Gestures to lock the device and activate the lock function

Abstract

An aerosol generation device (10) comprising: a sensor (11) configured to detect a user gesture; a feedback unit (12) configured to provide sensory feedback to the user; and a lock control circuit (13) configured to lock or unlock the aerosol generation device (10) upon detection of a first gesture followed by a second gesture by the sensor (11), wherein the first gesture and the second gesture have different characteristics; the sensor (11) configured to provide a signal to the feedback unit (12) upon detection of the first gesture; and the feedback unit (12) configured to provide sensory feedback to the user upon receiving the signal.

Description

[Technical Field]

[0001] The present invention relates to aerosol generating devices and the use of gestures to operate such devices. [Background technology]

[0002] Aerosol generating devices, such as electronic cigarettes, are typically easily operated, for example, by creating negative pressure in a mouthpiece, i.e., by inhaling or pressing a button. While the ease with which an aerosol generating device can be operated can be beneficial to a user, there may be situations in which a higher level of security is desirable, such as when the user is around children. Increasing the security level of the device can prevent accidental use. Summary of the Invention [Problem to be solved by the invention]

[0003] It would be desirable to be able to easily and conveniently adapt the security level of an electronic cigarette. [Means for solving the problem]

[0004] An aspect of the present invention provides an aerosol generation device including a sensor configured to detect user gestures, a feedback unit configured to provide sensory feedback to a user, and a lock control circuit configured to lock or unlock the aerosol generation device upon detection of a first gesture followed by a second gesture by the sensor, the first gesture and the second gesture having different characteristics. The sensor is configured to provide a signal to the feedback unit upon detection of the first gesture and before detection of the second gesture, and the feedback unit is configured to provide sensory feedback to the user upon receiving the signal.

[0005] This advantageously provides a secure locking mechanism for the user. The device may be conveniently locked or unlocked as needed, but the input sequence of the first and second gestures is not easily entered accidentally. Furthermore, the feedback provided to the user upon recognition of the first gesture beneficially provides the user with confirmation that the lock or unlock sequence has been recognized by the device.

[0006] By providing a signal to the feedback unit upon detection of a first gesture and before detection of a second gesture, the technique can assist a user in performing a technical task, the technical task being locking or unlocking an aerosol generating device. Upon successful detection of the first gesture, the feedback unit provides sensory feedback to the user. In this way, the user can understand when the first gesture was successfully completed, and can thereby be guided through this human-machine interaction to input a second gesture and lock or unlock the device. If the user attempts to complete the first gesture but does not receive any sensory feedback, the user can understand that there was an error in detecting or executing the first gesture. The absence of expected feedback can therefore guide the user to re-input the first gesture. The presence or absence of sensory feedback guides the user to input the second gesture or re-input the first gesture, thereby assisting the user in performing this technical task.

[0007] The first gesture and the second gesture have different characteristics. For example, the first gesture may include touching the sensor for a predetermined period of time, and the second gesture may include a swipe action. The sensor may be configured to provide a signal to the feedback unit upon detection of the first gesture and before detection of the second gesture, and may be configured to provide a signal after the predetermined period of time.

[0008] An advantage of these different characteristics is the ability to prevent accidental locking or unlocking. For example, if a user of a device locks it to prevent a child from playing with it, it is preferable that the gesture required to unlock the device is a deliberate and specific gesture that is difficult to enter accidentally.

[0009] The sensor configured to detect a user gesture preferably includes a capacitive unit, which may have a plurality of capacitive cells, which includes a capacitor, and which may be used to detect the touch of a digit, such as a finger or thumb.

[0010] The capacitive cells may be arranged linearly within the capacitive unit. For example, the capacitive cells may be arranged in an m×n grid structure having m rows and n columns. There may be a single column or a single row. Information identifying which cell within the capacitive unit is pressed may be advantageously used to distinguish between different gestures.

[0011] The linear array of capacitive cells may have a first end and a second end. The first gesture may include touching the first end or touching the second end for a predetermined period of time. Touching the first end or the second end may include touching one capacitive cell, which may be the first capacitive cell. Alternatively, the first gesture may be detected when the outermost cell of either the first end or the second end is pressed simultaneously with an adjacent cell. Advantageously, this reduces the precision required to input the first gesture. Because the capacitive unit only needs to be touched in one location, touching and holding the first capacitive cell is advantageously easy to perform.

[0012] The first gesture may include touching multiple capacitive cells for a predetermined period of time. The multiple capacitive cells may not be adjacent. For example, two capacitive cells may be pressed simultaneously, one at a first end of a linear array and one at a second end of the linear array. Inputting the first gesture may therefore require more than one finger. Advantageously, this is difficult to do inadvertently, thereby making the locking mechanism more secure.

[0013] The duration of the predetermined period may be several seconds, preferably 1 to 3 seconds, typically about 1.5 seconds. This distinguishes the first gesture as a touch-and-hold gesture, rather than, for example, a tap or a short press. Distinguishing the input in this manner increases the number of different input gestures or gesture sequences. This advantageously allows a user to interact with the aerosol generating device in a variety of different ways. Different types of gestures may correspond to different user requests or commands.

[0014] When the first gesture is detected, the aerosol generating device provides sensory feedback to the user before the second gesture is detected. Optionally, the capacitance cells are released after the first gesture is input and before the second gesture is input. Alternatively, one or more capacitance cells may remain pressed between the first and second gestures. This advantageously allows a sequence in which the first gesture is followed by the second gesture to be performed seamlessly. Seamless movements are typically effortless for the user and may therefore beneficially enhance the user experience.

