How to Select Heater Power Settings for an Aerosol Delivery System
The method and system for selecting heater power settings in non-combustible aerosol delivery systems address the inefficiencies in existing technologies by allowing user-controlled heater power adjustments, optimizing battery life and aerosol production characteristics.
Patent Information
- Application Number
- JP2023561355
- Authority / Receiving Office
- JP · JP
- Patent Type
- Patents
- Current Assignee / Owner
- Priority Date
- 2021-04-12
- Filing Date
- 2022-04-08
- Publication Date
- 2025-03-18
- Estimated Expiration
- 2042-04-08
AI Technical Summary
Existing non-combustible aerosol delivery systems lack efficient mechanisms for managing heater power settings, leading to suboptimal battery power consumption and aerosol production characteristics.
A method and system for selecting heater power settings in non-combustible aerosol delivery systems, which involves receiving user input for heater power settings, transmitting instructions to the system, and adjusting the heater power level accordingly, thereby optimizing battery life and aerosol production.
This approach enables efficient management of battery power, allowing users to control aerosol properties such as volume and strength, while also extending the lifespan of aerosolizable materials and battery life.
Smart Images

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Abstract
Description
[Technical field]
[0001] (Field and Background)
[0001] The present disclosure relates to the field of control of aerosol delivery systems. In particular, but not by way of limitation, the present disclosure relates to the selection of heater power settings for aerosol delivery systems. [Background technology]
[0002]
[0002] A "non-combustion" aerosol delivery system is an aerosol delivery system in which the aerosol-generating constituent material (or components thereof) of the aerosol delivery system is not or is not combusted to facilitate delivery of at least one substance to a user.
[0003]
[0003] The non-combustible aerosol delivery system may be an electronic cigarette, also known as a vaping device or an electronic nicotine delivery system (END), although it should be noted that the presence of nicotine in the aerosol-generating material is not a requirement.
[0004]
[0004] The non-combustion aerosol delivery system may be an aerosol-generating material heating system, also known as a non-combustion heating system, an example of which is a tobacco heating system.
[0005]
[0005] The non-combustion aerosol delivery system may be a hybrid system for generating 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 solid, liquid, or gel form and may or may not contain nicotine. The hybrid system may comprise 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.
[0006] Typically, a non-combustion aerosol delivery system may include a non-combustion aerosol delivery device and a consumable for use with the non-combustion aerosol delivery device.
[0007]
[0007] A non-combustion aerosol delivery system, such as a non-combustion aerosol delivery device of a non-combustion aerosol delivery system, may include a power source and a controller. The power source may be, for example, an electrical power source or a heat generating power source. The heat generating power source includes a carbon substrate that is energized to deliver power in the form of heat to an aerosol generating material or a heat transfer material in proximity to the heat generating power source.
[0008] The non-combustible aerosol delivery system may include an area for receiving a consumable, an aerosol generator, an aerosol-generating area, a housing, a mouthpiece, a filter, and / or an aerosol modifier.
[0009]
[0009] Consumables for use with non-combustible aerosol delivery devices may include an aerosol generating material, an aerosol generating material storage region, an aerosol generating material transport component, an aerosol generator, an aerosol generating region, a housing, a wrapper, a filter, a mouthpiece, and / or an aerosol modifier.
[0010]
[0010] Known techniques are described in International Publication No. WO 2018 / 087719(A1), U.S. Patent Application Publication No. 2015 / 075546(A1), International Publication No. 2017 / 218982(A1), International Publication No. 2015 / 192084(A1), and U.S. Patent Application Publication No. 2017 / 086505(A1). Summary of the Invention
[0011] (overview) According to a first aspect, there is provided a method of selecting a heater power setting for a non-combustion aerosol delivery system, the method comprising: receiving, at a user device, a user input indicating a heater power setting; transmitting, by the user device, an indication of the heater power setting to the non-combustion aerosol delivery system; and setting, by the non-combustion aerosol delivery system, a heater power level to the indicated heater power setting. Thus, an efficient and effective approach for managing battery power consumption of the non-combustion aerosol delivery system is provided.
