Aerosol Delivery System

Abstract

An aerosol delivery system (100, 200, 300) comprising an aerosol delivery device (110, 210, 310) and a consumable (120, 220, 320) containing an aerosol generating material. The aerosol delivery device has a plurality of user selectable operating states. The aerosol delivery device is configured such that a subset of the plurality of operating states is selectable by the user upon identifying the consumable, the subset of the plurality of operating states corresponding to permissible operating states for the identified consumable.

Description

[Technical field]

[0001] The present invention relates to an aerosol delivery system, an aerosol delivery device, a method for delivering an aerosol from an aerosol delivery system, and an aerosol delivery means. [Background technology]

[0002] Aerosol delivery systems are known. A typical system uses a user-activated heater to generate an aerosol from an aerosol-generating material by an aerosol delivery device, which is then inhaled by the user. The device can be activated by the user upon pressing a button or simply by the act of inhaling. Newer systems can use consumable parts that contain the aerosol-generating material. It can be desirable for manufacturers to be able to control the operation of the system, thereby avoiding activation of the system in undesirable circumstances.

[0003] The present invention aims to address some of the above problems. Summary of the Invention

[0004] Various aspects of the invention are set forth in the following claims.

[0005] According to some embodiments described herein, there is provided an aerosol delivery system comprising an aerosol delivery device and a consumable including an aerosol generating material, the aerosol delivery device comprising a plurality of user-selectable operating states, the aerosol delivery device configured such that upon identification of the consumable, a subset of the plurality of operating states is selectable by the user, the subset representing permissible operating states for the identified consumable.

[0006] Such a system can identify a consumable for use with an aerosol delivery device and allow a subset of all operating conditions to be used with that consumable. In particular, if consumable 1 is supplied for use with an aerosol delivery device, then subset 1 is suggested to a user for use with consumable 1. In contrast, if consumable 2 is supplied for use with an aerosol delivery device, then subset 2 is suggested for use with consumable 2. This allows a manufacturer to provide a device that has broad utility across multiple consumables, while protecting the device from being used with combinations of consumables and operating conditions that may be hazardous or that may result in an undesirable product being provided to a user.

[0007] The user experience of the device is also improved by having a personalizable "plug and play" approach, i.e., various options are provided to the user from which the user selects the desired operating state. In this manner, the user does not have to create an operating state to be used with the consumable from scratch, but can choose his / her preferred one from among the multiple provided. In this manner, the safety of the device is also maintained, since each of the possible selectable operating states is known by the manufacturer to provide the appropriate aerosol without causing damage to the device. Thus, both the device and the user benefit from this configuration.

[0008] The system may prevent or limit the use of the device with unauthorized consumables. That is, the aerosol delivery device may not be able to provide the proper sequence of operating conditions if the consumable is not identified, as in the case of unauthorized consumables. In this way, the device is protected from being used with unknown and untested consumables that may provide an inferior aerosol to the user or damage the device when attempting to generate aerosol.

[0009] According to some embodiments described herein, there is provided an aerosol delivery device comprising a plurality of user-selectable operating states for use with a consumable, the aerosol delivery device being configured such that upon identification of the consumable, a subset of the plurality of operating states is selectable by the user, the subset representing permissible operating states for the identified consumable.

[0010] According to some embodiments described herein, a method of delivering an aerosol from an aerosol delivery system is provided that includes providing an aerosol delivery device with a plurality of user-selectable operating states, providing a consumable including an aerosol generating material, identifying the consumable by the aerosol delivery device, providing a subset of the plurality of operating states for selection by a user, and activating a particular operating state upon receiving a selection of the particular operating state from the subset of the plurality of operating states.