[0015] The second gesture may include a swipe across multiple capacitive cells. The swipe action involves smoothly crossing between one capacitive cell and another adjacent cell. Typically, the swipe action involves swiping from a first end of the capacitive unit to a second end of the capacitive unit. A swipe from the second end of the capacitive unit to the first end may also be registered as a swipe action, or may be registered as a reverse swipe and used as a separate gesture. A partial swipe action may also be registered, in which a subset containing fewer than the total number of capacitive cells in the unit is sequentially activated. Advantageously, this is a simple and natural gesture for a user to input to the device.

[0016] When the first gesture involves pressing the sensor at a single point on a first end of the capacitive unit, the second gesture preferably begins at the first end. Similarly, when the first gesture involves pressing the sensor at a single point on a second end of the capacitive unit, the second gesture preferably begins at the second end. Advantageously, this results in more natural gestures that are easier to perform.

[0017] The feedback unit is configured to provide sensory feedback to the user. The sensory feedback may be provided during or following input of a particular gesture to provide feedback to the user that the gesture has been recognized. The feedback unit may include a haptic unit. The haptic unit may provide feedback in the form of vibrations.

[0018] An advantage of including a haptic unit in the feedback unit is the ability to communicate information to the user without the user having to look at or focus on the device. The length of time of the vibration may be adjustable. Similarly, the intensity of the vibration may be adjustable. Furthermore, the intensity may vary during the course of the vibration, for example to provide an increasing vibration or a pulsed vibration. The intensity may drop to zero between pulses to provide a sequence of discrete vibrations. The vibration characteristics may be configured to a factory setting or may be configurable by the user.

[0019] The feedback unit may include a lighting unit configured to provide feedback using one or more light-emitting diodes (LEDs). The LEDs may be white or colored. Feedback may be provided to the user by turning on one or more of the LEDs. Other lighting components may be used in place of or in addition to the LEDs to provide optical feedback. The duration, color, and sequence of the LEDs may be adjusted to communicate different messages to the user. An advantage of optical feedback is the clarity of the feedback provided.

[0020] The feedback unit may include both a tactile unit and a light-emitting unit, which may advantageously provide further options for communicating different feedback messages to the user of the device.

[0021] The feedback unit is configured to provide sensory feedback to the user upon receiving the signal. The sensory feedback may be in the form of tactile feedback or optical feedback, or a combination of tactile and optical feedback. The sensor is configured to provide a signal to the feedback unit upon detection of the first gesture and preferably also upon detection of the second gesture. Activation of the feedback unit may initiate a stored pattern of vibration or light sequence. The feedback unit may also receive a signal from the sensor upon detection of the first gesture followed by the second gesture by the sensor. The feedback unit may be activated during the first gesture and / or the second gesture.

[0022] In addition to the lock control circuit configured to lock or unlock the aerosol generating device as described above, the device may further include a lock enable control circuit. The lock enable control circuit may be configured to enable or disable the lock control circuit upon detection of a third gesture by the sensor. Additionally or alternatively, the lock enable control circuit may be configured to enable or disable the lock control circuit upon receiving a control command sent to the aerosol generating device by a connected electronic device. The electronic device may be connected to the aerosol generating device using wireless communication, such as Bluetooth low energy (BLE).

[0023] Advantageously, the lock enable control circuit provides additional control over the security of the device. The user can adapt the security level depending on the particular situation. If the user wants to use the device frequently, the user can disable the lock control circuit so that the device can be used freely without having to lock or unlock the device. The lock control circuit can be enabled as needed to prevent accidental use of the aerosol generating device. Enabling or disabling the lock control circuit in response to a gesture or command provides the user with added flexibility.

[0024] The third gesture used to enable or disable the lock control circuit may include a swipe action. The third gesture may include two or more swipe actions performed sequentially. For example, the third gesture may include swiping in a first direction along the length of the plurality of capacitive cells and swiping in a second direction along the length of the plurality of capacitive cells, the second direction being generally opposite to the first direction. Swiping in the first direction may include a user performing a first swipe action swiping from a first end of the capacitive unit to a second end of the capacitive unit. Swiping in the second direction may include a user performing a second swipe action swiping from the second end of the capacitive unit to the first end of the capacitive unit. Alternatively, the third gesture may include multiple swipes performed in the same direction. Each swipe action performed may be a full swipe in which each of the cells in the capacitive unit is activated, or a partial swipe in which only some of the cells are activated.

[0025] Advantageously, the swipe action is an easy and natural gesture for a user to input. If the third gesture is a specific sequence of swipe actions, this provides the further advantage that the third gesture is difficult to input accidentally.

[0026] Another aspect of the present invention provides a method for locking or unlocking an aerosol generating device, the aerosol generating device including a sensor, a feedback unit, and a lock control circuit, the method including the steps of: detecting a first gesture input by a user with the sensor; providing feedback to the user with the feedback unit; detecting a second gesture input by the sensor with the sensor; and locking or unlocking the aerosol generating device with the lock control circuit, wherein the first gesture and the second gesture have different characteristics.

[0027] Advantageously, the method allows the user to unlock or lock the device as needed, adding an additional level of security to the device. The device may remain locked when other people are in the vicinity, and the requirement to enter an unlock sequence before use advantageously helps to prevent accidental use of the aerosol generating device. Preferably, the device may only be used to generate aerosol or vapor when in the unlocked state.

