Aerosol supply system

Abstract

A method of pairing a non-combustible aerosol delivery system with a user device is provided, the method including detecting a predetermined input by the non-combustible aerosol delivery system at the non-combustible aerosol delivery system, and in response to detecting the predetermined input, entering a pairing mode at the non-combustible aerosol delivery system in which the non-combustible aerosol delivery system responds to a pairing request. The method further includes receiving a pairing request from the user device, and then pairing the non-combustible aerosol delivery system with the user device in response to the pairing request.

Description

Technical Field

[0001] (Field and Background)

[0001] This disclosure relates to the field of aerosol supply systems. In particular, but not limited to, this disclosure relates to pairing an aerosol supply system with a user device.

Background Art

[0002]

[0002] A “non-combustible” aerosol supply system is an aerosol supply system in which the aerosol-generating constituent material (or its components) of the aerosol supply system is not burned or combusted in order to facilitate delivery of at least one substance to a user.

[0003]

[0003] The non-combustible aerosol supply system may be an electronic cigarette, also known as a vaping device or an electronic nicotine delivery system (END:electronic nicotine delivery system), but it should be noted that the presence of nicotine in the aerosol-generating material is not a prerequisite.

[0004]

[0004] The non-combustible aerosol supply system may be an aerosol-generating material heating system, also known as a non-combustion heating system. An example of such a system is a tobacco heating system.

[0005]

[0005] The non-combustible aerosol supply 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 the form of a solid, liquid, or gel, 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 non-tobacco products.

[0006] Typically, a non-combustible aerosol supply system may comprise a non-combustible aerosol supply device and a consumable for use with the non-combustible aerosol supply device.

[0007]

[0007] A non-combustible aerosol supply system, for example, the non-combustible aerosol supply device of a non-combustible aerosol supply system, may comprise 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 comprises a carbon base material capable of supplying energy so as to distribute power in the form of heat to an aerosol-forming material or a heat transfer material in the vicinity of the heat-generating power source.

[0008]

[0008] The non-combustible aerosol supply system may comprise a region for receiving a consumable, an aerosol generator, an aerosol generation region, a housing, a suction port, a filter, and / or an aerosol modifier.

[0009]

[0009] Consumables for use with a non-combustible aerosol supply device may comprise an aerosol-forming material, an aerosol-forming material storage region, an aerosol-forming material transfer component, an aerosol generator, an aerosol generation region, a housing, a wrapper, a filter, a suction port, and / or an aerosol modifier.

[0010]

[0010] Known techniques are described in WO 2016 / 123307 (A1), WO 2017 / 055801 (A1), WO 2020 / 363483 (A1), WO 2019 / 215213 (A1), and WO 2018 / 125889 (A1).

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION

[0011] (Summary)

[0011] According to a first aspect, a method of pairing a non-combustible aerosol supply system with a user device is provided. The method includes, in the non-combustible aerosol supply system, detecting a predetermined input by the non-combustible aerosol supply system; in response to detecting the predetermined input, entering, in the non-combustible supply system, a pairing mode in which the non-combustible aerosol supply system responds to a pairing request; receiving a pairing request from the user device; and in response to the pairing request, pairing the non-combustible aerosol supply system with the user device. Accordingly, an effective and reliable technique can be provided in which the non-combustible aerosol supply system enters the pairing mode only when requested by the user.

[0012]

[0012] According to a second aspect, a non-combustible aerosol supply system is provided that includes an input element configured to detect a predetermined input in the non-combustible aerosol supply system, and in response to detecting the predetermined input, the non-combustible aerosol supply system is configured to enter a pairing mode in which the non-combustible aerosol supply system responds to a pairing request, and a receiver element configured to receive a pairing request from the user device, and in response to the pairing request, the non-combustible aerosol supply system is configured to pair with the user device. Accordingly, an efficient and reliable technique can be provided for controlling when the non-combustible aerosol supply system can generate a new connection pairing.

[0013]

[0013] According to a third aspect, a computer-readable medium containing instructions is provided, and when these instructions are executed by a processing circuit of a non-combustible aerosol supply system, the instructions cause the non-combustible aerosol supply system to detect a predetermined input in the non-combustible aerosol supply system, enter a pairing mode in which the non-combustible aerosol supply system responds to a pairing request in response to detecting the predetermined input, receive a pairing request from a user device, and pair the non-combustible aerosol supply system with the user device in response to the pairing request.