[0011] According to some embodiments described herein, there is provided an aerosol delivery means comprising an aerosol delivery device and a consumable including an aerosol generating means, the aerosol delivery device comprising a plurality of user selectable operating states, the aerosol delivery device configured such that upon identification of the consumable a subset of said plurality of operating states is selectable by the user, said subset corresponding to permissible operating states for the identified consumable. [Brief description of the drawings]

[0012] The present teachings are illustrated, by way of example only, with reference to the following drawings in which:

[0013] [Figure 1] 1 is a schematic diagram of an aerosol delivery system according to an example. [Diagram 2] 1 is a schematic diagram of an aerosol delivery system according to an example. [Diagram 3]1 is a schematic diagram of an aerosol delivery system according to an example. [Figure 4] FIG. 1 is a flow diagram according to an example.

[0014] While the invention is susceptible to various modifications and alternative forms, specific embodiments have been shown in the drawings and have been described in detail. However, the drawings and detailed description of the specific embodiments are not intended to limit the invention to the particular forms disclosed. Rather, the invention covers all modifications, equivalents, and alternatives falling within the scope of the invention as defined by the appended claims. DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS

[0015] Various aspects and features of specific examples and embodiments are discussed / described herein. Some aspects and features of specific examples and embodiments may be implemented in the prior art and will not be discussed / described in detail for the sake of brevity. Thus, it will be understood that aspects and features of the apparatus and methods discussed herein that are not described in detail may be implemented in accordance with prior art for implementing those aspects and features.

[0016] The present disclosure relates to an aerosol delivery system, which may also be referred to as an aerosol delivery system, e.g., an e-cigarette. Throughout the following description, the terms "e-cigarette" or "electronic cigarette" may be used, but it should be understood that the terms may be used interchangeably with aerosol delivery systems / devices and electronic aerosol delivery systems / devices. Additionally, as is common in the art, the terms "aerosol" and "vapor," as well as related terms such as "evaporation," "volatilization," and "aerosolization," may generally be used interchangeably.

[0017] FIG. 1 shows a schematic diagram of an example of an aerosol delivery system 100 according to the present invention. Aerosol delivery system 100 includes aerosol delivery device 110. Aerosol delivery system 100 includes consumable 120. Consumable 120 includes an aerosol generating material. Aerosol delivery device 110 includes a plurality of operating states selectable by a user. Aerosol delivery device 110 is configured such that a subset of these operating states is selectable by the user upon identifying consumable 120, which subset represents permissible operating states for identified consumable 120. Thus, upon use, a user provides consumable 120 to aerosol delivery device 110. Aerosol delivery device 110 identifies consumable 120. Aerosol delivery device 110 then presents a selection of all operating states to the user for use with consumable 120. The user can then select one operating state to be used with consumable 120.

[0018] The total range of operational states of aerosol delivery device 110 may be very broad, allowing aerosol delivery device 110 to be used with a wide range of corresponding consumables 120. In this case, a user need not be limited to using aerosol delivery device 110 with only a specific type of consumable 120. However, within this broad range, some operational states will not be suitable for use with some consumables 120. For this reason, it is important to present the states that will provide the desired aerosol delivery from consumables 120. If all possible states were presented for every consumable, it would place the onus on the user to determine which operational state will interact favorably with which consumable 120. This would degrade the user experience of system 100.

[0019] In one example, the subset of the plurality of operating states presented to the user includes at least two of the plurality of operating states. This allows the user to conveniently have the option to receive personalized aerosol. Thus, providing selected operating states improves the user experience of the device. The two operating states may provide a low aerosol amount and a high aerosol amount. In this case, the heating profiles of the two operating states may not be significantly different, providing two similar conditions can protect the device 110, and the user can still choose his / her preference from the two operating states.

[0020] According to one example, the subset of the plurality of operating states includes at least one "boost" operating state. The "boost" operating state is configured to deliver enhanced aerosol from the aerosol delivery system. In the "boost" operating state, the aerosol delivery device 110 may deliver more aerosol per puff to the user. Thus, while the heating profiles of the "boost" and "non-boost" operating states may be somewhat similar, the boost operating state delivers a larger amount of aerosol to the user. The boost operating state may deliver more energy to the heating element of the aerosol delivery device 110 compared to the corresponding non-boost operating state. Such an operating state may be desirable to a user in certain circumstances. The flexibility of providing such an option of operating states further enhances the user experience of the aerosol delivery device 110.

