Aerosol supply system with controller function

Abstract

A device component for an aerosol generation system comprises a speaker operable to emit an acoustic signal, a user input element configured to receive a user input corresponding to a control command for controlling an external electronic entity having a microphone, and a controller configured to generate a drive signal representing the control command to the speaker and supply the drive signal to the speaker to cause the speaker to emit an acoustic signal carrying the control command for detection by the external electronic entity.

Description

[Technical Field]

[0001] The present disclosure relates to an aerosol delivery system or portion thereof having a controller function and a method for implementing the control function using the aerosol delivery system. [Background technology]

[0002] Aerosol delivery systems are often small, handheld devices that users typically carry to access the delivered aerosol whenever needed or desired. While some systems are quite simple, more recent systems may include a processor or controller for controlling the operation of the system to provide optimized, adjustable aerosol generation. The controller may also include software for this purpose. Thus, the aerosol delivery system may be easily adaptable for expanding its functionality by modifying the controller and any programming associated with the controller to enable the system to perform additional functions. Because the system is likely to be typically carried or otherwise kept at hand by the user, features related to the user's typical behavior and requirements can be usefully incorporated into the aerosol delivery system for easy user access at any time.

[0003] Accordingly, techniques for configuring aerosol delivery systems for extended functionality are of interest. Summary of the Invention

[0004] According to a first aspect of some embodiments described herein, there is provided a device component for an aerosol generation system comprising: a speaker operable to emit an acoustic signal; a user input element configured to receive a user input corresponding to a control command for controlling an external electronic entity having a microphone; and a controller configured to generate a drive signal representing the control command to the speaker and supply the drive signal to the speaker to cause the speaker to emit an acoustic signal carrying the control command for detection by the external electronic entity.

[0005] According to a second aspect of some embodiments described herein, there is provided an aerosol delivery system comprising a device component according to the first aspect.

[0006] According to a third aspect of some embodiments described herein, there is provided a method for controlling an electronic entity, the method comprising: receiving a user input corresponding to a control command for controlling the electronic entity via a user input element included in an aerosol generation system; generating a drive signal in the aerosol generation system to a speaker included in the aerosol generation system, the drive signal representing the control command; supplying the drive signal to the speaker to cause the speaker to emit an acoustic signal conveying the control command; and detecting the acoustic signal via a microphone included in the electronic entity.

[0007] These and further aspects of certain embodiments are set forth in the accompanying independent and dependent claims. It will be understood that the features of the dependent claims may be combined with each other, and that the features of the independent claims may be combined in combinations other than those explicitly set forth in the claims. Furthermore, the techniques described herein are not limited to the specific embodiments as described below, but include and contemplate any suitable combination of the features presented herein. For example, an aerosol delivery system or portion thereof, or related method, may be provided according to the techniques described herein, including any one or more of the various features described below, as appropriate. [Brief explanation of the drawings]

[0008] Various embodiments of the present invention will now be described in detail, by way of example only, with reference to the following drawings: [Figure 1] 1 illustrates a simplified schematic cross-section of an exemplary electronic aerosol delivery system in which embodiments of the present disclosure can be implemented. [Figure 2] 1 shows a simplified schematic cross-sectional view of a first example of a device component for an aerosol delivery system according to one embodiment of the present disclosure. [Figure 3] FIG. 1 shows a simplified schematic diagram of an exemplary apparatus for performing control functions using an aerosol delivery system according to one embodiment of the present disclosure. [Figure 4] 1 shows a simplified schematic diagram of an exemplary system comprising multiple electronic entities controllable using an aerosol delivery system according to one embodiment of the present disclosure. [Figure 5] 1 shows a flowchart of steps in an exemplary method for performing control functions using an aerosol delivery system according to one embodiment of the present disclosure. DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION

[0009] Aspects and features of certain examples and embodiments are discussed / described herein. Some aspects and features of certain examples and embodiments may be implemented in a conventional manner and will not be discussed / described in detail for the sake of brevity. Accordingly, it will be understood that aspects and features of the apparatus and methods discussed herein that are not described in detail can be implemented according to any conventional techniques for implementing such aspects and features.

[0010] As mentioned above, the present disclosure relates to aerosol or vapor delivery systems, including, but not limited to, electronic systems such as e-cigarettes. Throughout the following description, the terms "e-cigarette" and "electronic cigarette" may be used, but it will be understood that these terms may be used interchangeably with aerosol (vapor) delivery systems. The systems are intended to generate an inhalable aerosol by vaporizing a liquid or gel-formed substrate (aerosol-generating material), which may or may not contain nicotine. Additionally, hybrid systems may include, in addition to the liquid or gel substrate, a solid substrate that is also heated. The solid substrate may be, for example, tobacco or other non-tobacco products, which may or may not contain nicotine. As used herein, the terms "aerosol-generating material" and "aerosolizable material" are intended to refer to a material that can form an aerosol either by the application of heat or by some other means. The term "aerosol" may be used interchangeably with "vapor."

[0011] As used herein, the terms "system" and "delivery system" are intended to encompass systems that deliver substances to a user, including non-combustion aerosol delivery systems that release compounds from aerosolizable materials without burning the aerosolizable material, such as electronic cigarettes, tobacco heating products, and hybrid systems that generate aerosols using a combination of aerosolizable materials, as well as articles that contain aerosolizable materials and are configured for use in one of these non-combustion aerosol delivery systems. According to the present disclosure, a "non-combustion" aerosol delivery system is one in which the constituent aerosolizable material (or its components) of the aerosol delivery system is not or is not burned to facilitate delivery to the user. In some embodiments, the delivery system is a non-combustion aerosol delivery system, such as a powered non-combustion aerosol delivery system. In some embodiments, the non-combustion aerosol delivery system is an electronic cigarette, also known as a vape device or electronic nicotine delivery (END) system, although it should be noted that the presence of nicotine in the aerosolizable material is not a requirement. In some embodiments, the non-combustion aerosol delivery system is a hybrid system that generates the aerosol using a combination of aerosolizable materials, one or more of which may be heated. Each of the aerosolizable materials may be, for example, in solid, liquid, or gel form and may or may not contain nicotine. In some embodiments, the hybrid system comprises a liquid or gel aerosolizable material and a solid aerosolizable material. The solid aerosolizable material may include, for example, tobacco or a non-tobacco product.

[0012] Typically, a non-combustion aerosol delivery system may include a non-combustion aerosol delivery device and an article (consumable) for use with the non-combustion aerosol delivery device. However, it is contemplated that an article that itself includes a means for powering an aerosol generator or aerosol-generating component may itself form a non-combustion aerosol delivery system. In some embodiments, the non-combustion aerosol delivery device may include a power source and a controller. The power source may be, for example, an electrical power source. In some embodiments, an article for use with a non-combustion aerosol delivery device may include an aerosol-generating material, an aerosol-generating component (aerosol generator), an aerosol-generating region, a mouthpiece, and / or a region for receiving the aerosol-generating material.

