Aerosol delivery device, aerosol delivery system and method

Abstract

The system (100) includes an aerosol delivery system (10) including control circuitry configured to monitor one or more conditions of the aerosol delivery system, determine that the aerosol delivery system has been lost by an owner of the aerosol delivery system based on the one or more conditions, and trigger a loss event to the aerosol delivery system to indicate that the aerosol delivery system has been lost. The one or more conditions may include an amount of light in the vicinity of the aerosol delivery system, an orientation of the aerosol delivery system, an amount of current received from an external power source, a temperature of the aerosol delivery system, or a state of a network connection to a wireless network or an external device.

Description

[Technical field]

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

[0002] Electronic aerosol delivery systems, such as electronic cigarettes (e-cigarettes), typically include an aerosol-generating material, such as a reservoir of a liquid feedstock, usually containing a formulation including nicotine, or a solid material, such as a tobacco-derived product, from which an aerosol is generated for inhalation by a user, for example by thermal vaporization. Thus, an aerosol delivery system typically includes an aerosol generator, such as a heating element, configured to aerosolize a portion of the aerosol-generating material to generate an aerosol in an aerosol-generating region of an airflow path through the aerosol delivery system. As a user inhales on the device and power is provided to the aerosol generator, air is drawn into the device through one or more inlet holes and along the airflow path to the aerosol-generating region, where it mixes with the vaporized aerosol generator to form a condensed aerosol. The air drawn through the aerosol-generating region, carrying with it a portion of the aerosol, travels along the airflow path to a mouthpiece and out through the mouthpiece for inhalation by the user.

[0003] It is common for aerosol delivery systems to have a modular assembly that often has two main functional parts: an aerosol delivery device and an article. Typically, the article includes the aerosol generating material and the aerosol generator (heating element), while the aerosol delivery device part includes longer-life components such as a rechargeable battery, device control circuitry, and user interface mechanisms. The aerosol delivery device may also be referred to as the reusable part or the battery part, and the article may also be referred to as the consumable, disposable / replaceable part, cartridge, or cartomizer.

[0004] The aerosol delivery device and the article are mechanically coupled to one another at an interface for use, for example, with a screw thread, bayonet, latch-type or friction fit fastener. When the aerosol generating material in the article is depleted or the user desires to switch to a different article having a different aerosol generating material, the article may be removed from the aerosol delivery device and a replacement article may be installed in its place on the device.

[0005] Because the aerosol delivery system is a handheld, portable device, a user of the aerosol delivery system may drop, misplace, or otherwise lose the aerosol delivery system. If the aerosol delivery system does not have a means of determining its own location, it may be very difficult to find the aerosol delivery system when it is lost without additional information.

[0006] Various approaches are described herein that attempt to help address or mitigate some of the challenges discussed above. Summary of the Invention

[0007] The present disclosure is defined in the appended claims.

[0008] According to some embodiments described herein, an aerosol delivery system is provided that includes control circuitry configured to monitor one or more conditions of the aerosol delivery system, determine that the aerosol delivery system has been lost by an owner of the aerosol delivery system based on the one or more conditions, and trigger a loss event to the aerosol delivery system indicating that the aerosol delivery system has been lost.

[0009] The one or more conditions may include at least one of the following: the amount of light in the vicinity of the aerosol delivery system as measured by an optical sensor of the aerosol delivery system; the orientation of the aerosol delivery system as measured by an accelerometer of the aerosol delivery system; the amount of current received from an external power source as measured by a current sensor of the aerosol delivery system; the temperature of the aerosol delivery system as measured by a temperature sensor of the aerosol delivery system; and the status of a network connection to a wireless network or an external device.

[0010] Determining that the aerosol delivery system is lost may be further based on status information stored in a database, the status information including a correlation between a previous status of the aerosol delivery system and a previous determination that the aerosol delivery system is lost. The control circuitry may be further configured to update the database based on the one or more statuses and the trigger event.

[0011] The loss event may include sending an indication to an external device that the aerosol delivery system has been lost and / or cutting off power to the aerosol generator.

[0012] The control circuitry may be further configured to determine a location of the aerosol delivery system in response to determining that the aerosol delivery system is lost. The location of the aerosol delivery system may be determined using a GPS interface of the aerosol delivery system. The location of the aerosol delivery system may be determined based on one or more signals received from an external device. The lost event may include sending an indication of the location of the aerosol delivery system to the external device.

[0013] According to some embodiments described herein, an aerosol delivery device for an aerosol delivery system is provided that includes control circuitry configured to monitor one or more conditions of the aerosol delivery system, determine that the aerosol delivery system has been lost by an owner of the aerosol delivery system based on the one or more conditions, and trigger a loss event to the aerosol delivery system indicating that the aerosol delivery system has been lost.

