Electron steam supply system and method

Abstract

The present invention provides an electronic steam supply system and method. [Solution] The electronic vapor supply system "EVPS" includes an aerosol generator configured to produce an aerosol for delivery to a user, a timer for measuring the timing of the user's inhalation action, and an inhalation prediction processor configured to predict the user's inhalation action based on timing measurements from the timer, wherein the inhalation prediction processor is configured to start a first predetermined preheating mode of the aerosol generator if the predicted inhalation action meets a first predetermined preheating criterion.

Description

Technical Field

[0001] The present invention relates to an electronic vapor supply system and method. Background

[0002] The "Background" description provided herein is intended to present the context of the present disclosure in a general manner. The efforts of the inventors within the scope described in this background section, as well as aspects of this document that are not considered prior art at the time of filing, are not to be recognized as prior art to this disclosure, either explicitly or implicitly.

[0003] Aerosol supply systems (or, similarly, electronic vapor supply systems) are popular among users because they can deliver active ingredients (such as nicotine) to the user on demand in a convenient way.

[0004] As an example of an aerosol supply system, an electronic cigarette (e-cigarette) typically includes a reservoir of a feed liquid containing a formulation that typically contains nicotine, from which an aerosol is generated by, for example, thermal vaporization. Thus, an aerosol source for an aerosol supply system may include a heater having a heating element configured to receive the feed liquid from the reservoir, for example, by wicking / capillary action. Other raw materials may be similarly heated to generate an aerosol, such as a plant-based material or a gel containing an active ingredient and / or flavoring. Thus, more generally, an e-cigarette may be considered to contain or receive a payload that is thermally vaporized.

[0005] When a user inhales into the device, power is supplied to a heating element, vaporizing the aerosol source (part of the payload) near the heating element and generating an aerosol for the user to inhale. Such devices typically have one or more air inlet holes located away from the mouthpiece end of the system. When a user inhales into the mouthpiece connected to the mouthpiece end of the system, air is drawn in through the inlet holes and passes through the aerosol source. Because there is a flow path connecting the aerosol source and the mouthpiece opening, the air that has passed through the aerosol source travels along the flow path to the mouthpiece opening, carrying a portion of the aerosol from the aerosol source. The air carrying the aerosol is then expelled from the aerosol supply system through the mouthpiece opening and inhaled by the user.

[0006] Typically, when a user inhales / puffs the device, current is supplied to the heater. Usually, current is supplied to a heater, such as a resistive heating element, in response to the activation of an airflow sensor along the path when the user inhales / puffs, or in response to the user activating a button. The heat generated by the heating element is used to vaporize the formulation. The released vapor mixes with the air inhaled by the consumer through the device to form an aerosol. Alternatively or additionally, heating elements are used to heat plants, such as tobacco, typically without combustion, to release their active ingredients as vapor / aerosol.

[0007] As a frequently used electronic device that draws enough current from the battery to heat a portion of the payload to the point of generating steam during use, it will be understood that it is beneficial for the user and its use to operate in a way that is convenient for the user and its application, and it is also preferable that it operates in a way that is beneficial to the battery and / or other functions of the device.

[0008] The present invention aims to address or mitigate this need. [Overview of the Initiative]

[0009] Various aspects and features of the present invention are defined in the appended claims and description.

[0010] In the first embodiment, an electronic vapor supply system "EVPS: electronic vapor provision system" according to claim 1 is provided.

[0011] In another embodiment, the electron vapor supply method according to claim 13 is provided.

[0012] Please understand that the above summary and the following detailed description of the present invention are illustrative and not limiting. [Brief explanation of the drawing]

[0013] Many of the benefits of this disclosure will be better understood and more fully appreciated by referring to the following detailed explanation in conjunction with the attached drawings. [Figure 1] This is a schematic diagram of a steam / aerosol supply system according to the embodiments described herein. [Figure 2] This is a schematic diagram of the main body 20 of the system shown in Figure 1 according to the embodiment of this specification. [Figure 3] This is a schematic diagram of the cartomizer 30 of the system shown in Figure 1 according to an embodiment of the present disclosure. [Figure 4] This is a schematic diagram of the connector for the system shown in Figure 1 according to an embodiment of the present disclosure. [Figure 5A] This is a schematic diagram of the functional components of the system shown in Figure 1 according to an embodiment of the present disclosure. [Figure 5B] This is a schematic diagram of the functional components of the processor in the system of Figure 1 according to an embodiment of the present disclosure. [Figure 6] This is a schematic diagram of the delivery ecosystem according to the embodiments of this disclosure. [Figure 7] This is a schematic diagram of the functional components of a mobile communication device according to an embodiment of the present disclosure. [Figure 8] This is a flow diagram of the electron steam supply method according to an embodiment of the present disclosure. Description of the Embodiment

[0014] This invention discloses an electronic steam supply system and method. The following description presents several specific details in order to fully understand embodiments of the invention. However, it will be apparent to those skilled in the art that these specific details are not necessary to carry out the invention. Conversely, certain details known to those skilled in the art are omitted where appropriate for clarity.

[0015] Aerosol delivery systems (or similarly, electron vapor delivery systems) are similar terms relating to user-facing delivery devices.

[0016] The terms “delivery device,” and further, “aerosol delivery system,” or “electron vapor delivery system,” may include systems that deliver at least one substance to a user, and may include non-flammable aerosol delivery systems that release compounds from aerosol-generating materials without burning the materials, such as hybrid systems that generate aerosols using a combination of e-cigarettes, tobacco heated products, and aerosol-generating materials, and at least one substance may or may not contain nicotine.

[0017] The delivered substance may be an aerosol-generating material and may optionally include one or more active ingredients, one or more fragrances, one or more aerosol-forming materials, and / or one or more other functional materials.

[0018] Currently, the most common examples of such delivery devices are aerosol delivery systems (e.g., non-flammable aerosol delivery systems) or electron vapor delivery systems (EVPS), such as e-cigarettes. Throughout the following description, the term “e-cigarette” may be used, but unless otherwise specified or indicated by context, this term may be used interchangeably with the terms above. Similarly, the terms “vapor” and “aerosol” are treated as synonymous herein.

[0019] Generally, an electronic vapor / aerosol supply system may be an e-cigarette, also known as a vaping device or electronic nicotine delivery device (END), but it should be noted that the presence of nicotine in the aerosol-generating (e.g., aerosolizable) material is not a requirement. In some embodiments, a non-flammable aerosol supply system is a tobacco heating system, also known as a non-combustible heating system. An example of such a system is a tobacco heating system. In some embodiments, a non-flammable aerosol supply system is a hybrid system that generates an aerosol using a combination of aerosol-generating materials, one or more of which may be heated. Each of the aerosol-generating materials may be, for example, in the form of a solid, liquid, or gel, and may or may not contain nicotine. In some embodiments, the hybrid system includes a liquid or gel aerosol-generating material and a solid aerosol-generating material. The solid aerosol-generating material may include, for example, tobacco or a non-tobacco product. On the other hand, in some embodiments, a non-flammable aerosol supply system generates vapor / aerosol from one or more such aerosol-generating materials.

[0020] Typically, a non-combustible aerosol supply system may include a non-combustible aerosol supply device and an article (or also called a consumable) for use in the non-combustible aerosol supply system. However, it is also envisioned that an article itself that includes means for powering an aerosol generation component (such as an aerosol generator like a heater, vibrating mesh, etc.) may form a non-combustible aerosol supply system. In one embodiment, the non-combustible aerosol supply device may include a power source and a controller. The power source may be an electrical power source or a heat-generating power source. In one embodiment, the heat-generating power source includes a carbon-based substrate that can provide energy to supply power in the form of heat to an aerosolizable material or a heat transfer material proximate to the heat-generating power source. In one embodiment, a power source such as a heat-generating power source is provided within the article to form a non-combustible aerosol supply. In one embodiment, the article used in the non-combustible aerosol supply device may include an aerosolizable material.

[0021] In some embodiments, the aerosol generation component is a heater capable of interacting with an aerosolizable material to release one or more volatile substances from the aerosolizable material to form an aerosol. In one embodiment, the aerosol generation component is capable of generating an aerosol from the aerosolizable material without heating. For example, the aerosol generation component may be capable of generating an aerosol from the aerosolizable material without applying heat, such as by one or more of vibration, mechanical, pressurization, or electrostatic means.