[0013] In some systems, the aerosol generating component or aerosol generator includes a heater that can interact with the aerosolizable material to release one or more volatile substances from the aerosolizable material to form the aerosol, although the present disclosure is not limited in this respect and also applies to systems that use other techniques to form the aerosol, such as a vibrating mesh.

[0014] In some embodiments, an article for use with a non-combustion aerosol delivery device may include an aerosolizable material or a region for receiving an aerosolizable material. In some embodiments, an article for use with a non-combustion aerosol delivery device may include a mouthpiece. The region for receiving an aerosolizable material may be a storage region for storing the aerosolizable material. For example, the storage region may be a reservoir. In some embodiments, the region for receiving an aerosolizable material may be separate from the aerosol-generation region or may be combined with the aerosol-generation region.

[0015] As used herein, the term "component" may be used to refer to a part, section, unit, module, assembly, or the like of an electronic cigarette or similar device, possibly incorporating several smaller parts or elements within an external housing or wall. An aerosol delivery system, such as an electronic cigarette, may be formed or constructed from one or more such components, such as articles and devices, which may be detachably or separably connectable to one another or may be permanently joined to one another during manufacturing to define the entire system. The present disclosure is applicable, but is not limited to, to systems comprising two components detachably connectable to one another and configured as an article, for example, in the form of an aerosolizable material-carrying component (alternatively referred to as a cartridge, cartomizer, pod, or consumable) that holds a liquid or other aerosolizable material, and a device having a battery or other power source to provide power to operate the aerosol generating component or aerosol generator for generating a vapor / aerosol from the aerosolizable material. A component may include more or fewer parts than those included in the examples.

[0016] In some examples, the present disclosure relates to aerosol delivery systems and components thereof that utilize aerosolizable material in liquid or gel form held in a storage area, such as a reservoir, tank, container, or other receptacle, included in the system, or absorbed onto a carrier substrate. Configurations are included for delivering the material from the reservoir to an aerosol generator for vapor / aerosol generation. Terms such as "liquid," "gel," "fluid," "source liquid," "source gel," and "source fluid" may be used interchangeably with terms such as "aerosol-generating material," "aerosolizable substrate material," and "substrate material," and refer to materials having a form capable of being stored and delivered according to examples of the present disclosure.

[0017] 1 is a highly schematic diagram (not to scale) of a general exemplary electronic aerosol / vapor delivery system, such as an e-cigarette 10, in which aspects of the present disclosure may be embodied, presented for the purposes of illustrating the relationships between the various components of a typical system and explaining the general principles of operation. It should be noted that the present disclosure is not limited to systems configured in this manner, and features may be modified in accordance with the various alternatives and definitions discussed above and / or as would be apparent to one skilled in the art. The e-cigarette 10, in this example, has a substantially elongated shape extending along a longitudinal axis indicated by a dashed line, and comprises two main components: a device 20 (a control or power component, section, or unit) and an article or consumable 30 (a cartridge assembly or section, sometimes referred to as a cartomizer or clearomizer) that carries aerosol-generating material and operates to generate vapor / aerosol.

[0018] The article 30 includes a storage area, such as a reservoir 3, that contains a source liquid or other aerosol-generating material, including a formulation, such as a liquid or gel from which a nicotine-containing aerosol is generated. By way of example, the source liquid may contain approximately 1-3% nicotine and 50% glycerol, with the remainder being approximately equal amounts of water and propylene glycol, and may optionally contain other ingredients, such as flavorings. Nicotine-free source liquids may also be used, for example, to deliver flavorings. A solid substrate (not shown), such as a portion of tobacco or other flavoring element, through which vapor generated from the liquid passes, may also be included. The reservoir 3 may have the form of a storage tank, a container or receptacle capable of storing the source liquid such that the liquid moves and flows freely within the tank. If the product is consumable, the reservoir 3 may be sealed after filling during manufacture so that it can be disposed of after consumption, or it may have an inlet port or other opening through which a user can add new source liquid. Article 30 also includes an aerosol generator 5 that includes an aerosol-generating component, which in this example may have the form of an electrically powered heating element or heater 4 and an aerosol-generating material transfer component 6. The heater 4 is positioned outside the reservoir 3 and is operable to generate an aerosol by vaporizing a source liquid upon heating. The aerosol-generating material transfer component 6 is a transfer or delivery component configured to deliver the aerosol-generating material from the reservoir 3 to the heater 4. In some examples, the aerosol-generating material transfer component may have the form of a wick or other porous element. The wick 6 may have one or more portions positioned within or otherwise in fluid communication with the liquid in the reservoir 3 so as to be capable of absorbing the source liquid and transferring the source liquid by wicking or capillary action to other portions of the wick 6 adjacent to or in contact with the heater 4. This liquid is thereby heated and vaporized, and replacement liquid is drawn from the reservoir 3 for transfer by the wick 6 to the heater 4 via continued capillary action. The wick can be thought of as a conduit between the reservoir 3 and the heater 4 that delivers or transports liquid from the reservoir to the heater.In some designs, the heater 4 and the aerosol-generating material transport component 6 are integral or monolithic and formed from the same material that can be used to both transport and heat the liquid, such as a material that is both porous and conductive. In still other cases, the aerosol-generating material transport component may operate by other than capillary action, such as by including one or more valve arrangements that allow liquid to pass from the reservoir 3 onto the heater 4.

[0019] The combination of heater and wick (or similar), referred to herein as aerosol generator 5, may also be referred to as an atomizer or atomizer assembly, and the reservoir with its source liquid plus the atomizer may collectively be referred to as an aerosol source. Various designs are possible in which components may be arranged differently compared to the highly schematic illustration of FIG. 1 . For example, as previously mentioned, wick 6 may be an entirely separate element from heater 4, or heater 4 may be configured to be porous and capable of directly performing at least part of the wicking function (e.g., a metal mesh). If the system is an electronic system, heater 4 may comprise one or more electric heating elements operating by ohmic / resistive (Joule) heating, although induction heating may also be used, in which case the heater comprises a susceptor in an induction heating configuration. Thus, generally, an atomizer or aerosol generator can be considered in the present context as one or more elements that implement the functions of a vapor-generating element capable of generating vapor by heating a source liquid (or other aerosol-generating material) delivered to it, and a liquid transport or delivery element capable of delivering or transporting liquid from a reservoir or similar liquid storage to the vapor-generating element by wicking action / capillary forces, etc. The aerosol generator is typically housed within article 30 of the aerosol generation system, as in FIG. 1 , although in some examples, at least the heater portion may be housed within device 20. Embodiments of the present disclosure are applicable to all and any such configurations consistent with the examples and descriptions herein.

[0020] Returning to FIG. 1, article 30 also includes a mouthpiece or mouthpiece portion 35 having an opening or air outlet through which a user can inhale the aerosol generated by heater 4 .