[0014] According to some embodiments described herein, a method for operating an aerosol delivery system is provided that includes monitoring one or more conditions of the aerosol delivery system, determining that the aerosol delivery system has been lost by an owner of the aerosol delivery system based on the one or more conditions, and triggering a loss event to the aerosol delivery system to indicate that the aerosol delivery system has been lost.

[0015] Also provided is a non-transitory computer readable storage medium comprising instructions that, when executed by a processor, perform the above method.

[0016] These and other aspects will become apparent from the following detailed description, and in this regard, certain portions of the description should not be read in isolation from other portions. [Brief description of the drawings]

[0017] Embodiments of the present invention will now be described, by way of example only, with reference to the accompanying drawings, in which: [Figure 1] FIG. 1 is a schematic diagram of an aerosol delivery system. [Diagram 2] FIG. 1 is a schematic diagram of a system including an aerosol delivery system. [Diagram 3] 1 is a flow diagram of a method for operating an aerosol delivery system. DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS

[0018] Aspects and features of certain examples and embodiments are discussed / described herein. Some aspects and features of certain examples and embodiments may be conventionally implemented and, for simplicity, will not be discussed / described in detail. Thus, it will be understood that aspects and features of the articles and systems discussed herein that are not described in detail may be implemented in accordance with any conventional technique for implementing such aspects and features.

[0019] The present disclosure relates to vapor delivery systems, such as aerosol delivery systems, which may also be referred to as e-cigarettes. Throughout the following description, the terms "e-cigarette" or "electronic cigarette" may be used at times, with the understanding that the terms may be used synonymously with aerosol delivery systems and electronic aerosol delivery systems.

[0020] As mentioned above, aerosol delivery systems (e-cigarettes) often comprise a modular assembly that includes both a reusable part (aerosol delivery device) and a replaceable (disposable) or refillable cartridge part, referred to as the article. Systems conforming to this type of two-part modular configuration may generally be referred to as two-part systems or devices. It is also common for electronic cigarettes to have a generally elongated shape. For the purpose of providing a concrete example, the specific embodiment of the present disclosure described herein includes this type of generally elongated two-part system using a refillable cartridge. However, it will be understood that the basic principles described herein may be equally employed in other electronic cigarette configurations, for example modular systems with more than two parts, as devices conforming to other overall shapes, for example based on so-called box-mod high-performance devices that usually have a more box-like shape, or even systems with one part, in which the aerosol delivery device and the article are integrally formed with each other.

[0021] 1 is a highly schematic diagram (not to scale) of an exemplary aerosol delivery system 10, such as an e-cigarette, to which embodiments are applicable. The aerosol delivery system 10 has a generally cylindrical shape extending along a longitudinal or y-axis as indicated by the axis (although aspects of the invention are also applicable to e-cigarettes configured in other shapes and configurations) and comprises two main components: an aerosol delivery device 20 and an article 30.

[0022] The article 30 comprises or consists of an aerosol-forming material 32, some or all of which is intended to be consumed during use by a user. The article 30 may comprise one or more other components, such as an aerosol-forming material storage region 39, an aerosol-forming material transfer component 37, an aerosol-forming region, a housing, a wrapper, a mouthpiece 35, a filter, and / or an aerosol modifier.

[0023] The article 30 may also include an aerosol generator 36, such as a heating element, that generates heat to cause the aerosol-generating material 32 to generate an aerosol during use. The aerosol generator 36 may include, for example, a combustible material, a material that can be heated by electrical conduction, or a susceptor. It should be noted that the aerosol generator 36 may also be part of the aerosol delivery device 20, in which case the article 30 may include an aerosol-generating material storage area 39 for the aerosol-generating material 32, such that the aerosol-generating material 32 can be transferred to the aerosol generator 36 in the aerosol delivery device 20 when the article 30 is coupled with the aerosol delivery device 20. It should be understood that the aerosol generator 36 may encompass aerosol generators other than a heater. More generally, an aerosol generator is a device configured to generate an aerosol from an aerosol-generating material. In some other embodiments, the aerosol generator is configured to generate an aerosol from an aerosol-generating material without heating. For example, the aerosol generator may be configured to subject the aerosol-generating material to one or more of vibration, increased pressure, or electrostatic energy.

[0024] An aerosol-generating material is a material capable of generating an aerosol when, for example, heated, irradiated, or in any other way energized. The aerosol-generating material 32 may be in the form of, for example, a solid, liquid, or gel, which may or may not contain actives and / or flavorings. In some embodiments, the aerosol-generating material 32 may comprise an "amorphous solid," which may alternatively be referred to as a "monolithic solid" (i.e., non-fibrous). In some embodiments, the amorphous solid may be a dry gel. An amorphous solid is a solid material that may hold some fluid, such as a liquid, within it. In some embodiments, the aerosol-generating material 32 may comprise, for example, about 50 wt%, 60 wt%, or 70 wt% amorphous solid to about 90 wt%, 95 wt%, or 100 wt% amorphous solid.