[0022] In some embodiments, the aerosolizable material may include an active material, an aerosol-forming material, and optionally one or more functional materials. The active material may include nicotine (optionally contained in tobacco or tobacco derivatives) or one or more other non-olfactory physiologically active materials. A non-olfactory physiologically active material is a material contained in the aerosolizable material to effect a physiological response other than olfaction. The aerosol-forming material may include one or more of glycerin, glycerol, propylene glycol, diethylene glycol, triethylene glycol, tetraethylene glycol, 1,3-butylene glycol, erythritol, meso-erythritol, ethyl vanillate, ethyl laurate, diethyl suberate, triethyl citrate, triacetin, a diacetin mixture, benzyl benzoate, benzyl phenylacetate, tributyrin, lauryl acetate, lauric acid, myristic acid, and propylene carbonate. The one or more functional materials may include one or more of a fragrance, a carrier, a pH adjuster, a stabilizer, and / or an antioxidant.

[0023] In some embodiments, an article for use with a non-combustible aerosol supply device may include an aerosolizable material or a region for receiving the aerosolizable material. In one embodiment, an article for use with a non-combustible aerosol supply device may include a mouthpiece. The region for receiving the aerosolizable material may be a storage region for storing the aerosolizable material. For example, the storage region may be a reservoir. The region for receiving the aerosolizable material may be separate from the aerosol generation region or may be combined with the aerosol generation region.

[0024] The aerosol supply system need not supply the aerosol directly to the user, and may provide the aerosol to an intermediate device or conveyor that introduces / enables introduction of the active ingredient into the user's body such that the active ingredient can exert its effect.

[0025] Therefore, one example is a device that disperses an aerosol in a container, after which the user can remove the container from the device and inhale or inhale the aerosol. Thus, the user does not necessarily need to be directly involved with the delivery device at the time of consumption.

[0026] Referring here to drawings in which the same or corresponding parts are shown by the same reference numerals throughout several figures, Figure 1 is a schematic diagram (not to scale) of a vapor / aerosol delivery system such as e-cigarette 10, providing non-limiting examples of delivery devices according to some embodiments of the present disclosure.

[0027] The e-cigarette has a substantially cylindrical shape extending along the longitudinal axis indicated by the dashed line LA, and comprises two main components: a body 20 and a cartomizer 30. The cartomizer includes an internal chamber containing a reservoir for a payload, such as a liquid containing nicotine, a vaporizer (such as a heater), and a mouthpiece 35. Hereafter, references to “nicotine” should be understood as merely examples and can be replaced with any suitable active ingredient. Hereafter, references to “liquid” as a payload should be understood as merely examples and can be replaced with any suitable payload, such as a plant-based substance (e.g., tobacco that is heated rather than burned), or a gel containing an active ingredient and / or flavoring. The reservoir may be a foam matrix or any other suitable structure for holding the liquid until it is needed to be delivered to the vaporizer. In the case of a liquid / fluid payload, the vaporizer is for vaporizing the liquid, and the cartomizer 30 may further include a wick or similar device for transporting a small amount of liquid from the reservoir to a vaporization position on or near the vaporizer. In the following, a heater will be used as a specific example of a vaporizer. However, it should be understood that other forms of vaporizers (for example, those using ultrasound) are also usable, and that the type of vaporizer used may vary depending on the type of payload being vaporized.

[0028] The main unit 20 includes a rechargeable battery or power supply for powering the e-cigarette 10 and a circuit board for overall control of the e-cigarette. When the heater receives power from the battery controlled by the circuit board, the heater vaporizes the liquid, which is then inhaled by the user through the mouthpiece 35. In some specific embodiments, the main unit is further provided with a manual activation device 265, such as a button, switch, or touch sensor, located on the outside of the main unit.

[0029] The main body 20 and the cartomizer 30 may be detachable from each other by separating them in a direction parallel to the longitudinal axis LA, as shown in Figure 1, but when the device 10 is in use, they are coupled together by connectors schematically shown as 25A and 25B in Figure 1, providing mechanical and electrical connectivity between the main body 20 and the cartomizer 30. The electrical connector 25B on the main body 20 used to connect to the cartomizer 30 also functions as a socket for connecting a charging device (not shown) when the main body 20 is detached from the cartomizer 30. The other end of the charging device may be plugged into a USB socket to recharge the battery in the main body 20 of the e-cigarette 10. In other implementations, a cable may be provided to directly connect the electrical connector 25B on the main body 20 to a USB socket.

[0030] The e-cigarette 10 is provided with one or more holes (not shown in Figure 1) for air inlets. These holes lead to an air passage through the e-cigarette 10 to the mouthpiece 35. When the user inhales from the mouthpiece 35, air is drawn into this air passage through one or more air inlet holes appropriately positioned on the outside of the e-cigarette. When the heater activates and vaporizes nicotine from the cartridge, the airflow passes through the generated vapor and mixes with it, and this mixture of airflow and generated vapor then exits the mouthpiece 35 and is inhaled by the user. Except for single-use devices, the cartomizer 30 may be removed from the body 20 and discarded when the liquid is depleted (it may be replaced with another cartomizer if desired).

[0031] The e-cigarette 10 shown in Figure 1 is presented as an example, and it will be understood that various other implementations can be adopted. For example, in some embodiments, the cartomizer 30 is provided as two separable components: a cartridge containing a liquid reservoir and mouthpiece (which can be replaced when the liquid in the reservoir runs out), and a vaporizer containing a heater (which is usually kept aside). In another example, the charging equipment may be connected to an additional or alternative power source, such as a car's cigarette lighter.

[0032] Figure 2 is a schematic (simplified) diagram of the body 20 of the e-cigarette 10 of Figure 1 according to several embodiments of the present disclosure. Figure 2 can generally be considered as a cross-section in a plane passing through the longitudinal axis LA of the e-cigarette 10. Note that various components and details of the body, such as wiring and more complex shapes, are omitted in Figure 2 for clarity.

[0033] The main unit 20 includes a battery or cell 210 for supplying power to the e-cigarette 10 in response to the user activating the device. Furthermore, the main unit 20 includes a control unit (not shown in Figure 2) for controlling the e-cigarette 10, such as a chip including an application-specific integrated circuit (ASIC) or microcontroller. The microcontroller or ASIC includes a CPU or microprocessor. The operation of the CPU and other electronic components is typically controlled, at least in part, by a software program running on the CPU (or other component). Such a software program may be stored in non-volatile memory such as ROM, which can be integrated into the microcontroller itself or provided as a separate component. The CPU may access the ROM as needed to load and execute individual software programs. The microcontroller also includes appropriate communication interfaces (and control software) for communicating with other devices within the main unit 10 as appropriate.

[0034] The main body 20 further includes a cap 225 for sealing and protecting the distal end of the e-cigarette 10. Typically, an air inlet hole is provided inside or near the cap 225, allowing air to enter the main body 20 when the user inhales through the mouthpiece 35. A control unit or ASIC may be located along or at one end of the battery 210. In some embodiments, the ASIC is mounted on a sensor unit 215 for detecting inhalation of the mouthpiece 35 (or the sensor unit 215 may be provided on the ASIC itself). In either case, the sensor unit 215 can be understood as an example of a sensor platform, with or without the ASIC. An air path is provided from the air inlet, through the e-cigarette, through the airflow sensor 215 and the heater (in the vaporizer or cartomizer 30), to the mouthpiece 35. Thus, when the user inhales through the mouthpiece of the e-cigarette, the CPU detects such inhalation based on information from the airflow sensor 215.

[0035] On the end of the body 20 opposite the cap 225, there is a connector 25B for coupling the body 20 to the cartomizer 30. Connector 25B provides mechanical and electrical connectivity between the body 20 and the cartomizer 30. Connector 25B includes a body connector 240 made of metal (silver-plated in some embodiments) which serves as one terminal for electrical connection (positive or negative) to the cartomizer 30. Connector 25B further includes an electrical contact 250 that provides a first terminal, i.e., a second terminal for electrical connection to the cartomizer 30 with opposite polarity to the body connector 240. The electrical contact 250 is attached to a coil spring 255. When the body 20 is attached to the cartomizer 30, the connector 25A of the cartomizer 30 pushes the electrical contact 250, compressing the coil spring axially, i.e., in a direction parallel to (coincident with) the longitudinal axis LA. Considering the elasticity of the spring 255, this compression biases the spring 255 to stretch, which has the effect of firmly pressing the electrical contact 250 against the connector 25A of the cartomizer 30, thus helping to ensure good electrical connectivity between the body 20 and the cartomizer 30. The body connector 240 and the electrical contact 250 are separated by a frame 260 made of a non-conductor (such as plastic) to provide good insulation between the two electrical terminals. The frame 260 is shaped to assist the mutual mechanical engagement of connectors 25A and 25B.

