User feedback system and method

Abstract

To provide a user feedback system for improving the responsiveness of a delivery device to a user.SOLUTION: A user feedback system for a user of a delivery device within a delivery ecosystem includes: an obtaining processor adapted to obtain one or more user factors indicative of a state of the user, where the one or more user factors are based upon at least a first aspect of a situation of the user separate from a handling or operation of the delivery device; and an estimation processor adapted to identify a corresponding feedback action expected to alter the state of the user as indicated at least in part by the user factor or each user factor.SELECTED DRAWING: Figure 7

Description

[Technical Field]

[0001] The present invention relates to a user feedback system and method for a user of a delivery device.

[0002] The "Background" discussion provided herein is intended to provide a general overview of the background to the present disclosure. The work of the inventors and aspects of the present disclosure that may not be admitted as prior art at the time of filing are not admitted expressly or implicitly as prior art to the present disclosure.

[0003] Aerosol delivery systems have become popular with users because they allow the active ingredient (such as nicotine) to be delivered to the user conveniently and on demand as needed.

[0004] As an example of an aerosol delivery system, an electronic cigarette (e-cigarette) typically includes a reservoir of liquid feedstock containing a formulation (typically containing nicotine) from which an aerosol is generated, e.g., by thermal vaporization. Thus, the aerosol source of the aerosol delivery system may include a heater having a heating element configured to receive the liquid feedstock from the reservoir, e.g., by wicking / capillary action. Other feedstocks may also be similarly heated to generate aerosols, such as botanicals or gels containing active ingredients and / or flavorings. Thus, e-cigarettes are more generally considered to contain or receive a payload for thermal vaporization.

[0005] While a user inhales on the device, power is supplied to the heating element, causing an aerosol source (a portion of the payload) adjacent to the heating element to vaporize, generating an aerosol that is inhaled by the user. Such devices typically have one or more intake holes located away from the mouthpiece end of the system. When a user inhales on a mouthpiece connected to the mouthpiece end of the system, air is drawn in through the inlet hole and passes through the aerosol source. Because a flow path exists connecting the aerosol source to the mouthpiece opening, the drawn-in air passes through the aerosol source along the flow path to the mouthpiece opening, carrying a portion of the aerosol from the aerosol source. The aerosol-carrying air exits the aerosol delivery system through the mouthpiece opening, which is inhaled by the user.

[0006] Typically, current is supplied to the heater upon inhalation / puffing by the user on the device. Typically, current is supplied to the heater (e.g., a resistive heating element) in response to activation of an airflow sensor along the flow path during inhalation / inhalation / puffing by the user or activation of a button by the user. Heat generated by the heating element is used to vaporize the formulation. The released vapor mixes with air drawn into the device by the puffing consumer to form an aerosol. Alternatively or additionally, the heating element is typically used to heat, rather than burn, botanical material, such as tobacco, to release its active ingredient as a vapor / aerosol.

[0007] The manner in which a user interacts with an e-cigarette (e.g., the amount of vaporized / aerosolized payload consumed by the user and / or their respective usage patterns) and the actual or perceived utility of the interaction are believed to be influenced by the user's state, which may be expressed at least in part colloquially as their respective mood(s) and / or subjective need(s).

[0008] As a result, it would be useful to provide a delivery mechanism that is more responsive to the user's condition. Summary of the Invention

[0009] In a first aspect, there is provided a user feedback system for a user of a delivery device in a delivery ecosystem according to claim 1.

[0010] In another aspect, there is provided a method of user feedback to a user of a delivery device in a delivery ecosystem according to claim 29.

[0011] Other aspects and features of the present invention are defined in the accompanying claims.

[0012] It is to be understood that both the foregoing general summary of the disclosure and the following detailed description are illustrative of the disclosure but are not restrictive of the disclosure.

[0013] The present disclosure and many of the attendant advantages thereof will be more fully appreciated as the same become better understood by reference to the following detailed description when considered in connection with the accompanying drawings. [Brief explanation of the drawings]

[0014] [Figure 1] FIG. 1 is a schematic diagram of a delivery device according to an embodiment herein. [Figure 2] FIG. 1 is a schematic diagram of a body of a delivery device according to an embodiment herein. [Figure 3] FIG. 1 is a schematic diagram of a cartomizer of a delivery device, according to an embodiment herein. [Figure 4] FIG. 1 is a schematic diagram of a body of a delivery device according to an embodiment herein. [Figure 5] FIG. 1 is a schematic diagram of a delivery ecosystem, according to embodiments herein. [Figure 6] FIG. 1 is a schematic diagram of a user feedback system, according to an embodiment herein. [Figure 7] FIG. 1 is a flow diagram of a method for user feedback to a user of a delivery device in a delivery ecosystem, according to an embodiment herein. Description of the embodiment

[0015] A user feedback system and method are disclosed. In the following description, numerous specific details are provided to enable a thorough understanding of the embodiments of the present disclosure. However, it will be apparent to those skilled in the art that these specific details are not necessary to realize the embodiments of the present disclosure. Conversely, specific details that would be understood by those skilled in the art are omitted, where necessary, for the sake of clarity.

[0016] As noted above, the present disclosure relates to a user feedback system for improving the responsiveness of a delivery device to a user.

[0017] The term "delivery device" may encompass systems that deliver at least one substance to a user, and may include non-combustible aerosol delivery systems that release compounds from an aerosol-forming material without combustion of the aerosol-forming material, such as electronic cigarettes, tobacco heating products, and hybrid systems that generate an aerosol using a combination of aerosol-forming materials, and aerosol-free delivery systems that deliver at least one substance to a user orally, nasally, transdermally, or otherwise, without the formation of an aerosol (including, but not limited to, oral products such as lozenges, gums, patches, articles containing inhalable powders, and oral tobacco products including snus or moist snuff) (the at least one substance may or may not contain nicotine).

[0018] The substance to be delivered may be an aerosol-generating material or a material not subject to aerosolization, either of which may optionally include one or more active ingredients, one or more flavoring agents, one or more aerosol-forming materials, and / or one or more other functional materials.

[0019] Currently, the most common examples of such delivery devices are aerosol delivery systems (e.g., non-combustible aerosol delivery systems) or electronic vapor delivery systems (EVPS), such as e-cigarettes. Throughout the following description, the term "e-cigarette" may be used interchangeably with delivery device, unless otherwise stated or the context dictates. Similarly, the terms "vapour" and "aerosol" are referred to equivalently herein.

[0020] Generally, the electronic vapor / aerosol delivery system may be a vaping device or an electronic cigarette, also known as an electronic nicotine delivery system (END), although it is noted that the presence of nicotine in the aerosol-generating (e.g., aerosolizable) material is not a requirement. In some embodiments, the non-combustion aerosol delivery system is a tobacco heating system, also known as a non-combustion heating system. An example of such a system is a tobacco heating system. In some embodiments, the non-combustion aerosol delivery system is a hybrid system that generates aerosol through a combination of aerosol-generating materials (one or more of which may be heated). Each aerosol-generating material may be, for example, in solid, liquid, or gel form, and may or may not contain nicotine. In some embodiments, the hybrid system includes a liquid or gel aerosol-generating material as well as a solid aerosol-generating material. The solid aerosol-generating material may include, for example, tobacco or a non-tobacco product. In contrast, in some embodiments, the non-combustion aerosol delivery system generates vapor / aerosol from one or more such aerosol-generating materials.

[0021] Typically, a non-combustible aerosol delivery system may include a non-combustible aerosol delivery device and articles (sometimes referred to as consumables) for use with the non-combustible aerosol delivery system. However, it is contemplated that an article that itself includes a means for powering an aerosol generating component (e.g., an aerosol generator, such as a heater or a vibrating mesh) may itself constitute a non-combustible aerosol delivery system. In one embodiment, the non-combustible aerosol delivery device may include a power source and a controller. The power source may be an electrical source or a heat-generating power source. In one embodiment, the heat-generating power source comprises a carbon substrate that can be energized to provide power in the form of heat to an aerosolizable material or a heat transfer material in proximity to the heat-generating power source. In one embodiment, a power source, such as a heat-generating power source, is provided in the article to enable non-combustible aerosol delivery. In one embodiment, an article for use with a non-combustible aerosol delivery device may include an aerosolizable material.

[0022] In some embodiments, the aerosol-generating component is a heater capable of interacting with the aerosolizable material to release one or more volatile substances from the aerosolizable material to form an aerosol. In one embodiment, the aerosol-generating component is capable of generating an aerosol from the aerosolizable material without the application of heat. For example, the aerosol-generating component may be capable of generating an aerosol from the aerosolizable material without the application of heat, such as by one or more of vibrational, mechanical, pressure, or electrostatic means.

[0023] In some embodiments, the aerosolizable material may include an active material, an aerosol-forming material, and optionally one or more functional materials. The active material may include nicotine (optionally contained in tobacco or a tobacco derivative) or one or more other non-olfactory physiologically active materials. The non-olfactory physiologically active materials are materials that are included in the aerosolizable material to achieve a physiological response other than the sense of smell. The aerosol-forming material may include one or more of glycerin, glycerol, propylene glycol, diethylene glycol, triethylene glycol, tetraethylene glycol, 1,3-butylene glycol, erythritol, meso-erythritol, ethyl vanillate, ethyl laurate, diethyl sulfate, triethyl citrate, triacetin, diacetin mixtures, benzyl benzoate, benzyl phenylacetate, tributyrin, lauryl acetate, lauric acid, myristic acid, and propylene carbonate. The one or more functional ingredients may include one or more of a fragrance, a carrier, a pH adjuster, a stabilizer, and / or an antioxidant.

[0024] In some embodiments, an article for use with a non-burning aerosol delivery device may include an aerosolizable material or an area for receiving an aerosolizable material. In one embodiment, an article for use with a non-burning aerosol delivery device may include a mouthpiece. The area for receiving an aerosolizable material may be a storage area that stores the aerosolizable material. For example, the storage area may be a reservoir. In one embodiment, the area for receiving an aerosolizable material may be separate from the aerosol-generation area or may be coupled to the aerosol-generation area.

[0025] As an alternative or in addition to an aerosol delivery system, the delivery device may include any device that introduces / allows for the introduction of an active ingredient into the user's body so that the active ingredient can take effect.

[0026] Thus, exemplary delivery devices include, for example, devices that dispense an aerosol into a receptacle, after which a user can remove the receptacle from the device to inhale or smoke the aerosol, and thus do not necessarily require direct user involvement at the point of consumption.

[0027] In this regard, alternatively or additionally, the delivery device may provide reminders or usage regimes for the user (e.g., reminding the user when to use a snus pouch or other active delivery such as a tablet), and the delivery device may optionally store and dispense such consumables in accordance with the reminders or usage regimes.

[0028] Similarly, an exemplary delivery device may be a home refill station that mixes e-liquid ingredients for a user and uses the mixture to fill the reservoir of an e-cigarette, thereby determining the type, blend, and / or concentration (all things being equal) of active ingredients that the user consumes. Such a home refill station may be referred to as a "dock," a power charging station, or a device that combines both functions.

[0029] In this regard, delivery devices operating as vending machines can similarly provide consumable refills or disposable devices based on a mixture and / or selection of e-liquid components, either mixed on demand or equivalently selected from a variety of pre-made mixtures. Similarly, in other embodiments, vending machines may provide oral products (e.g., snus, snuff, gum, gels, sprays, and other delivery systems such as patches) or other consumable products, for example, containing active ingredients and / or flavorings.

[0030] In each case, the delivery device is operable to affect one or more of the amount, timing, type, blend, and / or concentration of the active ingredient that the user consumes.

[0031] More generally, therefore, the delivery device is operable to affect the properties of the active ingredient that the user consumes.

[0032] Of course, multiple delivery devices may operate in tandem to have such an effect. For example, a home refill station or vending machine may actually operate in conjunction with an e-cigarette to provide active ingredient changes or other feedback to the user. Similarly, a mobile phone may operate in parallel with an e-cigarette to provide information or analysis regarding such changes or other feedback.

[0033] In this sense, a delivery device may actually be a delivery system comprising multiple devices operating in sequence and / or in parallel to exert the desired influence / feedback, and therefore references herein to a delivery device or a delivery system are to be considered interchangeable unless otherwise stated.

[0034] Referring now to the drawings, wherein like reference numbers represent the same or corresponding parts throughout the several views, FIG. 1 is a schematic diagram (not to scale) of a vapor / aerosol delivery system, such as an e-cigarette 10, providing one non-limiting example of a delivery device according to some embodiments of the present disclosure.

[0035] The e-cigarette has a generally cylindrical shape extending along a longitudinal axis indicated by dashed line LA and comprises two major components: a body 20 and a cartomizer 30. The cartomizer comprises an internal chamber containing a reservoir of payload, e.g., a liquid containing nicotine, a vaporizer (e.g., a heater), and a mouthpiece 35. References hereinafter to "nicotine" are by way of example only and are understood to be substituted with any suitable active ingredient. References hereinafter to "liquid" as the payload are by way of example only and are understood to be substituted with any suitable payload, such as botanicals (e.g., tobacco that is heated rather than burned) or a gel containing an active ingredient and / or flavoring. The reservoir may be a foam matrix or any other structure that holds the liquid until it is needed for delivery to the vaporizer. In the case of liquid / flowable payloads, the vaporizer is for vaporizing the liquid, and the cartomizer 30 may further include a wick or similar mechanism for transporting a small amount of liquid from a reservoir to a vaporization location on or adjacent to the vaporizer. Hereinafter, a heater will be used as an example of a vaporizer. However, it will be appreciated that other forms of vaporizers (e.g., ultrasonic vaporizers) can also be used, and it will be appreciated that the type of vaporizer used may also depend on the type of payload being vaporized.

[0036] The main body 20 includes a rechargeable cell or battery that powers the e-cigarette 10 and a circuit board that controls the entire e-cigarette. The heater receives power from the battery and, when controlled by the circuit board, vaporizes the liquid. This vapor is then inhaled by the user through the mouthpiece 35. In some specific embodiments, the main body is further provided with a manual activation device 265 (e.g., a button, switch, or touch sensor located on the outside of the main body).

[0037] Although the main body 20 and the cartomizer 30 may be detachable from each other by separation in a direction parallel to the longitudinal axis LA, as shown in Fig. 1, when the device 10 is in use, mechanical and electrical connection is established between the main body 20 and the cartomizer 30 by integral joining via connectors schematically shown as 25A and 25B in Fig. 1. The electrical connector 25B of the main body 20, which is used to connect to the cartomizer 30, also functions as a socket for connecting a charging device (not shown) when the main body 20 is detached from the cartomizer 30. The battery in the main body 20 of the e-cigarette 10 can be charged by plugging the other end of the charging device into a USB socket. In other embodiments, a cable may be provided for directly connecting the electrical connector 25B of the main body 20 to the USB socket.

[0038] The e-cigarette 10 is provided with one or more intake holes (not shown in FIG. 1 ). These holes lead to an air passageway through the e-cigarette 10 and into the mouthpiece 35. When a user draws on the mouthpiece 35, air is drawn into this air passageway through one or more intake holes, preferably located on the exterior of the e-cigarette. When the heater is activated to vaporize nicotine from the cartridge, an airflow passes through and combines with the resulting vapor, and the combination of airflow and resulting vapor then exits the mouthpiece 35 for the user to draw on. Except for disposable devices, the cartomizer 30 may be detached from the body 20 and discarded (and replaced with another cartomizer, if desired) when the liquid supply is depleted.

[0039] It should be understood that the e-cigarette 10 shown in Figure 1 is provided by way of example, and various other implementations are possible. For example, in some embodiments, the cartomizer 30 is provided as two separate components: a cartridge with a liquid reservoir and a mouthpiece (which can be replaced when the reservoir is depleted), and a vaporizer with a (typically retained) heater. In another example, the charging mechanism may be connected to an additional or alternative power source, such as a car's cigarette lighter socket.

[0040] Figure 2 is a schematic (simplified) diagram of the body 20 of the e-cigarette 10 of Figure 1, according to some embodiments of the present disclosure. Figure 2 can generally be considered a cross-section taken along a plane passing through the longitudinal axis LA of the e-cigarette 10. Note that various components and details of the body (e.g., wiring and more complex moldings) have been omitted from Figure 2 for clarity.

[0041] The main body 20 includes a battery or cell 210 that powers the e-cigarette 10 in response to activation of the device by a user. The main body 20 also includes a control unit (not shown in FIG. 2 ) (e.g., a chip such as an application specific integrated circuit (ASIC) or microcontroller) that controls the e-cigarette 10. The microcontroller or ASIC includes a CPU or microprocessor. The operation of electronic components such as the CPU is typically controlled, at least in part, by a software program running on the CPU (or other component). Such software programs may be stored in non-volatile memory such as ROM, which may be embedded in the microcontroller itself or provided as a separate component. The CPU may access the ROM as needed to load and execute individual software programs. The microcontroller also includes appropriate communication interfaces (and control software) for communicating with other devices in the main body 10 as needed.

[0042] The main body 20 further includes a cap 225 that seals and protects the distal end of the e-cigarette 10. Typically, an air inlet hole is provided in or adjacent to the cap 225 to allow air to enter the main body 20 when a user draws on the mouthpiece 35. A control unit or ASIC may be located next to or at one end of the battery 210. In some embodiments, the ASIC is attached to a sensor unit 215 to detect draws on the mouthpiece 35 (or, alternatively, the sensor unit 215 may be provided on the ASIC itself). An air path is provided from the air inlet hole through the e-cigarette, via the airflow sensor 215 and the heater (of the vaporizer or cartomizer 30), to the mouthpiece 35. Thus, when a user draws on the e-cigarette's mouthpiece, the CPU detects such draws based on information from the airflow sensor 215.

[0043] At the end of the body 20 opposite the cap 225 is a connector 25B for joining the body 20 to the cartomizer 30. The connector 25B provides both mechanical and electrical connections between the body 20 and the cartomizer 30. The connector 25B is metallic (in some embodiments, silver-plated) and includes a body connector 240 that serves as a terminal for electrical connection (positive or negative) to the cartomizer 30. The connector 25B further includes an electrical contact 250 that provides a second terminal for electrical connection to the cartomizer 30 of opposite polarity to the first terminal, i.e., the body connector 240. The electrical contact 250 is mounted to a coil spring 255. When the body 20 is attached to the cartomizer 30, the connector 25A of the cartomizer 30 presses against the electrical contact 250, compressing the coil spring in an axial direction, i.e., a direction parallel to the longitudinal axis LA (collinear direction). Considering the resilience of the spring 255, this compression tends to expand the spring 255, which has the effect of pressing the electrical contact 250 firmly against the connector 25A of the cartomizer 30, thereby helping to ensure a good electrical connection between the main body 20 and the cartomizer 30. The main body connector 240 and the electrical contact 250 are separated by a trestle 260 which is made of a non-conductor (such as plastic) and therefore provides good insulation between the two electrical terminals. The trestle 260 is shaped to aid in the mechanical engagement of the connectors 25A and 25B with each other.

[0044] As mentioned above, a button 265, which represents one form of manual activation device 265, may be located on the outer housing of the main body 20. The button 265 may be implemented using any suitable mechanism operable to be manually activated by a user, such as, for example, a mechanical button or switch, a capacitive or resistive touch sensor, etc. It should also be appreciated that the manual activation device 265 may be located on the outer housing of the cartomizer 30 rather than on the outer housing of the main body 20, in which case the manual activation device 265 may be attached to the ASIC via connections 25A, 25B. The button 265 may also be located at the end of the main body 20 in place of (or in addition to) the cap 225.

