A smoking device that can be operated by vibrations generated through haptic movements

Abstract

The present invention relates to a smoking device (100) operable by vibrations generated through tactile movements, comprising: a casing (10) provided with an undulating surface profile (20) on at least one side of the casing, wherein a vibration signal is generated by tactile movements on the undulating surface profile (20); and an electronic system (30) configured to activate or deactivate the device based on the vibration signal.

Description

[Technical field]

[0001] The present invention relates to the field of tobacco, and more particularly to electronic cigarettes capable of producing aerosol and / or vapor, the device being operable through vibration and / or audio-based feedback from haptic movements. [Background technology]

[0002] Smoking devices that heat, rather than burn, a vaporizable material, which may or may not include a tobacco-containing substrate, to produce vapor for inhalation have become popular. They generally include a heat source powered by gas or electricity and a chamber for receiving a disposable capsule containing a solid tobacco or vapor-generating product of the vaporizable material. In use, the solid tobacco or capsule is inserted into the device and heated by the heat source to produce vapor for inhalation.

[0003] Such new types of smoking devices are, in some cases, being used indoors because they do not burn or pyrolyze the flavor generating source and therefore the vapor produced by the device consists primarily of water vapor.

[0004] There are several known vaping devices with liquid capsules for vaping with different purposes. For example, US20190150512 relates to a heated flavor inhaler, in which a plurality of protrusions made of metal and constituting a concave-convex pattern for facilitating heat dissipation are provided on the outer circumferential surface of the peripheral wall casing at least at the position where the heater is located. The protrusions are provided to allow heated vapor to exit the casing more easily.

[0005] Another patent document CN103948177 relates to an electronic smoking device including a housing and a fingerprint taking surface located on the housing. A user touches the fingerprint taking surface with the user's finger, and the fingerprint surface is not flat. The fingerprint identification is used to activate an atomizing device, and an LED indicator light provides the status of the fingerprint identification device.

[0006] Such smoking devices are often usable outdoors as well as slightly indoors. Often, certain users prefer to use the smoking device in a more subtle and unobtrusive manner, such as checking the battery status, activating or deactivating the device, or controlling its heating temperature.

[0007] Currently, devices available on the market do not address this specialized but growing need.

[0008] It is therefore an object of the present invention to provide an improved smoking device and an improved method for using such a smoking device. Summary of the Invention [Means for solving the problem]

[0009] The inventors have discovered, through the invention presented herein, a solution to the problems posed above.

[0010] In a first aspect, the present invention relates to a smoking device operable by vibrations generated through tactile movements, the smoking device comprising a casing, at least one side of which is provided with an undulating surface profile, e.g. having ridges and grooves, and tactile movements on the undulating surface profile generate a vibration signal and / or an audio signal, and an electronic system configured to activate or deactivate the smoking device based on the vibration signal.

[0011] In a second aspect, the present invention relates to a method of operating a smoking device as defined in claim 1, comprising the steps of: (a) generating vibrations through haptic movements on an contoured surface of a casing of the smoking device; (b) converting the vibration signal into an electrical signal through a signal conditioning or processing device; and (c) activating or deactivating output devices and / or functions of the smoking device.

[0012] The smoking device according to the invention not only allows the user to control the device in a simpler and more subtle (unobtrusive) manner, but also increases the entertainment factor, since some users may find it enjoyable to control the device through vibrations, e.g. mechanical vibrations generated by haptic movements and sounds present as vibration waves. Moreover, such a mode of operation of the device is intuitive and simple.

[0013] According to some embodiments, the electronic system includes one or more input / output devices and a signal conditioning or processing device for converting vibration signals generated from tactile movements over the contoured surface of the smoking device into electrical signals that are fed to the electronic system to activate or deactivate corresponding output devices based on the vibration signals.

[0014] According to some embodiments, the signal conditioning or processing device is a transducer, which may consist of a magnet and a coil, may be provided in the form of a piezoelectric crystal for detecting mechanical vibrations (or rattles), or a microphone for detecting sound waves, or may be provided in other forms.

