Methods for controlling device components, aerosol supply systems, and electronic entities.

Abstract

A device component for an aerosol generation system comprises a speaker operable to emit an acoustic signal, a user input element configured to receive a user input corresponding to a control command for controlling an external electronic entity having a microphone, and a controller configured to generate a drive signal representing the control command to the speaker and supply the drive signal to the speaker to cause the speaker to emit an acoustic signal carrying the control command for detection by the external electronic entity.

Description

Technical Field

[0001] The present disclosure relates to an aerosol supply system having a controller function or a part thereof, and a method for implementing a control function using the aerosol supply system.

Background Art

[0002] An aerosol supply system is often a small handheld device typically carried by a user to access an aerosol whenever it is needed or desired. Some systems are very simple, but more recent systems can include a processor or controller for controlling the operation of the system to provide optimized adjustable aerosol generation. The controller may include software for this purpose. Thus, an aerosol supply system can be readily adapted to an expansion of its functions by changing the controller and any programming associated with the controller to enable the system to implement additional functions. Since the system is typically carried by the user or is likely to be placed within reach, functions related to the typical behavior and requirements of the user can be usefully incorporated into the aerosol supply system so that the user can easily access them at any time.

[0003] Therefore, techniques for configuring an aerosol supply system for extended functionality are of interest.

Summary of the Invention

[0004] According to a first aspect of some embodiments described herein, a device component for an aerosol generation system is provided, comprising: a speaker operable to emit an acoustic signal; a user input element configured to receive user input corresponding to a control command for controlling an external electronic entity having a microphone; and a controller configured to generate a drive signal representing a control command to the speaker, and to supply the drive signal to the speaker, causing the speaker to emit an acoustic signal carrying a control command for detection by an external electronic entity.

[0005] According to a second aspect of some embodiments described herein, an aerosol supply system is provided comprising the device components according to the first aspect.

[0006] A third aspect of some embodiments described herein provides a method for controlling an electronic entity, comprising: receiving a user input corresponding to a control command for controlling the electronic entity via a user input element included in an aerosol generating system; generating a drive signal in the aerosol generating system to a speaker included in the aerosol generating system, wherein the drive signal represents a control command; supplying the drive signal to the speaker to cause the speaker to emit an acoustic signal carrying the control command; and detecting the acoustic signal via a microphone included in the electronic entity.

[0007] These and further aspects of a particular embodiment are described in the attached independent and dependent claims. It will be understood that the features of the dependent claims can be combined with each other, and the features of the independent claims can be combined in combinations other than those expressly described in the claims. Furthermore, the methods described herein are not limited to the specific embodiments described below, but include and intend to include any suitable combination of the features presented herein. For example, an aerosol supply system or part thereof, or an associated method, may be provided according to the methods described herein, which may optionally include any one or more of the various features described below. [Brief explanation of the drawing]

[0008] Herein, various embodiments of the present invention will be described in detail, merely as examples, with reference to the following drawings. [Figure 1] A simplified schematic cross-section of an exemplary electron aerosol supply system that can implement embodiments of the present disclosure is shown. [Figure 2] A simplified schematic cross-sectional view of a first example of a device component for an aerosol supply system according to one embodiment of the present disclosure is shown. [Figure 3] A simplified schematic diagram of an exemplary apparatus for performing a control function using an aerosol supply system according to one embodiment of the present disclosure is shown. [Figure 4] A simplified schematic diagram of an exemplary system comprising multiple electronic entities controllable using an aerosol supply system according to one embodiment of the present disclosure is shown. [Figure 5] A flowchart of steps in an exemplary method for performing a control function using an aerosol supply system according to one embodiment of the present disclosure is shown. [Modes for carrying out the invention]

[0009] Certain examples and embodiments of aspects and features are discussed / described herein. Some aspects and features of certain examples and embodiments may be implemented conventionally and are not discussed / described in detail for the sake of brevity. Therefore, it will be understood that aspects and features of apparatus and methods discussed herein that are not described in detail can be implemented according to any conventional techniques for implementing such aspects and features.

[0010] As stated above, this disclosure relates to (but is not limited to) aerosol or vapor supply systems, including electronic systems such as e-cigarettes. Throughout the following description, the terms “e-cigarette” and “electronic cigarette” may be used, but it will be understood that these terms may be used interchangeably with “aerosol (vapor) supply system.” This system is intended to produce an inhalable aerosol by vaporizing a substrate (aerosol-generating material) in the form of a liquid or gel, which may or may not contain nicotine. Additionally, the hybrid system may include, in addition to the liquid or gel substrate, a solid substrate that is similarly heated. The solid substrate may be, for example, tobacco or other non-tobacco products, which may or may not contain nicotine. As used herein, the terms “aerosol-generating material” and “aerosolizable material” are intended to refer to a material that can form an aerosol by either the application of heat or any other means. The term “aerosol” may be used interchangeably with “vapor.”

[0011] As used herein, the terms “system” and “delivery system” are intended to encompass systems for delivering a substance to a user, including non-combustible aerosol delivery systems that release compounds from aerosolizable materials without burning the materials, such as electronic cigarettes, tobacco heating products, and hybrid systems that generate aerosols using a combination of aerosolizable materials, and articles comprising aerosolizable materials and configured for use in one of these non-combustible aerosol delivery systems. According to this disclosure, a “non-combustible” aerosol delivery system is a system in which the constituent aerosolizable materials (or their components) of the aerosol delivery system are not burned or incinerated in order to facilitate delivery to the user. In some embodiments, the delivery system is a non-combustible aerosol delivery system, such as a powered non-combustible aerosol delivery system. In some embodiments, the non-combustible aerosol delivery system is an electronic cigarette, also known as a vapor inhalation device or electronic nicotine delivery (END) system, but note that the presence of nicotine in the aerosolizable material is not a requirement. In some embodiments, the non-combustible aerosol supply system is a hybrid system that generates an aerosol using a combination of aerosolizable materials, one or more of which may be heated. Each of the aerosolizable materials may be, for example, in the form of a solid, liquid, or gel, and may or may not contain nicotine. In some embodiments, the hybrid system comprises a liquid or gel aerosolizable material and a solid aerosolizable material. The solid aerosolizable material may include, for example, tobacco or a non-tobacco product.

[0012] Typically, a non-combustible aerosol supply system may comprise a non-combustible aerosol supply device and articles (consumables) for use with the non-combustible aerosol supply device. However, it is assumed that an article comprising means for powering an aerosol generator or aerosol generating component can itself form a non-combustible aerosol supply system. In some embodiments, the non-combustible aerosol supply device may comprise a power source and a controller. The power source may be, for example, an electrical power source. In some embodiments, the articles for use with the non-combustible aerosol supply device may include an aerosolizable material, an aerosol generating component (aerosol generator), an aerosol generating area, a suction nozzle, and / or an area for receiving the aerosolizable material.

[0013] In some systems, the aerosol-generating component or aerosol generator includes a heater that can interact with the aerosolizable material to release one or more volatile substances from the aerosolizable material to form an aerosol. However, this disclosure is not limited thereto and also applies to systems that use other methods to form aerosols, such as vibrating meshes.

[0014] In some embodiments, an article for use with a non-combustible aerosol supply device may include an aerosolizable material or a region for receiving the aerosolizable material. In some embodiments, an article for use with a non-combustible aerosol supply device may include a mouthpiece. The region for receiving the aerosolizable material may be a storage region for storing the aerosolizable material. For example, the storage region may be a reservoir. In some embodiments, the region for receiving the aerosolizable material may be separate from the aerosol generation region or may be combined with the aerosol generation region.