[0012] According to a second aspect, there is provided a system for selecting a heater power setting for a non-combustion aerosol delivery system, the system comprising: a non-combustion aerosol delivery system; and a user device configured to receive a user input indicating a heater power setting and to transmit an indication of the heater power setting to the non-combustion aerosol delivery system, the non-combustion aerosol delivery system comprising a heater, the non-combustion aerosol delivery system configured to set a power level of the heater to the indicated heater power setting. Thus, an efficient and effective approach for resource management for the non-combustion aerosol delivery system is provided.
[0013]
[0013] According to a third aspect, a computer-readable medium is provided having instructions which, when executed by a processing circuit of a computing device, cause the computing device to receive user input indicating a heater power setting and to send an instruction of the heater power setting to the non-combustible aerosol delivery system, wherein sending the instruction of the heater power setting causes the non-combustible aerosol delivery system to set the heater power level to the instructed heater power setting. [Brief description of the drawings]
[0014]
[0014] Embodiments and examples of the present technique will now be described, by way of example only, with reference to the accompanying drawings, in which: [Figure 1]
[0015] FIG. 1 is a schematic diagram of an example non-combustion aerosol delivery system. [Diagram 2]
[0016] FIG. 2 is a schematic diagram of an example user device. [Diagram 3]
[0017] FIG. 3 is a flow chart illustrating a method for selecting heater power settings for a non-combustion aerosol delivery system. [Figure 4]
[0018] FIG. 4 is a schematic diagram of a user interface for selecting heater power settings for a non-combustion aerosol delivery system.
[0015]
[0019] While the techniques described herein are susceptible to various modifications and alternative forms, specific embodiments are shown by way of example in the drawings and will be described in detail herein. It should be understood, however, that the drawings and detailed description are not intended to limit the scope of the present invention to the particular forms disclosed, but on the contrary, the scope is intended to cover all modifications, equivalents, and alternatives falling within the spirit and scope as defined by the appended claims. DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS
[0016] [Detailed Description]
[0020] Non-combustion aerosol delivery systems typically include a heater to provide thermal energy to the aerosol-forming material, resulting in the release of one or more volatile substances from the aerosol-forming material to form an aerosol.
[0017]
[0021] By varying the power applied to the heater of the non-combustion aerosol delivery system, the characteristics of the aerosol generated by the non-combustion aerosol delivery system can be controlled. For example, for a given aerosol generation actuation, by providing more power to the heater, a larger volume of aerosol can be generated by the non-combustion aerosol delivery system than if less power is provided. The volume of aerosol generated by operating the aerosol generation is sometimes referred to as a cloud, and thus it may be said that the heater power can be varied to vary the size of the cloud.
[0018]
[0022] The techniques described herein provide a way for a user to vary the power supplied to the heater when generating aerosol using a non-combustion aerosol delivery system, allowing the user to control the characteristics of the aerosol generated, for example, to generate larger / smaller clouds, a more intense experience, etc.
[0019]
[0023] By providing a mechanism for controlling heater power settings of a non-combustion aerosol delivery system in this manner, the present technique provides a high level of control over the properties of the aerosol generated. This can be useful, for example, to compensate for potentially different properties of the aerosolizable materials (also referred to as aerosol media) used with the non-combustion aerosol delivery system. That is, if variations in the materials being aerosolized cause them to behave differently when heated, by adjusting the heater settings accordingly, a user can control the properties of the aerosol generated to counteract such material variations.
[0020]
[0024] The heater power setting may also be used to control the experience of using the non-combustion aerosol delivery system according to the user's preferences by generating an aerosol having the user's desired characteristics. Additionally, because the rate at which the power supply (e.g., battery) and supply of aerosolizable material of the non-combustion aerosol delivery system is depleted may be related to the power supplied to the heater, control of the heater power setting may also be used to affect (e.g., slow down) the rate at which the battery / material supply is depleted.