[0036] As described above, a button 265 representing one form of the manual actuation device 265 may be located on the outer housing of the main body 20. The button 265 may be implemented using any suitable mechanism that can be operated manually by the user, such as a mechanical button or switch, or a capacitive or resistive touch sensor. It will also be understood that the manual actuation device 265 may be located on the outer housing of the cartomizer 30 instead of the outer housing of the main body 20, in which case the manual actuation device 265 may be attached to the ASIC via connections 25A, 25B. The button 265 may be located on the end of the main body 20 instead of (or in addition to) the cap 225.

[0037] Figure 3 is a schematic diagram of the atomizer 30 of the e-cigarette 10 of Figure 1 according to several embodiments of the present disclosure. Figure 3 can generally be considered as a cross-section in a plane passing through the longitudinal axis LA of the e-cigarette 10. Note that various components and details of the atomizer 30, such as wiring and more complex shapes, are omitted in Figure 3 for clarity.

[0038] The cartomizer 30 includes an air passage 355 extending along the central (longitudinal) axis of the cartomizer 30 from the mouthpiece 35 to a connector 25A for connecting the cartomizer 30 to the body 20. A liquid reservoir 360 is provided around the air passage 335. This reservoir 360 may be realized, for example, by providing cotton or foam soaked in liquid. The cartomizer 30 also includes a heater 365 that, when the user inhales the e-cigarette 10, heats the liquid from the reservoir 360 to produce vapor, which flows through the air passage 355 and is discharged from the mouthpiece 35. The heater 365 is powered via lines 366 and 367, which are connected to the opposite polarity (positive and negative, or vice versa) of the battery 210 of the body 20 via connector 25A (details of the wiring between power lines 366 and 367 and connector 25A are omitted in Figure 3).

[0039] Connector 25A includes an internal electrode 375, which may be made of silver plating or other suitable metal or conductive material. When the cartomizer 30 is connected to the body 20, the internal electrode 375 contacts the electrical contact 250 of the body 20, providing a first electrical path between the cartomizer 30 and the body 20. In particular, when connectors 25A and 25B are engaged, the internal electrode 375 helps to ensure good electrical contact between the internal electrode 375 and the electrical contact 250 by pushing the electrical contact 250 and compressing the coil spring 255.

[0040] The internal electrode 375 is surrounded by an insulating ring 372, which may be made of plastic, rubber, silicone, or any other suitable material. The insulating ring is surrounded by a cartomizer connector 370, which may be made of silver plating or other suitable metal or conductive material. When the cartomizer 30 is connected to the body 20, the cartomizer connector 370 contacts the body connector 240 of the body 20, providing a second electrical path between the cartomizer 30 and the body 20. In other words, the internal electrode 375 and the cartomizer connector 370 function as positive and negative terminals (or vice versa) for supplying power from the battery 210 in the body 20 to the heater 365 in the cartomizer 30 via supply lines 366 and 367, as needed.

[0041] The cartomizer connector 370 is provided with two projections or tabs 380A, 380B extending in opposite directions, away from the longitudinal axis of the e-cigarette 10. These tabs are used in conjunction with the body connector 240 to provide a bayonet fitting for connecting the cartomizer 30 to the body 20. This bayonet fitting ensures a secure and robust connection between the cartomizer 30 and the body 20, holding the cartomizer and body in a fixed position relative to each other with minimal wobble or deflection, making accidental disconnection highly unlikely. At the same time, the bayonet fitting enables easy and quick connection and disconnection by inserting and rotating during connection, and rotating (in the opposite direction) and pulling out during disconnection. It will be understood that in other embodiments, different forms of connection between the body 20 and the cartomizer 30 may be used, such as snap-fit ​​or screw connections.

[0042] Figure 4 is a schematic diagram of specific details of a connector 25B at the end of a body 20 according to several embodiments of the present disclosure (however, for clarity, most of the internal structure of the connector shown in Figure 2, such as the base 260, is omitted). In particular, Figure 4 shows an external housing 201 of the body 20 having an overall cylindrical tube shape. This external housing 201 may include a metal inner tube with an outer cover, for example, made of paper. The external housing 201 may also include a manual actuation device 265 (not shown in Figure 4), which is made easily accessible to the user.

[0043] The main body connector 240 extends from this external housing 201 of the main body 20. The main body connector 240 shown in Figure 4 includes two main parts: a hollow cylindrical shaft portion 241 sized to fit snugly inside the external housing 201 of the main body 20, and a lip portion 242 oriented radially outward away from the main longitudinal axis (LA) of the e-cigarette. Around the shaft portion 241 of the main body connector 240, where the shaft portion does not overlap with the external housing 201, there is a similarly cylindrical collar or sleeve 290. The collar 290 is held between the lip portion 242 of the main body connector 240 and the external housing 201 of the main body, and together they prevent movement of the collar 290 in the axial direction (i.e., parallel to the axis LA). However, the collar 290 can rotate freely around the shaft portion 241 (and consequently the axis LA).

[0044] As mentioned above, the cap 225 is provided with an air inlet hole so that air can flow when the user inhales through the mouthpiece 35. However, in some embodiments, most of the air that enters the device when the user inhales flows through the collar 290 and the body connector 240, as shown by the two arrows in Figure 4.

[0045] Figure 5A is a schematic diagram of the main functional components of the e-cigarette 10 of Figure 1 according to some embodiments of the present disclosure. In particular, Figure 5A is primarily concerned with electrical connectivity and functionality and is not intended to show the physical dimensions of the various components or details of their physical arrangement within the control unit 20 or the cartomizer 30. Furthermore, it will be understood that at least some of the components shown in Figure 5A that are arranged within the control unit 20 may be mounted on the circuit board 28. Alternatively, one or more of such components may instead be housed within the control unit and operate in conjunction with the circuit board 28, but not physically mounted on the circuit board itself. For example, these components may be arranged on one or more additional circuit boards or separately (e.g., the battery 54).

[0046] As shown in Figure 5A, the cartomizer includes a heater 310 that receives power via connector 31B. The control unit 20 includes an electrical socket or connector 21A for connecting to the corresponding connector 31B of the cartomizer 30 (or possibly a USB charging device). This provides electrical connectivity between the control unit 20 and the cartomizer 30.

[0047] The control unit 20 further includes a sensor unit 61 located in or near the air path (to the cartomizer 30 via connector 21A) from the air inlet(or more) through the control unit 20 to the air outlet. The sensor unit includes a pressure sensor 62 and a temperature sensor 63 (also located in or near this air path). The control unit further includes a capacitor 220, a processor 50, a field-effect transistor (FET) switch 210, a battery 54, an input device 59 (or equivalently 265 in Figure 1), and an output device 58.

[0048] The operation of the processor 50 and other electronic components, such as the pressure sensor 62, is typically controlled, at least partially, by a software program running on the processor (or other component). Such software programs may be stored in non-volatile memory, such as ROM, which may be integrated into the processor 50 itself or provided as a separate component. The processor 50 may access the ROM as needed to load and execute individual software programs. The processor 50 also includes appropriate communication equipment, such as pins or pads (and corresponding control software), for communicating as appropriate with other devices in the control unit 20, such as the pressure sensor 62.

[0049] Output devices 58 may provide visual, auditory, and / or tactile outputs. For example, output devices 58 may include speakers 58, vibrators, and / or one or more lights. The lights are typically provided in the form of one or more light-emitting diodes (LEDs), which may be the same color or different colors (or multicolor). In the case of multicolor LEDs, various colors can be obtained by turning on red, green, or blue LEDs at various relative brightness levels, resulting in corresponding relative color changes. If red, green, and blue LEDs are provided together, a full range of colors is possible, but if only two of the three LEDs (red, green, and blue) are provided, only subranges of each color are obtained.

[0050] Output from an output device may be used to inform the user of various conditions or states within the e-cigarette, such as a low battery warning. Different output signals may be used to indicate different states or conditions. For example, if the output device 58 is an audio speaker, different states or conditions may be represented by tones or beeps of different pitches and / or durations, and / or by providing multiple such beeps or tones. Alternatively, if the output device 58 includes one or more lights, different states or conditions may be represented using different colors, pulses or continuous illumination, different pulse durations, etc. For example, one indicator light may be used to indicate a low battery warning, and another indicator light may be used to indicate that the liquid reservoir 58 is nearly empty. It will be understood that a given e-cigarette may include an output device that supports multiple different output modes (audio, visual), etc.

