Power control

Abstract

To provide a non-combustible aerosol supply system provided with an aerosol generator for generating aerosol, a power source for supplying the aerosol generator with power, and a transmitter / receiver element communicably combining the non-combustible aerosol supply system with a user device.SOLUTION: A non-combustible aerosol supply system is operable in a standard mode and a power saving mode. A power source is configured to supply power smaller than when the non-combustible aerosol supply system is in the standard mode for one or more power consumption constituents of the non-combustible aerosol supply system when the non-combustible aerosol supply system is in the power saving mode. The transmitter / receiver elements are configured to receive a command from the user device, and the command is configured to enter the non-combustible aerosol supply system in a low power mode.SELECTED DRAWING: Figure 3

Description

Technical Field

[0001] (Field and Background)

[0001] This disclosure relates to the field of power control. In particular, but not limited to, this disclosure relates to power control of an aerosol supply system.

[0002]

[0002] A “non-combustible” aerosol supply system is an aerosol supply system in which the aerosol-generating constituent material (or its components) of the aerosol supply system is not burned or combusted in order to facilitate delivery of at least one substance to a user.

[0003]

[0003] The non-combustible aerosol supply system may be an electronic cigarette, also known as a vaping device or an electronic nicotine delivery system (END:electronic nicotine delivery system), but it should be noted that the presence of nicotine in the aerosol-generating material is not a prerequisite.

[0004]

[0004] The non-combustible aerosol supply system may be an aerosol-generating material heating system, also known as a non-combustion heating system. An example of such a system is a tobacco heating system.

[0005]

[0005] The non-combustible aerosol supply system may be a hybrid system for generating an aerosol using a combination of aerosol-generating materials (one or more of which may be heated). Each of the aerosol-generating materials may be in the form of, for example, a solid, a liquid, or a gel, and may or may not contain nicotine. The hybrid system may comprise a liquid or gel aerosol-generating material and a solid aerosol-generating material. The solid aerosol-generating material may include, for example, tobacco or non-tobacco products.

[0006] Typically, a non-combustible aerosol supply system may include a non-combustible aerosol supply device and consumables for use with the non-combustible aerosol supply device.

[0007]

[0007] A non-combustible aerosol supply system, for example, the non-combustible aerosol supply device of the non-combustible aerosol supply system, may include a power source and a controller. The power source may be, for example, an electrical power source or a heat generating power source. The heat generating power source includes a carbon-based substrate that is energized to distribute power in the form of heat to an aerosol generating material or a heat transfer material in the vicinity of the heat generating power source.

[0008]

[0008] The non-combustible aerosol supply system may include an area for receiving consumables, an aerosol generator, an aerosol generation area, a housing, a suction port, a filter, and / or an aerosol modifier.

[0009]

[0009] Consumables for use with the non-combustible aerosol supply device may include an aerosol generating material, an aerosol generating material storage area, an aerosol generating material transfer component, an aerosol generator, an aerosol generation area, a housing, a wrapper, a filter, a suction port, and / or an aerosol modifier.

[0010]

[0010] Known techniques are described in International Publication No. WO 2015 / 155612 (A2), International Publication No. WO 2020 / 260885 (A1), International Publication No. WO 2012 / 109371 (A2), U.S. Patent Application Publication No. 2017 / 049151 (A1), and International Publication No. WO 2014 / 163664 (A1).

Summary of the Invention

[0011] (Summary)

[0011] According to a first aspect, there is provided a non-combustible aerosol supply system comprising an aerosol generator for generating an aerosol, a power source for supplying power to the aerosol generator, and a transmitter / receiver element configured to communicatively couple the non-combustible aerosol supply system to a user device. The non-combustible aerosol supply system is operable in a standard mode and a power-saving mode. When the non-combustible aerosol supply system is in the power-saving mode, the power source is configured to supply less power to one or more power-consuming components of the non-combustible aerosol supply system than when the non-combustible aerosol supply system is in the standard mode. The transmitter / receiver element is configured to receive a command from the user device, the command being configured to cause the non-combustible aerosol supply system to enter a low-power mode. Accordingly, the present technique can provide a non-combustible aerosol supply system that is controlled to a low-power operation mode when receiving a command from a user device.

[0012]

[0012] According to another aspect, there is provided a user device configured to be communicatively coupled to a non-combustible aerosol supply system. The user device includes an output device configured to provide user interface information to a user, an input device configured to receive an input from the user to activate a power-saving mode of the communicatively coupled non-combustible aerosol supply system, and a receiver / transmitter element configured to transmit a command to the communicatively coupled non-combustible aerosol supply system to adopt the power-saving mode, the command causing the power source of the non-combustible aerosol supply system to supply less power to one or more power-consuming components of the non-combustible aerosol supply system than when the non-combustible aerosol supply system is in the standard mode. Accordingly, the present technique can provide a user device used to control a non-combustible aerosol supply system to a low-power operation mode.

