Device calibration and methods

Abstract

Electronic vapor provision systems (EVPS) and other aerosol delivery systems mitigate or alleviate the problem of vapors that can be too hot for some users due to personal sensitivity or unusual inhalation patterns. [Solution] A temperature adjustment system for an electronic vapor supply system (EVPS) includes a sensor for detecting at least one parameter of the airflow within the EVPS, a user interface configured to receive an indication from a user that the EVPS puffs are too hot, and a processor configured to, in response to the received indication, alter at least a first aspect of the vapor generation process to lower the vapor temperature at the mouthpiece based on sensor data from the at least one parameter of the airflow.

Description

[Technical Field]

[0001] The present invention relates to a device calibration and method. [Background technology]

[0002] Electronic vapor provision systems (EVPS), such as e-cigarettes and other aerosol delivery systems, are complex devices that include a power source sufficient to vaporize the volatile material, control circuitry, a heating element, and typically a liquid payload. Some EVPS also include communication systems and / or computing capabilities.

[0003] In use, the device is typically intended to deliver a vapor containing the volatile material to the user for inhalation by heating a portion of the payload to a temperature sufficient to vaporize the volatile material. Summary of the Invention

[0004] However, for some users, depending on personal sensitivity or unusual drawing patterns, the resulting vapor may be too hot.

[0005] The present invention aims to alleviate or mitigate this problem.

[0006] In a first aspect, a temperature regulation system for an electronic vapor delivery system is provided according to claim 1.

[0007] In another aspect, a method for regulating temperature for an electronic vapor delivery system is provided according to claim 15.

[0008] Further aspects and features of the present invention are defined in the accompanying claims.

[0009] Embodiments of the present invention will now be described, by way of example, with reference to the accompanying drawings, in which: FIG. [Brief explanation of the drawings]

[0010] [Figure 1] 1 is a schematic diagram of an e-cigarette according to an embodiment of the present invention. [Figure 2] FIG. 2 is a schematic diagram of a control unit of an e-cigarette according to an embodiment of the present invention. [Figure 3] 1 is a schematic diagram of a processor of an e-cigarette according to an embodiment of the present invention. [Figure 4] 1 is a schematic diagram of an e-cigarette in communication with a mobile terminal, according to an embodiment of the present invention. [Figure 5] FIG. 1 is a schematic diagram of an e-cigarette cartomizer. [Figure 6] FIG. 1 is a schematic diagram of an e-cigarette vaporizer or heater. [Figure 7] 1 is a schematic diagram of a mobile terminal according to an embodiment of the present invention; [Figure 8] FIG. 1 is a flow diagram of a method for regulating temperature for an electronic vapor delivery system, according to an embodiment of the present invention. DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION

[0011] A calibration of a device and a method are disclosed. In the following description, some specific details are presented to provide a thorough understanding of embodiments of the present invention. However, it will be apparent to one skilled in the art that these specific details are not required to practice the present invention. Conversely, specific details known to those skilled in the art are omitted as necessary for clarity of description.

[0012] By way of background, electronic vapor delivery systems such as e-cigarettes and other aerosol delivery systems generally include a reservoir of liquid to be vaporized, typically nicotine (which is sometimes referred to as "e-liquid"). When a user draws on the device, an electrical (e.g., resistive) heater is activated, vaporizing a small amount of liquid and actually creating the aerosol that is inhaled by the user. To facilitate aerosol formation, the liquid may include nicotine with glycerin or propylene glycol in a solvent such as ethanol or water, and may also include one or more additional flavorings. Those skilled in the art will recognize many different liquid formulations that can be used in e-cigarettes and other such devices.

[0013] The act of inhaling vaporized liquid in this manner is commonly known as "vaping."

[0014] An e-cigarette may have an interface to accommodate external data communication. This interface may be used, for example, to load control parameters and / or updated software into the e-cigarette from an external source. Alternatively, or in addition, this interface may be utilized to download data from the e-cigarette to an external system. The downloaded data may, for example, represent the e-cigarette's usage parameters, fault conditions, etc. As those skilled in the art will recognize, many other forms of data can be exchanged between an e-cigarette and one or more external systems (which may be other e-cigarettes).

[0015] In some cases, the interface of the e-cigarette for communicating with an external system is based on a wired connection, such as a USB link using a micro USB, mini USB, or regular USB connection to the e-cigarette. The interface through which the e-cigarette communicates with an external system may also be based on a wireless connection. Such a wireless connection has certain advantages over a wired connection. For example, the user does not need any additional cables to make such a connection. Furthermore, the user has greater flexibility regarding mobility, connection settings, and distance range of the paired device.

[0016] Throughout this description, the term "e-cigarette" is used, but this term can be used interchangeably with electronic vapor delivery system, aerosol delivery device, and other similar terms.

[0017] Figure 1 is a schematic (exploded) diagram (not to scale) of an e-cigarette 10 according to some embodiments of the present disclosure. The e-cigarette comprises a body or control unit 20 and a cartomizer 30. The cartomizer 30 typically includes a reservoir 38 of liquid containing nicotine, a heater 36, and a mouthpiece 35. The e-cigarette 10 has a longitudinal or cylindrical axis that extends along the centerline of the e-cigarette from the mouthpiece 35 at one end of the cartomizer 30 to the opposite end (commonly referred to as the tip) of the control unit 20. This longitudinal axis is indicated in Figure 1 by a dashed line designated LA.

[0018] The liquid reservoir 38 of the cartomizer (e) may directly hold the e-liquid in liquid form or may utilize some absorbent structure, such as a foam matrix or cotton material, to hold the liquid. The liquid is then pumped from the reservoir 38 and delivered to the vaporizer, which includes a heater 36. For example, the liquid may flow from the reservoir 38 to the heater 36 via a wick (not shown in FIG. 1) by capillary action.

[0019] In other devices, the liquid may be provided in the form of plant material or some other (ostensibly solid) plant-derived material. In this case, the liquid can be thought of as representing the volatiles in the material that vaporize when the material is heated. Note that devices containing this type of material generally do not require a wick to transport the liquid to the heater, but rather rely on the placement of the heater relative to the material for proper heating.

[0020] It will also be recognized that forms of payload delivery other than liquids are contemplated as well, such as heating a solid material (such as processed tobacco) or gel. In such cases, the vaporizing volatile material provides the active ingredient in the inhaled vapor / aerosol. It will be understood that references herein to "liquid," "e-liquid," and the like similarly include other modes of payload delivery, and similarly, references to "reservoir," and the like similarly include other storage means, such as a container for a solid material.

[0021] The control unit 20 includes a rechargeable cell or battery 54 (hereinafter referred to as the battery) for powering the e-cigarette 10, and a printed circuit board (PCB) 28 and / or other electronics for overall control of the e-cigarette.

[0022] The control unit 20 and cartomizer 30 are detachable from one another as shown in Figure 1, but are joined together during use of the device 10, for example, by screws or bayonet fasteners. The connectors for the cartomizer 30 and control unit 20 are shown schematically as 31B and 21A, respectively, in Figure 1. This connection between the control unit and the cartomizer provides both a mechanical and electrical connection between the two.