[0015] According to other embodiments, the input device includes one or more sensors, including piezoelectric sensors, accelerators, MEMS, or microphones, which are capable of converting an input signal (such as a mechanical vibration or sound) into an electrical signal.

[0016] In some preferred embodiments, the vibration signal is generated from mechanical vibrations or sound waves.

[0017] According to another embodiment, the input device includes a transducer.

[0018] Further, in some embodiments, the contoured surface features include peaks and grooves forming at least two, three, four, or five, six or more different contoured surfaces to generate distinct vibration signals.

[0019] In some preferred embodiments, the output devices include one or more LED lights, a piezoelectric electric igniter, an on / off button, a temperature control, a speaker, and / or a power status.

[0020] In some preferred embodiments, the height difference between the peaks and grooves of the contoured surface profile is between 0.5 mm and 10 mm, or preferably between 1 mm and 7 mm, or preferably between 2 mm and 5 mm, or more preferably about 4 mm.

[0021] In some preferred embodiments, the distance between one peak and another peak of the contoured surface profile is between 0.5 mm and 8 mm, or preferably between 1 mm and 6 mm, or preferably between 1.5 mm and 5 mm, or more preferably about 3 mm.

[0022] In some preferred embodiments, the distance between one groove and another groove in the contoured surface profile is between 0.5 mm and 6 mm, or preferably between 1 mm and 5 mm, or preferably between 2 mm and 4 mm, or more preferably about 3 mm.

[0023] In some preferred embodiments, the contoured surface features are made of a number of buttons, sheets, rods, cubes, circles, triangles, trapezoids, and / or any 3D object arranged on one or two sides of the casing.

[0024] "About" or "approximately" with respect to a given numerical value is meant to include the numerical value within 10% of the specified value. All values ​​given in this disclosure should be understood to be supplemented by the word "about" unless otherwise clear from the context.

[0025] The indefinite articles "a" or "an" do not exclude a plurality and should therefore be treated in a broad sense.

[0026] Unless otherwise defined, all technical and scientific terms used herein have the same meaning as commonly understood by one of ordinary skill in the art to which this invention belongs.

[0027] The tobacco-containing substrate may be any compound, mixture, particulate matter, material and / or solution that contains and / or retains tobacco constituents, such as tobacco, tobacco particles, tobacco flavors and / or nicotine, either artificially contained or naturally contained in tobacco. A liquid substance according to the present invention may comprise a tobacco-containing substrate.

[0028] As used herein, the term "smoking device" refers to a device for producing vapor and / or aerosol that is intended to be heated, rather than combusted, to release volatile compounds that can form vapor and / or aerosol.

[0029] As used herein, the term "casing" refers to a case that contains the various parts of a smoking device and may be referred to as, for example, a "shell", a "housing", etc.

[0030] The term "vapor" as used herein refers to a material capable of releasing volatile compounds upon heating that can form vapors and / or aerosols. Vapors generated from liquid materials described herein may be visible or invisible and may include aerosols (e.g., tiny particles of a gaseous substance that is normally a liquid or solid at room temperature) as well as droplets of gas and condensed vapor.

[0031] As referred to in the present invention, an electronic cigarette (e-cigarette) or similar device, such as an e-pipe or non-combustion heating device, may be used to provide a user with an aerosol for inhalation, without being limited thereto, which may include, according to certain embodiments, a mouthpiece, a heater, a receiving portion, such as a pod, a stick, a capsule, and a casing.

[0032] The term vibration as used herein and described herein refers to vibrations generated by user-initiated tactile movements on the contoured surface of the smoking device, which includes not only mechanical vibrations but also the sound of vibration waves as a result of the mechanical vibration of the contoured surface. The mechanical vibration signal may be picked up by a piezoelectric component and the sound may be picked up by, for example, a microphone. [Brief description of the drawings]

[0033] [Figure 1] 1A-1D show schematic front and rear views of a smoking device according to an embodiment of the present invention. [Diagram 2] FIG. 1 shows a schematic side view of a smoking device, the device may be operable through haptic movements. [Figure 3A] 1A-1D show schematic perspective views of contoured surface profiles according to different embodiments of the present invention; [Figure 3B] 1A-1D show schematic perspective views of contoured surface profiles according to different embodiments of the present invention; [Figure 3C] 1A-1D show schematic perspective views of contoured surface profiles according to different embodiments of the present invention; [Figure 4] 1 shows an example of a block diagram of an operational mode of a smoking device according to an embodiment of the present invention. DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS

[0034] The following description of the preferred embodiments is merely exemplary in nature and is in no way intended to limit the scope of the invention, its application, or uses.