[0015] Where used herein, the term “component” may be used to refer to a part, section, unit, module, assembly or similar of an electronic cigarette or similar device, possibly incorporating several smaller parts or elements within an external housing or wall. An aerosol supply system such as an electronic cigarette may be formed or constructed from one or more such components, such as articles and devices, and the components may be detachably or separably connected to one another, or permanently joined to one another during manufacturing to define the entire system. The present disclosure is applicable to (but not limited to) a system comprising two components that are detachably connected to one another and configured, for example, as articles in the form of an aerosolizable material carrying component (or referred to as a cartridge, cartomizer, pod, or consumable) that holds a liquid or another aerosolizable material, and a device having a battery or other power source for providing power to operate an aerosol generating component or aerosol generator for generating vapor / aerosol from the aerosolizable material. The components may include more or fewer parts than those included in the examples.

[0016] In some examples, the disclosure relates to aerosol supply systems and components that utilize aerosolizable materials in the form of liquids or gels, which are held in a storage area such as a reservoir, tank, container or other receptacle included in the system, or absorbed onto a carrier substrate. Configurations for delivering the material from the reservoir for the purpose of supplying the material to an aerosol generator for vapor / aerosol generation are included. Terms such as “liquid,” “gel,” “fluid,” “source liquid,” “source gel,” and “source fluid” may be used interchangeably with terms such as “aerosolizing material,” “aerosolizable substrate material,” and “substrate material,” and refer to materials having a form that can be stored and delivered according to the examples of the disclosure.

[0017] Figure 1 is a very schematic (not to scale) diagram of a typical exemplary electronic aerosol / vapor supply system, such as the e-cigarette 10, which may embody aspects of the present disclosure and is presented for the purpose of illustrating the relationships between various components of a typical system and illustrating the general principles of operation. It should be noted that the present disclosure is not limited to a system configured in this manner, and features may be modified according to the various alternative forms and definitions described above and / or as will be apparent to those skilled in the art. In this example, the e-cigarette 10 has a substantially elongated shape extending along a longitudinal axis shown by a dashed line and comprises two main components: a device 20 (a control or power component, section or unit) and an article or consumable 30 (a cartridge assembly or section, sometimes called a cartomizer or clearomizer) that carries the aerosol-generating material and operates to generate vapor / aerosol.

[0018] Article 30 includes a storage area such as a reservoir 3 for containing a source liquid or other aerosol-generating material, which may include a formulation such as a liquid or gel that produces an aerosol containing nicotine. For example, the source liquid may contain about 1-3% nicotine and 50% glycerol, with the remainder being roughly equal amounts of water and propylene glycol, and may optionally contain other components such as flavorings. A nicotine-free source liquid may also be used, for example, to deliver flavorings. A solid substrate (not shown), such as tobacco or a part of a flavoring element, may also be included through which the vapor produced from the liquid passes. The reservoir 3 may have the form of a storage tank and is a container or receptacle capable of storing the source liquid so that the liquid can move and flow freely within the range of the tank. In the case of a consumable, the reservoir 3 may be sealed after being filled during manufacturing so that it can be disposable after the source liquid is consumed, or it may have an inlet port or other opening through which a user can add new source liquid. Article 30 also comprises an aerosol generator 5 comprising an aerosol generating component, which in this example may have in the form of an electrically heated element or heater 4 and an aerosol generating material transfer component 6. The heater 4 is located outside the reservoir 3 and is operable to generate an aerosol by vaporizing a source liquid by heating. The aerosol generating material transfer component 6 is a transfer or delivery configuration configured to deliver aerosol generating material from the reservoir 3 to the heater 4. In some examples, the aerosol generating material transfer component may have in the form of a wick or other porous element. The wick 6 has one or more parts located inside the reservoir 3, or otherwise may be in fluid communication with the liquid in the reservoir 3, so as to be able to absorb the source liquid and transfer the source liquid to other parts of the wick 6 adjacent to or in contact with the heater 4 by wicking or capillary action. Thereafter, this liquid is heated and vaporized, and replenishment liquid is drawn out of the reservoir 3 for transfer by the wick 6 to the heater 4 via continuous capillary action. The core can be thought of as a conduit between reservoir 3 and heater 4 that delivers or transfers liquid from the reservoir to the heater.In some designs, the heater 4 and the aerosol-generating material transfer component 6 are one-piece or monolithic and formed from the same material that can be used for both liquid transfer and heating, such as both porous and conductive materials. In yet other cases, the aerosol-generating material transfer component may operate by means other than capillary action, such as by including an arrangement of one or more valves through which the liquid can exit the reservoir 3 and pass over the heater 4.

[0019] The combination of heater and wick (or similar) referred to herein as aerosol generator 5 may also be referred to as atomizer or atomizer assembly, and the reservoir containing the atomizer in addition to its source liquid may collectively be referred to as aerosol source. Various designs are possible in which the components are arranged differently compared to the very schematic diagram in Figure 1. For example, as previously stated, the wick 6 may be an element completely separate from the heater 4, or the heater 4 may be porous and configured to directly perform at least part of the wicking function (e.g., a metal mesh). If the system is an electronic system, the heater 4 may comprise one or more electrically heated elements operating by ohm / resistance (Joule) heating, but induction heating may be used, in which case the heater comprises a susceptor in an induction heating configuration. Therefore, generally speaking, an atomizer or aerosol generator can be considered in this context as one or more elements that implement the functions of a vapor-generating element capable of generating vapor by heating a source liquid (or other aerosol-generating material) delivered thereto, and a liquid transport or delivery element capable of delivering or transporting liquid from a reservoir or similar liquid storage unit to the vapor-generating element by wicking action / capillary force, etc. The aerosol generator is typically housed within article 30 of the aerosol-generating system as shown in Figure 1, although in some examples, at least the heater portion may be housed within device 20. Embodiments of the present disclosure are applicable to all and any such configurations consistent with the examples and descriptions herein.

[0020] Returning to Figure 1, article 30 also includes a mouthpiece or mouthpiece portion 35 having an opening or air outlet from which the user can inhale the aerosol generated by the heater 4.

[0021] Device 20 includes a cell or battery 7 (hereinafter referred to as the battery, which may or may not be rechargeable) that powers the electrical components of the e-cigarette 10, in particular operating the heater 4. In addition, there is a controller 8, such as a printed circuit board and / or other electronic equipment or circuit, for overall control of the e-cigarette. The controller may include a software-programmed processor, which may be modifiable by the user of the system. The control electronic equipment / circuit 8 operates the heater 4 using power from the battery 7 when vapor is needed. At this time, the user inhales over the system 10 through the mouthpiece 35, and air A enters through one or more air inlets 9 in the wall of device 20 (air inlets may be located alternatively or additionally in article 30). When the heater 4 is operating, it vaporizes the source liquid delivered from the reservoir 3 by the aerosol-generating material transfer component 6, and generates an aerosol by taking the vapor into the air flowing through the system, which is then inhaled by the user through the opening of the mouthpiece 35. When the user inhales the aerosol over the mouthpiece 35, the aerosol is transported from the aerosol generator 5 to the mouthpiece 35 via one or more air channels (not shown) that connect the air inlet 9 to the air outlet of the aerosol generator 5.