[0023] When the control unit is detached from the cartomizer, the electrical connection 21A of the control unit used to connect to the cartomizer may also function as a socket for connecting a charging device (not shown), the other end of which can be plugged into a USB socket to recharge the battery 54 in the e-cigarette's control unit. In other embodiments, the e-cigarette may be provided with (for example) a cable for direct connection between the electrical connection 21A and the USB socket.

[0024] The control unit includes one or more holes for the air inlet adjacent to PCB 28. These holes connect to an air passage through the control unit to an air passage provided through connector 21A. This then connects to an air path through cartomizer 30 to mouthpiece 35. Note that heater 36 and liquid reservoir 38 are configured to provide an air channel between connector 31B and mouthpiece 35. This air channel can flow through the center of cartomizer 30, with liquid reservoir 38 confined to an annular region around this central passage. Alternatively (or in addition), the air flow channel can be between liquid reservoir 38 and the outer housing of cartomizer 30.

[0025] When a user inhales through mouthpiece 35, air is drawn into control unit 20 through one or more air inlet holes. This airflow (or the associated pressure change) is detected by a sensor, e.g., a pressure sensor, which then activates heater 36 to vaporize nicotine liquid provided by reservoir 38. The airflow passes from the control unit into the vaporizer, where it mixes with nicotine vapor. This mixture of airflow and nicotine vapor (effectively an aerosol) then passes through cartomizer 30, out mouthpiece 35, and is inhaled by the user. When the supply of nicotine liquid is exhausted (and then replaced with another cartomizer), cartomizer 30 may be detached from the control unit and disposed of.

[0026] It will be appreciated that the e-cigarette 10 shown in FIG. 1 is provided by way of example only, and that many other embodiments may be employed. For example, in some embodiments, the cartomizer 30 is divided into a cartridge containing the liquid reservoir 38 and a separate vaporizer portion containing the heater 36. In this configuration, the cartridge can be disposed of after the liquid in the reservoir 38 is depleted, but the separate vaporizer portion containing the heater 36 is retained. Alternatively, the e-cigarette may include the cartomizer 30 as shown in FIG. 1 or may be configured as a single (integral) device, but with the liquid reservoir 38 in the form of a replaceable (by the user) cartridge. Further possible variations include the heater 36 being located at the opposite end of the cartomizer 30 from that shown in FIG. 1, i.e., between the liquid reservoir 38 and the mouthpiece 35; or the heater 36 being located along the central axis LA of the cartomizer, with the liquid reservoir in the form of an annular structure radially outward of the heater 35.

[0027] Those skilled in the art will also recognize several possible variations of control unit 20. For example, airflow may enter the control unit at its tip, i.e., the end opposite connector 21A, in addition to or instead of the airflow adjacent PCB 28. In this case, the airflow is typically drawn toward the cartomizer along a path between battery 54 and the outer wall of the control unit. Similarly, the control unit may include a PCB located at or near the tip, e.g., between the battery and the tip. Such a PCB may be provided in addition to or instead of PCB 28.

[0028] Furthermore, e-cigarettes may support charging via a socket at the tip or elsewhere on the device, in addition to or instead of charging at the connection point between the cartomizer and the control unit (it will be appreciated that some e-cigarettes are provided as essentially integrated units, in which case the user cannot remove the cartomizer from the control unit). Other e-cigarettes may also support wireless (inductive) charging in addition to (or instead of) wired charging.

[0029] The above discussion of possible variations of the e-cigarette shown in Figure 1 is by way of example. Those skilled in the art will recognize additional possible variations (and combinations of variations) of the e-cigarette 10.

[0030] Figure 2 is a schematic diagram of the major functional components of the e-cigarette 10 of Figure 1 according to some embodiments of the present disclosure. Note that Figure 2 is primarily concerned with electrical connections and functionality and is not intended to detail the physical size of the various components or their physical location within the control unit 20 or cartomizer 30. It will be further recognized that at least some of the components shown in Figure 2 located within the control unit 20 may be mounted on the circuit board 28. Alternatively, one or more of such components may instead be housed within the control unit to operate in conjunction with the circuit board 28, but not physically mounted on the circuit board itself. For example, these components may be located on one or more additional circuit boards or may be located separately (e.g., battery 54).

[0031] 2, the cartomizer includes a heater 310 that receives power through connector 31B. The control unit 20 includes an electrical socket or connector 21A for connecting to a corresponding connector 31B on the cartomizer 30 (or potentially a USB charging device), thereby providing an electrical connection between the control unit 20 and the cartomizer 30.

[0032] The control unit 20 further includes a sensor unit 61 located in or near the air path through the control unit 20 from the air inlet(s) to the air outlet (through connector 21A to cartomizer 30). The sensor unit includes a pressure sensor 62 and a temperature sensor 63 (also in or near the air path). The control unit further includes a capacitor 220, a processor 50, a field effect transistor (FET) switch 210, a battery 54, and input and output devices 59 and 58.

[0033] The operation of the processor 50 and other electronic components, such as the pressure sensor 62, is typically controlled at least in part by software programs running on the processor (or other components). Such software programs may be stored in non-volatile memory, such as ROM, which may be incorporated into the processor 50 itself, or may be provided as separate components. The processor 50 can access the ROM to load and execute individual software programs as and when required. The processor 50 also includes appropriate communication facilities, e.g., pins or pads (and corresponding control software), for communicating with other devices within the control unit 20, such as the pressure sensor 62, as appropriate.

[0034] The output device(s) 58 may provide visual, auditory, and / or tactile output. For example, the output device(s) may include a speaker 58, a vibrator, and / or one or more light sources. The light sources are typically provided in the form of one or more light emitting diodes (LEDs), which may be the same or different colors (or multiple colors). In the case of multiple color LEDs, various colors are obtained by switching different color LEDs, e.g., red, green, or blue LEDs, and, optionally, corresponding relative color variations are obtained by switching different color LEDs at different relative brightnesses. If red, green, and blue LEDs are provided together, a full range of colors is possible, while if only two of the three red, green, and blue LEDs are provided, respective subranges of colors are obtained.

[0035] Output from the output device can be used to notify the user of various conditions or states within the e-cigarette, such as a low-battery warning. Different output signals can be used to indicate different conditions or states. For example, if the output device 58 is an audio speaker, different conditions or states can be represented by beeps or tones of different pitches and / or durations, and / or by multiple such beeps or tones. Alternatively, if the output device 58 includes one or more light sources, different conditions or states can be represented by using different colors, pulses of light, or continuous illumination, different pulse durations, etc. For example, one indicator light may be used to indicate a low-battery warning, while another indicator light may be used to indicate that the liquid reservoir 38 is nearly empty. It will be appreciated that a given e-cigarette can include output devices to correspond to multiple different output modes (audio, visual), etc.

[0036] The input device(s) 59 may be provided in a variety of forms. For example, the input device(s) may be embodied as buttons on the exterior of the e-cigarette, e.g., mechanical, electrical, or capacitive (touch) sensors. Some devices may accommodate blowing into the e-cigarette as an input method (such blowing may be detected by a pressure sensor 62, which then also functions as a form of input device 59), and / or connection / disconnection to / from the cartomizer 30 and control unit 20 as another form of input method. Again, it will be appreciated that a given e-cigarette may include input devices 59 to accommodate multiple different input modes.