[0013]

[0013] According to a further aspect, there is provided a system comprising a non-combustible aerosol supply system and a user device communicatively coupled to the non-combustible aerosol supply system, the non-combustible aerosol supply system being operable in a standard mode and a power-saving mode, and when the non-combustible aerosol supply system is in the power-saving mode, the power supply being configured to supply less power to one or more power-consuming components of the non-combustible aerosol supply system than when the non-combustible aerosol supply system is in the standard mode, and the user device being configured to transmit an instruction for the non-combustible aerosol supply system to adopt the power-saving mode. Accordingly, the present technique can provide a user device that interacts with the non-combustible aerosol supply system to control the non-combustible aerosol supply system to a low-power operation mode when receiving an instruction from the user device.

[0014]

[0014] According to another aspect, when executed by a processing circuit of a computing device configured to be communicatively coupled to a non-combustible aerosol supply system, the computing device is caused to receive an input from a user and activate a power-saving mode of the communicatively coupled non-combustible aerosol supply system, and transmit an instruction for the communicatively coupled non-combustible aerosol supply system to adopt the power-saving mode, the instruction including an instruction to cause the power supply of the non-combustible aerosol supply system to supply less power to one or more power-consuming components of the non-combustible aerosol supply system than when the non-combustible aerosol supply system is in the standard mode. Accordingly, the present technique can provide a user device programmed to control the non-combustible aerosol supply system to a low-power operation mode.

Brief Description of the Drawings

[0015]

[0015] Next, embodiments and examples of the present technique will be described by way of example only with reference to the accompanying drawings.

Figure 1

[0016] Figure 1 is a schematic diagram of an example of a non-combustible aerosol supply system.

Figure 2

[0017] Figure 2 is a schematic diagram of an example of a user device.

Figure 3

[0018] Figure 3 is a flowchart showing a method of selecting a low power mode setting for a non-combustible aerosol supply system.

Figure 4

[0019] Figure 4 is a schematic diagram of a user interface for selecting a low power mode setting for a non-combustible aerosol supply system.

[0016]

[0020] The techniques described herein are capable of various modifications and alternative forms, but the figures show specific embodiments as examples and will be described in detail herein. However, the figures and the detailed description are not intended to limit the scope to the specific forms disclosed, but rather, on the contrary, the scope is intended to include all modifications, equivalents, and alternatives within the spirit and scope as defined by the appended claims.

Embodiments for Carrying Out the Invention

[0017] [Detailed Description]

[0021] A non-combustible aerosol supply system typically includes a heater to apply thermal energy to an aerosol-forming material, as a result of which one or more volatile substances are released from the aerosol-forming material to form an aerosol.

[0018]

[0022] By varying the power supplied to the heater of the non-combustible aerosol supply system, the characteristics of the aerosol generated by the non-combustible aerosol supply system can be controlled. For example, for a given aerosol generation operation, by supplying more power to the heater, a larger volume of aerosol can be generated by the non-combustible aerosol supply system than when less power is supplied. The volume of the aerosol generated by operating aerosol generation may be called a cloud, and thus it can be said that the size of the cloud can be changed by varying the heater power.

[0019]

[0023] According to the techniques described herein, a method is provided by which a user can cause a non-combustible aerosol supply system to adopt a low-power mode. In the low-power mode, the non-combustible aerosol supply system can generate an aerosol with low heater power and / or a short generation time. Other functions of the non-combustible aerosol supply system can also, or instead, adopt a low-power consumption operation. Thus, the user can take proactive actions to lengthen the life of the power source and / or the storage amount of aerosolizable material of the non-combustible aerosol supply system.

[0020]

[0024] By providing such a mechanism for controlling the setting of the power level of the non-combustible aerosol supply system, the present technique can control the conservation of non-renewable resources of the non-combustible aerosol supply system at a high level. This can be useful, for example, in compensating for the perceived or potential shortage of such non-renewable resources between the operation of the low-power mode and the time when those resources can be replenished. For example, since the rate at which the power supply (e.g., battery) and the supply amount of aerosolizable material of the non-combustible aerosol supply system are depleted can be related to the power supplied to the heater, control of the heater power setting can also be used to affect (e.g., reduce) the rate at which the battery / material supply amount is depleted.

[0021]

[0025] It will be appreciated that the present method includes transmitting data to and from a non-combustible aerosol supply system, as well as processing the stored and / or received data for the non-combustible aerosol supply system. Further, the present method requires that a user device be able to communicate with the non-combustible aerosol supply system. Such a user device may also be able to communicate with other services or systems. Accordingly, an exemplary non-combustible aerosol supply system 10 and an exemplary user device 40 are shown with respect to FIGS. 1 and 2, respectively, to illustrate a suitable device for providing such functionality.

[0022]

[0026] An example of a non-combustible aerosol supply system 10 is schematically shown in FIG. 1. As shown, the aerosol delivery device 10 includes elements related to aerosol generation, such as an aerosol medium container or cartridge 12 (in the case of an END device, the aerosol medium container or cartridge 12 contains nicotine or a nicotine-containing formulation), an aerosol generation chamber 14, and an outlet 16 through which the generated aerosol can be discharged. A battery 18 may be provided to power a heat generating element (such as a heater 20, which may take the form of a heater coil) within (or functionally adjacent to) the aerosol generation chamber 14. The battery 18 can also power a processor / controller 22 that can be useful for the use of the device, such as activating the device to generate an aerosol in response to an activation trigger, as well as for communication and functional control. The processor / controller 22 can access a memory 24 that can be used to store operating instructions for the processor / controller 22. The memory 24 can also be used to store data indicative of the operating conditions and / or operating states of the non-combustible aerosol supply system 10 and / or one or more of its components. The memory 24 may be internal to the processor / controller 22 or may be provided as an additional separate physical element.