[0051] The input device(s) 59 may be provided in various forms. For example, the input device(s) may be implemented as an external button on the e-cigarette, for example, as a mechanical, electrical, or capacitor (touch) sensor. Some devices may support inflow into the e-cigarette as an input mechanism (such inflow may be detected by a pressure sensor 62, which also functions as an input device 59), and / or support connection / disconnection of the cartomizer 30 and control unit 20 as another form of input mechanism. In this case as well, it will be understood that a given e-cigarette may include an input device 59 that supports multiple different input modes.

[0052] As described above, the e-cigarette 10 provides an air path from the air inlet through the e-cigarette, through the pressure sensor 62 and the heater 310 in the cartomizer 30, to the mouthpiece 35. Thus, when a user inhales from the mouthpiece of the e-cigarette, the processor 50 detects such inhalation based on information from the pressure sensor 62. In response to such detection, the CPU supplies power to the heater from the battery 54, thereby heating and vaporizing the nicotine from the liquid reservoir 38, allowing the user to inhale. On the other hand, for example, in the case of a button-operated device (for example, one that operates by detecting a button press rather than an airflow), a different air path (for example, one that does not enter the battery section) may be used.

[0053] In the specific non-restrictive implementation shown in Figure 5A, the FET 210 is connected between the battery 54 and the connector 21A. This FET 210 functions as a switch. The processor 50 is connected to the gate of the FET, and by operating the switch, the processor can turn the power flow from the battery 54 to the heater 310 on and off depending on the detected airflow conditions. Since the heater current can be relatively large, for example, in the range of 1 to 5 amperes, it will be understood that the FET 210 needs to be implemented to support such current control (as well as any other form of switch that may be used instead of the FET 210).

[0054] To more precisely control the amount of power flowing from the battery 54 to the heater 310, a pulse-width modulation (PWM) scheme may be employed. The PWM scheme may be based on a repeating period of, for example, 1 millisecond. In each such cycle, the switch 210 is turned on for part of the cycle and turned off for the rest of the cycle. This is parameterized by a duty cycle, where a duty cycle of 0 indicates that the switch is off for the entire cycle (i.e., effectively permanently off), a duty cycle of 0.33 indicates that the switch is on for 1 / 3 of the cycle, a duty cycle of 0.66 indicates that the switch is on for 2 / 3 of the cycle, and a duty cycle of 1 indicates that the FET is on for the entire cycle (i.e., effectively permanently on). Note that these are provided only as examples of duty cycle settings, and intermediate values ​​can be used as needed.

[0055] Using PWM, the heater is supplied with active power obtained by multiplying the nominal available power (based on the battery output voltage and heater resistance) by the duty cycle. The processor 50 may, for example, utilize duty cycle 1 (i.e., full power) at the start of intake to initially raise the heater 310 to the desired operating temperature as quickly as possible. Once this desired operating temperature is achieved, the processor 50 may then reduce the duty cycle to some appropriate value to maintain the heater 310 at the desired operating temperature.

[0056] As shown in Figure 5A, the processor 50 includes a communication interface 55 for wireless communication, in particular for supporting Bluetooth Low Energy (BLE) communication.

[0057] Optionally, the heater 310 may be used as an antenna for the communication interface 55 to transmit and receive wireless communications. One motivation for this is that the control unit 20 may have a metal housing 202, while the cartomizer portion 30 may have a plastic housing 302 (this reflects the need for greater durability in the control unit 20, which is kept, compared to the cartomizer 30, which is disposable). The metal housing acts as a shield or barrier, making it difficult to place the antenna inside the control unit 20 itself. However, by using the heater 310 as an antenna for wireless communications, this metal shielding is avoided without adding any additional components or complexity (or cost) to the cartomizer, since the cartomizer housing is made of plastic. Alternatively, a separate antenna (not shown) may be provided, or part of the metal housing may be used.

[0058] When the heater is used as an antenna, the processor 50, more specifically the communication interface 55, may be coupled to the power line from the battery 54 to the heater 310 (via connector 31B) by a capacitor 220, as shown in Figure 5A. This capacitive coupling occurs downstream of the switch 210 because wireless communication may operate when the heater is not powered for heating (details below). It will be understood that the capacitor 220 prevents the power supply from the battery 54 to the heater 310 from being returned to the processor 50.

[0059] It should be noted that capacitive coupling may also be implemented using a more complex LC (inductor-capacitor) network, which can also provide impedance matching with the output of the communication interface 55. (As is known to those skilled in the art, this impedance matching helps ensure that signals are properly transmitted between the communication interface 55 and the heater 310, which acts as an antenna, without such signals being reflected back along the connection.)

[0060] In some implementations, the processor 50 and communication interface are implemented using the Dialog DA14580 chip from Dialog Semiconductor PLC, based in Reading, United Kingdom. More information (and datasheet) about this chip can be found at http: / / www.dialog-semiconductor.com / products / bluetooth-smart / smartbond-da14580.

[0061] Figure 5B shows a high-level simplified overview of the chip 50, including a communication interface 55 for supporting Bluetooth® Low Energy. This interface includes, in particular, a radio transceiver 520 for performing signal modulation and demodulation, link layer hardware 512, and advanced encryption equipment (128-bit) 511. The output from the radio transceiver 520 is connected to an antenna (for example, a capacitive coupler 220 and a heater 310 that functions as an antenna via connectors 21A and 31B).

[0062] The remaining portion of the processor 50 includes a general-purpose processing core 530, RAM 531, ROM 532, a one-time programming (OTP) unit 533, a general-purpose I / O system 560 (for communication with other components on the PCB 28), a power management unit 540, and a bridge 570 for connecting two buses. Software instructions stored in ROM 532 and / or the OTP unit 533 may be loaded into RAM 531 (and / or memory provided as part of the core 530) for execution by one or more processing units within the core 530. These software instructions enable the processor 50 to implement various functions described herein, such as interface with the sensor unit 61 and control the heater accordingly. The device shown in Figure 5B functions as both a communication interface 55 and an overall controller for the electronic steam supply system 10. However, in other embodiments, these two functions may be divided among two or more different devices (chips). For example, one chip may function as the communication interface 55, and another chip may function as the overall controller for the electronic steam supply system 10.

[0063] In some implementations, the processor 50 may be configured to prevent wireless communication when the heater is being used to vaporize the liquid from the reservoir 38. For example, when switch 210 is on, wireless communication may be interrupted, terminated, or not started. Conversely, when wireless communication is in progress, the heater may be prevented from operating, for example, by discarding the detection of airflow from the sensor unit 61 and / or by not operating switch 210 to turn on power to the heater 310 while wireless communication is in progress.

[0064] One reason to prevent the heater 310 from operating simultaneously for both heating and wireless communication is to avoid potential interference from the heater's PWM control. This PWM control has its own frequency (based on the pulse repetition frequency), although it is much lower than the frequency of wireless communication, and the two can interfere with each other. In some situations, such interference may not actually cause problems, and the heater 310 may be permitted to operate simultaneously for both heating and wireless communication (if desired). This may be facilitated, for example, by techniques such as the appropriate selection of signal strength and / or PWM frequency, and the provision of appropriate filtering.

[0065] Referring now to Figure 6, the e-cigarette 10 (or more generally, any delivery device described elsewhere in this specification) may operate within a broader delivery ecosystem 1.

[0066] In a broader delivery ecosystem, several devices may communicate with each other directly (e.g., via Bluetooth®) or indirectly (e.g., via the Internet 500). Examples include, but are not limited to, a mobile phone 400 and a remote server 1000.

[0067] With respect to Bluetooth®, the delivery device 10 may functionally link the delivery device 10 with an application (app) running on a smartphone 400 or other suitable mobile communication device (such as a tablet, laptop, or smartwatch) by communicating with the mobile communication device using Bluetooth® or Bluetooth® Low Energy communication (or a similar method). Such communication can be used for a wide range of purposes, such as upgrading the firmware of the e-cigarette 10, obtaining usage and / or diagnostic data from the e-cigarette 10, resetting or unlocking the e-cigarette 10, controlling the settings of the e-cigarette, or sharing processing operations.