[0035] 1A shows an illustration of a smoking device 100 according to a first embodiment of the present invention. The smoking device 100 may be palm-sized and have a longitudinal channel into which a smoking article 130 may be inserted and heated. The smoking device 100 may be an elongated flat device or may have a pen-like shape. The casing 10 of the smoking device 100 may be made of metal, including metal or plastic material capable of withstanding high temperatures of at least 200°C.

[0036] The heated device 100 according to the present invention includes a heater, which may be located in the longitudinal central region of the casing. The overall shape of the casing of the smoking device may also be cylindrical (rod-shaped).

[0037] The smoking article 100 according to the present invention can be operated not only by a conventional method such as a button, but also by vibrations generated through tactile movements. A series of peaks and grooves is provided on the casing 10 of the smoking device 100. For example, at least one side of the casing, or more sides (e.g., the front and back), can be provided with an undulating surface shape 20 having peaks and grooves (or a bumpy pattern). Thereby, a vibration signal can be generated by a tactile movement on the undulating surface shape 20 (or a bumpy pattern arrangement portion) on which the bumpy pattern is formed. The bumpy pattern is composed of a series of peaks and grooves, creating an uneven surface.

[0038] The uneven pattern may include a plurality of protrusions aligned on the outer peripheral surface of the casing 10. Furthermore, in the heated smoking device 100 according to the present invention, a smooth surface (where no uneven pattern is arranged) not provided with an uneven pattern may be formed on a predetermined portion, such as from the mouthpiece opening end of the longitudinal casing and on the side and back of the smoking device 100.

[0039] It is disclosed herein that the height dimension of each of the protrusions in the undulating surface profile or roughness pattern may be greater than the width dimension of the protrusion, which allows for better vibration creation.

[0040] Additionally, each of the projections in the rough pattern may taper towards the top, allowing for smoother tactile movement across the surface.

[0041] Additionally, the heated smoking device 100 according to the present invention may be provided with a heat insulating material on the top of each of the protrusions of the concave-convex pattern.

[0042] As an example, a battery, an electronic control unit, a suction detection sensor, etc. may be housed within the casing 10 of the main body. Additionally, an LED may be provided at one end of the main body. The battery may be, for example, a rechargeable battery such as a lithium ion secondary battery.

[0043] The smoking device 100 according to the present invention includes an electronic system 30 including one or more input / output devices and a signal conditioning or processing device 40 for converting vibration signals generated from tactile movements on the contoured surface 20 of the smoking device 100 into electrical signals that are supplied to the electronic system 30 to activate or deactivate corresponding output devices based on the vibration signals.

[0044] For example, the electronic system 30 may include a computer that controls the entire smoking device 100. Furthermore, the electronic system 30 may also include a microprocessor having a circuit board with a processor, memory, etc. In addition, the smoking device 100 according to the present invention includes a signal conditioning or processing device 40, which is a transducer. A simple program or software can be provided to the smoking device 100 so that the functions of the smoking device 100 (described below) can be performed through electrical signals converted from tactile movements on the contoured surface of the casing.

[0045] In essence, a transducer is an electronic device that converts energy from one form to another. Transducers may come in different forms, for example as input transducers and / or output transducers. An input transducer may be a sensor and an output transducer may be an actuator. On the one hand, an input transducer, i.e. a sensor, takes a form of physical energy and converts it into a readable signal. For example, a microphone takes a physical sound wave and turns it into an electrical signal that can be transferred to an amplifier through wires. Another example is a pressure transducer, which is also a kind of input transducer. A pressure transducer converts a physical force into a number or reading that can be measured and understood. On the other hand, an output transducer, i.e. an actuator, does the reverse of an input transducer. It takes an electrical signal and converts it into another form of energy. For example, a lamp converts electrical current into light and a motor converts electrical current into motion.

