How to manage aerosol-generating devices

Abstract

The present invention discloses a method of operating an aerosol generating device, the method including recording a period of active use of the device, detecting a puff inhaled by a user, determining whether a battery level notification was provided to the user during the period prior to detecting the puff, determining the battery level of the device if a notification was not previously provided, and generating an indication on the device for the user if the determined battery level is below a predetermined level.

Description

[Technical Field]

[0001] The present invention relates to a method for managing aerosol generating devices for efficient use, and in particular to aerosol generating devices, such as electronic cigarettes and heat-not-burn devices, that are capable of indicating battery usage to the user based on certain parameters. [Background technology]

[0002] Inhalers or aerosol generating devices, such as electronic cigarettes or vaping devices, are becoming more popular. They generally heat or warm an aerosolizable substance to generate an aerosol for inhalation, as opposed to burning tobacco as in traditional tobacco products. The generated aerosol may contain flavors and / or stimulants (e.g., nicotine or other active ingredients). Such devices are typically powered by batteries that must be recharged after use.

[0003] During use, a user may desire to know if the device's battery is low and therefore requires recharging. However, frequent battery level notifications may be irritating to the user. Furthermore, depending on the mode of use, battery level notifications may only be desired or needed at certain times. Summary of the Invention

[0004] Therefore, there is a need for a device that can provide intelligent battery level notifications to a user during use according to usage.

[0005] According to one aspect of the present invention, there is provided a method of operating an aerosol generating device, the method including: recording a period of active use of the device; detecting a puff inhaled by a user; determining whether a battery level notification was provided to the user during the period prior to detecting the puff; determining the battery level of the device if no notification was previously provided; and generating an indication on the device for the user if the determined battery level is below a predetermined level.

[0006] Advantageously, in this way, low battery notifications are intelligently provided to the user as a reminder to recharge the device without unduly bothering the user by avoiding providing frequent notifications.

[0007] Preferably, said period of active use of a device is a session containing puffs that are grouped according to configurable rules.

[0008] Preferably, the configurable rules include grouping detected puffs into respective sessions based at least on the interval between successive puffs.

[0009] Preferably, said period of active use of the device is a pre-set period of time.

[0010] Preferably, the indication is provided within a predetermined interval after the puff is detected.

[0011] Preferably, the predetermined interval is 1 to 2 seconds.

[0012] Preferably, the method further comprises detecting the start and end of a puff, the predetermined interval being measured after the end of the puff.

[0013] Preferably, if a subsequent puff is detected within a predetermined interval, no indication is generated.

[0014] Preferably, if a notification has previously been provided at the start of the active use period, no indication is generated.

[0015] Preferably, the method further comprises determining a location orientation of the device, and said period of active use of the device is recorded according to the determined location orientation.

[0016] According to another aspect of the present invention, there is provided an aerosol generating device including a puff sensor configured to detect a puff inhaled by a user; a controller configured to record a period of active use of the device, determine whether a battery level notification was provided to the user during the period prior to detecting the puff, and determine the battery level of the device if no notification was previously provided; and an indicator configured to provide an indication to the user if the determined battery level is below a predetermined level.

[0017] Preferably, the controller is further configured to define a period of active use of the device as a session comprising puffs grouped according to configurable rules, and to set a flag for indication to be provided during the session.

[0018] Preferably, the controller is further configured to define a period of active use of the device as a preset period of time, and to timestamp indications provided during the preset period.

[0019] Preferably, the device further includes an orientation sensor for determining the position orientation of the device during active use.

[0020] According to another aspect of the present invention, there is provided a computer-readable storage medium containing instructions that, when executed by a computer, cause the computer to perform the steps of the above-described method.

[0021] Embodiments of the invention will now be described, by way of example, with reference to the drawings, in which: [Brief explanation of the drawings]

[0022] [Figure 1] 1 shows an aerosol generating device according to one embodiment of the present invention. [Figure 2] FIG. 2 shows a block diagram of various components of the device of FIG. 1. [Figure 3] 2 shows a flow diagram of a method of operating the device of FIG. 1; [Figure 4] 2 shows graphs illustrating the control operation of the device of FIG. 1; DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION

[0023] Next, various aspects of the present invention will be described. In the following description of the drawings, it should be noted that the same or similar parts are designated by the same or similar reference numerals. It should be noted that the drawings are schematic views, and the scale ratios of the respective parts may differ from those of the actual parts. Therefore, specific scales and the like should be determined in consideration of the following description.