Brief Description of the Drawings

[0014]

[0014] Next, embodiments and examples of the present method will be described by way of example with reference to the accompanying drawings.

Figure 1

[0015] FIG. 1 is a schematic diagram of an example of a non-combustible aerosol supply system.

Figure 2

[0016] FIG. 2 is a schematic diagram of an example of a user device.

Figure 3

[0017] FIG. 3 is a flowchart showing a method of pairing a non-combustible aerosol supply system with a user device.

[0015]

[0018] The method described herein is capable of various modifications and alternative forms, but the figures show specific embodiments by way of example and will be described in detail herein. However, the figures and the detailed description are not intended to limit the scope to the specific forms disclosed, but rather, on the contrary, it should be understood that the scope includes all modifications, equivalents, and alternatives within the spirit and scope as defined by the appended claims.

Modes for Carrying Out the Invention

[0016] [Detailed Description]

[0019] Communication between a non-combustible aerosol supply system and a user device can provide a convenient way for a user to manage the non-combustible aerosol supply system. For example, in many cases, a user device has more accessible interfaces, greater processing power, and more connection options than the non-combustible aerosol supply system itself. However, by leveraging all these features of the user device, a high degree of control and connectivity can also be achieved in the non-combustible aerosol supply system.

[0017]

[0020] For example, by enabling communication between a non-combustible aerosol supply system and a user device, the user device can be used to control settings in the non-combustible aerosol supply system or view status information of the non-combustible aerosol supply system.

[0018]

[0021] The techniques described herein provide a convenient and reliable method for pairing a non-combustible aerosol supply system with a user device to facilitate such communication. As described herein, the non-combustible aerosol supply system can be put into a pairing mode to accept connection requests from a device. By facilitating this pairing mode, the non-combustible aerosol supply system is configured to reject new connection requests when not in the pairing mode, so that the connection can be restricted to only the device selected by the user.

[0019]

[0022] This can be important, for example, in situations where many non-combustible aerosol supply systems and / or user devices are in proximity, resulting in many possible combinations of connections between the system and the user device. By pairing the devices in this way and controlling entry into the pairing mode as described herein, the user can conveniently and reliably pair the desired user device with the appropriate non-combustible aerosol supply system while reducing the likelihood of inadvertently pairing with an unintended user device / non-combustible aerosol supply system.

[0020]

[0023] It will be appreciated that the present method includes sending data to a non-combustible aerosol supply system and receiving data from the non-combustible aerosol supply system, as well as processing the stored and / or received data for the non-combustible aerosol supply system. Also, the present method requires that a user device be able to communicate with the non-combustible aerosol supply system. Such a user device may also be able to communicate with other services or systems. Accordingly, an exemplary non-combustible aerosol supply system 10 and an exemplary user device 40 are shown with respect to FIGS. 1 and 2, respectively, to illustrate a suitable device for providing such functionality.

[0021]

[0024] An example of a non-combustible aerosol supply system 10 is schematically shown in FIG. 1. As shown, the aerosol delivery device 10 includes elements related to 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 discharged. A battery 18 may be provided to power a heat generating element (such as a heater coil 20) within (or functionally adjacent to) the aerosol generation chamber 14. The battery 18 can also power a processor / controller 22 that can be useful for the operation of the device, such as activating the device to generate an aerosol in response to an activation trigger, and for communication and functional control. The processor / controller 22 can access a memory 24 that can be used to store operating instructions for the processor / controller 22. The memory 24 can also be used to store data indicative of the operating conditions and / or operating states of the non-combustible aerosol supply system 10 and / or one or more of its components. The memory 24 may be internal to the processor / controller 22 or may be provided as an additional separate physical element.