[0021]
[0025] It will be appreciated that the approach includes transmitting data to and from the non-combustion aerosol delivery system, as well as processing stored and / or received data for the non-combustion aerosol delivery system. The approach also requires that a user device be able to communicate with the non-combustion aerosol delivery system. Such a user device may be capable of communicating with other services or systems. Accordingly, to illustrate suitable devices for providing such functionality, an exemplary non-combustion aerosol delivery system 10 and an exemplary user device 40 are shown with reference to Figures 1 and 2, respectively.
[0022]
[0026] An example of a non-combustible aerosol delivery system 10 is shown diagrammatically in FIG. 1. As shown, the aerosol delivery device 10 is a device that includes elements associated with aerosol generation, such as an aerosol medium container or cartridge 12 (in the case of an END device, the aerosol medium container or cartridge 12 contains nicotine or a nicotine-containing formulation), an aerosol generation chamber 14, and an outlet 16 through which the generated aerosol can be released. A battery 18 may be provided to power a heat generator element (such as a heater 20, which may take the form of a heater coil) within (or functionally adjacent to) the aerosol generation chamber 14. The battery 18 may also provide power to a processor / controller 22, which may serve for use of the device, such as activating the device to generate aerosol in response to an activation trigger, as well as for communication and functional control. The processor / controller 22 may have access to a memory 24, which may be used to store operating instructions for the processor / controller 22. Memory 24 may also be used to store data indicative of operating conditions and / or states of non-combustible aerosol delivery system 10 and / or one or more components thereof. Memory 24 may be internal to processor / controller 22 or may be provided as an additional, separate physical element.
[0023]
[0027] To perform data and / or messaging transmission and reception, the processor / controller 22 includes a transmitter / receiver element 26. The transmitter / receiver element 26 enables the non-combustible aerosol delivery system 10 to communicate with connected devices using connection technologies such as personal area network protocols. Exemplary personal area network protocols include Bluetooth™, Bluetooth Low Energy™ (BLE), Zigbee™, wireless USB, and Near-Field Communication (NFC). Exemplary personal area network protocols also include protocols utilizing optical communication and data-over-sound, such as Infrared Data Association (IrDA). Other wireless technologies, such as Wi-Fi™ technology, can be used if the non-combustible aerosol delivery system has suitable capabilities. In other examples, the transmitter / receiver element 26 may be configured to provide a wired communication channel between a physical port of the non-combustible aerosol delivery system 10 and a connected device. Such a wired communication channel may utilize a physical connection technology such as USB™, serial port, FireWire™, or other point-to-point wired connectivity. The remainder of this discussion will use BLE examples and BLE terminology, but it will be recognized that corresponding or equivalent functionality of other personal area network technologies may be substituted. Thus, in this example, transmitter / receiver element 26 is a BLE interface element that includes or is connected to a wireless antenna for wireless communication. In other examples, such as those shown above, it may be an interface element for an alternative wireless technology and / or wired connection interface.
[0024]
[0028] Any communication established with a connected device may not be permanent or may be temporary, in the sense that the channel may be established for the time required to perform a particular function, but may be disconnected when not needed. For this reason, such connected devices are referred to herein as user devices, in the sense that the devices are likely to be utilized and / or controlled by a user of the non-combustible aerosol delivery system 10 and the connected device. Examples of such user devices (which may also be referred to as remote devices, in the sense that the devices are remote from the non-combustible aerosol delivery system, or relay devices, in the sense that the devices relay between the non-combustible aerosol delivery system and the unlocking / age verification service) are described below with reference to FIG. 2.