[0024] FIG. 1 illustrates a non-combustion aerosol generating device 100, which is a device for inhaling aerosols by heating or vaporizing them without combustion. The device 100 has a rod-like shape with a body 101 extending from a non-mouthpiece end 102 to a mouthpiece end 103. An air channel or pathway is defined within the body 100 between the opposing ends 102, 103. The aerosol generating device 100 in this example is an electronic cigarette or vaping device, hereafter referred to as an e-cig 100. The e-cig 100 functions by vaporizing or heating an aerosol source inserted into the e-cig 100 to release flavors and / or stimulants for inhalation by a user through the mouthpiece end 103. The construction and operation of such aerosol generating devices are well known in the art, and it will be understood by those skilled in the art that the invention disclosed herein may be applicable to aerosol generating devices of any shape and constructed using any aerosol generation technique, without limitation.

[0025] The e-cig 100 may include an activation switch 104 that may be configured to turn the e-cig 100 on and / or off. The activation switch 104 may be a push button or a touch button disposed in any convenient location on the surface of the body 101 of the e-cig 100. Alternatively, the e-cig 100 does not rely on a switch button to activate power to the heater, but relies on a puff sensor to detect airflow and trigger the device to begin generating aerosol.

[0026] FIG. 2 is a block diagram illustrating various components or modules of e-cig 100. In one example, e-cig 100 includes a consumable module 201a and a heating element 202 that vaporizes a consumable 201b received by consumable module 201a to emit an aerosol containing flavors and / or stimulants for inhalation by a user. In this example, consumable 201b is a nicotine-containing substance. The presence of consumable 201b in consumable module 201a can be detected by detector 201c. Consumable 201b can be in solid or liquid form and is heated by heating element 202 to emit an aerosol without combustion. If consumable 201b is a liquid reservoir, more than one consumable can be received in consumable module 201a. Heating element 202 can be powered by power source 203.

[0027] The power supply 203 is, for example, a lithium-ion battery. The power supply 203 provides the power necessary for the operation of the e-cig 100. For example, the power supply 203 powers all other components or modules included in the e-cig 100. The power supply 203, also referred to hereinafter as the battery 203, can be charged using an external power source using a wired connection (e.g., via a USB port and cable) or wirelessly (e.g., via a wireless charging pad).

[0028] For purposes of this specification, the terms vapor and aerosol will be understood to be interchangeable. In some instances, the heating element is located within the aerosol-generating material, such as a capsule or cigarette, and is connectable to the aerosol-generating device rather than being a component of the aerosol-generating device itself.

[0029] In one embodiment, the flavoring is present in the consumable 201b. The flavoring may include ethyl vanillin (vanilla), menthol, isoamyl acetate (banana oil), or the like. In another embodiment, the consumable 201b may include an additional flavor source (not shown) located beyond the consumable module 201a toward the mouthpiece end 103 to produce a flavor that is inhaled by the user along with the aerosol produced from the consumable 201b. In yet another embodiment, the e-cig 100 includes two or more consumables, each containing a flavoring and / or a level of active ingredient (nicotine). In this case, each consumable may be heated separately to generate the aerosol.

[0030] The e-cig 100 also includes a controller 204 configured to control various components within the e-cig. For example, the controller 204 may control and / or monitor the power supply 203, timing unit 205 (including a timer), communication unit 206, memory 207, orientation sensor 208, and puff sensor 209 included in the e-cig 100. The timing unit 205 is configured to provide time information (e.g., time of day) and generate timestamps for puff data or event data useful in analyzing a user's vaping preferences. The timing unit 205 is further configured to monitor the timing of each puff and the pauses therebetween and provide this information to the controller 204 to monitor and possibly limit the user's use of the e-cig 100. For example, the timing unit 205 may identify when to indicate to the user that a puff threshold has been reached. It should be noted that the functionality of the timing unit 205 may be integrated into the controller 204.

