Package for an aerosol generating cartridge

Abstract

A package (102) for containing a plurality of aerosol-generating substrate cartridges (103) is provided, the package (102) comprising a near-field communication device (106) located on a surface (104) of the package (102) and having encoded information, wherein when the near-field communication device (106) is in proximity to a contactless reader (216) of an aerosol-generating device (210), the near-field communication device (106) transmits information to the contactless reader (216) for controlling the operating temperature of the aerosol-generating device (210).

Description

Technical Field

[0001] The present invention relates to a package for an aerosol generating substrate cartridge. In particular, the present invention relates to a package for an aerosol generating substrate cartridge having a short-range wireless communication device.

Background Art

[0002] An aerosol generating substrate can be used with an aerosol generating device to generate an aerosol for inhalation by a user. The substrate may be made to have a range of different properties. One example of a property is flavor. The substrate is typically designed to produce a particular flavor for the aerosol inhaled by the user, and it is known that the requirements for producing this flavor vary depending on the substrate. The flavor profiles produced by different substrates may not be uniform, which may be undesirable. The object of the present invention is to address this problem.

Summary of the Invention

Means for Solving the Problems

[0003] According to a first aspect of the present invention, there is provided a package for accommodating a plurality of aerosol generating substrate cartridges, the package comprising a short-range wireless communication device located on the surface of the package and having encoded information, wherein when the short-range wireless communication device is in the vicinity of a non-contact reader of an aerosol generating device, the short-range wireless communication chip transfers information to the non-contact reader to control the operating temperature of the aerosol generating device.

[0004] Advantageously, by bringing a package containing the aerosol-generating substrate cartridge close to the aerosol-generating device, each flavor of the aerosol-generating substrate can be heated to its optimum heating temperature. Each package has a short-range wireless communication device having encoded information including the optimum heating temperature of the substrate cartridge held in the package. When the short-range wireless communication device is within the range of a contactless reader in the aerosol-generating device, the short-range communication device transfers the information to the aerosol-generating device, and the aerosol-generating device controls the operating temperature accordingly. This improves the flavor sensation experienced by the user, thereby enhancing the user experience.

[0005] Optionally, the encoded information of the short-range wireless communication device includes information regarding the number of cartridges that the package can hold. In this embodiment, the aerosol-generating device comprises a storage medium suitable for storing information regarding the number of cartridges that the package can hold.

[0006] In this way, when data regarding the number of cartridges in the package is transferred to the aerosol-generating device, the aerosol-generating device can store the information regarding the number of cartridges in a data storage unit provided in the aerosol-generating device. Advantageously, when the cartridge is replaced, the aerosol-generating device can continue to control the operating temperature of the aerosol-generating device without requiring further information, at least until the aerosol-generating device determines that there are no more cartridges in the package.

[0007] Optionally, the short-range wireless communication device comprises a short-range wireless communication chip. In this scenario, the use of custom components can be avoided and widely available components can be accepted, thereby reducing the manufacturing cost of the package.

[0008] According to a second aspect of the present invention, there is provided a method for controlling the temperature of a heater in an aerosol generating device, the method comprising moving a package for accommodating a plurality of aerosol generating substrate cartridges, the package comprising a short-range wireless communication device, in the vicinity of a contactless reader of the aerosol generating device; transferring data from the short-range wireless communication device to the contactless reader; and operating a control electronic circuit of the aerosol generating device to control the temperature of the heater based on the transferred data.

[0009] This method enables a single aerosol generating device to operate at various temperatures according to the optimum temperature of the aerosol generating substrate.

[0010] According to a third aspect of the present invention, there is provided an aerosol generating device comprising a heater, a control electronic circuit configured to control the temperature of the heater, and a contactless reader operably connected to the control electronic circuit. In use, when a package comprising a short-range wireless communication device for accommodating a plurality of aerosol generating substrate cartridges is in the vicinity of the contactless reader, the contactless reader receives information from the short-range wireless communication device and operates the control electronic circuit to control the temperature of the heater based on the received information.

