generating device. The external power source may be an aerosol device charger that may be used to charge the power source of the aerosol generating device. This response procedure may be particularly useful when the aerosol generating device and the aerosol device charger are susceptible to a fall, e.g., when both are portable. Stopping the charging routine may include isolating the power sources, e.g., electrically and optionally mechanically isolating the power sources from each other or from other components. Stopping the charging routine may prevent electrical damage to some components due to a short circuit.

[0098] Initiating a soft shutdown or restart may change the operational state of the device. The controller may initiate a soft shutdown or restart after detecting a drop or impact. A soft shutdown may remove power from the device very quickly. A soft shutdown may store certain parameters in non-volatile or persistent memory before removing power. In a soft shutdown, some components, such as memory, may not be powered down. In one embodiment, a soft shutdown may be initiated after detecting the start of a drop such that the shutdown may be completed before the end of the drop. A soft shutdown may prevent electrical damage to some components due to a short circuit. If other response procedures are initiated, a soft shutdown may have a lower priority since some components, such as the controller or actuators, may be powered down and not function after the shutdown.

[0099] A restart may include a soft shutdown, in which some or all components are powered down, and power restored to some or all components after a period of time. For example, power may be restored after a short period of time (e.g., up to a few seconds). The use of a restart may generally return a device to normal operation after a fall has ended, such that a user does not need to manually turn the device on.

[0100] Generating a human perceptible beacon may provide an alert to the user to facilitate the user finding the device. The human perceptible beacon may be initiated after detecting a fall or impact. The beacon may be perceived using at least one human sense to guide the user toward the device. For example, the human perceptible beacon includes an audible beacon, such as a buzzer sound from a speaker. The buzzer sound may become louder the closer the user is to the device. This response procedure may be particularly useful if the user loses the device after a fall, especially if the user cannot see the device. This may help prevent the device from being lost. In one embodiment, the controller may start generating a human perceptible beacon after detecting the end of a fall or impact when the device may be in a static position. The device may be static for a certain period of time before the human perceptible beacon is initiated. In another embodiment, the controller may start generating a human perceptible beacon after detecting the start of a fall or impact to alert the user that the device is falling or experiencing an impact.

[0101] Monitoring the lost device status can be used to determine if additional action can be taken to alert the user that the device may be lost. This response procedure can be particularly useful when a human-perceptible beacon is not being used, or after a human-perceptible beacon is used, when the device is in a static location for an extended period of time.

[0102] If the device is in a static position for an extended period of time after a fall, it may be more likely that the user is not nearby. In one embodiment, the controller may detect the static position duration of the device, which may be based on at least one accelerometer value exceeding a missing time threshold after the end of a fall or impact.

[0103] Monitoring the lost device status may include performing a particular action in response to the static location duration. In one embodiment, a lost signal may be communicated to the user. The device may be operably coupled to another device of the user, such as a remote user device. In particular, the aerosol generating device may be operably coupled to the LPWAN using a communication interface. The lost signal may be communicated to a server via the LPWAN to indicate that the aerosol generating device is likely lost. The server may send a message to the user that the device is likely lost and may provide an estimate of where the device is lost. The estimated location may be communicated to the user, for example to the user's smartphone, which may be used to display the estimated location of the device.

[0104] Storing data associated with a drop or impact in persistent or non-volatile memory may facilitate continued operation of the device after a drop or impact. The data may be stored after the start or end of a drop or impact. In one embodiment, storing the data may be part of preparing the firmware of the controller for an impact at the end of a drop. This response procedure may be particularly useful if a user desires to use the device with minimal interruption after a drop, since the current state of operation may be stored. Additionally, this response procedure may be particularly useful in diagnosing the nature of damage based on the stored data about the drop or impact. The data may include any information that is useful. Non-limiting types of data include the drop or impact, a timestamp of the moment of the drop or impact, a maximum acceleration value, a drop duration, a drop height, an impact value, a diagnostic flag, a static motion duration, a drop count, or device settings. The type of drop or impact may be determined by the controller based on one or more accelerometer values. The type of drop or impact may include, for example, a free fall or an impact (without a drop). A difference in the drop or impact may be determined to determine the type. A maximum acceleration value (such as a maximum normalized acceleration value) may be measured before and after the start of a drop or impact. An impact value may indicate, for example, the extent of the impact in terms of impact force, a change in acceleration or deceleration, or a potential consequence of the impact (e.g., damage). A diagnostic flag may be enabled, for example, for a drop duration, a drop height, or when the impact exceeds a certain threshold. A drop count may store the number of drops over the life of the device. A device setting may indicate the last operating configuration of the device before the drop or impact.