[0025] The aerosol-generating material includes one or more ingredients, such as one or more active agents and / or flavorings, one or more aerosol-forming materials, and, optionally, one or more other functional materials, such as pH adjusters, colorants, preservatives, binders, fillers, stabilizers, and / or antioxidants.

[0026] As used herein, an active substance may be a bioactive material, which is a material intended to achieve or enhance a physiological response. An active substance may be selected from, for example, dietary supplements, nootropics, and psychoactive agents. An active substance may be naturally occurring or synthetically obtained. An active substance may include, for example, nicotine, caffeine, taurine, theine, vitamins such as B6 or B12 or C, melatonin, cannabinoids, or components, derivatives, or combinations thereof. An active substance may include one or more components, derivatives, or extracts of tobacco, cannabis, or another botanical drug.

[0027] In some embodiments, the active agent comprises nicotine, hi some embodiments, the active agent comprises caffeine, melatonin, or vitamin B12.

[0028] The aerosol delivery device 20 includes a power source 14, such as a battery, configured to provide power to the aerosol generator 36. The power source 14 in this example is rechargeable and may be of a conventional type, such as the type commonly used in e-cigarettes and other applications requiring the delivery of relatively high currents for relatively short periods of time. The power source 14 may be recharged via a charging port (not shown), which may comprise, for example, a USB connector.

[0029] The aerosol delivery device 20 includes a device control circuit 28 configured to control the operation of the aerosol delivery system 10 and provide conventional operational functions in accordance with established techniques for controlling aerosol delivery systems such as electronic cigarettes. The device control circuit (processor circuit) 28 may be considered to logically comprise various sub-units / circuit elements associated with various aspects of the operation of an electronic cigarette. For example, depending on the functionality provided in various implementations, the device control circuit 28 may comprise a power control circuit for controlling the supply of power from the power source 14 to the aerosol generator 36, a user programming circuit for establishing configuration settings (e.g., user-defined power settings) in response to user input, and other functional unit / circuit related functionality in accordance with the principles described herein and conventional operational aspects of an electronic cigarette. It will be appreciated that the functionality of the device control circuit 28 may be provided in a variety of different ways, for example, using one or more appropriately programmed programmable computer(s) and / or one or more appropriately configured application specific integrated circuit(s) / circuitry / chip(s) / chipset(s) configured to provide the desired functionality.

[0030] The aerosol delivery device 20 has an interface configured to receive the article 30 and thereby facilitate coupling between the aerosol delivery device 20 and the article 30. The interface is disposed on a surface of the aerosol delivery device 20.

[0031] The housing of the article 30 has a surface configured to be received by an interface in the aerosol delivery device 20 to facilitate coupling between the article 30 and the aerosol delivery device 20. The surface of the article may be configured to be a size and / or shape that mirrors the size and / or shape of the interface to facilitate coupling between the aerosol delivery device 20 and the article 30. For example, the interface may comprise a cavity, chamber, or other space in the surface of the aerosol delivery device 20. The surface of the article 30 may then be configured to be a size and shape that mirrors the size and shape of the cavity such that the surface of the article 30 is inserted into the cavity.

[0032] Although not shown, the interface of aerosol delivery device 20 and the surface of article 30 may have complementary features for reversibly attaching and mating article 30 to aerosol delivery device 20, such as threads, bayonet fittings, latch-type or friction-fit fasteners, or other fastening means.

[0033] The interface also includes one or more connectors, such as contact electrodes, that are connected via electrical wires to the control circuit 28 and power source 14. The article 30 also includes one or more connectors, such as contact electrodes, that are connected via electrical wires to the aerosol generator 36. During use, the article 30 is received by the interface of the aerosol delivery device 20, thereby coupling the aerosol delivery device 20 and the article 30 together. This allows power and current to be provided from the power source 14 of the aerosol delivery device 20 to the aerosol generator 36 of the article 30, as the connector on the article 30 mates with the connector on the aerosol delivery device 20.

[0034] The housing of the article 30 has a surface configured to engage an interface in the aerosol delivery device 20 to facilitate coupling between the article 30 and the aerosol delivery device 20. In other words, the aerosol delivery device 20 is configured to receive the article 30 via the interface, and a surface of the article is proximate the interface in the aerosol delivery device 20 when the article 30 is received by the interface.

