Mass output controlled vaporizer

Abstract

To provide methods and related devices, systems and articles for controlling an aerosol output rate provided by a vaporizer device.SOLUTION: A vaporizer device includes: a resistive heating element; a circuitry configured to control delivery of electrical power to the resistive heating element from a power source; and a controller. The controller is configured to perform operations including the steps of: receiving inputs representative of a power delivery to the resistive heating element, a temperature of the resistive heating element, and / or a flow rate of air passing through the resistive heating element; predicting, using the received inputs, an amount of evaporation of vaporizable material at the resistive heating element; and controlling the power delivery to the resistive heating element in response to the predicted amount of evaporation of the vaporizable material, wherein the controlling step includes a step of increasing or decreasing an instantaneous power delivery to the heating element such that a target aerosol yield is produced.SELECTED DRAWING: Figure 4

Description

[Technical Field]

[0001] CROSS-REFERENCE TO RELATED APPLICATIONS This application is a related application to and claims priority from U.S. Provisional Patent Application No. 62 / 636,086, entitled "Mass Output Controlled Vaporizer," filed February 27, 2018, the entire contents of which are expressly incorporated herein by reference.

[0002] The subject matter described herein relates to mass output control of vaporizer devices.

[0003] Background technology Vaporizer devices, which may include and / or be referred to as electronic inhalation aerosol devices, vaporization devices, electronic vaporization devices, and / or electronic aerosol devices, typically utilize a vaporizable material that is vaporized to produce an aerosol vapor that can deliver an active ingredient to a user. Maintaining some control over the temperature of the resistive heater is generally desirable, for example, to avoid overheating the vaporizable material, ensure that sufficient heat is available to form the aerosol, maintain longer battery life for the vaporizer device, etc.

[0004] overview SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION Embodiments of the present subject matter relate to approaches for controlling the aerosol output rate provided by a vaporizer device.

[0005] In one aspect, a vaporizer device includes a heating element and circuitry for controlling the supply of power from a power source to the heating element. A controller implements control rules based on received inputs representing one or more of the power supply to the resistive heating element, the temperature of the resistive heating element, and / or the airflow rate through the resistive heating element. These inputs are used to predict the amount of evaporation of vaporizable material in the heating element. Depending on the predicted amount of evaporation of the vaporizable material, the power supply to the heating element is controlled by increasing or decreasing the power supply to the heater to reach a target aerosol yield.

[0006] In another aspect, a vaporizer device includes a resistive heating element and circuitry configured to control the supply of power from a power source to the resistive heating element, the resistive heating element configured to provide heat to a vaporizable material that vaporizes the vaporizable material into a flowing air stream to form an entrained aerosol, and the vaporizer device further includes a controller configured to perform operations including the following steps: receiving input representing the power supply to the resistive heating element, the temperature of the resistive heating element, and / or the air flow rate through the resistive heating element; using the received input to predict an amount of evaporation of the vaporizable material in the resistive heating element; and controlling the power supply to the resistive heating element in response to the predicted amount of evaporation of the vaporizable material, the controlling step including increasing or decreasing the instantaneous power supply to the heating element to produce a target aerosol yield.

[0007] One or more of the following features may be included in any feasible combination. For example, the received input representing the airflow rate through the resistive heating element may be determined by a flow sensor, a pressure sensor, and / or one or more measured characteristics representing air restrictions of the vaporizer device. The target aerosol yield may be proportional to the flow rate. The target aerosol yield may be a function of the flow rate. The target aerosol yield may include a predetermined constant or a user-adjustable parameter. The user-adjustable parameter may include a desired output target based on a desired evaporation rate, a desired number of puffs, a specific time period, and / or a daily output target. The target aerosol yield may be adjusted in response to one or more user behaviors of one or more users and / or one or more vaporizer devices. Controlling the power supply to the resistive heating element may further be responsive to an amount of power required to maintain a predetermined temperature of the resistive heating element. Controlling the power supply to the heating element may include selecting a power supply such that the temperature of the heating element remains below a predetermined temperature. Predicting the evaporation rate may include executing an algorithm using the received input.

[0008] In yet another aspect, a method includes the following steps: receiving data characterizing the power supply to a resistive heating element of a vaporizer device, the temperature of the resistive heating element, and / or the air flow rate passing through the resistive heating element; using the received data to predict the amount of evaporation of vaporizable material in the resistive heating element; and controlling the power supply to the resistive heating element in response to the predicted amount of evaporation of vaporizable material, wherein the controlling step includes increasing or decreasing the instantaneous power supply to the heating element to produce a target aerosol yield.

[0009] One or more of the following features may be included in any feasible combination. For example, the received data characterizing the airflow rate through the resistive heating element may be determined by a flow sensor, a pressure sensor, and / or one or more measured characteristics representative of an air restriction in the vaporizer device. The target aerosol yield may be proportional to the flow rate. The target aerosol yield may be a function of the flow rate. The target aerosol yield may include a predetermined constant or a user-adjustable parameter. The user-adjustable parameter may include a desired output target based on a desired evaporation rate, a desired number of puffs, a specific time period, and / or a daily output target. The target aerosol yield may be adjusted in response to one or more user characteristics of one or more users and / or one or more vaporizer devices. Controlling the power supply to the resistive heating element may further be responsive to an amount of power required to maintain a predetermined temperature of the resistive heating element. Controlling the power supply to the resistive heating element may include selecting a power supply such that the temperature of the heating element remains below a predetermined temperature. Predicting evaporation may include executing an algorithm using the received data. The vaporizer device can include a resistive heating element and circuitry configured to control the supply of power from a power source to the resistive heating element. The resistive heating element can be configured to provide heat to the vaporizable material to vaporize it into the flowing air stream to form an entrained aerosol.