[0037] As described above, the e-cigarette 10 provides an air path from the air inlet, through the e-cigarette, past the pressure sensor 62 and the heater 310 in the cartomizer 30, and to the mouthpiece 35. Thus, when a user draws a puff on the mouthpiece of the e-cigarette, the processor 50 detects such a puff based on information from the pressure sensor 62. In response to such detection, the CPU provides power from the battery 54 to the heater, thereby heating and vaporizing nicotine from the liquid reservoir 38 for inhalation by the user.

[0038] In the particular embodiment shown in FIG. 2, a FET 210 is connected between the battery 54 and connector 21A. This FET 210 functions as a switch. The processor 50 is connected to the gate of the FET to operate the switch, thereby enabling the processor to turn on and off the flow of power from the battery 54 to the heater 310 depending on the detected airflow conditions. It will be appreciated that heater currents can be relatively large, for example, in the range of 1 to 5 amps, and therefore the FET 210 should be embodied to accommodate such current control (as well as any other form of switch that may be used in place of the FET 210).

[0039] To provide finer control over the amount of power flowing from the battery 54 to the heater 310, a pulse-width modulation (PWM) scheme may be employed. The PWM scheme may be based on a repetition period of, for example, 1 ms. Within each such period, the switch 210 is turned on for a portion of the period and off for the remainder of the period. This is parameterized by a duty cycle, where a duty cycle of 0 indicates that the switch is off for all of each period (i.e., essentially permanently off), a duty cycle of 0.33 indicates that the switch is on for one-third of each period, a duty cycle of 0.66 indicates that the switch is on for two-thirds of each period, and a duty cycle of 1 indicates that the FET is on for all of each period (i.e., essentially permanently on). It will be appreciated that these are merely example settings for the duty cycle, and intermediate values may be used as appropriate.

[0040] By using PWM, an effective power is supplied to the heater given by the product of the nominal available power (based on battery output voltage and heater resistance) and the duty cycle. The processor 50 may initially raise the heater 310 to its desired operating temperature as quickly as possible, for example, using a duty cycle of 1 (i.e., full power) at the beginning of suction. Once this desired operating temperature is achieved, the processor 50 may then reduce the duty cycle to an appropriate value to supply the desired operating power to the heater 310.

[0041] As shown in FIG. 2, the processor 50 includes a communication interface 55 for wireless communication, particularly for supporting Bluetooth® Low Energy (BLE) communication.

[0042] Optionally, the heater 310 may be utilized as an antenna for use by the communication interface 55 to transmit and receive wireless communications. One motivation for this is that the control unit 20 may have a metal housing 202, while the cartomizer portion 30 may have a plastic housing 302 (this reflects the fact that the control unit 20 is retained and therefore advantageously more durable, while the cartomizer 30 is disposable). The metal housing acts as a shield or barrier that could affect the operation of an antenna located within the control unit 20 itself. However, utilizing the heater 310 as an antenna for wireless communications helps avoid this metal shielding because the cartomizer is plastic-housed, but this is possible without adding additional components or complexity (or cost) to the cartomizer. Alternatively, a separate antenna (not shown) may be provided, or part of the metal housing may be used.

[0043] 2, when the heater is used as an antenna, the processor 50, and more particularly the communications interface 55, may be coupled to the power line from the battery 54 (through connector 31B) to the heater 310 by a capacitor 220. This capacitive coupling occurs downstream of the switch 210 because wireless communications can operate when the heater is not being powered for heating (as discussed in more detail below). It will be appreciated that the capacitor 220 helps prevent power from the battery 54 to the heater 310 from being bypassed back to the processor 50.

[0044] It should be noted that the capacitive coupling may be implemented using a more complex LC (inductor-capacitor) network that can also be impedance matched to the output of the communication interface 55 (as will be known to those skilled in the art, this impedance matching can help accommodate proper transmission of signals between the communication interface 55 and the heater 310, which acts as an antenna, rather than having such signals reflected along the connection).

[0045] In some embodiments, the processor 50 and communications interface are implemented using a Dialog DA14580 chip from Dialog Semiconductor PLC, based in Reading, U.K. Further information (and a datasheet) for this chip is available at http: / / www.dialog-semiconductor.com / products / bluetooth-smart / smartbond-da14580.

[0046] 3 shows a high-level, simplified overview of this chip 50, including a communications interface 55 for Bluetooth® Low Energy support. This interface includes, among other things, a wireless transceiver 520 that performs signal modulation and demodulation, link layer hardware 512, and an advanced encryption facility (128 bits) 511. The output from the wireless transceiver 520 is connected to an antenna (e.g., heater 310, which functions as an antenna via capacitive coupling 220 and connectors 21A and 31B).

[0047] The remainder of processor 50 includes a general-purpose processing core 530, RAM 531, ROM 532, one-time programming (OTP) unit 533, a general-purpose I / O system 560 (for communicating with other components on PCB 28), a power management unit 540, and a bridge 570 for connecting the two buses. Software instructions stored in ROM 532 and / or OTP unit 533 can be loaded into RAM 531 (and / or memory provided as part of core 530) for execution by one or more processing units within core 530. These software instructions cause processor 50 to perform various functions described herein, such as connecting with sensor unit 61 and controlling the heater accordingly. Note that while the device shown in FIG. 3 functions as both communication interface 55 and the overall controller for electronic vapor delivery system 10, in other embodiments, these two functions may be split between two or more different devices (chips). For example, one chip may function as the communications interface 55 and another chip may function as the overall controller for the electronic vapor delivery system 10 .

[0048] In some implementations, processor 50 can be configured to prevent wireless communication when the heater is being used to vaporize liquid from reservoir 38. For example, wireless communication can be paused, terminated, or prevented from starting when switch 210 is turned on. Conversely, when wireless communication is in progress, the heater can be prevented from operating, for example, by ignoring detection of airflow from sensor unit 61 and / or by not operating switch 210 to turn on power to heater 310 while wireless communication is in progress.

[0049] In some embodiments, one reason for preventing operation of the heater 310 for both heating and wireless communication at the same time is to help avoid interference that may arise from PWM control of the heater. This PWM control, while typically much lower than the frequency used for wireless communication, has its own frequency (based on the pulse repetition frequency), and the two can interfere with each other. In some situations, such interference may not actually pose any problems, and simultaneous operation of the heater 310 for both heating and wireless communication may be tolerated (if desired). This may be facilitated by techniques such as appropriate selection of signal strength and / or PWM frequency, providing appropriate filtering, etc.

[0050] 4 is a schematic diagram illustrating Bluetooth® Low Energy communication between an e-cigarette 10 and an application (app) running on a smartphone 400 or other suitable mobile communication device (tablet, laptop, smartwatch, etc.). Such communication can be used for a wide range of purposes, such as upgrading the firmware of the e-cigarette 10, retrieving usage and / or diagnostic data from the e-cigarette 10, resetting or unlocking the e-cigarette 10, controlling the settings of the e-cigarette, etc.