[0028] The sensor may be a capacitive sensor. The feedback unit optionally provides tactile and / or optical feedback. The first gesture may include a touch-and-hold sequence, and the second gesture may include a swipe action. The gestures may be input by a user. Advantageously, these touch inputs are easy and natural for a user to input so that the device can be unlocked and locked as needed, yet the particular sequence of gestures is difficult to input inadvertently. Providing sensory feedback from the user advantageously enhances user interaction with the device, as the user can easily determine when a gesture has been properly detected.

[0029] The method may involve identifying an error in at least one of the preceding steps during the testing or debugging process, and an error message may be generated and output to a developer or tester.

[0030] A further aspect of the present invention provides a computer-readable medium comprising instructions that, when executed by a computer, cause the computer to perform sequential steps including detecting a first gesture input by a user, providing feedback to the user, detecting a second gesture input by the user, and locking or unlocking the aerosol generating device. This advantageously provides a secure locking mechanism. The user experience is beneficially enhanced by receiving feedback upon detection of the first gesture.

[0031] Embodiments of the present invention will now be described with reference to the accompanying drawings. [Brief explanation of the drawings]

[0032] [Figure 1] FIG. 1 is a schematic diagram of a first aerosol-generating device. [Figure 2] FIG. 2 is a schematic diagram of a first gesture. [Figure 3] FIG. 10 is a schematic diagram of a second gesture. [Figure 4] FIG. 2 is a schematic diagram of an application interface. [Figure 5] 10 is a flowchart illustrating a successful lock unlock sequence. [Figure 6] 10 is a flowchart illustrating a first failed lock unlock sequence. [Figure 7] 10 is a flowchart illustrating a second failed lock unlock sequence. [Figure 8] FIG. 1 is a schematic diagram of a second aerosol-generating device. [Figure 9A] FIG. 10 is a schematic diagram of a first part of a third gesture. [Figure 9B] FIG. 10 is a schematic diagram of a second part of a third gesture. [Figure 10] 10 is a flowchart illustrating a lock valid control circuit. [Figure 11] FIG. 10 is a schematic diagram of components of a third aerosol generating device. DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION

[0033] 1 schematically illustrates an aerosol generation device according to an embodiment of the present invention. The aerosol generation device 10 includes a sensor 11, a feedback unit 12, and a control circuit 13. The aerosol generation device 10 detects a user gesture using the sensor 11 and provides feedback to the user using the feedback unit 12. In this embodiment, the feedback unit 12 includes a light-emitting unit and a tactile unit configured to provide feedback using light and / or vibration. The control circuit 13 is a lock control circuit and is configured to lock or unlock the aerosol generation device upon detection of a specific user gesture by the sensor 11.

[0034] A user gesture typically involves input using a combination of motions, touches, or inputs in sequence or simultaneously. In this embodiment, a particular user gesture is a first gesture followed by a second gesture. The first and second gestures have different characteristics. The first gesture is a touch-and-hold gesture that involves touching the sensor 11 for a predetermined period of time. The first gesture is described in more detail with reference to FIG. 2. The second gesture is a swipe gesture that involves swiping across the length of the sensor 11. The second gesture is described in more detail with reference to FIG. 3.

[0035] The sensor 11 is configured to provide a signal to the feedback unit 12 upon detection of the first gesture. Upon receiving the signal, the feedback unit 12 is configured to provide sensory feedback to the user in the form of optical feedback and / or haptic feedback. The mode of feedback given to the user can be pre-programmed or can be programmed by the user according to user preferences.

[0036] In this embodiment, the tactile unit of the feedback unit 12 vibrates with increasing intensity during the first gesture. After a predetermined period of time, the vibration stops to indicate that the first gesture has been properly detected. In this embodiment, the light-emitting unit of the feedback unit 12 is activated and begins to flash when the first gesture is properly detected. The flashing of the light-emitting unit involves the light-emitting unit emitting a series of short pulses of light, in this case monochromatic. The color may be selected to be neutral so as not to be confused with, for example, a battery indicator. In this embodiment, a blue LED is selected to provide feedback to the user that the first gesture has been detected.

[0037] 2 schematically illustrates a first gesture using an aerosol generation device 20 having a capacitance unit 21. In this embodiment, an input of the first gesture followed by a second gesture changes the lock state of the aerosol generation device 20, i.e., unlocks a locked device or locks an unlocked device. The capacitance unit 21 is used as a sensor to detect user input. The capacitance unit 21 has multiple capacitance cells that can be activated separately or together. To activate a capacitance cell, the capacitance cell must be touched with a conductive object, such as a user's finger or thumb.

[0038] The first gesture is a touch-and-hold gesture. To perform the first gesture, a user must touch and hold the capacitance unit 21 for a predetermined period of time. In this embodiment, two capacitance cells 22, 23 are touched simultaneously. The first capacitance cell 22 is the terminal cell at a first end of the capacitance unit. The second capacitance cell 23 is the terminal cell at a second end of the capacitance unit. In a first alternative embodiment, the first gesture involves touching and holding only the first capacitance cell 22. In a second alternative embodiment, the first gesture involves touching and holding only the second capacitance cell 23. In this embodiment, the capacitance unit includes a single column of capacitance cells. The length of the capacitance unit is such that the two endmost capacitance cells can be touched simultaneously using two adjacent fingers of the user's hand. Alternatively, a user can use both hands to perform the first gesture in this embodiment.

