Aerosol generation system with a resonant circuit for cartridge recognition

Abstract

The aerosol generation system includes a cartridge (100) containing an aerosol-forming substrate, a resonant circuit (155), and an aerosol generation device (200). The cartridge (100) includes at least a portion of the resonant circuit (155), the resonant circuit (155) configured to resonate at a predetermined resonant frequency, the predetermined resonant frequency being associated with an identity of the cartridge (100). The aerosol generation device (200) includes a housing (202) configured to removably receive the cartridge (100), a power source (210) for providing power to the cartridge (100), and a control circuit (220). The control circuit (200) includes a controller (230) configured to determine the resonant frequency of the resonant circuit (155) when the cartridge (100) is received by the aerosol generation device (200), and to identify the cartridge (100) based on the determined resonant frequency.

Description

Technical Field

[0001] The present disclosure relates to an aerosol generating system comprising a cartridge. In particular, the present disclosure relates to an aerosol generating system comprising a resonant circuit that can be used to identify a cartridge or its contents. The present disclosure also relates to a cartridge for use with an aerosol generating device and an aerosol generating device for use with a cartridge.

Background Art

[0002] A hand-held electrically-operated aerosol generating system can have a modular structure comprising a device and a removable cartridge. In known aerosol generating systems, the device typically comprises a battery and control electronics, and the cartridge comprises a liquid storage portion holding a supply of a liquid aerosol-forming substrate and an electrical heater. The heater typically comprises a coil of wire wound around an elongate wick that transfers the liquid aerosol-forming substrate from the liquid storage portion to the heater. An electric current passes through the coil of wire to heat the heater, thereby generating an aerosol from the liquid aerosol-forming substrate. The cartridge generally also comprises a mouthpiece through which a user may draw the aerosol into their mouth.

[0003] The cartridges are typically replaceable and can contain various aerosol-forming substrates that may vary significantly in composition, flavor, strength, or other characteristics. A user can freely replace the cartridges. However, the conditions required to aerosolize a particular aerosol-forming substrate or to create a particular user experience may vary from cartridge to cartridge. In particular, the heating profile required for a particular cartridge may depend on the characteristics of the aerosol-forming substrate.

Summary of the Invention

Problems to be Solved by the Invention

[0004] Therefore, it is desirable to provide a means for automatically identifying cartridges so that the aerosol generator can generate the optimal aerosol from multiple cartridges containing different aerosol-forming substrates. [Means for solving the problem]

[0005] An aerosol generating system is provided according to one embodiment of the present disclosure. The aerosol generating system may comprise a cartridge containing an aerosol-forming substrate. The aerosol generating system may also comprise a resonant circuit, the cartridge comprising at least a portion of the resonant circuit, the resonant circuit configured to resonate at a predetermined resonant frequency, and the predetermined resonant frequency associated with the identifiability of the cartridge. The aerosol generating system may further comprise an aerosol generator comprising a housing configured to removably receive the cartridge, a power supply for supplying power to the cartridge, and a control circuit. The control circuit may comprise a controller configured to determine the resonant frequency of the resonant circuit when the cartridge is received by the aerosol generator, and to identify the cartridge based on the determined resonant frequency.

[0006] As used herein, the term “resonant circuit” refers to an electrical circuit that resonates or exhibits resonant behavior. That is, a resonant circuit oscillates spontaneously with a larger amplitude at a specific frequency called its resonant frequency than at other frequencies.

[0007] Advantageously, by providing a resonant circuit in the aerosol generating system, providing at least a portion of the resonant circuit within the system's cartridge, and configuring the resonant circuit to resonate at a predetermined resonant frequency, the aerosol generator of the system can clearly identify a cartridge, or the aerosol-forming substrate contained within the cartridge, by determining the resonant frequency of the resonant circuit. In other words, the resonant frequency acts as an identifying feature of the cartridge. As a result, it is possible to design an aerosol generating system in which different resonant circuits (having different predetermined resonant frequencies) can be designed for cartridges having different aerosol-forming substrates, and the aerosol generator can use the determined resonant frequency of the resonant circuit to identify the cartridge received by the aerosol generator. Once the received cartridge is identified by the aerosol generator, the aerosol generator can apply an appropriate heating profile for the aerosol-forming substrate contained within the cartridge.

[0008] Advantageously, resonant circuits can be constructed from a relatively small number of inexpensive electrical components, and therefore they provide a simple and cost-effective way to identify cartridges.

[0009] A resonant circuit may have any appropriate number of components. Preferably, a resonant circuit may have three or fewer components. A resonant circuit may have two or fewer components. Reducing the number of components in a resonant circuit reduces the complexity and cost of the circuit, and also reduces the size of the circuit, meaning the circuit requires less printed circuit board area.

[0010] A further advantage of using resonant circuits to identify cartridges is that they can be used as an anti-counterfeiting measure. If a user connects an aerosol generator that does not have a resonant circuit, or has a resonant circuit with a different resonant frequency than the expected predetermined resonant frequency, to an uncertified cartridge, the aerosol generator may be able to identify the cartridge as uncertified or potentially counterfeit, and may also be able to warn the user or shut down the operation of the device.

[0011] A further advantage of using a resonant circuit to identify a cartridge, rather than other identification means, is that the cartridge may only need to have two electrical contacts for electrical connection to the aerosol generator. These two electrical contacts may be used for both supplying power to a heater for heating the aerosol-forming substrate and providing an input signal to the resonant circuit for cartridge identification (and receiving an output signal from the resonant circuit).

[0012] A resonant circuit may include a capacitor and an inductor (a so-called LC circuit). This is the simplest type of resonant circuit and can be implemented with only two components.

[0013] In a resonant circuit comprising an inductor and a capacitor, resonance occurs when the circuit receives (or is driven by) an AC or oscillating input AC signal at the resonant frequency. The resonant frequency is the frequency at which the magnitudes of the inductive reactance and capacitive reactance of the resonant circuit are equal. The resonant frequency of a resonant circuit can be determined by equation (1). TIFF0007901021000001.tif1432(1) In the formula, f0 is the resonant frequency, L is the inductance of the inductor, and C is the capacitance of the capacitor.

[0014] The capacitor and inductor of the resonant circuit may be connected in series.

[0015] The capacitor and inductor of the resonant circuit may be connected in parallel.