[0021] Thus, in use, a user may be presented with a first subset of operating conditions after providing a first particular consumable to aerosol delivery device 110. Then, when the user provides a second particular consumable to aerosol delivery device 110, the user may be presented with a second subset of operating conditions. The two subsets may have none, some, or all of the operating conditions in common. The similarity of the characteristics of the consumables will affect the number of common operating conditions. For example, if the consumables have very different characteristics, the two subsets may be completely different. A particular consumable may be used with a wide range of operating conditions and therefore will have a large number of operating conditions in the presented subset, while other consumables may be used with only a small variety of operating conditions. In one example, a consumable may be identified such that only one operating condition is provided in the subset of operating conditions.

[0022] The characteristics of the consumable that affect the number of operating states presented may be any of the chemical composition of the aerosol-generating material, the strength of the aerosol-generating material, the size of the consumable, the grade of the consumable, the genuineness of the consumable, and the like.

[0023] The "grade" of consumable 120 may relate to whether consumable 120 is from a family that has a particularly high concentration of one compound, whether consumable 120 has multiple aerosol generating agents therein, or other related factors. Such characteristics provide aerosol delivery device 110 with information regarding the identity of consumable 120 and result in a subset population of operating conditions that are presented to the user for use with that consumable 120.

[0024] In one example, consumable 120 is identified as containing a fairly standard aerosol generating material. Aerosol delivery device 110 identifies this and presents a subset of operating conditions suitable for use. A broader subset of operating conditions may be presented for the standard aerosol generating material than for a consumable having a less common aerosol generating material. This may be because the manufacturer knows that they have performed more testing on the standard aerosol generating material and therefore can safely present a broader subset of operating conditions. In contrast, the manufacturer may have less information regarding the less common aerosol generating material and therefore may choose to present only those operating conditions that are known to be safe and provide a desirable aerosol.

[0025] 1, consumable 120 is disposed within aerosol delivery device 110 to form aerosol delivery system 100. In this example, consumable 120 may be inserted into a housing of aerosol delivery device 110. In this manner, aerosol delivery device 110 may identify consumable 120 when consumable 120 is located within aerosol delivery device 110. Consumable 120 is a pod or cartridge containing aerosol generating material that is inserted into aerosol delivery device 110 and discarded or refilled after use.

[0026] Referring to Figure 2, a system 200 is shown that is similar to the system 100 of Figure 1. Features similar to those used in Figure 1 are shown with reference numbers increased by 100. For example, the system 100 of Figure 1 is similar to the system 200 of Figure 2. Similar or identical features may not be discussed for brevity.

[0027] 2 includes a control circuit 212 in an aerosol delivery device 210. The consumable 220 includes an identifier 222 for indicating a characteristic of the consumable 220. The system 200 is configured such that the control circuit 212 of the aerosol delivery device 210 identifies the characteristic of the consumable 220 from the identifier 222.

[0028] The control circuitry 212 is configured such that when the consumable 220 is inserted into the aerosol delivery device 210 prior to use, the control circuitry 212 can read the identifier 222. The identifier identifies a characteristic of the consumable 220 such that, when read, the aerosol delivery device 210 provides the user with a subset of appropriate operating conditions for use with the consumable 220. As discussed above, the characteristic may be related to the consumable 220 or may be related to the content of the aerosol generating material within the consumable 220. Based on the characteristic, the subset of operating conditions is provided. This helps to verify that the operating conditions provided are appropriate for the consumable 220 within the aerosol delivery device 210.

[0029] The identifier 222 may be a coded identifier that can be read by the control circuitry 212. The identifier 222 of the consumable 220 may be a QR code, a bar code, or an RFID tag. The control circuitry 212 may correspond to the identifier 222 such that if the identifier 222 is a QR code, the control circuitry 212 is a QR code reader. The identifier 222 may be an RFID and the control circuitry 212 is an RFID reader. Other identifier and detector combinations are possible.