[0045] Figure 3 is a schematic diagram of the cartomizer 30 of the e-cigarette 10 of Figure 1, according to some embodiments of the present disclosure. Figure 3 can generally be considered a cross-section in a plane passing through the longitudinal axis LA of the e-cigarette 10. Note that various components and details of the cartomizer 30 (e.g., wiring and more complex moldings) have been omitted from Figure 3 for clarity.

[0046] The cartomizer 30 includes an air passageway 355 extending along the central (longitudinal) axis of the cartomizer 30 from the mouthpiece 35 to a connector 25A that connects the cartomizer 30 to the main body 20. A liquid reservoir 360 is provided around the air passageway 355. The reservoir 360 may be realized, for example, by providing cotton or foam impregnated with a liquid. The cartomizer 30 also includes a heater 365 that heats liquid from the reservoir 360 in response to a user drawing on the e-cigarette 10, thereby generating vapor that flows through the air passageway 355 and exits the mouthpiece 35. The heater 365 is powered through lines 366 and 367, which are connected via a connector 25A to opposite poles (positive and negative, or vice versa) of the battery 210 in the main body 20 (details of the wiring between the wires 366 and 367 and the connector 25A are omitted from FIG. 3 ).

[0047] Connector 25A includes an inner electrode 375, which may be silver plated or comprised of any other suitable metal or conductive material. When cartomizer 30 is connected to body 20, inner electrode 375 contacts electrical contact 250 on body 20, providing a first electrical path between cartomizer 30 and body 20. In particular, when connectors 25A and 25B are engaged, inner electrode 375 presses against electrical contact 250, compressing coil spring 255 and helping to ensure good electrical contact between inner electrode 375 and electrical contact 250.

[0048] The inner electrode 375 is surrounded by an insulating ring 372, which may be constructed of plastic, rubber, silicone, or any other suitable material. The insulating ring is surrounded by a cartomizer connector 370, which may be silver-plated or constructed of any other suitable metal or conductive material. When the cartomizer 30 is connected to the main body 20, the cartomizer connector 370 contacts the main body connector 240 of the main body 20, providing a second electrical path between the cartomizer 30 and the main body 20. In other words, the inner electrode 375 and the cartomizer connector 370 function as positive and negative terminals (or vice versa) for supplying power from the battery 210 of the main body 20 to the heater 365 of the cartomizer 30 via supply lines 366 and 367 as needed.

[0049] The cartomizer connector 370 is provided with two lugs or tabs 380A, 380B that extend in opposite directions away from the longitudinal axis of the e-cigarette 10. These tabs are used to connect the cartomizer 30 to the body 20 by a bayonet fit with the body connector 240. This bayonet fit provides a secure and robust connection between the cartomizer 30 and the body 20, holding the cartomizer and body in a fixed position relative to each other with minimal wobble or flexing, greatly reducing the likelihood of any accidental separation. At the same time, the bayonet fit allows for easy and quick connection and separation by inserting and rotating to connect, and rotating (in the opposite direction) and then withdrawing to separate. Of course, in other embodiments, different forms of connection may be used between the body 20 and the cartomizer 30, such as a snap fit or a threaded connection.

[0050] FIG. 4 is a schematic diagram of certain details of connector 25B at the end of body 20, according to some embodiments of the present disclosure (although for clarity, much of the internal structure of the connector, such as trestle 260, as shown in FIG. 2 has been omitted). In particular, FIG. 4 shows outer housing 201 of body 20 having a generally cylindrical tube form. This outer housing 201 may comprise, for example, a metal inner tube with an outer covering such as paper. Outer housing 201 may also include a manual activation device 265 (not shown in FIG. 4) for easy user access.

[0051] A body connector 240 extends from the outer housing 201 of the body 20. As shown in Figure 4, the body connector 240 includes two main portions: a shaft portion 241 in the shape of a hollow cylindrical tube sized to fit snugly within the outer housing 201 of the body 20, and a lip portion 242 facing radially outward, away from the e-cigarette's primary longitudinal axis (LA). Surrounding the shaft portion 241 of the body connector 240, but not overlapping with the outer housing 201, is a collar or sleeve 290, also in the shape of a cylindrical tube. The collar 290 is retained between the lip portion 242 of the body connector 240 and the body's outer housing 201, which together prevent movement of the collar 290 in the axial direction (i.e., in a direction parallel to the axis LA), although the collar 290 is free to rotate about the shaft portion 241 (and thus the axis LA).

[0052] As previously mentioned, cap 225 is provided with an intake hole through which air can flow when a user inhales on mouthpiece 35. However, in some embodiments, the majority of the air that enters the device when a user inhales flows through collar 290 and body connector 240, as shown by the two arrows in FIG.

[0053] 5, an e-cigarette 10 (or more generally any delivery device as described elsewhere herein) may be adapted to operate within a broader delivery ecosystem 1. In the broader delivery ecosystem, many devices may be in communication with each other, either directly (as indicated by the solid arrows) or indirectly (as indicated by the dashed arrows).

[0054] 5, exemplary delivery devices include an e-cigarette 10 that may communicate directly (e.g., by using Bluetooth® or WiFi Direct®) with one or more other classes of devices, including, but not limited to, a smartphone 100, a dock 200 (e.g., a home refill and / or charging station), a vending machine 300, or a wearable 400. As noted above, these devices may cooperate in any suitable configuration to form a delivery system.

[0055] Alternatively or additionally, a delivery device such as e-cigarette 10 may be adapted to communicate indirectly with one or more of these classes of devices via a network such as the Internet 500, for example using Wi-Fi, near field communication, a wired link, or integrated mobile data. Again, as described above, these devices may cooperate in any suitable configuration to form a delivery system.

[0056] Alternatively or additionally, a delivery device, such as the e-cigarette 10, may communicate indirectly with the server 1000 over a network such as the Internet 500, e.g., by itself using Wi-Fi, or through another device in the delivery ecosystem, such as a smartphone 100, a dock 200, a vending machine 300, or a wearable 400, e.g., by using Bluetooth or Wi-Fi Direct, which then communicates with the server to relay the e-cigarette's communications or report on communications with the e-cigarette 10. Thus, other devices in the delivery ecosystem, such as a smartphone, a dock, or a point-of-sale / vending machine, may optionally act as a hub for one or more delivery devices that only support short-range transmissions. Such a hub may thus extend the battery life of delivery devices that do not need to continuously maintain a Wi-Fi or mobile data link. It should also be appreciated that different types of data may be transmitted with different priorities. For example, data relating to a user feedback system (such as user factor data or feedback behavior data as discussed herein) may be transmitted with a higher priority than more general usage statistics, and similarly, some user factor data relating to shorter-term variables (such as current physiological data) may be transmitted with a higher priority than user factor data relating to longer-term variables (such as current weather or day of the week). A non-limiting example of a transmission scheme that allows for high and low priority transmission is LoRaWAN.

[0057] However, other classes of devices in the ecosystem, such as smartphones, docks, vending machines (or any other point of sale system), and / or wearables, may also communicate indirectly with server 1000 over a network such as the Internet 500 to fulfill an aspect of their own functionality or on behalf of the delivery system (e.g., as a relay or co-processing unit). These devices may also communicate with each other, either directly or indirectly.

[0058] In one embodiment herein, to form a user feedback system as described below, the server 1000, a delivery device such as the e-cigarette 10, and / or any other device in the delivery ecosystem may utilize one or more information sources within the delivery ecosystem or accessible by one or more devices thereof to more accurately respond to the user's condition. These may include information sources such as a wearable or mobile phone (or any other information source such as a dock or vending machine) or the server's storage system 1012. The delivery device may also provide information (such as data regarding interaction with the e-cigarette) to one or more data receivers in the ecosystem, which may again include one or more of the wearable, mobile phone, dock or vending machine, or server.

[0059] To configure a user feedback system as described below in this specification, devices in the delivery ecosystem, such as delivery device 10, may utilize one or more processors to analyze or process this information to estimate the state of a user (whether of a normal / default user, a user with attributes similar to the current user, or specifically the current user) and / or a form of feedback action determined to change the estimated state of the user, for example, by modifying one or more actions of the delivery device or another device in the delivery ecosystem.

[0060] Of course, a delivery ecosystem may include multiple delivery devices (10), for example, because a user owns multiple devices (e.g., to facilitate switching between different active ingredients or fragrances), or because multiple users share at least a portion of the same delivery ecosystem (e.g., users living in the same household may share a charging dock while having their own phones or wearables). Optionally, such devices may also communicate directly or indirectly with each other, with devices in the shared delivery ecosystem, and / or with a server. In such cases, a PIN, ID, or account may be associated with each delivery device so that the device can be associated with the correct user, especially when multiple users share the same delivery ecosystem.

[0061] It should be understood that reference to a "user state" includes one of many states of the user, or equivalently, an aspect of the user's overall state. Thus, for example, a user's stress level, which could also be a combination of social context and cortisol levels, as a non-limiting example, is an example of a "user state," but does not fully define the user. In other words, a user state is a state associated with the potential intervention of one or more feedback actions, as described elsewhere herein.

[0062] User Feedback System Referring now to FIG. 6, in one embodiment herein, a user feedback system 2 for a user of a delivery device in a delivery ecosystem 1 comprises an acquisition processor 1010 operable to acquire one or more user factors indicative of a user state, an estimation processor 1020 operable to calculate an estimate of the user state based on one or more of the acquired user factors, and a feedback processor 1030 operable to select a feedback action for at least a first device in the delivery ecosystem in response to the estimation of the user state such that a change in the estimated state of the user is expected.

[0063] FIG. 6 shows, by way of non-limiting example, one possible embodiment of such a user feedback system.

[0064] In this embodiment, the acquisition processor 1010, the estimation processor 1020, and the feedback processor 1030 are located within the server 1000. However, it will be appreciated that any one or more of these processors may be located elsewhere within the ecosystem 1, or their roles may be shared by two or more processors of the server and / or ecosystem. For example, the acquisition processor may be located in the e-cigarette or the mobile phone, and the feedback processor may be located in the vending machine or the e-cigarette, or the functionality of these processors may be shared between the server and such devices. In other examples, these processors may be available only in the delivery device (e.g., the e-cigarette) or only in the delivery system that includes the delivery device and the mobile phone.

[0065] Retrieval Processor The acquisition processor 1010 acquires or receives one or more user factors contained in one or more data classes from one or more sources.

[0066] Such user factors may have a causal and / or correlative relationship with the user's state, or some other predictable relationship. Such states may be associated with what is colloquially referred to as the user's "mood," although the user's subjective mood itself is not a primary consideration of the feedback system. Rather, the feedback system is concerned with the correspondence between the captured user factor(s) and the user state, the user state, and forms of feedback action that may alter such state of the user in a predetermined manner that is typically beneficial to the user.

[0067] Furthermore, it should be appreciated that if there is a correspondence between user factor(s) and state, state, and feedback, then in principle there is also a correspondence between user factor(s) and feedback without necessarily having to explicitly infer an intermediary state.

[0068] Classes of data acquired by or for the acquisition processor include, but are not limited to, indirect or historical data, neurological or physiological data, contextual data, environmental or deterministic data, and usage-based data.

[0069] Indirect or Historical Data Indirect or historical data provides background information about the user that is not necessarily related to the immediate situation (eg, not the immediate environment or context), but that may affect the user's state.

[0070] Examples of indirect or historical data include, but are not limited to, a user's purchasing history, previously entered user preference data, or normal behavioral patterns. Thus, more generally, user choices or actions are typically related to the delivery device, but typically do not result directly from use of the delivery device itself.

[0071] Optionally, such information (or indeed any persistent information, such as preferred user settings, user state and / or feedback behavior model data as described elsewhere herein, account details, or other stored user factor data) may be transferred between devices when a given user purchases or uses different delivery devices, thereby eliminating the need to re-acquire such information for each new or each device. Such information may be transferred or shared, for example, by direct data transfer over a Bluetooth link between the old and new devices. However, since a potential reason for purchasing a new device is loss of the old device, the information may alternatively or additionally be transferred or shared by (similarly) maintaining it remotely in association with an account / user ID and subsequently associating it with the user's different delivery devices / systems. Thus, a system containing indirect or historical data learned / acquired on the old device may be transferred or shared to the new device either directly between devices or through a centralized user account.

[0072] As an example of historical information, purchase history may indicate the user's state, which may indicate the user's general state over time (e.g., in terms of significant or recurring purchases) and / or the user's recent state (e.g., in terms of recent purchases or purchases whose impact on the user is still considered).

[0073] Thus, a purchasing history that may be indicative of a user's state may include the type(s) of product(s) purchased, the frequency of purchases, etc. (not necessarily limited to products directly related to the delivery device or its consumables), the purchasing method (e.g., online vs. in-store), and the amount purchased over a period of time or in a single purchasing event. Correspondence between purchasing methods (and purchased products or services) that affect a user's state may initially be determined on a population basis (e.g., via a survey to allow for the matching of a statistically significant amount of data), or on a subset of a population and / or individual user basis that are similar in attributes to the user. For example, purchases may be aided in this process by marking them as associated with a particular state, whether through the use of a human-readable marking (which the user then enters, e.g., on their phone) or a machine-readable marking (e.g., a QR code that the user scans on their phone). If a purchase, such as a consumable, includes a machine-readable marking, this may be registered as an indicator of mood.

[0074] Similarly, the consumable may be provided with a means for being recognized as indicating a mood when inserted or loaded into a delivery device, such as a microchip containing a code or another uniquely identifiable means for electronically detecting the type of payload (e.g., a binary pattern of conductive dots on the surface of the consumable that can be detected by corresponding contacts on the delivery device). Such identifiable types may differ by composition (e.g., fragrance, active ingredient, or concentration of either) or by predefined control (e.g., two types may be identical except that they exhibit different heating profiles to the device resulting in different inhalation effects).

[0075] The acquisition processor may obtain indirect or historical data from a number of sources, including, for example, previously entered user preference data and / or similar logs of interaction and / or usage patterns, web or internet-based data 110 such as purchase records received from partners such as vendors, user profile data maintained in server storage 1012, information collected with consent by the user's mobile phone 100 relating to various aspects of entered user preference data, online purchases, interaction / usage data (e.g., when the phone operates in tandem with a delivery device such as an e-cigarette as a delivery system available only to the user), user surveys, etc. Similarly, alternatively or additionally, the acquisition processor may obtain such data from the delivery device itself.

[0076] Neurological and / or physiological data Neurological and / or physiological data describes the user's physical state, with respect to mind and / or body. This data may describe the user's state over various time scales, such as immediate status or state changes (e.g., heart rate), long-term status or state changes (e.g., hormone cycles), or chronic status such as fitness level.

[0077] Non-limiting examples of long-term data include indicators of a user's metabolism, body type (e.g., lean, average, obese) or body mass index, chronic illness, pregnancy, or any other long-term condition, as well as activity / fitness levels, for example, on the order of months to years.

[0078] Such data may be obtained by or to the acquisition processor from one or more user surveys (e.g., surveys completed specifically to support the user feedback system and / or surveys completed for any third party partners (e.g., fitness wearable devices or social media providers)), opted-in medical or insurance records, or at least in part from other devices such as fitness wearable 400 and / or other devices in the broader ecosystem 1, such as smart scales. The optional timing of such surveys is described elsewhere herein.

[0079] Non-limiting examples of medium- to long-term data include the user's hormone levels or hormone cycles, such as estrogen, testosterone, dopamine, cortisol, etc., on the order of weeks to months, any acute conditions or illnesses, and activity / health levels.

[0080] Non-limiting examples of medium-term data include, for example, on the order of days to weeks, the user's sleep cycles, acute conditions or illnesses, and the user's hormone levels or cycles, such as estrogen, testosterone, dopamine, and cortisol.

[0081] Non-limiting examples of medium to short term data include, for example, on the order of hours to days, the user's alertness, activity, appetite or satiety, blood pressure, body temperature, and again, acute conditions or diseases, and / or hormones.

[0082] Additionally, such medium-term data (long or short term) may be obtained by or to the acquisition processor from questionnaires, medical or other records, fitness or other smart devices. Thus, for example, hormone levels may be obtained or inferred from questionnaires, medical or other records, consented diary or calendar entries, and / or fitness or other smart devices (e.g., pinprick blood tests, etc.). Similarly, blood pressure, temperature, activity levels, etc. may be obtained from smart devices (typically wearable) or user input.

[0083] Non-limiting examples of short-term data include, for example, on the order of minutes to hours, the user's sweat response, galvanic skin response (phasic and / or tonic), activity level, appetite or satiety, blood pressure, respiratory rate, body temperature, muscle tension, heart rate and / or heart rate variability, and again, any acute conditions or diseases and / or hormones.

[0084] The acquisition processor may also acquire neurological and / or physiological information specific to the delivery device, such as the cumulative amount of vapor generated over a short period of time (e.g., a period of time equivalent to one, two, or more of the pharmacological half-life of the active ingredient in the user's body).

[0085] Non-limiting examples of recent data include, for example, on the order of seconds to minutes, the user's body position, blink rate, respiration rate, heart rate, heart rate variability, brain wave patterns, galvanic skin response (e.g., phasic), muscle tension, skin temperature, voice (e.g., volume, pitch, quality of breathing, etc.), and activity level.

[0086] Short-term and recent data may also typically be acquired by or to an acquisition processor, for example, by biosensing using a smart device or any suitable technique described herein. For example, galvanic skin response may be measured by electrodes on a delivery device, and heart rate may be acquired by optically scanning blood vessels in the wrist with a wearable device or by using an electrocardiogram (ECG) or other dedicated strap-type device. Similarly, brain wave patterns may be detected by an electroencephalogram (EEG), and muscle tension may be detected by an electromyogram (EMG). Meanwhile, body posture, eye blinks, etc. may be captured by, for example, a camera on a phone or vending machine.

[0087] Obtaining short-term, instantaneous physiological data can be difficult. For example, a smartwatch may only check a user's heart rate every 10 minutes, meaning that for a given puff, the available data may be too old to be directly relevant. Similarly, galvanic skin response is unavailable if the user is wearing gloves. Other data requires the user to select and wear the appropriate sensor, which may not always be the case. Similarly, some short-term, instantaneous data may indicate multiple user states because it may have multiple causes. For example, an elevated heart rate may indicate a user's stress state or indicate that the user is enjoying exercise. Consequently, such short-term, instantaneous physiological data may be used only optionally, in conjunction with other contextual data that can help differentiate readings. For example, an elevated heart rate during work hours when the user is at work and not traveling significant distances is much more likely to be a sign of stress than the same heart rate on a Saturday morning when the user is detected as moving at a running pace near their home.

[0088] Thus, short-term and immediate physiological data (and, if necessary, any neurological or physiological data for which context segmentation may be required) may be ignored or given less weight in data acquisition and packaging and / or evaluation of the user's condition, or, optionally, may be used or given more complete weight if segmentation context data is also acquired that indicates the type of condition to which the data may relate.