[0046] 2 shows an example when a user touches and moves a finger over the contoured surface 20 of the casing of the smoking device 100. The tactile movement generates vibrations that can then be detected by the signal conditioning or processing device 40. In this case, the signal conditioning or processing device 40 is a transducer 40 capable of converting a vibration signal generated from the tactile movement on the contoured surface 20 of the smoking device 100 into an electrical signal that is fed to the electronic system 30 to activate or deactivate a corresponding output device based on the vibration signal.

[0047] To this end, it is disclosed that the vibration signal may also be in the form of acoustic vibrations, in which case a transducer is likewise capable of converting the acoustic vibrations into an electrical signal, an example being a microphone.

[0048] FIG. 3A shows an example of the undulating surface profile 20 of the smoking device 100 according to one embodiment of the present invention, in which a plurality of protrusions 25 are regularly aligned on the surface of the casing 10 at regular intervals, but the present invention is not limited thereby. For example, the intervals between the plurality of protrusions 25 aligned on the surface of the casing 10 may not be regular. The protrusions 25 shown in FIG. 3A may resemble trapezoids due to the increased surface area of ​​the shape. However, the protrusions 25 may also be provided in a pyramidal shape. Such pyramidal shape protrusions may be suitable for producing higher pitch vibrations, which may be recorded as a distinct signature compared to trapezoidal shape protrusions.

[0049] FIG. 3B shows an example of an undulating surface profile with 1D asymmetry, where the undulating elements on the surface of the device are asymmetric along one direction, for example a sawtooth shape.

[0050] Figure 3C shows another example of an undulating surface shape with 2D asymmetry, where the undulating elements on the surface of the device are asymmetric along two directions. In other words, cutting a cross section of the undulating structure along the X and Y directions can result in different geometries of the surface, as can be seen in Figure 3C (middle and bottom). These embodiments have the advantage that they allow different sounds to be generated depending on the direction of the stroke by the user's finger.

[0051] According to other embodiments, both the front and rear (or any two opposing sides) of the smoking device 100 may be provided with an undulating surface profile 20 having multiple peaks and grooves. Preferably, different protrusion configurations and arrangements are provided on different sides, so that haptic movements can generate different vibration signatures and be converted into different electrical signals. These different electrical signals can then be used to control different output applications, as described below.

[0052] In some embodiments, the spacing between the protrusions 25 in a central region of the contoured surface 20 is smaller than the spacing between the protrusions 25 in a peripheral region of the contoured surface 20. As a result, the protrusions 25 can be more densely packed in the central region than in the peripheral region. Thus, the density of the protrusions 25 increases gradually toward the central region, which allows another separate signal vibration to be generated through the haptic movement.

[0053] In accordance with the present invention, a number of distinctive electrical signatures converted from vibration or audio signals may be recognizable by the smoking device 100 in order to operate different functions of the smoking device 100 as described below.

[0054] Reference is now made to Fig. 4, which illustrates an example of an operational mode of the smoking device 100 according to the present invention. The method may be at least partially performed by the smoking device 100. Additionally or alternatively, at least some steps may be partially performed by another device operably connected to the smoking device 100. Of course, the smoking device 100 according to the present invention may operate on its own. It should be understood that the method illustrated in Fig. 4 is merely an example, and that the method may be performed with additional and / or fewer steps than those illustrated in Fig. 4.