[0016] In both series and parallel LC circuits, resonance occurs when the capacitive and inductive reactances are equal in magnitude but out of phase, causing the two reactances to cancel each other out. Therefore, when a series arrangement of capacitors and inductors resonates, the impedance of the resonant circuit is minimum, and when a parallel arrangement of capacitors and inductors resonates, the impedance of the resonant circuit is maximum.

[0017] In a preferred embodiment, the cartridge includes an electric heater for heating the aerosol-forming substrate.

[0018] In some preferred embodiments, the resonant circuit and the electric heater are connected in parallel. In some particularly preferred embodiments, the capacitor and inductor of the resonant circuit are arranged in series, and the resonant circuit and the electric heater are connected in parallel.

[0019] Advantageously, when the capacitor and inductor of the resonant circuit are arranged in series, and the resonant circuit and electric heater are connected in parallel, and a direct current (DC) voltage is applied to the cartridge to heat the heater, the capacitor blocks the DC voltage, and the resonant circuit effectively acts as an open circuit, preventing any DC current from flowing through it. Instead, the DC current flows only through the heater, and therefore energy loss within the resonant circuit is minimized during heating.

[0020] In some preferred embodiments, the resonant circuit includes an electric heater.

[0021] In some particularly preferred embodiments, the electric heater comprises an inductor of a resonant circuit. The resonant circuit may comprise an electric heater and a capacitor. Preferably, the resonant circuit comprises an electric heater and a capacitor connected in parallel.

[0022] Advantageously, including an electric heater within the resonant circuit can simplify the circuit and reduce the number of components required in the aerosol generation system (especially the cartridge). This can reduce the material and manufacturing costs of the aerosol generation system. Advantageously, when the electric heater and capacitor are connected in parallel and a direct current (DC) voltage is applied to the cartridge to heat the heater, the capacitor blocks the DC voltage so that no DC current flows through it. Instead, the DC current flows only through the heater, and therefore energy loss in the resonant circuit is minimized during heating.

[0023] If the resonant circuit includes an electric heater, the electric heater preferably includes a coil having inductance. In these embodiments, the resonant frequency of the resonant circuit may be changed by changing the inductance of the heater coil. The inductance of the heater coil may be changed by changing the geometric characteristics of the heater coil. In particular, the inductance of the heater coil may be changed by changing the number of turns of the heater coil. Advantageously, a particular cartridge containing a particular aerosol-forming substrate may be provided with a heater coil having a particular number of turns, and each cartridge containing a particular aerosol-forming substrate having a specific and identifiable resonant frequency due to a particular inductance of the coil heater resulting from a particular number of windings of the coil.

[0024] A predetermined resonant frequency of a resonant circuit may be determined by changing the capacitance of a capacitor. In this situation, the inductance of an inductor may be constant. The inductance of an inductor may be set to 1 microhenry (μH), but any suitable inductance value may be used to achieve the predetermined resonant frequency. The capacitance of a capacitor may be changed by using capacitors with different capacitance values. Advantageously, changing the capacitance of a capacitor simply involves changing a single component of a particular resonant circuit. Any capacitor with a suitable capacitance value to achieve the predetermined resonant frequency may be used. The capacitance of a capacitor may be in the range of about 0.1 nanofarads (nF) to about 200 nF. The capacitance of a capacitor may be changed by using a wide range of standard capacitor values. For example, capacitor values ​​of 0.27 nF, 0.39 nF, 0.56 nF, 0.82 nF, 1.2 nF, 1.8 nF, 2.7 nF, 3.9 nF, 5.6 nF, and 8.2 nF may be used.

[0025] A predetermined resonant frequency of a resonant circuit may be determined by changing the inductance of an inductor. In this situation, the capacitance of a capacitor may be constant. The capacitance of the capacitor may be set to about 10 nanofarads, but any suitable capacitance value may be used to achieve the predetermined resonant frequency. The inductance of an inductor may be changed by using an inductor having different inductance values. Advantageously, changing the capacitance of a capacitor simply involves changing a single component of a particular resonant circuit. Any inductor having a suitable inductance value may be used to achieve the predetermined resonant frequency. The inductance of an inductor may be in the range of about 1 nanohenryen (nH) to about 10 microhenryen (μH).

[0026] The predetermined resonance frequency of the resonance circuit may be determined by changing both the capacitance of the capacitor and the inductance of the inductor. To achieve the predetermined resonance frequency, any suitable combination of capacitance value and inductance value may be used.

[0027] The predetermined resonance frequency may be in the range of about 10 kilohertz (kHz) to about 100 megahertz (MHz). The predetermined resonance frequency may be in the range of about 10 kilohertz (kHz) to about 50 megahertz (MHz).

[0028] The resonance circuit may include a plurality of capacitors arranged in parallel.

[0029] The resonance circuit may be disposed on a printed circuit board (PCB). If the cartridge includes an electric heater and the electric heater is not part of the resonance circuit, the resonance circuit may be disposed on its own separate PCB. This allows the resonance circuit to be manufactured as a separate modular component of the cartridge and function as a stand-alone type identification or anti-counterfeiting device. Assuming that the resonance circuit can be implemented using relatively few components, it requires less PCB area, thereby allowing the PCB to be easily fitted into the cartridge of a handheld aerosol generator.

[0030] In some embodiments, the inductor is formed directly on the PCB as a conductive track. This can be easily fabricated during the manufacture of the PCB and also reduces the number of components required for the resonance circuit.

[0031] As described above, the resonant circuit may include a capacitor connected in parallel with the electric heater. In some of these embodiments, the resonant circuit may be configured to use the parasitic inductance of the resonant circuit in combination with the capacitance of the capacitor to generate resonance. In particular, if the resonant circuit includes an electric heater and the electric heater does not include a coil, the resonant circuit may be configured to use the parasitic inductance of the resonant circuit in combination with the capacitance of the capacitor to generate resonance.

[0032] As used herein, the term “parasitic inductance” refers to the unavoidable inductance effect of all “real” electronic components, which may result from numerous factors such as the geometric shape of the component, the material of the component, or how the component is used in the circuit. For example, a resistor may have parasitic inductance in addition to its resistance, and a capacitor may have parasitic inductance in addition to its capacitance. The term “real” above is used to distinguish the actual physical components used in the circuit from ideal components that exist purely theoretically and have a single intended property, such as pure resistance or pure capacitance without any parasitic elements. Generally speaking, parasitic inductance is an undesirable inductance effect. Furthermore, its effect is often negligible and can be ignored in many applications. However, the inventors have surprisingly found that parasitic inductance can be an advantage in certain applications.