[0030] Referring to Figure 3, a system 300 is shown that is similar to the system 200 of Figure 2. Features similar to those used in Figure 2 are shown with reference numbers increased by 100. For example, the system 200 of Figure 2 is similar to the system 300 of Figure 3. Similar or identical features may not be discussed for brevity.

[0031] The aerosol delivery device 310 of FIG. 3 includes a memory 314 for storing a database of characteristics of the consumable 320 and the associated operational state of the aerosol delivery device. The memory 314 need not be part of the control circuitry 312 as shown in the example of FIG. 3. However, in this particular example, the memory 314 is on-board the device 310 and is part of the control circuitry 312. The system 300 also includes a heater 316. The heater 316 may be a heating element, atomizer, heater, vibrating plate, etc. suitable for forming an aerosol from the consumable 320. The heater 316 is connected to the control circuitry 312. Upon determining the characteristics of the consumable 320, the control circuitry 312 may send a signal to the heater 316 to operate so that an aerosol is generated or to not operate so that an aerosol is not generated, as will be described in more detail below. In this manner, the control circuitry 312 may be configured to change the default state of the aerosol delivery device 310 to a non-operational state, for example, upon not detecting the characteristics and therefore not identifying the consumable. This may help prevent the device 310 from being used with unauthorized consumables.

[0032] 3 also includes a display 318 for displaying to a user a subset of the operational states available with the identified consumable 320. The display 318 may be a touch screen display for displaying visual signals to the user and receiving input from the user.

[0033] During use, the consumable 320 is inserted into the aerosol delivery device 310. The control circuitry 312 identifies the characteristics of the consumable 320 from the identifier 322. The control circuitry 312 matches the characteristics to a database of consumable characteristics and associated appropriate operating states. The control circuitry 312 may perform this match in an on-board memory 314. The control circuitry 312 then sends a signal to a display 318 to indicate the available operating states to a user. The user provides an indication of the desired operating state to be used. The control circuitry 312 receives this signal and provides a corresponding instruction to the heater 316. In this manner, insertion of the consumable 320 into the aerosol delivery device 310 provides the user with a personalized, yet safe, heating profile.

[0034] The determination of the subset of operating conditions to be used with consumable 320 may be performed on aerosol delivery device 310 or remotely via communication with a database of characteristics and associated operating conditions. Such a database may take the form, for example, of providing operating conditions A-C if characteristic X is identified, and providing operating conditions D, E, etc. if characteristic Y is identified. The database may also be a look-up table that provides instructions to aerosol delivery device 310 as to which operating conditions are appropriate for use with which characteristics. The one or more characteristics included in the identifier provide control circuitry 312 with a complete picture as to which operating conditions should be provided.

[0035] In the above example, control circuitry 312 detects the characteristic and compares it to a database in memory 314, which is an on-board memory and the database is also on-board. This may be advantageous because system 300 does not need to have communications elements within system 300 to communicate with a remotely held database, and system 300 does not need to be connected to a communications network to access a remotely held database before each use session.

[0036] In another example, a database of characteristics and associated operating conditions is maintained remotely, and the control circuitry 312 has communication elements to communicate with the database. The control circuitry 312 may communicate with the database to request an appropriate operating condition for the identified consumable 320. The control circuitry 312 is then provided with instructions as to which operating condition should be presented to the user. This configuration may be preferred because it does not require the system 300 to include memory elements to maintain the database, and the database can be updated remotely, ensuring that the devices 310 do not need to periodically update their on-board database. In this manner, recently modified characteristic and operating condition combinations can be provided to all devices as soon as those modifications are uploaded to the central database. In this manner, all users are provided with those updates without each user having to update their own device 310.