[0022] More broadly, the controller 8 is preferably configured / programmed to control the operation of an aerosol supply system in order to provide the functions according to embodiments and examples of the present disclosure further described herein, and to provide conventional operating functions of an aerosol supply system in accordance with established techniques for controlling such devices. The controller 8 may be thought to logically include a display driving circuit for a system which may include various subunits / circuit elements related to different modes of operation of an aerosol supply system according to the principles described herein, and other conventional modes of operation of an aerosol supply system, such as a user display such as a screen or indicator light, and a user input detection unit via one or more user-operable control units 12. It will be understood that the functions of the controller 8 may be provided in various different ways, for example, by using one or more preferably programmed programmable computers and / or one or more preferably configured application-specific integrated circuits / circuits / chips / chipsets configured to provide the desired functions.

[0023] Device 20 and article 30 are separate connectable components that are removably attached to each other by separating in a direction parallel to the longitudinal axis, as indicated by the double-headed arrows in FIG. 1. Components 20, 30 are joined to each other by cooperating engagement elements 21, 31 (e.g., screws or bayonet fittings) that provide a mechanical and in some cases electrical connection between device 20 and article 30 when device 10 is in use. When heater 4 operates by ohmic heating, an electrical connection is required, such that current can flow through the heater when heater 4 is connected to battery 5. In a system using inductive heating, the electrical connection can be omitted if the power-consuming components are not located within article 30. An inductive work coil can be housed within device 20 and powered from battery 5, and article 30 and device 20 are shaped such that when connected, heater 4 is appropriately exposed to the flux generated by the coil for the purpose of generating current in the material of the heater. The design of FIG. 1 is merely an exemplary arrangement, and various components and features may be differently distributed between device 20 and article 30, and other components and elements may be included. The two sections may be connected end-to-end in a longitudinal configuration as in FIG. 1, or in a different configuration such as a parallel side-by-side arrangement. The system may or may not be substantially cylindrical and / or may have a substantially longitudinal shape. Either or both sections or components may be intended to be disposed of and replaced when exhausted (e.g., when the reservoir is empty or the battery is depleted), or may be intended to allow multiple uses through operations such as refilling the reservoir and recharging the battery. In other examples, system 10 may be integral in that components of device 20 and article 30 are included within a single housing and cannot be separated. Embodiments and examples of the present disclosure are applicable to any of these configurations and other configurations recognized by those skilled in the art.

[0024] According to the present disclosure, in addition to being configured to generate an aerosol, an aerosol supply system is configured with the ability to function as a remote controller (similarly a remote control unit, remote control device, etc.). A user typically carries the aerosol supply system all or most of the time and is likely to hold or have the aerosol supply system nearby when desiring to remotely control another electrical or electronic entity. Thus, it is proposed to configure the aerosol supply system to generate and emit control commands for operating one or more external electronic entities for transmission to the one or more external electronic entities. In this way, the user no longer needs to have multiple remote controllers for various external electronic entities and can avoid the need to locate each controller when needed. Instead, remote control can be achieved using a device that is typically already in the user's hand and can be configured to control two or more external electronic entities.

[0025] In particular, it is proposed that the aerosol supply system be configured as a remote controller using audio signals, and the aerosol supply system operates to transmit as control commands to one or more external electronic entities equipped with a microphone for receiving and detecting audio signals.

[0026] For convenience, the remote controller preferably communicates wirelessly or in a non-contact manner with the entity being controlled. An existing widely used medium for transmission of remote control commands is an infrared optical signal. However, optical signal transmission through free space requires a line of sight between the remote controller and the entity being controlled, so the user may have to reposition either themselves or the remote controller in order to successfully deliver the control commands.

[0027] Other techniques provide wireless or contactless communication from one electronic entity to another. Near Field Communication (NFC) is a technical standard used, for example, to enable contactless payments. NFC includes a set of communication protocols that enable communication between two NFC-enabled entities over very short distances of 4 cm or less using radio frequencies. The extreme physical proximity required between entities is considered to provide good security, as the communication channel does not need to be encrypted. However, this proximity has limited use for remote control purposes. Also, entities need proper compatibility, software drivers, etc., to utilize NFC. An alternative to contactless communication is Bluetooth®, a wireless technology standard that uses very high-frequency radio waves to exchange data between two paired devices over distances of up to approximately 10 m. The considerably longer distance compared to NFC makes it more applicable to remote control, but it means that various channel encryptions are used to protect Bluetooth communication. Encryption can consume a significant amount of power, which can affect the battery life of portable electronic devices. Electronic devices also need to be configured for Bluetooth compatibility to be used in this way, and the two devices must be currently paired in order to communicate via Bluetooth. Various requirements for NFC or Bluetooth must be met by the aerosol delivery system in order to use these techniques for remote control functionality.

[0028] Using audio signals instead of NFC or Bluetooth to provide remote controller functionality in aerosol dispensing devices offers a potentially more flexible alternative than the line-of-sight requirement of infrared, the proximity requirement of NFC, and the pairing requirements of Bluetooth. Generating and receiving audio signals is a simple technique that can be implemented using readily available, inexpensive, and simple components, and can be kept small so as not to occupy too much valuable space within a handheld portable device. The software required to operate via audio signal communication can also be simple and compact, thereby not requiring large storage space in the device's memory and not requiring much power to run. This is significant in portable devices where maximum battery life is a critical characteristic for the user. It avoids the more complex software and operating system compatibility required to enable the device to use NFC or Bluetooth.

[0029] Similarly, to secure communication channels that may be targeted to prevent remote control of a user's electronic entity by an unauthorized third party possessing an aerosol supply system, audio signals (or audio transmission channels) can be encrypted in a simple manner, for example, using existing established encryption methods of asymmetric cryptography. This can be compared to the unencrypted communication of NFC and the more complex encryption techniques required for Bluetooth, resulting in much lower power consumption and associated battery drain, and without the need for compatibility with more detailed encryption. The use of low-power techniques is attractive to aerosol supply systems because aerosol generation can consume a relatively large amount of power, and battery capacity is necessarily limited in portable devices.

[0030] As discussed above, an aerosol supply system may comprise a device component housing a power source (battery) and a controller or processor for controlling the system coupled to an article, cartridge, or consumable component housing a source of aerosol-generating substrate material to be vaporized to produce the required aerosol. For practical, cost, and environmental reasons, components with a long system life tend to be housed within the device for multiple uses over a long operating life, while components with a short lifespan are housed within consumables that are replaced periodically. According to this disclosure, components related to audio signal communication are proposed to be located within the device for long-term use and to enhance security. However, this is not an exclusive configuration, and some or all components may be located within consumables in a two-component system, or the system may be a one-component design where the cartridge is not removable from the device. Therefore, the following description of audio components within a device of an aerosol-generating system is merely an example and not limiting. Various components may otherwise be dispersed within the aerosol supply system.

[0031] Figure 2 shows a very schematic longitudinal section of an exemplary device or device component for an aerosol supply system configured for audio signal communication intended for remote control. In this disclosure, the terms “audio” and “acoustic” may be used interchangeably to indicate the use of sound and sound waves, and the terms “audio signal” and “acoustic signal” refer to sound waves intentionally configured to carry specified information (sound waves are shaped in some way to encode information) over a specified communication channel from an acoustic or audio source or transmitter to an acoustic or audio detector or receiver.