[0035] Aerosol delivery system 10 includes one or more air inlets 21 disposed in one or more of aerosol delivery device 20 and article 30. In use, as a user inhales on mouthpiece 35, air is drawn through air inlet 21 into aerosol delivery system 10 and along air flow path 23 to aerosol generator 36, where it mixes with vaporized aerosol-generating material 32 to form a condensed aerosol. The air drawn through aerosol generator 36, carrying with it a portion of the aerosol, travels along air flow path 23 to mouthpiece 35 and out through mouthpiece 35 for inhalation by the user.

[0036] As a specific example, the article 30 includes a housing (e.g., formed from a plastic material), an aerosol-generating material storage region 39 formed within the housing for storing an aerosol-generating material 32 (which in this example may be a liquid that may or may not contain nicotine), an aerosol-generating material transport component 37 (which in this example is a wick configured to transport liquid from the reservoir using capillary action, e.g., formed from glass or cotton fiber, or a ceramic material), an aerosol-generating region that houses an aerosol generator 36, and a mouthpiece 35. Although not shown, a filter and / or an aerosol modifier (such as a flavoring material) may be disposed at or near the mouthpiece 35. The aerosol generator 36 in this example includes a heater element formed from an electrically resistive material (such as NiCr8020) spirally wrapped around the aerosol-generating material transport component 37 and disposed in the air flow passage 23. The area around the combination of the heating element and the wick is the aerosol-generating region of the article 30.

[0037] 2 is a schematic diagram of a system 100 including the aerosol delivery system 10, where the same reference numbers are used in FIGS. 1 and 2 to indicate the same components. The system 100 includes the aerosol delivery system 10, an external computing device 40, and a network 50. The external device 40 may be a device associated with the aerosol delivery system 10, such as a mobile device, a handheld computing device, or other electronic device. The external device 40 is configured to communicate with the aerosol delivery system 10 via the network 50. For example, the external device 40 may include a communication interface configured to communicate with the control circuit 28 of the aerosol delivery device 20 via the network. The external device 40 and the aerosol delivery system 10 may communicate using a suitable wireless communication protocol, such as Wi-Fi, Bluetooth, RFID, NFC, etc.

[0038] The external device 40 may be associated with a user of the aerosol delivery system 10, such that the aerosol delivery system 10 and the external device 40 may be associated with each other, for example, via a user profile of the user of the aerosol delivery system 10.

[0039] As set forth above, aerosol delivery system 10 includes control circuitry 28. Control circuitry 28 is configured to monitor one or more aspects of aerosol delivery system 10.

[0040] The one or more aspects of the aerosol delivery system 10 may be an amount of light in the vicinity of the aerosol delivery system 10, an orientation, movement and / or acceleration of the aerosol delivery system 10, an amount of current received from an external power source, a temperature of the aerosol delivery system 10, and / or a state of a wireless network or network connection with an external device 40. These aspects may be measured, detected or otherwise determined by one or more sensors. The one or more sensors may be located on the article 30, the aerosol delivery device 20, or a combination thereof. The control circuitry 28 is configured to monitor the one or more aspects of the aerosol delivery system 10 based on information or measurements from the one or more sensors.

[0041] The amount of light in the vicinity of the aerosol delivery system 10 may be measured by an optical sensor of the aerosol delivery system 10. In other words, the optical sensor is configured to measure the amount of light in the vicinity of the aerosol delivery system 10. When the aerosol delivery system 10 is placed in direct sunlight, the amount of light in the vicinity of the aerosol delivery system 10 detected by the optical sensor will be high as opposed to when the aerosol delivery system 10 is placed in a dark room, cupboard, drawer, or other enclosed space. The optical sensor may also be shielded or covered by a user of the aerosol delivery system 10, for example, by the user's hand or lips, when the user of the aerosol delivery system 10 inhales or blows into the aerosol delivery system 10.

[0042] The orientation, motion and / or acceleration of the aerosol delivery system 10 may be measured by an accelerometer of the aerosol delivery system 10. In other words, the accelerometer is configured to measure the orientation of the aerosol delivery system 10, such as a 6-axis or 9-axis accelerometer, a MEMS accelerometer, or an IMU. The orientation of the aerosol delivery system 10 measured by the accelerometer may indicate whether the aerosol delivery system 10 is placed on a horizontal flat surface, or whether the aerosol delivery system 10 is in a different orientation, such as whether the article 30 is pointing substantially downward. The accelerometer may also be configured to measure the motion of the aerosol delivery system 10, and thus detect whether the aerosol delivery system 10 is stationary, moving at a constant speed, or undergoing acceleration or deceleration.