[0022]

[0025] To perform the transmission and reception of data and / or messaging, the processor / controller 22 includes a transmitter / receiver element 26. By means of the transmitter / receiver element 26, the non-combustible aerosol supply system 10 can communicate with connected devices using connection technologies such as personal area network protocols. Exemplary personal area network protocols include Bluetooth (trademark), Bluetooth Low Energy (trademark) (BLE), Zigbee (trademark), Wireless USB, and Near-Field Communication (NFC). Exemplary personal area network protocols also include optical communications such as the Infrared Data Association (IrDA) and protocols utilizing data-over-sound. If the non-combustible aerosol supply system has suitable capabilities, other wireless technologies such as Wi-Fi (trademark) technology can be used. In other examples, the transmitter / receiver element 26 may be configured to provide a wired communication channel between the non-combustible aerosol supply system 10 and a device connected to a physical port thereof. Such a wired communication channel may utilize physical connection technologies such as USB (trademark), serial port, FireWire (trademark), or other point-to-point wired connectivity. In the remainder of this discussion, the example of BLE is used and BLE terminology is employed, but it will be recognized that corresponding or equivalent functions of other personal area network technologies may be substituted. Thus, in this example, the 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, this may be an interface element for alternative wireless technologies and / or wired connection interfaces.

[0023]

[0026] Any communication established with a connected device may be non-permanent or temporary in the sense that a channel can be established for the period necessary to perform a particular function and disconnected when not needed. For this reason, such connected devices are referred to herein as user devices in the sense that they are likely to be utilized and / or controlled by the user of the non-combustible aerosol supply system 10 and the connected device. Examples of such user devices (also referred to as remote devices in the sense that the device is remote from the non-combustible aerosol supply system or as relay devices in the sense that the device relays between the non-combustible aerosol supply system and the unlock / age verification service) will be described below with reference to FIG. 2.

[0024]

[0027] Returning to the discussion of FIG. 1, in one example, the processor / controller 22 may be an STM32 microcontroller provided by STMicroelectronics and based on an ARM (trademark) Cortex (trademark)-M processor. In other examples, alternative microcontrollers or processors based on the ARM (trademark) architecture and the Atom (trademark) architecture, or other low-power processor technologies, may be used. Alternatively or in addition, the transmitter / receiver element 26 may, in one example, include an nRF BLE chip for providing a BLE connection to the non-combustible aerosol supply system in cooperation with the processor / controller. In other examples, other communication interface chips or modules may be used to provide the connection service.

[0025]

[0028] As shown in the illustration, 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. This connection may be an interface connection or an output connection from some of the components, and / or a connection to sensors disposed in or on some of the components. Through these connections, the processor can access the properties of each component. For example, the battery connection may be used to control the operation of a non-combustible aerosol supply system for aerosol generation.

[0026]

[0029] Further functions of the processor / controller 22 and / or the memory 24 will be described with reference to the following examples of the present method.

[0027]

[0030] The non-combustible aerosol supply system 10 may include an input element 28. In some examples, this input element 28 includes a button or other element that can receive a physical input from the user. Further, in some examples, the input element comprises an accelerometer that can detect the movement of the non-combustible aerosol supply system 10. More specifically, the accelerometer can, for example, detect the acceleration of the non-combustible aerosol supply system 10 caused by tapping or shaking the non-combustible aerosol supply system. The non-combustible aerosol supply system 10 may also include an output element 30 (which may include one or more of a display, an audio output, and a tactile output). When the output element is a display, the input element may be a contact sensing and / or pressure sensing detector included in the display, such as a touch-sensitive display. In some examples, the input element 28 may also include a voice detector capable of receiving a voice input, or alternatively, a voice detector capable of receiving a voice input. Such a voice input may then be subjected to a recognition process (such as a voice recognition process) by the processor / controller 22 (or other processing hardware of the non-combustible aerosol supply system) to accept the voice input from the user.

[0028]

[0031] FIG. 2 schematically shows an example of the user device 40. The user device may be a device such as a mobile phone (cell phone) or a tablet of a user (and / or owner) of the non-combustible aerosol supply system 10. As shown, the user device 40 includes a receiver transmitter element 42 for communicating with the non-combustible aerosol supply system 10. Thus, the receiver transmitter element 42 is configured to use the same connectivity, protocol, etc. as the non-combustible aerosol supply system 10 that 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 above example, this may be an interface element for alternative wireless technologies and / or wired connection interfaces.