[0010] Embodiments of the present subject matter may include, but are not limited to, methods consistent with the descriptions provided herein, as well as articles including tangibly embodied machine-readable media operable to cause one or more machines (e.g., computers, etc.) to perform operations that implement one or more of the described features. Similarly, computer systems are described that may include one or more processors and one or more memories coupled to the one or more processors. The memory, which may include a non-transitory computer-readable or machine-readable storage medium, may include encoding, storing, etc., one or more programs that cause the one or more processors to perform one or more of the operations described herein. Computer-implemented methods consistent with one or more embodiments of the present subject matter may be performed by one or more data processors present in a single-computing system or a multi-computing system. Such multi-computing systems may be connectable and may exchange data and / or commands or other instructions, etc., via one or more connections, including, but not limited to, connections via a network (e.g., the Internet, a wireless wide area network, a local area network, a wide area network, a wired network, etc.), direct connections between one or more of the multi-computing systems, etc.

[0011] Details of one or more variations of the subject matter described herein are set forth in the accompanying drawings and the description below. Other features and advantages of the subject matter described herein will be apparent from the description and drawings, and from the claims. While certain features of the subject matter of the present disclosure are described for illustrative purposes in the context of a portable vaporizer device having a resistive heater and a battery or other mobile power source, it will be readily understood that such features are not intended to be limiting. The claims that follow this disclosure are intended to specify the scope of protected subject matter.

[0012] The accompanying drawings, which are incorporated in and constitute a part of this specification, illustrate certain aspects of the subject matter disclosed herein and, together with the description, help to explain some of the principles associated with the disclosed embodiments. [Brief explanation of the drawings]

[0013] [Figure 1A] FIG. 1 is a schematic diagram illustrating features of a vaporizer device having a cartridge and a vaporizer device body consistent with embodiments of the present subject matter. [Figure 1B] FIG. 1 illustrates a top view of a vaporizer device with a cartridge separated from a cartridge receptacle on a vaporizer device body consistent with an embodiment of the present subject matter. [Figure 1C] FIG. 1 illustrates a top view of a vaporizer device with a cartridge inserted into a cartridge receptacle on a vaporizer device body consistent with an embodiment of the present subject matter. [Figure 1D] FIG. 1 illustrates a top isometric perspective view of a vaporizer device with a cartridge inserted into a cartridge receptacle on a vaporizer device body consistent with an embodiment of the present subject matter. [Figure 1E] FIG. 1 illustrates a top isometric perspective view from the mouthpiece end of a cartridge suitable for use with a vaporizer device body consistent with an embodiment of the present subject matter. [Figure 1F] FIG. 10 illustrates a top isometric perspective view from the opposite end of a cartridge suitable for use with a vaporizer device body consistent with an embodiment of the present subject matter. [Figure 2A] FIG. 1 is a schematic diagram illustrating features of a non-cartridge-based vaporizer device consistent with embodiments of the present subject matter. [Figure 2B] FIG. 1 is a side isometric perspective view of a non-cartridge-based vaporizer device. [Figure 2C] A bottom isometric perspective view of a non-cartridge-based vaporizer device. [Figure 3] FIG. 1 illustrates aspects of a system having features consistent with embodiments of the present subject matter. [Figure 4] Process flow charts illustrating aspects of methods having one or more features consistent with embodiments of the present subject matter.

[0014] In practical applications, like reference numerals refer to like structures, features, or elements.

[0015] Detailed Description Embodiments of the present subject matter relate to approaches for controlling the aerosol output rate provided by a vaporizer device. In some embodiments, a controller implements a control rule in which power supply to a heater of the vaporizer device is controlled in response to a predicted evaporation rate of vaporizable material (e.g., aerosol yield measurements). Controlling the power supply can include increasing or decreasing the power supply to the heater to produce a target aerosol yield (e.g., a controlled dosage). The control rule can adjust the mass output rate in response to user characteristics.

[0016] Various approaches are available for controlling a vaporizer device. For example, the vaporizer device's battery (or other power source, portable or connectable to a mains power source, such as a residential, commercial, or other building) can be directly connected to the resistive heater so that the full current drawn from the battery (or other power source) is supplied whenever the resistive heater is turned on (e.g., by activation of a switch, etc.). The circuit providing the current can be controlled to be on (closed) or off (open), such as according to an algorithm or control rule configured to determine when the resistive heater should be energized. In a simple example, the circuit can be closed (current conduction) when the temperature is below a set value and opened (current interruption) when the temperature is above the set value. In more sophisticated systems, the supplied current may be more carefully regulated, such as using a proportional-integral-derivative (PID) control rule.

[0017] A PID controller can include a feedback control loop mechanism suitable for continuously modulated control. The PID controller can continuously calculate an error value as the difference between a desired setpoint and a measured process variable. The PID controller can apply corrections based on proportional, integral, and derivative terms.

[0018] In other examples, the voltage applied to the resistive heater may be adjusted to a predetermined or user-adjustable constant. In yet other examples, the power supplied to the heater may be adjusted to a predetermined or user-adjustable constant. In more sophisticated systems, the temperature to which the resistive heater is heated may be controlled by measuring the resistive heater temperature, for example, using a thermal coefficient of resistance (TCR) based correlation or some other approach. Control rules, such as PID control algorithms, may be implemented to provide the precise amount of power needed to hold the heater at a predetermined or user-adjustable constant and / or to meet some other temperature condition that does not require a constant temperature.