[0021] The device 20 includes a cell or battery 7 (hereafter referred to as the battery, which may or may not be rechargeable) that powers the electrical components of the e-cigarette 10 and, in particular, operates the heater 4. Additionally, there is a controller 8, such as a printed circuit board and / or other electronics or circuitry, for overall control of the e-cigarette. The controller may include a processor programmed with software that may be modifiable by the user of the system. The control electronics / circuitry 8 uses power from the battery 7 to operate the heater 4 when vapor is needed. At this time, the user inhales on the system 10 through the mouthpiece 35, and air A enters through one or more air inlets 9 in the wall of the device 20 (the air inlets may alternatively or additionally be located in the article 30). When activated, the heater 4 vaporizes source liquid delivered from the reservoir 3 by the aerosol-generating material transport component 6 and generates an aerosol by entraining the vapor in the air flowing through the system, which is then inhaled by the user through an opening in the mouthpiece 35. When a user inhales on mouthpiece 35, the aerosol is transported from aerosol generator 5 to mouthpiece 35 along one or more air channels (not shown) that connect air inlet 9 to air outlet of aerosol generator 5.

[0022] More generally, controller 8 is suitably configured / programmed to control the operation of the aerosol delivery system to provide functionality according to embodiments and examples of the present disclosure described further herein, as well as to provide conventional operational functions of the aerosol delivery system in line with established techniques for controlling such devices. Controller 8 may be considered to logically comprise various subunits / circuit elements associated with different aspects of the operation of the aerosol delivery system according to the principles described herein, as well as other conventional operational aspects of the aerosol delivery system, e.g., display driver circuitry for the system, which may include a user display, such as a screen or indicator lights, and user input detection via one or more user-actuable controls 12. It will be understood that the functionality of controller 8 may be provided in a variety of different ways, for example, using one or more suitably programmed programmable computers and / or one or more suitably configured application-specific integrated circuits / circuits / chips / chipsets configured to provide the desired functionality.

[0023] Device 20 and article 30 are separate, connectable parts that are detachable from one another by separating them in a direction parallel to their longitudinal axes, as indicated by the double-headed arrows in FIG. 1 . Components 20, 30 are joined together by cooperating engaging elements 21, 31 (e.g., threads or bayonet fittings) that provide a mechanical, and in some cases electrical, connection between device 20 and article 30 when device 10 is in use. If heater 4 operates by ohmic heating, an electrical connection is required so that current can flow through heater 4 when connected to battery 5. In systems using induction heating, the electrical connection can be omitted if no power-requiring components are located within article 30. An induction workcoil can be housed within device 20 and powered by battery 5, with article 30 and device 20 shaped to appropriately expose heater 4 to flux generated by the coil for the purpose of generating current in the heater material when connected. The design of FIG. 1 is merely an exemplary arrangement; various parts and features may be distributed differently between device 20 and article 30, and other components and elements may be included. The two sections may be connected to each other end-to-end in a longitudinal configuration, as in FIG. 1, or may be connected in a different configuration, such as a parallel side-by-side arrangement. The system may or may not be generally cylindrical and / or may have a generally longitudinal shape. Either or both sections or components may be intended to be disposed of and replaced when depleted (e.g., when the reservoir is empty or the battery is dead), or may be intended to allow multiple uses through actions such as refilling the reservoir and recharging the battery. In other examples, system 10 may be integral, in that the parts of device 20 and article 30 are contained in a single housing and cannot be separated. Embodiments and examples of the present disclosure are applicable to any of these and other configurations as recognized by those skilled in the art.

[0024] According to the present disclosure, in addition to being configured to generate aerosol, the aerosol delivery system is configured with capabilities that enable its use as a remote controller (also known as a remote control, remote control unit, remote control device, etc.). A user typically carries the aerosol delivery system with them all or most of the time and is likely to hold the aerosol delivery system in their hand or nearby when they wish to remotely control another electrical or electronic entity. Therefore, it is proposed to configure the aerosol delivery system to generate and emit control commands for transmitting to one or more external electronic entities to operate the one or more external electronic entities. In this way, a user no longer needs to have multiple remote controllers for various external electronic entities and can avoid the need to locate each controller when needed. Instead, remote control can be achieved using a device that is typically already in the user's hand and that can be configured to control two or more external electronic entities.

[0025] In particular, it is proposed that the aerosol delivery system be configured as a remote controller using audio signals, the aerosol delivery system operating to transmit as control commands to one or more external electronic entities equipped with microphones for receiving and detecting the audio signals.

[0026] For convenience, the remote controller preferably communicates with the controlled entity wirelessly or contactlessly. An existing and widely used medium for the transmission of remote control commands is infrared optical signals. However, because optical signal transmission through free space requires line of sight between the remote controller and the controlled entity, the user may have to reposition either themselves or the remote controller to successfully deliver the control command.

[0027] Other techniques provide wireless or contactless communication from one electronic entity to another. Near-field communication (NFC) is a technology standard used, for example, to enable contactless payments. NFC includes a set of communication protocols that enable communication between two NFC-enabled entities via radio frequency over very short distances of 4 cm or less. The extreme physical proximity required between the entities is considered to provide good security, so the communication channel does not need to be encrypted. However, this proximity is of limited use for remote control purposes. Also, entities require appropriate compatibility, software drivers, and the like to utilize NFC. An alternative technology to contactless communication is Bluetooth®, a wireless technology standard that uses ultra-high frequency radio waves to exchange data between two paired devices over distances of up to approximately 10 m. While the significantly longer distances compared to NFC make it more applicable to remote control, this means that various channel encryptions are used to protect Bluetooth communications. Encryption can consume a significant amount of power, potentially affecting the battery life of portable electronic devices. The electronic device must also be configured for Bluetooth compatibility to be used in this way, and the two devices must be currently paired in order to communicate via Bluetooth. Various NFC or Bluetooth requirements must be met by the aerosol delivery system in order to use these techniques for remote control functionality.

[0028] Using audio signals instead of NFC or Bluetooth to provide remote control functionality in an aerosol delivery device offers an alternative approach that may be more flexible than the infrared line-of-sight requirements, proximity required for NFC, and pairing requirements of Bluetooth. Generating and receiving audio signals is a straightforward technique that can be implemented using readily available, inexpensive, and simple components, and can be made small so as not to take up valuable space within a handheld portable device. The software required to operate via audio signal communication can also be simple and compact, thereby not requiring large storage space within the device's memory or much power to run. This is significant in portable devices where maximum battery life is an important characteristic for users. The more complex software and operating system compatibility required to enable a device to use NFC or Bluetooth is avoided.

[0029] Similarly, to prevent unauthorized third parties from remotely controlling the user's electronic entity with the aerosol delivery system, the security of the communication channel can be targeted. For example, the audio signal (or audio transmission channel) can be encrypted in a simple manner using existing, established encryption methods such as asymmetric cryptography. This can be compared to the unencrypted communication of NFC and the more complex encryption techniques required for Bluetooth, resulting in much lower power consumption and associated battery drain, and does not require compatibility with more detailed encryption. The use of low-power techniques is attractive for aerosol delivery systems because aerosol generation can consume a relatively large amount of power, and battery capacity is inevitably limited in portable devices.