[0032] In Figure 2, the device 20 comprises a housing 20a having a coupling configuration 21 that allows articles or consumable components to be joined or connected to the device 20 to create a complete aerosol supply system, as previously described in Figure 1. Inside the housing 20a are a battery 7 and a controller 8 configured to control the operation of the aerosol generation system, including supplying power from the battery 7 to the system's electrical components as needed. Other elements of the device that may exist but are not relevant to this disclosure are omitted for clarity. The controller 8 is associated with a memory or data storage element 14. The memory 14 stores software or other instructions executed by the controller to operate the aerosol supply system, and also stores various data or information representing values ​​necessary for the execution of the software, such as power level settings for operating heating elements. In some cases, these may be preset values ​​provided during manufacturing for access by the controller when needed. In other cases, the data may be entered by the device user to customize or personalize the system. Such data may be directly input to the device via a user input interface or element (not shown), such as a touchscreen, or it may be transferred to the device from an external device, such as a computer or smartphone, via a wired or wireless connection (the device is enabled with appropriate connectivity, also not shown). In particular, according to this disclosure, the memory stores control data 15 representing and / or associated with at least one control command for at least one external electronic entity.

[0033] The device also includes a speaker 16 that can operate in a conventional manner to emit an acoustic signal 22 when a suitable electric drive signal is provided by the controller 8 via a control line 18. The speaker is a passive electrical element that operates solely by the drive signal without requiring an additional power source. Thus, the speaker is a useful component for enabling an aerosol supply system, where it is generally desirable to conserve battery power where possible, to emit a communication signal. Depending on the amplitude (volume) and frequency of the emitted acoustic signal, the speaker 16 may be mounted behind a suitable aperture or window (not shown) within the housing 20a so that the housing material does not attenuate the acoustic signal. In other cases, the acoustic signal 22 is strong enough to be transmitted through the housing 20a so that a window is not required. This simplifies the structure and protects the speaker 22 from physical damage. The speaker 22 can be positioned anywhere convenient within the housing 20a, but for usefulness, some consideration should be given to its position such that the user holding the device is unlikely to obstruct the emitted acoustic signal 22 with their hand, and the acoustic signal 22 is likely to be emitted toward a receiver (microphone) in an external electronic entity.

[0034] The drive signal for speaker 16 is generated by controller 8, which is a conventional electrical signal for driving the speaker and includes a voltage / current applied to the speaker to move the diaphragm inside the speaker and emit sound waves. Controller 8 retrieves control data 15 stored in memory 14 and uses it to generate a drive signal representing a control command for an external electronic entity. As a result, when driven by the drive signal, speaker 16 emits a variable acoustic signal in which the control command is embedded, encoded, or otherwise carried, and which can be determined or extracted by a properly configured receiving entity, in this case the control command is the external electronic entity to which the control command pertains. Thus, the acoustic signal 22 carries the control command and enables the control command to be transmitted from the aerosol generation system to the external electronic entity.

[0035] Control commands can be encoded or embedded in the drive signal, and therefore the acoustic signal, in any way. Amplitude modulation, frequency modulation, or a combination of these may be used, resulting in the acoustic signal changing in volume and / or pitch to reflect the embedded control command. Furthermore, the entire frequency range may be selected as preferable, for example, to make the acoustic signal more or less perceptible to human listeners. For example, one or more frequencies within the human audible range, generally defined as 20 Hz to 20 kHz, can be used. By using audible frequencies, particularly towards the middle of this range (e.g., 200 Hz to 2 kHz), the user can perceive that a control command has been transmitted. However, in noisy environments, additional audible audio signals may be undesirable, conspicuous, or simply inaudible, and therefore audibility is not critical. For example, if the external electronic entity is a radio, television, sound system, or entertainment system, the sounds emitted by the entity may mask the audible audio signal from human hearing. Therefore, acoustic signals can be pitched in the inaudible frequency range, such as below 20 Hz (very low frequency or sub-audible) or above 20 kHz (ultrasonic frequency or ultrasound). The control commands themselves may take any form that is understandable, recognizable, or identifiable by an external electronic entity, for example, in accordance with existing methods for remote control. For example, binary or non-binary sequences or strings of numbers or other characters can be used. A sequence can be thought of as a code, for example. Different codes or sequences can be used for different commands such as "on", "off", "volume / temperature / speedup", "volume / temperature / speeddown", "play", "pause", "record", "switchchannel / program", "start", and "stop".When two or more electronic entities are controlled using a single aerosol supply system (and thus the system can operate as a so-called "universal" remote control), different sets or groups of commands can be assigned to each electronic entity, so that each electronic entity can distinguish its own commands from those intended for other electronic entities. Methods for distinguishing commands will be discussed in more detail below.

[0036] Regardless of the content and format of the control commands, a suitable acoustic coding scheme is provided, for example, based on frequency or amplitude modulation, as discussed above, to achieve the conversion of the control commands into acoustic signals that can carry them. This scheme is applied to embed the control commands in the drive signals for operating speaker 16. Details of the scheme are provided to each external electronic entity being controlled so that it can extract the control commands from the received acoustic signal.

[0037] As mentioned above, encryption may be applied so that transmitted acoustic signals cannot be easily read if intercepted en route to an external electronic entity. In a private home environment, such security may be considered unnecessary, but in some situations, it may be relevant to protect control commands transmitted as acoustic signals to prevent unauthorized control of an electronic entity. Known techniques of asymmetric encryption are attractive because they are suitable for encrypting acoustic signals, are established and simple, and therefore do not generate a computational load and consequently do not drain battery power. However, other encryption methods may be used as preferred. A controller in an aerosol supply system uses an encryption key known to or deriveable / obtainable by the external electronic entity so that the received acoustic signal can be decrypted. Encryption can be applied to the original control command, and as a result, an encrypted version of the control command is encoded, transformed, or converted into the drive signal and the resulting acoustic signal. Alternatively, encryption may be applied to the drive signal after it has been generated to reflect the unencrypted control command. Either method may be used as convenient or practical or as secure as deemed most secure. For example, encryption of drive signals may be preferable when an encryption scheme with constantly updated keys is used, because this allows a pre-generated and stored version of the drive signal to be retrieved from memory each time a control command is transmitted, and then encrypted using the current key. For evolving key configurations, the controller may be provided with new keys via software updates, or software may be provided to create new keys as needed. Any convenient encryption scheme may be used to protect control commands if desired, and a person skilled in the art can implement a suitable technique.

[0038] Figure 3 shows a schematic diagram of the overall configuration for performing remote control using an aerosol supply system configured as described herein. This configuration comprises an aerosol supply system 10 configured to transmit audio signals and an external electronic entity 40.

[0039] The electronic entity 40 may be any type of electronic entity that a user may want to control remotely, in other words, operate without the need for physical interaction with any user-operable control unit on the electronic entity, such as switches, buttons, or touchscreens. Examples of such electronic entities include, but are not limited to, televisions, audio systems, radios, lamps, lighting systems, computing devices, heating appliances, heating systems, washing machines, dishwashers, ovens, brochures, refrigerators, microwave ovens, or entertainment systems. The electronic entity 40 may include a display screen 42 for presenting information about its operating state to the user. This can allow the user to see which operating parameters are available for remote control, or to see that a control command transmitted remotely from the aerosol supply system has been received and implemented by the electronic entity 40, in other words, that the operating state has changed after receiving a control command delivered as an acoustic signal. The electronic entity 40 also includes an acoustic receiver or sensor 44 (typically a microphone) capable of detecting the acoustic signal 22 emitted by the aerosol supply system 10. The electronic entity 40 includes a processor or controller (not shown) configured to process the received and detected acoustic signal 22. This includes decryption, decoding, and / or other processing of the acoustic signal 22 (as the output from the microphone 44 in the form of an electrical signal representing the acoustic signal 22 in the usual manner) for extracting control commands. The controller can then update or change the operating state of the electronic entity according to the control commands.