[0023]

[0027] To perform data and / or messaging transmission and reception, the processor / controller 22 includes a transmitter / receiver element 26. With the transmitter / receiver element 26, the non-combustible aerosol supply system 10 can communicate with connected devices using connection technologies such as personal area network protocols. Exemplary personal area network protocols include Bluetooth (trademark), Bluetooth Low Energy (trademark) (BLE), Zigbee (trademark), Wireless USB, and Near-Field Communication (NFC). Exemplary personal area network protocols also include optical communications such as the Infrared Data Association (IrDA) data communication standard and protocols utilizing data-over-sound. If the non-combustible aerosol supply system has suitable capabilities, other wireless technologies such as Wi-Fi (trademark) technology can be used. In other examples, the transmitter / receiver element 26 may be configured to provide a wired communication channel between the non-combustible aerosol supply system 10's physical port and a connected device. Such a wired communication channel may utilize physical connection technologies such as USB (trademark), serial port, FireWire (trademark), or other point-to-point wired connectivity. In the remainder of this discussion, the example of BLE is used and BLE terminology is employed, but it will be recognized that corresponding or equivalent functions of other personal area network technologies may be substituted. Thus, in this example, the transmitter / receiver element 26 is a BLE interface element that includes or is connected to a wireless antenna for wireless communication. In other examples such as those shown above, this may be an interface element for alternative wireless technologies and / or wired connection interfaces.

[0024]

[0028] Any communication established with a connected device may not need to be permanent or may be temporary in the sense that the channel can be established for the time necessary to perform a particular function and disconnected when not needed. For this reason, such connected devices are referred to herein as user devices in the sense that they are likely to be utilized and / or controlled by the user of the non-combustible aerosol supply system 10 and the connected device. Examples of such user devices (which may also be referred to as remote devices in the sense that the device is remote from the non-combustible aerosol supply system or relay devices in the sense that the device relays between the non-combustible aerosol supply system and the unlock / age verification service) will be described below with reference to FIG. 2.

[0025]

[0029] Returning to the discussion of FIG. 1, in one example, the processor / controller 22 may be an STM32 microcontroller provided by STMicroelectronics and based on an Arm (trademark) Cortex (trademark)-M processor. In other examples, alternative microcontrollers or processors based on the Arm (trademark) architecture and the Atom (trademark) architecture, or other low-power processor technologies, may be used. Alternatively or in addition, the transmitter / receiver element 26 may, in one example, include an nRF BLE chip for providing a BLE connection to the non-combustible aerosol supply system in cooperation with the processor / controller. In other examples, other communication interface chips or modules may be used to provide the connection service.

[0026]

[0030] As shown in the figure, the processor / controller 22 may be connected to, for example, the aerosol medium container or cartridge 12, the aerosol generation chamber 14, and the battery 18. This connection may be an interface connection or an output connection from some of the components, and / or a connection to a sensor disposed in or on some of the components. Through these connections, the processor can access the properties of each component. For example, the battery connection may be used to control the operation of the non-combustible aerosol supply system for aerosol generation.

[0027]

[0031] In some examples, the processor / controller 22 may be configured to control the voltage level supplied from the battery to the heater 20, thereby controlling the power consumption from the battery, and / or thereby controlling the amount of aerosol generated by the non-combustible aerosol supply system 10 during a given aerosol generation operation. In addition to or instead of this, the processor / controller 22 may be configured to control the time during which voltage is supplied from the battery to the heater 20 during a given aerosol generation operation, thereby controlling the power consumption from the battery, and / or thereby controlling the amount of aerosol generated by the non-combustible aerosol supply system 10 during the aerosol generation operation.

[0028]

[0032] The non-combustible aerosol supply system 10 may also include an output element 30 (which may include one or more of a display, an audio output, and a tactile output). In some examples, the output element 28 may include one or more light sources that can be selectively controlled to indicate the state, mode, or other information regarding the non-combustible aerosol supply system 10. In some examples, the one or more light sources are provided by one or more LEDs, which may be single-color or multi-color LEDs.

[0029]

[0033] In some examples, the processor / controller 22 may be configured to control the voltage supplied from the battery to the output element 28. Accordingly, the illumination level of the light-emitting output element (such as a display or a light source), and / or the output level of the audio output element, and / or the vibration / movement level of the tactile output element may be controlled to provide a high level of output and control output. Accordingly, battery power can be saved by controlling to a low output level.

[0030]

[0034] In some examples, the processor / controller 22 may be configured to control the voltage supplied from the battery to the processor / controller 22. Accordingly, the processor / controller may be switchable between different power consumption modes corresponding to different calculation speeds, different combinations of available processor / controller features, and / or different executable instructions. Accordingly, in some examples, the processor / controller 22 may be controllable to a low power mode in which only the aerosol generation function (and optionally, the lock / unlock function) is available.