[0025]
[0029] Returning to the discussion of FIG. 1 , the processor / controller 22 may, in one example, be an STM32 microcontroller such as that provided by STMicroelectronics and based on the ARM™ Cortex™-M processor. In other examples, alternative microcontrollers or processors may be used that may be based on the ARM™ and Atom™ architectures, or other low-power processor technologies. Alternatively or additionally, the transmitter / receiver element 26 may, in one example, include an nRF BLE chip to cooperate with the processor / controller to provide BLE connectivity to the non-combustible aerosol delivery system. In other examples, other communication interface chips or modules may be used to provide connectivity services.
[0026]
[0030] As shown, the processor / controller 22 may be connected to, for example, the aerosol medium container or cartridge 12, the aerosol generation chamber 14, and the battery 18. The connections may be to interface connections or outputs from some of the components and / or to sensors located on or within some of the components. These connections allow the processor to access properties of the respective components. For example, the battery connection may be used to control the operation of a non-combustible aerosol delivery system for aerosol generation.
[0027]
[0031] Further functionality of the processor / controller 22 and / or memory 24 is described with reference to examples of the present approach below.
[0028]
[0032] An example of a user device 40 is shown diagrammatically in FIG. 2. The user device may be a device such as a mobile phone (cell phone) or tablet of a user (and / or owner) of the non-combustion aerosol delivery system 10. As shown, the user device 40 includes a receiver-transmitter element 42 for communicating with the non-combustion aerosol delivery system 10. The receiver-transmitter element 42 is thus configured to use the same connectivity, protocols, etc. as the non-combustion aerosol delivery system 10 with which it interacts in any given embodiment. Thus, in this example, the receiver-transmitter element 42 is a BLE interface element including or connected to a wireless antenna for wireless communication. In other examples, such as the example above, it may be an interface element for alternative wireless technologies and / or wired connection interfaces.
[0029]
[0033] The receiver-transmitter element 42 is connected to a processor or controller 44 that can receive and process data or messaging from the non-combustible aerosol delivery system. The processor or controller 44 has access to a memory 46 that can be used to store program information and / or data. The user device 40 may include an additional data transmission interface 48. This interface may provide one or more interface functions, for example, to a wired connection, such as a wired local area network, and / or a wireless connection, such as a wireless local area network and / or a cellular data service. This interface may be used, for example, to send and receive messaging to and from various other devices, computer systems, and / or computer services, as required by any particular implementation. This interface may also be used for, or instead of, communication regarding other functions of the user device 40 unrelated to the operation or interaction of the non-combustible aerosol delivery system.
[0030]
[0034] The user device 40 also includes user interface elements including output devices 50 (which may include one or more of a display, audio output, and tactile output) and input devices 52 (which may include one or more of buttons, keys, touch-sensitive display elements, or a mouse / trackpad).
[0031]
[0035] The user device 40 may be pre-programmed or configured to provide functionality in accordance with the techniques discussed below. Additionally or alternatively, the user device may store (e.g., in memory 46) software, such as an app, that causes the processor or controller 44 to have those functions when the software is executed. Thus, the user device may be a multi-purpose device that has the described functionality when the app is executed.
[0032]
[0036] Software for programming a user device for the techniques described herein may also be embodied or encoded in a computer-readable medium, such as a computer-readable storage medium containing instructions. The instructions embedded or encoded in the computer-readable medium may cause a programmable processor or other processor to perform the method, for example, when the instructions are executed. Computer-readable media may include non-transitory computer-readable storage media as well as transitory communication media, such as carrier signals and transmission media. Computer-readable storage media may include random access memory (RAM), read only memory (ROM), programmable read only memory (PROM), erasable programmable read only memory (EPROM), electronically erasable programmable read only memory (EEPROM), flash memory, hard disk, CD-ROM, floppy disk, cassette, magnetic medium, optical medium, or other computer-readable storage medium. The term "computer-readable storage medium" refers to a physical storage medium. A transitory communication medium may occur between components of a single computing system (e.g., an internal link or bus between a memory and a processor) or between separate computing systems (e.g., a network or other connections between computing devices) and may include a transmission signal or carrier wave, etc.