[0089] It will be appreciated that in the above description, the same example may have shorter and longer term characteristics, e.g., different hormones, hormone cycles, fitness levels, etc., to the extent that they span different time frames. It will also be appreciated that if an example of data is included in one list but not another, this does not preclude the collection / use of that data over different time frames. For example, blood pressure may be listed as an example of short term data, but may also clearly be part of long term data, e.g., due to persistent high blood pressure.

[0090] As with indirect or historical data, any suitable combination of data types and / or data from multiple sources may be used.

[0091] In addition to directly measured neurological or physiological data, any suitable analysis or data fusion may be performed to obtain data regarding the user's condition that is particularly relevant to the delivery device.

[0092] For example, the feedback system may be operable to estimate the current nicotine concentration (as one non-limiting example of an active ingredient) or the concentration of an active or inactive compound that breaks down in the user's body from the consumed ingredient (and then delivers the nicotine / active ingredient accordingly).

[0093] Thus, in principle, a feedback system (e.g., in a preprocessor or subsystem of the acquisition processor) may estimate a user's nicotine concentration based on monitoring the amount of nicotine consumed, the duration of consumption, and the value of the nicotine's half-life in the body (around 2 hours, but this value can be refined based on personal information such as height, weight, etc.). Such monitoring can be performed based on usage data from the delivery device. Thus, for example, based on the original active ingredient concentration and a predetermined relationship between heating / aerosol generator power and aerosol mass output, the mass of active ingredient per unit volume of inhalation may be estimated, from which the amount of active ingredient absorbed may be determined using a predetermined absorption relationship (optionally based on analysis of inhalation depth / duration using airflow data). Finally, the user's obesity level and potentially other factors such as age and gender may be used to determine the concentration of the active ingredient and / or degradation products in the user over time. Again, nicotine is a non-limiting example of an active ingredient.

[0094] It is recognized that users typically seek to maintain nicotine levels that lie between upper and lower thresholds (which may vary from user to user), which collectively may define a "baseline" level. A feedback system can establish such a baseline (e.g., by monitoring the user over time) and, as described in more detail below, select one or more operations of the delivery device to deliver nicotine and, optionally, modify the operations to match the baseline. The baseline may be a stable value or may vary, for example, by time of day or day of the week. The baseline may be initially estimated based on a user profile obtained, for example, from a questionnaire, and / or may be established or refined with information from the user (measurements and / or self-report).

[0095] Because it has been found that nicotine levels closer to an individual's baseline or threshold range increase the chances that a user will experience a positive mood, such modifications can be expected to positively alter the user's estimated state.

[0096] If a user consumes multiple different active ingredients, each may have its own baseline threshold. Optionally, the feedback system may monitor whether there is overlap with another active ingredient to the extent that consumption of one active ingredient may affect the baseline of another active ingredient, and if so, may modify these accordingly, for example, based on stored pharmacokinetic data associated with such overlap.

[0097] As noted above, in these situations, a user may interact with multiple delivery devices to consume different active ingredients, and usage from each device may be combined for the associated user. Alternatively, if a single device is capable of switching payloads (e.g., dispensing different gels) or has a mixed payload of active agents, the currently heated payload or payload mixture can be communicated to a feedback system for purposes of tracking consumption.

[0098] Context Data Contextual data relates to situational factors other than environmental factors (see elsewhere herein) that may affect a user's state of mind. Typically, such situational factors affect a user's psychological state or disposition toward stress, neutrality, happiness, sadness, or toward a particular behavioral pattern, and therefore may also affect and / or correlate with neurological and physiological user factors such as dopamine or cortisone levels, blood pressure, heart rate, etc., as described elsewhere herein.

[0099] Examples of contextual data include, broadly, place of residence, religion (if any), and, more narrowly, the user's culture, such as work and / or employment status and educational background, as well as socio-economic factors that may interact with these, such as gender and relationship status.

[0100] Such information may be obtained by or for the acquisition processor from user surveys, social media data, etc. The optional timing of such surveys is described elsewhere herein.

[0101] Other contexts include seasons (e.g., winter, spring, summer, fall) or months, as well as any particular events or periods within those seasons or months (Lent, Easter, Ramadan, Christmas, etc.) For example, users may be more likely to view consuming below their personal baseline positively during Lent or the first few weeks of January.

[0102] Such information may be obtained by or for the acquisition processor from calendars and databases of events suitably filtered as needed according to other contexts such as country, religion, employment, gender, etc. as described above.

[0103] Other contexts include a user's agenda or calendar, which may indicate sources of stress or relaxation, as well as how busy the user is at a given time. Thus, for example, a social event may be associated with a positive effect on the user's state, such as increased dopamine levels, while a doctor's appointment or driving test may be associated with stressors, such as increased cortisol and heart rate. Similarly, a rapid succession of events, appointments, and / or reminders may have a negative effect on the user's state. The nature of events in a user's agenda or calendar can be determined through keyword analysis, as described elsewhere herein, and frequency or other criteria associated with the calendar, such as the number of scheduling conflicts, or individuals likely to attend meetings, can be determined from data provided by the calendar itself.

[0104] A user's itinerary or calendar may also indicate the user's likely location, which may affect the user's condition or ability to use the delivery device to potentially modify that condition. For example, a user may have different typical conditions and different abilities to use the delivery device depending on whether they are at home, at work, in an outdoor or indoor public space, in an urban or rural environment, or commuting to work.

[0105] The relationship between user states and locations may be based, at least initially, on data from the user's corpus. Alternatively or additionally, the relationship may be built or refined based on data from the user (e.g., measurements or self-reports), so that the user feedback system learns what states the user is likely to be in at a given location, regardless of whether the user has explicitly commented on them.

[0106] Of course, the user's location may be determined from a GPS signal acquired by the delivery device or an associated device such as a smartphone, or from the registered location of a vending machine or point-of-sale unit. Optionally, the user's device, such as a mobile phone, may include an offline map or location database that records, for example, the location of the user's home and work, as well as, optionally, the locations of devices that may be temporarily integrated into the user's delivery ecosystem, such as vending machines, public charging units, etc. This allows the device to compare the user's current location against locations that are not considered public (in the case of the user's personal information) or unknown to the user (in the case of additional delivery ecosystem infrastructure). On the other hand, if the user's location is fed back to a backend server for some reason (e.g., as part of data acquisition, combining, packaging, user state estimation, or feedback processing), the user's actual location may optionally be partially obfuscated (i.e., partially anonymized) by categorizing it into location classes such as "work," "home," "gym," "commute," etc., or as "other" if unknown. This may also be done on the user's phone, for example, with a predetermined tolerance around the classified GPS location associated with the classification.

[0107] Alternatively or additionally, wireless environments can be associated with locations, for example, car Bluetooth or train Wi-Fi may be associated with "commute", while home, office or gym Wi-Fi may be associated with respective locations.

[0108] The user may be asked to identify / classify these locations / wireless environments by phone, or, optionally, classification may be done automatically by transmitting GPS or wireless data to a secure server for comparison with, for example, a database of locations and / or wireless access points maintained by a third party.

[0109] In any event, the acquisition processor may then provide a classification of the location, rather than the location itself, or the acquisition processor may provide a classification of the location.

[0110] For modes of travel such as commuting, the type of travel can affect a user's state. For example, walking may have a more favorable effect on a user's state than driving in terms of heart rate, blood pressure, etc. More generally, activity level can affect a user's state, with increased activity generally having a positive effect on the user, typically during the activity, potentially for the rest of the day, and possibly even the next day. Of course, this context illustrates the potential importance of combining contexts, as walking in the sun may have a different effect on a user's state than walking in the rain. Travel type can be inferred, for example, from GPS data on a user's phone, pairing of a phone or delivery device with a vehicle, purchasing a public transport ticket, or a questionnaire indicating travel habits / times.

[0111] Such information may be obtained by or for the acquisition processor, for example, from a work or personal digital calendar on the user's phone, and it will be appreciated that the user's phone or other smart wearable may also directly indicate the user's location and / or historical location patterns, for example, corresponding to the user's home and work locations and average commute times.

[0112] Other contexts include the weather at the user's location or upcoming weather at the user's location or future locations. For some users, good weather may improve the user's mood and sociability, while bad weather may lower the user's mood and make them less sociable, or affect their sociability. For example, some users may behave in a way that reflects their weather-implied mood expectations, optionally in conjunction with other contextual and user factors, as described herein.

[0113] Such information may be obtained by or to the acquisition processor from a weather app that may be present on the user's smartphone 100 or that may be directly accessible, for example, by server 1000. More generally, weather data may be obtained in response to GPS data (e.g., by the smartphone) or a location indicated on the user's calendar / schedule, and / or using a local weather measurement sensor such as a barometer.

[0114] Other contexts include the user's proximity to others, generally in crowds or social settings, and specifically with respect to other individuals for whom there is in principle a measurable correlation with user behavior. For example, a user may be in a different state depending on whether they are close to their boss, coworkers, friends, partner, children, or parents. Thus, for example, a user may be in a different state in a crowd or social setting than when they are alone or with their partner or family. Or, if children are present, they may behave differently than if they are surrounded by adults only.

[0115] Such proximity can be inferred from a user's schedule or calendar, mobile phone, delivery device, or location. Specifically for purposes of the user feedback system herein, users may generally self-report their social status, for example, on social media. Alternatively, for example, a phone and / or delivery device may detect signals from other phones and / or delivery devices to indicate that they remain in each other's presence for more than a predetermined period of time. Optionally, detection of the other may be achieved through the use of a phone's camera, which may be unavailable if the phone is in a pocket or bag. The feedback system can also determine, for a user of a delivery device, the proximity of other users of such delivery devices (e.g., any suitable delivery device whose location can be determined by the feedback system (e.g., directly or via an associated mobile phone)), regardless of whether such other delivery devices are part of the feedback system itself. Similarly, the feedback system can determine the proximity of particular people to the feedback system that the user has authorized and identified, for example, by providing the feedback system with a phone number or by associating a detected Bluetooth or other identifier with the user.

[0116] Users may also indicate (e.g., via a questionnaire) their typical state in response to various social situations, groups, or individuals, whether at a broad level such as "introvert" or "extrovert," or at a more specific level.

[0117] Other contextual information about the user's social situation can be measured directly using sensors such as a microphone or camera.

[0118] For example, a microphone on the delivery device, the user's mobile phone, or any other device in or connectable to the delivery ecosystem may be used to detect the user's voice (e.g., when specifically speaking to the device or nearby others, during a phone call, or optionally as an ongoing background activity similar to a voice-activated personal digital assistant). Analysis of characteristics of the user's voice, such as volume, speech rate, timbre, tone, pitch, and / or inharmonic content, may optionally determine whether the user's vocalizations are neutral or stressed, for example, after calibration against the user's neutral voice. Similarly, such delivery ecosystem devices may optionally monitor keywords indicative of various states (positive and / or negative) of the user.

[0119] Such microphones can also be used to detect background noise / music. A lot of random or non-music noise may indicate a high-stress situation, such as commuting, while a quiet background may indicate a calm situation, such as at home or in the garden. Similarly, the type of music being listened to can indicate a user's state, whether through specific identification using known techniques or analysis to determine the presence or absence of beats and tempos, with particular tracks associated with positive or negative emotions indicating the user's corresponding emotional state. For example, upbeat dance music may indicate high dopamine levels, while slower songs or songs in minor keys may indicate a depressed mood or depression.

[0120] As with any other functionality described herein, if a suitable sensor (in this case a microphone) already exists that provides the other analysis, this additional mechanism could also be provided by a software update to one or more associated devices.

[0121] Similarly, devices in the delivery ecosystem or connectable to the delivery ecosystem may be equipped with cameras from which images can be obtained regarding the state of the user, such as the user's overall facial expression, which typically correlates strongly with the user's subjective mood, as well as detecting when the user is alone or in a crowd or with particular individuals, which may have a strong correlation with the user's state, as described herein above.

[0122] Of course, alternatively or additionally, such cameras may be adapted to detect other types of data, such as physiological data as described herein above. For example, facial muscle tension may be detectable, which tends to correlate with stress, tension, or pain. Meanwhile, eye movements may indicate a user's level of concentration and / or the nature of their activity (e.g., eye movement and / or blink patterns tend to be different when driving, reading, or socializing, and when alert versus drowsy). Similarly, if the camera is capable of resolving them, micro-movements of the face or neck may indicate heartbeat.

[0123] Of course, there are other contexts that may affect the user's state, such as recently consumed information (social media content, websites, internet searches, online advertisements, news articles, streaming videos, e-books, e-magazines, photos, music, and other similar content that may be obtained by or to the acquisition processor. Some content may be expected to have a universal impact on the user's state, such as news of natural disasters, while other content may have a different impact on individuals, such as the performance of a user's favorite sports team, and may be individually assessed based on, for example, the results of a user survey.

[0124] The content of the consumption information may be rated, for example, by keywords, to generate a rating of its positive or negative impact on the user's condition. Optionally, the rating may only be obtained by or for the acquisition processor, or any suitable digest of keyword selections, etc. More generally, the acquisition processor may only receive a digest of user factors as needed, especially if the material itself does not list any user factor characteristics.

[0125] Such evaluation may be performed by the acquisition processor or a processor managing the content as described above, in which case the processor may provide the results directly to the acquisition processor or to a device in the delivery ecosystem where the content is consumed, optionally after further processing to incorporate one or more other criteria measured within the delivery ecosystem, for example, before being relayed back to the acquisition processor.

[0126] As a specific example, when a user consumes social media via, for example, a mobile phone, the social media platform, the consuming device such as the mobile phone, and / or the acquisition processor (whether operating separately from the mobile phone or at least partially implemented in the consuming device such as the mobile phone) may optionally analyze the text of posts read by the user, and optionally the text of posts written by the user, for keywords. Some keywords may only indirectly indicate a user state. For example, a user's choice of adjectives or verbs in a sentence may indicate whether the user is feeling positive or negative, or neutral or stressed. Similarly, swearing may indicate stress. On the other hand, keywords may explicitly indicate a user state, such as "feeling anxious about going to the dentist." In this case, the word "feeling" indicates that the user is talking about themselves, and the keywords "anxious" and "dentist" may be considered part of a predetermined set of keywords that typically have negative connotations or that may determine a correlation or correspondence with stress levels. Analysis of social communications consumed or generated by a user may optionally include analysis of one or more of the user's word choice, profanity, or explicit displays, as described above.

[0127] It will also be appreciated that, as an alternative or in addition to the use of social media, the above techniques may optionally be applied to telephone or real-world conversations with others in conjunction with a user's text and / or calendar entries, and speech recognition.

[0128] Similar techniques may be applied to news articles, e-books, e-magazines, etc., as well as to metadata associated with streaming video, photos, and / or music.

[0129] Thus, for example, while the background noise around the user or the song may be evaluated using a microphone as described above in this specification, in contrast, when a user selects a song, and in particular when listening to a song, song-related metadata may be obtained, including one or more of artist, title, genre, and lyrics, any of which may be based on, for example, a server-maintained database or heuristics similar to those described above with respect to the use of the microphone, and evaluated based on the supplied metadata to indicate a corresponding user state.

[0130] Similar to rating songs, other content, such as websites, can be similarly rated. Some websites are intended to entertain, while others are intended to inform, and thus can be categorized according to genre or, more generally, classifications that correlate or correspond to various user states. As described elsewhere herein, website content can likewise be parsed for keywords.

[0131] Similarly, use of devices other than the delivery device may affect the user's state. In particular, the user's selection of apps on their phone, their interactions with the apps, the type of interaction, and / or the duration of the interaction with the apps may correlate with the user's state. For example, playing a social media or gaming app may increase dopamine and / or cortisol levels, heart rate, etc., while listening to a music app may change heart rate and / or cortisol levels. The duration of the interaction may have a linear or nonlinear relationship with these state changes and may indicate different states over time. For example, playing a game for an extended period of time may indicate boredom.

[0132] Of course, for many user factors (not just context but other types as well), the situational response (e.g., expectation state) may, at least initially, be based on data from a cohort of users (e.g., a pre-test population of users), but may alternatively or additionally be constructed or refined by information obtained from the user (whether measured, received, or self-reported).

[0133] Environmental and deterministic data Environmental and deterministic data effectively relate to long-term contextual data outside of user preference or influence, and overlap with longer-term contextual influences such as culture (and thus, for example, a user's upbringing, genetics, gender, internal biome (e.g., gut biome) and / or external biome (e.g., arid or lush habitat), and age).

[0134] As with other data described herein, such environmental and deterministic data may be obtained by or to the acquisition processor from one or more user questionnaires (e.g., questionnaires filled out specifically to support the user feedback system and / or questionnaires filled out for any third party partners (e.g., fitness wearable device or social media provider)). Among other things, such questionnaires may ask for details such as gender, height, weight, ethnicity, age, etc. Such questionnaires may also include psychological test questions to estimate the user's psychological disposition and / or background (e.g., one or more of extrovert / introvert, active / passive, optimistic / pessimistic, neutral / anxious, independent / dependent, satisfied / oppressed, etc.). Such questionnaires may also ask questions related to the user's culture and beliefs (e.g., one or more of: country of origin of the user or their parents, religion (if any), political beliefs (if any), newspaper or news website subscriptions (if any), other media consumption (if any), etc.). Again, as with other data described herein, some of this environmental and deterministic data may be obtained by or to an acquisition processor from medical or insurance records with consent, and / or may be inferred from the user's location, as appropriate. The optional timing of such questionnaires is described elsewhere herein.

[0135] Not all environmental and deterministic data need be long-term; for example, time of day, day of the week, and month are also considered environmental and deterministic data. Thus, for example, user state may vary throughout the day or week (e.g., between weekdays and weekends and / or between work hours and nighttime hours on weekdays) or may vary during specific times of day. Similarly, there may be overlap with other contextual data, such as weather. Again, synergies between different user factors are possible. For example, the time of year may affect the amount of sunlight (both in terms of duration and potentially weather patterns). The level and / or duration of sunlight, measured (e.g., using a light sensor / camera on a device in the delivery ecosystem) or inferred from the date, may have a detectable relationship with the user state. Light quality (e.g., color temperature, indoor / outdoor flicker) may also be treated as such a user factor (e.g., captured by a camera in the delivery ecosystem).

[0136] Of course, time of day, day of week, and month are also considered contextual data, especially when functionally defined as work hours or routines, commute time, personal time, quality time, etc., or when patterns of behavior over days, weeks, or months are established. These relate to changes in user factor data as a function of day, week, or month, or the relationship between such user factor data and user state or discriminatory feedback actions. Thus, as described elsewhere herein, one-stage or two-stage models relating user factor data to feedback actions may use time as an input, or different models and different times may be used.

[0137] Usage-based data Usage-based data relates to a user's direct interactions with the delivery device and / or optionally any other device in the delivery ecosystem or device capable of reporting interactions to a feedback system (e.g., acquisition processor). These interactions may be related to vaping / consumption and / or device operation / handling and / or settings.

[0138] Vaping / consumption-based interactions may relate to the number, frequency, and / or distribution / pattern of puffs / consumption events within one or more selected time periods. Such time periods may include daily, hourly, or any other time period that may be relevant to the user's condition as a function of location, pharmacokinetics (e.g., the half-life of one or more delivered active ingredients), and / or any other time period selected to increase the apparent correlation between the number, frequency, and / or distribution / pattern of puffs / consumption and the user's condition. Thus, by way of non-limiting example, the total number of puffs over the lifetime of the device, since payload / consumable refill, month / week / day / hour, and / or particular session, and one or more corresponding cumulative hours of use, may be included as metadata along with any puff data used for analysis by the delivery device, a companion device such as a smartphone, and / or a remote server. Such puff data or puff metadata may also be associated with a timestamp to allow for later matching of the puff data, for example on the phone or a remote server, and / or may be associated with a timestamp and / or associative link to other (non-puff) data, as described elsewhere herein.