[0068] Generally speaking, when the e-cigarette 10 is turned on, for example by using the input device 59 (or equivalently 265), or optionally by coupling the cartomizer 30 to the control unit 20, it begins advertising Bluetooth® low-energy communication. When this outward communication is received by the smartphone 400, the smartphone 400 requests a connection to the e-cigarette 10. The e-cigarette may notify the user of this request via the output device 58 and wait for the user to accept or reject the request via the input device 59. Assuming the request is accepted, the e-cigarette 10 can then communicate further with the smartphone 400. Note that the e-cigarette may store the identification information of the smartphone 400 and automatically accept future connection requests from that smartphone. Once the connection is established, the smartphone 400 and the e-cigarette 10 operate in client-server mode, with the smartphone acting as the client initiating and sending requests to the e-cigarette, and the e-cigarette acting as the server (responding to requests as needed).

[0069] Bluetooth Low Energy Link (also known as Bluetooth Smart) implements the IEEE 802.15.1 standard and operates at a frequency of 2.4-2.5 GHz, corresponding to a wavelength of approximately 12 cm, with a maximum data rate of 1 Mbit / s. Connection setup time is less than 6 milliseconds, and average power consumption can be very low, around 1 mW or less. Bluetooth Low Energy Link can extend up to approximately 50 meters. However, in the situation shown in Figure 4, the e-cigarette 10 and smartphone 400 typically belong to the same person and are therefore very close to each other, for example, within 1 meter. More information on Bluetooth Low Energy can be found at http: / / www.bluetooth.com / Pages / Bluetooth-Smart.aspx.

[0070] It will be understood that the eCigarette 10 may support other communication protocols for communication with the Smartphone 400 (or any other suitable device). Such other communication protocols may be alternatives to or in addition to Bluetooth Low Energy. Examples of such other communication protocols include Bluetooth® (not the Low Energy version) (see www.bluetooth.com), ISO 13157 compliant Near Field Communication (NFC), and WiFi®. NFC communication operates at a much shorter wavelength than Bluetooth (13.56 MHz) and generally has a much narrower range, for example, less than 0.2 m. However, even this narrow range accommodates many use scenarios where the user holds or carries both devices. On the other hand, low-power WiFi® communication such as IEEE 802.11ah, IEEE 802.11v, etc., may be used between the eCigarette 10 and the remote device, for example, via a wireless access point. In either case, a suitable communication chipset may be included on the PCB 28, either as part of the processor 50 or as a separate component. Those skilled in the art will be aware of other wireless communication protocols that can be used with the e-cigarette 10.

[0071] Referring here to Figure 7, a typical mobile communication device 400, such as a smartphone, includes a central processing unit (CPU) (410). The CPU may communicate with components of the smartphone via direct connections or, if applicable, via I / O bridges 414 and / or buses 430.

[0072] In the example shown in Figure 7, the CPU communicates directly with memory 412, which may include persistent memory such as Flash® memory for storing the operating system and applications (apps), and volatile memory such as RAM for holding data currently in use by the CPU. Typically, the persistent memory and volatile memory are formed by physically separate units (not shown). Furthermore, the memory may also include plug-in memory such as a microSD card, and subscriber information data on a subscriber information module (SIM) (not shown).

[0073] The smartphone may also include a graphics processing unit (GPU) 416. The GPU may communicate directly with the CPU, or via an I / O bridge, or may be part of the CPU. The GPU may share RAM with the CPU, or may have its own dedicated RAM (not shown), and is connected to the mobile phone's display 418. The display is typically a liquid crystal display (LCD) or an organic light-emitting diode (OLED) display, but may be any suitable display technology such as electronic ink. Optionally, the GPU may also be used to drive one or more loudspeakers 420 of the smartphone.

[0074] Alternatively, the speaker may be connected to the CPU via an I / O bridge and bus. Other components of the smartphone may also be connected via the bus and include a touch surface 432, such as a capacitive touch surface superimposed on the screen to provide touch input to the device; a microphone 434 for receiving voice from the user; one or more cameras 436 for capturing images; a global positioning system (GPS) unit 438 for obtaining an estimate of the smartphone's geographic location; and wireless communication means 440.

[0075] Conversely, the wireless communication means 440 may include several individual wireless communication systems compliant with different standards and / or protocols, such as Bluetooth® (standard or low-energy version), near-field communication, and Wi-Fi®, as well as telephone-based communications such as 2G, 3G, and / or 4G.

[0076] The system is typically powered by a battery (not shown), which may be rechargeable via a power input (not shown), which may be part of a data link such as USB (not shown).

[0077] It should be understood that different smartphones may include different features (such as a compass or a buzzer), and that some of the features listed above (such as a touchscreen) may be omitted.

[0078] Therefore, more generally, in embodiments of the present invention, a suitable mobile communication device, such as a smartphone 400, includes a CPU and memory for storing and running applications, and wireless communication means capable of initiating and typically maintaining wireless communication with the e-cigarette 10. However, it will be understood that the mobile communication device may be any device having these functions, such as a tablet, laptop, smart TV, etc.

[0079] Such a mobile communication device may also function as a bridge between the delivery device 10 and a remote device such as a server by accessing the server over the internet via Wi-Fi® or mobile data. Alternatively or additionally, the delivery device 10 may itself be internet accessible.

[0080] In embodiments of this specification, an electron vapor delivery system "EVPS" (for example, a delivery device or aerosol delivery device as described elsewhere in this specification) includes the following:

[0081] Firstly, an aerosol generator (30, 365) configured to produce an aerosol for delivery to a user, as described elsewhere in this specification.

[0082] Secondly, a timer for measuring the timing of the user's inhalation action. The timer may be a dedicated component, or it may be implemented by the EVPS processor 50 or the processor 410 of a companion device that communicates with the EVPS, as described above herein.

[0083] The measured timing of inhalation actions includes the time between inhalation actions (for example, as detected as described above herein). As described elsewhere herein, these can be treated as characteristics of the user's current behavior, such as whether they are in an ongoing usage session with relatively frequent inhalation, using the device occasionally ("grazing"), or in a period of prolonged non-use.

[0084] Thirdly, an inhalation prediction processor (for example, the processor 50 of the EVPS or the processor 410 of the companion device 400, or a combination of both) configured to predict the user's inhalation behavior based on timing measurements from a timer (for example, by appropriate software instructions).

[0085] The inhalation prediction processor may use any suitable analytical method to make these predictions.

[0086] As a first approximation, the prediction may also be based on the most recent or N most recent inhalation actions ("puffs") within the current usage period, which begins when the user takes their first puff after a long period of non-use.

[0087] A long period of non-use may be treated as a predetermined threshold period, such as 5 minutes, 10 minutes, 15 minutes, 30 minutes, or 60 minutes, or as the average of measured long periods of non-use over a long period (excluding periods such as nighttime or charging, i.e., during periods when normal use is possible).

[0088] As described elsewhere, within a given session, which may be a continuous use session or an occasional grazing session, the first puff may indicate the start of the session, and the second puff may provide an initial estimate of the rate of use based on the intervening time between puffs. The inhalation prediction processor may then predict, based on this measured intervening time, when a third puff may occur (for example, predicting that the next puff will occur after a similar intervening time). As further puffs occur, the estimate can be improved (for example, up to the N most recent puffs). Such estimates may be based on the average puff interval, or on a more sophisticated model that identifies any pattern or rhythm within the sequence of puffs.

[0089] While the above estimates were described as being initialized by the current session, it should be understood that information such as the average puff interval and any patterns or rhythms within the puff sequence during one or more previous sessions may be obtained, and such historical information may be used to bootstrap the estimates for the current session.

[0090] Therefore, for example, when the first puff is detected within the current session, an estimate based on the average and / or pattern or rhythm from previous inhalations may be immediately used and subsequently updated with information from the current session.

[0091] Since the mean, pattern, and / or rhythm differ between continuous use sessions and occasional grazing sessions, it will be understood that separate historical information (e.g., respective statistical models) may be stored for these different session types. In this case, the inhalation prediction processor makes an initial prediction for the new current session based on the previous session type and may optionally switch the type of historical information used if the interval between puffs in the current session appears to fall within the typical duration of the other session type, for example, within a standard deviation from the mean with respect to the mean of the session type, or simply if the interval between puffs (or the mean of the current session) appears to be closer to the mean of one session type than the other session type. In this case, the inhalation prediction processor updates both sets of historical information using the current session information, but may discard updates to one set of historical information if it becomes clear that the current session fits the other set better. Alternatively, the information processor may buffer the current session information and update the historical information for a given session type only if it becomes clear that the current session fits that session type better.