[0051] Generally speaking, when the e-cigarette 10 is switched on, for example, by using the input device 59, or possibly by connecting the cartomizer 30 to the control unit 20, the e-cigarette 10 begins advertising Bluetooth® Low Energy communications. When this downstream communication is received by the smartphone 400, the smartphone 400 requests a connection to the e-cigarette 10. The e-cigarette may inform the user of this request via the output device 58 and wait for the user to accept or reject the request via the input device 59. If the request is accepted, the e-cigarette 10 may communicate further with the smartphone 400. Note that the e-cigarette may store the identity of the smartphone 400 and automatically accept future connection requests from that smartphone. Once the connection is established, the smartphone 400 and the e-cigarette 10 operate in a client-server mode, with the smartphone beginning to act as a client and sending requests to the e-cigarette, and the e-cigarette therefore acting as a server (and responding to requests, as appropriate).

[0052] A Bluetooth® Low Energy link (also known as Bluetooth Smart®) meets the IEEE 802.15.1 standard, operates at a frequency of 2.4–2.5 GHz, corresponding to a wavelength of approximately 12 cm, and has a data transfer rate of up to 1 Mbit / s. Connection setup time is less than 6 ms, and average power consumption is very low, typically on the order of 1 mW or less. A Bluetooth Low Energy link can extend up to approximately 50 m. However, in the scenario shown in Figure 4, the e-cigarette 10 and the smartphone 400 typically belong to the same person and are therefore very close to each other (e.g., 1 m). Further information about Bluetooth Low Energy can be found at http: / / www.bluetooth.com / Pages / Bluetooth-Smart.aspx.

[0053] It will be appreciated that the e-cigarette 10 may support other communication protocols for communicating with the smartphone 400 (or any other suitable device). Such other communication protocols may be used instead of, or in addition to, Bluetooth Low Energy. Examples of such other communication protocols include (non-Low Energy) Bluetooth (see, e.g., www.bluetooth.com), near field communication (NFC) according to ISO 13157, and Wi-Fi. NFC communication operates at a much lower wavelength than Bluetooth (13.56 MHz) and its range is generally much shorter (e.g., less than 0.2 m). However, even this short range is suitable for most use environments, such as those shown in FIG. 4. Alternatively, low-power Wi-Fi communication, such as IEEE 802.11ah, IEEE 802.11v, or the like, may be used between the e-cigarette 10 and the remote device. In each case, an appropriate communication chipset may be included on the PCB 28 as part of the processor 50 or as a separate component. Those skilled in the art will recognize other wireless communication protocols that may be used with the e-cigarette 10.

[0054] 5 is a schematic exploded view of an exemplary cartomizer 30 according to some embodiments. The cartomizer includes an outer plastic housing 302, a mouthpiece 35 (which may be formed as part of the housing), a vaporizer 620, a hollow inner tube 612, and a connector 31B for attachment to a control unit. The air flow path through the cartomizer 30 begins at the air inlet, passes through the connector 31B, then through the interior of the vaporizer 620 and the hollow tube 612, and finally exits through the mouthpiece 31B. The cartomizer 30 retains liquid in an annular region between (i) the plastic housing 302 and (ii) the vaporizer 620 and inner tube 612. The connector 31B includes a seal 635 to help retain liquid in this region and prevent leakage.

[0055] Figure 6 is a schematic exploded view of the vaporizer 620 of the exemplary cartomizer 30 shown in Figure 5. The vaporizer 620 has a substantially cylindrical housing (cradle) formed from two components 627A, 627B, each having a substantially semicircular cross-section. When assembled, the edges of the components 627A, 627B do not completely meet each other (at least along their entire length), leaving a slight gap 625 (as shown in Figure 5). This gap allows liquid from the outer reservoir around the vaporizer and tube 612 to enter the interior of the vaporizer 620.

[0056] One of the vaporizer components 627B is shown in Figure 6 supporting the heater 310. Two connectors 631A, 631B are shown for supplying power (and wireless communication signals) to the heater 310. More specifically, these connectors 631A, 631B connect the heater to connector 31B and thence to control unit 20 (note that connector 631A is joined from connector 31B to pad 632A at the far end of the vaporizer 620 by an electrical connection that runs under the heater 310 and is not visible in Figure 6).

[0057] The heater 310 includes a heating element formed from a sintered metal fiber material, typically in the form of a sheet or porous conductive material (such as steel). However, it will be appreciated that other porous conductive materials may be used. The total resistance of the heating element in the example of FIG. 6 is approximately 1 ohm. However, it will be appreciated that other resistances may be selected, taking into account, for example, available battery voltage and the desired temperature / power consumption characteristics of the heating element. In this regard, the relevant characteristics may be selected according to the desired aerosol (vapor) generation characteristics of the device depending on the source liquid of interest.

[0058] The main portion of the heating element is generally rectangular, with a length (i.e., the length in the direction passing between connector 31B and contact 632A) of about 20 mm and a width of about 8 mm. The thickness of the sheet containing the heating element in this example is about 0.15 mm.

[0059] As can be seen in Figure 6, the generally rectangular main portion of the heating element has slots 311 extending inward from each of its long sides. These slots 311 engage pegs 312 provided by vaporizer housing component 627B, thereby helping to maintain the position of the heating element relative to housing components 627A, 627B.

[0060] The slots extend inwardly approximately 4.8 mm and have a width of approximately 0.6 mm. The inward-extending slots 311 are spaced apart approximately 5.4 mm from each other on each side of the heating element, with the inward-extending slots from opposite sides offset from each other by approximately half of this distance. As a result of this slot arrangement, current flow along the heating element is forced to follow a serpentine path, resulting in current and power concentrations around the ends of the slots. The different current / power densities at different locations on the heating element mean that there are areas of relatively high current density that are hotter than areas of relatively low current density. This effectively allows the heating element to have a range of temperatures and temperature gradients, which can be desirable for an aerosol delivery system. Because different components of a source liquid may aerosolize / vaporize at different temperatures, providing a heating element with a range of temperatures can help simultaneously aerosolize a range of different components in a source liquid.

[0061] 6 has a substantially planar shape that extends in one direction and is suitable for functioning as an antenna. Together with the metal housing 202 of the control unit, the heater 310 forms an approximate dipole configuration, which typically has a physical size of the same order of magnitude as the wavelength of Bluetooth Low Energy communications, i.e., a few centimeters (considering both the heater 310 and the metal housing 202) for a wavelength of about 12 cm.

[0062] While FIG. 6 illustrates one shape and configuration of heater 310 (heating element), one skilled in the art will recognize various other possibilities. For example, the heater may be provided as a coil or some other configuration of resistance wire. Another possibility is for the heater to be configured as a pipe containing the liquid to be vaporized (such as some form of tobacco product). In this case, the pipe can be used primarily to transport heat (e.g., by a coil or other heating element) from the location where it is generated to the liquid to be vaporized. In such a case, the pipe also functions as a heater for the liquid to be heated. Such a configuration can also optionally be used as an antenna to support a wireless configuration.

[0063] As previously mentioned, a suitable e-cigarette 10 can communicate with a mobile communication device 400 by pairing with the device using, for example, the Bluetooth® Low Energy protocol.

[0064] Thus, by providing suitable software instructions (e.g. in the form of an app) to run on the smartphone, it is possible to provide additional functionality to the e-cigarette and / or a system including the e-cigarette and smartphone.

[0065] 7, a typical smartphone 400 includes a central processing unit (CPU) 410. The CPU can communicate with components of the smartphone via direct connections or through an I / O bridge 414 and / or bus 430, if applicable.