[0011] By providing the aerosol generating device with a contactless reader, a heater, and a control electronic circuit for controlling the heater, the aerosol generating device can be operated at various temperatures and, if necessary, controlled to provide optimum heat to various different aerosol generating substrates.

[0012] Optionally, the aerosol generating device comprises a temperature sensor operably connected to the control electronic circuit and located in the vicinity of the heater.

[0013] In this configuration, the temperature of the heater can be accurately monitored to enhance the responsiveness of the heater, thereby preventing the substrate from overheating.

[0014] Optionally, the aerosol generator comprises a temperature sensor operably connected to a control electronic circuit located on the surface of the aerosol generator. In this arrangement, the temperature around the aerosol generator can be monitored, and the power supplied to the heater can be accurately controlled to supply the necessary amount of heat for the substrate to reach the optimum temperature.

[0015] Optionally, the temperature sensor comprises a thermistor. In this embodiment, a widely available and robust component can be used to implement the temperature sensor, thereby reducing the manufacturing cost of the aerosol generator.

[0016] Optionally, the aerosol generator further comprises a data storage unit and a processing unit. In this configuration, when a package is scanned for the first time, information regarding the number of cartridges that can be accommodated in the package is stored in the data storage unit. The operating temperature of the aerosol generator may continue to be controlled without transferring information to the aerosol generator each time a cartridge is replaced. Using the processing unit, the aerosol generator can identify that there are no cartridges left in the package and, accordingly, request further information only if necessary.

[0017] In one embodiment, the non-contact reader receives information having encoded information including the optimum heating temperature for the aerosol generating substrate from a package comprising a short-range wireless communication device. The non-contact reader of the aerosol generator receives the information and operates the control electronic circuit to control the temperature of the heater of the aerosol generator according to the information.

[0018] Here, embodiments of the present invention will be described by way of example with reference to the drawings.

Brief Description of the Drawings

[0019]

Figure 1

Figure 2

Figure 3

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION

[0020] FIG. 1 is a diagram showing a package in the vicinity of an aerosol generator in one embodiment of the present invention.

[0021] According to an embodiment of the present invention, a package 102 is provided. A near-field communication (NFC) chip 106 is disposed on the surface 104 of the package 102. It should be understood that the NFC chip is an example of an NFC device. For the purpose of this discussion, the NFC chip is referred to throughout, but other implementations of NFC devices may be used. FIG. 1 also includes an enlarged view 108 of the NFC chip. The NFC chip 106 may be provided integrally with the package, or the NFC chip 106 may be added to a ready-made package. The package may be made of various suitable materials including the following. Cardboard, plastic, or metal. The package 102 is suitable for holding a plurality of aerosol-generating substrate cartridges 103. For example, the package may be capable of holding 2, 10, or 20 substrate-generating cartridges. Other quantities of cartridges are also possible.

[0022] The aerosol-generating substrate can take various forms. For example, the aerosol-generating substrate may take the form of a liquid that can be heated to the vaporization temperature at which the aerosol is generated. Alternatively, the aerosol-generating substrate may take the form of a solid or semi-solid substrate that is designed to generate an aerosol when heated. Different substrates may have different vaporization temperatures. Any type of aerosol-generating substrate can be heated in various ways, for example, using a resistive heating coil, a laser or induction heater, or other means capable of applying heat to the substrate.

[0023] Data is encoded in the NFC chip 106. In one embodiment, the encoded data includes a temperature - flavor profile corresponding to the aerosol - generating substrate held in the aerosol - generating substrate cartridge 103 contained in the package 102. The NFC chip 106 may also include additional information such as the number of cartridges 103 intended to be held in the package 102.

[0024] Also, in FIG. 1, an aerosol - generating device 110 such as an electronic cigarette is shown.