[0031]

[0035] More generally, it can be seen from the above that the various components of the non-combustible aerosol supply system 10 require power from a battery (power source) to operate. At least some of such power-consuming components can be operated in a low power mode by controlling the delivery of power to the components or by commanding the components to adopt a low power state.

[0032]

[0036] Further features of the non-combustible aerosol supply system regarding adopting a low power and / or power saving mode / state will be described with reference to the following examples of the present technique.

[0033]

[0037] Figure 2 schematically shows an example of the user device 40. The user device may be a device such as a mobile phone (cell phone) or a tablet of a user (and / or owner) of the non-combustible aerosol supply system 10. As shown, the user device 40 includes a receiver transmitter element 42 for communicating with the non-combustible aerosol supply system 10. Thus, the receiver transmitter element 42 is configured to use the same connectivity, protocol, etc. as the non-combustible aerosol supply system 10 that interacts in any given embodiment. Thus, in this example, the receiver transmitter element 42 is a BLE interface element that includes or is connected to a wireless antenna for wireless communication. In other examples, such as the above example, this may be an interface element for alternative wireless technologies and / or wired connection interfaces.

[0034]

[0038] The receiver transmitter element 42 is connected to a processor or controller 44 that can receive and process data or messaging from the non-combustible aerosol supply system. The processor or controller 44 accesses a memory 46 that can be used to store program information and / or data. The user device 40 may further include an additional data transmission interface 48. This interface may provide one or more interface functions for wired connections, such as a wired local area network, and / or wireless connections, such as a wireless local area network and / or cellular data services. This interface may be used, for example, to send and receive messaging to and from various other devices, computer systems, and / or computer services, if required by any particular embodiment. This interface may also be used for, or instead of, communication regarding other functions of the user device 40 that are unrelated to the operation or interaction of the non-combustible aerosol supply system.

[0035]

[0039] The user device 40 also includes user interface elements including an output device 50 (which may include one or more of a display, audio output, and haptic output) and an input device 52 (which may include one or more of buttons, keys, touch-sensitive display elements, or a mouse / trackpad).

[0036]

[0040] The user device 40 may be pre-programmed or configured to provide functions according to the techniques discussed below. In addition to or instead of this, the user device may store software such as an app (e.g., in the memory 46) to cause the processor or controller 44 to have those functions when the software is executed. Thus, the user device may be a multi-purpose device having the described functions when the app is executed.

[0037]

[0041] Software for programming a user device to the techniques described herein may also be embodied or encoded on a computer-readable medium such as a computer-readable storage medium containing instructions. By the instructions embedded or encoded on the computer-readable medium, a programmable processor or other processor can execute the present method, for example, when the instructions are executed. The computer-readable medium may include a non-transitory computer-readable storage medium, as well as a temporary communication medium such as a carrier signal and a transmission medium. The computer-readable storage medium may include random access memory (RAM), read only memory (ROM), programmable read only memory (PROM), erasable programmable read only memory (EPROM), electronically erasable programmable read only memory (EEPROM), flash memory, hard disk, CD-ROM, floppy disk, cassette, magnetic medium, optical medium, or other computer-readable storage medium. The term "computer-readable storage medium" refers to a physical storage medium. The temporary communication medium may occur between components of a single computing system (e.g., an internal link or bus between a memory and a processor), or between separate computing systems (e.g., a network or other computing device connection), and may include a transmission signal or a carrier wave, etc.

[0038]

[0042] Such software may be loaded directly from a computer-readable medium into the user device 40, or the user device may be connected to another computing device (such as a desktop computer or a laptop computer), and the software may be loaded into the user device by controlling the loading of the software into the user device using the software of the other computing device.

[0039]

[0043] Thus, a non-combustible aerosol supply system and a user device that can interact to provide some additional functions for the non-combustible aerosol supply system to the user of the user device have been described. Next, examples of such functions will be described.

[0040]

[0044] FIG. 3 is a flowchart showing a method of selecting a low power mode setting for the non-combustible aerosol supply system 10. What is shown within the dashed lines are the steps performed in this example, but these steps need not be performed in all examples of this technique.

[0041]

[0045] As shown in FIG. 3, in step S31, the user device 40 receives information regarding the current power consumption state of the non-combustible aerosol supply system 10. In this example, this is received from the non-combustible aerosol supply system 10, but in other examples, the user may indicate the mode, or the user device may store a value indicating the current mode.

[0042]

[0046] In this example, the non-combustible aerosol supply system 10 is operable in a plurality of power consumption modes corresponding to different profiles of power consumption. In this example, these different power consumption modes affect the selectable heater power settings. The possible power consumption states include a power saving mode in which the available heater power settings that can be selected by the user are limited to a "low" heater power setting. That is, when the power saving mode is activated, the non-combustible aerosol supply system 10 is configured to restrict access to the heater power settings that are available in power consumption states other than the power saving mode. In this way, the non-combustible aerosol supply system 10 can ensure that the heater power setting of the device is not set higher than a specific value. Accordingly, the power delivered to the heater can be suppressed, thereby saving power and extending the battery life of the device. In addition, by thus restricting the heater power, the consumption of the supply of aerosolizable material of the non-combustible aerosol supply system 10 can also be slowed down, thereby making the supply last longer.