[0029]

[0032] 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 supply system. The processor or controller 44 accesses a memory 46 that can be used to store program information and / or data. The user device 40 may further include an additional data transmission interface 48. This interface may provide one or more interface functions for, for example, 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 embodiment. This interface may also be used for, or instead of, communication regarding other functions of the user device 40 that are unrelated to the operation or interaction of the non-combustible aerosol supply system.

[0030]

[0033] The user device 40 also includes user interface elements including an output device 50 (which may include one or more of a display, audio output, and haptic output) and an input device 52 (which may include one or more of a button, key, touch-sensitive display element, or mouse / trackpad).

[0031]

[0034] The user device 40 may be pre-programmed or configured to provide functions according to the techniques discussed below. In addition to or instead of this, the user device may store software, such as an app, (e.g., in the memory 46) to cause a processor or controller 44 to have those functions when the software is executed. Thus, the user device may be a multi-purpose device having the described functions when the app is executed.

[0032]

[0035] Software for programming a user device to the techniques described herein may also be embodied or encoded on a computer-readable medium such as a computer-readable storage medium containing instructions. By the instructions embedded or encoded on the computer-readable medium, a programmable processor or other processor can, for example, execute the present method when the instructions are executed. The computer-readable medium may include non-transitory computer-readable storage media as well as transient communication media such as carrier signals and transmission media. The 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 media. The term "computer-readable storage medium" refers to a physical storage medium. Transient communication media may occur between components of a single computing system (e.g., internal links or buses between memory and processor) or between separate computing systems (e.g., network or other computing device connections) and may include, for example, transmission signals or carrier waves.

[0033]

[0036] Such software may be directly loaded from a computer-readable medium into the user device 40, or may be loaded into the user device by connecting the user device to another computing device (such as a desktop computer or a laptop computer) and controlling the loading of the software into the user device using the software of the other computing device.

[0034]

[0037] Thus, a non-combustible aerosol supply system and a user device that can interact to provide some additional functions for the non-combustible aerosol supply system to the user of the user device have been described. Next, examples of such functions will be described.

[0035]

[0038] FIG. 3 is a flowchart showing a method of pairing the non-combustible aerosol supply system 10 with the user device 40.

[0036]

[0039] As used herein, pairing refers to establishing a connection between the non-combustible aerosol supply system 10 and the user device 40. In some examples, the non-combustible aerosol supply system 10 and the user device 40 are configured to communicate using Bluetooth (trademark) / BLE, and the pairing is a Bluetooth (trademark) pairing. However, it will be recognized that the present technique is not limited to Bluetooth (trademark) pairing and may be used with various different connection technologies. For example, the present technique can be used with personal area network protocols such as ZigBee (trademark), Wireless USB, NFC, IrDA, or Wi-Fi (trademark) technology. In the remainder of this discussion, examples of BLE will be used and BLE terminology will be used, but it will be recognized that the corresponding functions or equivalent functions of other personal area network technologies may be substituted.

[0037]

[0040] As shown in step S31 of FIG. 3, the non-combustible aerosol supply system 10 detects a predetermined input that is treated as a trigger for entering the pairing mode in the non-combustible aerosol supply system 10. The predetermined input may be an input set by the manufacturer, or in some cases, may be selected by the user from a plurality of corresponding input operations. The non-combustible aerosol supply system 10 detects the input using the input element 28, and the form of the input corresponds to the form of the predetermined input.

[0038]

[0041] In some examples, the predetermined input is a button press, and detecting the predetermined input includes detecting that the button has been pressed in the non-combustible aerosol supply system 10. In this case, the input element 28 includes a button. In some examples, the input element 28 includes an accelerometer. In these examples, the predetermined input may include tapping or shaking the non-combustible aerosol supply system 10 one or more times. This provides an easy and convenient way for the user to notify the non-combustible aerosol supply system 10 that the device 10 is entering the pairing mode.

