Aerosol generator power system

Abstract

An aerosol generating device is provided, comprising a power system (500) and a controller (102). The power system comprises a supercapacitor module (504) and a battery module (506) and is connectable to an external power source (602). The controller is configured to control a pulse-charging regime of the power system by controlling a first power flow from the external power source to the power system to periodically switch the first power flow between charging the battery module for a first time period and not charging the battery module for a second time period in a pulse-charging manner, and by controlling a second power flow between the supercapacitor module and the battery module to charge the battery module from the supercapacitor module for the first time period.

Description

[Technical Field]

[0001] The present invention relates to aerosol generating devices, and more particularly to power systems for aerosol generating devices. [Background technology]

[0002] Aerosol generating devices, such as e-cigarettes and other aerosol inhalers or vaporizers, are increasingly popular consumer products.

[0003] Heating devices for vaporization or aerosolization are known in the art. Such devices typically include a heating chamber and a heater. During operation, an operator inserts the product to be aerosolized or vaporized into the heating chamber. The product is then heated by an electronic heater to vaporize the product's ingredients for inhalation by the operator. In some embodiments, the product is a tobacco product similar to a traditional cigarette. Such devices are sometimes referred to as "heat-not-burn" devices, in that the product is heated to the point of aerosolization without being combusted.

[0004] Problems faced by known aerosol generating devices include improving power management. Summary of the Invention [Means for solving the problem]

[0005] In a first aspect, there is provided an aerosol generating device, the aerosol generating device comprising: a power system including a supercapacitor module and a battery module, the power system being connectable to an external power source; a controller, controlling a first power flow from an external power source to the power system, the first power flow including periodically switching the first power flow between charging the battery module for a first time period and not charging the battery module for a second time period in a pulse charging manner; and a controller configured to control a pulse charging regime of the power system by controlling a second power flow between the supercapacitor module and the battery module, the second power flow between the supercapacitor module and the battery module including charging the battery module from the supercapacitor module during a first time period.

[0006] In this way, the second power flow from the supercapacitor module to the battery module boosts the first power flow from the external power source to the battery module during the first time period. This provides several advantages over typical pulse charging techniques. By using the supercapacitor module to boost the current flow from the external power source to the battery module, a lower-power external power source can be used for pulse charging. For example, a high-power wall adapter is not required to achieve high-speed pulse charging; instead, a lower-power power source, such as a port on a low-power USB device or other device, can be used. This provides advantages including reduced cost, reduced losses, and improved efficiency, greater flexibility in device design, and reduced device size.

[0007] Preferably, controlling the first power flow further includes charging the supercapacitor module from an external power source during a second period of time.

[0008] In this way, the supercapacitor module is recharged during the first period of the next cycle.

[0009] Preferably, controlling the first power flow further comprises not charging the supercapacitor module from the external power source during the first period of time.

[0010] Preferably, controlling the second power flow further includes not charging the battery module from the supercapacitor module during the second time period.

[0011] In this way, the battery module is allowed to rest during the second period, thereby improving the life of the battery module.

[0012] Preferably, the first power flow comprises a substantially constant current flow into the power system.

[0013] Preferably, the battery module includes at least one battery and / or at least one removable power bank.

[0014] Preferably, the supercapacitor module includes two or more supercapacitors connected in series.

[0015] In this way, multiple small supercapacitors can be used to increase design flexibility.

[0016] Preferably, the power system includes a supercapacitor module connected in parallel with the battery module, and a voltage converter connected between the supercapacitor module and the battery module.

[0017] Preferably, the voltage converter is configured to step down the voltage of the second power flow from the supercapacitor module to the battery module during the first time period.

[0018] Preferably, the power system further comprises a first switching means connected between the battery module and the supercapacitor module, the first switching means being controlled by the controller to switch between charging the battery module during a first period and not charging the battery module during a second period.

[0019] In this way, switching of power flow between the first and second time periods can be accomplished efficiently.

[0020] Preferably, the first switching means comprises a transistor controlled by the controller.

[0021] In a second aspect, there is provided a system comprising the aerosol generating device of the first aspect and an external power source.

[0022] Preferably, the external power source is a power adapter connectable to a mains power source and / or a power bank, a docking station configured to receive the aerosol generating device, or a portable charging case configured to receive the aerosol generating device.

[0023] In a third aspect, there is provided a method of controlling a pulse charging regime of a power system of an aerosol generating device, the power system comprising a supercapacitor module and a battery module and connectable to an external power source, the method comprising: controlling a first power flow from an external power source to the power system, the first power flow including periodically switching the first power flow between charging the battery module for a first time period and not charging the battery module for a second time period in a pulse charging manner; and controlling a second power flow between the supercapacitor module and the battery module, the second power flow including charging the battery module from the supercapacitor module during the first time period.

[0024] Optionally, the third aspect may include preferred features of the first aspect.

[0025] In a fourth aspect, there is provided a non-transitory computer-readable medium storing instructions that, when executed by one or more processors of a controller configured to operate with a power system of an aerosol generating device that is connectable to an external power source and that includes a supercapacitor module and a battery module, cause the one or more processors to: controlling a first power flow from an external power source to the power system, the first power flow including periodically switching the first power flow between charging the battery module for a first time period and not charging the battery module for a second time period in a pulse charging manner; and controlling a second power flow between the supercapacitor module and the battery module, the second power flow between the supercapacitor module and the battery module including charging the battery module from the supercapacitor module during a first period of time, thereby controlling a pulse charging regime of the power system.

[0026] Optionally, the fourth aspect may include preferred features of the first aspect.