[0019] Such approaches generally do not include quantification or control of the amount of vaporizable material provided by the vaporizer device in the form of an aerosol for inhalation by a user of the vaporizer device. In the context of the present disclosure, the "amount of vaporizable material" may be quantified in one or more of a variety of ways, including, for example, the mass delivered per unit time, the density or mass or unit volume of air flowing through the vaporizer as part of a user "puff," the total mass of vaporizable material delivered per puff, etc. Another method of characterizing the "amount of vaporizable material" includes quantifying both the mass or volume of air and the mass of vaporizable material entrained in the mass or volume of air to allow calculation of the concentration of vaporizable substance in the air.

[0020] Regardless of the control approach used in a vaporizer device (e.g., uncontrolled or controlled by voltage, power, or temperature, or some combination thereof), the aerosol yield of the vaporizer device generally depends on various uncontrollable parameters, such as the airflow rate inhaled by the user, the amount of liquid supplied to the heater, etc. These non-constant variables can easily result in inconsistent aerosol yields, which may be undesirable for the user.

[0021] Existing control approaches for vaporizer devices generally result in an increase in aerosol yield (e.g., mass of aerosol material produced per unit time) that either decreases or remains constant as the user-induced flow rate (e.g., the amount of air drawn through the vaporizer per unit time for inhalation by the user over the mouthpiece of the vaporizer device) increases. This effect occurs because air flowing through a resistive heating element is heated by interaction with the resistive heating element, thereby drawing heat from the resistive heating element. Vaporization of the vaporizable material also removes heat from the resistive heating element in the form of latent heat of vaporization. If a vaporizer device includes a temperature control approach to maintain the temperature of the resistive heating element below a predetermined temperature, at best, the vaporization rate of the vaporizable material remains constant. If the aerosol yield per time remains constant or decreases with increasing airflow, the result is an aerosol with a decreasing particle density as the flow rate increases. It may be more desirable for a user to have an aerosol with a constant or even increasing particle density as the user's puffs become more intense.

[0022] Embodiments of the present subject matter relate to approaches for controlling the aerosol output rate provided by a vaporizer device. In this context, aerosol output rate can refer to the total mass of vaporizable material delivered per unit time, or alternatively, the total mass of vaporizable material delivered per "puff" (e.g., per single inhalation inhaled by a user on a vaporizer device). In the following description, either of these measures may apply unless specified and / or contradicts the context of the description.

[0023] Vaporizer devices that can be used in embodiments of the present subject matter can include a battery, a microcontroller, a printed circuit board (PCB), an electronic heater, a means for supplying vaporizable material to the heater, a method for measuring the temperature of the heater, a method for measuring the flow through the vaporizer, and a method for measuring or predicting the instantaneous aerosol yield from the vaporizer.

[0024] 1A-2C illustrate exemplary vaporizer devices 100, 200 and features that may be included therein consistent with embodiments of the present subject matter. Those skilled in the art will understand that the various inventive features described herein or otherwise within the present subject matter may be implemented in vaporizers of different configurations, and that any structural descriptions of vaporizer features are not intended to be limiting, except to the extent they appear in the claims.

[0025] FIG. 1A shows a schematic diagram of a vaporizer device 100 including a cartridge, and FIGS. 1B-1E show diagrams of an exemplary vaporizer device 100 having a vaporizer device body 101 and a cartridge 114. FIGS. 1B and 1C show top views before and after connecting the cartridge 114 to the vaporizer device body 101. FIG. 1D shows an isometric perspective view of the vaporizer device 100 including the vaporizer device body 101 combined with the cartridge 114, and FIG. 1E shows an isometric perspective view of one variation of the cartridge 114 holding a liquid vaporizable material. Generally, when the vaporizer device includes a cartridge (such as cartridge 114), the cartridge 114 can include one or more reservoirs 120 configured to contain the vaporizable material. This reservoir 120 of the cartridge 114 may contain any suitable vaporizable material, including compositions that may include solutions of nicotine or other organic materials, as well as one or more neat (e.g., not dissolved in a solvent) chemical compounds, mixtures, formulations, etc.

[0026] As described above, the vaporizer device 100 shown in FIG. 1 includes a vaporizer device body 101. As shown in FIG. 1, the vaporizer device body 101 consistent with embodiments of the present subject matter can include a power source 103 (e.g., a device or system that stores electrical energy for on-demand use), which may be a battery, a capacitor, a combination thereof, or the like. These may be rechargeable or non-rechargeable. A controller 105, which may include a processor (e.g., a programmable processor, a dedicated circuit, or the like), may be included as part of the vaporizer device body 101. The vaporizer device body 101 may include a housing that encloses one or more components of the vaporizer body, such as the power source 103, the controller 105, and / or any other components described herein as being part of such a device. In various embodiments of a vaporizer device including a vaporizer device body 101 and a cartridge 114, the cartridge 114 may be mounted on, within, or with a portion of the cartridge 114 mounted within the vaporizer device body 101. For example, the vaporizer device body 101 can include a cartridge receptacle into which the cartridge 114 can be insertably received.