[0030] As discussed above, an aerosol delivery system can include a device component housing a power supply (battery) and a controller or processor for controlling the system coupled to an article, cartridge, or consumable component housing a source of aerosol-generating substrate material that is vaporized to generate the required aerosol. For practical, cost, and environmental reasons, long-life components of the system tend to be housed within the device for multiple uses over a long operational life, while short-life components are housed within consumables that are periodically replaced. According to the present disclosure, components related to audio signal communication are proposed to be located within the device for long-term use and to improve security. However, this is not a limiting configuration; some or all of the components may be located within a consumable component in a two-component system, or the system may be a one-component design in which the cartridge is not removable from the device. Therefore, the following description showing audio components within an aerosol generation system device is merely exemplary and not limiting. Various components may otherwise be distributed within the aerosol delivery system.

[0031] 2 shows a highly schematic longitudinal cross-sectional view of an exemplary device or device component for an aerosol delivery system configured for audio signal communication for remote control purposes. In this disclosure, the terms "audio" and "acoustic" may be used interchangeably to refer to the use of sound and sound waves, and the terms "audio signal" and "acoustic signal" refer to sound waves purposefully configured to carry specified information (the sound waves are shaped in some way to encode the information) over a specified communication channel from an acoustic or audio source or transmitter to an acoustic or audio detector or receiver.

[0032] In FIG. 2, device 20 includes housing 20a having a docking arrangement 21 that allows items or consumable components to be bonded or connected to device 20 to create a complete aerosol delivery system, as previously described in FIG. 1. Inside housing 20a are battery 7 and controller 8 configured to control the operation of the aerosol generation system, including providing power as needed from battery 7 to the system's electrical components. Other elements of the device that may be present but are not relevant to this disclosure are omitted for clarity. Associated with controller 8 is memory or data storage element 14. Memory 14 stores software or other instructions executed by the controller to operate the aerosol delivery system and also stores various data or information representing values ​​required for software execution, such as power level settings for activating a heating element. In some cases, these may be preset values ​​provided during manufacture for access by the controller when needed. In other cases, data may be entered by a device user to customize or personalize the system. Such data may be entered directly into the device via a user input interface or element (not shown), such as a touchscreen, or may be transferred to the device from an external device, such as a computer or smartphone, via a wired or wireless communication connection (the device being enabled with appropriate connectivity, also not shown). In particular, according to the present disclosure, the memory stores control data 15 representing and / or associated with at least one control command for at least one external electronic entity.

[0033] The device also includes a speaker 16 operable in the usual manner to emit an acoustic signal 22 when an appropriate electrical drive signal is provided by the controller 8 via control line 18. The speaker is a passive electrical element that operates solely by the drive signal, without the need for an additional power source. Thus, a speaker is a useful component for enabling aerosol delivery systems to emit communication signals, where it is generally desirable to conserve battery power whenever possible. Depending on the amplitude (volume) and frequency of the emitted acoustic signal, the speaker 16 may be mounted behind a suitable aperture or window (not shown) in the housing 20a so that the housing material does not attenuate the acoustic signal. In other cases, the acoustic signal 22 is strong enough to propagate through the housing 20a so that a window is not required. This simplifies construction and protects the speaker 22 from physical damage. The speaker 22 can be positioned anywhere convenient within the housing 20a, but usefully some consideration is given to its location so that a user holding the device is unlikely to block the emitted acoustic signal 22 with their hand and so that the acoustic signal 22 is likely to be emitted in a direction towards a receiver (microphone) within an external electronic entity.

[0034] A drive signal for speaker 16 is generated by controller 8. The drive signal is a conventional electrical signal for driving a speaker, including a voltage / current applied to the speaker to move a diaphragm within the speaker and emit sound waves. Controller 8 retrieves control data 15 stored in memory 14 and uses it to generate a drive signal representing a control command for an external electronic entity. As a result, when driven by the drive signal, speaker 16 emits a variable acoustic signal in which the control command is embedded, encoded, or otherwise carried, and from which the control command can be determined or extracted by a suitably configured receiving entity, in this case the external electronic entity to which the control command relates. Acoustic signal 22 thus carries the control command, enabling it to be transmitted from the aerosol generating system to the external electronic entity.

[0035] The control commands can be encoded or embedded in the drive signal, and thus the audio signal, in any manner. Amplitude modulation, frequency modulation, or a combination of the two may be used, resulting in the audio signal varying in volume and / or pitch to reflect the embedded control commands. Also, the entire frequency range can be selected as preferred, for example, to make the audio signal more or less perceptible to a human listener. For example, a frequency or frequencies in the human audible range, commonly defined as 20 Hz to 20 kHz, can be used. By using audio frequencies, particularly toward the central portion of this range (e.g., 200 Hz to 2 kHz), the user can perceive that a control command has been transmitted. However, in non-quiet environments, additional audio signals may be considered undesirable or noticeable, or may be inaudible anyway, so audibility is not important. For example, if the external electronic entity is a radio, television, sound system, or entertainment system, the sounds emitted by the entity may mask the audio signals from human hearing. Thus, the acoustic signal can be pitched in the inaudible frequency range, such as below 20 Hz (insole frequency or infrasound) or above 20 kHz (ultrasonic frequency or ultrasound). The control command itself may take any form that is understandable, recognizable, or identifiable by an external electronic entity, for example, along the lines of existing approaches to remote controls. For example, binary or non-binary sequences or strings of numbers or other characters can be used. The sequence can be thought of as, for example, a code. Different codes or sequences can be used for different commands, such as "on," "off," "volume / temperature / speedup," "volume / temperature / speeddown," "play," "pause," "record," "switchchannel / program," "start," "stop," etc.When two or more electronic entities are controlled using a single aerosol delivery system (so that the system can operate as a so-called "universal" remote control), different sets or groups of commands can be assigned to each electronic entity so that any one electronic entity can distinguish its own commands from commands intended for other electronic entities. Methods for distinguishing commands are discussed in more detail below.

[0036] Regardless of the content and format of the control commands, a suitable audio coding scheme is provided to achieve the conversion of the control commands into an audio signal capable of carrying them, for example based on frequency or amplitude modulation as discussed above. This scheme is applied to embed the control commands in the drive signals for operating the loudspeakers 16. Each external electronic entity to be controlled is provided with details of the scheme so that it can extract the control commands from the received audio signal.