[0027] Embodiments of the invention will now be described, by way of example, with reference to the drawings, in which: [Brief explanation of the drawings]

[0028] [Figure 1]FIG. 1 is a block diagram of an aerosol generating device. [Figure 2] FIG. 1 is a flow diagram of the operating modes of the aerosol generating device. [Figure 3] 1 is a plot of heater temperature versus time for an aerosolization session. [Figure 4] 1 is a plot of pulse width modulated power flow. [Figure 5A] FIG. 1 is a circuit diagram of a power system including a supercapacitor module and a battery module. [Figure 5B] 5B is a plot of current versus time of pulse width modulated power flow into and out of the supercapacitor module of the power system of FIG. 5A. [Figure 5C] 5B is a dual plot of heater temperature versus time and state of charge of the supercapacitor module versus time for an aerosolization session using the power system of FIG. 5A. [Figure 6A] FIG. 5B is a circuit diagram of the power system of FIG. 5A connected to an external power source. [Figure 6B] 1 is a plot of current versus time for a pulse charging protocol. [Figure 6C] 6B is a plot of current versus time for current flow from an external power source, current flow to the battery module, and current flow into and out of the supercapacitor module for a pulse charging protocol of the power system of FIG. 6A. DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION

[0029] 1 shows a block diagram of the components of an aerosol generating device 100, or vapor generating device, also known as an e-cigarette. For purposes of this description, it should be understood that the terms vapor and aerosol are interchangeable.

[0030] The aerosol generating device 100 has a body portion 112 including a controller 102 and a power system including a first energy storage module 104 and a second energy storage module 106. The power system is operable in a number of selectable operating modes. While only one first energy storage module 104 and one second energy storage module 106 are mentioned herein, those skilled in the art will appreciate that the power system may include one or more first energy storage modules 104 and one or more second energy storage modules, as desired. The controller 102 is configured to control the flow of power to the first energy storage module 104 and the second energy storage module 106 based on a selected operating mode, as described below. The controller 102 may be at least one microcontroller unit including a memory storing instructions for operating the aerosol generating device 100, including instructions for implementing the selectable operating modes and controlling the power flow, and one or more processors configured to execute the instructions.

[0031] In some embodiments, the first energy storage module 104 is a supercapacitor module 104 and the second energy storage module 106 is a battery module 106.

[0032] In one embodiment, the heater 108 is housed by the body portion 112. In such an embodiment, as shown in FIG. 1 , the heater 108 is disposed within a cavity 110 or chamber in the body portion 112. The cavity 110 is accessed by an opening 110A in the body portion 112. The cavity 110 is positioned to receive an associated aerosol-generating consumable 114. The aerosol-generating consumable can contain an aerosol-generating material, such as a tobacco rod containing tobacco. The tobacco rod can be similar to a traditional cigarette. The cavity 110 has a cross-section substantially equal to that of the aerosol-generating consumable 114 and a depth such that, when the associated aerosol-generating consumable 114 is inserted into the cavity 110, a first end 114A of the aerosol-generating consumable 114 reaches the bottom power flow of the cavity 110 (i.e., the end 110B of the cavity 110 distal from the cavity opening 110A), and a second end 114B of the aerosol-generating consumable 114 distal to the first end 114A extends outward from the cavity 110. In this manner, a consumer can inhale the aerosol-generating consumable 114 when it is inserted into the aerosol-generating device 100. In the embodiment of FIG. 1 , the heater 108 is positioned within the cavity 110 such that the heater 108 engages the aerosol-generating consumable 114 when it is inserted into the cavity 110. 1, the heater 108 is disposed as a tube within the cavity 110 such that the heater 108 substantially or completely surrounds a portion of the aerosol-generating consumable 114 within the cavity 110 when a first end 114A of the aerosol-generating consumable is inserted into the cavity. The heater 108 may be a wire, such as a coiled wire heater, or a ceramic heater, or any other suitable type of heater. The heater 108 may comprise multiple heating elements disposed consecutively along the axial length of the cavity, which may be sequentially and independently activated (i.e., powered).

[0033] In an alternative embodiment (not shown), the heater may be positioned within the cavity as an elongated piercing member (such as in the form of a needle, rod, or blade), and in such an embodiment, the heater may be positioned to penetrate the aerosol-generating consumable and engage the aerosol-generating material when the aerosol-generating consumable is inserted into the cavity.

[0034] In another alternative embodiment (not shown), the heater may be in the form of an induction heater. In such an embodiment, a heating element (i.e., a susceptor) may be provided within the consumable, and when the consumable is inserted into the cavity, the heating element is inductively coupled to an inductive element (i.e., an induction coil) within the cavity. The induction heater then heats the heating element by induction.

[0035] The heater 108 is arranged to heat the aerosol-generating consumable 114 to a predetermined temperature to generate an aerosol in an aerosolization session. An aerosolization session can be considered when the device is operated to generate an aerosol from the aerosol-generating consumable 114. In embodiments in which the aerosol-generating consumable 114 is a tobacco rod, the aerosol-generating consumable 114 comprises tobacco. The heater 108 is arranged to heat the tobacco to generate an aerosol without burning the tobacco. That is, the heater 108 heats the tobacco to a predetermined temperature below the combustion point of the tobacco so that a tobacco-based aerosol is generated. Those skilled in the art will readily appreciate that the aerosol-generating consumable 114 does not necessarily have to comprise tobacco, and that any other suitable substance for aerosolization (or vaporization) by heating without burning the substance can be used in place of tobacco.