[0025] By including information regarding the number of cartridges stored on the NFC chip 106 within the package 102 and including a data storage unit within the aerosol - generating device 110, when information is transferred to the aerosol - generating device 110, the aerosol - generating device 110 can also store information regarding the number of cartridges 103 accommodated by the package 102. Each time the cartridge 103 is replaced, the processing unit within the aerosol - generating device 110 can identify the number of cartridges 103 remaining within the package 102. Thus, the control electronic circuit 214 can continue to control the operating temperature of the aerosol - generating device 210 without the need to receive further information. When the processing unit 220 determines that the cartridge 103 is not remaining within the package 102, the aerosol - generating device 210 may request the user to transfer further information to the aerosol - generating device 210. Of course, the user can choose to use a different package 102 with a different cartridge 103 at any time, in which case the operating temperature of the aerosol - generating device 210 may be controlled to match the requirements of the new substrate by scanning the new substrate's package.

[0026] The aerosol generating device 110 is used together with an aerosol generating substrate 103 to generate an aerosol. The aerosol generating substrate cartridge 103 is in fluid communication with a reservoir (not shown) of the aerosol generating device 110 and can be used to generate an aerosol until the cartridge is depleted. The aerosol may be generated by drawing air through the aerosol generating device, and the resulting aerosol may be inhaled by a user to achieve an effect related to nicotine. When the cartridge 103 is depleted, the user may remove the depleted cartridge and replace it with a new cartridge 103 from the package 102.

[0027] Turning to FIG. 2, a block diagram is shown that details the internal configuration and connections of the aerosol generating device 210.

[0028] Note that not all of the internal structure of the aerosol generating device is shown, only the components relevant to the present invention. The aerosol generating device 210 includes a non-contact reader 216 that may be positioned near the surface of the aerosol generating device, such as inside the outer surface 222. Alternatively, the non-contact reader 216 may be disposed on the outer surface 222 of the aerosol generating device. In one embodiment, the non-contact reader 216 may be affixed to the outer surface 222 using an adhesive. The non-contact reader device is configured to receive data from an NFC chip such as the NFC chip 106 shown in FIG. 1.

[0029] The non-contact reader 216 is operably connected to the control electronics 214 of the aerosol generating device. In some embodiments, the non-contact reader 216 is also configured to write to a data storage unit 218. When the non-contact reader receives information from an NFC chip such as the NFC chip 106 on the package 102 of FIG. 1, information regarding the optimal temperature of the aerosol generating substrate is used to operate the control electronics that control the temperature of the heater 212. Controlling the temperature of the heater may refer to maintaining, increasing, or decreasing the current temperature of the heater 213 according to the received information.

[0030] The control electronic circuit 214 may control the heater in various ways depending on the type of heater 213 used in the aerosol generator 210. For example, the heater may be a resistive heating element and may be controlled by maintaining or adjusting the voltage applied to the element. Alternatively, the heater may be a laser and may be controlled by maintaining or adjusting the emission time of the laser. Other types of heaters such as induction heaters may also be possible. The aerosol generator may include one or more heaters.

[0031] In some embodiments, the aerosol generator 210 may include a data storage unit 218 and a processing unit 220 that are operably connected to each other. The data storage unit 218 is additionally connected to a non-contact reader such that the non-contact reader 216 can write to the data storage unit 218. The processing unit 220 is also operably connected to the control electronic circuit 214. In FIG. 2, the connections between components are represented by solid lines connecting the components. Lines ending with an arrow typically indicate the data flowing in the direction of the arrow. Lines without an arrow indicate that the data may move in either direction. When the NFC chip 106 of the package 102 is in the vicinity of the non-contact reader 216 of the aerosol generator 210, information regarding the number of aerosol-generating substrate cartridges 103 that can be accommodated by the package 102 is transferred to the non-contact reader 216 and stored in the data storage unit 218. Here, when each cartridge 103 is removed and replaced, the processing unit 220 can operate the control electronic circuit 214 so as to maintain the operating temperature of the aerosol generator without receiving further information by the non-contact reader 216.

[0032] The processing unit 220 can also be used to determine the number of cartridges 103 within the package 102, assuming that consecutive cartridges exit the same package. If the processing unit determines that the package 102 does not contain any additional cartridges 103, the aerosol generator 210 may indicate to the user that further information is required to control the operating temperature of the aerosol generator 210. The processing unit may be implemented as a CPU.