[0139] Vaping-based interactions may also relate to statistical descriptions of individual vaping behaviors or cohorts thereof (e.g., including, but not limited to, cohorts during one of the selected time periods described above), such as duration, volume, average airflow, airflow profile, active ingredient ratio, heater temperature, etc.

[0140] Data relating to vaping and vaping behavior (or more generally consumption) as described above may be acquired by or for an acquisition processor from the delivery device itself, for example via a Wi-Fi connection to a server 1000, or via communication with a local computing device such as a companion mobile phone 100 that pairs with the delivery device 10 via a Bluetooth connection to form the delivery system.

[0141] The delivery device may include one or more airflow sensors, such as those described herein above, to determine the timing and / or manner of vaping by a user, e.g., such characteristics, and raw data regarding vaping / consumption events may be stored in a memory of the delivery device or transmitted to a companion mobile phone. The data may then be used by a processor in the delivery device and / or mobile phone to determine the number, frequency, and / or distribution / pattern of puffs / consumption events within one or more selected time periods, and / or characteristics such as the duration, volume, average airflow, airflow profile, average component ratios, heater temperature values, etc., of one or more vaping / consumption events.

[0142] Optionally, at least one sensor may be configured to detect at least two of the puff profile, puff frequency, puff duration, number of puffs, session length, and peak puff pressure, and determine the user's mood from the detected information.

[0143] A user's puffing behavior provides a useful indicator of stressed versus non-stressed states. In particular, it has been found that a user's puffing intensity and frequency change from normal levels (e.g., stronger, shorter puffs, more frequent puffs) during moments of stress. Therefore, the delivery device, another device in the delivery ecosystem (e.g., the user's mobile phone), or a backend server may optionally establish a baseline profile, frequency, pattern, number of puffs, peak pressure, etc., as described elsewhere herein, and then detect deviations from this baseline (e.g., above a predetermined threshold) that indicate stress. Furthermore, different baselines can optionally be established for different situations and contexts, such as time of day, day of the week, and location. For example, a user may experience more stress at work than at home, but this partial increase in stress would be considered a baseline for the work context, and only if further stress were to occur would a deviation be considered indicative of a change in the user's stress that could prompt a response.

[0144] For example, a puff profile characterizes the variation in draw strength over the duration of a draw. Thus, for example, the airflow rate of a puff may be used to characterize the puff profile, with larger airflow rates associated with short, intense draws likely indicating higher stress than smaller airflow rates. Puff frequency is similarly correlated with stress, such that puff frequency is likely to be higher in stressful situations than in a user's normal state. Puff duration is considered a subset of the puff profile, and to a first approximation, duration also indicates the type of draw, typically correlated with short puffs in stressful situations and longer puffs in a user's normal state. Peak puff pressure is also considered a subset of the puff profile, indicating the intensity of the user's draw.

[0145] The number of puffs within a session may also indicate the user's state. A session may be understood to be a fixed duration, or may be functionally defined as a period of time that includes inhalations separated by less than a predetermined period of time required to indicate the session is over. In any given session, all other things being equal, the number of puffs taken by a user may be greater if the user is in a stressed state than normal. Similarly, a session, when functionally defined, may be shorter if the user is in a stressed state than normal.

[0146] In any event, as discussed above, such information may then be packaged as one or more user factors and sent to an acquisition processor.

[0147] Manipulation / handling-based interaction can relate to how a user interacts with the delivery device when not actively vaping, characterizing, for example, whether the delivery device is stored in a bag until immediately prior to use, or whether the user plays with or manipulates the delivery device during use.

[0148] Thus, for example, the delivery device or any other handheld device in the delivery ecosystem (such as a user's mobile phone) may be equipped with a sensor that detects small involuntary movements (so-called micromovements), such as handshakes, i.e., shaking of the user's hand. Such micromovements may be indicative of the user's state. For example, the amount, frequency, or incidence of such micromovements and / or the amplitude of such micromovements may correlate or correspond to one or more of user stress, adrenaline, autonomic nervous system function, user fatigue, user concentration, and deviations from a suitable baseline amount of the active ingredient in the user's body.

[0149] In particular, micromovements or vibrations between 1 and 15 Hz, more preferably between 2 and 11 Hz, and even more preferably between 3 and 9 Hz, are believed to indicate elevated stress or arousal, and detection of such movements may be used as an input indicative of stress. Conversely, for example, infrequent manipulations may optionally be considered to indicate low stress. Similarly, movements that are not "micro" movements (i.e., intentional shaking of the device as opposed to holding it in a trembling hand) may be ignored for the above purposes or analyzed in other ways (e.g., as movements characteristic of imminent use or associated with a broader context in which user state has a clear correlation).

[0150] Therefore, in some embodiments, a user feedback system for a user of a delivery device in a delivery ecosystem may include: an acquisition processor configured to acquire one or more user factors indicative of a state of the user, the acquisition processor including an output from a motion sensor configured to detect micromovements or vibrations of the user; an estimation processor configured to calculate an estimate of the user state based on one or more of the acquired user factors including at least the output from the motion sensor; and a feedback processor configured to select a feedback action for at least a first device in the delivery ecosystem in response to the estimation of the user state, such that a change in the estimated state of the user is expected. In some embodiments, the acquisition processor acquires only the output of the motion sensor as the one or more user factors, and the estimation processor calculates the estimate of the user state based only on the output of the motion sensor. In some embodiments, the motion sensor is provided in or on an aerosol delivery device of the delivery ecosystem. In some embodiments, the feedback action includes a change in operation of the aerosol delivery device.

[0151] Also, for example, independent of micromotions, a given user may tend to hold a delivery device more frequently and / or for longer periods during stress than during relaxed or neutral scenarios because the user consciously or unconsciously associates the device with stress relief through vaping with it. Such holding may be detected using one or more accelerometers and / or touch sensors, as described elsewhere herein.

[0152] Optionally, the delivery device, another device in the delivery ecosystem (such as the user's mobile phone), or a backend server may establish a baseline level of delivery device holding and / or physical interaction for the purpose of detecting when increased holding and / or physical interaction occurs (e.g., above a predetermined threshold), and may also optionally correlate such normal or elevated levels with other indicators or correlates of the user's state and / or directly with the user's state, so that holding and / or physical interaction can act as a proxy for (another) designation of user state and / or another cause of such designation that is normally used / preferred but currently unavailable. As with puffing behavior, further optional, different baselines can be established for different situations and contexts, such as time of day, day of the week, and location. For example, a user may be more stressed at work than at home, but this partial elevated stress would be considered a baseline for the work context, and only if further stress is reached would this be considered an aberration indicative of a change in user stress that could prompt a response.

[0153] Therefore, in some embodiments, a user feedback system for a user of a delivery device in a delivery ecosystem includes: an acquisition processor configured to acquire one or more user factors indicative of a user state, the user factors including output from one or more sensors configured to detect when and / or how a user holds a device in the delivery ecosystem; an estimation processor configured to calculate an estimate of the user state based on one or more of the acquired user factors including at least the output from the one or more sensors; and a feedback processor configured to select a feedback action for at least a first device in the delivery ecosystem in response to the estimation of the user state, such that a change in the estimated user state is expected. In some embodiments, the acquisition processor acquires only the output of the one or more sensors as the one or more user factors, and the estimation processor calculates the estimate of the user state based only on the output of the one or more sensors. In some embodiments, the one or more sensors are provided in or on an aerosol delivery device of the delivery ecosystem. In some embodiments, the feedback action includes a change in operation of the aerosol delivery device.

[0154] More generally, in some embodiments, for a user feedback system, the one or more user factors comprise one or more user factors selected from the group comprising one or more user draw characteristics, output from one or more motion sensors configured to detect micromovements or vibrations of the user, and output from one or more sensors configured to detect when and / or how the user is holding the device in the delivery ecosystem. The inventors have appreciated that there is a strong correlation between data obtained from these user factors and a determination that the user is in a stressed state.

[0155] The delivery device may include one or more touch or motion sensors (e.g., accelerometers) to determine such interactions. Similarly, the device may include buttons or other environmental features that can record user interactions. Interactions with buttons or other environmental features on the delivery device on a companion mobile phone may also be recorded. Such interaction data may then be packaged as one or more user factors and sent to a capture processor.

[0156] Thus, for example, by using telemetry from one or more motion sensors within such a delivery device, a user feedback system can detect incidental or covert manipulation of the device based on characteristic orientation changes, such as spinning, flipping, rocking, etc., that are not associated with any overall movement of either the device or the user. Such manipulation may be indicative of a user state, for example, at least an unconscious desire to use the device or a desire to use the device more than currently, and thus correlated with increased stress, lack of concentration, and / or deviations from a desirable baseline amount of the active ingredient in the user's body.

[0157] Similarly, in delivery devices that use a UI interface, such as a button press, for activation, the delivery device may measure the time between such activation and the inhalation occurring. This time may correlate or correspond to one or more of user stress, user fatigue, user concentration, and deviation from a preferred baseline amount of the active ingredient in the user's body. Thus, for example, this time may be shorter when the user is stressed than when they are normal.

[0158] The delivery device or other devices in the delivery ecosystem may also include other sensors operable to capture measurements of behavioral usage, such as microphones or cameras, which may record inhalation and / or exhalation, the relative timing and characteristic behaviors associated with inhalation, or other behaviors and usage, which may be determined by audio and / or image analysis as input to a capture processor.

[0159] Of course, if a user has multiple delivery devices 10, usage may be aggregated across these devices by obtaining user factor data from each device, or usage may already be aggregated through an intermediary such as a phone app or one of the delivery devices acting as a hub for this purpose. Also, as a non-limiting example of pharmacokinetics, if different devices deliver different active ingredients (whether by type or concentration), this may be taken into account in usage modeling.

[0160] Multiple Data Sources As discussed above and shown in FIG. 6, the acquisition processor may receive a plurality of user factors of the type described herein from one or more data sources, such as data sources in the delivery ecosystem 1, data sources on the Internet 110, and records maintained by the feedback system 1012, such as on the server 1000.

[0161] As discussed above, these user factors may be variously categorized as indirect or historical data, neurological or physiological data, contextual data, environmental or deterministic data, and / or usage-based data.

[0162] In the case of usage-based data, it will be appreciated that some or all of such usage-based data may be obtained through the use of multiple sensors and / or sensors with multiple sensing capabilities in a sensor platform.

[0163] While the above description describes the sensor platform in connection with providing a feedback system, it should be understood that a delivery device, such as an aerosol delivery device, may in any event include such a sensor platform independent of any feedback system, for example, to provide information to a user or another device. Thus, any suitable aerosol delivery device may have a sensor platform including one or more sensors selected from the list consisting of a galvanic skin response detector, a heart rate detector, a touch detector, and any other suitable detector described herein (e.g., a cortisol detector), with the or each detector optionally located on one or more sensors selected from the list consisting of the grip portion of the delivery device, the mouthpiece of the delivery device, and the activation button of the delivery device. Another location for the sensor platform of one or more sensors is, for example, on an optional collar attachment configured to fit between the cartomizer and the body of the delivery device, between the body and mouthpiece of the device, or between any two user-separable components of the delivery device, as appropriate. The collar may be user-attachable, user-detachable, or integral to the device. The collar may, for example, surround a portion of the airflow path within the delivery device in this manner and may include the airflow sensor (or another airflow sensor) for detecting, for example, puff intensity or profile, one or more accelerometers or gyroscopes for detecting one or more of the device's orientation, acceleration, velocity, or position, or any other suitable sensor (e.g., touch sensor). The collar may, for example, power the cartomizer while drawing power from the delivery device. The collar may also include a Bluetooth® link and an antenna (e.g., a ring antenna). In this manner, the collar allows for the retrofitting of functionality related to the technology herein to delivery devices that would otherwise be unsuitable or provide only limited information.

[0164] Naturally, different data sources relate to data spanning different time periods. For example, a single puff may take 1-3 seconds, while the work context may apply to several hours before and after this event. Thus, the acquisition processor may by its nature use data sources that precede, coincide with, and / or follow the occurrence of other data sources, and may take these broader perspectives into account through any significant correlations with the user's state at a particular point in time (e.g., as indicated by something more transient, such as a puff).

[0165] However, in addition to inherently long-lasting data sources, it will be appreciated that the techniques described herein can use one or more sensors to obtain data that complements readings from other sensors by recording data before, during, and / or after readings by the other sensors. For example, a heart rate monitor may measure heart rate before, during, and / or after a puff or series of puffs. Thus, data regarding the user's condition is effectively obtained not only during actual inhalation (or other measurable interaction) with the device, but also from the periods immediately before and after inhalation.

[0166] Of course, recording of any measurable parameter of interest can provide a time-localized context for measuring any other parameter, although it may be beneficial to measure such parameters, particularly on one or both sides of the puffing motion.

[0167] While data from such one or more sensors could be continuously analyzed, this would require high processing resources and power consumption, adversely affecting the battery life of the delivery device. As a result, the delivery device optionally includes a circular memory buffer that is updated with values ​​from the or each sensor used in this manner, thereby minimizing processing. The buffer may include storage for, for example, 5 seconds, 10 seconds, 15 seconds, 30 seconds, or 60 seconds of sensor readings, and is overwritten in a circular manner during use.

[0168] If a puff is detected, buffered data is collected either directly via data transmission or via a companion device for processing on the delivery device or via data transmission to a companion device such as a mobile phone or a remote server, as described elsewhere herein.

[0169] If a puff is detected, then optionally, buffer data is collected for another period approximately equal to half the circular memory duration of the buffer, with data preceding and following the puff event also being recorded, such that the puff event corresponds to the middle of the resulting buffer record. Of course, the amount of buffer data recorded upon and after detection of a puff event can be used to control the balance of preceding and following data recorded in the buffer. This can be used depending on whether the sensor data being recorded is particularly relevant to preceding a puff, following a puff, or a balance of the two.

[0170] The recorded data may be relative to the start of the detected puff or the end of the detected puff. Thus, for example, in the case of a 2-second puff and a 5-second buffer, sensor data from one or more sensors other than the airflow sensor may be sent for analysis over the preceding 5 seconds, the preceding 4 seconds and 1 second of puffs, the preceding 3 seconds and 2 seconds of puffs, the preceding 2 seconds, 2 seconds of puffs and the following 1 second, the preceding 1 second, 2 seconds of puffs and the following 2 seconds, 2 seconds of puffs and the following 3 seconds, 1 second of puffs and the following 4 seconds, or the following 5 seconds. Of course, sub-second or greater intervals are possible depending on the sampling rates of the sensors used in the buffer.

[0171] Thus, more generally, the delivery device may include a circular buffer that periodically records sensor data from one or more sensors other than the airflow / puff sensor, and when a puff occurrence is detected, sensor data preceding, during, and / or following the puff event can be provided for analysis, thereby providing time-localized contextual sensor data in a power-efficient manner.

[0172] It should also be appreciated that, more generally, any device in the delivery ecosystem may include a circular buffer that periodically records sensor data from one or more sensors other than the airflow / puff sensor, and, when a puff is detected, may provide for analysis sensor data preceding, during, and / or following the puff event, which may then be notified to the other device directly, e.g., via Bluetooth, or indirectly via a companion device such as a phone, which may optionally collate sensor data from one or more devices, potentially including itself, for analysis by the delivery device, the phone itself, another device in the delivery ecosystem, or a remote server.

[0173] How the Capture Processor Works Referring again to FIG. 6, the acquisition processor 1010 is typically part of the remote server 1000 and may receive user factors from different data sources, such as the server's own storage / database 1012, online data sources 110, and devices in the user's delivery ecosystem 1, such as the delivery device 10 itself, the mobile phone 100, the fitness wearable 400, the docking unit 200, the vending machine 300, and any other suitable device that may provide information related to the user's condition (such as a voice-activated home assistant, smart thermostat, smart doorbell, or other Internet of Things (IoT) device).

[0174] The acquisition processor 1010 may comprise one or more physical and / or virtual processors, and may be located in a remote server and / or have functionality distributed or otherwise distributed across multiple devices, including, but not limited to, the user's mobile phone 100, the docking unit 200, the vending machine 300, and the delivery device 10 itself. The acquisition processor may also have one or more communication inputs, e.g., via a network connection and / or a local connection to local storage. The acquisition processor may also have one or more communication outputs, e.g., via a network connection and / or a local connection, e.g., to the estimation processor 1020.

[0175] The acquisition processor may include a pre-processor or sub-processor (not shown) configured to parse and / or convert acquired information into user factors, which may not be immediately usable as described above. Examples include keyword or sentiment analysis of consumed media to determine a net positive or negative impact on an aspect of the user's state as a user factor, or similarly, keyword analysis of a user's calendar to determine locations and events to determine a net positive or negative impact on an aspect of the user's state as a user factor. Other inputs, such as air temperature or chance of rain, may similarly be converted to a scale appropriate for the user factors, e.g., normalized or categorized according to their impact on the user's state.

[0176] In this manner, the acquisition processor may be operable to generate and / or relay user factors for input to the estimation processor at various levels of abstraction from the original material.

[0177] Thus, the original data can optionally be enumerated, coded, classified, formatted, or otherwise processed, or simply passed through, to provide as input to the inference processor, with potentially as many or more inputs as there are original data sources. As will be appreciated from the above discussion, this can result in a large number of inputs.

[0178] Thus, optionally, one, some, or all of the original data may simply be passed through to any evaluation, coding, classification, formatting, or other processing, or even an optional intermediate user factor generation stage of the acquisition processor as needed, so that the transmitted input may determine a positive or negative effect on a particular subset of user factors that are related to user state but not directly or easily measurable, such as effects on dopamine and / or cortisol, heart rate, satiety, etc.

[0179] Similarly, the intermediate user factor generation stage of such an acquisition processor may combine inputs from similar classes to generate class-level user factors for one or more of the data classes described herein.

[0180] Thus, by way of non-limiting example, indirect or historical data may be aggregated at a given scale as the manner in which a user actively modifies or updates their respective device or accepts such modifications. Neurological or physiological data may be aggregated at a given scale and / or trajectory on that scale as the user's apparent stress. Contextual data may be aggregated at a given scale as the socially desirable use of the current delivery device. Environmental or deterministic data may also be aggregated by the likelihood that a user will want to use the delivery device in a given time frame, and usage-based data may be aggregated as the frequency or depth of a user's recent delivery device use.

[0181] Of course, in practice, raw data from only some or one of the classes may be available, and even if data from one class is available, class-level user factors as in the above example may not be generated, or different types of class-level user factors (e.g., different subsets of individual user factors) may be generated depending on the type of data received within that class. Similarly, class-level user factors may be generated as input to an inference processor in parallel with the individual user factors.

[0182] Contribution values ​​and / or influences from different individual, subset, and / or class level user factors may then be presented as inputs to the estimation processor, with the selection of class, subset, and / or individual user factors being chosen to provide good discrimination between different user states.