[0039] The duration of the predetermined period is adjustable. Typically, the duration is about 1.5 seconds. After the specified time has elapsed, the aerosol generating device provides feedback to the user to indicate that the first gesture has been detected. Receiving the feedback guides and triggers the user in human-machine interaction to input a second gesture or release the pressed volume cell. The user must wait for the feedback following the successful execution of the first gesture before entering the second gesture following the release of the pressed volume cell. Users may learn to expect feedback after the successful execution of a first gesture, and therefore, the absence of expected feedback may indicate an error in the execution or detection of the first gesture. The absence of expected feedback may therefore guide the user to re-input the first gesture of touch and hold.

[0040] 3 schematically illustrates a second gesture using an aerosol generation device 30 having a capacitance unit 31. The capacitance unit 31 has four capacitance cells arranged linearly along the length of the aerosol generation device 30, with a first end closer to the mouthpiece 36 of the device 30 and a second end further from the mouthpiece 36 of the device 30. In this embodiment, input of a second gesture after a first gesture as described with reference to FIG. 2 changes the lock state of the aerosol generation device 30 from a locked state to an unlocked state or from an unlocked state to a locked state.

[0041] The second gesture is a swipe action, where multiple capacitive cells are activated sequentially. A swipe action is a smooth movement and is completely different from pressing consecutive cells one after the other. A swipe is a continuous action.

[0042] 3 highlights activated capacitive cells at four time points during the second gesture. At the beginning of the second gesture, the first cell 32 is pressed at a first time. In this embodiment, the first cell 32 is the cell closest to the mouthpiece 36. At a second time, after the first time, the second cell 33 is pressed. With a smooth movement, there is likely a time after the first time and before the second time when both the first cell 32 and the second cell 33 are pressed simultaneously. This can be used to distinguish between a continuous swipe motion and separate presses of cells.

[0043] The swipe action continues along the capacitive unit 31 such that the third cell 34 is pressed at a third time after the second time, and the fourth cell 35 is pressed at a fourth time after the third time. In this embodiment, the fourth cell 35 is at the second end of the device 30 and is the cell farthest from the mouthpiece 36. In this embodiment, a full swipe is performed as a second gesture whose start and end points are the two outermost cells of the capacitive unit 31. In an alternative embodiment, a partial swipe may be recognized as the second gesture. In a partial swipe, some of the cells are not activated. For example, a partial swipe may sequentially activate the first cell 32, the second cell 33, and the third cell 34.

[0044] In this embodiment, the second gesture is a swipe action in a first direction from a first end to a second end of the device 30. In an alternative embodiment, the second gesture is a swipe in a second direction starting in the fourth cell 35 and swiping toward the first cell 32. If a partial swipe is input, the first activated cell may be closer to the mouthpiece 36 than the fourth cell 35. For example, if the third cell 34, the second cell 33, and the first cell 32 are activated sequentially, a partial swipe in the second direction may be recognized.

[0045] The aerosol generation device 30 may be configured to detect the second gesture only when a swipe action in the first direction or the second direction is input, or when a swipe action in either the first direction or the second direction is input. The aerosol generation device 30 may be configured to detect the second gesture only when a full swipe is input, or when a partial swipe is input.

[0046] The techniques described above involve inputting a first gesture and a second gesture to change the lock state of the aerosol generation device 20. These techniques can also be used in testing or debugging scenarios by developers. Specifically, a developer can use the feedback to determine whether the aerosol generation device 20 is operating correctly. In this scenario, a developer can execute a first gesture by simultaneously touching and holding two capacitance cells 22, 23 for a predetermined period of time. The developer knows to expect feedback from the feedback unit 12, and therefore the absence of feedback can be an indicator that the device is not operating correctly. Similarly, a developer can execute a second gesture after successfully receiving feedback following the execution of the first gesture by performing a swipe action in which multiple capacitance cells are activated sequentially. The developer knows that successful execution of the second gesture should change the lock state of the aerosol generation device 20, which can be used as evidence of whether the device is functioning as intended. Outputting an error message can be performed to identify one or more steps that appear to be functioning incorrectly.

[0047] 4 shows an application interface of a connected electronic device. The connected electronic device may be a mobile terminal, a tablet, a laptop, or any suitable electronic device capable of communicating with the aerosol generating device. In this embodiment, communication between the connected electronic device and the aerosol generating device is realized using Bluetooth low energy (BLE).

[0048] The connected electronic device can be used to input commands or change the configuration of the aerosol generating device. Advantageously, a suitable connected electronic device has a screen, which enhances the available user interaction.

[0049] FIG. 4 shows a “lock / unlock” screen 40 that may be provided on a connected electronic device, such as a smartphone running an application dedicated to the aerosol generating device and paired / connected to the aerosol generating device via a wireless communication protocol (e.g., Bluetooth). Using the lock / unlock screen 40, the lock control circuitry of the aerosol generating device can be enabled or disabled using a switch 41. This can alternatively be achieved by performing a third gesture as described with reference to FIGS. 9A and 9B . In this embodiment, the lock / unlock screen 40 also provides gesture information 42, which illustratively teaches a sequence of gestures a user can perform on the aerosol generating device to lock or unlock the device. The lock / unlock screen 40 also provides warning information 43 to the user. When the aerosol generating device is locked, it has reduced functionality, and not all gestures entered by the user are recognized. Additionally, feedback from the aerosol generating device, such as optical or tactile feedback, is limited or absent when locked. This extends the battery life of the aerosol generating device.