[0036] Alternatively, the aerosol-generating consumable may be a vaporizable liquid, which may be contained in a cartridge that is receivable in the aerosol-generating device, or which may be deposited directly in the aerosol-generating device.

[0037] The controller 102 is arranged to control the power flow of the first energy storage module 104 and the second energy storage module 106 based on a selected operating mode of the aerosolization session.

[0038] The progression from preheat mode to float mode and then to post-float mode can be seen in FIG.

[0039] In preheat mode 202, the heater 108 associated with the aerosol generating device 100 is heated to a predetermined temperature for generating aerosol from the aerosol-generating consumable 114. The preheat phase can be considered the time during which the preheat mode is active, e.g., the time it takes for the heater 108 to reach the predetermined temperature. The preheat mode occurs during a first period of an aerosolization session. In one embodiment, the first period can be a fixed, predetermined period. In other embodiments, the first period can vary, corresponding to the length of time required to heat the heater 108 to the predetermined temperature.

[0040] Once the heater reaches the predetermined temperature, the controller 102 exits the preheat mode 202 and controls the power system to execute a float mode 204. In the float mode 204, the controller 102 controls the flow of power from the power system to maintain the heater 108 substantially at the predetermined temperature so that an aerosol is generated for inhalation by the consumer. The float phase can be considered the time during which the float mode is executed, for example, the time during which the heater 108 is aerosolizing one (or at least a portion of one) aerosol-generating consumable 114 after the preheat phase. The controller 102 can control the power system to operate in the float mode during a second period of the aerosolization session. The second period can be predetermined and stored in the controller 102.

[0041] Following expiration of the second period, the controller 102 switches the operating mode to a post-float mode 206. In the post-float mode, the controller 102 disables power flow from the power system to the heater so that the heater is no longer powered. The heater retains residual thermal energy despite the disabled power flow. This residual heat is used to continue heating the consumable in the post-float mode. The post-float phase can be considered the time during which the post-float mode is executed. The post-float phase corresponds to a third period of the aerosolization session.

[0042] 3 shows an example plot of heater temperature 304 versus time 302. During the preheat phase, the controller 102 controls the power system to apply power to the heater for a first period of time 308 until the heater temperature reaches a predetermined temperature 306. In one example, the predetermined temperature is 230° C. In one example, the first period of time is 20 seconds. In some examples, the controller 102 is configured to heat the heater to the predetermined temperature within a fixed, predetermined first period of time. In other examples, the first period of time varies depending on the length of time it takes the heater to reach the predetermined temperature.

[0043] Once the heater reaches the predetermined temperature 306, the controller 102 switches the operating mode to a floating mode for a second time period 310, maintaining the heater temperature substantially at the predetermined temperature 306 for the second time period 310. In one embodiment, the second time period may be 250 seconds.

[0044] Following the expiration of the second period 310, the controller 102 switches the operating mode to a post-float mode for a third period 312. As the third period 312 progresses, the heater temperature decreases because power is no longer applied. The third period 312 may be configured so that its expiration coincides with the heater temperature decreasing below a threshold. This threshold may correspond to a temperature above ambient temperature but below which the consumable is no longer usefully heated. In one example, the third period may be 20 seconds.

[0045] Following expiration of the third period 312, the user of the aerosol generating device may be notified that the aerosolization session has ended by a visual or audible indicator so that the user is aware that the consumable is no longer being aerosolized.

[0046] In preheat mode and floating mode, the controller 102 controls the power flow from the power system to the heater such that the power flow is a pulse-width modulated power flow having one or more pulse-width modulated cycles. An exemplary pulse-width modulated power flow is shown in FIG. 4. The pulse-width modulated power flow includes one or more pulse-width modulated (PWM) cycles 402 (also known as pulse-width modulated switching periods). A single PWM cycle, or switching period 402, includes one PWM cycle "on period" D and one PWM cycle "off period" 1-D. The combination of the PWM cycle on period D and the PWM cycle off periods 1-D forms the entire PWM cycle or switching period 402.

[0047] During the PWM on period of a PWM cycle, power is applied to the heater, i.e., the power line to the heater is closed by the switch implementing PWM control. During the PWM off period, power is not applied to the heater, i.e., the power line to the heater is open by the switch implementing PWM control. Thus, one pulse width modulation cycle 402 involves power being switched between an on state and an off state once, and thus the pulse width modulated power flow involves continuously powering the heater with a power flow that is rapidly switched at a duty cycle between the PWM on and off periods.

[0048] The pulse width modulation duty cycle corresponds to the on-period (D) (ie, the combination of the "on-period" and "off-period" of the switching cycle 402) as a percentage of the total period of the cycle 402 (D+(1-D)).

[0049] A pulse-width modulated power flow comprising multiple PWM cycles continuously powers the heater with an average power between the PWM on and PWM off periods based on the duty cycle. Controlling the duty cycle controls the amount of power delivered to the heater. A higher duty cycle of the pulse-width modulated power source flow results in a higher average power delivered, and a lower duty cycle of the pulse-width modulated power source flow results in a lower average power delivered. That is, for higher duty cycles, a larger percentage of the cycle 402 is "on" period D than for lower duty cycles. In this manner, careful control of the level of power applied to the heater can be achieved by controlling the duty cycle of the pulse-width modulated power flow.