[0033] Advantageously, by using the parasitic inductance of the resonant circuit instead of actual inductor components, the number of components within the resonant circuit can be reduced. This simplifies the circuit and reduces the PCB area required for the circuit.

[0034] Since parasitic inductance is often small, the resonant frequency generated by the parasitic inductance is generally higher. A given resonant frequency may be in the range of approximately 10 kHz to approximately 100 MHz, or it may be in the range of approximately 10 kHz to approximately 50 MHz.

[0035] If a resonant circuit can be configured to generate resonance by using the parasitic inductance of the resonant circuit in combination with the capacitance of a capacitor, a given resonant frequency of the resonant circuit may be determined by changing the capacitance of the capacitor. This can be achieved by using capacitors with different capacitance values, and changing the resonant frequency of different resonant circuits only involves changing a single component. Any capacitor with an appropriate capacitance value may be used to achieve a given resonant frequency. The capacitance of the capacitor may be in the range of about 1 nanofarad (nF) to about 100 nanofarads (nF). The capacitance of the capacitor may be varied by using a wide range of standard capacitor values. For example, capacitor values ​​of 2.7nF, 3.9nF, 5.6nF, 8.2nF, 12nF, 18nF, 27nF, 39nF, 56nF, and 82nF may be used.

[0036] According to another embodiment of the present disclosure, a cartridge for an aerosol generating system is provided. The cartridge may include an aerosol-forming substrate. In some embodiments, the cartridge may comprise one or more components of a resonant circuit, and the aerosol generating device receiving the cartridge comprises other components of the resonant circuit, the resonant circuit is configured to resonate at a predetermined resonant frequency, and the predetermined resonant frequency is associated with the identifiability of the cartridge. In some embodiments, the cartridge comprises a resonant circuit, the resonant circuit is configured to resonate at a predetermined resonant frequency, and the predetermined resonant frequency is associated with the identifiability of the cartridge.

[0037] All the features of the cartridges discussed herein may apply to the cartridges themselves or to aerosol generating systems that incorporate such cartridges.

[0038] In some preferred embodiments of the present disclosure, a cartridge for an aerosol generating system is provided, comprising an aerosol-forming substrate and a resonant circuit, wherein the resonant circuit is configured to resonate at a predetermined resonant frequency, and the predetermined resonant frequency is associated with the identifiability of the cartridge.

[0039] The cartridge may contain an aerosol-forming substrate. As used herein, the term "aerosol-forming substrate" refers to a substrate having the ability to release volatile compounds that can form aerosols. The volatile compounds may be released by heating the aerosol-forming substrate. Preferably, the cartridge contains a liquid aerosol-forming substrate.

[0040] The aerosol-forming substrate may be liquid at room temperature. The aerosol-forming substrate may contain both liquid and solid components. The liquid aerosol-forming substrate may contain nicotine. The nicotine-containing liquid aerosol-forming substrate may be a nicotine salt matrix. The liquid aerosol-forming substrate may contain plant-derived materials. The liquid aerosol-forming substrate may contain tobacco. The liquid aerosol-forming substrate may contain tobacco-containing materials that contain volatile tobacco-flavored compounds released from the aerosol-forming substrate upon heating. The liquid aerosol-forming substrate may contain homogenized tobacco materials. The liquid aerosol-forming substrate may contain non-tobacco-containing materials. The liquid aerosol-forming substrate may contain homogenized plant-derived materials.

[0041] The liquid aerosol-forming substrate may contain one or more aerosol-forming compounds. The aerosol-forming compounds are any suitable, well-known compounds or mixtures of compounds that facilitate the formation of a high-density, stable aerosol during use and are substantially resistant to thermal decomposition at the system's operating temperature. Examples of suitable aerosol-forming compounds include glycerin and propylene glycol. Suitable aerosol-forming compounds are well-known in the art and include, but are not limited to, polyhydric alcohols (e.g., triethylene glycol, 1,3-butanediol, glycerin), esters of polyhydric alcohols (e.g., glycerol monoacetate, diacetate, or triacetate), and aliphatic esters of monocarboxylic acids, dicarboxylic acids, or polycarboxylic acids (e.g., dimethyl dodecanediol, dimethyl tetradecanediol). The liquid aerosol-forming substrate may also contain water, a solvent, ethanol, plant extracts, and natural or artificial flavors.

[0042] The liquid aerosol-forming substrate may contain nicotine and at least one aerosol-forming agent. The aerosol-forming agent may be glycerin or propylene glycol. The aerosol-forming agent may contain both glycerin and propylene glycol. The liquid aerosol-forming substrate may have a nicotine concentration of about 0.5% to about 10% (for example, about 2%).

[0043] In some preferred embodiments, the cartridge includes a heater. In particular, the cartridge may include an electric heater.

[0044] The heater may comprise one or more heating elements. The heating elements may have any suitable shape or geometric shape. For example, the heating elements may be straight, or formed as a coil, or have a wavy or curved shape. The heating elements may include heating wires or filaments, such as Ni-Cr (nickel-chromium), platinum, tungsten, or alloy wires.

[0045] The heating element may be formed from any material having suitable electrical properties. Suitable materials include, but are not limited to, semiconductors such as doped ceramics, conductive ceramics (e.g., molybdenum disilide), carbon, graphite, metals, alloys, and composite materials made of ceramic and metallic materials. Such composite materials may include doped or undoped ceramics. An example of a suitable doped ceramic is doped silicon carbide. Examples of suitable metals include titanium, zirconium, tantalum, and platinum group metals.

[0046] Examples of suitable alloys include stainless steel, constantan, nickel-containing, cobalt-containing, chromium-containing, aluminum-containing, titanium-containing, zirconium-containing, hafnium-containing, niobium-containing, molybdenum-containing, tantalum-containing, tungsten-containing, tin-containing, gallium-containing, manganese-containing, and iron-containing alloys, as well as nickel, iron, cobalt, stainless steel-based superalloys, Timetal®, iron-aluminum alloys, and iron-manganese-aluminum alloys. Timetal® is a registered trademark of Titanium Metals Corporation. The filament may be coated with one or more insulators. Preferred materials for conductive filaments are stainless steel and graphite, more preferably 300 series stainless steels such as AISI 304, 316, 304L, and 316L. Additionally, conductive heating elements may include combinations of the above materials. Combinations of materials may be used to improve the control of the resistance of a substantially flat heating element. For example, a material with high resistivity may be combined with a material with low resistivity. This can be advantageous if one of the materials is more beneficial from other perspectives, such as price, machinability, or other physical and chemical parameters. Advantageously, heaters with higher resistivity allow for more efficient use of battery energy.