[0055] When the smoking device 100 is turned on, the system enters a listening mode 221 to continuously analyze incoming signals, for example from a transducer (which converts sound waves or mechanical vibrations into electrical signals). When the user wants to activate or deactivate or operate a certain function of the smoking device 100, step 222 is executed, in which the user slides, touches, drags, moves one or more fingers on the undulating surface shape 20 with ridges and grooves to correspondingly generate sound or mechanical vibrations depending on the action the user wants to perform. The user may learn the respective finger movements from a user guide, in which case a single finger or multiple fingers may be used to generate, for example, mechanical vibrations. Alternatively, the following operating principle may also be considered: The device is in a sleep mode until a motion sensor or a capacitive sensor determines that the device is being held by the user's hand. When this happens, the microcontroller switches on, after which the sound waves and / or mechanical vibrations are analyzed. In this scenario, it allows the standard microcontroller to remain in a sleep mode that allows only the circuitry involved in "listening" to operate.

[0056] When mechanical vibrations occur and a vibration signal is detected by the signal conditioning or processing device 40, in this case a transducer, the transducer converts the incoming signal (sound and / or vibration) into an electrical signal (step 223). A classification algorithm then analyzes the signal according to a time series pattern and tries to match it with a known pattern stored in the memory of the smoking device 100 (step 224). If the incoming signature (signal) matches the known pattern (step 225), a corresponding command is executed to perform the task (step 226). If the incoming signature (signal) is not recognizable (225), the system (of the smoking device 100) returns to step 221, where the smoking device 100 enters a ready or listening mode, ready to detect any incoming sound or vibration signal until the signal matches the stored pattern, thereby performing the user's desired function.

[0057] The smoking device 100 may include a controller having one or more processing units including a memory on which instructions are stored or configured to access the memory. The instructions or computer programs may be configured to perform one or more of the operations or functions described with respect to the smoking device 100. The controller may be implemented as any electronic device capable of processing, receiving, or transmitting data or instructions. For example, the controller may include one or more of a microprocessor, a microcontroller, a central processing unit (CPU), an application specific integrated circuit (ASIC), a digital signal processor (DSP), or a combination of such devices. The term "processor" as used herein is meant to encompass a single processor or processing unit, multiple processors, multiple processing units, or any other suitably configured computing element or elements.

[0058] A user may be able to generate individual signature inputs according to the user's preferences. For example, a first type of electrical signal may be used to turn the smoking device 100 on or off, a second type of electrical signal may be used to check the power status of the device 100, a third type of electrical signal may be used to light a smoking article, a fourth type of electrical signal may be used to increase a heating temperature, a fifth type of electrical signal may be used to decrease a heating temperature, a sixth type of electrical signal may be used to turn on a display, etc.

[0059] To this end, it is disclosed that mechanical vibrations generated through the contoured surface 20 can be measured using sensors known in the art, such as piezoelectric sensors or microelectromechanical systems (MEMS), and sound can be measured using a microphone. The transducer may be a piezoelectric transducer. This can be achieved by capturing sonic energy from a source, such as mechanical vibrations generated from haptic movements, and converting the signal using a piezoelectric acting as an energy transducer. The interface circuitry can then be used to increase the output power to help terminate the application. This can be useful due to the state of the signal generated in the piezoelectric transducer can be low.

[0060] A transducer is a device that converts some form of energy into an electrical signal that can be processed by electronic circuits. In the present invention, when a user slides the contoured surface profile 20 of the device's casing, this action generates mechanical vibrations that propagate through the device body and into the surrounding air generating sound, thus creating a characteristic signature. Thus, to capture user input, the mechanical vibrations can be measured, for example, with a piezoelectric sensor or MEMS (microelectromechanical systems), or the sound can be measured using a microphone.

[0061] The smoking device 100 may include a battery, which may charge and / or power components of the smoking device 100. The battery may also charge and / or power components connected to the smoking device 100, such as a portable electronic device. The battery may be rechargeable.

[0062] The smoking device 100 may comprise a memory for storing electronic data that may be used by the smoking device 100. For example, the memory may store electronic data or content, such as audio files or electrically converted signals or documents and applications, device settings and user preferences, timing and control signals or data for various modules, data structures or databases, etc. The memory may be configured as any type of memory. By way of example only, the memory may be embodied as a random access memory, a read only memory, a flash memory, a removable memory, or other types of storage elements, or a combination of such devices.