[0050] In the float mode, the controller 102 is configured to control the power system to apply a pulse-width modulated power flow with a first duty cycle regime to the heater to maintain the heater substantially at a predetermined aerosol-generating temperature. In the preheat mode, the controller 102 is configured to control the power system to apply a pulse-width modulated power flow with a second duty cycle regime different from the first duty cycle regime to the heater to heat the heater to the aerosol-generating temperature. The second duty cycle regime can have a higher duty cycle than the first duty cycle regime, such that a greater amount of power is applied to the heater to rapidly heat the heater to the predetermined temperature, while less power is used to maintain the heater at the predetermined temperature. The first duty cycle regime includes one or more PWM cycles having a first duty cycle ratio D1, and the second duty cycle regime includes one or more PWM cycles having a second duty cycle ratio D2, where the relationship between D1 and D2 can be thought of as D2 = D1 * K, where K is a factor much greater than 1 and can be selected as an implementation choice, with a theoretical maximum duty cycle being 1 for no off periods or close to but less than 1 for very short off periods. In an embodiment, the first duty cycle regime includes one or more duty cycles with a duty cycle ratio much less than 1, and the second duty cycle regime includes one or more duty cycles with a duty cycle ratio close to but less than 1. In another embodiment, the first duty cycle regime includes one or more duty cycles with a duty cycle ratio much less than 0.5, and the second duty cycle regime includes one or more duty cycles with a duty cycle ratio greater than or equal to 0.5. In a further embodiment, the first duty cycle is configured to apply less than 3 W in the floating mode and the second duty cycle is configured to apply approximately 16 W in the preheat mode.

[0051] In some embodiments, the PWM power flow in the floating mode can be considered a first PWM power flow, and the PWM power flow in the preheat mode can be considered a second PWM power flow.

[0052] In the float mode, the controller 102 is configured to control the second energy storage module to charge the first energy storage module during the pulse width modulation cycle off periods. In this manner, the first energy storage module can be incrementally charged during the float mode, thereby increasing the amount of time it can power the heater. This allows the first energy storage module to be smaller.

[0053] In the post-float mode, the controller 102 is configured to control the second energy storage module 106 to constantly charge the first energy storage module 106 until the first energy storage module 104 is fully charged. In this way, the first energy storage module is sufficiently charged for the preheat mode in a subsequent aerosolization session.

[0054] FIG. 5A illustrates a particular implementation of the power system 500 described with reference to FIGS.

[0055] 5A, the first energy storage module 504 is a supercapacitor module 504, and the second energy storage module 506 is a battery module 506. The supercapacitor module 504 includes one or more supercapacitors, and the battery module 506 includes one or more batteries.

[0056] In particular embodiments, the supercapacitor module 504 may be implemented as two supercapacitors connected in series. These supercapacitors may be conventional supercapacitors and each may have a voltage of 2.5V, thereby providing a total voltage of 5V for the supercapacitor module 504. As such, the voltage (U2) of the supercapacitor module 504 may be 5V. In other embodiments, multiple supercapacitors may be connected in series to meet the voltage requirements needed to power the heater. Connecting multiple smaller supercapacitors in series, rather than using a single larger supercapacitor, is advantageous in allowing for greater design flexibility.

[0057] The battery module 506 may be implemented as a single battery. This may be a high-energy battery, such as a battery using lithium-ion, aluminum-ion, or zinc-ion technology, or any other suitable type of battery. Alternatively, the battery module may be comprised of multiple batteries. In a specific embodiment, the battery is a lithium-ion battery having a voltage of 3.7 V. As such, the voltage (U1) of the battery module 506 may be 3.7 V. The battery module 506 may be integrated into the aerosol generation device 100. In other embodiments, the battery module 506 may not be a battery specifically integrated into the device 100, but rather a power bank that can be attached / detached to / from the aerosol generation device 100. The battery module 506 need not be exclusively an integrated battery or a separate power bank; rather, the battery module may utilize a combination of the two; when the integrated battery is fully discharged, the power bank can be connected and an aerosolization session can be performed without first having to recharge the integrated battery.

[0058] The supercapacitor module 504 and the battery module 506 are connected in parallel with a DC / DC voltage converter 530 disposed therebetween. The DC / DC voltage converter 530 is configured to boost the battery module voltage for charging the supercapacitor module 504 from the battery module 506. A first switching means 522 is disposed between the battery module 506 and the converter 530. The supercapacitor module 504 can be connected in parallel to a heater 508, represented as a load 508, with a second switching means 524 disposed therebetween. The heater 508 is not itself a component of the power system 500, but rather is powered by the power system 500. The first switching means 522 and the second switching means 524 can be transistors connected to the controller 102 (not shown in FIG. 5A ).

[0059] During the preheat mode and the float mode, controlling the pulse-width modulated power flow of the power system 500 includes controlling the supercapacitor module 504 to power the heater 508 and controlling the battery module 506 to recharge the supercapacitor module 504. Only the supercapacitor module 504 powers the heater 508 in the preheat mode and the float mode, and the battery module 506 recharges the supercapacitor module 504. During the PWM cycle ON period of the pulse-width modulated power flow, the supercapacitor module 504 powers the heater, and during the PWM cycle OFF period, the battery module 506 recharges the supercapacitor module 504. That is, during the preheat mode and the float mode, the supercapacitor module 504 switches between powering the heater 508 during the ON portion of the duty cycle and being recharged by the battery module 506 during the OFF portion of the duty cycle. The battery module 506 does not charge the supercapacitor module 504 during the ON portion of the duty cycle.