[0092] Therefore, more generally, the inhalation prediction processor may build a statistical model of puff intervals for the current inhalation session from scratch for that session, or build it based on a previous model, and the inhalation prediction processor may retain previous models for different inhalation session types and initially use the model corresponding to the previous session, but optionally switch to the model that best fits the puff intervals of the current session.

[0093] Optionally, all of the above can be modified based on various external factors, such as different statistical models being maintained for different times of day (e.g., working hours or nighttime) and days of the week (e.g., weekdays and weekends). This allows for improved predictions from the inhalation prediction processor when user behavior patterns change in accordance with these circumstances.

[0094] The timing-based statistical model may be constructed based on patterns of usage sessions over 24-hour and / or 7-day periods, so that, for example, a user's typical working hours may be identified by revealing frequent usage patterns during their commute.

[0095] In addition to the time of day and / or day of the week, other factors may include the user's location (which may be identified, for example, from a companion mobile device 400), profile data associated with the user (for example, based on usage questionnaires, demographic information, or data obtained from one or more other EVPS devices that the user currently or previously owns), and other contextual information such as the duration of inactivity prior to the current usage session, which may indicate whether the user is starting from a continuous user session or a grazing session, and / or that longer periods of inactivity indicate faster subsequent usage rates, so that different historical models may be constructed depending on different predetermined threshold periods of inactivity.

[0096] Regardless of the type or number of statistical models constructed, the information generation processor is further configured to predict the user's inhalation behavior based on timing measurements from a timer, and to initiate a first predetermined preheating mode of the aerosol generator if the predicted inhalation behavior meets a first predetermined preheating criterion.

[0097] In some embodiments of this specification, the first predetermined preheating criterion is whether the predicted inhalation operation is expected to occur within a predetermined period after the last actual inhalation operation, where the predetermined period is a threshold period during which the user is assumed to be in a continuous use session of the EVPS.

[0098] Therefore, typically, the inhalation prediction processor is configured to predict the elapsed time between the user's last actual inhalation action and the next expected inhalation action.

[0099] Therefore, for example, a predicted inhalation action may be predicted to occur within 1-2 minutes of the previous actual puff, which is shorter than the 2-minute threshold period during which the user is assumed to be in a continuous use session. The value of this threshold period may be determined empirically as an integer or non-integer number of minutes or seconds, and / or, it will be understood that it may be based on modeling the current user's usage behavior by, for example, using K-means clustering to model two or more mean periods (corresponding to two or more usage types, including continuous use and glazing use as described elsewhere in this specification), or by using the mean of each historical model as described elsewhere in this specification and determining the midpoint of these mean as the threshold.

[0100] In such embodiments, the first predetermined preheating mode heats the heater of the aerosol generator to a first temperature higher than the preheating mode that is assumed to be used when the user occasionally uses it.

[0101] Therefore, if the next puff is expected to occur within the threshold period (due to continuous use rather than occasional use), the EVPS activates a preheating mode that maintains the entire heater or a portion of it at a higher temperature than the other preheating modes described elsewhere in this specification for use when the user is using it occasionally.

[0102] While higher temperatures result in faster device response, they also increase the battery load; however, this higher load is expected to be compensated for by the shorter predicted duration of this preheating mode. Preheating mode is particularly suitable for aerosol-generating materials (such as solids or gels) that may require more energy to reach their vaporization temperature. Without preheating mode, the time required to reach vaporization may be relatively long, potentially exceeding the duration of inhalation or the time required to bring the EVPS to the user's mouth and prepare it for inhalation. The time required to reach vaporization may be shortened by increasing the power supplied to the aerosol generator, but this may negatively impact battery life (e.g., increased discharge current) and / or risk overheating the aerosol-generating material, potentially affecting the user experience when using the EVPS.

[0103] Furthermore, by maintaining the heater at a relatively high preheating temperature, the need to change the battery load significantly during and between puffs in a continuous session is reduced, thus extending the battery's operating life over the device's lifespan.

[0104] In some embodiments of this specification, the inhalation prediction processor is configured to initiate a second predetermined preheating mode of the aerosol generator when the predicted inhalation operation meets a second predetermined preheating criterion.

[0105] In such embodiments, optionally, a second predetermined preheating criterion is whether the predicted inhalation operation is expected to occur outside of a predetermined period following the last actual inhalation operation, where the predetermined period is the threshold period during which the user is assumed to be using the device occasionally.

[0106] This threshold period may be the same as the threshold period used to determine the first determined preheating criterion described elsewhere in this specification, and it will be understood that it serves as a threshold period for distinguishing the two criteria.

[0107] Alternatively, this threshold period may be a second threshold period that is longer than the first predetermined threshold period for determining the preheating criterion. In this case, there will be an interval between the two thresholds, which may be used to implement a kind of hysteresis, and if the user's time between puffs falls within this interval, EVPS will continue to operate as if the user were within the current session type, even though nominally it is outside the range of the current session type. Optionally, if puff timings fall within this interval, the statistical model for the current session type is not updated, to avoid another statistical model beginning to converge because the characterization of these timings may be incorrect.

[0108] In such embodiments, optionally, a second predetermined preheating mode heats the heater of the aerosol generator to a second temperature lower than the preheating mode used when the user is assumed to be in a continuous use session.

[0109] Therefore, if the next puff is expected to occur outside the threshold period (because the user uses it occasionally), the EVPS activates a preheating mode that maintains the entire heater or a portion of it at a lower temperature than the other preheating modes described elsewhere in this specification, which are used when the user is using it continuously.

[0110] At lower temperatures, the device responds faster than without preheating, at a lower battery load cost than in the aforementioned continuous use scenario, and this lower load helps compensate for the longer predicted duration of this preheating mode.

[0111] Furthermore, maintaining the heater at a preheating temperature (albeit a relatively low temperature) reduces the need to significantly change the battery load during and between puffs in a continuous session, thus extending the battery's operating life over the device's lifespan.

[0112] As described elsewhere in this specification, the inhalation prediction processor is configured to predict the elapsed time between the user's last actual inhalation and the next expected inhalation, based on two or more previous inhalation actions in a usage session, and / or the timing between previous inhalation actions in one or more previous usage sessions.

[0113] A session itself may be identified by the inhalation prediction processor as occurring when an inhalation action takes place after a long period of non-use, as described above herein, and one or more inhalation actions occur consecutively within a predetermined period which is a threshold period in which the user is assumed to be in an in-use session (e.g., a continuous session or a glazing session).

[0114] As mentioned above, long periods of non-use may be treated as predetermined threshold periods, such as 1 minute, 2 minutes, 3 minutes, 5 minutes, 10 minutes, 15 minutes, 30 minutes, or 60 minutes, or as the average of measured long periods of non-use over a long period (excluding periods such as nighttime or charging, i.e., during periods when normal use is possible).

[0115] Actual periods such as nighttime are typically automatically treated as extended usage periods, or they may be set, for example, via the user interface, as the time during which the device goes to sleep or enters standby mode.

[0116] On the other hand, periods when the device is charging, or when the user is modifying the device to function differently in other ways (for example, increasing the heating setting or changing the payload mixture or concentration), or when the device is being modified by changing the payload, may be treated as long-term usage periods regardless of the actual time taken, because these periods may indicate the user's desire to change the operating environment of the device, and may also indicate the user's desire to change the immediate way the device is used, or at least the possibility that the user's way of using the device will change in response to the change in the operating environment of the device.

[0117] In some embodiments, one or more threshold periods described elsewhere in this specification are selected based on additional factors, including one or more selected from a list consisting of time, day of the week, location, duration of non-use prior to the current use session, profile data associated with the user, and a period averaged over multiple previous use sessions, as previously stated with respect to the statistical model.

[0118] In some embodiments of this specification, the inhalation prediction processor is configured to initiate a warm-down mode of the aerosol generator when the inhalation operation meets predetermined warm-down criteria. In this case, the inhalation prediction processor predicts that the session has ended, and the warm-down function provides heat primarily for the purpose of reducing residual condensation within the EVPS.