[0050] 5 is a flowchart illustrating communication between lock control circuit components of an aerosol generating device during a successful lock or unlock sequence including a first gesture followed by a second gesture. The first gesture includes touching and holding a capacitive sensor, and the second gesture includes a swipe action. In this embodiment, the lock control circuit includes a capacitive region control module 501, an application business logic 502, a light-emitting diode (LED) control module 503, and a haptic control module 504.

[0051] The first gesture involves touching and holding two capacitive cells, known as capacitive pads, in the capacitive sensing unit of the aerosol generating device. The two capacitive pads are the end pads in the unit. The end pads may be referred to as side pads. When the capacitive unit senses that the two side pads are being held, the capacitive region control module 501 sends a signal 511 to the application business logic 502 indicating that the first gesture is being input by indicating that the two side pads are being held. The application business logic 502 instructs the haptic control module 504 to play a lock / unlock hold vibration 512. The haptic control module 504 plays a vibration 513 with a steadily increasing intensity over a predetermined period of time.

[0052] In this embodiment, the predetermined period is 1.5 seconds. The application business logic waits 514 1.5 seconds for the hold to complete and commands 515 the haptic control module 504 to play a lock / unlock hold confirmation vibration. The haptic control module 504 plays 516 a single short vibration. The short vibration indicates to the user that the first gesture was successfully input. Upon receiving the confirmation vibration 516, the user is prompted to proceed with the next step in the lock or unlock sequence.

[0053] When the capacitive pads are released, the capacitive area control module 501 sends a signal 517 to the application business logic 502 indicating that the two side pads have been released. The application business logic 502 then commands 518 the LED control module 503 to begin flashing the blue LED. The flashing of the LED involves a rapid pulse of the LED. The blue LED is selected in this embodiment because it is a neutral color that is not associated with a specific function and therefore can be used to communicate a general message to the user.

[0054] The flashing of the blue LED indicates to the user that a second gesture may be entered. The application business logic 502 waits a predetermined period for the user to enter a second gesture. In this embodiment, the application business logic 502 waits 3 seconds 519 for a swipe gesture. Upon entering the second gesture, the capacitive area control module 501 sends a signal 520 to the application business logic 502 to indicate that the swipe has been recognized and that the last capacitive pad has been released. A swipe gesture can be entered in any direction along the length of the capacitive unit to be successfully recognized as a second gesture. Releasing the pad indicates that the swipe action is complete. The application business logic 502 then commands 521 the LED control module 503 to stop flashing the blue LED.

[0055] After successfully entering the lock / unlock sequence as described, the lock state of the aerosol generating device is toggled. If the device was locked, the device is unlocked; if the device was unlocked, the device is locked. In one embodiment, the LED control module 503 and / or the tactile control module 504 provide feedback to the user regarding the initial state of the device. For example, if the aerosol generating device is unlocked when the lock / unlock sequence is initiated, a short pulse of light or a short vibration may be played to indicate that the device is unlocked. Similarly, if the aerosol generating device is locked when the lock / unlock sequence is initiated, there may be no additional feedback to indicate to the user that the device is locked.

[0056] In a successful lock / unlock sequence such as that shown in Figure 5, the application business logic receives three signals from the volumetric area control module. The first signal indicates that a first gesture has started, the second signal indicates that the first gesture has stopped, and the third signal indicates that a second gesture has been input. If the first gesture stops too early or the second gesture is not input quickly enough, the lock / unlock sequence may fail and be canceled. The specific timing configuration of the lock / unlock sequence can be tailored to ensure that the sequence of gestures is easy and natural for the user to input.

[0057] Figures 6 and 7 are flowcharts illustrating possible failed lock / unlock sequences: in Figure 6, the first gesture is terminated early, and in Figure 7, the second gesture is not entered before the predetermined waiting time has elapsed.

[0058] FIG. 6 shows a lock control circuit similar to FIG. 5 , namely, a capacitive area control module 601, an application business logic 602, an LED control module 603, and a haptic control module 604. In this embodiment, a first gesture involves touching and holding a single capacitive pad of the capacitive unit. The pressed capacitive pad is one of the outermost pads. When the capacitive unit senses that one of the side pads is being held, the capacitive area control module 601 communicates this to the application business logic 602 by sending a signal 611. The application business logic 602 instructs the haptic control module 604 to play a lock / unlock hold vibration 612 and waits a predetermined period of time for the hold gesture to complete 614. While the pad is being pressed, the haptic control module 604 plays a vibration 613 with a steadily increasing output. When the capacitive unit senses that the pressed side pad has been released, the capacitive area control module 601 communicates this to the application business logic 602 by sending another signal 615 indicating that the side pad has been released.

[0059] Upon receiving a signal 615 that a side pad has been released, the application business logic 602 determines 616 how much time has passed since the signal 611 that one of the side pads was held was sent. If the release signal 615 is sent before the predetermined period has elapsed, the application business logic 602 determines that the side pad was not held long enough for the first gesture to be fully detected. In this embodiment, the predetermined period is 1.5 seconds. If the pressed pad is released too soon, the lock / unlock sequence is canceled 616 by the application business logic 602. The application business logic 602 instructs 617 the haptic control module 604 to stop vibrating accordingly.