[0043]

[0047] In some examples, the power saving mode can also or instead restrict the delivery of operating power to other components of the non-combustible aerosol supply system 10, such as any output element 30 and / or the processor / controller 22.

[0044]

[0048] Another example of a power consumption mode that can be implemented by the non-combustible aerosol supply system 10 in combination with the user device 40 is the standard mode. When operating in the standard mode, higher heater power settings may be available to give the user maximum control over the heater power and thus the properties of the aerosol produced.

[0045]

[0049] Next, in step S33, the user device 40 receives an input indicating that the power saving mode is to be activated in the non-combustible aerosol supply system 10. In this example, this user input is received via.

[0046]

[0050] In this example, the user can choose to cause the non-combustible aerosol supply system 10 to enter a specific power consumption mode by providing a suitable control input on the user device 40. In this example, the user device receives user input via the input element 52 of the user device 40 (which may include one or more of a button, a key, a touch-sensing display element, or a mouse / trackpad as described above). To facilitate such input, an exemplary user interface screen that can be presented to the user on the output device 50 of the user device 40 will be described below with reference to FIG. 4. The user can spontaneously activate the power saving mode at any time as desired, and / or can determine when to activate the power saving mode using information related to the remaining power of the non-combustible aerosol supply system 10 and / or the aerosolizable material resources.

[0047]

[0051] User input can take several possible forms. In this example, the user selects an input option corresponding to the operation of the power saving mode. In other examples, the user input may include a value corresponding to the heater power setting. In such a case, the user device 40 can provide an input field in which the user can enter a desired value for the heater power setting (e.g., the number of watts of power or a percentage relative to the maximum power), and that value or percentage corresponds to the minimum or near - minimum operating power of the heater. In addition to or instead of this, the user input can include the selection of a position on a slider, where that position corresponds to the value of the heater power setting, and here, that position or percentage corresponds to the minimum or near - minimum operating power of the heater. By allowing the user to directly select the value of the power to be given, the user is provided with a high level of control over the operation of the device, which can facilitate the adjustment of the device to achieve desired characteristics for the generated aerosol. For example, in some embodiments, the power saving mode restricts the heater power to the lowest possible operating power setting, or alternatively, allows the heater power to be selected within a low range (e.g., including the lowest possible operating power setting, e.g., a continuous range of possible values spanning 10% or 20% of the entire possible power value range). Additionally, the user device 40 can limit the user's selection to values that change by, for example, fixed increments (ranges are available). In one example, the user device 40 limits the user's selection in the standard mode to values corresponding to heater power between 2.0W and 6.5W in 0.1W increments, and then further limits the user's selection in the power saving mode to either 2.0W (the lowest possible setting) or a range starting at 2W and extending, for example, up to 3.5W.

[0048]

[0052] Furthermore, in some examples, the user input option includes selecting a heater power setting from a plurality of preset heater power settings. The preset power settings may be preset by the user himself and stored in the user device 40, or may be common preset settings set, for example, by the manufacturer of the non-combustible aerosol supply system 10. By this method, the heater power setting can be roughly adjusted, and it can be made easier for the user to select the heater power setting. In this example, when the power saving mode is effective, the selection of the preset becomes unavailable. In other examples, when the power saving mode is effective, only the lowest power preset can be selected, and / or when the lowest power preset is selected, this is also treated as if the power saving mode has been selected.

[0049]

[0053] Therefore, in the power saving mode, the possible power settings may be a subset of the heater settings that can be made available in the normal mode.

[0050]

[0054] As described above, the power saving mode may control one or more additional or alternative power consumption elements different from the heater power. These may include the heater operation time (performance time), the output element power, and / or the controller / processor power. Therefore, when the selection of the low power mode can be provided by an input option added to or instead of the low power mode selection input option, additional or alternative input options corresponding to these other power consumption elements of the non-combustible aerosol supply system can also be provided.

[0051]

[0055] When the current power consumption state of the device 10 is transmitted in step S31, the user may be restricted to selecting a heater power setting available for the current power consumption state. One or more available heater power settings may be selected based on the purpose of the power consumption state. For example, in the power saving mode, the available heater power settings may be restricted to heater power settings that are relatively lower than the heater power settings available when not operating in the power saving mode.

[0052]

[0056] As shown in FIG. 3, in step S35, the user device 40 is configured to send a command to the non-combustible aerosol supply system 10 to adopt a low power mode. This transmission is executed by the receiver / transmitter element 42 of the user device 40 and received by the transmitter / receiver element 26 of the non-combustible aerosol supply system 10. In this example, the transmission is performed via BLE, but it will be understood that any suitable communication technology such as the technologies described above may be used.