[0119] In such embodiments, the predetermined warm-down criteria include one or more of the following optional criteria:

[0120] Firstly, the user has performed a threshold number of inhalations within the current usage session. Therefore, as part of a statistical model, the inhalation prediction processor may determine a typical number of inhalations within a given session. For example, due to habit, the user may unknowingly perform a number and duration of puffs roughly equivalent to that of a conventional cigarette. When the user reaches this characteristic number of puffs, the inhalation prediction processor may optionally predict that the session has ended and enter a warm-up mode during the entirety of this characteristic period.

[0121] Secondly, the period between the last inhalation and the next inhalation exceeds a predetermined threshold period during which the user is assumed to be in a continuous use session. In this case, it is assumed that the user will not transition from a continuous session to a grazing session; rather, if the user terminates the continuous session, a long period of non-use will occur.

[0122] Thirdly, the user removes components necessary for normal use from the EVPS or otherwise functionally disconnects them, and as previously stated herein, such action indicates the user's intention to terminate the current session.

[0123] Fourth, the user removes consumables necessary for normal use from the EVPS or otherwise functionally disconnects it. In this case as well, as previously stated herein, such action indicates the user's intention to terminate the current session.

[0124] The temperature in the warm-down mode may be sufficient to prevent or reduce condensation within the device and / or may be similar to the temperature of a second predetermined preheating mode, and may continue for a predetermined period of time that is considered sufficient to prevent or reduce condensation within the device and / or for a predetermined period of time that is similar to the threshold period that delineates a continuous session from a glazing session, or the average period determined for a glazing session. The first option provides a battery-efficient warm-down function in which the heater is maintained only for the period considered necessary to prevent or reduce condensation, while the latter option mitigates abrupt changes in battery load if such a puff occurs by maintaining the heating function for the period encompassing the glazing puff, providing a defense against prediction errors. With regard to the latter option, if the temperature required to prevent or reduce condensation within the device is higher than the temperature of the second predetermined preheating mode, the warm-down mode may optionally be started at a higher temperature and then transitioned to a lower temperature of the second predetermined preheating mode after a predetermined period that is considered sufficient to prevent or reduce condensation, until a threshold period or average period has elapsed.

[0125] In some embodiments of this specification, the inhalation prediction processor is configured to predict whether consecutive (back to back) use sessions will occur, where consecutive use sessions are use sessions that have an intervening no-use period longer than a predetermined threshold period in which the user is assumed to be in a continuous use session, but shorter than a second, longer threshold period indicating a prolonged period of no use.

[0126] Therefore, in this case, the inhalation prediction processor predicts that the current session has ended, but another session is started before it is determined that the device is in a period of prolonged disuse.

[0127] If the inhalation prediction processor predicts such consecutive or chained use sessions, it is configured to initiate an interim heating mode that heats the aerosol generator heater to a third temperature lower than the preheating mode used when the user is assumed to be in a continuous use session.

[0128] Therefore, the aforementioned first temperature is associated with a relatively short first forecast period, and the aforementioned second temperature is associated with a second forecast period that is relatively longer than the first forecast period, providing a trade-off between battery consumption, responsiveness, and potentially harmful changes in battery load, while the third temperature follows this trend by keeping the heater at an even lower temperature but maintaining it over an even longer forecast period.

[0129] It will be understood that the above-mentioned systems implement the methods and techniques described herein (for example, by using appropriate software instructions), and that these are also assumed to be within the scope of this application.

[0130] Therefore, referring to Figure 8, in the abstract embodiment of this application, a typically non-therapeutic electron vapor supply method is • As described elsewhere in this specification, a first aerosol generation step (s810) includes generating an aerosol for delivery to the user, • A second timing step (s820) which includes measuring the timing of the user's inhalation action, as described elsewhere in this specification, As described elsewhere in this specification, a third inhalation prediction step (s830) includes predicting the user's inhalation action based on timing measurements from the timing step, As described elsewhere in this specification, a fourth start step (s840) includes initiating a first predetermined preheating mode of the aerosol generation step if the predicted inhalation operation meets a first predetermined preheating criterion, Includes.

[0131] It will be apparent to those skilled in the art that modifications of the above method corresponding to the operation of various embodiments of the apparatus described herein and claimed are within the scope of the present invention, and such modifications include, but are not limited to, the following:

[0132] In one example of a summary embodiment, as described elsewhere in this specification, a first predetermined preheating criterion is whether the predicted inhalation operation is expected to occur within a predetermined period after the last actual inhalation operation, the predetermined period being a threshold period during which the user is assumed to be in a continuous use session of the EVPS, and a first predetermined preheating mode is a first temperature that is higher than the preheating mode used when the user is assumed to be using it occasionally.

[0133] In one example of a summary embodiment, as described elsewhere in this specification, the inhalation prediction step includes initiating a second predetermined preheating mode of the aerosol generation step if the predicted inhalation operation meets a second predetermined preheating criterion. In this example, optionally, as described elsewhere in this specification, a second predetermined preheating criterion is whether the predicted inhalation operation is expected to occur outside of a predetermined period after the last actual inhalation operation, where the predetermined period is the threshold period outside which the user is assumed to be using the device occasionally, and a second predetermined preheating mode heats the heater of the aerosol generator to a second temperature lower than the preheating mode used when the user is assumed to be in a continuous use session.

[0134] In one example of a summary embodiment, as described elsewhere in this specification, the inhalation prediction step includes predicting the elapsed time between the user's last actual inhalation action and the next expected inhalation action. ...In this example, optionally, the inhalation prediction step includes predicting the elapsed time between the user's last actual inhalation action and the next expected inhalation action, based on the timing between two or more previous inhalation actions, as described elsewhere in this specification. ...In this example, optionally, as described elsewhere in this specification, the inhalation prediction step includes predicting the elapsed time between the user's last actual inhalation action and the next expected inhalation action based on the timing between two or more previous inhalation actions in a use session, and the inhalation prediction step includes identifying a use session as one in which an inhalation action occurs after a predetermined period of inactivity, followed by one or more inhalation actions occurring within a predetermined period which is a threshold period in which the user is assumed to be in a continuous use session. ...Furthermore, optionally, as described elsewhere in this specification, the threshold period may be one selected from the list, which includes periods based on 1 minute, 2 minutes, 3 minutes, and an average inhalation interval over multiple previous use sessions. Similarly, and optionally as described elsewhere in this specification, a threshold period may be selected based on additional factors, including one or more selected from the list, which includes time, day of the week, location, duration of non-use prior to the current use session, profile data associated with the user, and period averaged across multiple previous use sessions.

[0135] In one example of a summary embodiment, as described elsewhere in this specification, the inhalation prediction step includes initiating a warm-up mode of the aerosol generator when the inhalation operation meets predetermined warm-up criteria. ...In this example, optionally, a predetermined warm-down criterion, as described elsewhere in this specification, includes one or more selected from a list, the list including: the user has performed a threshold number of inhalation operations within the current use session; the period between the last inhalation operation and the next inhalation exceeds a predetermined period which is a threshold period during which the user is assumed to be in a continuous use session; the user has removed or otherwise functionally disconnected components necessary for normal use from the EVPS; and the user has removed or otherwise functionally disconnected consumables necessary for normal use from the EVPS.

[0136] In one example of a summary embodiment, as described elsewhere in this specification, the inhalation prediction step includes predicting whether consecutive use sessions will occur, wherein the consecutive use sessions are use sessions having an intervening no-use period that is longer than a predetermined threshold period in which the user is assumed to be in a continuous use session, but shorter than a second longer threshold period indicating a prolonged period of no use, and if the inhalation prediction step predicts consecutive use sessions, the inhalation prediction step further includes initiating an intrim heating mode that heats the heater of the aerosol generator to a third temperature lower than the preheating mode used when the user is assumed to be in a continuous use session.

[0137] As stated herein, it will be understood that the above methods may be performed on conventional hardware that is appropriately adapted as needed, either by software instructions or by incorporating or replacing dedicated hardware.

[0138] Therefore, the necessary adaptation to existing parts of a conventional equivalent device may be implemented in the form of a computer program product containing processor-implementable instructions stored on a non-temporary machine-readable medium such as a floppy disk, optical disk, hard disk, solid-state disk, PROM, RAM, flash memory, or any combination thereof, or other storage medium, or it may be implemented in hardware as an ASIC (Application-Specific Integrated Circuit), FPGA (Field-Programmable Gate Array), or other configurable circuit suitable for use in adapting a conventional equivalent device. Separately, such a computer program may be transmitted via data signals over a network such as Ethernet®, a wireless network, the Internet, or any combination thereof.