[0047] The heating element may be a fluid-permeable heating element. The fluid-permeable heating element may have a plurality of gaps or openings extending from a first side to a second side of the heating element, through which fluid may pass.

[0048] The heating element may be substantially flat to allow for simple manufacturing. Geometrically, the term “substantially flat” heating element is used to refer to a heating element that is substantially a two-dimensional topological manifold. Thus, a substantially flat heating element extends more substantially in two dimensions along its surface than in three dimensions. In particular, the dimensions of a substantially flat heating element in two dimensions within its surface are at least five times its dimensions in three dimensions perpendicular to the surface. An example of a substantially flat heating element is a structure between two substantially parallel virtual surfaces, where the distance between these two virtual surfaces is substantially less than the extension within its surface. In some embodiments, a substantially flat heating element is planar. In other embodiments, a substantially flat heating element is curved along one or more dimensions to form, for example, a dome shape or a bridge shape.

[0049] The heating element may comprise multiple conductive filaments. The term "filament" is used to refer to an electrical path arranged between two electrical contacts. The filaments may arbitrarily branch and diverge into several paths or filaments, or several electrical paths may merge into one path. The filaments may have a round, square, flat, or any other cross-section. The filaments may be arranged in a straight or curved manner.

[0050] The heating element may be, for example, an array of filaments arranged parallel to each other. Preferably, the filaments may form a mesh. The mesh may be woven or unwoven. The mesh may be formed using different types of woven or lattice structures. Alternatively, the conductive heating element may consist of an array of filaments or a fabric of filaments. The mesh, array, or fabric of conductive filaments may also be characterized by its ability to hold liquid.

[0051] In one preferred embodiment, a substantially flat heating element may be constructed of wires formed into a wire mesh. The mesh preferably has a plain weave design. The heating element is preferably a wire grill made from mesh strips.

[0052] Conductive filaments may define gaps between them, which may have a width of 10 to 100 micrometers. Preferably, the filaments create capillary action within the gaps so that the liquid that will be vaporized during use is drawn into the gaps, thereby increasing the contact area between the heating element and the liquid aerosol-forming substrate.

[0053] The conductive filaments may form a mesh with a size of 60 to 240 filaments per centimeter (±10 percent). The mesh density is preferably 100 to 140 filaments per centimeter (±10 percent). The mesh density is more preferably about 115 filaments per centimeter. The gap width may be 100 to 25 micrometers, preferably 80 to 70 micrometers, and more preferably about 74 micrometers. The ratio of the mesh opening area to the total mesh area may be 40 to 90 percent, preferably 85 to 80 percent, and more preferably about 82 percent.

[0054] The conductive filament may have a diameter of 8 to 100 micrometers, preferably 10 to 50 micrometers, more preferably 12 to 25 micrometers, and most preferably about 16 micrometers. The filament may have a round cross-section or a flat cross-section.

[0055] The area of ​​the conductive filament mesh, array, or fabric may be small, for example, 50 square millimeters or less, preferably 25 square millimeters or less, and more preferably about 15 square millimeters. The size is selected to allow the heating element to be incorporated into a handheld system. Setting the size of the conductive filament mesh, array, or fabric to 50 square millimeters or less reduces the total power required to heat the conductive filament mesh, array, or fabric while still ensuring that the conductive filament mesh, array, or fabric is in sufficient contact with the liquid aerosol-forming substrate. The conductive filament mesh, array, or fabric may be rectangular, for example, and may have a length of 2 to 10 millimeters and a width of 2 to 10 millimeters. The mesh preferably has dimensions of about 5 millimeters x 3 millimeters.

[0056] The filament is preferably made of wire. The wire is more preferably made of metal, and most preferably made of stainless steel.

[0057] The electrical resistance of the conductive filament mesh, array, or fabric of the heating element may be 0.3 to 4 ohms. Preferably, the electrical resistance is 0.5 ohms or higher. More preferably, the electrical resistance of the conductive filament mesh, array, or fabric is 0.6 to 0.8 ohms, and most preferably about 0.68 ohms. The electrical resistivity of the conductive filament mesh, array, or fabric is preferably at least one order of magnitude greater than the electrical resistivity of any conductive contact portion, and more preferably at least two orders of magnitude greater. This ensures that the heat generated by passing current through the heating element is localized in the conductive filament mesh or array. When the system is powered by a battery, a low overall resistance to the heating element is advantageous. A low-resistance, high-current system allows for the delivery of high power to the heating element. This allows the heating element to quickly heat the conductive filaments to the desired temperature.

[0058] In some embodiments, the heating element may comprise a heating plate in which an array of openings is formed. The openings may be formed, for example, by etching or machining. The plate may be formed of any material having suitable electrical properties, such as the materials described above with respect to the heating element.

[0059] The electrical contact portion may be located on opposite ends of the heating element. The electrical contact portion may comprise two conductive contact pads. The conductive contact pads may be located in the area of ​​the edge of the heating element. Preferably, at least two conductive contact pads may be located at the tip of the heating element. The conductive contact pads may be directly fixed to the conductive filament of the heating element. The conductive contact pads may comprise a tin patch. Alternatively, the conductive contact pads may be integrated with the heating element.

[0060] The cartridge may include a liquid storage compartment. The liquid aerosol-forming substrate may be held within the liquid storage compartment.

[0061] In some preferred embodiments, the liquid storage compartment has a first portion and a second portion that communicate with each other. The first portion of the liquid storage compartment may be on the opposite side of the heater from the second portion of the liquid storage compartment. The liquid aerosol forming substrate may be held within the first portion of the liquid storage compartment.

[0062] Advantageously, the first portion of the storage compartment is larger than the second portion of the storage compartment. The cartridge may be configured to allow the user to inhale the cartridge or draw air into the cartridge in order to inhale the aerosol generated within the cartridge. During use, the mouth-end opening of the cartridge is typically located above the heater, and the first portion of the storage compartment is located between the mouth-end opening and the heater. Having a first portion of the storage compartment that is larger than the second portion of the storage compartment ensures that, under the influence of gravity during use, the liquid is delivered from the first portion of the storage compartment to the second portion of the storage compartment and to the heater.