[0060] The pulse-width modulated power flow in the floating mode operates in a first duty cycle regime including one or more PWM cycles having a first duty cycle ratio D1. In the preheat mode, the supercapacitor module 504 powers the heater 508 using a pulse-width modulated power flow with a second duty cycle regime including one or more PWM cycles having a second duty cycle ratio D2. The relationship between D1 and D2 can be considered as D2 = D1 * K, where K is a factor that is much greater than 1 and can be selected as an implementation choice. In one embodiment, the first duty cycle ratio can be much less than 1 and the second duty cycle ratio can be close to but less than 1. In other embodiments, the first duty cycle ratio can be much less than 0.5 and the second duty cycle ratio can be 0.5 or greater. In a further embodiment, the first duty cycle is configured to apply less than 3 W in the floating mode and the second duty cycle is configured to apply approximately 16 W in the preheat mode.

[0061] The controller 102, the first switching means 522, and the second switching means 524 provide this control over heating and charging. During a PWM cycle on period of the pulse-width modulated power flow, the controller 102 controls the second switching means 524 to be closed and the first switching means 522 to be open. In this manner, power flows from the supercapacitor module 504 to the heater 508 during the PWM on period, while the battery module 506 is isolated from the supercapacitor module 504 and the heater 508. During a PWM cycle off period of the pulse-width modulated power flow, the controller 102 controls the second switching means 524 to be open and the first switching means 522 to be closed. In this manner, power flows from the battery module 506 to the supercapacitor module 504 to recharge the supercapacitor module 504 while it is isolated from the heater 508. Thus, during pulse width modulated power flow, rapid switching occurs between powering the heater 508 during the PWM cycle ON periods and recharging the supercapacitor module 504 during the PWM cycle OFF periods.

[0062] In some embodiments, there may be a small delay between opening the first switching means 522 and closing the second switching means 524. This prevents power flow from the battery module 506 from inadvertently reaching the heater 508 during the on period of the duty cycle of the pulse width modulated power flow.

[0063] 5B shows a plot of current 546 versus time 544 of pulse-width modulated power flow into and out of the supercapacitor module during an exemplary portion of the preheat mode or floating mode. During the PWM cycle-on period (D) of the switching period 402, power flows out of the supercapacitor module 504 at a first amplitude 554. A solid line 550 indicates power flowing out of the supercapacitor module 504, and a dashed line 552 indicates power flowing into the supercapacitor module 504. During the PWM cycle-off period (1-D), power flows into the supercapacitor module 504 at a second amplitude 556. In this manner, the power flow 552 into the supercapacitor module 504 during the PWM cycle-off period (1-D) at least partially compensates for the power flow 550 out of the supercapacitor module 504 during the PWM cycle-on period. In one example, the first amplitude 554 is 10 A and the second amplitude 556 is 2 A.

[0064] During the post-float mode, the controller 102 controls the first switching means 522 to close and the second switching means 524 to open. In this manner, power flow to the heater 508 is disabled and the supercapacitor module 504 no longer powers the heater 508. When the first switching means 522 is closed, the battery module 506 always charges the supercapacitor module 504 until the supercapacitor module 504 is fully charged. In this manner, the supercapacitor module 504 will have a sufficient charge level for the pre-heat mode of a subsequent aerosolization session.

[0065] FIG. 5C shows a dual plot of the temperature 570 of the heater 508 versus time 574 and the corresponding state of charge 572 of the supercapacitor module 504 versus time 574 for an aerosolization session including the preheat mode 308, the float mode 310, and the post-float mode 312.

[0066] During preheat mode 308, the heater 508 is powered by the supercapacitor module 504, for example at a high duty cycle, and the temperature of the heater 508 increases to a predetermined temperature during this preheat 308, and the charge level of the supercapacitor module 504 decreases as the heater 508 is powered.

[0067] In the floating mode 310, the heater 508 is powered by the supercapacitor module 504 and maintained at a predetermined temperature. As explained, the pulse-width modulated power flow is configured such that the supercapacitor module 504 applies power to the heater 508 during the PWM cycle-on periods and the battery module 506 recharges the supercapacitor module 504 during the PWM cycle-off periods. As such, the charge level of the supercapacitor module 504 decreases during the PWM cycle-on periods of the pulse-width modulated power flow and increases during the PWM cycle-off periods. This is visually represented by the rise and fall of the charge level 572 of the supercapacitor module 504 as a function of time 574 in FIG. 5C during the floating mode 310. Because the charge flowing from the battery module 506 to the supercapacitor module 504 during the PWM cycle-off periods does not perfectly balance the charge flowing out to the heater 508 during the PWM cycle-on periods, the charge level of the supercapacitor module 504 has an overall decreasing trend over the course of the floating mode 310. This overall decrease in the charge level of the supercapacitor module 504 is slower than if the incremental charging during the PWM cycle off periods were not applied. In this manner, the supercapacitor module 504 is able to power the heater 508 for a greater amount of time due to the incremental recharging during the PWM cycle off periods.

[0068] In the post-float mode 312, the supercapacitor module 504 no longer powers the heater 508, and therefore the heater temperature drops. During the post-float mode, the battery module 506 constantly charges the supercapacitor module 504, thereby increasing the charge level until the supercapacitor module 504 is fully charged. Because the battery module 506 can slowly charge the supercapacitor module 504, only a lower maximum current is required, thereby reducing stress on the battery and improving its lifespan.

[0069] The battery module 506 can store enough charge for multiple aerosolization sessions to recharge the supercapacitor module 504. When the charge level of the battery module 506 is depleted, the device 100 can be connected to another external power source, such as a mains charger, a USB charger, or a power bank, to recharge the battery module 506.