[0037] During use, a user's preferences for a particular operating state for a particular consumable 320 may be stored in memory 314. In this case, if a user is presented with operating states A-C for consumable X and the user repeatedly requests operating state A, memory 314 may store this and ask the user whether this should become the automatic operating state for consumable X. In this manner, device 310 may be tailored to provide tailored performance for each user, within the bounds of safety offered by the subset of operating states presented to the user.

[0038] In an "operational state," the elements of the aerosol delivery device 310 used to generate the aerosol (e.g., atomizer, heater, etc. 316) may be activated. Certain activations of the device 310 may require additional inputs, which may be drawing on the device 310, pressing a button on the device 310, etc. As another example, the device 310 may automatically generate aerosol via the heater 316 upon receiving a signal from the control circuitry 312 regarding a user's selection of an operational state.

[0039] The term "operating state" refers to a state in which the system may be used to deliver aerosol. The system may provide multiple "operating states." A particular consumable 320 may deliver a suitable aerosol to a user under an appropriate heating profile (fast, slow, hot, cold, etc.) or by an appropriate heating mechanism (heater element, atomizer, vibrating plate, etc.). Thus, a particular operating state may define the performance of the system 300, such as selecting the heating mechanism to be used and the heating profile to be used based on the identified characteristics of the consumable 320. Such an operating state may be associated with a particular consumable or may be used across multiple consumables. In this way, when characteristic 1 is identified, a corresponding heating mechanism 1 may be presented to provide heating profile 1 for consumable 1. When characteristic 2 is identified, a corresponding heating mechanism 2 may be presented to provide heating profile 2 for consumable 2. In this way, different consumables may be provided such that upon recognition of the consumable, a range of suitable predefined aerosols may be presented to the user for delivery. This improves the ease of use of the device 310 for the user.

[0040] Because identification is necessary to provide a subset of operational states, the system 300 works best with consumables that have an identifier 322. Thus, authentic consumables, i.e., consumables made by a manufacturer and that have an identifier, can be used properly in the system 300. The device 310 may be prevented from operating with non-authentic consumables by having a default setting of not providing operational states for use with the consumable if it cannot be identified. In other examples, the device 310 may not be prevented from operating with non-authentic consumables. Instead, the device 310 may have a very moderate built-in heating profile specifically designed to be likely to produce reasonable aerosols from most consumables. This may be a single operational state that is presented in response to the device 310 confirming the presence of a consumable but not the identifier. The use of a very moderate heating profile is preferred for use in situations where the consumable 320 is unknown, as it is less likely to cause damage to parts, produce burnt flavors, etc. In this way, the user can use non-genuine consumables, but choosing to use non-genuine consumables results in a degraded user experience because no personalization from the non-genuine consumables is possible. In this way, a balance is struck between offering the user a wider range of choices and encouraging the user to use genuine consumables for both security and performance reasons.

[0041] The moderate heating profile mentioned above may be the default operating state of the device 310, which can be activated by inhaling or pressing a button on the device 310 once the consumable 320 is provided within the aerosol delivery device 310.

[0042] 4 illustrates a method 400 of using an aerosol delivery system. In the method 400, the device may begin in a default state 402. The default state may be a non-operational state such that non-genuine consumables cannot be used with the device. As another example, the default operating state may be a moderate heating profile operating state as described above.

[0043] When a user inserts a consumable into the aerosol delivery device, the device identifies the consumable (404). The device may identify the consumable as one type of consumable or the other type of consumable. In the illustrative example shown, to illustrate the system, the method branches to identifying consumable 1 (step 412) and identifying consumable 2 (step 422).

[0044] In step 412, the device identifies the consumable as a known consumable 1. This may take the form of recognizing an identifier by the control circuitry and identifying one or more characteristics of the consumable from the identifier.

[0045] In step 414, subset 1 of the operating conditions is provided to the user. This may take the form of matching the identified consumable and characteristics to a database containing operating conditions appropriate for the particular consumable. The database may be on-board the device or may be kept remotely and contacted for the operating conditions. In this example, this subset of operating conditions is referred to as subset 1.