[0183] For example, galvanic skin response can provide a good indicator of a user's condition and respond to nicotine as an active ingredient by suppressing the response. Therefore, it can optionally be a candidate for an individual data source to be used as input to the estimation processor. Other physiological measures that provide good discrimination include muscle tension (EMG), heart rate, skin temperature, electroencephalography (EEG), and respiratory rate. Any available of these could be considered for inclusion as individual data sources, optionally after any evaluation, coding, classification, formatting, or other processing, in place of or in addition to the above, in any combination with these or other user factors described elsewhere herein.

[0184] Similarly, location, social environment, time of day, and hormone levels are all good indicators of a user's state and may be candidates for use as individual sources of data to input into the inference processor.

[0185] Thus, more generally, the user factors may be acquired by or to the acquisition processor, for example as individual, subset, and / or class level user factors, and after any suitable parsing or processing, provided to the estimation processor as individual and / or subset or class values ​​combined with one or more other user factors (e.g., based on weighted contributions, statistical functions, trained machine learning outputs, look-up tables of pre-computed correspondences between values ​​of the acquired data and values ​​of the target user factors, etc.).

[0186] Estimation Processor The estimation processor 1020 is operable to calculate an estimate of the user state based on one or more of the inputs received from the acquisition processor, including the acquired user factors, or the acquired user factors. The calculation of the estimate of the user state can be explicit, for generating an output that reflects the user's state prior to generating suggested feedback actions (considered a two-step process), or implicit, for generating suggested feedback actions expected to change the user's state (considered a one-step process).

[0187] Like the acquisition processor, the estimation processor may comprise one or more physical and / or virtual processors, and may be located in a remote server and / or have functionality distributed or otherwise distributed across multiple devices, including, but not limited to, the user's mobile phone 100, the docking unit 200, the vending machine 300, and the delivery device 10 itself. The estimation processor may also comprise one or more communication inputs, for example, for receiving data from the acquisition processor 1010. The estimation processor may also comprise one or more communication outputs, for example, for providing suggested feedback actions to the feedback processor 1030.

[0188] Explicit State Estimation In one embodiment herein, the inference processor first explicitly infers the user's state in a two-stage process, and then generates suggested feedback actions in a second stage in response to the inferred state, which itself may be in the form of a single value or category, or may be a multivariate description of the user's state.

[0189] As a non-limiting example of a single-valued state, the estimated state may be: i. the user's stress level; and ii. The degree of benefit that a user is expected to experience subjectively in response to consuming a unit of the proposed active ingredient; and iii. a social flexibility score indicating the ease with which the user's current use of the delivery device would allow them to change their respective states through delivery modifications; and It may also represent:

[0190] As non-limiting examples of state categories, the estimated state may be:

[0191] i. One, all, some, or none of a plurality of state categories may correspond to what is colloquially referred to as mood (e.g., happy, sad, low cortisol, moderate cortisol, high cortisol, neutral, stressed, acceptance of change (e.g., willingness to alter state using the respective delivery device), or rejection of change).

[0192] ii. One of the state classifications is selected to have a clear correlation with either the input from the acquisition processor and / or the available feedback actions, and these classifications do not necessarily fit into assumed categories such as "happiness" or "high cortisol," but have classification boundaries that are driven at least in part by responses to the available input from the acquisition processor or the output to the feedback processor.

[0193] As a non-limiting example of a multivariate description of a user's state, the estimated state may include: i. a user's stress level as a function of physiological as well as contextual indicators, and an indicator of current social flexibility based on time of day, location, and / or proximity to specific individuals; ii. Indicators of the user's physiological state based on galvanic skin response and heart rate, as well as their current position in their hormone cycle and mental state derived from surveys and / or social media analysis; may also include:

[0194] Using these examples, the operation of the estimation processor can be illustrated in a non-limiting manner as follows.

[0195] The estimation processor may transform the input data from the acquisition processor into an estimated state through the use of predetermined rules, algorithms, and / or heuristics.

[0196] For example, a single-valued state, such as a user's stress level, may be derived by applying a predetermined combination of multiple user factors, such as a weighted sum, with the result normalized according to the number of currently available inputs contributing to the weighted sum.

[0197] Similarly, a single-value state, such as a user's expected degree of benefit, may be derived by estimating the user's positive or negative emotional state based on the sum of index values ​​for positive or negative keywords or emotions in recently consumed or created online media and positive or negative values ​​associated with the user's location classification.

[0198] Similarly, the putative condition category may be selected by template matching of the user factor values ​​against predetermined values ​​indicative of a given category, or similarly by identifying the smallest mean squared error between the user factors and a template of user factor values ​​for each candidate category, optionally with different linear or non-linear weighting of different categories and large errors to reflect their relative importance in category discrimination.

[0199] Finally, as an example, a multivariate condition may include deriving individual indicators of the condition according to any of the above examples. Thus, as described above, a single-valued stress level can be generated for each physiological and contextual indicator, and a social flexibility value can be determined based on scores pre-associated with different time periods, locations, and particular classes of individuals (e.g., partner vs. child). Alternatively, social flexibility classification may be based on template matching of such scores and / or values ​​for the underlying input data.

[0200] Alternatively or additionally, the estimation processor may convert input data from the acquisition processor into estimated states through the use of a look-up table.

[0201] In one example, these lookup tables may simply provide a pre-computed implementation of the above predetermined rules, algorithms, and / or heuristics to avoid repeating these calculations on a server or on a device in the delivery ecosystem that has limited processing power but can act as or share the role of an estimation processor, such as a delivery device 10, a dock 200, a vending machine 300, a wearable device 400, or an associated phone 100.

[0202] In another example, such lookup tables may provide associations between input values ​​from the acquisition processor and output values ​​of user states, state classifications, and / or multivariate states previously derived according to any suitable mechanism, such as feedback from extensive user testing, or, as described below in this specification, the output of a machine learning system. Again, in the latter case, the lookup tables may potentially provide simple replication of the operation of such machine learning systems by recording input and output pairs to common values ​​that can be easily implemented in devices in the delivery ecosystem with relatively low computing power.

[0203] Alternatively or additionally, the estimation processor may model correlations between the input data and the estimated user state. Such correlations may be due to causal relationships between the user factors and the user state, or due to the tendency of the user factors to accompany the causes of the user state, typically acting as proxies with a certain probability. Similarly, such correlations may be due to user factors and user states that are both responsive to distinct causes or circumstances, such that a correlation can be constructed with sufficient repetition. Similarly, such correlations may be due to the user state that gives rise to the user factor. Thus, more generally, correlations relate to measurably predictable correspondences between one or more user factors (whether individual, subset, or class-level user factors, as output by the acquisition processor) and the user state (whether single-valued, categorical, or multivariate), typically due to causal relationships (in either direction between the user factors and the state), common causes that result in user factor and user state responses that have a relationship that is reproducible at least at a statistical level, and / or measurable correspondences regardless of whether direct or indirect causality is known.

[0204] When modeling correlations, the estimation processor can be trained using a dataset that takes as input data corresponding to the above-mentioned outputs of the acquisition processor and includes as target outputs descriptors of the user's state (whether single-valued, categorical, or multivariate, e.g., based on direct measurements of the user's state and / or self-reports of the user's state).

[0205] Specific means by which such correlations may be derived include any suitable technique for estimating such correlations, such as a correlation map between inputs and outputs, in which the link between a particular input and output is strengthened (e.g., by incrementing connection weights) by simultaneous (or, if a temporal factor is included, within a predetermined time window) presentation of the input and output. When trained on a dataset, a new input will, via the connection weights, more or less activate one or more candidate states correlated with that input. The most strongly activated candidate state may then be selected as the user state, and such states may be ranked by activation strength. Of course, such a system may simultaneously provide multiple input values ​​corresponding to subsets of individual, class-level user factors, as described elsewhere herein, and the generated output may correspond to a single-valued state, a classification, or a multivariate state, with many values ​​representing different aspects of the output user state, as described elsewhere herein.

[0206] An example of a correlation map is a neural network, which may take any suitable form.

[0207] More generally, any suitable machine learning system capable of determining correlations or other predictable correspondences between one or more inputs and one or more outputs is contemplated.

[0208] Given the above-described dataset, such machine learning systems are typically supervised, e.g., supervised classification learning algorithms if the user state is a classification, or supervised regression learning algorithms if the user state is single-valued or multivariate. Other forms of machine learning, such as reinforcement learning, adversarial learning, or semi-supervised learning, are also suitable. Furthermore, multiple independent machine learning systems trained separately on different or overlapping individual, subset, or class-level outputs of acquisition processors can be ensembled to improve modeling results, addressing different configurations of the raw data, e.g., resulting from different users' different patterns of delivery ecosystem device ownership and different permissions and habits affecting the availability of online information sources. It should also be appreciated that a mixture of different machine learning systems can be used in parallel to generate, e.g., a multivariate state of a user, with one or more different elements of the multivariate description generated by each different machine learning system. Each of these machine learning systems can be implemented on separate hardware (e.g., based on dedicated neural processors), but more commonly, they are considered to be implemented on the same hardware (software-based machine learning systems that are loaded and executed as needed).

[0209] However, unsupervised learning algorithms are also possible, so that, for example, associative learning can determine the probability that a user will be in a given state in the presence of a certain input or input pattern.

[0210] Examples of such machine learning systems will be known to those skilled in the art in the form of algorithms and / or neural networks.

[0211] Alternatively, machine learning may optionally be used to prepare (e.g., pre-process) data in either the estimation processor and / or the acquisition processor. Thus, clustering (e.g., k-means clustering) may be used to classify a diverse set of inputs into class-level user factors of the type described herein above. Such techniques may be used to derive classifications for user states according to the second example of state category classification described herein above, for example, in response to inputs from the acquisition processor or available feedback operations of the feedback processor.

[0212] Similarly, as a preliminary step in the estimation processor and / or acquisition processor, dimension reduction such as principal component analysis may be employed to reduce the number of inputs while retaining information that significantly corresponds to the user state.

[0213] In summary, when the estimation processor generates an explicit estimate of the user state, it uses a repository of correspondence between available inputs from the acquisition processor and the estimated state, which may be embodied in algorithms, rules or heuristics, one or more lookup tables, and / or one or more trained machine learning systems.

[0214] The result in each case is an estimate of the user state, which may be in the form of a single value, a category, or a multivariate description / representation of the user state, as described herein above.

[0215] On the other hand, the operation of the estimation processor when generating implicit estimates of the user state is described later in this specification.

[0216] Feedback suggestions from estimated states As described herein above, the estimation processor may be adapted to operate in a two-stage process, in a first stage, by the acquisition processor, to estimate a user state from inputs including one or more user factors or data derived from such user factors, and in a second stage, as described below, to generate suggested feedback actions expected to change the user state.

[0217] In principle, the second stage may be implemented by the feedback processor rather than the estimation processor, or may be shared between the feedback processor and the estimation processor. Alternatively, the feedback processor may simply receive the suggested feedback actions. In either case, the feedback processor may then select a feedback action (defaulting if there is only one suggestion, or selecting one or more if there are multiple suggestions), and optionally act to cause the feedback action or actions suggested by the estimation processor to occur appropriately within the delivery ecosystem.

[0218] For purposes of explanation, the second stage is described herein as occurring in the estimation processor.

[0219] The second stage may be chosen for practical reasons, for example, a training set used to model the correspondence / correlation between the user factors or their derived values ​​by the acquisition processor and the user state may be easier to generate or obtain than a training set used to directly model the correspondence / correlation between the user factor-based input and the suggestion feedback behavior, since the user state may be directly measurable or easier to report by the user.

[0220] Similarly, it may be easier to generate training sets that determine correspondences / correlations between measurable and / or self-reported user states and proposed feedback actions based on, for example, user questionnaires ranking feedback actions for a given state and / or the subsequent effectiveness of implemented feedback actions in changing the user state toward a more desirable state, such as measured and / or reported by the user. Optional timing of such questionnaires is described elsewhere herein. Typically, a more desirable state is one that improves the user's subjective sense of well-being and / or moves physiological or neurological indicators of the user's state toward a preferred baseline (e.g., increased heart rate, galvanic skin response, increased skin temperature, and / or reduced respiratory rate, etc.).

[0221] The input to the second stage will typically be an estimate of the user's state, expressed as a single value, a category, or a multivariate description as described above in this specification, or a plurality of such states if multiple states are estimated (e.g., different activity / correlation strengths in response to the first stage input). Optionally, the input to the second stage may also include one or more user factors and / or inputs as provided by the acquisition processor. For example, as described elsewhere herein, certain physiological measurements may be useful indicators / surrogates of user state, such as galvanic skin response, heart rate, respiratory rate, skin temperature, etc. Thus, one or more of these inputs, or any other input to the first stage, may optionally be provided to the second stage along with the or each estimated state.

[0222] In any event, similar to the estimation of the user state, the generation of the suggested feedback actions may use any suitable mechanism that embodies a correspondence / correlation between the estimated user state and the suggested feedback actions.

[0223] As mentioned above, this may include predefined rules, algorithms, and / or heuristics that convert estimated states into suggested feedback actions.

[0224] For example, a single-valued state (e.g., degree of stress) may drive a corresponding suggested feedback action, such as increasing the percentage of active ingredient in a unit inhaled volume of generated aerosol, which may be achieved by modifying heater, airflow, reservoir, and / or other payload storage settings, and may be managed by a feedback processor, as described later in this specification. The relationship between the degree of stress and the change in active ingredient may be linear or nonlinear, or may vary qualitatively at different values, e.g., no change at all at low levels of stress, a linear relationship at medium levels of stress, and an asymptotic relationship at high levels of stress up to a maximum percentage of active ingredient. At or near this maximum, the behavior of the user interface of the delivery device or other devices in the ecosystem may also be modified, e.g., issuing a warning or calming message to the user's mobile phone.

[0225] Alternatively, for example, a single category state may have a corresponding suggested feedback action.

[0226] Finally, a multivariate state may result in a corresponding suggested feedback action based, for example, on weighted or non-weighted contributions from different elements of the state description, and / or different feedback actions may be suggested based on overlapping or non-overlapping subsets of elements of the state description. Thus, for example, if a state description suggests that a user is stressed and is in a work environment, a feedback action may assume that the user is experiencing implicit stress due to being in a work environment, but is currently unable to increase their intake of the active ingredient, and issue a message to the UI of the delivery device or other devices in the ecosystem, such as the user's phone, suggesting that the user take a break. On the other hand, if the user is stressed but is not in a work environment, the feedback action may be similar to the example stress level described above, resulting in an increase in the rate of active ingredient delivered to the user.

[0227] As mentioned above, any one of these may be accompanied by one or more inputs to the first stage.

[0228] Again, as with estimating the user state, the estimation processor may alternatively or additionally convert the state estimation data into suggested feedback actions through the use of a look-up table.

[0229] Alternatively or additionally, similar to the estimation of the user state, the estimation processor may model the correlation between the estimated user state and the suggested feedback actions and use similar techniques to do so.

[0230] If the inference processor models correspondence / correlation, it can be trained using a dataset that includes as input data corresponding to inferred user states (e.g., in the form of single values, classifications, or multivariate descriptions, or combinations thereof), optionally inputs from an acquisition processor as described herein above, and suggested feedback actions as target outputs.

[0231] Suggested feedback actions, discussed in more detail below, typically include at least one type of action and, optionally, one or more variables that characterize the performance of that action. Thus, for example, a change in vaporization temperature would be a type of action, and an increase / decrease or amount of increase / decrease would represent a variable that characterizes the performance of that action. Similarly, modifying the concentration of an active ingredient in an aerosol would be a type of action, and an increase / decrease or amount of increase / decrease in concentration would represent a variable that characterizes the performance of that action.

[0232] Thus, as a non-limiting example in the context of a machine learning system, different output nodes may represent different types of behavior, and the values ​​of these nodes may represent flags indicating the selection of that feedback behavior or values ​​for variables of that feedback behavior depending on how the system is trained. It should also be appreciated that in a machine learning system, multiple output nodes may be associated with one or more types of behavior depending on the training format.

[0233] Of course, potentially multiple feedback actions may be indicated in response to the estimated user state. In such a situation, the feedback processor may then decide whether to select only one feedback action or to execute multiple feedback actions in parallel or sequentially, for example based on the degree of change that action causes as implied by the associated variable or variables, optionally ordered according to a predetermined order, also in response to the strength of activation of the flag output node for each feedback action and / or the degree of change implied by each action's associated variable or variables.

[0234] It will also be appreciated that for training such machine learning systems, measured and / or reported user states can be provided as inputs, with respective suggested feedback actions provided as targets, with actions and values ​​selected according to their reported effects in user trials for users with the corresponding user states, where again, effect or effectiveness typically relates to an improvement in user-perceived state and / or a change in neurological and / or physiological state towards a predetermined baseline or preferred state.

[0235] Optionally, the use of simulated conditions and corresponding feedback behavior as an initial training phase can provide initial training (e.g., based on survey results as described above), after which the model can be refined using a relatively small cohort of real-world training data.

[0236] Optionally, the user's own feedback regarding the effectiveness and / or suitability, desirability, usefulness, etc. of any feedback actions may be further used to refine the model and effectively customize it for the user. This feedback may likewise be reported by the user based on measurements of the user interface of devices in the delivery ecosystem, such as the delivery device or phone, and / or neurological and / or physiological responses. If multiple feedback actions are performed or specified, the user may optionally rank each in order of preference.

[0237] In summary, a two-stage process involving explicit estimation of user state as a first or interim stage, whether performed by rule-based techniques or machine learning, may be used when these stages are a better fit to the available underlying empirical data set used to model the correspondence / correlation.

[0238] Objectively, in this mode, the estimation processor operates as described above by taking input from the acquisition processor, typically in the form of different individual, subset, and / or class-level user factors, and outputting one or more suggested feedback actions, including simply identifying the actions in a manner similar to flags, identifying the relevance of the actions to the estimated state based on the activation levels and outputs corresponding to the suggested feedback actions, and / or specifying a change or amount of change in one or more variables that at least partially characterize the suggested feedback action.

[0239] Thus, explicit estimation of the user state is typically an internal, interim step. However, it should be understood that this estimate can also be relayed as information to the user, and optionally, the user can modify the estimate, especially if the estimate or components of the estimate in the multivariate description relate to subjective measures or proxies for subjective measures such as the user's sense of stress. Thus, for example, the estimate can be displayed in a user interface on the user's mobile phone, and the user can use this information to self-assess and change the estimate as a result. The revised estimate of the user state can then be used in a second step, in addition to or instead of the initially generated estimate, to generate suggested feedback actions that are considered more accurate than suggestions based on the original estimate of the user state.

[0240] Furthermore, any changes made to the user's state estimate can be used to update and refine the first-stage model; indeed, for certain machine learning techniques, the absence of user corrections can similarly be seen as a positive reinforcement of the estimate for training purposes.

[0241] As previously mentioned herein, if further training is not desired, the relationships between input and output values ​​resulting from the machine learning process may optionally be captured in one or more lookup tables, which may be computationally easier to use (although likely occupy more memory).

[0242] Implicit State Estimation In one embodiment herein, rather than using the two-stage process described above, the estimation processor performs a one-stage process that implicitly estimates the user's state as part of the relationship between the individual, subset, and / or class-level user factors provided as input by the acquisition processor and the suggested feedback actions generated as output, typically expected to change the user's state.