[0027] The processor of the controller 105 can include circuitry for controlling the operation of the heater 118, which can optionally include one or more heating elements for vaporizing a vaporizable material contained within the cartridge 114, for example, in a reservoir or container that is part of the cartridge 114. In various embodiments, the heater 118 can be present within the vaporizer device body 101 or within the cartridge 114 (as shown in FIG. 1A ), or both. The controller circuitry can include one or more clocks (oscillators), charging circuitry, an I / O controller, memory, etc. Alternatively or additionally, the controller circuitry can include circuitry for one or more wireless communication modes, including Bluetooth, near field communications (NFC), WiFi, ultrasonic, ZigBee, RFID, etc. The vaporizer device body 101 can also include a memory 125, which can be part of the controller 105 or otherwise in data communication with the controller. Memory 125 may include volatile memory (e.g., random access memory) and / or non-volatile memory (e.g., read-only memory, flash memory, solid-state storage, hard drives, other magnetic storage, etc.) or data storage.

[0028] 1 , the vaporizer device 100 may optionally include a charger 133 (and charging circuitry that may be controlled by the controller 105), including an inductive charger and / or a plug-in charger. For example, a universal serial bus (USB) connection may be used to charge the vaporizer device 100 and / or to enable communication via a wired connection between a computing device and the controller 105. The charger 133 may charge the on-board power supply 103. A vaporizer 100 consistent with embodiments of the present subject matter may also include sensors 137, including one or more inputs 117, such as buttons, dials, etc., an accelerometer or other motion sensor, a pressure sensor (e.g., a relative and / or absolute pressure sensor, which may be capacitive, semiconductor-based, etc.), a flow sensor, etc. Such one or more sensors 137 may be used by the vaporizer 100 to detect handling and interaction by a user. For example, detection of rapid movement (such as a shaking motion) of the vaporizer 100 may be interpreted by the controller 105 (e.g., through receipt of a signal from one or more of the sensors 137) as a user command to initiate communication with a user device. The user device is part of the vaporizer system and can be used to control one or more operations and / or parameters of the vaporizer 100, as described in more detail below. Additionally or alternatively, detection of rapid movement (such as a shaking motion) of the vaporizer 100 may be interpreted by the controller 105 (e.g., through receipt of a signal from one or more of the sensors 137) as a user command for cycling through multiple temperature settings, in which the vaporizable material held within the cartridge 114 is heated by the action of the heater 118. In some optional variations, detection of removal of the cartridge 114 by the controller 105 (e.g., through receipt of a signal from one or more of the sensors 137) during cycling through multiple temperature settings may act to establish the temperature (e.g., when cycling is at the desired temperature, the user can remove the cartridge 114 for the desired temperature setting).The cartridge 114 can then be re-mated with the vaporizer device body 101 by the user to enable use of the vaporizer 100 with the heater controlled by the controller 105 consistent with the selected temperature setting. Multiple temperature settings may be indicated by one or more indicators on the vaporizer device body 101. A pressure sensor may be used to detect either the start, end, or duration of a puff, as described above.

[0029] Vaporizer devices 100 consistent with embodiments of the present subject matter may also include one or more outputs 115. Output 115, as used herein, may refer to any optical (e.g., LED, display, etc.), tactile (e.g., vibration, etc.), acoustic (e.g., piezoelectric, etc.) feedback component, etc., or any combination thereof.

[0030] A vaporizer device 100 consistent with embodiments of the present subject matter including a cartridge 114 may include one or more electrical contacts (e.g., pins, plates, sockets, mating receptacles, or other features for electrically coupling with other contacts), such as vaporizer device body electrical contacts 109, 111, 113 (shown in FIG. 1A ) on or within the vaporizer device body 101, that may mate with complementary cartridge contacts 119, 121, 123 (e.g., pins, plates, sockets, mating receptacles, or other features for electrically coupling with other contacts) on the cartridge 114 when the cartridge is mated to the vaporizer device body 101. The contacts on the vaporizer body 101 are generally referred to herein as “vaporizer body contacts,” and the contacts on the cartridge 114 are generally referred to herein as “cartridge contacts.” These contacts may be used to provide energy to the heater 118 from the power source 103 in embodiments of the present subject matter in which the heater 118 is contained within the cartridge 114. For example, when the cartridge contacts and the vaporizer body contacts are respectively mated by coupling the cartridge 114 to the vaporizer device body 101, an electrical circuit can be formed to control the flow of electrical power from the power source 103 in the vaporizer device body 101 to the heater 118 in the cartridge 114. The controller 105 in the vaporizer device body 101 can regulate this flow of electrical power to control the temperature to which the heater 118 heats the vaporizable material contained in the cartridge 114.

[0031] Although three vaporizer device body contacts 109, 111, 113 and three cartridge contacts 119, 121, 123 are shown, certain embodiments of the present subject matter may use only two of each type of contact to complete an electrical circuit. This electrical circuit may also be used to provide power from power source 103 to heater 118 and, optionally, to measure the temperature of the heating element within the heater (e.g., by briefly and intermittently interrupting current flow to the heating element, measuring the resistance of the heating element during these brief interruptions, and obtaining the temperature from the measured resistance using a thermal resistance coefficient), and / or for data transmission between optional identifier 138 and controller 105. Alternatively or additionally, additional contacts (e.g., optional contacts 113 and 123) may be included for passing data, measuring temperature, or pressure sensor measurements (e.g., when a pressure sensor is included in the cartridge while controller 105 is included within vaporizer device body 101).

[0032] The air flow path (150 in FIG. 1E) can direct air to the heater, where it combines with vaporized vaporizable material from the reservoir 120, thereby generating an inhalable aerosol for delivery to a user through the mouthpiece 144, which may also be part of the cartridge 114. The air flow path 150 can, in some examples, pass between an outer surface of the cartridge 114 and an inner surface of a cartridge receptacle on the vaporizer device body 101, as described further below.