[0063] The smoking device 100 may further include a display for displaying visual information to the user. The display may provide a visual (e.g., simple image or video) output. The display may be or include an opaque, transparent, and / or translucent display. The display may have a transparent or translucent medium through which light representing an image is directed to the user's eye. The display may utilize digital light projection, OLED, LED, uLED, liquid crystal on silicon, laser scanning light source, or any combination of these technologies.

[0064] The display may not be a simple display, but rather a more advanced display medium, such as a light guide, a holographic medium, a light combiner, a light reflector, or any combination thereof. In some implementations, the transparent or translucent display may be configured to be selectively opaque. The smoking device 100 may include an optical subassembly configured to help optically adjust and accurately project the image-based content being displayed by the display for close-up viewing. The optical subassembly may include one or more lenses, mirrors, or other optical devices.

[0065] As repeatedly disclosed, the smoking device 100 may include one or more microphones as described herein, which may be operatively connected to a processor for detecting sound levels and communicating the detections for further processing, as further described herein.

[0066] Additionally, the smoking device 100 may include a speaker, which may be operatively connected to the processor for control of the speaker output, including sound level, as further described herein.

Claims

1. A smoking device (100) operable by vibrations generated through tactile movements, comprising: a casing (10) provided on at least one side thereof with an undulating surface profile (20), on which a tactile movement generates a vibration signal; an electronic system (30) configured to activate or deactivate said smoking device (100) based on said vibration signal; A smoking device (100) comprising:

2. 2. The smoking device (100) of claim 1, wherein the electronic system (30) comprises one or more input / output devices and a signal conditioning or processing device (40) for converting vibration signals generated from the tactile movement on the contoured surface (20) of the smoking device (100) into electrical signals that are supplied to the electronic system (30) for activating or deactivating corresponding output devices based on the vibration signals.

3. 3. The smoking device (100) of claim 2, wherein the signal conditioning or processing device (40) is a transducer.

4. 4. The smoking device (100) of claim 2 or 3, wherein the input device includes one or more sensors, the sensors including a piezoelectric sensor, an accelerator, a MEMS, or a microphone.

5. The smoking device (100) of any one of claims 1 to 3, wherein the vibration signal is generated from mechanical vibrations or sound waves.

6. The smoking device (100) of claim 2 or 3, wherein the input device includes a transducer.

7. 4. The smoking device (100) of any one of claims 1 to 3, wherein the contoured surface (20) comprises ridges and grooves that form at least two, three, four, or five, six or more different contoured surfaces to generate different vibration signals.

8. 4. The smoking device (100) of claim 2 or 3, wherein the output device includes one or more LED lights, a piezoelectric electric igniter, an on / off button, a temperature control, a speaker, and / or a power status.

9. 8. The smoking device (100) of claim 7, wherein the height difference between the peaks and the grooves of the undulating surface profile (20) is between 0.5 mm and 10 mm, or preferably between 1 mm and 7 mm, or preferably between 2 mm and 5 mm, or more preferably about 4 mm.

10. 8. A smoking device (100) according to claim 7, wherein the distance between one peak and another peak of the undulating surface profile (20) is between 0.5 mm and 8 mm, or preferably between 1 mm and 6 mm, or preferably between 1.5 mm and 5 mm, or more preferably about 3 mm.

11. 8. A smoking device (100) according to claim 7, wherein the distance between one groove and another groove of the contoured surface (20) is between 0.5 mm and 6 mm, or preferably between 1 mm and 5 mm, or preferably between 2 mm and 4 mm, or more preferably about 3 mm.

12. 4. The smoking device (100) of any one of claims 1 to 3, wherein the contoured surface shape (20) is made of a plurality of buttons, sheets, rods, cuboids, circles, triangles, trapezoids, and / or any 3D object arranged on one or two sides of the casing (10).

13. 10. A method of operating a smoking device (100) according to claim 1, comprising: - generating vibrations through tactile movements on the contoured surface (20) of the casing of said smoking device (100); - converting the vibration signal into an electrical signal through a signal conditioning or processing device (40); - activating or deactivating output devices and / or functions of said smoking device (100); A method comprising:

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