[0039]

[0042] To reduce the possibility that the non-combustible aerosol supply system 10 accidentally enters the pairing mode due to the user making a pre-determined input by mistake (for example, shaking the device 10 while the user is walking, or pressing a button when picking up the device 10), the pre-determined input may include a series of input steps. For example, the non-combustible aerosol supply system 10 may be configured to detect that, as a pre-determined input, the non-combustible aerosol supply system 10 is knocked or shaken a pre-determined number of times within a pre-determined time period, or that each knock or shake occurs continuously within a specific time from the previous knock or shake. Specific examples include shaking the device 5 times in 5 seconds, knocking the device 5 times continuously with the interval between knocks less than 1 / 2 second, knocking the device 2 times in 2 seconds, and so on. In some examples, the pre-determined input includes a combination of two or more types of inputs. For example, to enter the pairing mode, the user may press a button on the non-combustible aerosol supply system 10 and then say a pre-determined word (for example, "Enter pairing mode"). In this example, the input element 28 includes a button and a voice detector (for example, a microphone) capable of receiving voice input.

[0040]

[0043] Also, regardless of the form of the pre-determined input, as shown in step S33, the non-combustible aerosol supply system 10 is configured to enter the pairing mode in which the non-combustible aerosol supply system 10 responds to a pairing request in response to the detection of the pre-determined input.

[0041]

[0044] While not in pairing mode, the non-combustible aerosol supply system 10 may be configured to ignore or reject an unrequested connection request from a device that is not yet paired with the non-combustible aerosol supply system 10. In this way, the non-combustible aerosol supply system 10 can maintain a whitelist of approved devices for which the pairing process has been executed. While the system 10 is not in pairing mode, any device not on the whitelist attempting to connect to the non-combustible aerosol supply system 10 can be prevented from connecting. However, when in pairing mode, the non-combustible aerosol supply system 10 may be configured to accept such unrequested connection requests.

[0042]

[0045] Entering the pairing mode by the non-combustible aerosol supply system 10 may also include transmitting an advertising packet that can be received by nearby devices. The advertising packet can indicate that the device is in pairing mode and / or that the device is discoverable and that its user is permitted to view it. While in pairing mode, the non-combustible aerosol supply system 10 may also respond to inquiries from other devices to indicate the state of the non-combustible aerosol supply system 10, i.e., that the system 10 is in pairing mode. In this way, the non-combustible aerosol supply system 10 can inform other devices that the system 10 is in pairing mode and / or prompt such devices to issue connection requests.

[0043]

[0046] It will be appreciated that the form of the advertising packet and / or the form of the indication that the system 10 is in pairing mode can be selected according to the communication technology used. For example, if the device and the non-combustible aerosol supply system 10 communicate using BLE, the non-combustible aerosol supply system 10 may be configured to emit BLE advertising packets.

[0044]

[0047] The user device 40 that has come to receive an advertising packet or otherwise recognize that the non-combustible aerosol supply system 10 is in pairing mode can display to the user that the non-combustible aerosol supply system 10 is pairable. In response to the user selecting the non-combustible aerosol supply system 10, the user device can then issue a connection request received by the non-combustible aerosol supply system 10 in step S35 to the non-combustible aerosol supply system 10.

[0045]

[0048] The pairing request can take any suitable form, but in this example, receiving a pairing request from the user device 40 includes receiving a connection request packet issued in response to receiving an advertising packet.

[0046]

[0049] At this point, the non-combustible aerosol supply system 10 can proceed to pair with the user device 40 in step S37. However, in some examples, the non-combustible aerosol supply system 10 performs an authentication process to verify the pairing request. The authentication process can take several possible forms, but in some examples, the authentication process includes entering a PIN on one or more of the non-combustible aerosol supply system 10 and the user device 40, or otherwise providing an input on the non-combustible aerosol supply system 10 and / or the user device 40. For example, the user device 40 may prompt the user to tap the non-combustible aerosol supply system 10 as confirmation that the non-combustible aerosol supply system 10 is paired with the user device 40. Thus, this authentication process provides an additional confirmation that the combination of the user device 40 and the non-combustible aerosol supply system 10 is paired, thereby reducing the possibility that the non-combustible aerosol supply system 10 is inadvertently paired with a device for which pairing is not intended.

[0047]

[0050] When authentication is successfully completed (when authentication is performed), in step S37, the non-combustible aerosol supply system 10 is paired with the user device 40. This may include adding the user device 40 to the device whitelist maintained by the non-combustible aerosol supply system. Thus, thereby, even when neither the non-combustible aerosol supply system 10 nor the user device 40 is in the pairing mode, the non-combustible aerosol supply system 10 and the user device 40 can then communicate with each other. Thus, these user devices 40 and the non-combustible aerosol supply system 10 can be said to be "paired".