[0037] As mentioned above, encryption may be applied to prevent the transmitted acoustic signal from being easily read if intercepted en route to an external electronic entity. While such security may be deemed unnecessary in a private home environment, in some circumstances it may be relevant to protect control commands transmitted as acoustic signals to prevent unauthorized control of the electronic entity. Known techniques of asymmetric encryption are attractive because they are well-established and simple, suitable for encrypting acoustic signals, and therefore do not create a computational burden and consequently do not drain battery power. However, other encryption techniques may be used as appropriate. The controller within the aerosol delivery system uses a key for encryption that is known to or derivable / obtainable by the external electronic entity so that the received acoustic signal can be decrypted. Encryption may be applied to the original control command, so that an encrypted version of the control command is encoded, converted, or translated into the drive signal and resulting acoustic signal. Alternatively, encryption may be applied to the drive signal after it has been generated to reflect the unencrypted control command. Either approach may be used as is convenient or practical, or deemed most secure. For example, if an encryption scheme with a constantly updating key is used, encryption of the drive signal may be preferred because this allows a pre-generated and stored version of the drive signal to be retrieved from memory and then encrypted using the current key each time a control command is transmitted. For evolving key configurations, the controller may be provided with new keys via software updates or may be provided with software that creates new keys as needed. Any convenient encryption scheme may be used to protect the control commands if desired, and those skilled in the art will be able to implement suitable techniques.

[0038] 3 shows a schematic diagram of an overall configuration for implementing remote control using an aerosol delivery system configured as described herein, comprising an aerosol delivery system 10 configured to transmit audio signals and an external electronic entity 40.

[0039] The electronic entity 40 may be any type of electronic entity that a user may wish to control remotely, i.e., operate without having to physically interact with any user-actuable controls, such as switches, buttons, or a touchscreen, on the electronic entity. Examples of such electronic entities include, but are not limited to, a television, an audio system, a radio, a lamp, a lighting system, a computing device, a space heater, a heating system, a washing machine, a dishwasher, an oven, a refrigerator, a microwave, or an entertainment system. The electronic entity 40 may include a display screen 42 for presenting information about its operating state to the user. This may allow the user to see which operating parameters are available for remote control or to see that a control command remotely transmitted from the aerosol delivery system has been received and implemented by the electronic entity 40, i.e., that an operating state has changed after receiving a control command delivered as an acoustic signal. The electronic entity 40 also includes an acoustic receiver or sensor 44 (typically a microphone) capable of detecting the acoustic signal 22 emitted by the aerosol delivery system 10. The electronic entity 40 includes a processor or controller (not shown) configured to process the received and detected acoustic signal 22. This involves decrypting, decoding and / or otherwise processing the acoustic signal 22 (as output by microphone 44 in the form of an electrical signal representative of the acoustic signal 22 in the usual manner) to extract the control command. The controller can then update or change the operating state of the electronic entity in accordance with the control command.

[0040] In addition to including a speaker for emitting acoustic signals and a controller for appropriately driving the speaker to emit acoustic signals carrying control commands, as described above with respect to FIG. 2 , aerosol delivery system 10 also includes a user input element 12. User input element 12 is configured to allow a user to interact with aerosol delivery system 10 to input instructions for transmitting control commands from the speaker. The user input element can take any form appropriate for the type and quantity of control commands that aerosol delivery system 10 is capable of transmitting. For example, one or more buttons or switches may be sufficient for remote control of only one or a few electronic entities lacking operational complexity, resulting in a minimal number of control commands, such as only "on" and "off." More complex configurations may include remote control of multiple electronic entities and / or control of electronic entities with many operating state options or possible parameters. In this case, the total number of control commands required may be relatively large, such that detailed user input elements may be required to allow various controls to be selected. An exemplary user input element suitable for such situations (although it can also be used in simpler remote control scenarios) is a touchscreen capable of displaying multiple touch-sensitive icons or buttons organized into different pages or menus and corresponding to various control commands. A user input element may combine two or more different types of elements to provide easier access to multiple control commands. For example, a dial may allow selection of a specific electronic entity from a group controllable using the aerosol delivery system, while a switch or touchscreen may allow input of one or more control commands applicable to the selected electronic entity. Other options for user input elements that would be apparent to one skilled in the art may be used as preferred. For example, voice input is another alternative if the aerosol delivery system is equipped with a microphone for detecting the user's voice and voice recognition software for determining the content of the voice input.User input element 12 may be a multi-function user input element additionally configured for other user input interactions with aerosol delivery system 10, such as those related to aerosol generation. Alternatively, a separate user input element may be provided that is dedicated to remote control functions.

[0041] System operation will now be discussed. When a user wishes to remotely control electronic entity 40, the user brings aerosol delivery system 10 within a suitable range of electronic entity 40 for successful reception of the audio signal. Typically, this may be within the same room, or may be no more than 10 meters, or even no more than 5 meters. The volume or intensity of the audio signal may be selected taking into account the expected distance over which the audio signal needs to be detected. The user manipulates user input element 12 to input a control command instruction or request for electronic entity 40. This may include selecting a particular control command from among several available to electronic entity 40. User input element 12 notifies controller 8 of aerosol delivery system 10 that a user input corresponding to a particular control command has been received. Controller 8 uses associated control data 15 in data storage device 14 associated with or representing that control command to generate a drive signal to the speaker, the drive signal representing or corresponding to the control command in the selected audio encoding scheme. The controller 8 then provides a drive signal to the speaker 16, which causes the speaker 16 to emit an acoustic signal 22 that carries the control command.

[0042] When electronic entity 40 is within a suitable range of aerosol delivery system 10, acoustic signal 22 is received by and detected by microphone 44 within the electronic entity. A controller of electronic entity 40 processes the electrical output of the microphone to extract control commands, as discussed above, and modifies, adjusts, alters, or configures the operation of the electronic entity according to the content of the control commands.

[0043] The control data 15 stored in the data storage device 14 can take a variety of forms, and the controller 8 is configured to appropriately handle or process the control data 15 in order to generate drive signals carrying the required control commands.

[0044] In one example, the control data may include, for each control command, data representing the control command itself, e.g., either directly as a control command (e.g., a code, string, or sequence of characters) or data from which the controller derives the control command using rules or algorithms. In response to receiving user input for a particular control command, the controller is configured to generate a drive signal by extracting from data storage device 14 a portion of control data 15 corresponding to that control command, deriving the control command from the extracted data if necessary, or otherwise taking the extracted data directly if it is a control command, and converting the control command into a drive signal using a selected acoustic encoding scheme. This approach requires some computation with associated power consumption, but allows other information to be included in the drive signal and acoustic signal, if and when needed.

[0045] In another example, the control data may include a speaker drive signal for each control command. This eliminates the need to create a drive signal each time a user inputs a control command request. In this case, the controller is configured to generate a drive signal in response to receiving a user input for a particular control command by extracting from the data storage device 14 a portion of the control data 15, which is the drive signal that embeds or carries the control command. The controller can then pass the retrieved drive signal directly to the speaker to emit an acoustic signal. In this way, any drive signal can be immediately used when needed, and the controller can save power that would otherwise be consumed to calculate the drive signal.