[0031] Controller 204 monitors the charge and discharge status of battery 203. Depending on the mode of operation (as described below), controller 204 determines whether the battery level of battery 203 is below a predetermined level and provides an indication to the user via I / O interface 210. Such indication is preferably based on inputs received from orientation sensor 208, puff sensor 209, and timing unit 205.

[0032] The communication unit 206 is configured to manage communications with any personal computing device, server, tracking device, or other e-cig in the vicinity of the e-cig 100. The memory 207 is configured to store information such as vaping usage history and user settings and preferences.

[0033] The e-cig 100 may also include various sensors, such as an orientation sensor 208 and a puff sensor 209. The orientation sensor 208, such as a gyroscope and / or accelerometer or tilt sensor or other suitable sensor, is configured to determine the positional orientation of the e-cig 100, for example, whether the e-cig 100 is held face up or face down during use. When the e-cig 100 is used face up (with the activation button 104 and / or LED and / or logo facing up), a first mode of operation is activated. This mode is also referred to as session mode. It is understood that the orientation sensor may be implemented by an algorithmic combination of information collected by the various sensors that provides an estimate of the roll, pitch, and yaw of the device.

[0034] When the e-cig 100 is used face down (with the activation button 104 and / or LED facing downwards), a second mode of operation is activated, also referred to as free mode. In other words, the e-cig 100 is rotated or turned 180 degrees along its longitudinal axis to switch between session mode and free mode.

[0035] It should be noted that e-cig 100 being face up or face down may also be defined with respect to any visual pattern, such as a logo or surface design, that acts as a reference for the user. An activation button and LED may not be necessary to provide such a reference. In either case, the device's sensors may not rely on these physical or visual elements.

[0036] The puff sensor 209 is configured to detect inhalation puffs, and its output can be used to determine the number of puffs taken to inhale the aerosol. The output of the puff sensor 209 can also be used to determine the duration required for one puff to inhale the aerosol. The recorded usage data can include puff duration (i.e., the length of the puff), puff interval (i.e., the time between successive puffs), and fluid and / or nicotine consumption. The puff sensor can simply be a detector, such as a microphone or a MEMS piezoresistive absolute pressure sensor, disposed within the flow path of the device.

[0037] The e-cig 100 may also include a consumable recognition sensor (not shown) configured to identify the consumable 201b inserted into the e-cig 100. The recognition sensor may be included in the consumable module 201a or the detector 201c. The recognition sensor may use NFC, RFID, or any other known technology to recognize the strength of the stimulant included in the consumable 201b from an NFC / RFID tag disposed on the consumable 201b.

[0038] The e-cig 100 may also include an input / output (I / O) or user interface 210 configured to provide an indication to a user and receive input from the user. The I / O interface 210 preferably includes an indicator device and an input device. The indication device may include a visible light emitter, including one or more light-emitting diodes (LEDs), a screen display, or an acoustic emitter, or other suitable means for providing an indication to the user. A visible light emitter, such as an LED, may be disposed at the tip of the non-mouthpiece end 102 or on the side of the e-cig 100. Such an LED may indicate various lighting modes, such as a puff state where aerosol is being inhaled, a no-puff state where aerosol is not being inhaled, a preheat state where the heater is heating, a ready-to-vape state where the heater is operating at a target temperature to generate aerosol, a depletion state where an LED bar indicates the depletion level of the aerosol source, and any other information regarding the operational status of the e-cig. In the present invention, the indication device of the I / O interface 210 also provides a battery level indication to the user. The indication may be provided to the user via visual, auditory or haptic means. The input device may be one or more user-operable buttons or a sensitive touch panel that responds to presses, toggles or touches.

[0039] All of the above-described elements send and / or receive commands and / or data via a communication bus 211 .

[0040] In one embodiment, the e-cig 100 is also configured to communicate with a personal computing device (not shown) owned by the user. The personal computing device may be a smartphone, tablet, or laptop. For simplicity, the personal computing device will be referred to hereinafter as a smartphone. The e-cig 100 is preferably configured to wirelessly connect or pair with the smartphone using Wi-Fi, Bluetooth, or other wireless communication standards. The smartphone preferably runs a mobile application (commonly referred to as an app) that allows the user to interact with the e-cig 100 through a user-friendly interface. The app is hosted by the e-cig 100 manufacturer and may be compatible with different mobile platforms, such as iOS™ and Android™.