[0243] Thus, an estimation processor (1020) configured to calculate an estimate of a user state based on one or more of the acquired user factors may be equivalent to an estimation processor (1020) configured to generate a suggested feedback action state based on one or more of the acquired user factors, where the user state is implicit in the relationship between the user factors and the suggested feedback action expected to change the user's implicit estimated state.

[0244] Similar to the two-stage process described herein above, the estimation processor may transform the input data from the acquisition processor into an estimated state through the use of predetermined rules, algorithms, and / or heuristics, which may combine the two separate stage processes of an explicit state estimation embodiment, for example, and / or refine some or all of the rules, diagrams, and / or heuristics in response to the one-stage nature of the implicit state estimation approach, or may be derived from scratch in the case of a one-stage process.

[0245] Again, as with the two-stage process, the estimation processor may alternatively or additionally use lookup tables to convert the input data into suggested feedback actions, which may similarly be concatenated lookup tables from the two-stage approach and / or processed separately to provide a one-stage lookup table, or derived from scratch in the case of a one-stage process.

[0246] Again, as with the two-stage process, the estimation processor may alternatively or additionally use machine learning, for example, by using inputs used in the first stage of explicit state estimation and goals used in the second stage of generating suggested feedback actions from the estimation stage to train a machine learning system to identify a measurable correspondence between the two.

[0247] Of course, to present corresponding inputs and goals for training, the training set must capture this correspondence. As described above in this specification, data sets may exist for inputs and user states, as well as for user states and effective feedback actions. As a result, inputs and feedback actions can be combined for training purposes, if necessary, based on common user state values, classes, or multivariate descriptors. Clearly, if the training data set was collected by users who measured and / or self-reported user factors, measured and / or self-reported user states, and measured and / or self-reported the effectiveness, suitability, desirability, usefulness, etc., of subsequent feedback actions, then a self-consistent set of input user factors and goal feedback actions (as provided by the acquisition processor) can be used for training.

[0248] Alternatively or additionally, a two-stage system of explicit state estimation trained on separate data sets, a two-stage system of explicit state estimation using each rule, algorithm, and / or heuristic from the two stages, and / or a two-stage system of explicit state estimation using lookup tables from the two stages can be used as data sources.

[0249] For example, a two-stage estimation lookup table or a one-stage lookup table created by running rules, algorithms, and / or heuristics and / or machine learning systems through the first and second stages may provide a lookup link between inputs as provided by the acquisition processor and the suggested feedback actions generated by running the two-stage process using those inputs.

[0250] Alternatively or additionally, two-stage estimation lookup tables or rules, algorithms, and / or heuristics and / or training of a one-stage machine learning system by running the machine learning system through the first and second stages may provide inputs such as those provided by the acquisition processor and provide goals for training the suggested feedback behaviors generated by running the two-stage process using those inputs.

[0251] Optionally, a single-stage machine learning system so trained may then refine its training using additional data, such as a composite training set as described above, and / or data received from one or more users during use of a user feedback system, similar to that described herein above for the staged approach.

[0252] It should also be appreciated that, for example, the training set may be based directly on capturing desired input and target values ​​rather than using an amalgamation of data sets or processes.

[0253] Of course, for either the two-stage or one-stage approach, a training set relating user factors to user states may be constructed by collecting training data using one or more devices in the delivery ecosystem. Such a training set may be generated by a version of the user feedback system that does not generate suggested feedback actions but simply collects user factor and user state information. Similarly, a training set relating user states to suggested feedback actions may initially be based on questioning users whose respective states are known (e.g., measured / reported) to evaluate suggested feedback actions via a telephone user interface, for example, as part of a user testing regime. Thus, in this case, the feedback system may suggest feedback actions and select one or more of the suggested actions, but in a different version or mode, may present the selected suggested feedback action(s) to the user (e.g., via a user interface) for evaluation, for example, during a training data collection phase or calibration phase (e.g., characterizing users in subgroups whose responses can be better tailored, as disclosed elsewhere herein), and / or may modify or prompt the user to modify one or more operations of at least a first device in the delivery ecosystem by executing the selected suggested feedback action(s) in response to an estimate of the user state (whether explicitly or implicitly modeled) in a manner that is expected to change the estimated state of the user. Training data relating user factors to suggested feedback actions may likewise be obtained.

[0254] Thus, such data sets may be obtained using a version or mode of a user feedback system that, as described above, does not actually result in modification of the operation of one or more devices in the ecosystem (optionally, other than to elicit a response from the user, e.g., for training data purposes).

[0255] Thus, a pre-generation or training / refinement mode of such a user feedback system may include an acquisition processor (1010) operable to acquire one or more user factors indicative of a user state, and to acquire user state data (e.g., based on measurements similar to the user factors and / or self-reports by the user) and / or feedback action preference / effectiveness data. The estimation processor would then include a training or development phase, e.g., once a sufficient corpus of data has been accumulated, in which correspondences / relationships / correlations between inputs based on the user factors as described above and goals based on the user state (in a two-phase approach) or suggested feedback actions (in a one-phase approach) are modeled as described above.

[0256] Alternatively or additionally to the above, in a pre-generation and / or training mode of such a feedback system, the delivery device and / or other participating devices in the delivery ecosystem may end up only uploading data to the acquisition processor and not downloading feedback operations (or optionally any other data) from the feedback system.

[0257] Similarly, the pre-generation and / or training mode of such a feedback system, and / or providing refinement or supplemental input to the feedback system during normal use, may involve direct input of the user's state as reported by the user to user factors, such as from neurological / physiological data (e.g., via biosensing), movement and / or location user factors (e.g., via touch, accelerometer, or GPS sensors), contextual user factors, and / or any of the other user factors disclosed herein, as described elsewhere herein, which may be used to generate a training set as described above, but alternatively or additionally, the user's reported state may be processed as a user factor directly by the acquisition processor or estimation processor.

[0258] The user's reported state may be obtained based on the results of a questionnaire presented to the user via a user interface on a device in the delivery ecosystem, such as the user's mobile phone or delivery device. Such a questionnaire may simply ask the user to select, for example, from a menu or drop-down box, a state that most closely matches their subjective understanding of the respective state and / or ask questions whose answer selection may indicate the user's state. Such a questionnaire may be provided periodically or in response to some event, such as a detected user factor or a value associated with the user factor reaching a certain threshold. Thus, for example, a questionnaire may be provided in response to a specific calendar event, the user visiting a specific location, or the user's heart rate exceeding a predetermined threshold. Optionally, the frequency with which the questionnaire is provided to the user may be limited so as not to burden the user with the questionnaire process. Similarly, the extent of the questionnaire may optionally be varied to favor more direct self-assessment than assessments based on responses to questions such as those described above (if provided).

[0259] More generally, with respect to the other questionnaires described herein, presenting, offering, or requiring completion of a questionnaire to the user may optionally depend on many factors. For example, a questionnaire regarding the user's cultural background may be conducted only once, e.g., as part of an initial setup process, and may optionally require confirmation, e.g., annually. Other questionnaires, on the other hand, may be periodic, e.g., monthly or weekly, or may passively await updates from the user, such as the user's current weight. Other questionnaires may be event-based, e.g., in response to detected deviations in puffing frequency or behavior or feedback intervention. In these cases, there may optionally be a timeout during which the same or other questionnaires are not conducted within a predetermined period (e.g., 1 to N hours or 1 day) to avoid burdening the user. Optionally, if the user consents to more intensive questioning (e.g., as part of a system training program), the questionnaires may be conducted more regularly (e.g., every few hours) and when the user is awake.

[0260] In principle, the user's reported state may optionally be used in place of an explicit state estimate by the estimation processor, but in at least some cases it may be an approximation compared to what can be derived or estimated from some measurements (if available), and the user may not be informed of all the facts available to the feedback system. Furthermore, some users may normalize and self-report their state preconceivedly, especially in the case of pathological conditions such as depression. Therefore, the user's direct state input may optionally be used as input to the estimation processor in the first stage (or only the first stage) described above, along with one or more other user factors from the acquisition processor described above. Optionally, alternatively or additionally, in the case of using a two-stage technique, the user's direct state input may be used as input to the second stage of the estimation processor, along with the respective state estimate.

[0261] Other variables in the training and input are also contemplated. For example, it will be appreciated that, as noted herein above, different user factors will operate or vary over different time frames. As a result, in the case of a two-stage or one-stage approach to the estimation processor as described herein, user factors that are not expected to change within the interval between successive operations of the estimation processor may be stored (e.g., in storage 1012) and reused rather than being reacquired.

[0262] Furthermore, some of the estimation models for these long-term factors may not need to be re-run if the results of these factors are not expected to change. While this may be straightforward for rules, algorithms, and / or heuristics and / or lookup tables, for machine learning systems, it may require architectural changes. For example, a two-stage ML or multi-layer system may be trained on all inputs, but then run with clamped inputs or outputs for long-term user factors, and the computed intermediate results of that part of the ML system may be fed to other parts of the ML system along with newly generated intermediate results from user factors over a shorter time frame.

[0263] It should also be appreciated that, as discussed above, different users may have different combinations of devices in their delivery ecosystems and / or may have different combinations of these devices active at any one time. Similarly, different users may have varying degrees of social media presence or may utilize digital calendars to varying degrees. As a result, the user factors available to the acquisition processor, and therefore the inputs available to the inference processor, may vary from user to user and / or from time to time. Thus, the inference processor may suggest feedback actions by using different models (explicit or implicit, as discussed above) depending on the available inputs. Alternatively or additionally, if an input to a model is missing, a neutral input value may be provided to reduce or eliminate the impact of the missing input on the suggested feedback action. Thus, the number of different models provided by / to the inference processor may depend on the number of data sources assumed by the model (more or more diverse data sources potentially making the model more vulnerable) and the robustness of the model to the substitution of an input with a placebo / neutral value when the input is currently unavailable. In the latter case, it is understood that some inputs may be deemed more important than others, and therefore at least some individual inputs may be required to run the model. Thus, depending on the complexity and robustness of the model, only one model may be needed, or a family of models may be needed that consider different scenarios. Optionally, a subset of all available models may be selected for a user according to the devices known to be in the delivery ecosystem. However, new models may be added when new devices join the delivery ecosystem, whether permanently, such as when a user purchases a new dock 200, or temporarily, such as when a user interacts with a vending machine or point-of-sale device.

[0264] Estimated Processor Output Whether a one-stage or two-stage process is used, and whether the estimation of any stage is based on rules, algorithms, and / or heuristics, look-up tables, and / or machine learning, the output of the estimation processor is a suggested feedback action.

[0265] Possible feedback actions may differ qualitatively and / or quantitatively.

[0266] Thus, for example, feedback actions may vary qualitatively based on modifying aerosol production for the user (whether in response to or in advance of the current situation), modifying the user's interaction with the delivery device or system during or between inhalations, modifying the user interface of the delivery device or system, prompting the user to use or modify the use of the delivery device or system, recommending the operation or selection of the delivery device or delivery device consumables, and / or recommending / activating / modifying the operation of a device that is not directly related to the delivery of the active ingredient but can directly change the user's state (e.g., through biofeedback) or indirectly change it (e.g., by activating noise cancellation on the user's headphones).

[0267] Thus, more generally, feedback actions can be categorized into behavioral categories that focus on altering a user's behavior and / or habits to alter their state; pharmaceutical categories that focus on how one or more active ingredients delivered to a user alter their respective state; and non-consumable intervention categories that focus on alternative first or third party options for altering a user's state (i.e., related to the delivery device, other devices in the delivery ecosystem, or elsewhere).

[0268] On the other hand, suggested feedback actions may vary qualitatively depending on the degree to which the effect of the feedback action is desired to bring about a positive change in the user's condition. Thus, for example, in a delivery device, changes in heater temperature, payload aerosolization, payload composition, etc. may include quantitative values ​​indicating the degree or class of change, as appropriate. Similarly, user interface modifications in a delivery device or another device in the delivery ecosystem may include incremental steps regarding the number of user interactions required or prompted with the delivery system and the nature of these user interactions. For example, these may be implemented through five categories, with the first category having no notifications to minimize user interruption, the second category having only critical notifications such as low battery or low payload, the third category corresponding to a default where critical and non-critical notifications are provided, the fourth category further including recommendations and / or prompts to engage the user with other features of the user interface, and the fifth category additionally including an audible tone. These five categories may be selected on a scale of stress (e.g., minimal notifications for high stress) and / or boredom (e.g., loud notifications for high boredom) depending on the user's state.

[0269] As discussed above, the type of feedback action and / or amount or class of change may be identified according to rules, algorithms, and / or heuristics, look-up tables, and / or machine learning, as appropriate.

[0270] Similarly, as mentioned above, if multiple types of feedback actions and / or multiple change amounts or change classes are calculated / estimated as appropriate responses to a user factor / user state, then optionally multiple feedback actions may be suggested accordingly, or the top N feedback actions may be selected, for example based on activation intensity, where N may be 1 or more.

[0271] Feedback Processor The feedback processor 1030 is operable to modify one or more operations of devices in the delivery ecosystem in response to the estimation of the user state by executing one or more suggested feedback actions.

[0272] The feedback processor may therefore act to cause one or more feedback actions suggested by the estimation processor to occur appropriately within the delivery ecosystem.

[0273] The feedback action(s) are typically performed in a manner that is expected to change the estimated state of a user, who is considered a typical, average, or expected user. Of course, the model(s) underlying the generation of the suggested feedback action(s) are typically developed or trained using data from a corpus of users and therefore relate to changes in the state of a typical, average, or expected user.

[0274] However, most users are likely to react similarly to these changes, so typically each delivery device will result in a similar change in state for a particular user.

[0275] However, as described elsewhere herein, if the feedback system is capable of receiving separate feedback from individual users (e.g., by measurement or self-report) regarding the effectiveness of the proposed feedback action, then the feedback action may optionally be performed in response to the estimation of the user state in a manner that is expected to alter the particular user's estimated state, allowing further adjustment for the particular user, e.g., through supplemental training and / or parameter refinement. Similarly, separate rules, algorithms, and / or heuristics, lookup tables, or machine learning systems may be generated for different user groups, e.g., based on attributes and / or patterns of response to the feedback action, so that the proposed feedback action is further tailored to a particular user in one of these groups, even if no measured or reported evaluation of the effectiveness of the feedback is available from the particular user, or even if the machine learning system is too sparse to effectively refine its training or modify its parameters, such as an algorithm, to customize the response.

[0276] Like the acquisition processor and estimation processor, the feedback processor 1030 may comprise one or more physical and / or virtual processors and may be located in a remote server 1000 and / or functionality may be distributed or otherwise distributed across multiple devices in the delivery ecosystem, including, but not limited to, the user's mobile phone 100, the docking unit 200, the vending machine 300, and the delivery device 10 itself. The feedback processor may comprise one or more communication inputs, for example, for receiving data from the estimation processor 1010, and one or more communication outputs, for communicating with, for example, the delivery device 10 and / or another device in the delivery ecosystem 1 as listed above, or any other device that may participate in the feedback operation.

[0277] In particular, the feedback processor may optionally be located on a server and / or a device in the delivery ecosystem having suitable computing power, such as a vending machine or a mobile phone, and may comprise a selection and notification sub-processor (not shown) that can optionally select one or more feedback actions and select one or more respective devices in the ecosystem to execute the one or more feedback actions, and optionally an action execution sub-processor (not shown) that manages the execution of the feedback actions at one or more respective devices in the ecosystem. Optionally, the action execution sub-processor may be considered a separate processor from the feedback processor.

[0278] References herein to a selection and notification sub-processor and a feedback processor, or to an action-performing sub-processor and a feedback processor, respectively, are considered to be synonymous. It will be appreciated that these sub-processors may be complementary hardware to the feedback processor and / or may effectively share the role of the feedback processor, while also being functionally equivalent to the feedback processor operating under suitable software instructions. However, as noted above, at least the action-performing sub-processor may optionally be a processor separate from the feedback processor, communicating with the feedback processor, for example, via the Internet.

[0279] Choice and Notice Optionally, the selection and notification sub-processor may select one or more of the feedback actions generated by the inference processor as described herein above if the inference processor indicates that more than one feedback action may be appropriate. Obviously, if only one feedback action is proposed, this will be selected as the default.

[0280] For a selected feedback action, the selection and notification sub-processor may then select one or more devices in the delivery ecosystem on which to perform the feedback action and formulate a command / notification / instruction for the or each device characterizing the type and / or amount of the feedback action. Of course, if only one feedback action is possible for a device, the type may be implicit in the notification action; similarly, if only one amount of feedback action is possible for a device, the amount may be implicit in the notification action. Any device in the delivery ecosystem may potentially be equipped with feedback means. Thus, of course, the device or devices that provide user factor data to the acquisition processor in the delivery ecosystem may potentially be different from the device or devices that perform the or each feedback action.

[0281] Optionally, the selection and notification sub-processor may poll devices in the delivery ecosystem to determine their availability for purposes of providing feedback. For example, for devices accessible by the processor via the internet, devices registered in association with the user or the user's delivery device (e.g., delivery device 10, mobile phone 100, wearable device 400, docking device 200) may be polled directly.

[0282] For devices that are only accessible via an intermediary device (e.g., a Bluetooth connection to the accessible device), the accessible device may be required to poll such indirect devices. Thus, for example, the selection and notification sub-processor may cause the user's mobile phone 100 to poll / request the delivery device 10, the wearable device 400, or the docking device 200 (if accessible only via a local wired or wireless connection).

[0283] For devices not formally associated with a user, such as a vending machine 300 or other point-of-sale system, or devices only intermittently associated with a user, the selection and notification sub-processor may receive location data from devices in the delivery ecosystem associated with the user, such as a mobile phone 100 or delivery device 10, and compare it to the registered or reported location of the vending machine 300. If the locations are within a threshold distance of each other, the vending machine is considered part of the delivery ecosystem while that condition applies. Alternatively or additionally, the selection and notification sub-processor may instruct the accessible device to poll any compatible vending machines or broadcast a Bluetooth beacon identifying the accessible device, for example, by using a disposable ID to identify the accessible device without revealing details of the user or its associated device. Such an ID may include a component identifying the purpose of the ID to allow detection by a vending machine, followed by a disposable component unique to the user or their associated device. A compatible vending machine according to embodiments of the present invention may then optionally recognize and relay the single-use ID to a selection and notification sub-processor, thereby notifying the user that they have an accessible device within local wireless range of the vending machine. Of course, while the above references to vending machines are intended as an illustrative example only, these techniques may also apply to any device that is not formally associated with a user or that is only intermittently associated with a user, such as a car or train, a Wi-Fi or Bluetooth hotspot in a store, a smart TV, etc.

[0284] Optionally, devices outside the user's own delivery ecosystem may be selected. For example, friends or family may be able to intervene by notifying them of the user's status using the delivery device and / or their associated devices, such as their phones (e.g., following the user's registration of these people). Optionally, the user can set the conditions under which this occurs and / or under which friends or family are notified. Similarly, devices within a predetermined proximity of the user may be selected. For example, if the user is in a good mood, all compatible devices within a predetermined radius of the user may synchronize characteristics such as light color to notify the user of a fun social encounter.

[0285] By using one or more of these techniques, the selection and notification sub-processor may determine the devices currently available for delivery of feedback actions.