[0040] As described above with respect to Figure 2, the aerosol supply system 10 includes a speaker for emitting an acoustic signal and a controller for appropriately driving the speaker to emit an acoustic signal that carries a control command, in addition to a user input element 12. The user input element 12 is configured to allow the user to interact with the aerosol supply system 10 to input commands for transmitting a control command from the speaker. The user input element can take any form suitable for the type and amount of control commands that the aerosol supply system 10 can transmit. For example, for the remote control of one or a few electronic entities lacking operational complexity, one or more buttons or switches may suffice, resulting in a minimum number of control commands such as only "on" and "off". More complex configurations may include the remote control of multiple electronic entities and / or the control of electronic entities with many operating state options or possible parameters. In this case, the total number of control commands required may be relatively large, so that a detailed user input element may be needed to allow various controls to be selected. An exemplary user input element suitable for such a situation (although it can also be used in simpler remote control scenarios) is a touchscreen that can be organized into different pages or menus and display multiple touch-sensitive icons or buttons corresponding to various control commands. The user input element may combine two or more different types of elements to provide easier access to multiple control commands. For example, a dial may allow selection of a specific electronic entity from a group controllable using the aerosol supply system, and a switch or touchscreen may allow input of one or more control commands applicable to the selected electronic entity. Other options for the user input element, which will be obvious to those skilled in the art, may be used as preferred. For example, another alternative is voice input, if the aerosol supply system is equipped with a microphone for detecting the user's voice and voice recognition software for determining the content of the voice input.User input element 12 may be a multifunctional user input element additionally configured for other user input interactions with the aerosol supply system 10 related to aerosol generation, for example. Alternatively, a separate user input element dedicated to remote control functions may be provided.

[0041] Next, we will discuss the operation of the system. If a user wants to remotely control the electronic entity 40, the user brings the aerosol supply system 10 within a suitable range of the electronic entity 40 for successful reception of the audio signal. Typically, this may be in the same room, or at a distance of 10 m or less, or 5 m or less. The volume or intensity of the acoustic signal can be selected considering the expected distance at which detection of the acoustic signal is required. The user operates the user input element 12 to input a command or request for a control command to the electronic entity 40. This may include selecting a specific control command from several available to the electronic entity 40. The user input element 12 notifies the controller 8 of the aerosol supply system 10 that a user input corresponding to a specific control command has been received. The controller 8 uses the relevant control data 15 in the data storage device 14, which is associated with or represents that control command, to generate a drive signal to the speaker, the drive signal representing or corresponding to the control command in the selected acoustic coding scheme. Next, the controller 8 supplies a drive signal to the speaker 16, which in turn causes the speaker 16 to emit an acoustic signal 22 that carries a control command.

[0042] When the electronic entity 40 is within a suitable range of the aerosol supply system 10, the acoustic signal 22 is received and detected by the microphone 44 in the electronic entity. The controller of the electronic entity 40 processes the electrical output of the microphone to extract control commands, as discussed above, and modifies, adjusts, changes, or sets the operation of the electronic entity according to the content of the control commands.

[0043] The control data 15 stored in the data storage device 14 can take various forms, and the controller 8 is configured to handle or process the control data 15 appropriately in order to generate drive signals that carry the necessary control commands.

[0044] In one example, the control data may include data representing the control command itself for each control command, which may be either the control command itself (e.g., a code, string, or sequence of characters) or data from which the controller derives the control command using rules or algorithms. The controller is configured to, in response to receiving user input for a particular control command, extract a portion of the control data 15 corresponding to that control command from the data storage device 14, derive the control command from the extracted data if necessary, or otherwise, if the extracted data is a control command, directly acquire it, and generate a drive signal by converting the control command into a drive signal using a selected acoustic coding scheme. This method requires some calculations involving associated power consumption, but allows other information to be included in the drive signal and acoustic signal as needed.

[0045] In another example, the control data may include speaker drive signals for each control command. This eliminates the need to generate a drive signal each time the user inputs a request for a control command. In this case, the controller is configured to generate a drive signal in response to receiving user input for a particular control command by extracting from the data storage device 14 a portion of the control data 15, which is the drive signal in which the control command is embedded or carried. The controller can then pass the retrieved drive signal directly to the speaker to emit an acoustic signal. In this way, any drive signal can be used immediately when needed, and the controller can save the power that would otherwise be consumed in calculating the drive signals.

[0046] Control data may be provided to the device for storage in any format and in any manner as preferred. For example, control data may be installed at the time of device manufacture if it is known in advance which electronic entities will be remotely controllable by the aerosol supply system. Because it may contain control commands for many compatible electronic entities, the aerosol supply system is configured to be used with a wide range of electronic entities, of which the user may have only one or some. More conveniently, control data associated with a particular electronic entity can be delivered to the device to set or configure the device to control that particular electronic entity according to the user's instructions, for example, by the user requesting the control data via a website, app, or by email, text message, or telephone. Control data can be downloaded to the device from a remote server, local server or terminal, or the user's other electronic entities such as a mobile phone, via any communication configuration in which the aerosol supply system is configured, wired or wireless (e.g., Ethernet®, USB, Wi-Fi, mobile remote communication). As another example, the aerosol supply system may be configured to receive acoustic signals in addition to transmitting them. In this case, the acoustic signal itself may be broadcast from an external device (such as a mobile phone essentially configured with its own speaker), detected and stored by the aerosol supply system, and converted back into control data for future use when control commands are requested by the user.

[0047] Various techniques may be employed to improve acoustic communication between an aerosol supply system and an external electronic entity intended for remote control. These can help the electronic entity select control signals from other detected sounds, for example, simplifying the control of multiple electronic entities.

[0048] In one example, an external electronic entity may have an associated acoustic frequency or frequency range on which its control commands are broadcast. The controller of the external electronic entity may be configured, for example, to listen to audio signals arriving at that frequency and ignore anything at other frequencies. The same effect may be achieved by audio filtering, so that the controller receives only signals from microphones at or near the relevant frequency. Filtering may be provided by an electronic filtering component or by software within the controller. To implement this, an aerosol supply system is configured to generate a drive signal that carries control commands to the electronic entity, using an acoustic coding scheme that generates an acoustic signal at the relevant frequency or frequency range. The electronic entity receives the acoustic signal, recognizes that it is at the expected frequency or frequency range, and implements the carried control command to change its operating state.

[0049] This configuration can be extended to accommodate multiple electronic entities for remote control. Each of the two or more electronic entities intended to be remotely controlled by the aerosol supply system has a different frequency or frequency range associated with it. When a user enters a request for a control command, the controller of the aerosol supply system determines which of the two or more electronic entities the control command is for and generates a relevant drive signal to carry that control command using an acoustic coding scheme that generates an acoustic signal at the frequency or frequency range associated with the determined electronic entity. The relevant electronic entity receives the acoustic signal, recognizes that it is at the expected frequency or frequency range, implements the control command, and changes its operating state. The other of the two or more electronic entities receiving the acoustic signal determine that the acoustic signal is not at its own associated frequency or frequency range and ignore it.