[0046] In step 416, the user selects the operational state desired to be used for the consumable, which in this example is operational state 1. This may take the form of selecting from a selection of operational states provided in subset 1 of step 414, such as via a touch screen display on the device.

[0047] In step 418, Operating State 1 is activated. This may take the form of a signal from the display being received by the control circuitry and passed to a heater or atomizer in the device. A user may activate the device by using a push button, inhaling, etc., as described above. In any case, Operating State 1 is used to deliver aerosol from Consumable 1.

[0048] In step 419, the device may be returned to the default state of step 402 when the smoking session is over or completed.

[0049] If another consumable was identified in step 404, the method may proceed to step 422, where the device identifies the consumable as known consumable 2. As discussed above, this may take the form of the control circuit recognizing an identifier and identifying one or more characteristics of the consumable from the identifier.

[0050] Thus, in step 424, a subset of the operational states associated with consumable 2 is provided to the user for selection. This is subset 2. As noted above, there may be some common operational states between subset 1 in step 414 and subset 2 in step 424. There may also be no common operational states. This will likely depend on the similarity of the characteristics of the two consumables.

[0051] In step 426, the user selects the operational state desired for the consumable, which in this example is operational state 2. This may take the form of selection from the operational state options provided in subset 2 of step 424, such as via a touch screen display on the device.

[0052] In step 428, Operating State 2 is activated. This may take the form of a signal from the display being received by control circuitry and passed to a heater or atomizer in the device. A user may activate the device by using a push button, inhaling, etc., as described above. In any case, Operating State 2 is used to deliver aerosol from Consumable 2.

[0053] In step 429, the device may be returned to the default state of step 402 when the smoking session is over or completed.

[0054] The subset of operating conditions provided for use with a particular consumable is balanced against the characteristics of that consumable in a test by the manufacturer, so that the heating profile presented is appropriate for use with the consumable. In one example, a consumable may have a particularly high nicotine content, and therefore a smaller heating profile may be applied to provide an appropriate nicotine content to the aerosol. Conversely, a lower content consumable may have a larger heating profile presented to provide an appropriate nicotine content to the aerosol.

[0055] In a more complex configuration, the consumable may include multiple aerosol generating materials and the device may have multiple heating elements. In this case, the identification process involves identifying the various aerosol generating materials and providing a subset of operating states for each of the aerosol generating materials in the consumable. The user may then be provided with a choice of operating states for each aerosol generating material in the consumable. Such a service may be provided in this configuration because the device is designed to provide a wide selection of heating profiles. This may therefore be used to benefit the user by providing one device that can provide aerosols from a wide range of materials.

[0056] In the configuration described herein, the device that recognizes the consumable is the aerosol delivery device. A configuration is also possible in which a remote device, such as a smartphone, is used to recognize the consumable. This can then communicate the identity and characteristics of the consumable to the aerosol delivery device. The subset of operational states may still be held in a database on the remote device, on the aerosol delivery device, or at a distance, e.g., on a server. Thus, the subset of operational states may be determined by the remote device or the aerosol delivery device. In this case, the aerosol delivery device may receive the identity of the consumable, or may simply receive and present the subset of operational states to the user. The subset of operational states may also relate to the smartphone. In particular, the operational states may relate to the smartphone's operational state beyond just being the heating mode of the aerosol delivery device, and may relate to features such as UI placement, lighting, availability of notifications, etc. In particular, allowing the user to interact with the device via the smartphone while using genuine consumables, while disabling this functionality for non-genuine consumables, can greatly improve the user experience, thus encouraging the user to use genuine consumables.