[0048]

[0051] When the pairing is completed, the non-combustible aerosol supply system 10 ends the pairing mode in step S39.

[0049]

[0052] Ending the pairing mode is depicted in FIG. 3 as occurring after the pairing process, but in some examples, ending the pairing mode is performed before or substantially simultaneously with pairing with the user device 40. By ending the pairing mode, the non-combustible aerosol supply system 10 prevents further connection requests not requested from the device, and in this case as well, the connection can be restricted only to devices that have been paired with the non-combustible aerosol supply system 10. Thus, thereby, since the non-combustible aerosol supply system 10 can restrict the connection only to the devices with which the user has paired the system 10, further safety is obtained. In the above example where being in the pairing mode includes transmitting an advertising packet, ending the pairing mode includes ending the transmission of the advertising packet.

[0050]

[0053] As described in this specification, when the non-combustible aerosol supply system 10 and the user device 40 are paired, in step S41, the system 10 and the device 40 can communicate with each other. The content of such communication may be defined by how the non-combustible aerosol supply system 10 and the user device 40 are used. However, this communication may be used, for example, to provide usage information from the non-combustible aerosol supply system 10 to the user device 40 for display / analysis, and / or to control the settings of the non-combustible aerosol supply system 10 (e.g., heater power setting) from the user device 40.

[0051]

[0054] Therefore, in order to facilitate communication between the system 10 and the device 40, a reliable and convenient method of pairing the non-combustible aerosol supply system 10 and the user device 40 has been described. As described above, the specific inputs required in the non-combustible aerosol supply system can take many forms, and various different types of input elements provided in the non-combustible aerosol supply system can be used. All of these methods can commonly limit the activation of the pairing mode to a very special input pattern, such as limiting the chance of accidentally activating a pairing mode that leads to pairing with other unwanted devices (such as malicious devices or devices operated by malicious persons). In the example where the input device is an accelerometer, this can further enable the non-combustible aerosol supply system to not require any moving parts to enable the pairing operation.

[0052]

[0055] In the present application, the phrase "configured to" is used to mean that an element of a device has a configuration capable of performing a defined operation. In this context, "configuration" means the configuration or manner of interconnection of hardware or software. For example, a device may have dedicated hardware that provides a defined operation, or a processor or other processing device may be programmed to execute a function. "Configured to" does not mean that the device element needs to make any changes to provide a defined operation.

[0053]

[0056] The various embodiments described herein are presented only to assist in the understanding and teaching of the claimed features. These embodiments are provided as merely representative examples of the embodiments, and do not cover all embodiments nor exclude other embodiments. The advantages, embodiments, examples, functions, features, structures, and / or other aspects described herein should not be considered as limiting the scope of the present invention as defined by the claims or as limiting equivalents of the claims, and it should 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 present invention may preferably comprise, consist of, or consist essentially of suitable combinations of disclosed elements, components, features, parts, steps, means, etc. other than those detailed herein. Additionally, the present disclosure may include other inventions that are not currently claimed but may be claimed in the future.

Claims

1. A method for pairing a non-combustible aerosol supply system with a user device, comprising: detecting, by the non-combustible aerosol supply system, a predetermined input in the non-combustible aerosol supply system; in response to detecting the predetermined input, entering, by the non-combustible aerosol supply system, a pairing mode in which the non-combustible aerosol supply system responds to a pairing request; receiving, from the user device, a pairing request; pairing, in response to the pairing request, the non-combustible aerosol supply system with the user device; wherein the non-combustible aerosol supply system is configured to execute an authentication process to verify the pairing request before pairing with the user device; the authentication process includes providing further input at the non-combustible aerosol supply system and / or the user device.

2. The predetermined input includes tapping or shaking the non-combustible aerosol supply system one or more times; The method according to claim 1, wherein the step of detecting the predetermined input includes detecting the tapping or shaking one or more times using an accelerometer of the non-combustible aerosol supply system.

3. The method according to claim 2, wherein the predetermined input includes tapping or shaking the non-combustible aerosol supply system a predetermined number of times within a predetermined time period.

4. The predetermined input includes button pressing; The method according to any one of claims 1 to 3, wherein the step of detecting the predetermined input includes detecting that a button has been pressed on the non-combustible aerosol supply system.