[0050] This method may make it possible to reduce the total number of different control commands. The same control command, i.e., the same code, string, or sequence, can be assigned to multiple electronic entities for the same action, such as "on" or "off," and can be broadcast at different frequencies to communicate with different electronic entities. Therefore, acoustic frequencies are used to distinguish between multiple electronic entities.

[0051] In another example, an external electronic entity may have an encryption key or other encryption or encoding scheme or rule associated with it that is used to broadcast its control commands. The controller of the external electronic entity is configured to identify incoming audio signals with relevant encryption and ignore anything with other encryption, for example, so that audio signals / control commands with incorrect encryption cannot be deciphered. To implement this, an aerosol supply system is provided with an encryption key associated with the electronic entity and configured to use that encryption key to generate a drive signal that carries control commands to the electronic entity. The key may be used, for example, to encrypt the control command itself or the drive signal that carries the control command. The electronic entity also holds an encryption key and uses it to decipher incoming audio signals and implement the carried control command to change its operating state. This is intended to include any suitable encryption configuration, such that the “key” includes a scheme in which both parties use the same key and a scheme in which the parties use different pair keys.

[0052] This configuration can be extended to accommodate multiple electronic entities for remote control. Each of the two or more electronic entities intended to be remotely controlled by the aerosol supply system has a different encryption key associated with it, and the aerosol supply system is provided with all the different keys assigned to the carious electronic entities. When a user enters a request for a control command, the controller of the aerosol supply system determines which of the two or more electronic entities the control command is for and generates the relevant drive signal using the key associated with the determined electronic entity. The relevant electronic entity receives the acoustic signal, decrypts the control command using its own version or copy of its associated key, implements the control command, and modifies its operating state. The other of the two or more electronic entities that receive the acoustic signal do not hold the correct key and therefore cannot decrypt or decode the control command and ignore it.

[0053] This method may reduce the total number of different control commands. The same control command, i.e., the same code, string, or sequence, can be assigned to multiple electronic entities for the same action, such as "on" or "off," and is encrypted using different keys to communicate with different electronic entities. Thus, encryption is used to distinguish between multiple electronic entities.

[0054] In a further example, an external electronic entity may have an identifier or associated identification data or information, such as a unique code, string, or character sequence contained in its control command. The controller of the external electronic entity may be configured, for example, to look for the identifier in an incoming audio signal and ignore those that do not contain or do not contain the identifier. To implement this, an aerosol supply system is provided with an identifier associated with the electronic entity and configured to generate a drive signal that carries the control command of that electronic entity from data containing both the identifier and the control command. The control command and identifier may be combined together on request when the control command is requested, so the control data includes each control command in addition to the identifier. Alternatively, the control data may include each control command already combined with the identifier. The identifier may be combined with the control command by being prepended to the control command, for example, as a header, but other combination techniques are not excluded. The electronic entity receives an audio signal, recognizes its own associated identifier, and implements the carried control command to change its operating state.

[0055] This configuration can be extended to accommodate multiple electronic entities for remote control. Each of the two or more electronic entities intended to be remotely controlled by the aerosol supply system has a different identifier associated with it. When a user enters a request for a control command, the controller of the aerosol supply system determines which of the two or more electronic entities the control command is for and generates a corresponding drive signal to carry the control command along with the associated identifier. The associated electronic entity receives the acoustic signal, recognizes that the acoustic signal carries its own identifier, and implements the control command to change its operating state. The other two or more electronic entities receiving the acoustic signal determine that the acoustic signal does not carry their own identifier and ignore it.

[0056] This approach may reduce the total number of different control commands. The same control command, i.e., the same code, string, or sequence, can be assigned to multiple electronic entities for the same action, such as "on" or "off," and is combined with a different identifier for each to communicate with different electronic entities. Therefore, unique identifier information is used to distinguish between multiple electronic entities.

[0057] Using any of the examples described above, it is possible to improve the distinction between external electronic entities and provide more targeted remote control with a lower risk of errors caused by electronic entities implementing intended control commands on different entities, or of misinterpreting control commands from any other received sound. Additionally, to further enhance these effects, two or more of the different techniques can be used together. For example, frequency and encryption distinction, or frequency and identifier distinction, or encryption and identifier distinction can be used together, or all three of frequency, encryption, and identifier distinction can be used. Other targeted or distinguishing techniques may also be used alone or in combination.

[0058] Figure 4 shows a schematic diagram of an exemplary system incorporating audio-based remote control using the aerosol supply system disclosed herein. The system includes the aerosol supply system 10 as described above, configured to emit control commands carried by acoustic signals 22. A number of external electronic entities 40a-40e are disposed in the surrounding or adjacent environment 50. The collection of external electronic entities may be referred to as an ecosystem. The external electronic entities 40a-40e are coupled to or associated with the aerosol supply system in that they are configured to respond to control commands carried by acoustic signals which the aerosol supply system 10 is configured to emit. In this example, five external electronic entities are included, but there may be more or fewer depending on the user's requirements. The surrounding environment 50 may be a single room in which the user similarly places the aerosol supply system 10 and operates it as a remote controller. However, this is not required, and the external electronic entities 40a-40e may be located in different rooms, and / or the aerosol supply system 10 may operate when it is in a room different from any or all of the external electronic entities 40a-40e. This can be achieved if the acoustic signal 22 emitted by the aerosol supply system 10 has a volume and / or frequency and / or emission direction that allows the acoustic signal 22 to propagate to one or more rooms different from the room in which the aerosol supply system 10 is located, through walls, floors or ceilings, or through doorways or windows. Furthermore, the external electronic entities 40a-40e may be located in several different rooms, and the user can operate each of them using the aerosol supply system 10 while in the same room. Additionally, the environment 50 may comprise one or more rooms, but may be formed from different areas or regions, either inside or outside any residential, office, workplace or entertainment space, or other building.

[0059] The aerosol supply system 10 can be configured in the manner described above to emit an acoustic signal 22 in response to user input at a user input element 12 for control commands, which carries a control command that is somehow adjusted to address a specific one of a plurality of external electronic entities 40a to 40e. Examples include the use of acoustic frequencies or frequency ranges assigned to individual external electronic entities 40a to 40e, the use of encryption keys or other encoding schemes assigned to individual external electronic entities 40a to 40e, and the use of identifier codes or sequences assigned to individual external electronic entities 40a to 40e and transmitted together with the control command.

[0060] The use of acoustic signals enables the communication of control commands without line-of-sight requirements. Therefore, it is not necessary to provide an unobstructed propagation path between the aerosol supply system 10 and all external electronic entities 40a-40e. Any of the external electronic entities 40a-40e may be partially or entirely obscured by another electronic entity; see Figure 4, where entity 40c is partially between entity 40b and the aerosol supply system 10. Any of the entities may be similarly obscured by other objects or otherwise isolated, such as being inside a cupboard or drawer. By using control commands tailored to address individual entities, any intervening entity can determine whether the audio signal is carrying a control command for another entity and, since it does not implement the command, each entity can be controlled separately.