[0057] In certain examples, the devices disclosed herein may operate with replaceable flavor pods within the device. Flavors may be either tobacco and glycolic, and may also include extracts (e.g., licorice, hydrangea, magnolia leaf, chamomile, fenugreek, clove, menthol, mint, aniseed, cinnamon, herbs, wintergreen, cherry, berry, peach, apple, Drambuie, bourbon, scotch, whiskey, spearmint, peppermint, lavender, cardamom, celery, cascarilla, nutmeg, sandalwood, bergamot, geranium, honey essence, rose oil, vanilla, lemon oil, orange oil, cassia, caraway, cocos nucifera, oleander ... The compositions may include any of the following: gnac, jasmine, ylang-ylang, sage, fennel, pepper, ginger, anise, coriander, coffee, or mint oil from any species of the mint genus), flavor enhancers, bitter receptor site blockers, sensory receptor site activators or stimulants, sugars and / or sugar substitutes (e.g., sucralose, acesulfame potassium, aspartame, saccharin, cyclamate, lactose, sucrose, glucose, fructose, sorbitol, or mannitol), and other additives such as charcoal, chlorophyll, minerals, botanical materials, or breath fresheners. They may be imitation, synthetic, or natural ingredients, or blends thereof.

[0058] The aerosol delivery devices disclosed herein, when combined with an aerosol-generating medium, can be referred to as an aerosol delivery system.

[0059] Thus, there has been described an aerosol delivery system comprising an aerosol delivery device and a consumable including an aerosol generating material, where the aerosol delivery device has a plurality of user selectable operating states, and where the aerosol delivery device is configured such that upon identification of the consumable, a subset of the plurality of operating states is selectable by the user, the subset representing permissible operating states for the identified consumable.

[0060] The aerosol delivery system may be used in tobacco industry products, for example, as a non-combustion aerosol delivery system.

[0061] In one embodiment, the tobacco industry product comprises one or more components of a non-combustion aerosol delivery system, such as a heater and an aerosolizable substrate.

[0062] In one embodiment, the aerosol delivery system is an electronic cigarette, also known as a vaping device.

[0063] In one embodiment, an electronic cigarette comprises a heater, a power source capable of powering the heater, an aerosolizable substrate such as a liquid or gel, a housing, and optionally a mouthpiece.

[0064] In one embodiment, the aerosolizable substrate is contained within or on a substrate container, hi one embodiment, the substrate container is combined with or includes a heater.

[0065] In one embodiment, the tobacco industry product is a heating product that releases one or more compounds by heating, without burning, a substrate material. The substrate material is an aerosolizable material, which may be, for example, tobacco or other non-tobacco products, which may or may not contain nicotine. In one embodiment, the heating product is a tobacco heating product.

[0066] In one embodiment, the heating product is an electronic device.

[0067] In one embodiment, the tobacco heating product comprises a heater, a power source capable of powering the heater, and an aerosolizable substrate, such as a solid or gel material.

[0068] In one embodiment, the heated product is a non-electronic item.

[0069] In one embodiment, the heating product comprises an aerosolizable substrate, such as a solid or gel material, and a heat source capable of providing thermal energy to the aerosolizable substrate without the use of electronic means, for example by burning a combustible material (e.g., charcoal).

[0070] In one embodiment, the heating product also includes a filter capable of filtering the aerosol generated by heating the aerosolizable substrate.

[0071] In some embodiments, the aerosolizable substrate material may include an aerosol agent or aerosol generating agent or humectant, such as glycerol, propylene glycol, triacetin, or diethylene glycol.

[0072] In one embodiment, the tobacco industry product is a hybrid system that generates an aerosol by heating, without combustion, a combination of substrate materials. These substrate materials may include, for example, solids, liquids, or gels, which may or may not contain nicotine. In one embodiment, the hybrid system comprises a liquid or gel substrate and a solid substrate. The solid substrate may be, for example, tobacco or other non-tobacco products, which may or may not contain nicotine. In one embodiment, the hybrid system comprises a liquid or gel substrate and tobacco.