5. ending, in the non-combustible aerosol supply system, the pairing mode; communicating, by the non-combustible aerosol supply system, with the user device; The method according to any one of claims 1 to 3, further comprising.

6. The method according to any one of claims 1 to 3, wherein the pairing is Bluetooth protocol pairing.

7. The step of entering the pairing mode in the non-combustible aerosol supply system includes transmitting an advertising packet. The method according to any one of claims 1 to 3, wherein the step of receiving the pairing request from the user device includes receiving a connection request packet issued in response to the reception of the advertising packet.

8. In a non-combustible aerosol supply system, an input element configured to detect a predetermined input, an input element configured such that, in response to detecting the predetermined input, the non-combustible aerosol supply system enters a pairing mode in which the non-combustible aerosol supply system responds to a pairing request; a receiver element configured to receive a pairing request from a user device, a receiver element configured such that, in response to the pairing request, the non-combustible aerosol supply system is configured to pair with the user device comprising the non-combustible aerosol supply system is configured to execute an authentication process to verify the pairing request before pairing with the user device, the authentication process includes providing further input at the non-combustible aerosol supply system and / or the user device, a non-combustible aerosol supply system.

9. The predetermined input includes hitting or shaking the non-combustible aerosol supply system one or more times, and optionally, the predetermined input includes hitting or shaking the non-combustible aerosol supply system a predetermined number of times within a predetermined time period, The non-combustible aerosol supply system according to claim 8, wherein the input element comprises an accelerometer configured to detect the hitting or shaking one or more times.

10. The input element comprises a button, The non-combustible aerosol supply system according to claim 8 or 9, wherein the predetermined input includes pressing the button.

11. The non-combustible aerosol supply system according to claim 8 or 9, wherein the non-combustible aerosol supply system is configured to communicate with the user device after ending the pairing mode.

12. The non-combustible aerosol supply system according to claim 8 or 9, wherein the pairing is Bluetooth protocol pairing.

13. To enter the pairing mode, the non-combustible aerosol supply system is configured to transmit an advertising packet, The non-combustible aerosol supply system according to claim 8 or 9, configured to receive a connection request packet issued in response to the reception of the advertising packet in order to receive the pairing request from the user device.

14. A computer-readable medium including instructions that, when executed by a processing circuit of a non-combustible aerosol supply system, cause the non-combustible aerosol supply system to Detect a predetermined input in the non-combustible aerosol supply system; In response to detecting the predetermined input, cause the non-combustible aerosol supply system to enter a pairing mode in which the non-combustible aerosol supply system responds to a pairing request; Receive a pairing request from a user device; In response to the pairing request, pair the non-combustible aerosol supply system with the user device; Execute an authentication process to verify the pairing request before pairing the non-combustible aerosol supply system with the user device; be configured to do, The authentication process includes providing further input at the non-combustible aerosol supply system and / or the user device, a computer-readable medium.

15. The predetermined input includes tapping or shaking the non-combustible aerosol supply system one or more times, The computer-readable medium according to claim 14, wherein the instructions cause the non-combustible aerosol supply system to detect the predetermined input by detecting the tapping or shaking one or more times using an accelerometer of the non-combustible aerosol supply system.

16. The computer-readable medium according to claim 15, wherein the predetermined input includes tapping or shaking the non-combustible aerosol supply system a predetermined number of times within a predetermined time period.

17. The predetermined input includes a button press, The computer-readable medium according to any one of claims 14 to 16, wherein the command causes the non-combustible aerosol supply system to detect the predetermined input by detecting that a button has been pressed in the non-combustible aerosol supply system.

18. The command causes the non-combustible aerosol supply system to end the pairing mode and communicate with the user device The computer-readable medium according to any one of claims 14 to 16, which is configured to perform the above operations.

19. The computer-readable medium according to any one of claims 14 to 16, wherein the pairing is Bluetooth protocol pairing.

20. The command causes the non-combustible aerosol supply system to enter the pairing mode by transmitting an advertising packet and receive the pairing request from the user device by receiving a connection request packet issued in response to the reception of the advertising packet The computer-readable medium according to any one of claims 14 to 16, which is configured to perform the above operations.

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