[0070] In embodiments where a power bank can be connected to the aerosol generating device 100, the power bank can function as the battery module 506 and can charge the supercapacitor module 504 during PWM cycle off periods of the pulse-width modulated power flow. In this way, if the internal battery module is depleted of charge, an aerosolization session can still be performed by the power bank performing the operations that would otherwise be performed by the internal battery module. This allows an operator to perform an aerosolization session without first charging the internal battery module.

[0071] A pulse-width modulated power regime in which the supercapacitor module 504 is used to power the heater 508 during the PWM cycle on periods of the pulse-width modulated power flow and the battery module 506 is used to recharge the supercapacitor module 504 during the PWM cycle off periods of the pulse-width modulated power flow is advantageous because the incremental recharging during the off periods ensures that the supercapacitor module 504 continues to have sufficient charge to power the heater throughout the floating mode. Furthermore, this incremental recharging of the supercapacitor module 504 means that a smaller sized supercapacitor can be used because the supercapacitor module has low energy / capacity requirements (in an embodiment, less than 0.05 Wh is required per aerosolization session), thereby reducing cost and improving safety.

[0072] Without recharging during the PWM cycle off periods, the supercapacitor charge level quickly becomes low, preventing the supercapacitor module 504 from being able to power the heater 508 throughout the entire float mode without the additional support of power flow from the battery to the heater 508.

[0073] Using a battery to directly power the heater, or using the power flow from the battery to the heater to support the power flow from the supercapacitor to the heater, can be disadvantageous if a boost converter is required because the battery typically has a lower voltage level than is required to power the heater. Such a boost converter can introduce losses into the system. Because the supercapacitor module 504 has a higher voltage level than the battery, a boost converter is not required when using only the supercapacitor module 504 to power the heater. This avoids the losses associated with boosting, which introduces such losses.

[0074] As another advantage, the supercapacitor module 504 has a lower internal resistance than a typical battery, thereby reducing losses in the system compared to systems in which the heater is powered by a battery.

[0075] When the charge level of the battery module is depleted, it can be recharged using a pulse charging protocol, as will be described below.

[0076] Figure 6A shows an exemplary circuit diagram presenting the power system 500 described with reference to Figure 5A configured to be charged in a pulsed manner. The circuit corresponds to that of Figure 5A with an external power source 602 (external to the aerosol generating device power system 500) connected to a node 604 between the first switching means 522 and the DC / DC voltage converter 530. The power system 500 is configured to be controlled to charge the battery module 506 by pulse charging using the external power source 602. The external power source 602 provides power to the power system 500 from an external power source such as a mains power source, a power bank, a laptop, a docking / charging station, a portable charging case, etc. The external power source 602 may include a power adapter configured to connect to a mains power source, a power bank, a USB port on a separate appliance, etc.

[0077] In a particular example where the external power source 602 is a portable charging case, the charging case may be sized to receive and accommodate the aerosol generating device within its chamber. The charging case includes a battery that connects to node 604 when the aerosol generating device is received in the charging case. In this manner, when an operator inserts the aerosol generating device into the charging case, the power system 500 provides a connection with the battery included in the charging case to charge the power system. The charging case's battery can store enough energy to fully recharge the power system 500 multiple times. The charging case's battery itself may be charged from an external power source, such as a power bank or mains power, via a connection such as a USB cable or via connection to a docking station. In an exemplary use process, an operator removes the aerosol generating device from the charging case in which it was being charged, performs an aerosolization session (or multiple aerosolization sessions), and then reinserts the aerosol generating device into the charging case to charge the power system 500 for future aerosolization sessions. The power system 500 may be configured to store a sufficient charge for a first predetermined number of aerosolization sessions or puffs. The portable charging case can be configured to store enough charge to recharge the power system 500 for a second predetermined number of aerosolization sessions or puffs that is greater than the first predetermined number of aerosolization sessions. Pulse charging protocols (described below) are particularly beneficial for portable charging cases because they allow for a smaller maximum discharge current from the charging case's battery, which allows for better energy density, which in turn allows for more capacity for the same size battery. The greater capacity allows for more recharge cycles from the portable charging case per full charge of the portable charging case's battery.

[0078] FIG. 6B shows a plot of current 630 versus time 632 for a typical pulse charging protocol. As shown in FIG. 6B, in pulse charging, current flow 620 to the battery is supplied in a pulsed manner. The pulse charging current flow 620 to the battery module 506 includes one or more pulse cycles 640. The pulse cycle 640 has a first period 642 during which current is directed into the battery to charge it and a second period 644 during which current is not directed into the battery, allowing the battery to rest. The first period 642 and the second period 644 are separate periods that together form the overall pulse cycle 640. The first period 642 and the second period 644 may be the same length of time or may be different lengths of time. The switching between the first period 642 and the second period 644 defines the pulse rate of the pulse charging.

[0079] Pulse charging requires a much higher current rate than traditional constant-current, constant-voltage charging approaches. Pulse charging requires a larger current to be injected in pulses. For example, for pulse charging to charge a lithium-ion battery faster than traditional charging protocols, at a maximum current rate of 1 A, the pulse current rate should be much greater than 1 A. In this example, if a 0.5-hour charge time is used, continuous charging at 1 A using a traditional charging protocol will charge the battery with 1 A x 0.5 hours = 0.5 Ah. For pulse charging, for example, if the cumulative pulse time corresponds to half of 0.5 hours, the current rate must be greater than 2 A to inject a higher charge into the battery (to a higher state of charge) than traditional charging protocols.