[0033] Any compatible electrical contacts can be used, including multiple pins (e.g., pogo pins), plates, etc. Additionally, as described below, in some embodiments of the present subject matter, unidirectional or bidirectional communication is provided between the vaporizer device body 101 and the cartridge 114 via one or more electrical contacts. These electrical contacts can include electrical contacts used to supply energy from the power source 103 to the heater 118, which can include a heating element, such as a resistive heating element. The cartridge 114 and the vaporizer device body 101 can be removably coupled, for example, by mating a portion of the cartridge 114 housing with the vaporizer device body 101 and / or vaporizer housing via a mechanical connection (e.g., a snap and / or friction fit). Alternatively or additionally, the cartridge 114 and the vaporizer device body 101 may be coupled magnetically or via some other coupling or mating mechanism. Other connection types, as well as combinations of two or more connection types, are within the scope of the present subject matter.

[0034] 1B-1F illustrate an example of a vaporizer 100 having a vaporizer device body 101 and a cartridge 114. The two are shown disconnected in FIG. 1B and connected in FIG. 1C. FIG. 1D illustrates an isometric perspective view of the combined vaporizer device body 101 and cartridge 114, while FIGS. 1E and 1F illustrate the individual cartridge 114 from two different perspectives. In combination, FIGS. 1B-1F illustrate an exemplary cartridge-based vaporizer device that includes many of the features essentially shown in FIG. 1A. Other configurations that include some or all of the features described herein are within the scope of the present subject matter. FIG. 1D illustrates a vaporizer device 100 having a cartridge 114 coupled within a cartridge receptacle of the vaporizer device body. In addition to the portion 154 of the cartridge 114 that is insertably received and thereby hidden from view within the cartridge receptacle 152, the cartridge 114 and / or vaporizer device body 101 may also include features that make some portion 158 of the cartridge 114 visible when the cartridge 114 is insertably received in the cartridge receptacle 152. This portion 158 of the cartridge that remains visible may include a transparent, translucent, etc. surface through which at least the level of vaporizable material within the reservoir 120 of the cartridge 114 can be identified.

[0035] 1E also shows an example of an air flow path 150 for air to be inhaled by a user's puff from outside the cartridge 114, through the heater 118 (e.g., via a vaporization chamber that includes or houses the heater 118), and to the mouthpiece 144 for delivering the inhalable aerosol. The mouthpiece can optionally have multiple openings through which the inhalable aerosol is delivered. For example, a cartridge receptacle 152 can be present at one end of the vaporizer device body 101 such that the insertable end 154 of the cartridge 114 can be insertably received within the cartridge receptacle 152. When the cartridge insertable portion 154 is fully inserted within the cartridge receptacle 152, the inner surface of the cartridge receptacle 152 forms one surface of a portion of the air flow path 150, and the outer surface of the cartridge insertable portion 154 forms the other surface of that portion of the air flow path.

[0036] As shown in FIG. 1E , this configuration causes air to flow around the cartridge insertable portion 154, drawn into the cartridge receptacle 152, and then back in the opposite direction, passing around the insertion end of the cartridge 114 (e.g., the end opposite the end including the mouthpiece 144) and into the cartridge body toward the vaporization chamber and heater 118. In doing so, the air flow path 150 extends through the interior of the cartridge 114, e.g., via one or more conduits or internal channels, to one or more outlets 156 formed in the mouthpiece 144. For non-cylindrical cartridges 114, the mouthpiece 144 may likewise be non-cylindrical, and more than one outlet 156 may be formed in the mouthpiece, optionally aligned along the longer of the cartridge 114's two lateral axes. Here, the cartridge's longitudinal axis is oriented along the direction in which the cartridge 114 moves to be insertably received or otherwise coupled to the vaporizer device body 101, and the two lateral axes are perpendicular to each other and to the longitudinal axis.

[0037] FIG. 1F illustrates additional features that may be included in a cartridge 114 consistent with the present subject matter. For example, the cartridge 114 may include two cartridge contacts 119, 121 arranged on an insertable portion 154 configured to be inserted into a cartridge receptacle 152 of the vaporizer device body 101. These cartridge contacts 119, 121 may optionally be part of a single metal piece forming conductive structures 159, 161, each connected to one of two ends of a resistive heating element. These two conductive structures may optionally form opposing sides of a heating chamber and may also function as a heat shield and / or heat sink to reduce heat transfer to the outer walls of the cartridge 114. FIG. 1F also illustrates a central conduit 162 within the cartridge 114 that defines a portion of the airflow path 150 between the heating chamber formed between the two conductive structures 159, 161 and the mouthpiece 144.

[0038] As mentioned above, the cartridge 114 and optionally the vaporizer device body 101 may optionally be non-circular in cross-section, with a variety of elongated (e.g., one of two transverse axes perpendicular to the longitudinal axis of the vaporizer device 100 being longer than the other) cross-sectional shapes being envisioned, including generally rectangular, generally diamond-shaped, generally triangular or trapezoidal, generally elliptical, etc. Those skilled in the art will appreciate that the use of "approximately" in this context contemplates that any vertices of the cross-sectional shape need not be acute angles but may instead have a non-zero radius of curvature, and that any surfaces between such vertices need not be perfectly flat but may instead have a non-infinite radius of curvature.