[0033]
[0037] Such software may be loaded directly onto the user device 40 from a computer readable medium, or may be loaded onto the user device by connecting the user device to another computing device (such as a desktop or laptop computer) and using software on the other computing device to control the loading of the software onto the user device.
[0034]
[0038] Thus, a non-combustion aerosol delivery system and a user device have been described that can interact to provide a user of the user device with several additional functions for the non-combustion aerosol delivery system. Examples of such functions will now be described.
[0035]
[0039] 3 is a flow chart illustrating a method for selecting heater power settings for the non-combustion aerosol delivery system 10. Shown within the dashed lines are the steps performed in this example, although these steps may not be performed in all examples of this approach.
[0036]
[0040] As shown in FIG. 3, in step S31, the non-combustible aerosol delivery system 10 communicates the current power consumption state of the non-combustible aerosol delivery system 10 to the user device 10. In this example, the non-combustible aerosol delivery system 10 is operable in multiple power consumption states corresponding to different profiles of power consumption and affecting the selectable heater power settings. The possible power consumption states include a power saving mode in which the available heater power settings that the user can select are limited to a "low" heater power setting. That is, when the power saving mode is activated, the non-combustible aerosol delivery system 10 is configured to limit access to heater power settings that are available in power consumption states other than the power saving mode. In this manner, the non-combustible aerosol delivery system 10 can ensure that the heater power setting of the device is not set higher than a certain value. Thus, the power delivered to the heater can be throttled, thereby conserving power and extending the battery life of the device. In addition, limiting the heater power in this manner can also slow the depletion of the non-combustible aerosol delivery system 10's supply of aerosolizable material, thereby allowing the supply to last longer.
[0037]
[0041] Another example of a power consumption state that may be implemented by the non-combustible aerosol delivery system 10 in combination with the user device 40 is a performance mode. When operating in a performance mode, higher heater power settings may be available to give the user maximum control over the heater power and therefore the characteristics of the aerosol generated.
[0038]
[0042] The power consumption state may be selected by a user or may be automatically determined by the non-combustible aerosol delivery system 10 or the user device 40. For example, the non-combustible aerosol delivery system 10 may be configured to automatically enter a power saving mode in response to determining that the battery level of the battery 18 is low (e.g., below a particular threshold), or may prompt the user to initiate a power saving mode when the battery level is low.
[0039]
[0043] After the power consumption status of the non-combustible aerosol delivery system 10 is received by the user device 40 (if this step is performed), in step S33, the user provides user input to the user device 40 indicating the heater power setting. The user input is received by an input device 52 (which, as described above, may include one or more of a button, a key, a touch-sensitive display element, or a mouse / trackpad). Examples of user interfaces that may be displayed on the output device 50 of the user device 40 to prompt and / or receive such input are described below with reference to FIG.
[0040]
[0044] The user input can take several possible forms. For example, the user input may include a value corresponding to a heater power setting. In such a case, the user device 40 may provide an input field in which the user can enter a desired value for the heater power setting (e.g., a wattage of power or a percentage of maximum power). Additionally or alternatively, the user input may include a selection of a position on a slider, the position corresponding to a value of the heater power setting. By allowing the user to directly select the value of the applied power, the user is given a high level of control over the operation of the device, which may facilitate adjustment of the device to achieve desired characteristics for the generated aerosol. Even if the user input includes a value corresponding to a heater power setting, the user may be limited to selecting a limited number of allowable values. For example, upper and lower heater power setting limitations may be imposed to constrain the user's selection for the heater power setting supported by the non-combustible aerosol delivery system 10. Additionally, the user device 40 may limit the user's selection to values that vary by, for example, fixed increments. In one example, the user device 40 limits the user's selection to values corresponding to heater power between 2.0W and 6.5W in 0.1W increments.
[0041]
[0045] However, in some examples, the user input includes selecting a heater power setting from a number of preset heater power settings, which may be preset by the user himself and stored in the user device 40, or which may be a common preset setting set by, for example, the manufacturer of the non-combustible aerosol delivery system 10. This approach allows for coarse adjustment of the heater power setting and simplifies the user's selection of the heater power setting.