[0046] The control data may be provided to the device for storage in any format and in any manner as desired. For example, the control data may be installed at the time of device manufacture if it is known in advance which electronic entities will be remotely controllable by the aerosol delivery system. Because control commands for many compatible electronic entities may be included, the aerosol delivery system is configured for use with a wide range of electronic entities, of which a user may only have one or a few. More conveniently, control data related to a particular electronic entity can be delivered to the device to set or configure the device to control that particular electronic entity according to the user's instructions, for example, by the user requesting the control data via a website, app, or by email, text message, or phone call. The control data can be downloaded to the device from a remote server, a local server or terminal, or another electronic entity of the user, such as a mobile phone, via any communication configuration, wired or wireless (e.g., Ethernet, USB, Wi-Fi, mobile remote communication), for which the aerosol delivery system is configured. As another example, the aerosol delivery system may be configured to receive acoustic signals in addition to transmitting them. In this case, the acoustic signal itself may be broadcast from an external device (such as a cell phone essentially configured with its own speaker), detected by the aerosol delivery system, stored, and converted back into control data for future use when a control command is requested by the user.

[0047] Various techniques may be employed to improve acoustic communication between the aerosol delivery system and the external electronic entity that it is intended to remotely control. These can help the electronic entity sort out control signals from other detected sounds, for example, simplifying the control of multiple electronic entities.

[0048] In one example, an external electronic entity may have an associated acoustic frequency or frequency range over which its control commands are broadcast. The controller of the external electronic entity may be configured, for example, to listen for incoming audio signals at that frequency and ignore any other frequencies. The same effect may be achieved by audio filtering, so that the controller only receives signals from microphones at or near the relevant frequency. The filtering may be provided by electronic filtering components or software within the controller. To implement this, the aerosol delivery system is configured to generate drive signals carrying control commands for the electronic entity using an acoustic encoding scheme that generates an acoustic signal at the relevant frequency or frequency range. The electronic entity receives the acoustic signal, recognizes that it is at the expected frequency or frequency range, and implements the carried control command to change its operating state.

[0049] This configuration can be expanded to accommodate multiple electronic entities for remote control. Each of the two or more electronic entities intended for remote control by the aerosol delivery system has a different frequency or frequency range associated with it. When a user inputs a control command request, the controller of the aerosol delivery system determines which of the two or more electronic entities the control command is for and generates an associated drive signal to convey the control command using an acoustic encoding scheme that generates an acoustic signal at the frequency or frequency range associated with the determined electronic entity. The associated electronic entity receives the acoustic signal, recognizes that it is at the expected frequency or frequency range, and implements the control command to change its operating state. Others of the two or more electronic entities that receive the acoustic signal determine that the acoustic signal is not at their associated frequency or frequency range and ignore it.

[0050] This approach may reduce the total number of different control commands. The same control command, i.e., the same code, string, or sequence, can be assigned to multiple electronic entities for the same operation, such as "on" or "off," and can be broadcast at different frequencies to communicate with different electronic entities. Thus, acoustic frequencies are used to distinguish between multiple electronic entities.

[0051] In another example, the external electronic entity may have an encryption key or other encryption or encoding scheme or rule associated with it that is used to broadcast its control commands. The controller of the external electronic entity may be configured to identify incoming audio signals with associated encryption and ignore any with other encryptions, for example, because it would not be able to decrypt audio signals / control commands with incorrect encryption. To implement this, the aerosol delivery system is provided with an encryption key associated with the electronic entity and configured to use the encryption key to generate drive signals carrying control commands to the electronic entity. The key may be used, for example, to encrypt the control command itself or the drive signal carrying the control command. The electronic entity also maintains an encryption key and uses it to decrypt received audio signals and implement the carried control commands to change its operational state. This "key" is intended to include any suitable encryption configuration, including schemes in which both parties use the same key and schemes in which the parties use different key pairs.

[0052] This configuration can be expanded to accommodate multiple electronic entities for remote control. Each of the two or more electronic entities intended for remote control by the aerosol delivery system has a different encryption key associated with it, and the aerosol delivery system is provided with all the different keys assigned to carious electronic entities. When a user inputs a control command request, the controller of the aerosol delivery system determines which of the two or more electronic entities the control command is for and generates an associated drive signal using the key associated with the determined electronic entity. The associated electronic entity receives the acoustic signal, decrypts the control command using its own version or copy of its associated key, and implements the control command to change its operational state. Others of the two or more electronic entities that receive the acoustic signal do not possess the correct key and therefore cannot decrypt or decode the control command and ignore it.

[0053] This approach may reduce the total number of different control commands. The same control command, i.e., the same code, string, or sequence, can be assigned to multiple electronic entities for the same operation, such as "on" or "off," and is encrypted using different keys to communicate with different electronic entities. Thus, encryption is used to distinguish between multiple electronic entities.

[0054] In a further example, the external electronic entity may have an identifier or associated identification data or information, such as a unique code, string, or character sequence, included in its control command. The controller of the external electronic entity may be configured, for example, to search for the identifier in incoming audio signals and ignore those that do not contain or include the identifier. To implement this, the aerosol delivery system is provided with an identifier associated with the electronic entity and configured to generate a drive signal carrying a control command for the electronic entity from data including both the identifier and the control command. The control command and the identifier may be combined together on demand when the control command is requested, so that the control data includes each control command in addition to the identifier. Alternatively, the control data may include each control command already combined with the identifier. The identifier may be combined with the control command, for example, by being prepended to the control command as a header, although other combination techniques are not excluded. The electronic entity receives the acoustic signal, recognizes its associated identifier, and implements the conveyed control command to change its operational state.

[0055] This configuration can be expanded to accommodate multiple electronic entities for remote control. Each of the two or more electronic entities intended for remote control by the aerosol delivery system has a different identifier associated with it. When a user inputs a control command request, the controller of the aerosol delivery system determines which of the two or more electronic entities the control command is for and generates an associated drive signal to carry the control command plus the associated identifier. The associated electronic entity receives the acoustic signal, recognizes that the acoustic signal carries its own identifier, and implements the control command to change its operating state. Other of the two or more electronic entities that receive the acoustic signal determine that the acoustic signal does not carry their own identifier and ignore it.

[0056] In this manner, it may be possible to reduce the total number of different control commands. The same control command, i.e., the same code, string, or sequence, can be assigned to multiple electronic entities for the same operation, such as "on" or "off," and each is combined with a different identifier to communicate with a different electronic entity. Thus, unique identifier information is used to distinguish between multiple electronic entities.

[0057] Any of the foregoing examples can be used to improve discrimination between external electronic entities and provide more targeted remote control with less risk of errors that may be caused by an electronic entity implementing a control command intended for a different entity, or of accidentally acquiring a control command from some other received sound. Additionally, to further enhance these effects, two or more of the different approaches can be used together. For example, frequency and encryption discrimination, or frequency and identifier discrimination, or encryption and identifier discrimination can be used together, or all three of frequency, encryption, and identifier discrimination can be used. Other targeting or discrimination approaches may also be used alone or in combination.