[0060] FIG. 7 shows a lock control circuit similar to those shown in FIGS. 5 and 6, including a capacitive area control module 701, application business logic 702, an LED control module 703, and a haptic control module 704. In this embodiment, the first gesture, a touch-and-hold gesture in which the two side pads of the capacitive unit are pressed, is correctly input and therefore properly detected. When the two side pads are held, a hold signal 711 is sent by the capacitive area control module 701 to the application business logic 702. The application business logic 702 instructs 712 the haptic control module 704 to vibrate with a constant power increase. The application business logic 702 may specify the starting intensity of the vibration and the rate at which the intensity of the vibration increases. The haptic control module 704 vibrates 713 accordingly.

[0061] 7, the application business module 702 waits 714 a predetermined period of 1.5 seconds for the hold to complete, and then commands 715 the haptic control module 704 to play a confirmation vibration 716. Similarly, the application business logic 702 may specify the intensity and duration of the confirmation vibration 716 as part of the command 715. The haptic control module 704 plays one short vibration 716 to confirm that the first gesture was detected.

[0062] Thereafter, when the two side pads are released, a release signal 717 is sent by the capacitive area control module 701 to the application business logic 702. The application business logic 702 commands 718 the LED control module 703 to begin flashing the blue LED. The color and pattern of the light pulse, including duration and intensity, can be communicated to the LED control module 703 as part of the command 718.

[0063] The application business logic 702 then waits 719 a predetermined period of time. During this predetermined period, the application business logic 702 listens for a signal from the capacity area control module 701 indicating that a second gesture has been detected. The predetermined period of time is typically several seconds, and in this embodiment is 3 seconds. In the scenario shown in FIG. 7, the second gesture is not detected 720 before 3 seconds have elapsed. Therefore, the application business logic 702 cancels 720 the lock / unlock and commands 721 the LED control module 703 to stop flashing the blue LED.

[0064] 8 schematically illustrates an aerosol generating device according to an embodiment of the present invention. The aerosol generating device 80 includes a sensor 81, a lock control circuit 82, and a lock enable control circuit 83. The aerosol generating device 80 can detect a user gesture using the sensor 81. The sensor 81 can recognize and detect several user gestures, including a first gesture and a second gesture. Each user gesture includes at least one gesture component. Multiple gesture components can be performed one after another to form a gesture sequence, and the gesture sequence can be recognized by the sensor 81 as a predefined user gesture.

[0065] Each user gesture is typically linked to a specific action. In this embodiment, when the sensor 81 detects a first gesture, the lock control circuit 82 locks or unlocks the aerosol generating device 80. When the sensor 81 detects a second gesture, the lock enable control circuit 83 enables or disables the lock control circuit 82. When the lock control circuit is disabled, the lock control circuit 82 does not affect the locked state of the aerosol generating device 80 and therefore does not lock or unlock the aerosol generating device 80. In this embodiment, the device is free to use when the lock control circuit is disabled.

[0066] The sensor 81 in this embodiment includes a capacitive unit having a plurality of capacitive cells or capacitive pads. User gestures that can be detected using a capacitive sensor typically involve touches such as taps, presses, holds, and swipes. In this embodiment, the first gesture includes holding a first capacitive cell and a second capacitive cell for a predetermined period of time, followed by a swipe along the length of the plurality of capacitive cells. In an alternative embodiment, the first gesture includes holding the first capacitive cell for a predetermined period of time.

[0067] The first capacitive cell and the second capacitive cell are side cells, i.e., the outermost cells of the capacitive unit. In an alternative embodiment, the first capacitive cell and the second capacitive cell may not be the outermost cells, but they are typically not adjacent in such a way that two or more pressing points are required to simultaneously contact both cells. A predetermined period is typically from 0.5 seconds to 3 seconds. A swipe gesture can be detected by the sensor 81 regardless of the specific swipe direction. However, the recognized swipe direction can be limited.

[0068] The second gesture of this embodiment includes swiping in a first direction along the length of the plurality of capacitive cells and swiping in a second direction along the length of the plurality of capacitive cells. The second direction is substantially opposite to the first direction. In this embodiment, the capacitive unit is linear, and the first direction and the second direction coincide with the longitudinal axis of the capacitive unit. In this embodiment, when a reverse swipe follows after a swipe is input, the second gesture is detected. The relative direction between the two swipe actions is detected, and the absolute direction is not important. However, in an alternative embodiment, the absolute direction can be important.

[0069] The aerosol generating device 80 provides feedback to the user to communicate to the user that a gesture has been detected. This is particularly relevant when the user gesture includes a plurality of component gestures that form a gesture sequence. In a gesture sequence having N gesture components, the aerosol generating device 80 can be configured to confirm to the user that the nth gesture has been recognized before the user inputs the (n + 1)th gesture when 1 ≦ n < N. The aerosol generating device 80 can also provide feedback to the user when a gesture or gesture sequence is completed. The feedback is typically haptic feedback.

[0070] 9A and 9B schematically illustrate a first and second portion of a user gesture, respectively. The user gesture is performed on the aerosol generation device 90, and the capacitive unit 91 acts as a sensor to sense the user input. The capacitive unit 91 has four capacitive cells arranged linearly along the length of the aerosol generation device 90. In alternative embodiments, any number of capacitive cells may be present. FIG. 9A illustrates a swipe action in a first direction 901, and FIG. 9B illustrates a swipe action in a second direction 902.

[0071] FIG. 9A highlights activated capacitive cells at four time points during a swipe action. Activating a capacitive cell involves pressing the cell with a conductive member, such as a finger or thumb. Adjacent cells can be activated simultaneously by a single finger. At a first time, a first cell 92 is activated. At a second time, after the first time, a second cell 93 adjacent to the first cell 92 is activated. At a third time, after the second time, a third cell 94 adjacent to the second cell 93 is activated. Finally, at a fourth time, after the third time, a fourth cell 95 adjacent to the third cell 94 is activated.