[0080] This means that when short charging times are required, the maximum current rate required for fast pulse charging is much higher than for conventional charging. Providing such current to the power system 500 faces several challenges. The maximum current and / or power required from the external power source 602 (e.g., a wall adapter) is very high, significantly increasing hardware costs. Also, the very high current leads to increased energy loss during charging. The charging electronics required to accommodate the high current and / or power must be large, causing additional cost and operator inconvenience due to increased device size and / or weight. Also, the energy loss (heat) that must be dissipated can impact device size. These challenges are addressed by the power system 500 described with reference to FIG. 6A.

[0081] 6A , the power system 500 is configured with a first state during a first time period and a second state during a second time period. The controller 102 controls the power system 500 to switch between the first and second states once during each pulse cycle to provide a pulse-charging power flow to the battery module 506. In this manner, the pulse-charging power flow periodically switches between charging the battery during a first time period of each pulse cycle and not charging the battery during a second time period of each pulse cycle. When the pulse-charging power flow includes multiple pulse cycles, the pulse-charging power flow repeatedly switches between charging the battery and not charging the battery.

[0082] The controller 102 (not shown in FIG. 6A ) of the power system 500 of FIG. 6A controls a first power flow from the external power source 602 to control a pulse charging regime by periodically switching between charging the battery module 506 during a first time period and not charging the battery module 506 during a second time period. Controlling the first power flow further includes charging the supercapacitor module 504 from the external power source 602 during the second time period. The first power flow from the external power source 602 may be a substantially constant current flow. Controlling the first power flow may further include not charging the supercapacitor module 504 from the external power source 602 during the first time period.

[0083] The controller 102 further controls the pulse charging by controlling a second power flow between the supercapacitor module 504 and the battery module 506 to charge the battery module 506 from the supercapacitor module 504 during the first time period. Controlling the second power flow may further include not charging the battery module 506 from the supercapacitor module 504 during the second time period.

[0084] That is, during a first time period, the controller 102 controls the power system 500 such that a first power flow from the external power source 602 charges the battery module 506. Simultaneously, the controller 102 also controls a second power flow from the supercapacitor module 504 during the first time period to charge the battery module 506. This is achieved by the controller 102 configuring the power system 500 to be in a first state. Following the post-float mode, as described with reference to FIGS. 5A-5C , the supercapacitor module 504 is fully recharged. In this way, the charge in the supercapacitor module 504 is immediately available to supplement the current flow from the external power source 602 during the first time period of the pulse charging.

[0085] During the second time period, the controller 102 controls the power system 500 so that the first power flow from the external power source 602 does not charge the battery module 506. At the same time, the controller 102 also controls the first power flow from the external power source 602 during the second time period to charge the supercapacitor module 504. This is achieved by the controller 102 configuring the power system 500 to be in the second state. In this way, the charge level of the supercapacitor module 504 is filled during the second time period so that it can charge the battery module 506 during the first time period.

[0086] In this manner, a substantially constant current input from the external power source 602 charges the battery module 506 during a first period and charges the supercapacitor module 504 during a second period.

[0087] More specifically, the first switching means 522 is controlled by the controller 102 to switch between charging the battery module 506 during a first time period and not charging the battery module 506 during a second time period. That is, in a first state, the first switching means 522 is closed to allow a first power flow to the battery module 506. In a second state, the first switching means 522 is opened to stop the first power flow to the battery module 506.

[0088] The voltage converter 530 is configured to step down the voltage of the second power flow from the supercapacitor module 504 to the battery module 506 during a first time period (i.e., a first state). The voltage converter 530 is a bidirectional voltage converter and is controlled by the controller 102 to prevent the first power flow from the external power source 602 to the supercapacitor module 504 during the first time period (i.e., in the first state). The voltage converter 530 also controls the power flow to the supercapacitor module 504 to prevent overcharging if the supercapacitor module 504 becomes fully charged before the end of the second time period.

[0089] The controller 102 controls the first switching means 522 to open and close at the pulse rate of the pulse charging. Similarly, the controller 102 controls the voltage converter 530 to switch between allowing and preventing power flow from the external power source 602 to the supercapacitor module 504 and from the supercapacitor module 504 to the battery module 506 at the pulse rate of the pulse charging. This provides power source management control for switching the power system 500 between a first state for a first time period and a second state for a second time period. That is, the controller 102 controls the first switching means 522 and the voltage converter 530 to switch the power system 500 between the first state and the second state to manage the pulse charging regime.

[0090] In one embodiment, controller 102 is configured to automatically detect when external power source 602 is connected to node 604. Upon detecting that external power source 602 is connected to node 604, controller 102 initiates a pulse charging regime.

[0091] 6C shows an exemplary dual plot of current 660 versus time 662 for a substantially constant current input 650 (dotted line) from an external power source, a current flow 652 (solid line) into the battery module 506 (top panel), and a current flow 654 (dashed line) into and out of the supercapacitor module 504 (bottom panel). The plot also shows that these current flows are implemented in a pulse cycle 640 that includes a first period 642 and a second period 644, and continues into the first period 642 of the next pulse cycle.

[0092] As shown, the current flow 650 from the external power source is substantially constant.

[0093] During the first time period 642, the controller 102 controls the power system 500 to be in a first state. A current flow 650 from the external power source is directed to the battery module 506 and combined with a current flow 564 from the supercapacitor module 504 to the battery module 506. As such, the amplitude of the current flow 652 to the battery module 506 is greater than the substantially constant current flow 650 from the external power source to the power system 500.

[0094] During the second time period 644, the controller 102 controls the power system 500 to be in a second state. Current flow 650 from the external power source is directed to the supercapacitor module 504 to compensate (at least partially) for the current discharged from the supercapacitor module 504 to the battery module 506 during the first time period 642.