[0286] Typically, feedback actions are specific to a particular device or pair of devices that cooperate to perform a function within the delivery ecosystem. As a result, for a suggested or selected feedback action, the selection and notification sub-processor may optionally only poll one or more devices within the delivery ecosystem that are associated with that feedback action.

[0287] Similarly, it will be appreciated that certain devices within the delivery ecosystem may provide input data to the feedback system that is used to generate the suggested feedback actions. As a result, input actions from such devices may be recorded as indicative of their respective accessibility, and / or the suggested feedback actions may imply that a particular device is currently accessible to the feedback system. In either case, polling of devices may not be necessary, or, if a polling scheme is present, receipt of the input data may be treated as an effective polling result.

[0288] If one or more devices associated with a feedback action are unavailable (e.g., do not respond to polling), the Feedback Processor / Selection and Notification Sub-Processor may optionally select the next suggested feedback action from the top N feedback actions if multiple feedback actions were suggested by the Inference Processor. If no relevant devices are available for a feedback action, the Feedback Processor may not perform any feedback action and / or send a notification to the user, for example via a user interface on the user's phone, or if the user's phone is not available as an accessible device for linking to other devices in the ecosystem, notify the user via a text or other similar mechanism to be delivered when the user is contactable again.

[0289] If one or more devices associated with the feedback operation are available (i.e., if they respond to polling, if they respond to polling within a predetermined period of time prior to the device being assumed to still be accessible, or if they provide input data within a predetermined period of time), the feedback processor will send one or more commands to the one or more devices to perform the feedback operation as suggested by the estimation processor.

[0290] As noted above, the nature of the command may depend on the proposed action as well as the target device or devices. In some cases, the mere presence of a command will be sufficient to specify the proposed action (e.g., turning on a device that is off). In other cases, the command will need to specify the type of feedback action, e.g., with respect to changing heater function in the delivery system, payload type, user interface behavior, etc. In any of these cases, the command may need to specify the amount of feedback action, e.g., changing the temperature, concentration of active ingredients or fragrances in the payload, or selected parameters for the user interface.

[0291] As noted above, commands may be passed directly to the accessible device, or the accessible device may request that the accessible device relay the command to another device in the ecosystem or itself issue the command to such a device. For example, the feedback processor may instruct the user's mobile phone 100 to issue a command to the delivery device 10. Other degrees of indirection are possible, such as where the user's mobile phone issues a command to the dock 200, which may modify settings on the delivery device when the dock 200 is docked (e.g., for charging or to recharge a payload). Likewise, it should be appreciated that the feedback processor may issue different types of commands to different devices. Thus, for example, a command to change aspects of a user interface may be issued directly to the mobile phone and then to the dock 200 (directly, if possible, or via a telephone call), causing the dock 200 to change the composition of the payload provided to the delivery device and, when docked, to change one or more settings on the delivery device. It should be appreciated that other permutations of such commands (whether direct, indirect, or a mixture of the two) are possible within the delivery ecosystem.

[0292] As described elsewhere herein, it will be appreciated that various feedback actions may relate to the behavior of the delivery ecosystem, the drug, and / or non-consumable aspects.

[0293] Behavioral feedback actions typically focus on modifying user behavior and habits regarding operation and / or interaction with devices in the delivery ecosystem other than actions related to the amount or nature of the active ingredient delivered by the delivery device itself, although this can occur in parallel. Examples may relate to modifying the flavor or flavor concentration, modifying inhalation behavior by changing the delivered vapor volume, modifying scheduling schemes or reminders associated with or correlated to delivery device use, providing information, modifying the user interface (whether on the delivery device or another device in the delivery ecosystem) in terms of feedback modes (e.g., haptic and / or visual, such as colored lights, graphic themes, and / or messages) (e.g., providing a traffic light UI display on the delivery device, such as an LED, to alert the user to a mode of device use), etc.

[0294] Pharmaceutical feedback actions focus on pharmaceutical interventions that alter a user's state, typically based on active ingredient-based interventions such as amount or type, the timing of changing these (e.g., as a response or preemption based on correlations between current user factors and future user state or feedback actions), etc. Such actions may also relate to the selection of alternative consumption modes (e.g., switching from vaping to snus or vice versa).

[0295] Non-consumption feedback actions typically relate to activating / controlling or simply recommending the use of devices that are not specifically related to the consumption of an active ingredient, such as aromatherapy systems / steamers, biofeedback devices, headphones (e.g., activating noise cancellation or modifying volume or music selection), vehicle use (e.g., stress warnings, or selecting / reselecting a longer but less congested or slower route), etc.

[0296] The Selection and Notification Sub-Processor may consist of one or more real or virtual processors, and its functionality may be located or distributed within one or more devices in the server and / or delivery ecosystem as appropriate.

[0297] Executing an action The action execution sub-processor may be optional. For example, some devices are capable of accepting commands directly without further interpretation or processing. In this case, the action execution sub-processor may not be necessary, and its role may be fulfilled by the feedback processor / selection and notification sub-processor.

[0298] On the other hand, in some cases the role of the action execution sub-processor may actually reside within the device, e.g., capable of interpreting user interface commands and modifying the operation of the device, in which case the commands from the feedback processor may optionally simply replicate such user interface commands.

[0299] In other cases, the operation-performing sub-processor may be provided separately, for example, by employing a conventional processor responsive to suitable software instructions. An example of such may be an app on a mobile phone operable to receive commands and modify one or more aspects of the user's mobile phone and / or apps on the mobile phone, the delivery device, and / or one or more other devices in the delivery ecosystem. Similarly, the delivery device dock 200 may include such an operation-performing sub-processor, as may multiple types of delivery devices.

[0300] The action execution sub-processor is operative to perform feedback actions on the or each associated device. Thus, for example, if a command for a feedback action describes changing a heater temperature of a delivery device, the action execution sub-processor may effect the specified change by changing the heater power source and / or the heater duty cycle.

[0301] Similarly, for example, if the feedback action command describes reducing environmental noise levels for the user, the action execution sub-processor may cause a pair of noise cancelling headphones to activate a noise cancelling function, and the action execution sub-processor may cause the user's mobile phone to lower the volume of music playing in the headphones and display a message to the user encouraging them to avoid noise sources in the environment.

[0302] The particular actions each sub-processor performs may thus depend on the nature of the suggestion feedback action and the nature of the devices within the delivery ecosystem, but will typically represent a direct translation of the suggestion feedback action into mechanisms that can be implemented within the device.

[0303] As discussed above in this specification, a feedback action may be accompanied by or followed by a request or opportunity for the user to report on its effectiveness. Alternatively or additionally, a feedback action may be accompanied by or followed by positive reinforcement of an expected state change, for example, through a message on a UI, a color change in an interface, a haptic response, etc. Or, a feedback action may be accompanied by or followed by a positive goal to be achieved in an app for the wearable. This reinforcement may be a simple message indicating that feedback has occurred, or it may be based on measurements to report, for example, that the user's heart rate has decreased, or it may be confirmation (usually as evidenced by a change in one or more user factors or as self-reported by the user) that an action (by changing the user's state) worked successfully. The awareness and / or expectation of a state change brought about by such positive reinforcement may increase the effectiveness of at least some feedback actions.

[0304] The operation-performing sub-processors may consist of one or more real or virtual processors, the functionality of which may be located or distributed within a server and / or one or more devices within the delivery ecosystem as appropriate.

[0305] Processor As noted above, the acquisition processor, estimation processor, and feedback processor (and any sub-processors) may comprise one or more real or virtual processors located in one or more servers and / or delivery ecosystems. Furthermore, it should be understood that the division of roles described herein is not rigid. For example, the acquisition processor may receive information directly indicative of the user's state (e.g., via the user's self-report), so that the first stage of the estimation processor's two-stage process can be bypassed or supplemented by the acquisition processor. Similarly, in this case, the feedback processor may, for example, search for a corresponding suggested feedback action. Thus, in this example, the role of the estimation processor is performed by the acquisition processor and feedback processor. Thus, more generally, these processors are considered to be representative of tasks that may be implemented by any processor under suitable software instructions, and equivalently include data collection tasks, feedback suggestion tasks (whether or not based on explicit estimation of the user's state), and feedback learning or feedback provision tasks.

[0306] In one embodiment herein, as described elsewhere herein, data may be collected from sensors on the delivery device and transmitted to a companion device in the delivery ecosystem, such as the user's phone. The data may optionally undergo at least some pre-processing by the delivery device prior to transmission. As described elsewhere herein, such sensor data from the delivery device may then be associated with data from other sources (e.g., information related to the user's state before, during, and / or after recording of the sensor data, such as the aforementioned environmental, deterministic, contextual, neurological, physiological, indirect, and historical data) to generate data related to multiple sources. This data may be sent to a back-end server (e.g., at least a portion of the acquisition server functionality occurs on such a server). Alternatively, the data may be processed by a smartphone acting as an acquisition processor, with the estimation processor functionality being performed on the phone, the back-end server, or one of a combination of the two. In this case, the feedback server functionality may similarly be performed on the phone, the back-end server, or a hybrid of the two (e.g., depending on the nature of the feedback or follow-on action, actions such as sending notifications or product requests may be performed on the back-end server in one embodiment and on the phone in another). The combination of all three processors implemented on the smartphone offers user privacy benefits, as data is not sent to the back-end server. Alternatively, the inference processor functionality may be performed by the server, e.g., due to potential computational complexity. Meanwhile, input to the inference processor may be machine-readable only and, optionally, associated with an anonymized request (e.g., a single-user request number), allowing for processing of data without the back-end server user being able to determine a specific user's input or inferred state.

[0307] Overview of embodiment In one general embodiment herein, a user feedback system for a user of a delivery device in a delivery ecosystem (1) comprises:

[0308] First, an acquisition processor (1010) configured to acquire one or more user factors indicative of a user state, as described elsewhere herein, the one or more user factors being based on at least a first aspect of the user's situation separate from the handling or operation of the delivery device. Of course, as a result, the user factors may relate to a situation characterized at least in part by one or more of indirect / historical data, contextual data, and environmental data or deterministic data, as described elsewhere herein.

[0309] Second, an inference processor (1020) configured to identify corresponding feedback actions expected to alter the user's state as at least in part indicated by the user factor(s), as described elsewhere herein.

[0310] In one example of this summary embodiment, the user feedback system comprises a feedback processor (1030) configured to select at least a first feedback action identified by the inference processor for at least a first device in the delivery ecosystem, as described elsewhere herein.

[0311] In this example, the feedback processor may optionally be configured to modify one or more operations of at least a first device in the delivery ecosystem according to the selected feedback operation or operations, as described elsewhere herein, where the device in the delivery ecosystem whose operation or operations are modified is optionally a delivery device (10), as described elsewhere herein.

[0312] In one instance of this general embodiment, data relating to at least a first aspect of the user's situation on which at least a first one of the user factors is based is obtained by a physical sensor.

[0313] In this example, as described elsewhere herein, such physical sensor is optionally a microphone, and the data acquired relates to one or more selected from the list consisting of background noise level, background media playback (e.g., music or video), and user speech (whether tone of voice or content of speech).

[0314] Similarly, in this example, as described elsewhere herein, such physical sensor is optionally a camera, and the data acquired relates to one or more selected from the list consisting of whether the user is alone, whether the user is with one or more known individuals, and the user's facial expression.

[0315] In one example of this summary embodiment, the data regarding at least a first aspect of the user's situation on which at least a first of the user factors is based is obtained by text analysis of content with which the user interacted, as described elsewhere herein.

[0316] In this example, the content optionally includes one or more selected from the list of social media posts the user is reading or sending, news articles the user is reading, websites the user is visiting, searches the user is conducting online, test messages the user is reading or sending, the content of calls the user is participating in, and the content of conversations the user is having, as described elsewhere herein.

[0317] Similarly, in this example, the content optionally includes the user's calendar information, as described elsewhere herein, which optionally indicates one or more selected from the list of people the user is currently meeting or about to meet, events the user is currently attending or about to attend, places the user is currently visiting or about to visit, and tasks the user is currently performing or about to perform, as described elsewhere herein.

[0318] Again, in this example, the content optionally includes one or more user responses to a questionnaire regarding the user's condition, as described elsewhere herein.

[0319] In one example of this summary embodiment, the data regarding at least a first aspect of the user's situation on which at least a first of the user factors is based is obtained from the user's interaction with a device in the delivery ecosystem other than the delivery device (10), as described elsewhere herein.

[0320] In this example, the user interaction optionally includes one or more selected from the list consisting of: a selection of an app the user uses; a selection of a device the user interacts with; a duration of the user's interaction with the selected app or device; a type of user interaction with the selected app or device; and a type of media consumed on the selected app or device, as described elsewhere herein.

[0321] In one example of this summary embodiment, the data regarding at least a first aspect of the user's situation on which at least a first of the user factors is based is obtained from data indicative of the user's environment, as described elsewhere herein.

[0322] In this example, the data indicative of the user's environment is optionally based on one or more selected from the list consisting of the user's current or next location, whether the user is in an open space or an enclosed space, whether the user is exposed to sunlight or artificial light, the user's current mode of travel, and the weather at the user's location, as described elsewhere in this specification.

[0323] In one example of this summary embodiment, the data regarding at least a first aspect of the user's situation on which at least a first of the user factors is based is obtained from data indicative of the user's social situation, as described elsewhere herein.

[0324] In this example, the data indicative of the user's social situation is optionally based on one or more selected from the list consisting of whether the user is alone or with one or more others, whether the user is with one or more coworkers, whether the user is with one or more friends, whether the user is with one or more family members, and whether the user is with one or more children, as described elsewhere herein.

[0325] In one example of this summary embodiment, the data regarding at least a first aspect of the user's situation on which at least a first of the user factors is based is obtained from data indicative of the user's past, as described elsewhere herein.

[0326] In this example, the data indicative of the user's past is optionally based on one or more selected from the list consisting of the user's place of birth, the user's cultural background, the user's religion, the user's purchasing history, and the user's setting preferences for one or more devices in the delivery ecosystem, as described elsewhere herein.

[0327] In one instance of this general embodiment, the estimation processor is operable to use a plurality of user factors as inputs when identifying corresponding feedback actions, as described elsewhere herein.

[0328] In this example, at least another user factor (i.e., one of the plurality of user factors other than the at least first user factor) is optionally selected from the list consisting of user factors based on self-reported indicators of user status from the user, user factors based on physiological sensor data from the user, and user factors based on movement and / or location analysis, as described elsewhere in this specification.

[0329] Similarly, in this example, at least another user factor is optionally based on sensor data from the delivery device (10), as described elsewhere herein.

[0330] In one instance of this general embodiment, the estimation processor does not generate an explicit estimation of the user state as an interim step in identifying one or more suggested feedback actions, as described elsewhere herein.

[0331] In one instance of this summary embodiment, the estimation processor uses different machine learning systems in response to a configuration of one or more user factors provided as input to the estimation processor, as described elsewhere herein.

[0332] In one example of this summary embodiment, the inference processor is operable to generate one or more suggested feedback actions regarding one or more selected from the list consisting of: a behavioral feedback action affecting at least a first behavior of the user; a medication feedback action affecting consumption of an active ingredient by the user; and a non-consummatory feedback action affecting one or more non-consummatory actions of the delivery ecosystem, as described elsewhere herein.

[0333] In one example of this summary embodiment, the delivery ecosystem comprises one or more selected from the list consisting of one or more delivery devices (10), one or more mobile terminals (100), one or more wearable devices (400), and one or more docking units (200) for the or each delivery device, as described elsewhere herein.

[0334] However, in one example of this general embodiment, at least some of the functionality of one or more of the acquisition processor, estimation processor, and feedback processor are provided by one or more processors located within one or more devices (10, 100, 200, 300, 400) of the delivery ecosystem (1) or a remote server (1000).

[0335] Referring now to FIG. 7, in one general embodiment herein, a method for user feedback to a user of a delivery device in a delivery ecosystem includes the following steps.

[0336] The first step s710 is to acquire one or more user factors indicative of the user's state. As described herein above, this may be a function of the acquisition processor (1010), or may be performed by one or more devices / processors / data sources operating integrally or in parallel with or to the acquisition processor, or may be performed by one or more devices / processors / data sources that may share such functionality with the acquisition processor.

[0337] In particular, the one or more user factors are based on at least a first aspect of the user's situation that is separate from the handling or operation of the delivery device. As described elsewhere herein, such an aspect of the user's situation may relate to one or more of indirect or historical aspects, situational aspects, or environmental or deterministic aspects. Such aspects may overlap to some extent with each other and with usage or physiological aspects (e.g., a chronic health condition may be both a physiological aspect and historical, situational, or deterministic aspects, depending on the health issue and its impact on the user's situation).

[0338] In a second step s720, a corresponding feedback action is identified that is expected to change the user's state as at least in part indicated by the or each user factor. As described herein above, this may be the function of the inference processor (1020). More generally, it may be the function of a processor of the feedback system, typically located in a server remote to the delivery ecosystem, but optionally located in one or more devices of the delivery ecosystem operating in conjunction with or in parallel to the inference processor, or sharing such functionality with the inference processor.

[0339] Variations of the above methods corresponding to the operation of various embodiments of the apparatus / system as described and claimed herein are considered to be within the scope of this disclosure and will be apparent to those skilled in the art, including but not limited to the following:

[0340] In one instance of this general embodiment, at least a first feedback action is selected for at least a first device in the delivery ecosystem that is expected to change the user's estimated state, as identified in the estimation step. As described above herein, this may be a function of the feedback processor (1030), which may comprise one or more of a selection and notification sub-processor and an action execution sub-processor. More generally, as described elsewhere herein, it may be a function of a feedback system processor located in one or more devices of the delivery ecosystem, typically located in a server remote to the delivery ecosystem, but optionally operating as or in parallel with the feedback processor or its sub-processors, or sharing such functionality with the feedback processor or its sub-processors.

[0341] Thus, in one instance of this summary embodiment, at least a first feedback action identified by the estimation step is selected for at least a first device in the delivery ecosystem, as described elsewhere herein.

[0342] Optionally in this example, one or more operations of at least a first device in the delivery ecosystem are modified according to the selected feedback action, as described elsewhere herein.

[0343] In this example, the device in the delivery ecosystem whose operation or operations are modified is optionally a delivery device, as described elsewhere herein.

[0344] In one example of this summary embodiment, data regarding at least a first aspect of the user's situation on which at least a first of the user factors is based is obtained by at least a first physical sensor, as described elsewhere herein.

[0345] In one example of this summary embodiment, the data regarding at least a first aspect of the user's situation on which at least a first of the user factors is based is obtained by text analysis of content with which the user interacted, as described elsewhere herein.

[0346] In this example, the content optionally includes the user's calendar information, as described elsewhere herein.

[0347] In this example, the content optionally includes one or more user responses to a questionnaire regarding the user's condition, as described elsewhere herein.

[0348] In one example of this summary embodiment, the data regarding at least a first aspect of the user's situation on which at least a first of the user factors is based is obtained from the user's interaction with a device in the delivery ecosystem other than the delivery device (10), as described elsewhere herein.

[0349] In one example of this summary embodiment, the data regarding at least a first aspect of the user's situation on which at least a first of the user factors is based is obtained from data indicative of the user's environment, as described elsewhere herein.

[0350] In one example of this summary embodiment, the data regarding at least a first aspect of the user's situation on which at least a first of the user factors is based is obtained from data indicative of the user's social situation, as described elsewhere herein.