[0072] Successive successful activations of the first cell 92, the second cell 93, the third cell 94, and the fourth cell 95 are detected by the capacitive unit 91 as a swipe action in a first direction 901. The sequential manner of swiping means that both the first cell 92 and the second cell 93 are activated at some point between a first time and a second time. The finger or thumb used to activate the capacitive unit remains in contact with the capacitive unit throughout the swipe action. The activated cells change over time as a result of lateral movement of the finger or thumb during the swipe action, rather than raising or lowering the finger or thumb.

[0073] 9B highlights which cells are activated at four more time points during the swipe action in the second direction 902. At a fifth time, a first cell 96 of the capacitive unit 91 is activated. At a sixth time, after the fifth time, a second cell 97 adjacent to the first cell 96 is activated. At a seventh time, after the sixth time, a third cell 98 adjacent to the second cell 97 is activated. At an eighth time, after the seventh time, a fourth cell 99 adjacent to the third cell 98 is activated. The consecutive successful activation of the first cell 96, the second cell 97, the third cell 98, and the fourth cell 99 is detected by the capacitive unit 91 as a swipe action in the second direction 902.

[0074] In this embodiment, the user gesture includes a swipe action in a first direction 901 followed by a swipe action in a second direction 902, where the fifth time is later than the fourth time. Alternatively, a swipe action in the second direction 902 followed by a swipe action in the first direction 901, where the first time is later than the eighth time, may be recognized as the same or different user gestures. Swipe actions performed in the first direction and / or the second direction may be combined to form any sequence of swipe actions for inputting a specific user command or request. In this manner, the user may easily interact with the aerosol generating device 90. In this embodiment, a swipe in the first direction or the second direction followed by a swipe in the opposite direction, i.e., a swipe in the second direction or the first direction, respectively, triggers the lock enable control circuit to enable or disable the lock control circuit.

[0075] 10 is a flowchart illustrating communication between lock enable control circuit components of an aerosol generating device during a successful activation or deactivation sequence involving two non-parallel swipe gestures. In this embodiment, the lock enable control circuit includes a volumetric area control module 1001, application business logic 1002, and a feedback control module 1003. The feedback control module 1003 may provide feedback using a light-emitting unit and / or a tactile unit. In this embodiment, the lock enable control circuit is configured to activate or deactivate the lock control circuit upon detecting a user gesture involving two swipe actions.

[0076] The capacitive area control module 1001 communicates with the capacitive unit, which senses touch input. When the capacitive unit detects a swipe input in a first direction, the capacitive area control module 1001 notifies the application business logic 1002 by sending a signal 1010. The signal 1010 is sent when the swipe is complete, i.e., when the last capacitive pad or cell is released.

[0077] In this embodiment, the application business logic 1002 commands 1011 the feedback module 1003 to provide feedback. The feedback is sensory feedback, such as optical feedback, tactile feedback, and / or auditory feedback. The feedback module 1003 then provides feedback 1012 to the user according to the command 1011 received from the application business logic 1002. At the same time, the application business logic 1002 listens for further signals from the capacity area control module 1001. The application business logic 1002 waits for the second swipe in the two-swipe sequence. The wait time is typically 1 to 5 seconds. In this embodiment, the wait time is 3 seconds.

[0078] When the capacitive unit detects a second swipe input in a second direction, the capacitive area control module 1001 notifies the application business logic 1002 by sending a signal 1014 upon completion of the swipe. If the signal 1014 is received before the wait time elapses, the enable or disable sequence is successfully entered and the lock enable state of the device is toggled. Toggling the lock enable state of the device involves disabling the lock control circuit if it is enabled, or enabling the lock control circuit if it is disabled.

[0079] In this embodiment, the application business logic 1002 commands 1015 the feedback module 1003 to provide feedback to the user to communicate that the second swipe was recognized. The feedback module 1003 then provides haptic, optical, and / or auditory feedback 1016 to the user according to the received command 1015.

[0080] In an alternative embodiment, the application business logic 1002 is configured only to instruct the feedback module 1003 to provide feedback to the user following detection of the first and second swipes. The first and second swipes may be in the same direction or in opposite directions. For example, the second swipe may be non-parallel to the first swipe.

[0081] 10 illustrates a successful enable or disable sequence. In an alternative embodiment, a wait time 1013 set by application business logic 1002 elapses before a signal 1014 for a second swipe is sent. Application business logic 1002 is configured to cancel the enable / disable sequence if a second swipe is not detected within the allotted time.

[0082] The feedback module 1003 may be configured to provide further feedback about the status of the aerosol generating device. For example, if the lock control circuitry is disabled and the user attempts to enter a lock unlock sequence such as those described in Figures 5, 6, and 7, the feedback module 1003 may play a short vibration, a short pulse of light, or a short beep to indicate to the user that the lock unlock sequence will not work when the associated circuitry is disabled.

[0083] The state of the aerosol generating device, i.e., whether the lock control circuit is enabled or disabled, can be reviewed using a connected electronic device. The application interface described in connection with FIG. 4 can be provided to switch from enabled to disabled and from disabled to enabled using the connected electronic device in place of the user gestures described above.