[0039] 2A-2C relate to exemplary embodiments of the present subject matter in which the vaporizer device is not cartridge-based. FIG. 2A shows a schematic diagram of a vaporizer device 200 that does not use a cartridge (but can still optionally accept one) and may instead (or additionally) be configured to use loose-leaf material or some other vaporizable material (e.g., solid, wax, etc.). The vaporizer device 200 of FIG. 2A may be configured to accept vaporizable material, such as loose vaporizable material, wax, and / or some other liquid or solid vaporizable material, in an oven 220 (e.g., a vaporization chamber). Many elements similar to those present in the vaporizer device 100 using the cartridge 114 shown in FIGS. 1A-1E may be included as part of a vaporizer device 200 that does not require the use of a cartridge. For example, the vaporizer device 200 may include, within a single housing, a control circuit 105 that may include a power control circuit, a wireless circuit 207, and / or a memory 125. A power source 103 (e.g., a battery, capacitor, etc.) within the housing may be charged by a charger 133 (which may further include a charging control circuit, not shown). The vaporizer device 200 may also include one or more outputs 115 and one or more inputs 117 along with sensors 137, which may include one or more of the sensors described above with respect to the cartridge-based vaporizer device 100. Additionally, the vaporizer device 200 may include one or more heaters 118 that heat the vaporization chamber, which may be an oven 220 or other heating chamber. The heaters 118 may be controlled using the resistance of the heaters 118 to determine the heater's temperature (e.g., by using the temperature coefficient of resistivity of the heater). A mouthpiece 144 may also be included within such a vaporizer device 200 for delivering the generated inhalable aerosol to a user. FIG. 2B shows a side isometric perspective view of an exemplary vaporizer device 200 having a vaporizer device body 201. In the bottom isometric perspective view of FIG. 2C, lid 230 is shown separated from vaporizer body 201, exposing oven / vaporization chamber 220.

[0040] The present subject matter may be applied to vaporizer devices that heat plant leaves or other plant-derived materials to extract plant-specific flavor aromas and other products as vapor. These plant materials may be chopped and blended with various plant products, including tobacco, into a homogenized composition, in which case nicotine and / or nicotine compounds are produced and delivered to users of such vaporizer devices in the form of an aerosol. The homogenized composition may also contain vaporizable liquids, such as propylene glycol and glycerol, to increase the vapor density and aerosol produced when heated. To avoid the production of undesirable or potentially harmful components (HPHCs), vaporizer devices may include heaters with temperature control. Such vaporizer devices that heat plant leaves or homogenized compositions as described above to maintain temperatures below combustion levels are commonly referred to as heat-not-burn (HNB) devices.

[0041] 3 shows a block diagram schematic of a system 300 for controlling the aerosol output rate provided by a vaporizer device, consistent with embodiments of the present subject matter described herein. The system 300 includes a heater 310 (e.g., a resistive heating element), circuitry 320, and a battery 340 (or other power source). The circuitry 320 (e.g., a printed circuit board) may include a temperature measurement circuit 322 for measuring the temperature of the heater 310, a flow measurement circuit 324 for measuring the flow rate in the airflow path of the vaporizer device, and a FET 326 for amplifying the power signal from a controller 334 to the heater 310.

[0042] In some embodiments of the present subject matter, the temperature measurement circuit 322 may perform a TCR-correlated resistance measurement to measure the temperature of the heater 310. In other embodiments, the temperature measurement circuit 322 may incorporate a thermistor, a thermocouple, and / or an infrared (IR) sensor to measure the temperature of the heater 310.

[0043] In some embodiments of the present subject matter, the flow measurement circuit 324 may include a flow sensor in the vaporizer airflow path to measure the flow rate in the airflow path where the heater 310 is located. In other embodiments, the flow rate may be measured by various types of pressure sensors, such as absolute pressure sensors, relative pressure sensors, hot wire anemometers, and / or paddle wheels. In some cases, a pressure sensor with a well-defined and known air restriction may be used to estimate the flow rate. In other examples, the air restriction and / or other known or measurable characteristics of the vaporizer device may be calculated and used to determine or estimate the flow rate. In other embodiments, measuring or estimating the flow rate is not required. For example, the flow rate is not necessary to determine the total mass of vaporizable material delivered in a given puff or over time, but may be necessary for calculating the concentration of inhalable aerosol in a given volume of air.

[0044] In some embodiments of the present subject matter, the instantaneous aerosol yield from the vaporizer device may be determined and / or predicted by an algorithm that uses as inputs the power, the temperature of the heater 310, and / or flow measurements of the air flow rate through the heater 310 to predict the vaporization rate at the heater. Alternatively, the instantaneous aerosol yield from the vaporizer may be measured and / or predicted by measuring and / or predicting the amount of material vaporized by the heater over a short sample period (e.g., <100 ms).

[0045] 3, microcontroller 330 includes an aerosol yield predictor 332 and a controller 334. Predictor 332 uses received inputs representing the power supply to heater 310, the temperature of heater 310 (from temperature measurement circuit 322), and / or the air flow rate through heater 310 (from flow measurement circuit 324) to predict the amount of evaporation of vaporizable material in heater 310.

[0046] Controller 334 implements control rules whereby the power supplied to heater 310 is controlled in response to a predicted amount of evaporation of vaporizable material (as predicted by prediction circuit 332). In some embodiments, controlling the power supply includes increasing or decreasing the power supply to heater 310 so as to produce a target aerosol yield.