[0063] The cartridge may have a mouth end through which the generated aerosol can be drawn out by the user. The cartridge may also have a connection end configured to connect to an aerosol generator.

[0064] The connection terminal of the cartridge may be provided with electrical contacts for the electrical connection of the cartridge to the aerosol generator. The cartridge may be provided with any appropriate number of electrical contacts for the electrical connection of the cartridge to the aerosol generator. For example, the cartridge may be provided with two, three, four, five, or six electrical contacts for the electrical connection of the cartridge to the aerosol generator. Preferably, the cartridge is provided with only two electrical contacts for the electrical connection of the cartridge to the aerosol generator.

[0065] If the heater has a substantially flat heating element, the first side of the heater may face the mouth end, and the second side of the heater may face the connection end.

[0066] The cartridge may define an enclosed airflow path or passage that runs from the air intake, past the first side of the heater, to the mouth end opening of the cartridge. The enclosed airflow passage may pass through a first or second portion of the liquid storage compartment. In one embodiment, the airflow path extends between the first and second portions of the liquid storage compartment. The airflow passage may extend through the first portion of the liquid storage compartment. For example, the first portion of the liquid storage compartment may have an annular cross-section and have an airflow passage that extends through the first portion of the liquid storage compartment from the heater to the mouth end portion. Alternatively, the airflow passage may extend from the heater to a mouth end opening adjacent to the first portion of the liquid storage compartment.

[0067] The cartridge may include capillary material. The capillary material may be fluidly connected to the heater via a liquid storage compartment. Part of the capillary material may be located within the liquid storage compartment, and part of the capillary material may be located outside the liquid storage compartment and connected to the heater.

[0068] If the heater includes a coil heating element, the coil heating element may be wound around a portion of the liquid storage portion that is located outside the liquid storage portion.

[0069] If the heater comprises a substantially flat heating element having a first side facing the mouth end and a second side facing the connection end, the cartridge may include a capillary material in contact with the second side of the heater. Such capillary material may deliver the liquid aerosol-forming substrate to the heater against gravity. Requiring the liquid aerosol-forming substrate to move against gravity to reach the heater during use reduces the possibility of large liquid droplets entering the airflow passage.

[0070] Capillary materials are materials that have the ability to move liquid from one end to the other by capillary action. Capillary materials may have a fibrous or spongy structure. Capillary materials preferably contain bundles of capillaries. For example, a capillary material may contain multiple fibers or threads or other microtubules. The fibers or threads may be generally aligned to carry the liquid aerosol-forming substrate toward the heating element. In some embodiments, the capillary material may contain a spongy or foamy material. The structure of the capillary material may form multiple small holes or tubes through which the liquid aerosol-forming substrate can move by capillary action. If the heater has gaps or openings, the capillary material may extend into the gaps or openings within the heater. The heater may draw the liquid aerosol-forming substrate into the gaps or openings by capillary action.

[0071] The capillary material may include any suitable material or combination of materials. Examples of suitable materials include sponge or foam materials, ceramic or graphite materials in the form of fibers or sintered powders, foamable metal or plastic materials, fibrous materials, such as spun or extruded fibers (cellulose acetate, polyester, or bonded polyolefins, polyethylene, terylene or polypropylene fibers, nylon fibers or ceramics, etc.). The capillary material may have any suitable capillary action and porosity for use with different liquid physical properties. The liquid aerosol-forming substrate has physical properties including, but not limited to, viscosity, surface tension, density, thermal conductivity, boiling point, and vapor pressure, which enable the liquid aerosol-forming substrate to be transported through the capillary medium by capillary action.

[0072] In some embodiments, the cartridge includes a retaining material for holding a liquid aerosol-forming substrate. The retaining material may be located within a liquid storage compartment. If the liquid storage compartment comprises a first and a second part, the retaining material may be located within the first part of the liquid storage compartment, or within the second part of the storage compartment, or within both the first and second parts of the storage compartment. The retaining material may be a foam, sponge, or fibrous collectible. The retaining material may be formed from a polymer or copolymer. In one embodiment, the retaining material is a spun polymer. The liquid aerosol-forming substrate may be released into the retaining material during use. For example, the liquid aerosol-forming substrate may be provided within a capsule.

[0073] The cartridge may include a retaining material and a capillary material.

[0074] The cartridge may include a housing. The housing may be formed from a moldable plastic material such as polypropylene (PP) or polyethylene terephthalate (PET). The housing may form part or all of the walls of one or both parts of the liquid storage compartment. The housing and the liquid storage compartment may be formed integrally. Alternatively, the liquid storage compartment may be formed separately from the housing and assembled to the housing.

[0075] Another embodiment of the present disclosure provides an aerosol generator for use with a cartridge containing a resonant circuit. The aerosol generator may include a housing configured to removably receive the cartridge. The aerosol generator may include a power supply for supplying power to the cartridge. The aerosol generator may include a control circuit comprising a controller configured to determine the resonant frequency of the resonant circuit when the cartridge is received by the aerosol generator and to identify the cartridge based on the determined resonant frequency.

[0076] In some embodiments, the aerosol generator may include one or more components of a resonant circuit, and the cartridge received by the aerosol generator may include other components of the resonant circuit, and the resonant circuit is configured to resonate at a predetermined resonant frequency, and the predetermined resonant frequency is associated with the identifiability of the cartridge.

[0077] All features of aerosol generators discussed herein may be applied to aerosol generators or to aerosol generating systems comprising such aerosol generators.

[0078] In some preferred embodiments of the present disclosure, an aerosol generator is provided for use with a cartridge including a resonant circuit, the aerosol generator comprising a housing configured to removably receive a cartridge, a power supply for supplying power to the cartridge, and a control circuit configured to determine the resonant frequency of the resonant circuit when the cartridge is received by the aerosol generator and to identify the cartridge based on the determined resonant frequency.

[0079] The aerosol generator includes a control circuit. The control circuit includes a controller. The controller is configured to determine the resonant frequency of a resonant circuit when a cartridge is received by the aerosol generator. The controller is also configured to identify a cartridge based on the determined resonant frequency. The control circuit may be configured in any suitable manner to enable the controller to determine the resonant frequency of a resonant circuit when a cartridge is received by the aerosol generator and to identify a cartridge based on the determined resonant frequency.

[0080] In some embodiments, the control circuit may be configured to measure the duration of the vibration of the vibration signal from the resonant circuit to determine the resonant frequency of the resonant circuit.