[0084] 11 illustrates a schematic diagram of components of an aerosol generating device and a connected electronic device. The application module 1110 includes a Bluetooth low energy (BLE) transport module 1111, communication protocol support 1112, application business logic 1113, a volumetric area control module 1114, an LED control module 1115, a haptic control module 1116, and a battery supervisor 1117. The dependencies 1120 include a volumetric area driver 1121 and a motion AI library 1122. The application business logic 1113 mediates between the hardware 1130 and the application module 1110.

[0085] The communication protocol support 1112 mediates communication between the application business logic 1113 and the BLE transport module 1111. The BLE transport module is configured to communicate with the mobile terminal device 1100 using BLE.

[0086] The aerosol generating device hardware 1130 includes a capacitive area 1131, a white LED 1132, a red, green, and blue (RGB) LED 1133, a haptic engine 1134, an inertial sensor 1135, and a battery 1136. Input to the capacitive area 1131 is converted into information about the input, such as which capacitive pad was pressed and what level of force was applied, using a capacitive area driver 1121. Capacitive events identified by the capacitive area driver 1121 are converted using a capacitive area control module 1114, which communicates with application business logic 1113. The capacitive area control module 1114 can recognize input events such as swipes, taps, double taps, or other user interaction patterns.

[0087] The LED control module 1115 provides a link between the application business logic 1113 and the white LED 1132 and the RGB LED 1133. The LED control module 1115 controls the light indicators. Similarly, the haptic control module 1116 provides a link between the application business logic 1113 and the haptic engine 1134. The haptic control module 1116 controls the particular vibration patterns output by the haptic engine 1134.

[0088] Data from the inertial sensors 1135 is processed by the motion AI library 1122. The motion AI library 1122 converts the raw data from the inertial sensors 1135 into physical values ​​that can be interpreted by the application business logic 1113. The battery supervisor 1117 communicates with the battery 1136. The application business logic 1113 can determine the battery level by sending a request to the battery supervisor 1117.

[0089] In this embodiment, in the locked state, the LED control module 1115, the haptic control module 1116, the battery supervisor 1117, the communication protocol support 1112, and the Bluetooth transport module 1111 are deactivated. Unlocking the aerosol generating device makes these modules accessible. The volumetric area control module 1114, along with its associated dependencies and hardware, remains active to detect further user gestures. This allows battery usage to be reduced when the device is locked.

[0090] As will be appreciated, the aerosol generating device is provided with a control circuit configured to change the lock state of the device upon detection of a particular user gesture or set of gestures by a sensor within the device. The locking control circuit can be used to lock or unlock the aerosol generating device, and the lock enable control circuit can be used to enable or disable the lock control circuit. In this way, a user can adapt the security level of the aerosol generating device to meet the requirements of the situation.

Claims

1. 1. An aerosol generating device comprising: a sensor configured to detect a user gesture; a feedback unit configured to provide sensory feedback to a user; a lock control circuit configured to lock or unlock the aerosol generation device upon detection of a first gesture followed by a second gesture by the sensor; and Including, the first gesture and the second gesture have different characteristics; the sensor is configured to provide a signal to the feedback unit upon detecting the first gesture and before detecting the second gesture; The aerosol generating device, wherein the feedback unit is configured to provide the sensory feedback to the user upon receiving the signal.

2. The aerosol generation device of claim 1 , wherein the first gesture comprises touching the sensor for a predetermined period of time and the second gesture comprises a swipe action.

3. The aerosol generating device according to claim 1 or 2, wherein the sensor includes a capacitance unit having a plurality of capacitance cells.

4. The aerosol generating device according to claim 3 , wherein the capacitance cells are arranged in a linear fashion.

5. 5. The aerosol generating device according to claim 3, wherein the first gesture comprises touching the first capacitive cell for a predetermined period of time.

6. The aerosol generating device according to claim 3 or 4, wherein the first gesture comprises touching a plurality of the capacitance cells for a predetermined period of time.

7. The aerosol generation device according to claim 3 , wherein the second gesture comprises a swipe across the plurality of capacitance cells.

8. The aerosol generating device according to any one of claims 1 to 7, wherein the feedback unit comprises a tactile unit.

9. The aerosol generating device according to claim 1 , wherein the feedback unit further comprises a light-emitting unit.

10. An aerosol generation device described in any one of claims 1 to 9, further comprising a lock enable control circuit configured to enable or disable the lock control circuit when the sensor detects a third gesture or when a control command sent to the aerosol generation device by a connected electronic device is received.

11. The aerosol generation device according to claim 10 , wherein the third gesture comprises a swipe action.

12. The sensor includes a capacitance unit having a plurality of capacitance cells; The third gesture is swiping in a first direction along a length of the plurality of capacitive cells; swiping in a second direction along the length of the plurality of capacitive cells; 12. The aerosol generating device according to claim 11, wherein the second direction is approximately opposite to the first direction.

13. 1. A method for locking or unlocking an aerosol generating device comprising a sensor, a feedback unit and a lock control circuit, the method comprising: detecting, by the sensor, a first gesture input by a user; providing feedback to the user by said feedback unit; detecting, by the sensor, a second gesture input by the user; the lock control circuit locking or unlocking the aerosol generation device. wherein the first gesture and the second gesture have different characteristics.

14. 14. The method of claim 13, including identifying an error in at least one of the steps during a testing or debugging process.

15. A computer-readable medium that, when executed by a computer, Detecting a first gesture input by a user; providing feedback to the user; and Detecting a second gesture input by the user; Locking or unlocking the aerosol generating device A computer-readable medium containing instructions that cause the computer to perform sequential steps including:

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