[0041] 3 shows a flow diagram for a process 300 for operating the e-cig 100. Note that the steps in the process 300 do not necessarily have to be performed in the same order. Also, not all steps are shown, and some of the steps may be optional and may be omitted.

[0042] In step 301, the period of active use of the device is recorded. In this example, the controller 204 monitors the period of active use of the e-cig 100 by the user. The period of active use can be defined in several ways, as described below.

[0043] In a first embodiment, the active use period may be a session containing puffs that are grouped according to configurable rules. The configurable rules may be preconfigured by the device manufacturer or may be configured and / or reconfigured by the user according to the user's preferences by connecting the device to a smartphone. One such configurable rule may be, for example, grouping detected puffs into respective sessions based at least on the time interval between consecutive puffs. For example, if a user takes a break between two consecutive puffs that is shorter than a preconfigured period (such as 7 minutes), such puffs are grouped together into one session. However, if a next puff following a previous puff is detected 7 minutes later, that puff and the subsequent puffs (that occurred within 7 minutes) are grouped into a new session.

[0044] In a second embodiment, the active use period may be a predetermined or preset period (e.g., 7 minutes, 10 minutes, or 15 minutes) that may be preset by the manufacturer or reset by the user according to the user's preferences. The number of puffs inhaled within this preset time or the number of pauses between successive puffs is not important. For example, in a preset 7-minute active use period, the user may take only two puffs with a long pause, or five puffs with several short pauses between puffs.

[0045] In a further embodiment, the device adopts and integrates the two definitions of the active use period described above. In such an embodiment, the active use period is automatically selected based on the operating state of the e-cig 100, such as its operating mode, device orientation, and other device characteristics. This provides additional flexibility to the user and enhances the user experience. For example, the determination of the active use period may be based on the operating mode of the e-cig 100, which is determined by the device orientation. When a user begins using the e-cig 100, an orientation sensor 208 on the e-cig 100 determines whether the e-cig 100 is being held in an upright or down position. Optionally, the orientation sensor 208 may be activated when the user presses the activation switch 104. Additionally, there may be a motion sensor that detects movement of the e-cig 100 in addition to activating the activation switch 104. Signals from the orientation sensor 208, activation switch 104, and motion sensor may all be processed by the controller 204 to determine whether one of two modes of operation should be activated.

[0046] If the user is inhaling in an upward orientation, a session mode is activated, in which the active use period is a session including grouped puffs, as in the first embodiment described above. A session can be defined based on the interval between puffs. For example, if the pause between puffs is less than 7 minutes, the next puff is counted in the same session, and if the pause is more than 7 minutes, the next puff is counted in a new session. On the other hand, if the user is inhaling in a downward orientation, a free mode is activated, in which the active use period is a preset period, as in the second embodiment described above. For example, 7, 10, or 15 minutes of active use, regardless of puffs.

[0047] In step 302, a puff inhaled by the user is detected. In this example, if the device is identified as being in active use, regardless of orientation, the controller 204 begins monitoring use of the e-cig 100 using the puff sensor 209 and timing unit 205. The puff sensor 209 detects each puff inhaled by the user, and the timing unit 205 timestamps each puff and monitors the start and end of each puff. If the active use period is defined according to the first embodiment or the device is operating in session mode, the timing unit 205 starts and stops a timer between two consecutive puffs and monitors for session interruptions. On the other hand, if the active use period is defined according to the second embodiment or the device is operating in free mode, the timing unit 205 monitors a preset time period. Nevertheless, in all embodiments, the number of puffs inhaled by the user is counted and recorded so that the user's vaping patterns can be analyzed over time.

[0048] In step 303, it is determined whether a battery level notification was previously provided. In this example, after a puff is detected, controller 204 checks whether an indication for battery level was provided to the user during the active use period. In the first embodiment or session mode of operation, this means determining whether the user was previously provided with an indication during the current session. In the second embodiment or free mode of operation, however, this means whether the user was previously provided with an indication during a preset period. If such an indication was previously provided, controller 204 continues recording the active use period in step 301. However, if such an indication was not previously provided, the process moves to step 304.