[0081] In some embodiments, the control circuit may be configured to determine the resonant frequency of the resonant circuit by measuring the number of vibrations in the vibration signal from the resonant circuit within a predetermined period of time.

[0082] In some preferred embodiments, the control circuit is configured to form an oscillator having a resonant circuit of the cartridge. The oscillator is configured to generate an oscillatory signal having a frequency equal to a predetermined resonant frequency of the resonant circuit. The oscillator is preferably powered from a direct current (DC) voltage source.

[0083] The oscillator may include a voltage comparator. A suitable exemplary voltage comparator is the LM311 from Texas Instruments Incorporated. The output of the voltage comparator may be supplied to a controller. The controller may be configured to determine the frequency of the controller's output.

[0084] The oscillator may be a multivibrator. In particular, the oscillator may be an astable multivibrator configured to switch between two states (high and low) in response to an oscillation signal from a resonant circuit. The oscillator may also be a self-propelled multivibrator.

[0085] Advantageously, configuring the control circuit to form an oscillator with a cartridge resonant circuit may allow the aerosol generator to determine the resonant frequency of the resonant circuit without supplying an oscillatory signal to the resonant circuit. This may reduce the complexity and cost of the aerosol generator's circuitry.

[0086] In some embodiments, the controller may be configured to measure the duration of one or more oscillations in the oscillator's output signal to determine the frequency of the output signal and, accordingly, determine the resonant frequency of the resonant circuit. In some embodiments, the controller may be configured to count the number of oscillations in the oscillator's output signal within a predetermined period to determine the frequency of the output signal and, accordingly, determine the resonant frequency of the resonant circuit.

[0087] The oscillator may be configured to generate a square wave signal having a frequency equal to the resonant frequency of the resonant circuit. In other words, the oscillator's output signal may be generated as discrete pulses.

[0088] In some embodiments, the controller may be configured to measure the duration of one or more pulses of the oscillator's output signal to determine the frequency of the output signal and, accordingly, determine the resonant frequency of the resonant circuit. This method may be most suitable for low frequencies, such as those in the kilohertz range. This is because it is necessary to increase the controller's sampling rate as the frequency increases in order to distinguish between changes in frequency. The controller's sampling rate may be any suitable sampling rate. The controller's sampling rate may be at least 5 megasamples per second (Msps), preferably at least 10 megasamples per second, more preferably at least 100 megasamples per second, and even more preferably at least 130 megasamples per second.

[0089] In some preferred embodiments, the controller may be configured to count the number of pulses in the oscillator's output signal within a predetermined period to determine the frequency of the output signal and, accordingly, determine the resonant frequency of the resonant circuit. In other words, the controller may be configured to have a counter for counting the number of pulses within a predetermined period. The predetermined period may be any suitable period. For example, the predetermined period may be about 1 millisecond to about 1 second, or about 1 millisecond to about 500 milliseconds, or about 10 milliseconds to about 100 milliseconds.

[0090] If the cartridge includes an electric heater, preferably the controller is configured to prevent the supply of power to the electric heater for heating the aerosol-forming substrate when the resonant frequency of the resonant circuit has been determined. Advantageously, preventing the supply of power to the electric heater for heating the aerosol-forming substrate when the resonant frequency of the resonant circuit has been determined may reduce interference from the oscillator's vibration signals.

[0091] The controller is also configured to identify the cartridge based on the determined resonant frequency. The controller may, in any appropriate manner, identify the cartridge or the aerosol-forming substrate contained within the cartridge.

[0092] In some embodiments, the controller is configured to query a lookup table stored in the controller's memory and compare the determined resonant frequency with one or more reference resonant frequencies stored in the lookup table.

[0093] In other words, the controller may have a memory that stores one or more reference resonant frequency values, each reference resonant frequency value associated with a specific cartridge identifier. The controller is configured to compare a determined resonant frequency value measured from the resonant circuit with a reference resonant frequency value stored in a lookup table. If the determined resonant frequency value matches a reference resonant frequency value stored in the lookup table, the cartridge identifier is determined to be the cartridge identifier associated with the matching reference resonant frequency value.

[0094] Naturally, the range of reference frequency values ​​may be stored in a lookup table, and each range of reference resonant frequency values ​​may be associated with a specific cartridge identifiability. When the determined resonant frequency value is compared with the range of resonant frequency values, and the determined resonant frequency value falls within the range of reference resonant frequency values, the cartridge identifiability is determined to be the cartridge identifiability associated with the range of reference frequency values ​​in which the determined resonant frequency value falls.

[0095] The controller may be configured to control the supply of power from the aerosol generator's power supply to the cartridge's electric heater based on the determined identifiability of the cartridge.

[0096] In some embodiments, the controller may be configured to prevent power from being supplied to the electric heater from the power source if the identifiability of the cartridge is not recognized. In other words, the controller may be configured to prevent power from being supplied to the electric heater from the power source if the determined resonant frequency is not equal to the expected resonant frequency value. In embodiments in which a lookup table of reference resonant frequency values ​​is stored in the controller's memory, the controller may be configured to prevent power from being supplied to the electric heater when the determined resonant frequency does not match any of the stored reference resonant frequency values. Advantageously, preventing power from being supplied to the electric heater when the determined resonant frequency does not match the expected resonant frequency may prevent or deter the use of uncertified cartridges in the aerosol generator.

[0097] In some embodiments, the controller may be configured to adjust the power supplied from the power source to the electric heater based on the determined identifiability of the cartridge. This may allow the aerosol generator to heat different aerosol-forming substrates contained in different cartridges to different temperatures.

[0098] Advantageously, configuring the controller to adjust the power supplied to the electric heater based on determined cartridge identification may allow the aerosol generator to be used with different types of cartridges containing different aerosol-forming substrates. Since different aerosol-forming substrates may require heating to different temperatures to achieve aerosols with desired properties, adjusting the power supplied to the heater based on determined cartridge identification may ensure that the aerosol generator is configured to produce optimal aerosols from different cartridges containing different aerosol-forming substrates.

[0099] In some embodiments, the controller may be configured to supply a first power to the electric heater when the identifiability of a first cartridge has been determined, and the controller may be further configured to supply a second power, different from the first power, to the electric heater when the identifiability of a second cartridge, different from the identifiability of the first cartridge, has been determined.