[0053]

[0057] In this example, in order to send a command to adopt a low power mode, the user device 40 is configured to write a value representing a specific power consumption limit (s) applied to the relevant non-combustible aerosol supply system components according to the Bluetooth profile specification governing the BLE communication between the user device 40 and the non-combustible aerosol supply system 10. Thus, the non-combustible aerosol supply system 10 does not need to interpret the command or select any value for the power saving mode. Rather, these specific values used are provided directly to the non-combustible aerosol supply system 10 for use until changed by a later command (e.g., the user's decision to exit the power saving mode, in the case of charging or reset).

[0054]

[0058] Specifically, in an example of a power saving mode that includes controlling the heater power, the user device 40 is configured to write a value in the form of an unsigned integer to the non-combustible aerosol supply system 10. The unsigned integer can take on a specific range of values corresponding to the lower and upper limit values of the heater power that the device 10 can accommodate. To determine the power supplied to the heater from the value written to the device 10, the device 10 divides the value by 10. Thus, to send an instruction that the heater power should be set to 2.0 W, the user device 40 writes a value of 20 to the device 10 via the BLE interface. Thus, the specific heater power required in the power saving mode is written directly using this technique.

[0055]

[0059] In an example where the power saving mode includes controlling the power of other power consuming components or elements of the non-combustible aerosol supply system 10, a similar technique can be used to write the power saving mode performance time value, the power saving mode output element power level, and / or the processor / controller power level / mode value to the non-combustible aerosol supply system 10.

[0056]

[0060] These examples are merely illustrative of ways in which the necessary power saving mode power settings can be sent to the user device, and it will be understood that other communication modes and encoding schemes may be used for the heater power setting.

[0057]

[0061] In another example, rather than writing a specific power saving mode control value to the non-combustible aerosol supply system 10, instead, the user device 40 may send less specific instructions to the non-combustible aerosol supply system 10 to operate the power saving mode. In such an approach, the non-combustible aerosol supply system 10 would then interpret this instruction to adopt the power saving mode according to local parameters. This can include the non-combustible aerosol supply system 10 already storing power values for power consumption variables of the associated power consumption components of the non-combustible aerosol supply system 10. As an alternative, the non-combustible aerosol supply system 10 may include a program for the power saving mode in which the processor / controller 22 can determine which power consumption element(s) require a specific power control setting and establish an appropriate value for that setting.

[0058]

[0062] When a power saving mode power setting value is set in the non-combustible aerosol supply system 10, the non-combustible aerosol supply system then operates according to the indicated power setting. Thus, in the case of the power setting of the heater, the non-combustible aerosol supply system 10 permits power to be supplied from a power source (such as the battery 18 or a heat generating power source) to the heater (e.g., the heater coil 20). By adjusting the power supplied to the heater in this way, the temperature at which the aerosolizable material is heated can be adjusted, and thus, the characteristics of the aerosol generated by the non-combustible aerosol supply system 10 can be adjusted. In this way, the size / intensity of the aerosol cloud generated by the device can be controlled to maximize the life of the power source and / or the aerosolizable material resource.

[0059]

[0063] Similarly or alternatively to the example of other power-consuming components controlled to operate at low power in the power-saving mode, the non-combustible aerosol supply system 10 also controls the power available to such components using the indicated settings written to the non-combustible aerosol supply system 10 in step S35. For example, in a low-power setting for an output element, the brightness at which an LED indicator light is lit can be restricted to a low-power option, or the LED indicator light can be made not to operate at all.

[0060]

[0064] In contrast to the method by which a user specifies the target temperature of a heater, the manufacturing of device 10 and the control of the heater can be simplified by controlling the power supplied to the heater. Since the power supplied by a power source (e.g., battery 18) can be controlled using a power supply circuit that is relatively easy to manufacture and control, the process of manufacturing the non-combustible aerosol supply system 10 and the process of controlling the heater power settings can be made more efficient than the method of attempting to control the temperature of the heater. Such a temperature-based method is likely to require a temperature sensing element (such as a thermistor) and feedback control, and / or very precise calibration.

[0061]

[0065] An example of a user interface screen that can be provided to the user by the output device 50 of the user device 40 to prompt and / or receive such input is shown in FIG. 4.

[0062]

[0066] As shown in the figure, the user interface screen 60 includes several power mode indicators 62 that can be selected to adopt a specific power mode (which may correspond to a power consumption state). In this example, the indicator 62a for mode 1 corresponds to a normal mode in which all power levels are available, and the indicator 62b for mode 2 corresponds to a power-saving mode that can operate as discussed above. Thus, in this example, selecting mode 2 via indicator 62b activates the power-saving mode.

[0063]

[0067] The user interface screen 60 also includes several current indicators 64 that are selectable to adopt specific power level presets. In this example, the indicator 64a for preset A corresponds to a low power level, the indicator 64b for preset B corresponds to a medium power level, and the indicator 64c for preset C corresponds to a high power level. In this example, when mode 1 (normal mode) is selected, all of these preset modes are selectable, but when mode 2 (low power mode) is selected, only the low power preset A, or both the low power preset A and the medium power preset B are selectable.

[0064]

[0068] The user interface screen 60 also includes a power selection slider 66, and the slider 66 includes a power selection control element 68 that is selectable to move along the slider 66 to change the power. In this example, when mode 1 (normal mode) is selected, the entire range of the slider 66 is selectable using the power selection control element 68, and when mode 2 (low power mode) is selected, only the minimum power setting, or a limited range near the low power end is selectable using the power selection control element 68.