[0042]
[0046] If the current power consumption state of the device 10 is communicated in step S31, the user may be limited to selecting heater power settings available for the current power consumption state. The one or more available heater power settings may be selected based on the purpose of the power consumption state. For example, in a power saving mode, the available heater power settings may be limited to heater power settings that are relatively lower than heater power settings available when not operating in a power saving mode.
[0043]
[0047] 3, in step S35, the user device 40 is configured to transmit an indication of the heater power setting selected by the user to the non-combustion aerosol delivery system 10. This transmission is performed by the receiver-transmitter element 42 of the user device 40 and received by the transmitter / receiver element 26 of the non-combustion aerosol delivery system 10. In this example, the transmission is via BLE, although it will be appreciated that any suitable communication technology may be used, such as the techniques discussed above.
[0044]
[0048] In this example, to transmit an indication of the selected heater power setting, the user device 40 is configured to write a value representing the power applied to the heater according to a Bluetooth profile specification governing BLE communications between the user device 40 and the non-combustible aerosol delivery system 10. In particular, in this example, the user device 40 is configured to write a value in the form of an unsigned integer to the non-combustible aerosol delivery system 10. The unsigned integer can take on a particular range of values corresponding to lower and upper limits of the heater power supported by the device 10. To determine the power applied to the heater from the value written to the device 10, the device 10 divides the value by 10. Thus, to transmit an indication that the heater power should be set to 4.5 W, the user device 40 writes a value of 45 to the device 10 via the BLE interface.
[0045]
[0049] It will be appreciated that this example is just one illustrative example of how the heater power setting may be transmitted to a user device and that other communication modes and encoding schemes for the heater power setting may be used.
[0046]
[0050] In response to the heater power setting instruction, in step S37, the non-combustion aerosol delivery system 10 is configured to set the heater power level to the indicated heater power setting. Thus, the non-combustion aerosol delivery system 10 controls the power provided by a power source (such as a battery 18 or a heat generating power source) to a heater (e.g., heater coil 20). By adjusting the power provided to the heater in this manner, the temperature to which the aerosolizable material is heated can be adjusted, and thus the characteristics of the aerosol generated by the non-combustion aerosol delivery system 10 can be adjusted. In this manner, the user can control the size / intensity of the aerosol cloud generated by the device to achieve the desired characteristics of the experience.
[0047]
[0051] By controlling the power supplied to the heater, as opposed to an approach in which a user specifies a target temperature for the heater, manufacturing of the device 10 and control of the heater can be simplified. Because the power supplied by the power source (e.g., battery 18) can be controlled using power circuitry that is relatively easy to manufacture and control, the process of manufacturing the non-combustible aerosol delivery system 10 and controlling the heater power settings can be made more efficient than approaches that attempt to control the temperature of the heater. Such temperature-based approaches would likely require a temperature sensing element (such as a thermistor) and feedback control, and / or very thorough calibration.
[0048]
[0052] An example of a user interface screen that may be provided to a user by output device 50 of user device 40 to prompt and / or receive such input is shown in FIG.
[0049]
[0053] As shown, user interface screen 60 includes several power mode indicators 62 that can be selected to adopt a particular power mode, which may correspond to a power consumption state. In this example, indicator 62a for mode 1 corresponds to a normal mode in which all power levels are available, and indicator 62b for mode 2 corresponds to a power saving mode that may operate in response to a power consumption state and may be selected by a user as described above or automatically determined by the non-combustible aerosol delivery system.
[0050]
[0054] The user interface screen 60 also includes several current indicators 64 that are selectable to employ a particular power level preset. In this example, indicator 64a for preset A corresponds to a low power level, indicator 64b for preset B corresponds to a medium power level, and indicator 64c for preset C corresponds to a high power level. In this example, when mode 1 (normal mode) is selected, all of these preset modes are selectable, but when mode 2 (low power mode) is selected, only low power preset A or low power preset A and medium power preset B are selectable.