[0066] 7, the CPU communicates directly with memory 412, which may include persistent memory, such as flash memory, for storing the operating system and applications (apps), and volatile memory, such as RAM, for holding data currently in use by the CPU. Typically, the persistent memory and the volatile memory are formed by physically different components (not shown). Furthermore, the memory may include separate plug-in memory, such as a microSD card, and subscriber information data in a subscriber information module (SIM) (not shown).

[0067] The smartphone may also include a graphics processing unit (GPU) 416. The GPU may communicate with the CPU directly, through an I / O bridge, or may be part of the CPU. The GPU may share RAM with the CPU or have its own dedicated RAM (not shown) and is connected to the mobile phone's display 418. The display is typically a liquid crystal display (LCD) or organic light-emitting diode (OLED) display, but may be any suitable display technology, such as electronic ink. Optionally, the GPU may also be used to drive one or more loudspeakers 420 of the smartphone.

[0068] Alternatively, the speaker may be connected to the CPU via an I / O bridge and bus. Other components of the smartphone may be similarly connected via the bus, including a touch surface 432, such as a capacitive touch surface overlaid on the screen for providing touch input to the device, a microphone 434 for receiving audio from the user, one or more cameras 436 for capturing images, a global positioning system (GPS) unit 438 for obtaining an estimate of the smartphone's geographic location, and wireless communication means 440.

[0069] The wireless communication means 440 may include several separate wireless communication systems conforming to different standards and / or protocols, including, for example, Bluetooth (standard or low energy variants), the aforementioned near field communications and Wi-Fi (registered trademark), as well as telephony-based communications such as 2G, 3G, and / or 4G.

[0070] These systems are typically powered by a battery (not shown) that may be rechargeable by a power input (not shown) that may be part of a data link such as USB (not shown).

[0071] It will be appreciated that different smartphones may include different features (eg, a compass or a buzzer) and may omit some of those listed above (eg, a touch surface).

[0072] More generally, therefore, in one embodiment of the present disclosure, a suitable remote device, such as a smartphone 400, comprises a CPU and memory for storing and running an app, and wireless communication means operable to initiate and maintain wireless communication with the e-cigarette 10. However, it will be appreciated that the remote device may also be a device having these capabilities, such as a tablet, laptop, smart TV, etc.

[0073] In an embodiment of the present invention, a system for regulating temperature for an electronic vapor delivery system (EVPS) 10 (such as an e-cigarette) includes a mouthpiece 35 optionally including a temperature sensor 63 thermally coupled to a flow path for vapor inhaled by a user. The EVPS also includes a sensor 62, optionally within the mouthpiece, typically between the mouthpiece and a heater of the EVPS, for detecting at least one parameter of airflow within the e-cigarette. The system also includes a user interface (418, 432) configured to receive an indication from a user that a puff on the e-cigarette was too hot, and a processor (50, 410) configured to alter at least a first aspect of the vapor generation process to reduce the vapor temperature at the mouthpiece based on sensor data from the temperature sensor and the at least one parameter of the airflow.

[0074] Thus, in operation, if a user indicates that a given puff was too hot, for example, by pressing a button (not shown) on the EVPS or by touching a touchscreen on a connected device, as described later in this specification, the temperature regulation system reduces the chance of a repeat event by adjusting at least one parameter of the airflow and, optionally, the temperature data, and / or by informing the user how to adapt their own behavior as an extended component of the overall inhalation system.

[0075] However, it will be recognized that a user should not be expected to know the vapor temperature at a measurement point within the EVPS well enough to be able to set a target temperature that will have a significant effect on the hot puff problem but will not adversely affect the vaporization process. Moreover, such a target temperature may not be appropriate in all circumstances.

[0076] Thus, embodiments of the present invention do not set a predetermined target temperature and use feedback to maintain that temperature during a puff.

[0077] Rather, the system responds to the environmental data and an indication that a given puff was too hot to determine settings for subsequent environmental conditions that should prevent subsequent puffs from being deemed too hot.

[0078] It will be appreciated that an Electronic Vapor Delivery System (EVPS) heats a payload (whether a vaporizable liquid or gel, or a tobacco-based product that is heated without combustion to release volatiles) resulting in the generation of a vapor that mixes with the ambient air and the aerosolized payload (herein "aerosolized" is treated as a general term for any payload, or derivative of a payload, that is mixed into an airstream by vaporization, by release of volatiles, or by any other suitable mechanism). As a result, the temperature of the vapor is higher than the ambient temperature.

[0079] In a well-designed EVPS, the flow path between the heater and the mouthpiece is long enough to allow vapor to reach the mouthpiece at a temperature that is comfortable for a typical user to inhale.

[0080] However, it will be recognized that this design may be based on certain assumptions that may not always hold true. These assumptions may relate to the environmental conditions in which the EVPS is used or the manner in which the user himself interacts with the device.

[0081] Environmental conditions that can affect vapor temperature at the mouthpiece can include, for example, the humidity of the ambient air (water has a greater heat capacity than air and can therefore hold and carry more heat from the heater, so a higher proportion of water in the air will result in a higher heat capacity in the vapor, which can then carry more heat to the user).

[0082] Similarly, ambient air temperatures can vary greatly around the world, being below 0° C. in some countries while being above 40° C. in others. It can be appreciated that introducing the same amount of the same hot aerosolized payload into such different ambient air will result in different total vapor temperatures at the mouthpiece.

[0083] On the other hand, airflow rates can vary with altitude, and particularly with the instantaneous wind direction relative to the EVPS air intake. It will be appreciated that for a constant heating rate, lower airflow rates result in proportionally more aerosolized payload per unit air volume within the EVPS. This results in a proportionally higher average temperature of the unit volume of air, which may even result in an uncomfortable temperature at the mouthpiece, and / or similarly a higher heat capacity due to a higher proportion of the aerosolized payload that can be delivered to the user.

[0084] On the other hand, air pressure itself can be separated into two components. For example, static air pressure, related to altitude and weather, indicates the density of the air and can therefore affect the amount of heat it can carry. On the other hand, dynamic air pressure, within the context of an EVPS, is a function of airflow velocity, with faster airflow being associated with a drop in air pressure. Generally, the range of change in static air pressure is small compared to the drop in air pressure due to airflow. It is also clear that the change in pressure due to airflow can be measured or evaluated relative to static air pressure, and thus the dynamic pressure component can be extracted and measured separately. In this way, it will be recognized that airflow velocity can be used as a proxy for dynamic pressure, and vice versa.

[0085] In this case, a decrease in air dynamic pressure is generally a good thing, as it is associated with an increase in air velocity, distributing the aerosolized payload over a larger volume of air. Conversely, a decrease in air static pressure reduces the density of the ambient air, which may also correspondingly reduce the vaporization temperature of the payload, meaning that for the same heating, more aerosolized payload may be produced and mixed with a smaller volume of air, which may also result in more heat being delivered to the user.

[0086] It will also be recognized that the air dynamic pressure, or equivalently the air flow rate, may be a function of the user's own inhalation profile; for example, if the user initially inhales sharply into the EVPS, creating a drop in air flow rate or dynamic pressure sufficient to cause heating of the payload, but then only inhales gently (sometimes referred to as punctuated shallow inhalation), the air flow rate will fall and the dynamic pressure will rise, and a chunk of the hot aerosolized payload may then be delivered to a relatively small volume of air, creating a hot puff as it reaches the user.