[0065]

[0069] In other examples, alternative user interface techniques may be used. A larger or smaller range of indicators and / or selectors may be provided, and / or the user interface elements may be split across multiple user interface screens. In some examples, either a preset indicator or a slider may be provided, but not both. In some examples, there may only be an option to select between a normal (standard) mode and a power saving mode, and thus no options for presets or power sliders.

[0066]

[0070] Accordingly, an efficient and effective approach has been described in which a user of a user device 40 coupled to a non-combustible aerosol supply system 10 controls the non-combustible aerosol supply system 10 into a power-saving mode, thereby enabling the user to effectively extend the life of the power supply of the non-combustible aerosol supply system 10 and / or the storage amount of aerosolizable material.

[0067]

[0071] In the present application, the phrase "configured to" is used to mean that an element of a device has a configuration capable of performing a defined operation. In this context, "configuration" means the configuration or manner of interconnection of hardware or software. For example, a device may have dedicated hardware that provides a defined operation, or a processor or other processing device may be programmed to execute the function. "Configured to" does not mean that the device element needs to make any changes to provide a defined operation.

[0068]

[0072] The various embodiments described herein are presented only to assist in understanding and teaching the claimed features. These embodiments are provided as merely representative examples of the embodiments, and do not cover all embodiments nor exclude other embodiments. The advantages, embodiments, examples, functions, features, structures, and / or other aspects described herein should not be considered as limiting the scope of the invention as defined by the claims or as limiting equivalents of the claims, and it should be understood that other embodiments can be utilized and modifications can be made without departing from the scope of the claimed invention. The various embodiments of the present invention may preferably comprise, consist of, or consist essentially of a suitable combination of disclosed elements, components, features, parts, steps, means, etc., other than those described in detail herein. Additionally, the present disclosure may include other inventions that are not currently claimed but may be claimed in the future.

Claims

1. an aerosol generator for generating an aerosol; a power source for providing power to the aerosol generator; a transmitter / receiver element configured to communicatively couple the non-combustible aerosol delivery system to a user device; A non-combustible aerosol delivery system comprising: the non-combustible aerosol delivery system is operable in a standard mode and a power saving mode, and when the non-combustible aerosol delivery system is in the power saving mode, the power source is configured to supply less power to one or more power consuming components of the non-combustible aerosol delivery system than when the non-combustible aerosol delivery system is in the standard mode; A non-combustion aerosol delivery system, wherein the transmitter / receiver element is configured to receive instructions from the user device, the instructions being configured to cause the non-combustion aerosol delivery system to enter the low power mode.

2. The system of claim 1 , wherein the instructions include one or more instructions for causing the non-combustible aerosol delivery system to operate in accordance with previously stored low power mode instructions.

3. The system of claim 1 , wherein the instructions include one or more instructions that write specific power ranges for the one or more power consuming components to the non-combustible aerosol delivery system.

4. The system of claim 3 , wherein the particular power range is a particular power value.

5. The system of any one of claims 1 to 4, wherein the one or more power consuming components of the non-combustion aerosol delivery system comprise the aerosol generator.

6. The system of claim 5 , wherein the aerosol generator comprises a heater, and the power supply is configured to supply less power to the aerosol generator by reducing a power supply voltage to the heater.

7. The system of claim 5 or 6, wherein when in the power saving mode, the power supply is configured to provide minimal operating power to the aerosol generator.

8. The system of claim 5 or 6, wherein when in the power saving mode, the power source is configured to supply power to the aerosol generator within a contiguous subset of the entire operating power setting range of the aerosol generator, the subset including a minimum operating power setting.

9. The system of any one of claims 1 to 8, wherein the one or more power consuming components include one or more indicator lights of the non-combustible aerosol delivery system.

10. 10. The system of claim 9, wherein when in the low power mode, the power supply is configured to provide a low operating power level to the one or more indicator lights.

11. The system of any one of claims 1 to 10, wherein the one or more power consuming components include a processor of the non-combustible aerosol delivery system.

12. A user device configured to be communicatively coupled to the non-combustible aerosol delivery system, comprising: an output device configured to provide user interface information to a user; an input device configured to receive input from a user that activates a power saving mode of a communicatively coupled non-combustible aerosol delivery system; a receiver-transmitter element configured to transmit instructions to the communicatively coupled non-combustible aerosol delivery system to adopt the power saving mode, the instructions causing a power source of the non-combustible aerosol delivery system to supply less power to one or more power consuming components of the non-combustible aerosol delivery system than when the non-combustible aerosol delivery system is in a standard mode; A user device comprising:

13. The user device of claim 12 , wherein the instructions are configured to cause the communicatively coupled non-combustible aerosol delivery system to adopt a power saving mode setting already stored in the non-combustible aerosol delivery system.

14. The user device of claim 12 , wherein the instructions write specific power ranges for the one or more power consuming components to the non-combustible aerosol delivery system.