[0095] In this manner, during the first time period 642, the current flow 650 from the external power source to the battery module 506 is boosted by the current flow from the supercapacitor module 504 to the battery module 506. During the second time period 644, the current flow from the external power source to the supercapacitor module 504 recharges the supercapacitor module 504.

[0096] Thus, a substantially constant current flow 650 from the external power source is switched to be used to charge the battery during a first period 642 and to charge the supercapacitor module 504 during a second period 644 .

[0097] In conventional pulse charging, the battery is charged for a first time period and the current flow from the external power source is disabled for a second time period. That is, in conventional pulse charging, there is no utilization of the current flow from the external power source for the second time period. The implementation described with reference to Figures 6A and 6B is advantageous because the current flow from the external power source is utilized to charge the supercapacitor module 504 for the second time period. This then boosts the charging of the battery module 506 for the first time period to charge the battery module 506 more rapidly for a given input current level from the external power source 602 by better utilizing the power.

[0098] By using the supercapacitor module 504 to boost the current flow from the external power source 602 to the battery module 506, a lower power external power source 602 can be used for pulse charging. For example, a high power wall adapter is not required to achieve high-speed pulse charging, and instead a lower power source, such as a port on a low-power USB device or other device, can be used. This provides advantages including reduced cost, reduced losses, and improved efficiency, greater flexibility in device design, and reduced device size.

[0099] 5A and 6A is advantageous for several reasons: first, it provides incremental charging during an aerosolization session, thereby increasing the amount of time the supercapacitor module 504 can power the heater, and second, it allows the supercapacitor module 504 to boost an external power source for rapid pulse charging.

[0100] In the foregoing description, the controller 102 can store instructions for operating the aerosol generating device and execute them as needed. Those skilled in the art will readily understand that the controller 102 can be configured to perform any of the above-described features in combination with each other as needed. The processing steps described herein performed by the controller 102 can be stored in a non-transitory computer-readable medium or storage device associated with the controller 102. Computer-readable media can include non-volatile media and volatile media. Volatile media can include semiconductor memory and dynamic memory, among others. Non-volatile media can include optical and magnetic disks, among others.

[0101] It will be readily apparent to those skilled in the art that the preceding embodiments in the foregoing description are not limiting, and the features of each embodiment may be incorporated into other embodiments as appropriate.

Claims

1. An aerosol generating device, comprising: a power system including a supercapacitor module and a battery module, the power system being connectable to an external power source; a controller, controlling a first power flow from the external power source to the power system, the first power flow including periodically switching the first power flow between charging the battery module for a first time period and not charging the battery module for a second time period in a pulse charging manner; a controller configured to control a pulse charging regime of the power system by controlling a second power flow between the supercapacitor module and a battery module, the control comprising charging the battery module from the supercapacitor module during the first time period.

2. 2. The aerosol generating device of claim 1, wherein controlling the first power flow further comprises charging the supercapacitor module from the external power source during the second period of time.

3. 3. The aerosol generating device of claim 1, wherein controlling the first power flow further comprises not charging the supercapacitor module from the external power source during the first period.

4. The aerosol generating device of any one of claims 1 to 3, wherein controlling the second power flow further comprises not charging the battery module from the supercapacitor module during the second period.

5. 5. An aerosol generating device according to any one of claims 1 to 4, wherein the first power flow comprises a substantially constant current flow to the power system.

6. 6. The aerosol generating device according to claim 1, wherein the battery module comprises at least one battery and / or at least one removable power bank.

7. 7. The aerosol generating device according to claim 1, wherein the supercapacitor module comprises two or more supercapacitors connected in series.

8. 8. The aerosol generating device according to claim 1, wherein the power system comprises the supercapacitor module connected in parallel with the battery module, and a voltage converter is connected between the supercapacitor module and the battery module.

9. 9. The aerosol generating device of claim 8, wherein the voltage converter is configured to step down the voltage of the second power flow from the supercapacitor module to the battery module during the first time period.

10. An aerosol generating device as described in any one of claims 1 to 9, wherein the power system further comprises a first switching means connected between the battery module and the supercapacitor module, and the first switching means is controlled by the controller to switch between charging the battery module during a first period and not charging the battery module during a second period.

11. A system comprising the aerosol generating device according to any one of claims 1 to 10 and the external power source.

12. The system of claim 11, wherein the external power source is a power adapter connectable to a mains power source and / or a power bank, a docking station configured to receive the aerosol generating device, or a portable charging case configured to receive the aerosol generating device.

13. 1. A method for controlling a pulse charging regime of a power system of an aerosol generating device, the power system comprising a supercapacitor module and a battery module and connectable to an external power source, the method comprising: controlling a first power flow from the external power source to the power system, the first power flow including periodically switching the first power flow between charging the battery module for a first time period and not charging the battery module for a second time period in a pulse charging manner; controlling a second power flow between the supercapacitor module and a battery module, the second power flow comprising charging the battery module from the supercapacitor module during the first time period.

14. 1. A non-transitory computer-readable medium storing instructions that, when executed by one or more processors of a controller configured to operate with a power system of an aerosol generating device, the power system including a supercapacitor module and a battery module connectable to an external power source, cause the one or more processors to: controlling a first power flow from the external power source to the power system, the first power flow including periodically switching the first power flow between charging the battery module for a first time period and not charging the battery module for a second time period in a pulse charging manner; and controlling a second power flow between the supercapacitor module and a battery module, the second power flow including charging the battery module from the supercapacitor module during the first time period, thereby controlling a pulse charging regime of a power system.

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