[0061] Figure 5 shows a flowchart of the steps in an exemplary method for remotely controlling an electronic entity according to the present disclosure. In the first step S1, a user of an electronic cigarette or other aerosol supply system inputs a request or command for a control command to control an external electronic entity using a user input element on the electronic cigarette, such as a button, switch, or touchpad. In the second step S2, the electronic cigarette receives the user input and determines which control command has been requested. In the third step S3, the electronic cigarette generates a drive signal to a speaker representing the required control command identified from the input request. In the fourth step S4, the drive signal is supplied to a speaker included in the electronic cigarette, and in the fifth step S5, the speaker responds to the drive signal by emitting an acoustic signal carrying the required control command. The emitted acoustic signal is received by an external electronic entity, which detects the acoustic signal in the sixth step S6. Finally, in step S7, the external entity extracts control commands from the received acoustic signal, then implements the control commands to adjust, modify, or update its operating state in an appropriate manner. Thus, the external electronic entity is remotely controlled by the electronic cigarette.

[0062] In a further example, the device component may also include an acoustic detector, such as a microphone, housed within the device component's housing and connected to a controller. This enables the device to perform bidirectional acoustic communication, with the microphone detecting incoming acoustic signals broadcast from an external electronic entity and delivering the detected acoustic signals to the controller for processing. Any external electronic entity configured to be controlled by the device may further be configured to emit acoustic signals directed at the aerosol supply system, such as acoustic signals carrying encoded data or information, the data or information being part of a control procedure, and the controller can extract the information and process it for use in controlling the aerosol supply system. Usefully, the same encoding scheme used to encode control commands into acoustic signals for emission from the device can be used for incoming acoustic signals. This provides simplification and reduces the amount of encoding instructions required by the controller. However, if preferred, different schemes may be used for the outgoing and incoming communication channels. Similarly, as discussed for emitted signals, incoming acoustic signals can be encrypted, and the controller can be configured to decrypt them.

[0063] External electronic entities may be configured to emit acoustic signals to the aerosol supply system that carry information representing various types of messages or communications. These may include confirming the successful reception of a control command, indicating that the implementation of a received control command was successful, notifying of problems with the reception of a control command (such as corrupted or incomplete information, or information that is unextractable or undecipherable), notifying the aerosol supply system of the status of the external electronic entity (which may, for example, change the selection of future control commands sent to that entity), and / or reporting a failure of the external electronic entity. Other message types and contents are not excluded.

[0064] The device may further include a user output element which may be activated by the controller to convey the content of any such incoming message to the user. For example, the user output element may include one or more light-emitting diodes (LEDs) or other light sources which can light up to represent or indicate message content, such as a green (or first color) LED that lights up to indicate the success of receiving or implementing a control command, and a red (or second color) LED that lights up to indicate failure. Alternatively, a single LED may be lit to indicate success and left off to indicate failure, or different sequences of pulses or flashes may be used. Alternatively, the user output element may be a screen which can display information to present to the user. In another example, a separate electronic device, such as the user's mobile phone, may be used as the user output element, and the device may transmit a radio signal (such as by Bluetooth) to the separate electronic device to instruct or communicate the transaction result to the user.

[0065] Alternatively, if the device's speaker is used for this purpose, the need for a separate user output element can be eliminated. The controller can generate or provide the speaker with a suitable drive signal (e.g., stored in memory) to cause it to emit a sound indicating message content to the user. The sound could be a sequence of one or more tones or beeps, a short melody, noise conventionally associated with success and failure (e.g., "fanfare" and "raspberry"), or spoken words. Additionally, the speaker can be used to broadcast spoken words commands, instructions, and information to the user. This can be used to instruct the user throughout a control process, for example, by describing how to present an aerosol supply system to an external electronic entity in an optimal manner for the successful transmission of an audio signal carrying a control command.

[0066] It should be noted that various functions and operations described herein as being implemented using acoustic signals may, alternatively, be implemented using other types of wirelessly transmittable signals. Generally, electromagnetic signals may be used, and any convenient frequency or frequency range may be used. For example, radio waves such as ultra-high frequency (UHF) radio waves, which may be formatted according to the Bluetooth communication protocol or standard (operating in the 2.4–2.485 GHz range), may be used, but other UHF configurations may be used, and in practice, other radio frequencies may be used. Electromagnetic signals may be in the optical or optical frequency range, such as the visible frequency range (approximately 4–8 THz) or the infrared range (approximately 300 GHz–400 THz). Other electromagnetic frequencies are also possible. Thus, the device components of an aerosol supply system may include an electromagnetic signal emitter instead of the speaker (acoustic signal emitter) described above. More generally, a signal emitter configured to emit a wirelessly transmittable signal of a selected type may be used. Each controlled external electronic entity (one or more) includes a corresponding signal receiver configured to detect a wirelessly transmittable signal of a selected type.

[0067] Therefore, as an example, a device component for an aerosol generation system is provided, the device component comprising: a signal emitter operable to emit a radiotransmittable signal; a user input element configured to receive a user input corresponding to a control command for controlling an external electronic entity having a signal receiver operable to detect the radiotransmittable signal; and a controller configured to generate a drive signal representing a control command to the signal emitter and to supply the drive signal to the signal emitter, causing the signal emitter to emit a radiotransmittable signal carrying a control command for detection by the external electronic entity.

[0068]