[0087] Thus, when a user indicates via the user interface that the puffs are too hot, in an embodiment of the present invention, the temperature regulation system can infer that environmental factors have deviated from expected tolerances or that a correction to the user's inhalation profile is required.

[0088] In embodiments of the invention, the processor can determine whether environmental factors may be contributing. Thus, in response to an indication received from a user that the EVPS puffs were too hot, the processor can be configured to detect whether a difference in at least one parameter of the airflow deviates from an expected value by a predetermined amount, and if so, the processor can be configured to alter at least a first aspect of the vapor generation process in response to the at least one parameter of the airflow.

[0089] As described above, if at least one parameter of the airflow is humidity, and this is higher than an expected value by a predetermined amount (e.g., if the humidity level is higher than a predetermined tolerance, a greater amount of latent heat can be expected to be stored by the combination of moist air and aerosolized payload), the processor can be configured to vary one or more of the effective heating temperature of the heater of the EVPS and the effective air intake of the EVPS.

[0090] Similarly, if at least one parameter of the airflow is the temperature of the ambient air before heating, and this is higher than an expected value by a predetermined amount (e.g., at a level higher than a predetermined tolerance, a certain heat level can be expected to be added to the current temperature to exceed a threshold level), the processor can be configured to change one or more of the effective heating temperature of the heater of the EVPS and the effective air intake of the EVPS.

[0091] Similarly, at least one parameter of the airflow may be air static pressure, and if this is lower than an expected value by a predetermined amount (e.g., if the air density is insufficient to average out the heat of the hot aerosolized payload, or if the payload vaporization temperature drops so much that too much hot aerosolized payload is produced for a standard amount of heating), the processor may be configured to change one or more of the effective heating temperature of the heater of the EVPS and the effective air intake of the EVPS.

[0092] In each case, such a change may take the form of a processor configured to increase the effective air intake of the EVPS, for example, by using an actuator to loosen a default restriction in the air flow path, thereby increasing the airflow cross-section, or similarly, by opening additional air intake channels, for example, using a valve or similar actuator.

[0093] Alternatively, or additionally, in each case, such variation may take the form of a processor configured to reduce the effective heating temperature of the EVPS heater by a predetermined amount such that the resulting effective heating temperature of the heater remains above the vaporization temperature of the EVPS payload.

[0094] This predetermined amount may be related to the user's indication and may be fixed (e.g., 10 degree Celsius steps for each indication received) or proportional to a sliding scale of discomfort, in which case the user interface to the user provides such input (e.g., different temperature reductions for OK, too hot, and very hot).

[0095] Alternatively, or in addition, the predetermined amount may be related to the magnitude by which the or each parameter of the airflow deviates from an expected normal value based on a pre-defined relationship (e.g., empirically determined). In other words, the processor may be configured to reduce the effective heating temperature of the heater by an amount corresponding to the difference between the detected and expected amount of at least one parameter of the airflow.

[0096] Thus, for example, the effective heating temperature may be reduced by an amount corresponding to the magnitude by which the ambient temperature exceeds a predetermined threshold. Optionally, if the user indicates a strong adverse reaction, this correspondence may be weighted by this indication to further reduce the temperature (or equivalently reduce the predetermined threshold). Similar relationships for expected humidity and air static pressure thresholds may also be envisioned.

[0097] If multiple airflow parameters are measured, a multivariate solution can be calculated, so for example, high humidity may be partially offset by high air static pressure, while low air static pressure may cause the heater to turn down to a lower temperature in response to an excess of one of the other parameters due to a lower evaporation temperature.

[0098] It will also be appreciated that if a thermal sensor is incorporated into the mouthpiece of the EVPS, a direct temperature indication of what a user perceives as a hot puff can be obtained. A default temperature can be empirically determined to be too hot for the user, and this can be used to trigger the user's indication of a virtual "hot puff." Similarly, an average temperature at which a user perceives a hot puff can be established over time (e.g., corresponding to the most recent N indications, optionally ignoring the lowest value), which can likewise be used to trigger the user's indication of a virtual hot puff, for example, if the detected temperature is higher than this average by a predetermined amount. It will also be appreciated that this temperature indication can be used to detect the effectiveness of the mitigation actions described herein and, optionally, provide feedback to achieve the mitigation action, for example, lowering the vapor temperature at the mouthpiece by M degrees from the temperature that indicated a hot puff.

[0099] The processor may be configured to reduce the effective heating temperature of the heater of the EVPS by one or more of: directly reducing the heater temperature; varying the heater duty cycle (e.g., if the heater or power supply circuitry is fixed, the effective heating temperature can be varied in this manner); and reducing the heater preheat temperature (if the heater takes a finite time to reach or possibly exceed vaporization temperature, reducing the preheat level can shorten the time the heater is at maximum temperature). It will be apparent that any suitable combination of these techniques may be used.

[0100] In addition to humidity, ambient temperature, and static pressure, which are considered environmental, there is also air velocity or dynamic air pressure, which may be environmental (e.g., due to wind), but is typically due to the inhalation activity of the user.

[0101] In any event, if at least one parameter of the airflow, like other environmental factors, is airflow velocity, and this is lower than an expected value by a predetermined amount, the processor may similarly be configured to vary one or more of the effective heating temperature of the heater of the EVPS and the effective air intake of the EVPS in a manner similar to that previously described herein.

[0102] Similarly, if at least one parameter of the airflow is dynamic air pressure and this is higher than an expected value by a predetermined amount (e.g., due to insufficient airflow, optionally according to the static air pressure at the time), the processor may be configured to vary one or more selected from the list consisting of the effective heating temperature of the heater of the EVPS and the effective air intake of the EVPS in a manner similar to that described previously herein.

[0103] In embodiments of the present invention, optionally, a sensor (either used for any of the above sensor functions or a separate sensor) may detect instantaneous air flow velocity, or a proxy for instantaneous air flow velocity, such as air dynamic pressure, or possibly air / steam temperature, which varies as a function of air flow velocity through the heater.

[0104] The processor may then be configured to instantaneously change the effective heating temperature of the EVPS heater in response to this sensor data. In this way, there is some thermal lag when the airflow rate drops, potentially raising the temperature of the drawn air, but the heater can also reduce its temperature (without operating range) to compensate.

[0105] Further, the processor may be configured to model a user's inhalation profile indicative of the air flow rate during the inhalation act by the user based on the instantaneous air flow rate detected by the sensor during inhalation.

[0106] In other words, using the airflow rate sensible data, or a surrogate thereof as described above, the processor can create one or more models of the user's inhalation pattern(s). If such models indicate that at least a portion of the inhalation may result in a low airflow rate, the processor can anticipate a hot puff and, in response to this inhalation profile, alter at least a first aspect of the vapor generation process as described hereinabove.

[0107] Thus, for example, a user who initially takes a sharp inhale followed by a slow or shallow inhale may activate the heater, but then a slow flow through the heater, resulting in a hot puff. Such a hot puff may also be due to other factors measured by sensors (if provided), such as ambient temperature, ambient static pressure, and / or humidity, which may be included in the model, or a separate model may be created where any of these parameters used exceed a given threshold deviation from their expected values.