[0105] Certain data may be particularly useful in diagnosing damage caused by drops or impacts. Diagnosis may be useful in facilitating proper repair of the device by customer care. Customer care may review the drop count to determine if the device has been subjected to previous damage or if the device is likely to be repairable or eligible for under warranty repair. Customer care may also prompt the user to pay attention to the device if the drop count is high or exceeds a threshold. Determining a drop or impact may also be useful for customer care to determine if the device is likely to be repairable or eligible for under warranty repair. For example, a parabolic free fall may not be eligible for under warranty repair, especially if the maximum acceleration value before the start of the fall indicates that the device was thrown with a large force.

[0106] Initiating a diagnostic routine may provide the device with a calculation of the extent of the damage. This response procedure may be particularly useful when the damage is not externally visible to the user, but can be captured using a diagnostic routine initiated by the controller. The diagnostic routine may include checking the resistance of the aerosolizer. For example, if the aerosolizer includes a heating blade, the overall resistance of the blade may be measured as an indication of its integrity. A higher than expected resistance may indicate that the heating blade has broken. If the aerosol-generating substrate includes e-liquid, the resistance of a heating element, such as a heating mesh of the aerosolizer, may be measured. A lower than expected resistance may mean that the e-liquid has leaked into the mesh. In response, the controller may prevent normal operation of the device or warn the user to prevent unnecessary contact with the e-liquid. A high resistance may mean that the mesh has broken. Other diagnostics that may be performed may include diagnostics of the battery circuit, the pressure sensor element, or the charging element.

[0107] Non-limiting examples of initiating a diagnostic routine include performing a diagnostic routine after the end of a drop or impact, writing a flag to persistent or non-volatile memory to perform a diagnostic routine after the next device startup, displaying a warning associated with the drop or impact, and storing the drop or impact in persistent or non-volatile memory. In one embodiment, the diagnostic routine may only be performed after the drop or impact has ended if the drop duration, drop height, or impact exceeds a certain threshold. In another embodiment, writing or enabling a flag to persistent or non-volatile memory may cause the controller to initiate a full diagnostic or self-test to see if the device will be damaged the next time the device starts up. This response procedure may involve an automatic soft shutdown or restart of the device. However, the device does not have to automatically shut down or restart to use the flag. The flag may cause the device to go into a gradual startup to check different components of the device as the components power on. In a further embodiment, displaying a warning associated with the drop or impact may provide a report to the user and prompt the user to pay attention to the device. The warning may also be related to the results of the diagnostic routine. In yet another embodiment, storing the drop or shock information in persistent or non-volatile memory may be used in diagnostic routines performed by customer care.

[0108] The response procedures for an aerosol generating device may be understood with reference to one or more of the drawings. The schematic diagrams are not necessarily to scale and are presented for purposes of illustration, not limitation. The drawings depict one or more aspects described in the present disclosure. However, it will be understood that other aspects not depicted in the drawings are within the scope of the present disclosure. [Brief description of the drawings]

[0109] [Figure 1] FIG. 1 shows an environment in which a user may use an aerosol generating device. [Diagram 2] FIG. 2 shows a cross-sectional view of the aerosol generating device of FIG. 1 having an accelerometer. [Diagram 3] FIG. 3 shows a schematic cross-sectional view of the controller portion and consumable portion of the aerosol generating device of FIG. [Figure 4] FIG. 4 shows a flow chart of a method, for use with, for example, the aerosol generating device of FIG. 1, for configuring the device to initiate one or more response procedures after detecting a drop or impact. DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS

[0110] 1 illustrates an environment 10 in which a user 12 may use an aerosol generating device 14. As illustrated, the aerosol generating device 14 is falling towards a ground 16. The device 14 may follow a trajectory 18, such as a free fall. The device 14 may impact the ground 16, resulting in an impact 20 to the device. An aerosol device charger may be coupled to the device 14 and may fall along with the device.

[0111] The aerosol generating device 14 may be operatively coupled to a remote user device, such as a smartphone 28. The smartphone 28 may be operatively coupled to the aerosol generating device 14 for communicating or transmitting data. The smartphone 28 may also be connected to the Internet 24. In some cases, the aerosol generating device 14 may be connected to the Internet 24 using the smartphone 28.

[0112] The aerosol generating device 14 may be operably coupled to a network 22, such as an LPWAN. The network 22 may be further connected to the Internet 24, a server 26, or both. In some cases, the network 22 may be connected to the server 26 using the Internet 24. If the smartphone 28 cannot be connected to the aerosol generating device 14, the aerosol generating device may still be connected to the network 22.