[0051]
[0055] User interface screen 60 also includes a power selection slider 66 that includes a power selection control element 68 that is selectable to vary the power by moving along slider 66. In this example, when Mode 1 (normal mode) is selected, the full range of slider 66 is selectable using power selection control element 68, and when Mode 2 (low power mode) is selected, only the lowest power setting, or a limited range near the low power end, is selectable using power selection control element 68.
[0052]
[0056] In other examples, alternative user interface approaches may be used. Larger or smaller range indicators and / or selectors may be provided and / or user interface elements may be split across multiple user interface screens. In some examples, either preset indicators or sliders may be provided, but not both. In some examples, there is only one power mode, and therefore no indicator allowing selection between power modes. In examples where the power mode is automatically adopted, there may be an indicator as to the operating power mode, but no option to select between different power modes.
[0053]
[0057] Thus, an efficient and effective technique has been described for controlling the heater power settings of the non-combustion aerosol delivery system 10 from a user device 40, thereby allowing a user to effectively adjust the characteristics of the aerosol generated by the non-combustion aerosol delivery system 10.
[0054]
[0058] In this application, the term "configured to" is used to mean that an element of an apparatus has a configuration that can perform a specified operation. In this context, "configuration" refers to an arrangement or manner of interconnection of hardware or software. For example, an apparatus may have dedicated hardware that provides the specified operation, or a processor or other processing device may be programmed to perform the function. "Configured to" does not imply that an element of an apparatus needs to be modified in any way in order to provide the specified operation.
[0055]
[0059] The various embodiments described herein are presented only to aid in the understanding and teaching of the claimed features. These embodiments are provided as merely representative examples of the embodiments, and are not exhaustive or exclusive of all embodiments. The advantages, embodiments, examples, features, features, structures, and / or other aspects described herein should not be considered as limiting the scope of the invention as defined by the claims, or the equivalents of the claims, and it will be understood that other embodiments can be utilized and modifications can be made without departing from the scope of the claimed invention. The various embodiments of the invention may suitably comprise, consist of, or consist essentially of any suitable combination of the disclosed elements, components, features, parts, steps, means, etc., other than those specifically described herein. In addition, the present disclosure may include other inventions that are not currently claimed but may be claimed in the future.
Claims
1. 1. A method for selecting a heater power setting for a non-combustion aerosol delivery system, comprising: receiving a user input at a user device indicating a heater power setting; sending, by the user device, an instruction of the heater power setting to the non-combustible aerosol delivery system; setting a heater power level to the indicated heater power setting by the non-combustible aerosol delivery system; communicating, by the non-combustible aerosol delivery system, a current power consumption state of the non-combustible aerosol delivery system to the user device; a heater power setting available to the user device is controlled based on the current power consumption state of the non-combustible aerosol delivery system; The method, wherein the step of receiving user input includes receiving a selected heater power setting from among the available heater power settings.
2. The method of claim 1 , wherein the user input comprises a value corresponding to the heater power setting.
3. The method of claim 1 , wherein the user input comprises a selection of a heater power setting from a plurality of preset heater power settings.
4. 4. The method of claim 1, wherein the user input comprises a selection from a plurality of heater power settings, the plurality of heater power settings comprising an upper limit corresponding to a maximum selectable heater power setting, a lower limit corresponding to a minimum selectable heater power setting, and one or more intermediate heater power settings.
5. The method of claim 4 , wherein the selection from among the plurality of heater power settings is in the form of positioning a power selection slider provided on the user device.
6. A method according to any one of claims 1 to 3, wherein the step of sending the instruction of the heater power setting includes writing a value representing the heater power setting to the non-combustible aerosol delivery system via a Bluetooth connection between the user device and the non-combustible aerosol delivery system.