[0108] Thus, if a user indicates that a hot puff is occurring, this can be correlated with an inhalation profile. Furthermore, if a user indicates multiple hot puffs during the course of use, a counter, histogram, or other measure of relative intensity can be provided in association with the inhalation profile to identify inhalation profiles that are particularly problematic for the user.

[0109] In any event, if the user begins to inhale in a manner that matches an inhalation profile associated with a hot puff, as previously described herein, the processor may take mitigating action during the generation process, for example, by modifying the airflow channel or heater behavior, thereby reducing the likelihood that the remainder of the user's inhalation will result in a hot puff.

[0110] However, if the processor calculates to change the effective heater temperature to be lower than the vaporization temperature of the EVPS payload in order to modify the vapor generation process in response to the inhalation profile or in response to a user indication that the current environmental conditions are resulting in hot puffs, as described above, the system will notify the user. In other words, if the user's indication of hot puffs cannot be alleviated by available means within the normal operating parameters of the EVPS, the temperature regulation system will notify the user. The user may then decide not to use the EVPS until the environmental conditions change (e.g., until they exit a windy, hot, or humid environment), or they may decide to continue using the device, accepting hot puffs, knowing that they are acceptable but minimized as much as the system will allow.

[0111] This notification may take any suitable form, such as a warning light, a warning sound, or haptic feedback such as a vibration initiated within the EVPS; alternatively, if the EVPS is in communication with a remote device such as a mobile phone, tablet, or the like, the notification may be provided by such a device, again, for example, in the form of a warning light, a warning sound, or haptic feedback, or a message displayed on the mobile phone's display. Such a display may provide useful information, such as whether the likely cause of the hot puff is one or more environmental factors, as discussed above, or aspects of the user's inhalation profile, in which case the user may then be in a position to try inhaling in a different manner.

[0112] It will be appreciated that if the EVPS communicates with a remote device, such as a mobile phone, the processor may be located in the remote device, and thus the temperature regulation system comprises both the EVPS and the remote device. In this case, sensor data, etc., may be sent from the EVPS, but subsequent analysis may be performed by the mobile phone, after which instructions to alter one or more aspects of the vapor generation process are sent from the mobile phone to the EVPS. Similarly, inhalation profiles, etc., may be collected and stored on the mobile phone. Such profiles, as well as other relevant data about environmental and other operating parameters related to hot puffs, may be associated with a user account, so that relevant information can be accessed by different phones or other remote devices (e.g., Bluetooth-enabled automobile dashboards) when the user's registered EVPS is paired with them.

[0113] Finally, while the above description suggests that the processor adjusts the steam generation process in response to a hot puff notification, optionally, alternatively, or additionally, the processor can instruct the user on how they can change settings in the EVPS to reduce the likelihood of a hot puff occurring. This may be the case when such changes cannot be made automatically by the EVPS; for example, an air intake vent can be manually moved by the user but is not controllable by the processor because there is no actuator within the EVPS; however, the processor can still inform the user via a user interface to adjust the air intake vent accordingly.

[0114] Similarly, other parameters may be adjustable but not under the direct control of the processor. For example, if a user installs a battery with a non-standard current, this may cause the EVPS to generate more heat than intended; the processor can detect such high current and inform the user that the battery is non-standard and is causing hot puffs. Similarly, the processor may suggest alternative modifications to the EVPS, such as using a longer mouthpiece, where such mouthpiece is replaceable, resulting in more time for vapor to mix and cool between the heater and the user's mouth.

[0115] Again, the processor may provide feedback as to how the user can adjust their inhalation profile to reduce the chance of a hot puff, for example, by indicating the airflow rate of the user's inhalation and suggesting where in the inhalation the airflow rate can be increased or the initial airflow rate can be decreased accordingly, which is used to set the heating temperature. The processor may provide guidance, for example, to follow the instantaneous airflow rate of one or more standard patterns of inhalation designed to reduce the chance of a hot puff, even when inhaling at a moderate airflow rate.

[0116] Next, referring also to FIG. 8, a method for regulating temperature for an electronic vapor supply system (EVPS) includes: A first step s810 includes obtaining airflow sensor data from a sensor operable to detect at least one parameter of airflow within the EVPS, as previously described herein; A second step s820, as previously described herein, includes detecting whether an indication is received from the user that the EVPS puffs are too hot, and if so, A third step s830 involves varying at least a first aspect of the vapor generation process based on sensor data from at least one parameter of the airflow to reduce the vapor temperature at the mouthpiece, as previously described herein. Includes.

[0117] It will be apparent to those skilled in the art that variations of the above method corresponding to the operation of the various embodiments of the apparatus described and claimed herein are considered to be within the scope of the present invention, and the method includes, but is not limited to: detecting whether the difference in at least one parameter of the airflow deviates from an expected value by a predetermined amount, and if so, altering at least a first aspect of the steam generating process in response to the difference in the at least one parameter of the airflow; If the at least one parameter of the airflow includes an airflow velocity that is lower than an expected value by a predetermined amount, the method includes changing one or more selected from the list consisting of: an effective heating temperature of a heater of the EVPS; and an effective air intake of the EVPS; the at least one parameter of the airflow includes one or more selected from the list consisting of air dynamic pressure, humidity, and ambient air temperature before heating, and the or each parameter is higher than an expected value by a respective predetermined amount, the method including the step of varying one or more selected from the list consisting of an effective heating temperature of a heater of the EVPS, and an effective air intake of the EVPS; Varying an aspect of the steam generation process includes decreasing an effective heating temperature of a heater of the EVPS by one or more selected from the list consisting of decreasing a heater temperature, changing a heater duty cycle, and decreasing a heater preheat temperature; notifying a user when it is necessary to reduce the effective heating temperature of the heater to a temperature below the vaporization temperature of the VPS payload; detecting an instantaneous air flow rate; and instantaneously varying an effective heating temperature of a heater of the VPS in response to the instantaneous air flow rate; modeling a user's inhalation profile indicative of the airflow rate during the user's inhalation based on the instantaneous airflow rate during the inhalation; and varying at least a first aspect of the vapor generation process in response to the inhalation profile; acquiring temperature sensor data and airflow sensor data generated within the EVPS; and transmitting the temperature sensor data and airflow sensor data to a remote processor configured to calculate a change to at least a first aspect of the vapor generation process; The method includes:

[0118] It will be appreciated that the above methods may be performed on conventional hardware suitably configured to be applicable by software instructions, or may be performed by providing or replacing dedicated hardware.

[0119] Thus, anything required to adapt to existing components of a conventional equivalent device may be embodied in the form of a computer program product including processor-executable instructions stored on a non-transitory machine-readable medium such as a floppy disk, optical disk, hard disk, PROM, RAM, flash memory, or any combination of these or other storage media, or may be realized in hardware as an ASIC (application specific integrated circuit) or FPGA (field programmable gate array) or other configurable circuitry suitable for use in adapting a conventional equivalent device. Alternatively, such a computer program may be transmitted by data signals over a network such as an Ethernet, a wireless network, the Internet, or any combination of these or other networks.