[0100] The control circuit includes a controller. The controller may include a microprocessor. The microprocessor may be a programmable microprocessor, a microcontroller, an application-specific integrated circuit (ASIC), or other electronic circuitry capable of providing control. The control circuit may include further electronic components. For example, in some embodiments, the control circuit may include a sensor, a switch, or a display element. Power may be supplied continuously to the aerosol generating element after the device is started, or intermittently, such as with each smoke inhalation. Power may be supplied to the aerosol generating element in the form of current pulses, for example by pulse width modulation (PWM). The power source may be a battery. The battery may be a lithium iron phosphate battery in the device. Alternatively, the power source may be another form of charge storage device, such as a capacitor.

[0101] The power source may be a DC power source. The power source may be a battery. The battery may be a lithium-based battery, such as a lithium cobalt battery, lithium iron phosphate battery, lithium titanate battery, or lithium polymer battery. The battery may be a nickel-metal hydride battery or a nickel-cadmium battery. The power source may be another form of charge storage device, such as a capacitor. The power source may be rechargeable and may be configured for numerous charge-discharge cycles. The power source may have a capacity that allows for sufficient energy storage for one or more user experiences. For example, the power source may have a capacity that allows for continuous generation of aerosol for about 6 minutes, or a multiple of 6 minutes, corresponding to the typical time it takes to smoke one conventional cigarette. In another embodiment, the power source may have a capacity that allows for a predetermined number of puffs or discontinuous startup of the atomizing assembly.

[0102] The aerosol generator may include a housing. The housing may be elongated. The housing may contain any suitable material or combination of materials. Examples of suitable materials include metals, alloys, plastics, or composite materials containing one or more of these materials, or thermoplastic resins suitable for food or pharmaceutical applications, such as polypropylene, polyetheretherketone (PEEK), and polyethylene. The material is preferably light and not brittle.

[0103] The aerosol generator may have a connection terminal configured to connect to a cartridge.

[0104] The connection terminal of the aerosol generator may be equipped with electrical contacts for the electrical connection of the aerosol generator to the cartridge. The aerosol generator may be equipped with any appropriate number of electrical contacts for the electrical connection of the aerosol generator to the cartridge. For example, the aerosol generator may be equipped with two, three, four, five, or six electrical contacts for the electrical connection of the aerosol generator to the cartridge. Preferably, the aerosol generator is equipped with only two electrical contacts for the electrical connection of the aerosol generator to the cartridge.

[0105] The aerosol generator may have a distal end opposite the connection end. The distal end may include an electrical connector configured to connect the aerosol generator to an electrical connector of an external power supply in order to charge the power supply of the aerosol generator.

[0106] According to this disclosure, an aerosol generating system is provided, comprising a cartridge as described herein and an aerosol generating device as described herein.

[0107] The aerosol generating system may be a handheld aerosol generating system configured to allow the user to inhale the mouthpiece and draw out an aerosol through the mouth-side opening. The aerosol generating system may be comparable in size to a conventional cigar or cigarette. The aerosol generating system may have an overall length of approximately 30 mm to 150 mm. The aerosol generating system may have an outer diameter of approximately 5 mm to 30 mm.

[0108] The present invention is defined in the claims. However, a non-exclusive list of non-limiting embodiments is provided below. Any one or more features of these embodiments may be combined with any one or more features of other embodiments, forms, or aspects described herein.