[0047] The control rule uses the aerosol yield measurement (e.g., the predicted evaporation rate of vaporizable material from predictor 332) as a control signal for attenuating the amount of power supplied to heater 310. Controller 334 can set a control target for instantaneous aerosol yield proportional to the flow rate measured by a flow sensor (e.g., flow measurement circuit 324). This control target may alternatively be set as a constant or a user-adjustable parameter. The control target for instantaneous aerosol may be adjusted over the course of a puff, over the course of successive puffs, or in response to other user characteristics, performance, and / or goals. For example, a user may set one or more of the following as desired output targets: a desired evaporation rate (e.g., 1 mg / sec), a desired number of puffs per specific time period, and / or a specific program for achieving daily goals (e.g., a specific goal for the morning and another goal for the evening). In accordance with embodiments of the present subject matter, control rules may be implemented as part of a feedback loop for controlling power supply to the heater to achieve a desired (e.g., setpoint, threshold, target, etc.) mass output rate, which may or may not be configurable by the user.

[0048] Additionally, therefore, vaporizer devices implementing control rules according to certain embodiments described herein can adjust the mass output rate according to user characteristics (e.g., by utilizing user samples and one or more device histories). Thus, the mass output rate may be automatically adjusted according to time of day, day of the week, etc.

[0049] In some embodiments, in addition to the mass output control rule, a temperature control rule may be implemented in parallel. The mass output control rule, as described herein, specifies the amount of power to achieve a constant mass output. The temperature control rule determines the amount of power to maintain a temperature. According to some embodiments, a lesser amount of power is supplied to the heater to avoid the risk of exceeding a predetermined temperature. This acts as a safeguard by ensuring that a predetermined temperature is not exceeded.

[0050] 4, process flow chart 400 illustrates method features that may optionally include some or all of the following: In step 410, input quantities are received, these inputs representing the power supply to heater 310, the temperature of heater 310, and / or the airflow rate through heater 310.

[0051] In step 420, an algorithm is run using the received inputs to predict the amount of evaporation of vaporizable material in the heater. For example, predicting the amount of evaporation of vaporizable material in the heater can include identifying the amount of vapor and / or identifying the material in the vapor based on electrical and thermal properties (e.g., power or energy applied to the heating element and material temperature just before and at evaporation, etc.). Other approaches are possible.

[0052] In step 430, the power supply to the heater is controlled in response to the predicted evaporation rate of the vaporizable material. For example, controlling the power supply may include increasing or decreasing the instantaneous power supply to the heater 310 to produce a target aerosol yield (e.g., a desired output rate). In some embodiments, the power supply may be modulated by a pulse-width modulated (PWM) current from a power source (e.g., a battery) to the heater. The amount of power to be supplied may be determined by a proportional-integral-derivative (PID) control rule. For example, a target mass evaporation rate setpoint (e.g., target aerosol yield) may be predetermined, e.g., stored in a memory. The error between the target mass evaporation rate (e.g., target aerosol yield) and the predicted evaporation rate may be calculated, e.g., by considering the difference between the target evaporation rate and the predicted evaporation rate. The power may be adjusted based on one or more of a function of the error, a historical summation of errors from previous predictions (e.g., through iterations), and / or a change in error from the previous prediction to the current prediction. Additional approaches and control rules for modulating power can be used in some embodiments to control the amount of power delivered to an appropriate amount.

[0053] One or more aspects or features of the subject matter described herein may be implemented in digital electronic circuitry, integrated circuits, specially designed application-specific integrated circuits (ASICs), field-programmable gate arrays (FPGAs), computer hardware, firmware, software, and / or combinations thereof. These various aspects or features may include embodiment in one or more computer programs executable and / or interpretable on a programmable system including at least one programmable processor coupled for specific or general purpose purposes to receive data and instructions from, and transmit data and instructions to, a storage system, at least one input device, and at least one output device. The programmable system or computing system may include clients and servers. Clients and servers are generally remote from each other and typically interact through a communications network. The relationship of client and server arises by virtue of computer programs running on the respective computers and having a client-server relationship to each other.

[0054] These computer programs, which may also be referred to as programs, software, software applications, applications, components, or code, include machine instructions for a programmable processor and may be implemented in a high-level procedural language, an object-oriented programming language, a functional programming language, a logic programming language, and / or an assembly / machine language. As used herein, the term “machine-readable medium” refers to any computer program product, apparatus, and / or device used to provide machine instructions and / or data to a programmable processor, including a machine-readable medium that receives machine instructions as a machine-readable signal, such as a magnetic disk, an optical disk, a memory, and a programmable logic device (PLD). The term “machine-readable signal” refers to any signal used to provide machine instructions and / or data to a programmable processor. The machine-readable medium may store such machine instructions non-transitoryly, such as in a non-transitory solid-state memory or a magnetic hard drive or any equivalent storage medium. Alternatively or additionally, the machine-readable medium may store such machine instructions temporarily, such as in a processor cache or other random access memory associated with one or more physical processor cores.

[0055] To provide for user interaction, one or more aspects or features of the subject matter described herein can be implemented on a computer having a display device, such as a cathode ray tube (CRT) or liquid crystal display (LCD) or light-emitting diode (LED) monitor for displaying information to a user, and a keyboard and pointing device, such as a mouse or trackball, through which a user can provide input to the computer. Similarly, other types of devices can be used to provide for user interaction. For example, feedback provided to the user may be any form of sensory feedback, such as visual feedback, auditory feedback, or tactile feedback. Input from the user may also be received in any form, including, but not limited to, acoustic input, voice input, or tactile input. Other possible input devices include, but are not limited to, touchscreens or other touch-sensitive devices, such as single-point or multi-point resistive or capacitive trackpads, voice recognition hardware and software, optical scanners, optical pointers, digital image capture devices, and associated interpretation software.