Claims

1. 1. A temperature regulation system for an electronic vapor supply system (EVPS), comprising: a sensor for detecting at least one parameter of airflow within the electronic vapor delivery system; a processor configured to model a user's inhalation profile indicative of the airflow rate during a user inhalation event based on the instantaneous airflow rate detected by the sensor during inhalation; a user interface configured to receive an indication from the user that a puff of the electronic vapor delivery system was too hot, the indication received from the user being associated with the inhalation profile; and Equipped with A temperature regulation system for an electronic vapor delivery system, wherein the processor is configured to modify at least a first aspect of a vapor generation process in response to the draw profile and the indication received from the user.

2. 2. The temperature regulation system for an electronic vapor delivery system of claim 1, wherein the processor is configured to modify at least the first aspect of the vapor generation process in response to the draw profile to reduce a vapor temperature at the mouthpiece.

3. the processor is configured to detect whether the difference in the at least one parameter of the airflow deviates from an expected value by a predetermined amount; If so, 3. The temperature regulation system for an electronic vapor delivery system of claim 1, wherein the processor is configured to modify at least a first aspect of the vapor generation process in response to the at least one parameter of the airflow.

4. the at least one parameter of the air flow is air velocity; If this is lower than the expected value by a predetermined amount, the processor: i. the effective heating temperature of the heater of the electronic vapor supply system; and ii. the effective air intake of the electronic vapor supply system; A temperature regulation system for an electronic vapor delivery system according to any one of claims 1 to 3, configured to modify one or more selected from the list consisting of:

5. the at least one parameter of the airflow is air dynamic pressure; If this is higher than the expected value by a certain amount, the processor: i. the effective heating temperature of the heater of the electronic vapor supply system; and ii. the effective air intake of the electronic vapor supply system; A temperature regulation system for an electronic vapor delivery system according to any one of claims 1 to 4, configured to modify one or more selected from the list consisting of:

6. the at least one parameter of the airflow is humidity; If this is higher than the expected value by a certain amount, the processor: i. the effective heating temperature of the heater of the electronic vapor supply system; and ii. the effective air intake of the electronic vapor supply system; 6. A temperature regulation system for an electronic vapor delivery system according to any one of claims 1 to 5, configured to modify one or more selected from the list consisting of:

7. the at least one parameter of the air flow is ambient air temperature before heating; If this is higher than the expected value by a certain amount, the processor: i. the effective heating temperature of the heater of the electronic vapor supply system; and ii. the effective air intake of the electronic vapor supply system; A temperature regulation system for an electronic vapor delivery system according to any one of claims 1 to 6, configured to modify one or more selected from the list consisting of:

8. the at least one parameter of the airflow is air static pressure; If this is lower than the expected value by a certain amount, the processor: iii. the effective heating temperature of the heater of the electronic vapor delivery system; and iv. the effective air intake of the electronic vapor supply system A temperature regulation system for an electronic vapor delivery system according to any one of claims 1 to 7, configured to modify one or more selected from the list consisting of:

9. 9. The temperature adjustment system for an electronic vapor delivery system of claim 4, wherein the processor is configured to reduce the effective heating temperature of the heater of the electronic vapor delivery system by a predetermined amount such that the resulting effective heating temperature of the heater remains above a vaporization temperature of a payload of the electronic vapor delivery system.

10. The processor adjusts the effective heating temperature of the heater of the electronic vapor delivery system to: i. Decreasing the temperature of the heater; ii. varying the duty cycle of the heater; and iii. Lowering the preheat temperature of the heater 10. A temperature regulation system for an electronic vapor delivery system according to any one of claims 4 to 9, configured to lower the temperature by one or more selected from the list consisting of:

11. 11. The temperature adjustment system for an electronic vapor delivery system of claim 10, wherein the processor is configured to decrease the effective heating temperature of the heater by an amount corresponding to a difference between the detected amount and the predicted amount of the at least one parameter of the airflow.

12. a sensor for detecting instantaneous air flow velocity; 12. The temperature adjustment system for an electronic vapor supply system of claim 1, wherein the processor is configured to instantaneously change an effective heating temperature of a heater of the electronic vapor supply system in response to data from the sensor.

13. the temperature regulation system notifies the user if the processor calculates to change the effective temperature of the heater of the electronic vapor delivery system to be lower than the vaporization temperature of the payload of the electronic vapor delivery system; and / or 13. The temperature regulation system for an electronic vapor supply system of claim 1, wherein the electronic vapor supply system comprises a wireless communication unit operable to communicate with a remote device, and the processor is located in the remote device.

14. 1. A method for regulating temperature for an electronic vapor delivery system (EVPS), comprising: obtaining airflow sensor data from a sensor operable to sense at least one parameter of airflow within the electronic vapor delivery system; modeling a user's inhalation profile indicative of the airflow rate during the user's inhalation event based on the instantaneous airflow rate during inhalation; receiving an indication from the user that a puff of the electronic vapor delivery system was too hot, the indication received from the user being associated with the inhalation profile; modifying at least a first aspect of a vapor generation process in response to the suction profile and the indication received from the user; A method comprising:

15. 15. The method of claim 14, including modifying at least the first aspect of the vapor generation process in response to the draw profile to reduce vapor temperature at the mouthpiece.

16. detecting whether the difference in the at least one parameter of the airflow deviates from an expected value by a predetermined amount; If so, modifying at least a first aspect of the steam generation process in response to the at least one parameter of the airflow; 16. The method of claim 14 or 15, comprising:

17. the at least one parameter of the airflow includes an airflow velocity; If this is lower than the expected value by a predetermined amount, i. the effective heating temperature of the heater of the electronic vapor supply system; and ii. the effective air intake of the electronic vapor supply system; A method according to any one of claims 14 to 16, comprising the step of modifying one or more selected from the list consisting of:

18. The at least one parameter of the air flow is: i air dynamic pressure, ii. humidity, and iii Ambient air temperature before heating and if the or each parameter is higher than its expected value by a respective predetermined amount; i. the effective heating temperature of the heater of the electronic vapor supply system; and ii. the effective air intake of the electronic vapor supply system; modifying one or more selected from a list consisting of: The method according to any one of claims 14 to 17.

19. The step of modifying an aspect of the steam generation process includes: modifying an effective heating temperature of a heater of the electronic steam delivery system; i. Decreasing the temperature of the heater; ii. varying the duty cycle of the heater; and iii. Lowering the preheat temperature of the heater A method according to any one of claims 14 to 18, comprising the step of decreasing by one or more selected from the list consisting of:

20. 20. The method of any one of claims 14 to 19, further comprising informing the user when the effective heating temperature of the heater of the electronic vapor delivery system needs to be reduced below the vaporization temperature of the payload of the vapor delivery system.

21. detecting the instantaneous air flow rate; momentarily varying an effective heating temperature of the steam supply system heater in response to the momentary air flow rate; The method according to any one of claims 14 to 20, comprising:

22. The step of acquiring temperature sensor data and airflow sensor data occurs within the electronic vapor delivery system, and the method further comprises:

22. The method of any one of claims 14 to 21, comprising sending the temperature sensor data and the airflow sensor data to a remote processor configured to calculate the change to at least the first aspect of the steam generation process.

23. A computer readable medium having computer executable instructions configured to cause a computer system to perform the method of any one of claims 14 to 22.

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