[0049] In step 304, the battery level of the device is determined. In this example, the controller 204 reads the battery level of the battery 203 of the e-cig 100. Determining the remaining charge of batteries, such as Li-ion batteries, is well known in the art. This determination is performed to check whether the battery level has dropped below a predetermined threshold level, for example below 25%. Beyond this level, the e-cig 100 may not operate at full efficiency or may simply cease operation unless use is reduced or the battery is recharged. Therefore, it is necessary to monitor the battery level of the e-cig 100 during use.

[0050] In step 305, if the battery level is below a predetermined level, an indication is generated for the user. In this example, the controller 204 signals the I / O interface 210 to generate an indication to the user if the battery level of the battery 203 falls below a predetermined level during use. Such an indication may be provided by flashing an LED in a particular color or pattern and / or by briefly vibrating the e-cig 100. The indication is preferably generated a short period of time after the completion of a puff, e.g., at an interval of 1-2 seconds after the end of the puff is detected. However, if a puff is detected within this interval, no indication is provided.

[0051] The battery level notification is provided to the user only once during the active use period if the battery level is determined to be below a predetermined threshold level. In the first embodiment, or in session mode operation, after a battery level notification is provided to the user via a display, the controller 204 sets a flag indicating that a notification has already been provided in the current session so that subsequent puffs within the same session do not trigger further displays. If the user is in session mode and takes a long break so that additional puffs count in another session, the next battery display is provided after the first puff in that other session. In this way, if the battery level is below the predetermined threshold level, the user still receives additional reminders to charge the device without repeating the reminders within a single session. In the second embodiment, or in free mode operation, after the device provides a battery level notification to the user, the timing unit 205 records a timestamp for the display, which allows the active use period to be recorded as starting from the time of the last battery notification. No further notifications are provided to the user within a predetermined active use period (e.g., 7 minutes) from the timestamp. However, if the user puffs more than that preset period from the previous indication, a new battery indication is provided. In this way, the user still receives additional reminders to charge the device if the battery level is below a predetermined threshold level, without repeating reminders within the preset period.

[0052] It should be noted that in all of the above embodiments, if a notification for the battery level is provided at the beginning of an active use period, no further indication is generated during that active use period. Similarly, in all of the above embodiments, if the user begins another active use period, an additional indication is provided after a puff has been taken during that period. Thus, the user may continue to use the device with a low battery level, but may be provided with occasional warnings if they are not unduly interrupted during use of the e-cig 100.

[0053] A low battery level notification is provided only after the first puff in an active use period. In the first embodiment or in a session mode of operation, when a user activates the device and begins puffing to inhale, the device begins recording a session of puffs as an active use period. Because it is unable to provide an indication before the first puff of the session (i.e., no indication is provided in the recorded active use period), the device continues to check its battery level and provide an indication of a critically low battery level. However, in this example, if no indication is provided after checking the battery level is above a predetermined threshold level (e.g., 25%), the device does not check the battery level in the same session or provide a notification. In other words, the device does not provide a notification after the next puff in the same session, even if a battery level indication has not been provided previously in the currently recorded puff session (recorded active use period). If the battery level is critically low when the user begins vaping, a notification regarding the battery level is provided after the first puff. If the battery level is not critically low (e.g., above 25%), the device does not provide any indication of the battery level, even if the battery level drops due to powering the heating element while the user is vaping. This is to avoid unnecessarily bothering the user while using the e-cig 100. In the second embodiment, or in a free mode of operation where the active use period is a preset period of 7 minutes, when the user begins vaping by taking a first puff, the device determines whether a notification has previously been provided within the past 7 minutes (regardless of whether the device is being used for vaping). If the user takes a break of more than 7 minutes and no notification is provided, the device continues to check its battery level. If the battery level is critically low (e.g., below 25%), a notification is provided, i.e., after the first puff.

[0054] Optionally, if the battery notification criteria are met after the first puff and a notification is provided accordingly, the device repeats the notification periodically, i.e., the notification is provided not only after the first puff but also after every nth puff. This is done to remind the user to recharge the e-cig 100 if the battery is low. Note that in a second embodiment where the recorded active use period is a preset period (e.g., 7 minutes, or 10 minutes, or 15 minutes), the device triggers periodic notifications for every period if the battery is low. In the example of 7 minutes as the preset value, a new active use period is recorded every 7 minutes, and if the battery notification criteria are met, a notification is provided every 7 minutes accordingly.