[0056] In the description above and in the claims, a conjunctive list of multiple elements or features may be followed by phrases such as "at least one of" or "one or more of." The term "and / or" may also appear in a list of more than one element or feature. Unless otherwise implicitly or explicitly contradicted by the context, such phrases are intended to refer to any of the listed elements or features individually, or any of the listed elements or features in combination with any of the other listed elements or features. For example, the phrases "at least one of A and B," "one or more of A and B," and "A and / or B" are intended to mean "A only, B only, or both A and B," respectively. Similar interpretation applies to lists containing more than two items. For example, the phrases "at least one of A, B, and C," "one or more of A, B, and C," and "A, B, and / or C" are intended to mean "A only, B only, C only, both A and B, both A and C, both B and C, or both A, B, and C," respectively. The use of the term "based on" above and in the claims is intended to mean "based at least in part on," allowing for unrecited features or elements, etc.

[0057] The subject matter described herein may be implemented in systems, devices, methods, and / or articles, depending on the desired configuration. The embodiments set forth in the foregoing description do not represent all embodiments consistent with the subject matter described herein. Rather, they are merely some examples consistent with aspects related to the described subject matter. While several variations have been described in detail above, other modifications or additions are possible. In particular, further features and / or variations may be provided in addition to the features and / or variations described herein. For example, the embodiments described above may be directed to various combinations and subcombinations of the disclosed features and / or combinations and subcombinations of multiple additional features disclosed above. Furthermore, the logic flow illustrated in the accompanying drawings and / or described herein does not necessarily require the particular order or sequential order shown to achieve desired results. Other embodiments may also be within the scope of the following claims.

Claims

1. a resistive heating element; a circuit configured to control the supply of power from a power source to the resistive heating element; A controller and Including, the resistive heating element is configured to provide heat to the vaporizable material to vaporize the vaporizable material into the flowing air stream to form an entrained aerosol; The controller receiving inputs representative of power supply to the resistive heating element, the temperature of the resistive heating element, and / or airflow rate through the resistive heating element; using the received input to predict the amount of evaporation of the vaporizable material at the resistive heating element; controlling power supply to the resistive heating element in response to the predicted amount of evaporation of the vaporizable material; configured to perform operations including the controlling step includes increasing or decreasing instantaneous power supply to the heating element to produce a target aerosol yield. Vaporizer device.

2. 10. The vaporizer device of claim 1, wherein the received input representative of the airflow rate passing through the resistive heating element is determined by a flow sensor, a pressure sensor, and / or one or more measured characteristics representative of an air restriction in the vaporizer device.

3. The vaporizer device of claim 1 , wherein the target aerosol yield is proportional to the flow rate.

4. The vaporizer device of claim 1 , wherein the target aerosol yield is a function of the flow rate.

5. The vaporizer device of claim 1 , wherein the target aerosol yield comprises a predetermined constant or a user-adjustable parameter.

6. 6. The vaporizer device of claim 3, wherein the user-adjustable parameters include a desired evaporation rate, a desired number of puffs, a desired output target based on a specific time period, and / or a daily output target.

7. 10. The vaporizer device of claim 1, wherein the target aerosol yield is adjusted according to one or more user characteristics of one or more users and / or one or more vaporizer devices.

8. 10. The vaporizer device of claim 1, wherein the step of controlling the power supply to the resistive heating element is further responsive to an amount of power required to maintain a predetermined temperature of the resistive heating element.

9. 10. The vaporizer device of claim 1, wherein controlling the power supply to the resistive heating element comprises selecting the power supply such that the temperature of the heating element remains below a predetermined temperature.

10. The vaporizer device of claim 1 , wherein predicting the evaporation rate comprises executing an algorithm using the received input.

11. receiving data characterizing the power supply to a resistive heating element of a vaporizer device, the temperature of the resistive heating element, and / or the airflow rate through the resistive heating element; using the received data to predict the amount of evaporation of vaporizable material in the resistive heating element; controlling power supply to the resistive heating element in response to the predicted amount of evaporation of the vaporizable material; Including, the controlling step includes increasing or decreasing instantaneous power supply to the heating element to produce a target aerosol yield. method.

12. The method of claim 11 , wherein the received data characterizing the airflow rate through the resistive heating element is determined by a flow sensor, a pressure sensor, and / or one or more measured characteristics representative of an air restriction in a vaporizer device.

13. The method of claim 11 , wherein the target aerosol yield is proportional to the flow rate.

14. The method of claim 11 , wherein the target aerosol yield is a function of the flow rate.

15. The method of claim 11 , wherein the target aerosol yield comprises a predetermined constant or a user-adjustable parameter.

16. 16. The method of any one of claims 13 to 15, wherein the user-adjustable parameters include a desired evaporation rate, a desired number of puffs, a desired output target based on a specific time period, and / or a daily output target.

17. 12. The method of claim 11, wherein the target aerosol yield is adjusted according to one or more user characteristics of one or more users and / or one or more vaporizer devices.

18. 12. The method of claim 11, wherein the step of controlling the power supply to the resistive heating element is further responsive to an amount of power required to maintain a predetermined temperature of the resistive heating element.

19. The method of claim 11 , wherein controlling the power supply to the resistive heating element comprises selecting the power supply such that the temperature of the heating element remains below a predetermined temperature.

20. The method of claim 11 , wherein predicting evaporation comprises running an algorithm using the received data.

21. 12. The method of claim 11, wherein the vaporizer device includes the resistive heating element and a circuit configured to control the supply of power from a power source to the resistive heating element, the resistive heating element configured to provide heat to the vaporizable material to vaporize the vaporizable material into the flowing air stream to form an entrained aerosol.

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