[0033] The indication may be provided in a variety of ways, such as using a device that emits sound or a visual interface (not shown) on the aerosol generator.

[0034] FIG. 3 is a method for controlling the temperature of a heater according to an embodiment of the present invention.

[0035] In this method, a package equipped with an NFC chip, such as the package 102 of FIG. 1, is moved in the vicinity of an aerosol generator, such as the aerosol generator 210, in step 318. When the NFC chip 106 of the package enters the reading range of the contactless reader 216 of the aerosol generator 210, data is transferred from the NFC chip 106 to the contactless reader 216 in step 322. The transferred data typically includes a temperature - flavor profile for the substrate held within the cartridge 103. In some embodiments, this data includes information regarding the number of cartridges 103 that can be accommodated by the package 102. Based on the transferred data, the control electronic circuit is then operated to control the temperature of the heater 213. In embodiments where information regarding the number of cartridges is also transferred, this information is stored in the data storage unit 218. As used herein, "controlling [the temperature of] the heater" can mean lowering, maintaining, or increasing the temperature of the heater according to the optimal heating temperature of the substrate. The temperature of the heater is controlled until the optimal temperature is reached.

[0036] To substantially control the temperature of the heater 213, the aerosol generator 210 is provided with additional components such as an internal temperature sensor (not shown) disposed in the vicinity of the heater 213. The internal temperature sensor is arranged to monitor the temperature of the heater 213 and is also connected to the control electronic circuit 214. In this way, a detection circuit is arranged in the aerosol generator 210 to monitor the temperature of the heater 213 so that heat is supplied to the substrate while the substrate is below the optimum temperature and heating is stopped when the substrate reaches the optimum temperature. If the temperature of the substrate subsequently drops below the optimum temperature, heating can be restarted. Details of the detection circuit such as the temperature detection circuit and how to assemble it are known to those skilled in the art and will not be described in detail.

[0037] Alternatively, or in addition to using the internal temperature sensor, the relationship between the power supplied to the heater 213 and the temperature of the heater 213 can be determined. If the relationship between the power supplied to the heater 213 and the temperature of the heater 213 is known, the temperature of the heater 213 can be controlled by changing the supply power so that the heater 213 reaches the optimum temperature of the substrate. In this scenario, an external temperature sensor (not shown) can also be used to monitor the ambient temperature. In this scenario, an internal temperature sensor can be used to provide redundancy in case the heater 213 malfunctions. For example, as the heater 213 wears out, the relationship between the power supplied to the heater 213 and the temperature of the heater may change.

[0038] The external temperature sensor can be arranged on the outer surface 222 of the aerosol generator 210. Alternatively, the temperature sensor can be arranged within the outer surface 222 of the aerosol generator 210. The external temperature sensor is also connected to the control electronic circuit 214. To avoid misunderstanding, the external temperature sensor can be located inside or outside the aerosol generator 210, but it should be noted that the external temperature sensor is arranged to monitor the temperature outside the aerosol generator 210, i.e., the ambient temperature.

[0039] In the above embodiment, the temperature around the aerosol generator 210 cancels out the amount of electric power required for the heater 213 to reach a certain temperature. For example, in a setting where the ambient temperature is 3°C, the heater 213 may have a relatively low initial temperature compared to a setting where the ambient temperature is 30°C. The initial temperature may refer to the temperature of the heater 213 when the aerosol generator 210 is first activated. Therefore, the amount of electric power required for the heater 213 to reach the optimum temperature varies based on the temperature around the aerosol generator 210. For this reason, by using an external temperature sensor in combination with the control electronic circuit 214, it is possible to ensure that the heater 214 reaches the optimum temperature.

[0040] An example of the implementation of an internal or external temperature sensor is a thermistor. A thermistor is a material whose electrical resistance changes with temperature. The resistance of the thermistor changes as is well known when the temperature of the thermistor changes, thereby functioning as a temperature sensor. One example of a material that can be used as a thermistor is nickel oxide. Of course, many other materials are possible.