7. the current power consumption state is a power saving mode, 4. The method of claim 1, wherein the available heater power settings are limited to one or more low heater power settings that are lower than a maximum heater power setting available when the current power consumption state is a power consumption state other than the power saving mode.
8. 1. A system for selecting a heater power setting for a non-combustible aerosol delivery system, comprising: the non-combustible aerosol delivery system; a user device configured to receive a user input indicating a heater power setting and to transmit an indication of the heater power setting to the non-combustible aerosol delivery system; Equipped with the non-combustible aerosol delivery system includes a heater, the non-combustible aerosol delivery system configured to set a power level of the heater to the indicated heater power setting; the non-combustible aerosol delivery system is further configured to communicate a current power consumption state of the non-combustible aerosol delivery system to the user device; the user device is configured to control an available heater power setting based on the current power consumption state of the non-combustible aerosol delivery system; The system, wherein the user device is configured to receive the user input by receiving a selected heater power setting from among the available heater power settings.
9. The system of claim 8 , wherein the user input comprises a value corresponding to the heater power setting.
10. The system of claim 8 , wherein the user input comprises a selection of a heater power setting from a plurality of preset heater power settings.
11. 11. The system of claim 8, wherein the user input comprises a selection from a plurality of heater power settings, the plurality of heater power settings comprising an upper limit corresponding to a maximum selectable heater power setting, a lower limit corresponding to a minimum selectable heater power setting, and one or more intermediate heater power settings.
12. The system of claim 11 , wherein the selection from among the plurality of heater power settings is in the form of positioning of a power selection slider provided on the user device.
13. The system of any one of claims 8 to 10, wherein the user device is configured to transmit the instruction of the heater power setting by writing a value representing the heater power setting to the non-combustible aerosol delivery system via a Bluetooth connection between the user device and the non-combustible aerosol delivery system.
14. A system as described in any one of claims 8 to 10, wherein when the current power consumption state is a power saving mode, the user device is configured to limit the available heater power settings to one or more low heater power settings that are lower than a maximum heater power setting available when the current power consumption state is a power consumption state other than the power saving mode.
15. A computer-readable medium comprising instructions, which when executed by a processing circuit of a computing device, cause the computing device to: receiving a user input indicating a heater power setting; sending instructions for said heater power setting to a non-combustible aerosol delivery system; receiving from the non-combustible aerosol delivery system a current power consumption status of the non-combustible aerosol delivery system to a user device; controlling an available heater power setting based on the current power consumption state of the non-combustible aerosol delivery system; receiving the user input by receiving a selected heater power setting from the available heater power settings; Let me A computer-readable medium, wherein transmitting the instruction of the heater power setting causes the non-combustible aerosol delivery system to set a heater power level to the instructed heater power setting.
16. The computer-readable medium of claim 15 , wherein the user input comprises a value corresponding to the heater power setting.
17. 16. The computer readable medium of claim 15, wherein the user input comprises a selection of a heater power setting from a plurality of preset heater power settings.
18. 18. The computer readable medium of any one of claims 15 to 17, wherein the user input comprises a selection from a plurality of heater power settings, the plurality of heater power settings comprising an upper limit corresponding to a maximum selectable heater power setting, a lower limit corresponding to a minimum selectable heater power setting, and one or more intermediate heater power settings.
19. 20. The computer-readable medium of claim 18, wherein the selection from among the plurality of heater power settings is in the form of positioning of a power selection slider provided on the user device.
20. A computer-readable medium as described in any one of claims 15 to 17, wherein to transmit the instruction of the heater power setting, the instructions cause the computing device to write a value representing the heater power setting to the non-combustible aerosol delivery system via a Bluetooth connection between the user device and the non-combustible aerosol delivery system.
21. 18. The computer-readable medium of claim 15, wherein when the current power consumption state is a power saving mode, the instructions cause the computing device to limit the available heater power settings to one or more low heater power settings that are lower than a maximum heater power setting available when the current power consumption state is a power consumption state other than the power saving mode.
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