[0139] The foregoing description merely discloses and illustrates exemplary embodiments of the present invention. As those skilled in the art will understand, the present invention may be embodied in other specific forms without departing from its spirit or essential features. Accordingly, the disclosure of the present invention is intended to be illustrative and does not limit the scope of the invention or the other claims. This disclosure, including any readily recognizable variations of the teachings herein, partially defines the scope of the terms in the foregoing claims so as not to dedicate the subject matter of the invention to the public.

Claims

1. an aerosol generator configured to produce aerosols for delivery to a user, A timer for measuring the timing of the user's inhalation action, An inhalation prediction processor configured to predict the user's inhalation behavior based on timing measurements from the timer, Equipped with, An electron vapor supply system (EVPS) wherein the inhalation prediction processor is configured to initiate a first predetermined preheating mode of the aerosol generator when the predicted inhalation operation meets a first predetermined preheating criterion.

2. The first predetermined preheating criterion is whether or not the predicted suction operation is expected to occur within a predetermined period after the last actual suction operation, and the predetermined period is a threshold period during which the user is assumed to be in a continuous use session of the EVPS. The first predetermined preheating mode heats the heater of the aerosol generator to a first temperature higher than the preheating mode used when the user is assumed to use it occasionally. The EVPS according to claim 1.

3. The inhalation prediction processor is configured to start a second predetermined preheating mode of the aerosol generator if the predicted inhalation operation meets a second predetermined preheating criterion. The EVPS according to claim 1 or 2.

4. The second predetermined preheating criterion is whether the predicted suction operation is expected to occur outside of a predetermined period after the last actual suction operation, where the predetermined period is the threshold period during which the user is assumed to be using the device occasionally outside of the threshold period. The second predetermined preheating mode heats the heater of the aerosol generator to a second temperature lower than the preheating mode used when the user is assumed to be in a continuous use session. The EVPS according to claim 3.

5. The inhalation prediction processor is configured to predict the elapsed time between the user's last actual inhalation action and the next expected inhalation action. The EVPS according to any one of claims 1 to 4.

6. The inhalation prediction processor is configured to predict the elapsed time between the user's last actual inhalation and the next expected inhalation, based on the timing between two or more previous inhalation operations. The EVPS according to claim 5.

7. The inhalation prediction processor is configured to predict the elapsed time between the user's last actual inhalation action and the next expected inhalation action, based on the timing between two or more previous inhalation actions in the usage session. The inhalation prediction processor is configured to identify a usage session when an inhalation operation occurs after a predetermined period of inactivity, and subsequently, one or more inhalation operations occur within a predetermined period which is a threshold period in which the user is assumed to be in a continuous usage session. The EVPS according to claim 6.

8. The threshold period is one selected from the list, and the list is i. 1 minute, ii. 2 minutes, iii. 3 minutes, and iv. Duration based on the average inhalation interval across multiple previous use sessions. The EVPS according to claim 7, including the following:

9. One or more threshold periods are selected based on additional factors, including one or more selected from the list, i. time, ii. Day of the week, iii. Location, iv. Duration of non-use prior to the current session. v. Profile data associated with the user, and vi. Period averaged across multiple previous usage sessions, An EVPS according to any one of claims 1 to 8, including the EVPS according to any one of claims 1 to 8.

10. The inhalation prediction processor is configured to start the warm-down mode of the aerosol generator when the inhalation operation meets predetermined warm-down criteria. The EVPS according to any one of claims 1 to 9.

11. The aforementioned predetermined warm-down criteria include one or more selected from the list, and the list is i. The user has performed a threshold number of inhalation actions within the current usage session, ii. The period between the last inhalation and the next inhalation exceeds a predetermined period which is a threshold period during which the user is assumed to be in a continuous use session, iii. The user removes components necessary for normal use from the EVPS or otherwise functionally disconnects them; iv. The user removes consumables necessary for normal use from the EVPS or otherwise functionally disconnects them; The EVPS according to claim 10, including the above.

12. The inhalation prediction processor is configured to predict whether consecutive usage sessions will occur, wherein consecutive usage sessions are usage sessions that have an intervening period of no use that is longer than a predetermined threshold period in which the user is assumed to be in a continuous usage session, but shorter than a second, longer threshold period indicating a long period of no use. If the inhalation prediction processor predicts consecutive use sessions, the inhalation prediction processor is configured to initiate an intrim heating mode that heats the heater of the aerosol generator to a third temperature lower than the preheating mode used when the user is assumed to be in a continuous use session. The EVPS according to any one of claims 1 to 11.

13. A method for supplying electron vapor, an aerosol generation step including generating an aerosol for delivery to a user, A timing step including measuring the timing of the user's inhalation action, An inhalation prediction step includes predicting the user's inhalation action based on timing measurements from the timing step, A start step includes initiating a first predetermined preheating mode of the aerosol generation step if the predicted inhalation operation meets a first predetermined preheating criterion, Methods that include...

14. The first predetermined preheating criterion is whether or not the predicted suction operation is expected to occur within a predetermined period after the last actual suction operation, and the predetermined period is a threshold period during which the user is assumed to be in a continuous use session of the EVPS. The first predetermined preheating mode heats the heater of the aerosol generator to a first temperature higher than the preheating mode used when the user is assumed to use it occasionally. The method according to claim 13.

15. The inhalation prediction step includes initiating a second predetermined preheating mode of the aerosol generation step if the predicted inhalation operation satisfies a second predetermined preheating criterion. The method according to claim 13 or 14.

16. The second predetermined preheating criterion is whether the predicted suction operation is expected to occur outside of a predetermined period after the last actual suction operation, where the predetermined period is the threshold period during which the user is assumed to be using the device occasionally outside of the threshold period. The second predetermined preheating mode heats the heater of the aerosol generator to a second temperature lower than the preheating mode used when the user is assumed to be in a continuous use session. The method according to claim 15.

17. The inhalation prediction step includes predicting the elapsed time between the user's last actual inhalation action and the next expected inhalation action. The method according to any one of claims 13 to 16.

18. The inhalation prediction step includes predicting the elapsed time between the user's last actual inhalation action and the next expected inhalation action, based on the timing between two or more previous inhalation actions. The method according to claim 17.

19. The inhalation prediction step includes predicting the elapsed time between the user's last actual inhalation action and the next expected inhalation action, based on the timing between two or more previous inhalation actions in the usage session. The inhalation prediction step includes identifying a usage session as one inhalation occurring after a predetermined period of inactivity, followed by one or more inhalation occurrences within a predetermined period which is a threshold period during which the user is assumed to be in a continuous usage session. The method according to claim 18.

20. The threshold period is one selected from the list, and the list is i. 1 minute, ii. 2 minutes, iii. 3 minutes, and iv. Duration based on the average inhalation interval across multiple previous use sessions. The method according to claim 19, including the method described in claim 19.

21. The threshold period is selected based on additional factors, including one or more selected from the list, i. time, ii. Day of the week, iii. Location, iv. Duration of non-use prior to the current session. v. Profile data associated with the user, and vi. Period averaged across multiple previous usage sessions, The method according to claim 19 or 20, including the method described in claim 19 or 20.

22. The inhalation prediction step includes initiating a warm-down mode of the aerosol generator if the inhalation operation meets predetermined warm-down criteria. The method according to any one of claims 13 to 21.

23. The aforementioned predetermined warm-down criteria include one or more selected from the list, and the list is i. The user has performed a threshold number of inhalation actions within the current usage session, ii. The period between the last inhalation and the next inhalation exceeds a predetermined period which is a threshold period during which the user is assumed to be in a continuous use session, iii. The user removes components necessary for normal use from the EVPS or otherwise functionally disconnects them; iv. The user removes consumables necessary for normal use from the EVPS or otherwise functionally disconnects them; The method according to claim 22, including the method described in claim 22.

24. The inhalation prediction step includes predicting whether consecutive use sessions will occur, wherein consecutive use sessions are use sessions having an intervening no-use period that is longer than a predetermined threshold period in which the user is assumed to be in a continuous use session, but shorter than a second longer threshold period indicating a long period of no use. If the inhalation prediction step predicts consecutive use sessions, the inhalation prediction step further includes initiating an intrim heating mode that heats the heater of the aerosol generator to a third temperature lower than the preheating mode used when the user is assumed to be in a continuous use session. The method according to any one of claims 13 to 23.

25. A computer program comprising a computer executable instruction configured to cause a computer system to perform the method according to any one of claims 13 to 24 of the method.

Images