[0043] The amount of current received from the external power source may be measured by a current sensor of the aerosol delivery system 10. In other words, the current sensor is configured to measure the amount of current received from the external power source. When the power source or battery 14 of the aerosol delivery system 10 needs to be recharged, the aerosol delivery system 10 may be connected to an external power source to recharge the power source or battery 14. A current sensor may be disposed between the power source 14 and the charging port of the aerosol delivery system 10 to measure the current flow between the external power source and the power source 14 (i.e., to measure or otherwise detect when the aerosol delivery system 10 is connected to the external power source 14). As will be appreciated, electrical devices are typically recharged from an electrical socket or power pack, and users typically recharge their devices at the same location(s), such as a USB or other port on a desk computer, or an electrical socket in a living room or bedroom. Thus, the current sensor may detect when the power source 14 of the aerosol delivery system 10 is being recharged or when the aerosol delivery system 10 is connected to an external power source, which may indicate the location of the aerosol delivery system 10.

[0044] The temperature of the aerosol delivery system 10 may be measured by a temperature sensor of the aerosol delivery system 10. In other words, the temperature sensor is configured to measure the temperature of the aerosol delivery system 10. For example, the temperature sensor may be disposed on or near an exterior surface of the aerosol delivery system 10 to measure the ambient temperature around the aerosol delivery system 10. Additionally or alternatively, the temperature sensor may be disposed on or near the aerosol generator 36 to detect the temperature of the aerosol generator. Since the temperature within a building is typically regulated to a comfortable temperature for its occupants (e.g., between 18° C. and 28° C.), while the outside air temperature varies based on atmospheric conditions, the ambient temperature around the aerosol delivery system 10 may indicate whether the aerosol delivery system 10 is disposed inside or outside a building.

[0045] The status of the network connection with wireless network 50 or external device 40 may be determined by control circuitry 28 or by a separate communications interface operatively coupled to control circuitry 28. The status may include one or more of the signal strength of a Wi-Fi connection to a particular wireless network, the number of wireless networks available for connection, the identity of each of the wireless networks available for connection, the number of external devices available for Bluetooth and / or NFC connection, the identity of each of the external devices available for Bluetooth and / or NFC connection, and / or the signal strength of the Bluetooth and / or NFC connection.

[0046] Control circuitry 28 is configured to determine, based on one or more conditions, that aerosol delivery system 10 has been lost by an owner of aerosol delivery system 10. In other words, control circuitry 28 is configured to use one or more conditions of the aerosol delivery system to determine that the aerosol delivery system has been lost, dropped, or otherwise misplaced by a user or owner of aerosol delivery system 10.

[0047] As presented above, the amount of light proximate the aerosol delivery system 10, the orientation and / or motion of the aerosol delivery system 10, the amount of current received from the external power source, and the ambient temperature and / or temperature proximate the aerosol generator 36 may provide an indication regarding the state or status of the aerosol delivery system 10, such as whether the aerosol delivery system 10 is on a flat surface, charging, or outside or inside a building or enclosed space. The status of the aerosol delivery system 10 may enable the control circuitry 28 to determine that the aerosol delivery system 10 has been lost. For example, if the orientation of the aerosol delivery system 10 changes rapidly and / or if a sudden deceleration is detected (e.g., by an accelerometer), this may indicate that the aerosol delivery system 10 has been dropped. Similarly, if no movement or acceleration of the aerosol delivery system 10 is detected for an extended period of time, and the amount of light in the vicinity of the aerosol delivery system 10 suddenly decreases and an external device 40, such as a mobile phone, falls out of Bluetooth connection range, this may indicate that the aerosol delivery system 10 was accidentally left in a room or building and the lights went out when the owner of the aerosol delivery system 10 left the room or building.

[0048] The control circuitry 28 may also be configured to determine additional information as part of determining that the aerosol delivery system 10 is lost. The additional information may include the time of day, the day of the week, the date, the last known location of the aerosol delivery system 10, the forecasted weather and / or temperature, or any other information that may be relevant to determining that the aerosol delivery system 10 is lost. The time, the day of the week, and the date may be determined using a clock in the control circuitry 28, the last known location of the aerosol delivery system 10 may be determined by maintaining a database of known locations of the aerosol delivery system 10 or by sending a request to an external device 40, such as a mobile device, handheld computing device, or other electronic device associated with a user and in communication with the aerosol delivery system 10 as described above, and the forecasted weather and / or temperature may be determined by sending a request to the external device 40 or by communicating with a remote server, for example, via a communication interface of the control circuitry 28 using a network 50.