[0055] In an alternative embodiment, the device monitors all puffs in a vaping session and checks whether notification criteria are met to trigger a battery level display after each detected puff. In this case, when a user picks up the device and begins a vaping session by taking a first puff, if the battery level is above a predetermined threshold and no notification is provided after the first puff, the device checks the battery level after each subsequent puff, and if the determined battery level falls below the threshold level, the device triggers a notification. Thus, if the battery level is above a predetermined level (e.g., 25%) after the first puff but drops below 25% after several minutes of vaping, the user is notified of the low battery level midway through the vaping session. Accordingly, a display is generated to provide a notification to the user accordingly. This is advantageous in situations where the user engages in long vaping sessions (e.g., vaping for more than 30 minutes or so) in order to timely notify the user whenever the battery level drops to a critically low level.

[0056] 4 shows a graph 400 representing the relative responses of the timing unit 205 and puff sensor 209 in the e-cig 100. The response of the timing unit 205 is plotted on the X-axis, and the response of the puff sensor 209 is plotted on the Y-axis. The puff sensor 209 detects the first puff 400-1 made by the user. As soon as the first puff 400-1 ends, i.e., on the trailing edge of the puff wave, the timing unit 205 starts a timer. The timing unit 205 continues to monitor time, and the timer is on until the next puff is detected. As soon as the next puff is detected, i.e., on the leading edge of the next puff wave, the timer is turned off. At the trailing edge of this puff wave, the timer is turned on again.

[0057] In one example, during an active use period, after a first puff 400-1 is detected, a timer is turned on to monitor the time since the end of the first puff 400-1. As soon as the start of the next puff 400-2 is detected, the timer is turned off. The time interval between the timer turning on and turning off is specified. In this example, this time interval is specified to be a predetermined period, e.g., less than seven minutes. Therefore, puffs 400-1 and 400-2 are grouped into one session. Similarly, the next puff 400-3 is also detected within the seven-minute period, and therefore puffs 400-1, 400-2, and 400-3 are grouped into the same session. In this particular example, because the session including puffs 400-1 through 400-3 is relatively short, battery level notifications are not provided more than once during the same session, in accordance with the criteria described above.

[0058] After puff 400-3, the user takes a long pause before delivering the next puff 400-4. The time interval between puffs 400-3 and 400-4 is determined to be greater than seven minutes, and therefore puff 400-4 is counted toward the new session. As previously described, at this point, the device's battery level is determined, and if the battery level is found to be below a threshold level, a battery level notification is provided to the user. In this case, an indication is provided to the user to notify them of the low battery within a predetermined time interval after the end of puff 400-4. For example, an indication is provided to the user via audio, visual, tactile means, or a combination thereof, within one to two seconds of the end of puff 400-4.

[0059] In session mode, the controller 204 monitors the pauses the user takes between puffs using information from the timing unit 205. If the pause between two consecutive puffs, determined by turning the timer on and off, is within a preset period, the controller 204 continues counting puffs in the same session. However, if the pause exceeds a preset period, e.g., seven minutes, the controller 204 resumes counting puffs in a new session. As shown in FIG. 4 , after the third puff 400-3, the user takes a long pause and takes another puff 400-4. If this long pause is shorter than seven minutes, the timing unit 205 counts this as the fourth puff in the same session. However, if this long pause is longer than seven minutes, the timing unit 205 resets the counter and counts puff 400-4 as the first puff in the new session.

[0060] The controller 204 monitors for situations in which a user mistakenly holds the e-cig 100 in a downward orientation (and thus operates in free mode) when the user actually intended to continue holding the e-cig 100 in an upward orientation (and thus operate in session mode). The controller 204 identifies the e-cig 100 as being mistakenly held in a downward orientation if the user returns it to the upward orientation within a correction threshold. The controller 204 therefore continues to count puffs in session mode. In this manner, the device does not unduly bother the user by intelligently identifying vaping sessions.