[0073] To address various problems and advance the art, the present disclosure generally illustrates various embodiments in which the claimed invention may be practiced, providing an improved electronic aerosol delivery system. The advantages and features of the present disclosure are merely representative samples of various embodiments, and are not exhaustive or exclusive. The embodiments are presented only to aid in understanding and teaching the claimed features. The advantages, embodiments, examples, functions, features, structures, and / or other aspects of the present disclosure should not be considered as limiting the present disclosure as defined by the claims or the equivalents of the claims, and other embodiments may be utilized and changes may be made without departing from the scope and / or spirit of the present disclosure. Various embodiments may suitably comprise, suitably consist of, or suitably consist essentially of various combinations of the disclosed elements, parts, features, portions, steps, means, etc. The present disclosure also includes other inventions not currently claimed but which may be claimed in the future.

Claims

1. 1. An aerosol delivery system comprising: an aerosol delivery device; a consumable comprising an aerosol-generating material; Equipped with An aerosol delivery system, wherein the aerosol delivery device has a plurality of operating states selectable by a user, and the aerosol delivery device is configured such that a subset of the plurality of operating states is selectable by the user when the consumable is identified, the subset of the plurality of operating states corresponding to acceptable operating states for the identified consumable.

2. The aerosol delivery system of claim 1 , wherein the subset of the plurality of operating states includes at least two of the plurality of operating states.

3. 3. The aerosol delivery system of claim 1 or 2, wherein the subset of the plurality of operating states includes at least one boost operating state, the boost operating state configured to provide enhanced aerosol from the aerosol delivery system.

4. The aerosol delivery system of any one of claims 1 to 3, wherein the aerosol delivery device further comprises a control circuit, the consumable comprises an identifier for indicating characteristics of the consumable, and the control circuit of the aerosol delivery device is configured to identify the characteristics of the consumable from the identifier.

5. The aerosol delivery system of claim 4 , wherein the identifier of the consumable is at least one of a QR code, a bar code, and an RFID tag.

6. The characteristic of the consumable is: the chemical composition of the aerosol-forming material; the strength of the aerosol-forming material; The size of the consumable; The grade of said consumables 6. The aerosol delivery system of claim 4, wherein the aerosol delivery system comprises at least one of the following:

7. The aerosol delivery system of any one of claims 4 to 6, wherein the control circuitry is configured to provide the subset of the plurality of operating states to a user based on an identification of the characteristic of the consumable item.

8. The aerosol delivery system of claim 1 , wherein the aerosol delivery device is configured to be in a non-operational state when not identifying the consumable.

9. The aerosol delivery system of any one of claims 1 to 8, further comprising a memory for storing a database of consumable characteristics and associated operational states of the aerosol delivery device.

10. a display for displaying to the user the subset of the plurality of operating conditions for the identified consumable item; An aerosol delivery system according to any one of claims 1 to 9, wherein the display is configured to receive input from the user regarding an operating state desired to be used from the subset of the plurality of operating states.

11. 1. An aerosol delivery device comprising: An aerosol delivery device having a plurality of operating states selectable by a user for use with a consumable, the aerosol delivery device being configured such that upon identification of the consumable, a subset of the plurality of operating states is selectable by the user, the subset of the plurality of operating states corresponding to acceptable operating states for the identified consumable.

12. The aerosol delivery device of claim 11 , wherein the subset of the plurality of operating states includes at least two of the plurality of operating states.

13. 13. The aerosol delivery device of claim 11 or 12, further comprising a memory for storing a database of consumable characteristics and associated operational states of the aerosol delivery device.

14. 1. A method of delivering an aerosol from an aerosol delivery system, comprising: providing an aerosol delivery device with a plurality of user-selectable operating states; Providing a consumable containing an aerosol generating material; identifying the consumable by the aerosol delivery device; providing a subset of the plurality of operating conditions for selection by the user; upon receiving a selection of a particular operating state from the subset of the plurality of operating states, activating the particular operating state; A method comprising:

15. An aerosol delivery means comprising: an aerosol delivery device; a consumable comprising an aerosol generating means; wherein the aerosol delivery device has a plurality of operating states selectable by a user, and the aerosol delivery device is configured such that upon identification of the consumable, a subset of the plurality of operating states is selectable by the user, the subset of the plurality of operating states corresponding to permissible operating states for the identified consumable.

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