[0049] The control circuitry 28 may also be configured to determine that the aerosol delivery system 10 has been lost by an owner of the aerosol delivery system 10 based on status information stored in a database, e.g., in a memory of the control circuitry 28. The status information includes a correlation between a previous status of the aerosol delivery system 10 and a previous determination that the aerosol delivery system 10 has been lost. The previous determination that the aerosol delivery system 10 has been lost may be made by the control circuitry 28 or may be determined by the owner of the aerosol delivery system 10 or an external device, such as the external device 40. If the determination is made by the owner or an external device, an indication that the aerosol delivery system 10 has been lost is provided to the control circuitry 28, e.g., by an input to an input device of the aerosol delivery system 10 or by a notification received from the external device 40 over the network 50 (e.g., via a wireless connection). The status information includes a correlation between a status previously monitored by the control circuitry 28 and a previous number or events in which the aerosol delivery system 10 has been determined to be lost. The status information may also include any additional information determined by the control circuit 28 when the aerosol delivery system 10 is determined to be lost, such as the time, day of the week, date, last known location of the aerosol delivery system 10, predicted weather and / or temperature.

[0050] For example, it may have been previously determined that a user of the aerosol delivery system 10 charges the aerosol delivery system 10 in the same location overnight (i.e., on a bedside table between 22:00 and 07:00). During this time, the current sensor measures the amount of current received from the external power source, the accelerometer measures or detects that the aerosol delivery system 10 is oriented horizontally without movement or acceleration, the temperature sensor measures an ambient temperature corresponding to room temperature (e.g., 18-24° C.), and the optical sensor measures zero or a low amount of light because the aerosol delivery system 10 is in a substantially dark room. This correlation between the information received from each sensor and the time of day allows the control circuit 28 to determine that the aerosol delivery system 10 is placed in its normal overnight charging location. It may also have been previously determined that a user of the aerosol delivery system 10 picks up and removes the aerosol delivery system 10 from the external power source during a similar range of times each day (e.g., between 07:00 and 08:00 each day corresponding to the user waking up). This may be determined by monitoring the movement of the aerosol delivery system with an accelerometer and a current sensor indicating that current is no longer being received from the external power source.

[0051] At a later time, for example during the day (i.e., several hours later), control circuitry 28 may determine, based on new information received from one or more sensors, that aerosol delivery system 10 has been left in its overnight charging location and is therefore lost. For example, information received from the accelerometer and current sensor may still indicate that aerosol delivery system 10 is still in a substantially flat orientation without any detected motion or acceleration and that current is still being received from the external power source, respectively, while information received from the optical sensor may indicate that there is a high amount of light in the vicinity of aerosol delivery system 10. In this case, control circuitry 28 may determine that the high amount of light is due to the time of day, while information received from the accelerometer and current sensor still indicates that aerosol delivery system 10 is lost because it has been placed in its overnight charging location at an unusual time (i.e., based on a correlation between a previously monitored status of the aerosol delivery system and a current status of the aerosol delivery system).

[0052] In another illustrative example, it may be determined that a user of the aerosol delivery system 10 places the aerosol delivery system 10 in a bag or case at the same or similar time during the weekday (i.e., between 08:00 and 08:30) to transport the aerosol delivery system 10, for example, to a workplace. During this time, the current sensor measures that no current is being received from an external power source, the accelerometer measures or detects that the aerosol delivery system 10 is oriented in a particular direction, for example, with the article 30 facing substantially upward, while also detecting movement of the aerosol delivery system 10, the temperature sensor measures the ambient temperature, and the optical sensor measures zero or a small amount of light because the aerosol delivery system 10 is in an enclosed space. At a later point in time, for example in the evening or night (i.e., several hours or a day later), the control circuit 28 may determine that the aerosol delivery system 10 is still disposed in the bag or case based on new information received from the one or more sensors. For example, information received from the accelerometer and current sensor may each still indicate that aerosol delivery system 10 is in a particular orientation and that no current is being received from an external power source. The optical sensor may still measure zero or a small amount of light, and the accelerometer may measure that there is no motion due to the aerosol delivery system being placed in a particular orientation. In this case, control circuitry 28 may determine that aerosol delivery system 10 was likely left in the bag or case, and therefore that aerosol delivery system 10 is still placed in the bag or case.

[0053] These are two illustrative examples of how monitoring one or more conditions of the aerosol delivery system over an extended period of time (i.e., hours) may be used to determine that the aerosol delivery system 10 is lost, and in particular how a database of condition information may be used to compare the current condition of the aerosol delivery system with previous condition information. It will be appreciated that similar correlations between the current condition of the aerosol delivery system and the condition information may also be used to determine that the aerosol delivery system 10 is lost.

[0054] Similarly, control circuitry 28 may determine that aerosol delivery system 10 has been lost based on monitoring one or more aspects of the aerosol delivery system over a short period of time (e.g., seconds or minutes). For example, if the accelerometer measures movement and / or acceleration followed by a sudden deceleration and little or no further movement, control circuitry 28 may determine that aerosol delivery system 10 has been dropped and not picked up by the owner, and thus aerosol delivery system 10 has been lost by the owner.