[0113] 2 is a cross-sectional view of an aerosol generation device 14 having an accelerometer 30. As shown, the accelerometer 30 may be coupled to a controller portion 32 of the aerosol generation device 14. The controller portion may be coupled to a consumable portion 34. The controller portion 32 may include a controller 38 and a power supply 40, which may power the accelerometer 30 and other components. The consumable portion 34 may include an aerosol-generation substrate 36, for example in the form of a cartridge.

[0114] 3 is a schematic cross-sectional view of the aerosol generating device 14 having the controller portion 32 and the consumable portion 34, showing various components in greater detail. As shown, a power source 40 is operably coupled to the controller 38 using a charging interface 42. The power source 40 may be removable.

[0115] The controller 38 may include a processor 44, such as a microcontroller. The processor 44 may be configured to perform various functions of the device 14. The processor may be operatively coupled to a switch 46 to turn the power of the device 14 on and off. The processor 44 may be operatively coupled to a smoke puff sensor 48 and an aerosolizer 54. The smoke puff sensor 48 may be used to activate the aerosolizer 54 to generate aerosol from the aerosol-generating substrate 36. The processor 44 may be operatively coupled to a display 50, such as an LED, and a speaker 52, such as a buzzer 52. The display 50 and speaker 52 may be used to provide human-perceivable information to the user. The speaker 52 may generate a beacon that helps the user find the device 14 if it is lost within hearing proximity.

[0116] As shown, the processor 44 may be operably coupled to the accelerometer 30. In some cases, more than one accelerometer 30 may be operably coupled to the processor 44. The processor 44 may receive acceleration values ​​provided by the accelerometer 30 over time to facilitate detection of a fall or impact.

[0117] The aerosol generating device 14 may include a communication interface 56. The communication interface 56 may be used to connect, via wire or wirelessly, to an external component, such as a charger or a smartphone.

[0118] The controller 38 may include a memory 58 or non-transitory computer readable storage medium. The memory 58 may include stored computer programs that, when executed by a programmable electrical circuit, such as the processor 44, cause the programmable electrical circuit to perform a method defined by the stored computer program.

[0119] 4 shows a flow chart of a method 100 of configuring a device to initiate one or more response procedures after detecting a drop or impact. Method 100 may begin with processor 102, where a controller processor may request at least one acceleration value from an accelerometer. The request may include one or more samples. The request may occur periodically according to a sampling rate. Method 100 may continue to process 104.

[0120] In process 104, it is determined whether the device has experienced a drop or impact based on the at least one acceleration value. Also, the end of the drop or impact may be determined.

[0121] If a drop or impact is not detected, method 100 continues to process 106, where no further action is taken. Method 100 may repeat process 102. If a drop or impact is detected, method 100 may continue to process 108.

[0122] In process 108, one or more response procedures may be initiated. For example, the controller processor may initiate some or all of the response procedures, which may be performed according to priority or user preference. In response to a drop, some response procedures may be initiated before the end of the drop or impact to mitigate damage. In response to an impact, some response procedures may be initiated after the end of the drop or impact to help the device return to normal operation.

[0123] Some response procedures may be initiated in response to certain conditions, such as a drop or impact, a drop duration exceeding a time threshold, a maximum acceleration value, a drop height exceeding a height threshold, and an impact value exceeding an impact threshold.

[0124] The response procedure may include at least one of initiating a mechanical change within the aerosol generating device, initiating a modification to an external device interface, initiating a soft shutdown or reboot, generating a human perceptible beacon, monitoring a lost device status, storing data associated with the drop or impact in persistent or non-volatile memory, and initiating a diagnostic routine. After initiating at least one response procedure, method 100 may continue to process 110.

[0125] In process 110, the initiated response procedures may be executed by the processor to perform a diagnostic routine to verify that some or all features of the device are functional. Performing the diagnostic routine may include at least one of performing the diagnostic routine after completion of the drop or impact, writing a flag to persistent or non-volatile memory to perform the diagnostic routine after the next device startup, displaying a warning associated with the drop or impact, and storing the drop or impact in persistent or non-volatile memory. Method 100 may continue to process 112.

[0126] In process 112, the initiated response procedure may be executed by the processor to store useful data in non-volatile or persistent memory. Some useful data may generally only be stored in volatile memory. The useful data to store may include at least one of the following: drop or impact, timestamp, maximum acceleration value, drop duration, drop height, impact value, diagnostic flag, static motion duration, drop count, and device settings.

[0127] Additionally, some characteristics of the shock or drop may be stored in non-volatile or persistent memory as useful data for later diagnosis or repair. The characteristics may be used to determine the difference between the drop or shock. Method 100 may continue to process 114.