15. The user device of claim 14 , wherein the particular power range is a particular power value.

16. The user device of any one of claims 12 to 15, wherein the instructions include instructions for supplying a low power level from the power source to an aerosol generator of the non-combustion aerosol delivery system.

17. The user device of claim 16 , wherein the instructions include instructions for supplying a low power level from the power source to a heater of the aerosol generator.

18. The user device of claim 16 or 17, wherein the instructions include instructions to supply a minimum operating power to the aerosol generator.

19. A user device as described in claim 16 or 17, wherein the instructions include instructions for supplying power to the aerosol generator within a contiguous subset of the entire operating power setting range of the aerosol generator, the subset including a minimum operating power setting.

20. A user device as described in any one of claims 12 to 19, wherein the instructions include instructions for supplying a low power level from the power source to one or more indicator lights of the non-combustible aerosol delivery system.

21. The user device of claim 20 , wherein the instructions include instructions for supplying a low operating power level to the one or more indicator lights.

22. A user device according to any one of claims 12 to 21, wherein the instructions include instructions for supplying a low power level from the power source to a processor of the non-combustible aerosol delivery system.

23. a non-combustible aerosol delivery system; a user device communicatively coupled to the non-combustible aerosol delivery system; A system comprising: the non-combustible aerosol delivery system is operable in a standard mode and a power saving mode, and when the non-combustible aerosol delivery system is in the power saving mode, the power source is configured to supply less power to one or more power consuming components of the non-combustible aerosol delivery system than when the non-combustible aerosol delivery system is in the standard mode; The system, wherein the user device is configured to send a command to the non-combustible aerosol delivery system to adopt the power saving mode.

24. 24. The system of claim 23, wherein the instructions include one or more instructions for operating according to previously stored low power mode instructions by the non-combustible aerosol delivery system.

25. 24. The system of claim 23, wherein the instructions include one or more instructions that write specific power ranges for the one or more power consuming components to the non-combustible aerosol delivery system.

26. 26. The system of claim 25, wherein the particular power range is a particular power value.

27. 26. The system of any one of claims 23 to 25, wherein the one or more power consuming components of the non-combustion aerosol delivery system comprise the aerosol generator.

28. 28. The system of claim 27, wherein the aerosol generator comprises a heater, and the power supply is configured to supply less power to the aerosol generator by reducing a power supply voltage to the heater.

29. 29. The system of claim 27 or 28, wherein when in the power saving mode, the power source is configured to provide minimal operating power to the aerosol generator.

30. The system described in claim 27 or 28, wherein when in the power saving mode, the power source is configured to supply power to the aerosol generator within a contiguous subset of the entire operating power setting range of the aerosol generator, the subset including a minimum operating power setting.

31. The system of any one of claims 23 to 30, wherein the one or more power consuming components include one or more indicator lights of the non-combustible aerosol delivery system.

32. 32. The system of claim 31, wherein when in the low power mode, the power supply is configured to provide a low operating power level to the one or more indicator lights.

33. The system of any one of claims 23 to 32, wherein the one or more power consuming components include a processor of the non-combustible aerosol delivery system.

34. When executed by a processing circuit of a computing device configured to be communicatively coupled to a non-combustible aerosol delivery system, the computing device is receiving input from a user to activate a power saving mode of a communicatively coupled non-combustible aerosol delivery system; transmitting instructions to the communicatively coupled non-combustible aerosol delivery system to employ the power saving mode, the instructions causing a power source of the non-combustible aerosol delivery system to supply less power to one or more power consuming components of the non-combustible aerosol delivery system than when the non-combustible aerosol delivery system is in a standard mode; A computer-readable medium containing instructions to cause

35. 35. The computer-readable medium of claim 34, wherein the instructions are configured to cause the communicatively coupled non-combustible aerosol delivery system to adopt a power saving mode setting already stored in the non-combustible aerosol delivery system.

36. 35. The computer readable medium of claim 34, wherein the instructions write specific power ranges for the one or more power consuming components to the non-combustible aerosol delivery system.

37. 37. The computer readable medium of claim 36, wherein the particular power range is a particular power value.

38. 38. The computer readable medium of any one of claims 34 to 37, wherein the instructions include instructions for supplying a low power level from the power source to an aerosol generator of the non-combustion aerosol delivery system.

39. 40. The computer-readable medium of claim 38, wherein the instructions include instructions for providing a low power level from the power source to a heater of the aerosol generator.

40. 40. The computer readable medium of claim 38 or 39, wherein the instructions include instructions for providing a minimum operating power to the aerosol generator.

41. 40. The computer-readable medium of claim 38 or 39, wherein the instructions include instructions for supplying power to the aerosol generator within a contiguous subset of an entire operating power setting range of the aerosol generator, the subset including a minimum operating power setting.

42. 42. The computer readable medium of any one of claims 34 to 41, wherein the instructions include instructions for supplying a low power level from the power source to one or more indicator lights of the non-combustible aerosol delivery system.

43. 43. The computer readable medium of claim 42, wherein the instructions include instructions for supplying a low operating power level to the one or more indicator lights.

44. 44. The computer readable medium of any one of claims 34 to 43, wherein the instructions include instructions for providing a low power level from the power source to a processor of the non-combustible aerosol delivery system.

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