[0055] As presented above, control circuitry 28 is configured to determine, based on one or more monitored conditions of aerosol delivery system 10, that aerosol delivery system 10 has been lost by the owner of aerosol delivery system 10. When this occurs, control circuitry 28 is configured to trigger a loss event to indicate that aerosol delivery system 10 has been lost.

[0056] The loss event may include removing power to the aerosol generator 36 of the aerosol delivery system 10. In other words, the control circuitry 28 is configured to prevent current or power from being provided to the aerosol generator 36 from the power source or battery 14 of the aerosol delivery system 10. This prevents the aerosol delivery system 10 from being used to generate aerosol until, for example, the aerosol delivery system 10 is found and unlocked by a user.

[0057] The loss event may also include sending an indication to an external device that aerosol delivery system 10 has been lost. For example, control circuitry 28 may send an indication to external device 40 over a Wi-Fi network, such as network 50, to indicate that aerosol delivery system 10 has been lost. External device 40 may then be configured to provide an indication to an owner or user that aerosol delivery system 10 has been lost, such as by displaying a message on a display screen of external device 40, thereby notifying the owner of aerosol delivery system 10 that aerosol delivery system 10 has been lost.

[0058] The control circuitry 28 may also be configured to determine the location of the aerosol delivery system 10 in response to determining that the aerosol delivery system 10 is lost. For example, the control circuitry 28 may determine the location of the aerosol delivery system 10 using a GPS interface of the aerosol delivery system 10. The control circuitry 28 may also determine the location of the aerosol delivery system 10 based on one or more signals received from an external device. For example, if the aerosol delivery system 10 is connected to a Wi-Fi network, the control circuitry 28 may determine the location of the aerosol delivery system 10 based on one or more signals received over the Wi-Fi network. Similarly, if the aerosol delivery system 10 is within Bluetooth, BLE, or NFC range of another device, the control circuitry 28 may send a request for location information to the other device and determine the location of the aerosol delivery system 10 based on a response received from the other device.

[0059] The loss event may also include sending an indication of the location of aerosol delivery system 10 to an external device along with or in lieu of an indication that aerosol delivery system 10 has been lost. As described above, control circuitry 28 may send an indication of the location of aerosol delivery system 10 to an external device over a Wi-Fi network, such as network 50. External device 40 may then be configured to provide an indication of the location of aerosol delivery system 10 to an owner or user, for example, by displaying a message on a display screen of external device 40. In this way, the owner of aerosol delivery system 10 may not only be notified that aerosol delivery system 10 has been lost, but may also be provided with the location of aerosol delivery system 10 so that the user can retrieve aerosol delivery system 10 from its location.

[0060] As presented above, determining that aerosol delivery system 10 is lost may be further based on the status information stored in the database. Control circuitry 28 may update the status information stored in the database based on one or more of the status, trigger event, and / or determined location used to determine that aerosol delivery system 10 is lost, such that the database is updated each time control circuitry 28 determines that aerosol delivery system 10 is lost.

[0061] The control circuitry 28 may also be configured to receive additional location information from the external device 40 and to update the status information stored in the database in response to receiving the additional status information. For example, upon providing an indication to the owner that the aerosol delivery system 10 has been lost and / or an indication of the location of the aerosol delivery system 10, the external device 40 may be configured to request confirmation from the user that the aerosol delivery system 10 has been lost and / or has been found or otherwise located at the location of the aerosol delivery system 10 determined by the control circuitry 28. The user may provide input via an input device of the external device 40 to indicate whether the aerosol delivery system 10 has been lost and / or has been found at the location determined by the control circuitry 28. This indication may then be sent by the external device 40 to the control circuitry 28 as part of the additional status information. Additionally or alternatively, the computing device 40 may be configured to request one or more classifications or descriptions of the location where the aerosol delivery system 10 has been found or is currently located, such as, for example, at home, at work, on a couch, on a bedside table, or in a work bag or briefcase. For example, as described above, the control circuitry 28 may determine that the aerosol delivery system 10 is located at an overnight charging location, and the user may use the external device 40 to apply a classification of home, bedroom, bedside table to this location. The external device 40 may then send the classification(s) to the control circuitry 28 as part of the additional context information that the control circuitry 28 uses to update the context information stored in the database. If the control circuitry 28 subsequently determines the location of the aerosol delivery system 10 as corresponding to an overnight charging location, the control circuitry 28 may use the context information in the database to determine one or more classifications or descriptions for the determined location, and the one or more classifications or descriptions may be sent to the external device 40 along with an indication of the location of the aerosol delivery system 10.This allows control circuitry 28 to refine its position determination and provide a more accurate and / or understandable description of the determined position of aerosol delivery system 10 to the user.