[0128] In process 114, the initiated response procedure may be executed by the processor to power down the device. The device may be powered down relatively quickly. In particular, the device may be powered down before the device has time to cause an impact. While the device is powered down, method 100 may terminate or be restarted. For example, method 100 may return to process 102 after the device has fully powered on again and the diagnostic routines have been completed.

[0129] The particular embodiments described above are intended to illustrate the invention, however, it should be understood that other embodiments may be made without departing from the scope of the invention as defined in the claims, and that the particular embodiments described above are not intended to be limiting.

[0130] As used herein, the singular forms "a," "an," and "the" include embodiments having plural referents unless the content clearly dictates otherwise.

[0131] As used herein, "or" is generally used in its inclusive sense unless the context clearly dictates otherwise. The term "and / or" refers to one or all of the listed elements or a combination of any two or more of the listed elements.

[0132] As used herein, the words "having," "having," "including," "including," "comprising," "having" and the like are used in an open-ended sense and generally mean "including, but not limited to." It should be understood that "consisting essentially of," "consisting of," and the like are encompassed by "comprising" and the like.

[0133] The words "preferred" and "preferably" refer to embodiments of the invention that may, under particular circumstances, offer certain advantages. However, other embodiments may also be preferred, under the same or other circumstances. Moreover, the recitation of one or more preferred embodiments does not imply that other embodiments are not useful, and is not intended to exclude other embodiments from the scope of the present disclosure, including the claims.

Claims

1. 1. A method for use in an aerosol generating device having a power source and at least one accelerometer, said method comprising: receiving at least one acceleration value from the at least one accelerometer; detecting a fall or impact based on the at least one acceleration value using a controller of the aerosol generating device; and initiating, with the controller, at least one response procedure in response to detecting the drop or impact; the at least one response procedure includes storing in persistent or non-volatile memory of the controller a description of at least one characteristic of the drop or impact, the data being used for subsequent diagnosis of a damage condition of the aerosol generating device. method.

2. 2. The method of claim 1, wherein the data describing at least one characteristic of the drop or impact includes at least one of a timestamp of the drop or impact, a maximum acceleration value, a drop duration, a drop height, an impact value, a static motion duration, a drop count, and a device setting.

3. The method of claim 1 , further comprising, after the drop or impact, using the stored data to determine at least one type of the drop or impact and a damage state of the aerosol generating device.

4. 4. The method of claim 2 or 3, wherein at least one of the response procedures is initiated after detecting an end of the fall or impact.

5. 5. The method of claim 1, further comprising initiating a mechanical modification of the aerosol-generating device, the mechanical modification comprising at least one of sealing an aerosol-generating substrate container, unsealing a pressurized container, and electrically and mechanically isolating the power source.

6. 6. The method of claim 1, wherein at least one of the response procedures is initiated in response to at least one of a fall duration exceeding a time threshold, a maximum acceleration value, a fall height exceeding a height threshold, and an impact value exceeding an impact threshold.

7. The method according to any one of claims 1 to 6, wherein said at least one response procedure is initiated depending on a user preference.

8. 8. The method of claim 1, further comprising initiating a diagnostic routine, wherein initiating the diagnostic routine comprises at least one of: performing the diagnostic routine after the drop or impact has ended; writing a flag to persistent or non-volatile memory to perform the diagnostic routine after the next device boot; and displaying a warning related to the drop or impact.

9. 9. The method of claim 8, wherein the diagnostic routine includes checking the resistance of the aerosolizer.

10. The at least one response procedure further includes monitoring a lost device status, and monitoring the lost device status includes: detecting a static position duration of the aerosol generating device after detecting the drop or impact; and A method according to any preceding claim, comprising communicating a loss signal in response to the static position duration exceeding a loss time threshold.

11. The method of any one of claims 1 to 10, wherein the at least one response procedure further includes initiating a modification to an external device interface, and wherein the initiating the modification to the external device interface includes stopping a charging routine between an external power source and the power source of the aerosol generating device.

12. 11. The method of claim 1, wherein the at least one response procedure further comprises at least one of initiating a mechanical change within the aerosol generating device, initiating a soft shutdown or restart, and generating a beacon that is perceptible to humans.

13. An aerosol generating device, comprising: a power source operably coupled to the aerosolizer and configured to generate an aerosol from the aerosol-generating substrate; at least one accelerometer configured to measure at least one acceleration value; 13. An aerosol generating device comprising: a controller operably coupled to the power source and the accelerometer, the controller comprising a processor configured to implement the method of any one of claims 1 to 12.

14. A non-transitory computer readable storage medium comprising a computer program stored thereon which, when executed on a programmable electrical circuit, causes said programmable electrical circuit to carry out the method of any one of claims 1 to 12.

Images