[0068] The various embodiments described herein are presented solely to aid in understanding and teaching the claimed features. These embodiments are provided only as representative examples of embodiments and are not exhaustive and / or exclusive. The advantages, embodiments, examples, functions, features, structures, and / or other aspects described herein should not be considered as limitations to the scope of the invention as defined by the claims or to equivalents of the claims, and it should be understood that other embodiments may be used and modified without departing from the scope of the claimed invention. Various embodiments of the invention may preferably include, consist of, or essentially consist of, appropriate combinations of disclosed elements, components, features, parts, steps, means, etc., other than those specifically described herein. In addition, this disclosure may include other inventions that are not currently claimed but may be claimed in the future. [Item of the invention] [Item 1] A device component for an aerosol generation system, A speaker capable of emitting an acoustic signal, A user input element configured to receive user input corresponding to control commands for controlling an external electronic entity having a microphone, It is a controller, A drive signal representing the control command to the speaker is generated, A controller configured to supply the speaker with the drive signal to cause the speaker to emit an acoustic signal that carries the control command for detection by the external electronic entity, A device component comprising: [Item 2] The device component according to item 1, wherein the controller is configured to generate the drive signal by encoding data representing the control command into the drive signal in response to the reception of the user input. [Item 3] The device component further includes a data storage device that stores the drive signals representing one or more control commands, The device component according to item 1, wherein the controller is configured to generate the drive signal by searching the data storage device for the drive signal representing the control command corresponding to the user input in response to the reception of the user input. [Item 4] The device component according to any one of items 1 to 3, wherein the drive signal is configured to cause the speaker to emit the acoustic signal that carries the control command within the ultrasonic frequency range. [Item 5] The device component according to any one of items 1 to 3, wherein the drive signal is configured to cause the speaker to emit the acoustic signal that carries the control command within the audible frequency range. [Item 6] The device component according to any one of items 1 to 5, wherein the drive signal is configured to cause the speaker to emit the acoustic signal that carries the control command at or within a frequency range associated with the external electronic entity. [Item 7] The device component is configured to emit the control command to two or more external electronic entities, each having an associated frequency or frequency range. The device component according to item 6, wherein the controller is configured to generate the drive signal by determining which of the external electronic entities the control command is intended for and by configuring the drive signal to cause the speaker to emit the acoustic signal at or within the associated frequency range. [Item 8] The device component according to any one of items 1 to 7, wherein the controller is configured to generate the drive signal by encrypting the control command using a key associated with the external electronic entity. [Item 9] The device component is configured to emit the control command to two or more external electronic entities, each having an associated encryption key. The device component according to item 8, wherein the controller is configured to generate the drive signal by determining which of the external entities the control command is intended for and by encrypting the control command using the associated encryption key. [Item 10] The device component according to any one of items 1 to 5, wherein the controller is configured to generate the drive signal by including identifier information along with the control command associated with the external electronic entity. [Item 11] The device component is configured to emit the control command to two or more external electronic entities, each having associated identifier information. The device component according to item 10, wherein the controller is configured to generate the drive signal by determining which of the external entities the control command is intended for and generating the drive signal by including the associated identifier information together with the control command. [Item 12] The device component according to any one of items 1 to 11, wherein the user input element comprises one or more of a touchscreen, one or more buttons, one or more switches, or one or more dials. [Item 13] A device component according to any one of items 1 to 12, further comprising a microphone capable of detecting an acoustic signal carrying information emitted by one or more external electronic entities and transmitting the detected acoustic signal to the controller. [Item 14] The external electronic entity includes any one of the device components described in items 1 to 13, such as a television, audio system, radio, lamp, lighting system, computing device, heating appliance, heating system, washing machine, dishwasher, oven, bobbin, refrigerator, microwave, or entertainment system. [Item 15] An aerosol supply system comprising the device components described in any one of items 1 to 14. [Item 16] The aerosol supply system includes an article equipped with an aerosol generator, The aerosol supply system according to item 15, wherein the controller of the device component is further configured to control the aerosol generator to produce an aerosol for the user to consume. [Item 17] A method for controlling electronic entities, The steps include receiving user input corresponding to control commands for controlling the electronic entity via a user input element included in the aerosol generation system, A step of generating a drive signal for a speaker included in the aerosol generation system, wherein the drive signal represents the control command, The steps include supplying the drive signal to the speaker in order to cause the speaker to emit an acoustic signal that carries the control command, The steps include detecting the acoustic signal via a microphone included in the electronic entity, Methods that include... [Item 18] The method according to item 17, wherein the step of generating the drive signal includes the step of encoding data representing the control command into the drive signal. [Item 19] The method according to item 17, wherein the step of generating the drive signal includes retrieving the drive signal representing the control command corresponding to the user input from a data storage device in the aerosol generation system in which one or more drive signals representing the control commands are stored. [Item 20] The method according to any one of items 17 to 19, wherein the acoustic signal is within the ultrasonic frequency range. [Item 21] The method according to any one of items 17 to 19, wherein the acoustic signal is within the audible frequency range. [Item 22] The method according to any one of items 17 to 21, wherein the acoustic signal is emitted at or within a frequency range associated with the electronic entity. [Item 23] The method described above is A step of determining from the user input which of the two or more electronic entities the control command is intended for, The steps include configuring the drive signal to cause the speaker to emit the acoustic signal at a frequency or frequency range associated with the determined electronic entity, or within a frequency or frequency range; The method described in item 22, further including the method described in item 22. [Item 24] The method according to any one of items 17 to 21, comprising the step of generating the drive signal by encrypting the control command using an encryption key associated with the electronic entity. [Item 25] The method described above is A step of determining from the user input which of the two or more electronic entities the control command is intended for, The steps include generating the drive signal by encrypting the control command using the encryption key associated with the determined electronic entity, The method described in item 24, further including the method described in item 24. [Item 26] The method according to any one of items 17 to 21, comprising the step of generating the drive signal by including identifier information together with the control command associated with the electronic entity. [Item 27] The method described above is A step of determining from the user input which of the two or more electronic entities the control command is intended for, The steps include generating the drive signal using the control command identifier information associated with the determined electronic entity, The method described in item 26, further including the method described in item 26.

Claims

1. A device component for an aerosol generation system, A speaker capable of emitting an acoustic signal, A user input element configured to receive user input corresponding to control commands for controlling an external electronic entity having a microphone, It is a controller, A drive signal representing the control command to the speaker is generated, A controller configured to supply the speaker with the drive signal to cause the speaker to emit an acoustic signal that carries the control command for detection by the external electronic entity, A device component comprising:

2. The device component according to claim 1, wherein the controller is configured to generate the drive signal by encoding data representing the control command into the drive signal in response to the reception of the user input.

3. The device component further includes a data storage device that stores the drive signals representing one or more control commands, The device component according to claim 1, wherein the controller is configured to generate the drive signal by searching the data storage device for the drive signal representing the control command corresponding to the user input in response to the reception of the user input.

4. The device component according to any one of claims 1 to 3, wherein the drive signal is configured to cause the speaker to emit the acoustic signal that carries the control command within the ultrasonic frequency range.

5. The device component according to any one of claims 1 to 3, wherein the drive signal is configured to cause the speaker to emit the acoustic signal that carries the control command within the audible frequency range.

6. The device component according to any one of claims 1 to 3, wherein the drive signal is configured to cause the speaker to emit the acoustic signal that carries the control command at or within a frequency range associated with the external electronic entity.

7. The device component is configured to emit the control command to two or more external electronic entities, each having an associated frequency or frequency range. The device component according to claim 6, wherein the controller is configured to generate the drive signal by determining which of the external electronic entities the control command is intended for and by configuring the drive signal to cause the speaker to emit the acoustic signal at or within the associated frequency range.

8. The device component according to any one of claims 1 to 3, wherein the controller is configured to generate the drive signal by encrypting the control command using a key associated with the external electronic entity.

9. The device component is configured to emit the control command to two or more external electronic entities, each having an associated encryption key. The device component according to claim 8, wherein the controller is configured to generate the drive signal by determining which of the external electronic entities the control command is intended for and by encrypting the control command using the associated encryption key.

10. The device component according to any one of claims 1 to 3, wherein the controller is configured to generate the drive signal by including identifier information together with the control command associated with the external electronic entity.

11. The device component is configured to emit the control command to two or more external electronic entities, each having associated identifier information. The device component according to claim 10, wherein the controller is configured to generate the drive signal by determining which of the external electronic entities the control command is intended for and generating the drive signal by including the associated identifier information together with the control command.

12. The device component according to any one of claims 1 to 3, wherein the user input element comprises one or more of a touchscreen, one or more buttons, one or more switches, or one or more dials.

13. The device component according to any one of claims 1 to 3, further comprising a microphone capable of detecting an acoustic signal carrying information emitted by one or more external electronic entities and transmitting the detected acoustic signal to the controller.

14. The device component according to any one of claims 1 to 3, wherein the external electronic entity includes a television, audio system, radio, lamp, lighting system, computing device, heating appliance, heating system, washing machine, dishwasher, oven, bobbin, refrigerator, microwave, or entertainment system.

15. An aerosol supply system comprising the device components described in any one of claims 1 to 3.

16. The aerosol supply system includes an article equipped with an aerosol generator, The aerosol supply system according to claim 15, wherein the controller of the device component is further configured to control the aerosol generator to produce an aerosol for consumption by the user.

17. A method for controlling electronic entities, The steps include receiving user input corresponding to control commands for controlling the electronic entity via a user input element included in the aerosol generation system, A step of generating a drive signal for a speaker included in the aerosol generation system, wherein the drive signal represents the control command, The steps include supplying the drive signal to the speaker in order to cause the speaker to emit an acoustic signal that carries the control command, The steps include detecting the acoustic signal via a microphone included in the electronic entity, Methods that include...

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