[0351] In one example of this summary embodiment, the data regarding at least a first aspect of the user's situation on which at least a first of the user factors is based is obtained from data indicative of the user's past, as described elsewhere herein.

[0352] The estimating step includes using a plurality of user factors as inputs in identifying corresponding feedback actions, as described elsewhere herein.

[0353] In this example, the at least another user factor is optionally selected from the list consisting of user factors based on self-reported indicators of user status from the user, user factors based on physiological sensor data from the user, and user factors based on movement and / or location analysis, as described elsewhere in this specification.

[0354] In this example, the at least another user factor is optionally based on sensor data from the delivery device (10), as described elsewhere herein.

[0355] In one example of this summary embodiment, the estimating step includes generating one or more suggested feedback actions regarding one or more selected from the list consisting of: a behavioral feedback action affecting at least a first behavior of the user; a drug feedback action affecting consumption of the active ingredient by the user; and a non-consummatory feedback action affecting one or more non-consummatory actions of the delivery ecosystem, as described elsewhere herein.

[0356] In one example of this summary embodiment, the one or more user factors include one or more user factors selected from the group including one or more user draw characteristics, output from one or more motion sensors configured to detect micromovements or vibrations of the user, and output from one or more sensors configured to detect when and / or how the user is holding the device in the delivery ecosystem, as described elsewhere herein.

[0357] It will be appreciated that the methods described above may be adapted to be performed on conventional hardware suitably adapted to be applied by the inclusion or substitution of software instructions or dedicated hardware, examples of which have been described herein, for example, in connection with server 1000 and devices of delivery ecosystem 1.

[0358] Thus, any necessary adaptations to existing portions of a conventional equivalent device may be implemented in the form of a computer program product including processor-executable instructions stored on a non-transitory machine-readable medium such as a floppy disk, optical disk, hard disk, semiconductor disk, PROM, RAM, flash memory, or any combination thereof, or other storage medium, or may be realized in hardware as an ASIC (application-specific integrated circuit), FPGA (field-programmable gate array), or other configurable circuitry suitable for use in adapting a conventional equivalent device. Alternatively, such a computer program may be transmitted via data signals over a network such as Ethernet, a wireless network, the Internet, or any combination thereof, or other network.

[0359] The present disclosure includes the following embodiments. (Embodiment 1) 1. A user feedback system for a user of a delivery device in a delivery ecosystem, comprising: an acquisition processor configured to acquire one or more user factors indicative of a state of the user, the one or more user factors being based on at least a first aspect of the user's condition separate from handling or operation of the delivery device; and an inference processor configured to identify a corresponding feedback action expected to change the state of the user as at least in part indicated by the or each user factor; A user feedback system comprising: (Embodiment 2) 2. The user feedback system of embodiment 1, comprising a feedback processor configured to select at least a first feedback action identified by the inference processor for at least a first device in the delivery ecosystem. (Embodiment 3) 3. The user feedback system of embodiment 2, wherein the feedback processor is configured to modify one or more operations of at least a first device in the delivery ecosystem according to the or each selected feedback operation. (Embodiment 4) 4. The user feedback system of embodiment 3, wherein the device in the delivery ecosystem whose one or more operations are modified is the delivery device. (Embodiment 5) 5. A user feedback system according to any one of embodiments 1 to 4, wherein data relating to at least a first aspect of the user's situation on which at least a first user factor among the user factors is based is acquired by a physical sensor. (Embodiment 6) The physical sensor is a microphone, and the acquired data is i. background noise level; ii. background media playback; iii. an utterance of the user; and 6. The user feedback system of embodiment 5, wherein the user feedback system is associated with one or more selected from the list consisting of: (Embodiment 7) The physical sensor is a camera, and the acquired data is i. whether the user is alone; ii. whether the user is associated with one or more known individuals; iii. a facial expression of the user; and 7. The user feedback system of embodiment 5 or 6, relating to one or more selected from the list consisting of: (Embodiment 8) A user feedback system as described in any one of embodiments 1 to 7, wherein data regarding at least a first aspect of the user's situation on which at least a first of the user factors is based is obtained by text analysis of content with which the user interacted. (Embodiment 9) The content is i. social media posts that the user is reading or sending; and ii. the news article the user is reading; and iii. the website the user is visiting; and iv. the searches the user is conducting online; and v. A test message being read or sent by the user; and vi. The content of the call in which said user is participating; and vii. The content of the conversations the user is having; and 9. The user feedback system of embodiment 8, comprising one or more selected from the list consisting of: (Embodiment 10) 9. The user feedback system of claim 8, wherein the content includes calendar information for the user. (Embodiment 11) The calendar information is i. People the user is currently meeting or planning to meet; ii. an event in which the user is currently participating or about to participate; and iii. Locations the user is currently visiting or intends to visit; and iv. the task that the user is currently performing or about to perform; and 11. The user feedback system of claim 10, wherein the user feedback system indicates one or more selected from the list consisting of: (Embodiment 12) 9. The user feedback system of claim 8, wherein the content includes one or more user responses to a questionnaire regarding the user's status. (Embodiment 13) A user feedback system as described in any one of embodiments 1 to 12, wherein data regarding at least a first aspect of the user's situation on which at least a first of the user factors is based is obtained by the user's interaction with a device in the delivery ecosystem other than the delivery device. (Embodiment 14) said user interaction comprising: i. Selection of apps used by the user; ii. Selecting a device with which the user will interact; iii. the duration of the user's interaction with the selected app or device; iv. the type of interaction the user has with the selected app or device; and v. The type of media consumed on the Selected App or Device; 14. The user feedback system of embodiment 13, comprising one or more selected from the list consisting of: (Embodiment 15) A user feedback system described in any one of embodiments 1 to 14, wherein data regarding at least a first aspect of the user's situation on which at least a first user factor among the user factors is based is obtained from data indicating the user's environment. (Embodiment 16) The data indicative of the user's environment is i. the user's current or next location; ii. whether the user is in an open space or an enclosed space; iii. whether the user is exposed to sunlight or artificial light; iv. the user's current travel mode; v. the weather at the user's location; 16. The user feedback system of embodiment 15, based on one or more selected from the list consisting of: (Embodiment 17) A user feedback system described in any one of embodiments 1 to 16, wherein data regarding at least a first aspect of the user's situation on which at least a first user factor among the user factors is based is obtained from data indicating the user's social situation. (Embodiment 18) the data indicative of the user's social situation, i. whether the user is alone or with one or more other people; ii. whether the user has one or more coworkers; iii. whether the user has one or more friends; iv. whether the user has one or more family members; v. Whether the user has one or more children; 18. The user feedback system of embodiment 17, based on one or more selected from the list consisting of: (Embodiment 19) A user feedback system described in any one of embodiments 1 to 18, wherein data regarding at least a first aspect of the user's situation on which at least a first user factor among the user factors is based is obtained from data indicating the user's past. (Embodiment 20) The data indicative of the user's past is i. the user's place of birth; ii. the user's cultural background; and iii. the user's religion; and iv. The user's purchase history; and v. the user's setting preferences for one or more devices in the delivery ecosystem; and 20. The user feedback system of embodiment 19, based on one or more selected from the list consisting of: (Embodiment 21) 21. A user feedback system according to any one of embodiments 1 to 20, wherein the inference processor is operable to use a plurality of user factors as inputs when identifying a corresponding feedback action. (Embodiment 22) At least another user factor: i. user factors based on self-reported indicators of user state from the user; ii. user factors based on physiological sensor data from the user; and iii. user factors based on movement and / or position analysis; 22. The user feedback system of claim 21, wherein the user feedback is selected from the list consisting of: (Embodiment 23) 23. The user feedback system of embodiment 21 or 22, wherein at least another user factor is based on sensor data from the delivery device. (Embodiment 24) 24. A user feedback system according to any one of embodiments 1 to 23, wherein the estimation processor does not generate an explicit estimation of the user state as an interim step in identifying the one or more suggested feedback actions. (Embodiment 25) 25. A user feedback system as described in any one of embodiments 1 to 24, wherein the estimation processor uses different machine learning systems in response to configurations of the one or more user factors provided as input to the estimation processor. (Embodiment 26) the estimation processor: i. a behavior feedback action that affects at least a first behavior of the user; ii. a drug feedback action that affects the consumption of an active ingredient by said user; iii. a non-consumptive feedback action that affects one or more non-consumptive actions of said delivery ecosystem; and 26. A user feedback system as described in any one of embodiments 1 to 25, operable to generate one or more suggested feedback actions regarding one or more selected from the list consisting of: (Embodiment 27) the delivery ecosystem comprising: i. one or more delivery devices; ii. one or more mobile devices; iii. one or more wearable devices; iv. one or more docking units for the or each delivery device; and 27. A user feedback system according to any one of embodiments 1 to 26, comprising one or more selected from the list consisting of: (Embodiment 28) A user feedback system described in any one of embodiments 1 to 27, wherein at least some of the functions of one or more of the acquisition processor, estimation processor, and feedback processor are provided by one or more processors located within one or more devices of the delivery ecosystem or by a remote server. (Embodiment 29) 1. A method of user feedback for a user of a delivery device in a delivery ecosystem, comprising: acquiring one or more user factors indicative of a state of the user, the one or more user factors being based on at least a first aspect of the user's condition separate from handling or operation of the delivery device; an estimation step of identifying a corresponding feedback action expected to change the state of the user as at least partially indicated by the user factor; A user feedback method including: (Embodiment 30) 30. The user feedback method of embodiment 29, comprising a step of selecting at least a first feedback action identified in the estimation step for at least a first device in the delivery ecosystem. (Embodiment 31) 31. The user feedback method of embodiment 30, comprising modifying one or more operations of at least a first device in the delivery ecosystem according to the selected feedback action. (Embodiment 32) 32. The user feedback method of embodiment 31, wherein the device in the delivery ecosystem whose one or more operations are modified is the delivery device. (Embodiment 33) A user feedback method described in any one of embodiments 29 to 32, wherein data regarding at least a first aspect of the user's situation on which at least a first user factor among the user factors is based is acquired by at least a first physical sensor. (Embodiment 34) A user feedback method described in any one of embodiments 29 to 33, wherein data regarding at least a first aspect of the user's situation on which at least a first of the user factors is based is obtained by text analysis of content with which the user interacted. (Embodiment 35) 35. The user feedback method of embodiment 34, wherein the content includes calendar information for the user. (Embodiment 36) 35. The user feedback method of embodiment 34, wherein the content includes one or more user responses to a questionnaire regarding the user's status. (Embodiment 37) A user feedback method described in any one of embodiments 29 to 36, wherein data regarding at least a first aspect of the user's situation on which at least a first of the user factors is based is obtained by the user's interaction with a device in the delivery ecosystem other than the delivery device. (Embodiment 38) A user feedback method described in any one of embodiments 29 to 37, wherein data regarding at least a first aspect of the user's situation on which at least a first user factor among the user factors is based is obtained from data indicating the user's environment. (Embodiment 39) A user feedback method described in any one of embodiments 29 to 38, wherein data regarding at least a first aspect of the user's situation on which at least a first user factor among the user factors is based is obtained from data indicating the user's social situation. (Embodiment 40) A user feedback method described in any one of embodiments 29 to 39, wherein data regarding at least a first aspect of the user's situation on which at least a first user factor among the user factors is based is obtained from data indicating the user's past. (Embodiment 41) 41. The user feedback method according to any one of embodiments 29 to 40, wherein the estimating step includes using a plurality of user factors as inputs when identifying the corresponding feedback action. (Embodiment 42) At least another user factor: i. user factors based on self-reported indicators of user state from the user; ii. user factors based on physiological sensor data from the user; and iii. user factors based on movement and / or position analysis; 42. The user feedback method of embodiment 41, wherein the user feedback is selected from the list consisting of: (Embodiment 43) 43. The user feedback method of embodiment 41 or 42, wherein at least another user factor is based on sensor data from the delivery device. (Embodiment 44) The estimating step i. a behavior feedback action that affects at least a first behavior of the user; ii. a drug feedback action that affects the consumption of an active ingredient by said user; iii. a non-consumptive feedback action that affects one or more non-consumptive actions of said delivery ecosystem; and 44. A user feedback method as described in any one of embodiments 29 to 43, comprising generating one or more suggested feedback actions for one or more selected from the list consisting of: (Embodiment 45) A computer program comprising computer-executable instructions configured to cause a computer system to perform the method according to any one of embodiments 29 to 44. (Embodiment 46) A computer program product comprising the computer program of embodiment 45 stored on a non-transitory machine-readable medium.

Claims

1. A user feedback system for a user of a delivery device within a delivery ecosystem, comprising: an acquisition processor configured to acquire one or more user factors indicative of a state of the user, the one or more user factors being based on at least a first aspect of the user's condition separate from handling or operation of the delivery device; and an inference processor configured to identify a corresponding feedback action expected to change the state of the user as indicated at least in part by the one or more user factors; A user feedback system comprising:

2. A feedback processor configured to select at least a first feedback action identified by the inference processor for at least a first device in the delivery ecosystem; 10. The user feedback system of claim 1, wherein the feedback processor is configured to modify one or more operations of at least a first device in the delivery ecosystem according to the at least a first feedback action.

3. A user feedback system as described in claim 2, wherein the device in the delivery ecosystem for which one or more operations are modified is the delivery device.

4. A user feedback system as described in any one of claims 1 to 3, wherein data regarding at least a first aspect of the user's situation on which at least a first of the user factors is based is obtained by analysis of background music and / or music selected for listening by the user.

5. A user feedback system as described in any one of claims 1 to 4, wherein data regarding at least a first aspect of the user's situation on which at least a first of the user factors is based is obtained by a physical sensor.

6. The physical sensor is a microphone, and the acquired data is i. background noise level; and ii. An utterance of the user; 6. The user feedback system of claim 5, wherein the user feedback system is associated with one or more selected from the list consisting of:

7. A user feedback system as described in claim 5 or 6, wherein the physical sensor is a microphone and the acquired data relates to background media playback.

8. The physical sensor is a camera, and the acquired data is i. whether the user is alone; ii. whether the user is associated with one or more known individuals; A user feedback system according to any one of claims 5 to 7, relating to one or more selected from the list consisting of:

9. A user feedback system as described in any one of claims 5 to 8, wherein the physical sensor is a camera and the acquired data relates to the user's facial expression.

10. A user feedback system as described in any one of claims 1 to 9, wherein data regarding at least a first aspect of the user's situation on which at least a first of the user factors is based is obtained by text analysis of words in the content to determine whether the content with which the user interacted has a positive or negative effect on the user's condition.

11. The content: i. social media posts that the user is reading or sending; ii. The news article the user is reading; iii. The website the user is visiting; iv. the searches the user is conducting online; v. A test message being read or sent by the user; vi. The content of the call in which the user is participating; vii. The content of the conversations the user is having; 11. The user feedback system of claim 10, comprising one or more selected from the list consisting of:

12. The user feedback system of claim 10, wherein the content includes calendar information for the user.

13. The calendar information is i. People the user is currently meeting or planning to meet; ii. An event in which the user is currently participating or about to participate; iii. Locations the user is currently visiting or planning to visit; iv. A task that the user is currently performing or about to perform; 13. The user feedback system of claim 12, wherein the user feedback system indicates one or more selected from the list consisting of:

14. A user feedback system as described in any one of claims 1 to 13, wherein data regarding at least a first aspect of the user's situation on which at least a first of the user factors is based is obtained by the user's interaction with a device in the delivery ecosystem other than the delivery device.

15. The user interaction: i. Selecting an app to be used by the user; ii. Selecting a device with which the user will interact; iii. The duration of the user's interaction with the selected app or device; iv. The type of interaction the user has with the selected app or device; v. The types of media consumed on the Selected App or Device; 15. The user feedback system of claim 14, comprising one or more selected from the list consisting of:

16. A user feedback system as described in any one of claims 1 to 15, wherein data regarding at least a first aspect of the user's situation on which at least a first of the user factors is based is obtained from data indicating the user's environment.

17. The data indicating the user's environment, i. the user's current or next location; ii. whether the user is in an open space or an enclosed space; iii. whether the user is exposed to sunlight or artificial light; iv. the weather at the user's location; 17. The user feedback system of claim 16, based on one or more selected from the list consisting of:

18. A user feedback system as described in claim 16 or 17, wherein the data indicative of the user's environment is based on the user's current mode of travel.

19. A user feedback system as described in any one of claims 1 to 18, wherein data regarding at least a first aspect of the user's situation on which at least a first of the user factors is based is obtained from data indicating the user's past.

20. The data indicating the user's past is i. the user's place of birth; ii. the cultural background of the user; iii. The user's religion; 20. The user feedback system of claim 19, based on one or more selected from the list consisting of:

21. The data indicating the user's past is iv. The user's purchase history; v. The user's setting preferences for one or more devices in the delivery ecosystem; 21. A user feedback system according to claim 19 or 20, based on one or more selected from the list consisting of:

22. A user feedback system as described in any one of claims 1 to 21, wherein the estimation processor is operable to use a plurality of user factors as inputs when identifying corresponding feedback actions.

23. At least another user factor: i. user factors based on self-reported indicators of user status from the user; ii. user factors based on physiological sensor data from the user; iii. User factors based on movement and / or position analysis; 23. The user feedback system of claim 22, selected from the list consisting of:

24. A user feedback system as described in claim 22 or 23, wherein at least another user factor is based on sensor data from the delivery device and whether this indicates a stress state of the user.

25. A user feedback system as described in claim 24, wherein the sensor data relates to at least one of the number, frequency, and / or pattern of consumption behavior by the user.

26. A user feedback system as described in claim 24, wherein the sensor data relates to user handling and / or operation of the delivery device.

27. ​​A user feedback system as described in any one of claims 1 to 26, wherein the estimation processor does not generate an explicit estimation of the user state as an interim step in identifying the one or more suggested feedback actions.

28. A user feedback system as described in any one of claims 1 to 27, wherein the estimation processor uses different machine learning systems in response to configurations of the one or more user factors provided as input to the estimation processor.

29. The estimation processor: i. a behavioral feedback action that affects at least a first behavior of the user; ii. a drug feedback action that affects the consumption of an active ingredient by the user; iii. A non-consumptive feedback action that affects one or more non-consumptive actions of the delivery ecosystem; A user feedback system according to any preceding claim, operable to generate one or more suggested feedback actions relating to one or more selected from the list consisting of:

30. The delivery ecosystem comprising: i. one or more delivery devices; ii. one or more mobile terminals; iii. one or more wearable devices; iv. one or more docking units for said one or more delivery devices; A user feedback system according to any preceding claim, comprising one or more selected from the list consisting of:

31. A user feedback system as described in any one of claims 1 to 30, wherein at least some of the functions of one or more of the acquisition processor, estimation processor, and feedback processor are provided by one or more processors located within one or more devices of the delivery ecosystem or by a remote server.

32. A user feedback system as described in claim 1, wherein the user's state expected to be changed by the feedback action is the user's stress level.

33. A method of user feedback to a user of a delivery device in a delivery ecosystem, comprising: acquiring one or more user factors indicative of a state of the user, the one or more user factors being based on at least a first aspect of the user's situation separate from handling or operation of the delivery device; an estimation step of identifying a corresponding feedback action expected to change the state of the user as at least partially indicated by the one or more user factors; A user feedback method including:

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