[0058] FIG. 4 shows a schematic diagram of an exemplary system incorporating an audio-based remote control using the aerosol delivery system disclosed herein. The system includes an aerosol delivery system 10, as described above, configured to emit control commands carried in an acoustic signal 22. A number of external electronic entities 40a-40e are disposed in a surrounding or adjacent environment 50. The collection of external electronic entities may be referred to as an ecosystem. The external electronic entities 40a-40e are coupled to or associated with the aerosol delivery system in that they are configured to respond to the control commands carried in the acoustic signal that the aerosol delivery system 10 is configured to emit. In this example, five external electronic entities are included, although more or fewer may be included depending on the user's needs. The surrounding environment 50 may be a single room in which a user similarly places the aerosol delivery system 10 and operates it as a remote controller. However, this is not required; the external electronic entities 40a-40e may be located in different rooms, and / or the aerosol delivery system 10 may operate when in a different room from any or all of the external electronic entities 40a-40e. This can be achieved when acoustic signal 22 emitted by aerosol delivery system 10 has a volume and / or frequency and / or emission direction that allows acoustic signal 22 to propagate, such as through walls, floors, or ceilings, or through doorways or windows, to a room or rooms different from the room in which aerosol delivery system 10 is located. Also, external electronic entities 40a-40e may be located in several different rooms, and a user can operate each using aerosol delivery system 10 while in the same room. Furthermore, environment 50 may comprise one or more rooms, but may also be formed from different areas or regions either inside or outside any domestic residence, office, workplace, or entertainment space, or other building.

[0059] The aerosol delivery system 10 may be configured in the manner described above to emit the acoustic signal 22 in response to a user input at the user input element 12 for a control command that conveys a control command tailored in some way to address a particular one of the plurality of external electronic entities 40 a-40 e. Examples include the use of an acoustic frequency or frequency range assigned to each one of the external electronic entities 40 a-40 e, the use of an encryption key or other encoding scheme assigned to each one of the external electronic entities 40 a-40 e, and the use of an identifier code or sequence assigned to each one of the external electronic entities 40 a-40 e and transmitted with the control command.

[0060] The use of acoustic signals allows for communication of control commands without line-of-sight requirements. Therefore, it is not necessary to provide an unobstructed propagation path between the aerosol delivery system 10 and all external electronic entities 40a-40e. Any of the external electronic entities 40a-40e may be wholly or partially obscured by another electronic entity; see FIG. 4, where entity 40c is partially between entity 40b and the aerosol delivery system 10. Any of the entities may be similarly obscured by other objects or separated in other ways, such as in a cupboard or drawer. The use of tailored control commands to address individual entities allows any intervening entity to determine whether an audio signal carries a control command intended for another entity and, without implementing the command, control each entity separately.

[0061] FIG. 5 shows a flowchart of steps in an exemplary method for remotely controlling an electronic entity according to the present disclosure. In a first step S1, a user of an electronic cigarette or other aerosol delivery system inputs a control command request or instruction for controlling an external electronic entity using a user input element on the electronic cigarette, such as a button, switch, or touchpad. In a second step S2, the electronic cigarette receives the user input and determines which control command is requested. In a third step S3, the electronic cigarette generates a drive signal to a speaker representing the required control command identified from the input request. In a fourth step S4, the drive signal is provided to a speaker included in the electronic cigarette, and in a fifth step S5, the speaker responds to the drive signal by emitting an acoustic signal carrying the required control command. The emitted acoustic signal is received by the external electronic entity, which detects the acoustic signal in a sixth step S6. Finally, in step S7, the external entity extracts the control command from the received acoustic signal and then operates to implement the control command to adjust, modify or update its operating state in an appropriate manner, thus allowing the external electronic entity to be remotely controlled by the e-cigarette.

[0062] In a further example, the device components may also include an acoustic detector, such as a microphone, housed within the device component's housing and connected to the controller. This allows the device to engage in two-way acoustic communication, with the microphone detecting incoming acoustic signals broadcast from an external electronic entity and transmitting the detected acoustic signals to the controller for processing. Any of the external electronic entities configured to be controlled by the device may be further configured to emit acoustic signals intended for the aerosol delivery system, such as acoustic signals carrying encoded data or information, where the data or information is part of a control procedure and can be processed by the controller to extract the information and use it in controlling the aerosol delivery system. Usefully, the same encoding scheme used to encode control commands into acoustic signals for emission from the device can be used for incoming acoustic signals. This provides simplicity and reduces the amount of encoding instructions required by the controller. However, if preferred, different schemes may be used for outgoing and incoming communication channels. Similarly, as discussed for emitted signals, incoming acoustic signals can be encrypted, and the controller can be configured to decrypt them.

[0063] The external electronic entity may be configured to emit acoustic signals to the aerosol delivery system carrying information representing various types of messages or communications. These may include confirming successful receipt of a control command, indicating successful implementation of a received control command, notifying of problems with receipt of the control command (such as corrupted or incomplete information, or inability to extract or decipher), notifying the aerosol delivery system of the status of the external electronic entity (which may, for example, alter the selection of future control commands sent to that entity), and / or reporting a failure of the external electronic entity. Other message types and content are not excluded.

[0064] The device may additionally comprise a user output element that may be activated by the controller to communicate the content of any such received message to the user. For example, the user output element may comprise one or more light-emitting diodes (LEDs) or other light sources that may illuminate to represent or indicate message content, such as a green (or first color) LED illuminated to indicate successful receipt or implementation of a control command and a red (or second color) LED illuminated to indicate failure. Alternatively, a single LED may be illuminated to indicate success and left unlit to indicate failure, or a different sequence of pulses or flashes may be used. Alternatively, the user output element may be a screen that can display information for presentation to the user. In other examples, a separate electronic device, such as the user's mobile phone, may be utilized as the user output element, with the device transmitting a wireless signal (e.g., via Bluetooth) to the separate electronic device to cause the separate electronic device to indicate or communicate the transaction result to the user.

[0065] Alternatively, if the device's speaker is used for this purpose, the need for a separate user output element can be eliminated. The controller can generate or be provided with a drive signal (e.g., stored in memory) suitable to cause the speaker to emit a sound indicative of the message content to the user. The sound can be a sequence of one or more tones or beeps, or a short melodic melody, or noises traditionally associated with success and failure (e.g., "fanfare" and "raspberry"), or spoken words. Additionally, the speaker can be utilized to broadcast spoken commands, instructions, and information to the user. This can be used to instruct the user through a control process, such as explaining how to present the aerosol delivery system to an external electronic entity in an optimal manner for successful transmission of the audio signal carrying the control command.