[0041] The foregoing embodiments are possible implementation examples of possible methods for controlling the temperature of the heater. Other implementations are also possible.

[0042] In some embodiments, information regarding the number of aerosol generation cartridges that can be accommodated in the package 102 is stored in the NFC chip 106 and transferred to the aerosol generator together with the flavor-temperature profile in step 322. In step 324, the information regarding the number of aerosol generation cartridges can be stored in the data storage means 218. Therefore, when the cartridge is replaced, the operating temperature of the aerosol generator can be maintained without requiring any further information from the non-contact reader. The processing unit 220 of the aerosol generator always knows the number of cartridges expected to be in the cartridge and can indicate to the user when further information is required to control the operating temperature of the aerosol generator.

[0043] By controlling the heater as described in the above method, it has become possible to provide an improved experience to the user. The heater of a single aerosol generator may be controlled to provide an optimal heating temperature to the aerosol generating substrate. The optimal heating temperature may relate to the temperature at which the flavor transmitted from the substrate to the user is optimized. Alternatively, the optimal heating temperature may relate to the temperature that optimizes another characteristic of the aerosol generating substrate.

[0044] In an embodiment where information regarding the number of cartridges that can be accommodated by the container is stored in the NFC chip and then stored in the data storage unit, when the user removes and replaces a cartridge, the processing unit 220 can operate the control electronic circuit to maintain the temperature of the heater. The processing unit 220 can also interact with the data storage unit 218 to monitor the number of cartridges remaining in the package 102. When the processing unit determines that the package 102 is empty, the processing unit 220 can indicate to the user that further information is expected.

Claims

1. A package (102) for containing a plurality of aerosol generating substrate cartridges (103), comprising a short-range wireless communication device (106) located on the surface (104) of the package and equipped with encoded information, wherein when the short-range wireless communication device (106) is in the vicinity of a non-contact reader (216) of an aerosol generating device (110, 210), the short-range wireless communication device (106) transfers the information to the non-contact reader (216) to control the operating temperature of the aerosol generating device (110, 210). Package.

2. The package according to claim 1, wherein the encoded information includes information regarding the number of aerosol generating substrate cartridges (103) that can be accommodated in the package.

3. The package according to claim 1 or 2, wherein the short-range wireless communication device comprises a short-range wireless communication chip.

4. A method for controlling the temperature of a heater in an aerosol generating device, comprising moving (318) a package for containing a plurality of aerosol generating substrate cartridges and equipped with a short-range wireless communication device in the vicinity of a non-contact reader of the aerosol generating device, transferring (322) data from the short-range wireless communication device to the non-contact reader, and operating (326) a control electronic circuit of the aerosol generating device to control the temperature of the heater based on the transferred data. Method.

5. An aerosol generating device (210), comprising a heater (213), a control electronic circuit (214) configured to control the temperature of the heater (213), and a non-contact reader (216) operably connected to the control electronic circuit (214), wherein in use, when a package (102) equipped with a short-range wireless communication device (106) for containing a plurality of aerosol generating substrate cartridges (103) is in the vicinity of the non-contact reader (216), the non-contact reader (216) receives information from the short-range wireless communication device (106) and operates the control electronic circuit (214) to control the temperature of the heater based on the received information. Aerosol generating device.

6. The aerosol generating device (210) according to claim 5, further comprising a temperature sensor operably connected to the control electronic circuit (214) and located in the vicinity of the heater (213).

7. The aerosol generating device (210) according to claim 5 or 6, further comprising an ambient temperature sensor operably connected to the control electronic circuit (214) located on the surface of the aerosol generating device (210).

8. The aerosol generating device (210) according to claim 6 or 7, wherein the temperature sensor comprises a thermistor.

9. Furthermore, a data storage unit (218), and a processing unit (220), The aerosol generating device (210) according to any one of claims 5 to 8.

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