[0061] The processing steps described herein, performed by the main control unit, i.e., the controller, may be stored on a non-transitory computer-readable medium or storage device associated with the main control unit. Computer-readable media may include non-volatile media and volatile media. Volatile media may include, among other things, semiconductor memory and dynamic memory. Non-volatile media may include, among other things, optical and magnetic disks.

[0062] The foregoing description of illustrative embodiments has been presented for purposes of illustration and description and is not intended to be exhaustive or limited to the precise form disclosed, and modifications and variations are possible in light of the above teachings or may be acquired from practice of the disclosed embodiments.

[0063] As used herein, the term "non-transitory computer-readable medium" is intended to represent any tangible computer-based device implemented in any method or technology for short-term and long-term storage of information, such as computer-readable instructions, data structures, program modules and sub-modules, or other data in any device. Accordingly, the methods described herein may be encoded as executable instructions embodied in tangible non-transitory computer-readable media, including, but not limited to, storage and / or memory devices. Such instructions, when executed by a processor, cause the processor to perform at least a portion of the methods described herein. Furthermore, as used herein, the term "non-transitory computer-readable medium" includes all tangible computer-readable media, including, but not limited to, non-transitory computer storage devices, firmware, physical and virtual storage devices, removable and non-removable media such as CD-ROMs, DVDs, and any other digital source, such as a network or the Internet, with the sole exception of being a transitory, propagating signal, as well as yet-to-be-developed digital means.

[0064] As will be appreciated based on the foregoing specification, the above-described embodiments of the present disclosure may be implemented using computer programming or engineering techniques, including computer software, firmware, hardware, or any combination or subset thereof. Any such resulting program having computer-readable code means may be embodied or provided in one or more computer-readable mediums, thereby creating a computer program product, i.e., an article of manufacture, according to the contemplated embodiments of the present disclosure. An article of manufacture including the computer code may be created and / or used by executing the code directly from one medium, copying the code from one medium to another, or transmitting the code over a network.

Claims

1. 1. A method of operating an aerosol generating device, comprising: recording a period of active use of the device; detecting a puff inhaled by a user; determining whether a battery level notification was provided to the user during the period prior to detecting the puff; determining a battery level of said device if notification has not previously been provided; generating an indication on the device for the user if the determined battery level is below a predetermined level; A method comprising:

2. The method of claim 1 , wherein the period of active use of the device is a session containing puffs that are grouped according to configurable rules.

3. The method of claim 2 , wherein the configurable rules include grouping detected puffs into respective sessions based at least on the interval between successive puffs.

4. The method of claim 1 , wherein the period of active use of the device is a preset period of time.

5. A method according to any preceding claim, wherein the indication is provided within a predetermined interval after the puff is detected.

6. The method of claim 5, wherein the predetermined interval is 1 to 2 seconds.

7. 7. The method of claim 5 or 6, further comprising detecting the beginning and end of the puff, wherein the predetermined interval is measured after the end of the puff.

8. 8. The method of claim 7, wherein if a subsequent puff is detected within the predetermined interval, no indication is generated.

9. The method of any one of claims 1 to 8, wherein if a notification has previously been provided at the start of the active use period, no indication is generated.

10. The method of any one of claims 1 to 9, further comprising determining a location orientation of the device, wherein the period of active use of the device is recorded according to the determined location orientation.

11. An aerosol generating device, comprising: a puff sensor configured to detect a puff inhaled by a user; a controller, recording a period of active use of said device; determining whether a battery level notification was provided to the user during the period prior to detecting the puff; Identifying the battery level of the device if notification has not previously been provided. a controller configured to: an indicator configured to provide an indication to the user if the determined battery level is below a predetermined level; An aerosol generating device comprising:

12. 12. The device of claim 11, wherein the controller is further configured to define the period of active use of the device as a session including puffs grouped according to configurable rules, and to set a flag for the indication provided during the session.

13. The device of claim 11 , wherein the controller is further configured to define the period of active use of the device as a preset period of time, and to timestamp the indications provided during the preset period of time.

14. 14. A device according to any one of claims 11 to 13, further comprising an orientation sensor for determining the position orientation of the device during active use.

15. A computer-readable storage medium comprising instructions that, when executed by a computer, cause the computer to perform the steps of the method according to any one of claims 1 to 10.

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