[0062] 3 is a flow diagram of a method 300 for operating an aerosol delivery system, such as aerosol delivery system 10. The method begins at step 310, where one or more conditions of aerosol delivery system 10 are monitored. At step 320, it is determined that aerosol delivery system 10 has been lost by an owner of aerosol delivery system 10 based on the one or more conditions. At step 330, a lost event is triggered in aerosol delivery system 10 to indicate that aerosol delivery system 10 has been lost.

[0063] The method illustrated in Figure 3 may be stored as instructions on a computer-readable storage medium such that, when executed by a processor, the method described above occurs. The computer-readable storage medium may be non-transitory. In other words, the method illustrated in Figure 3 may be computer-implemented. Method 300 may be performed by aerosol delivery device 20, for example, by control circuitry 28.

[0064] As described above, the present disclosure relates to (but is not limited to) an aerosol delivery system including a control circuit configured to monitor one or more conditions of the aerosol delivery system, determine that the aerosol delivery system has been lost by an owner of the aerosol delivery system based on the one or more conditions, and trigger a loss event to the aerosol delivery system to indicate that the aerosol delivery system has been lost.

[0065] Thus, an aerosol delivery device, an aerosol delivery system and a method have been described.

[0066] The various embodiments described herein are presented merely to aid in the understanding and teaching of the claimed features. These embodiments are provided merely as representative examples of embodiments and are not exhaustive and / or exclusive. The advantages, embodiments, examples, functions, features, structures, and / or other aspects described herein should not be considered as limitations on the scope of the invention as defined by the claims or equivalents of the claims, and it is understood that other embodiments may be used and changes may be made without departing from the scope of the claimed invention. Various embodiments of the present invention may suitably comprise, consist of, or consist essentially of any suitable combination of the disclosed elements, components, features, parts, steps, means, etc., other than those specifically described herein. In addition, the present disclosure may include other inventions that are not currently claimed but may be claimed in the future.

Claims

1. monitoring one or more aspects of an aerosol delivery system; determining that the aerosol delivery system has been lost by an owner of the aerosol delivery system based on the one or more conditions; triggering a loss event for the aerosol delivery system to indicate that the aerosol delivery system has been lost; A control circuit configured to:

2. The one or more circumstances are: an amount of light proximate the aerosol delivery system as measured by an optical sensor of the aerosol delivery system; and an orientation of the aerosol delivery system as measured by an accelerometer of the aerosol delivery system; and an amount of current received from an external power source as measured by a current sensor of the aerosol delivery system; and a temperature of the aerosol delivery system, as measured by a temperature sensor of the aerosol delivery system; and The status of the wireless network or network connection with external devices 10. The aerosol delivery system of claim 1, comprising at least one of:

3. The aerosol delivery system of claim 1 or 2, wherein determining that the aerosol delivery system has been lost is further based on status information stored in a database, the status information including a correlation between a previous status of the aerosol delivery system and a previous determination that the aerosol delivery system has been lost.

4. The aerosol delivery system of claim 3 , wherein the control circuitry is further configured to update the database based on the one or more conditions and the trigger event.

5. The aerosol delivery system of claim 1 , wherein the loss event includes sending an indication to an external device that the aerosol delivery system has been lost.

6. The aerosol delivery system of claim 1 , wherein the loss event further comprises cutting off power to the aerosol generator.

7. The aerosol delivery system of any one of claims 1 to 6, wherein the control circuitry is further configured to determine a location of the aerosol delivery system in response to determining that the aerosol delivery system is lost.

8. The aerosol delivery system of claim 7 , wherein the location of the aerosol delivery system is determined using a GPS interface of the aerosol delivery system.

9. The aerosol delivery system of claim 7 , wherein the position of the aerosol delivery system is determined based on one or more signals received from an external device.

10. The aerosol delivery system of any one of claims 7 to 9, wherein the loss event includes sending an indication of the location of the aerosol delivery system to an external device.

11. monitoring one or more aspects of an aerosol delivery system; determining that the aerosol delivery system has been lost by an owner of the aerosol delivery system based on the one or more conditions; triggering a loss event for the aerosol delivery system to indicate that the aerosol delivery system has been lost; 16. An aerosol delivery device for an aerosol delivery system comprising: a control circuit configured to:

12. 1. A method for operating an aerosol delivery system, comprising: monitoring one or more aspects of the aerosol delivery system; determining that the aerosol delivery system has been lost by an owner of the aerosol delivery system based on the one or more conditions; triggering a loss event for the aerosol delivery system to indicate that the aerosol delivery system has been lost; A method comprising:

13. If executed, monitoring one or more aspects of the aerosol delivery system; determining that the aerosol delivery system has been lost by an owner of the aerosol delivery system based on the one or more conditions; triggering a loss event for the aerosol delivery system to indicate that the aerosol delivery system has been lost; 16. A non-transitory computer-readable storage medium comprising instructions for performing a method comprising:

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