[0066] It should be additionally noted that various functions and operations described herein as being implemented using acoustic signals may alternatively be implemented using other signal types capable of being transmitted wirelessly. Generally, electromagnetic signals may be used, and any convenient frequency or frequency range may be used. For example, radio waves, such as ultra-high frequency (UHF) radio waves, which may be formatted according to the Bluetooth communication protocol or standard (operating in the 2.4-2.485 GHz range), may be used, although other UHF configurations may be used, and indeed other radio wave frequencies may be used. The electromagnetic signal may be in the optical or light frequency range, such as the visible frequency range (approximately 4-8 THz) or the infrared range (approximately 300 GHz-400 THz). Other electromagnetic frequencies are also contemplated. Thus, device components of the aerosol delivery system may include electromagnetic signal emitters in place of the speakers (acoustic signal emitters) described above. More generally, signal emitters configured to emit a selected type of wirelessly transmittable signal may be used. The controlled external electronic entity(ies) each include a corresponding signal receiver configured to detect the selected type of wirelessly transmittable signal.

[0067] Thus, in one example, a device component for an aerosol generation system is provided, the device component comprising: a signal emitter operable to emit a wirelessly transmittable signal; a user input element configured to receive a user input corresponding to a control command for controlling an external electronic entity having a signal receiver operable to detect the wirelessly transmittable signal; and a controller configured to generate a drive signal representing the control command to the signal emitter and supply the drive signal to the signal emitter to cause the signal emitter to emit a wirelessly transmittable signal carrying the control command for detection by the external electronic entity.

[0068] The various embodiments described herein are presented solely to aid in the understanding and teaching of the claimed features. These embodiments are provided only as a representative sample 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 construed as limitations on the scope of the invention as defined by the claims or limitations on the equivalents of the claims, and it should be understood that other embodiments may be utilized and modifications 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 not currently claimed but which may be claimed in the future.

Claims

1. 1. A device component for an aerosol generating system, comprising: a speaker operable to emit an acoustic signal; a user input element configured to receive a user input corresponding to a control command for controlling an external electronic entity having a microphone; a controller, generating a drive signal representing the control command to the speaker; a controller configured to provide the drive signal to the speaker to cause the speaker to emit an acoustic signal carrying the control command for detection by the external electronic entity; and A device component comprising:

2. 2. The device component of claim 1, wherein the controller is configured to generate the drive signal in response to receiving the user input by encoding data representing the control command into the drive signal.

3. the device component further comprises a data storage device for storing the drive signals representing one or more of the control commands; 2. The device component of claim 1, wherein the controller is configured to generate the drive signal in response to receiving the user input by retrieving the drive signal representing the control command corresponding to the user input from the data storage device.

4. The device component of any one of claims 1 to 3, wherein the drive signal is configured to cause the speaker to emit the acoustic signal carrying the control command in an ultrasonic frequency range.

5. The device component of any one of claims 1 to 3, wherein the drive signal is configured to cause the speaker to emit an acoustic signal carrying the control command within an audible frequency range.

6. 6. The device component of claim 1, wherein the drive signal is configured to cause the speaker to emit the acoustic signal carrying the control command at a frequency or within a frequency range associated with the external electronic entity.

7. the device component is configured to emit the control commands to two or more of the external electronic entities, each having an associated frequency or frequency range; 7. The device component of claim 6, wherein the controller is configured to generate the drive signal by determining to which of the external electronic entities the control command is intended, and configuring the drive signal to cause the speaker to emit the acoustic signal at the associated frequency or within a frequency range.

8. 8. The device component of claim 1, wherein the controller is configured to generate the drive signal by encrypting the control command using a key associated with the external electronic entity.

9. the device component is configured to emit the control commands to two or more of the external electronic entities, each having an associated encryption key; 9. The device component of claim 8, wherein the controller is configured to generate the drive signal by determining to which of the external entities the control command is intended, and generating the drive signal by encrypting the control command using the associated encryption key.

10. The device component of any one of claims 1 to 5, wherein the controller is configured to generate the drive signal by including identifier information with the control command associated with the external electronic entity.

11. the device component is configured to emit the control commands to two or more of the external electronic entities, each having associated identifier information; 11. The device component of claim 10, wherein the controller is configured to generate the drive signal by determining to which of the external entities the control command is intended, and generating the drive signal by including the associated identifier information with the control command.

12. The device component of any one of claims 1 to 11, wherein the user input element comprises one or more of a touch screen, one or more buttons, one or more switches, or one or more dials.

13. 13. The device component of claim 1, further comprising a microphone operable to detect information-carrying acoustic signals emitted by one or more of the external electronic entities and to deliver the detected acoustic signals to the controller.

14. The device component of any one of claims 1 to 13, wherein the external electronic entity comprises a television, an audio system, a radio, a lamp, a lighting system, a computing device, a space heater, a heating system, a washing machine, a dishwasher, an oven, a bob, a refrigerator, a microwave, or an entertainment system.

15. An aerosol delivery system comprising a device component according to any one of claims 1 to 14.

16. the aerosol delivery system comprises an article comprising an aerosol generator; 16. The aerosol delivery system of claim 15, wherein the controller of the device component is further configured to control the aerosol generator to generate an aerosol for consumption by a user.

17. 1. A method of controlling an electronic entity, comprising: receiving, via a user input element included in the aerosol generation system, a user input corresponding to a control command for controlling the electronic entity; generating, in the aerosol generation system, a drive signal for a speaker included in the aerosol generation system, the drive signal representing the control command; providing the drive signal to the speaker to cause the speaker to emit an acoustic signal carrying the control command; detecting said acoustic signal via a microphone included in said electronic entity; A method comprising:

18. The method of claim 17 , wherein generating the drive signal comprises encoding data representing the control command into the drive signal.

19. The method of claim 17, wherein the step of generating the drive signal includes retrieving the drive signal representing the control command corresponding to the user input from a data storage device within the aerosol generation system in which the drive signals representing one or more of the control commands are stored.

20. The method of any one of claims 17 to 19, wherein the acoustic signal is in the ultrasonic frequency range.

21. The method according to any one of claims 17 to 19, wherein the acoustic signal is in the audible frequency range.

22. A method according to any one of claims 17 to 21, wherein the acoustic signal is emitted at a frequency or within a frequency range associated with the electronic entity.

23. The method comprises: determining from the user input to which of two or more of the electronic entities the control command is intended; configuring the drive signal to cause the speaker to emit the acoustic signal at or within a frequency or frequency range associated with the determined electronic entity; 23. The method of claim 22, further comprising:

24. A method according to any one of claims 17 to 21, comprising generating the drive signal by encrypting the control command using an encryption key associated with the electronic entity.

25. The method comprises: determining from the user input to which of two or more of the electronic entities the control command is intended; generating the drive signal by encrypting the control command using an encryption key associated with the determined electronic entity; 25. The method of claim 24, further comprising:

26. A method according to any one of claims 17 to 21, comprising generating the drive signal by including identifier information with the control command associated with the electronic entity.

27. The method comprises: determining from the user input to which of two or more of the electronic entities the control command is intended; generating the drive signal according to control command identifier information associated with the determined electronic entity; 27. The method of claim 26, further comprising:

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