[0109] Example 1. Aerosol generating system, A cartridge containing an aerosol-forming substrate, A resonant circuit comprising a cartridge having at least a portion of the resonant circuit, configured to resonate at a predetermined resonant frequency, and associated with the identifiability of the cartridge, Aerosol generator, A housing configured to removably receive a cartridge, A power supply to provide power to the cartridge, A control circuit, The resonant frequency of the resonant circuit is determined when the cartridge is received by the aerosol generator, and An aerosol generating system comprising an aerosol generator including a control circuit with a controller configured to identify a cartridge based on a determined resonant frequency; and an aerosol generator. Example 2. The aerosol generating system according to Example 1, wherein the cartridge includes an electric heater for heating the aerosol-forming substrate. Example 3. The aerosol generation system according to Example 2, wherein the resonant circuit is equipped with an electric heater. Example 4. The aerosol generating system according to Example 3, wherein the electric heater comprises a coil having inductance. Example 5. An aerosol generating system according to any one of Examples 1 to 4, wherein the resonant circuit comprises a capacitor and an inductor. Example 6. The aerosol generating system according to Example 5, wherein a capacitor and an inductor are connected in series. Example 7. The aerosol generating system according to Example 5, wherein a capacitor and an inductor are connected in parallel. Example 8. An aerosol generating system according to any one of Examples 5, 6, or 7, wherein the cartridge comprises an inductor. Example 9. The aerosol generation system according to Example 8, wherein a predetermined resonant frequency of the resonant circuit is determined by changing the inductance of the inductor of the resonant circuit. Example 10. The aerosol generating system according to Example 4, wherein the resonant circuit comprises a capacitor and an inductor, the electric heater comprises a coil having inductance, and the electric heater comprises the inductor of the resonant circuit. Example 11. The aerosol generating system according to Example 10, wherein the capacitor of the resonant circuit is connected in parallel with the electric heater. Example 12. An aerosol generating system according to any one of Examples 8 to 11, wherein the cartridge comprises a capacitor. Example 13. An aerosol generating system according to any one of Examples 8 to 12, wherein the cartridge comprises a resonant circuit. Example 14. An aerosol generating system according to any one of Examples 8 to 11, wherein the aerosol generating device comprises a capacitor. Example 15. An aerosol generating system according to any one of Examples 5, 6, or 7, wherein the cartridge comprises a capacitor. Example 16. The aerosol generation system according to Example 15, wherein a predetermined resonant frequency of the resonant circuit is determined by changing the capacitance of the capacitor of the resonant circuit. Example 17. The aerosol generating system according to Example 15 or Example 16, wherein the aerosol generating device comprises an inductor. Example 18. An aerosol generating system according to any one of Examples 5 to 17, wherein the resonant circuit comprises a plurality of capacitors connected in parallel. Example 19. An aerosol generation system according to any one of Examples 5 to 18, wherein the resonant circuit comprises a capacitor, and a predetermined resonant frequency of the resonant circuit depends on the capacitance of the capacitor and the parasitic inductance of the resonant circuit. Example 20. An aerosol generation system according to any one of Examples 5 to 19, wherein the capacitance of the capacitor is in the range of approximately 0.1 nanofarads (nF) to approximately 200 nanofarads (nF). Example 21. An aerosol generation system according to any one of Examples 5 to 20, wherein the inductance of the inductor is in the range of approximately 1 nanohenryen (nH) to approximately 10 microhenryen (μH). Example 22. An aerosol generating system according to any one of Examples 1 to 21, wherein the predetermined resonant frequency is in the range of approximately 10 kilohertz (kHz) to approximately 100 megahertz (MHz). Example 23. An aerosol generation system according to any one of Examples 1 to 22, wherein a resonant circuit is arranged on a printed circuit board (PCB). Example 24. An aerosol generation system according to any one of Examples 1 to 23, wherein the control circuit is configured to form an oscillator having a resonant circuit, and the oscillator is configured to generate a frequency-based vibration signal at a predetermined resonant frequency of the resonant circuit. Example 25. The aerosol generation system according to Example 24, wherein the control circuit is configured to measure the frequency of the vibration signal from the oscillator. Example 26. The aerosol generation system according to Example 25, wherein the control circuit is configured to measure the duration of the vibration of the vibration signal from the oscillator and determine the resonant frequency of the resonant circuit. Example 27. The aerosol generation system according to Example 25, wherein the control circuit is configured to measure the number of vibrations of the vibration signal from the oscillator within a predetermined period of time to determine the resonant frequency of the resonant circuit. Example 28. A cartridge for an aerosol generation system, Aerosol-forming substrate and, A cartridge comprising a resonant circuit, wherein the resonant circuit is configured to resonate at a predetermined resonant frequency, and the predetermined resonant frequency is associated with the identifiability of the cartridge. Example 29. The cartridge according to Example 28, wherein the cartridge includes an electric heater for heating the aerosol-forming substrate. Example 30. The cartridge according to Example 29, wherein the resonant circuit is equipped with an electric heater. Example 31. The cartridge according to Example 30, wherein the electric heater comprises a coil having inductance. Example 32. A cartridge according to any one of Examples 28 to 31, wherein the resonant circuit comprises a capacitor and an inductor. Example 33. The cartridge according to Example 32, wherein a capacitor and an inductor are connected in series. Example 34. The cartridge according to Example 32, wherein a capacitor and an inductor are connected in parallel. Example 35. The cartridge according to Example 31, wherein the resonant circuit comprises a capacitor and an inductor, and the electric heater comprises an inductor. Example 36. The cartridge according to Example 35, wherein the capacitor of the resonant circuit is connected in parallel with the electric heater. Example 37. A cartridge according to any one of Examples 32 to 36, wherein the resonant circuit comprises a plurality of capacitors connected in parallel. Example 38. A cartridge according to any one of Examples 28 to 31, wherein the resonant circuit comprises a capacitor, and a predetermined resonant frequency of the resonant circuit depends on the capacitance of the capacitor and the parasitic inductance of the resonant circuit. Example 39. A cartridge according to any one of Examples 32 to 38, wherein the capacitance of the capacitor is in the range of approximately 0.1 nanofarads (nF) to approximately 200 nanofarads (nF). Example 40. A cartridge according to any one of Examples 32 to 37, wherein the inductance of the inductor is in the range of approximately 1 nanohenryen (nH) to approximately 10 microhenryen (μH). Example 41. A cartridge according to any one of Examples 28 to 40, wherein the predetermined resonant frequency is in the range of approximately 10 kilohertz (kHz) to approximately 100 megahertz (MHz). Example 42. A cartridge according to any one of Examples 28 to 40, wherein a resonant circuit is arranged on a printed circuit board (PCB). Example 43. An aerosol generator used with a cartridge containing a resonant circuit, A housing configured to removably receive a cartridge, A power supply to provide power to the cartridge, A control circuit, The resonant frequency of the resonant circuit is determined when the cartridge is received by the aerosol generator, and an aerosol generator comprising a control circuit with a controller configured to identify a cartridge based on a determined resonant frequency. Example 44. The aerosol generator according to Example 43, wherein the control circuit is configured to form an oscillator having a cartridge resonant circuit, and the oscillator is configured to generate a vibration signal having a frequency at a predetermined resonant frequency of the resonant circuit. Example 45. The aerosol generator according to Example 44, wherein the control circuit is configured to measure the frequency of the vibration signal from the oscillator. Example 46. The aerosol generator according to Example 45, wherein the control circuit is configured to measure the duration of the vibration of the vibration signal from the oscillator and determine the resonant frequency of the resonant circuit. Example 47. The aerosol generator according to Example 45, wherein the control circuit is configured to measure the number of vibrations of the vibration signal from the oscillator within a predetermined period of time to determine the resonant frequency of the resonant circuit.

[0110] Here, we will further describe the examples with reference to the following figures. [Brief explanation of the drawing]

[0111] [Figure 1] Figure 1 shows a schematic diagram of an aerosol generating system according to an embodiment of the present disclosure, which includes an aerosol generator and a cartridge removably received by the aerosol generator. [Figure 2] Figure 2 shows a block diagram of the main electrical components of the aerosol generation system shown in Figure 1. [Figure 3] Figure 3 shows a schematic circuit diagram of the electrical circuit of the aerosol generation system shown in Figure 1. [Figure 4] Figure 4 shows a schematic circuit diagram of an alternative embodiment of an appropriate electrical circuit for the aerosol generation system in Figure 1. [Figure 5]Figure 5 shows a schematic diagram of an aerosol generating system according to another embodiment of the present disclosure, which includes an aerosol generator and a cartridge removably received by the aerosol generator. [Figure 6] Figure 6 shows a block diagram of the main electrical components of the aerosol generation system shown in Figure 5. [Figure 7] Figure 7 shows a schematic circuit diagram of the electrical circuit of the aerosol generation system shown in Figure 1. [Modes for carrying out the invention]

[0112] Figure 1 shows a schematic diagram of one embodiment of the aerosol generating system according to the present invention. The aerosol generating system comprises two main components, namely a cartridge 100 and a main body 200. The connection end 115 of the cartridge 100 is detachably connected to the corresponding connection end 205 of the main body 200. The main body 200 includes a battery 210 (which in this embodiment is a rechargeable lithium-ion battery) and a control circuit 220. The aerosol generating system is portable and has a size comparable to a conventional cigar or cigarette. The mouthpiece is located at the end of the cartridge 100 opposite to the connection end 115.

[0113] The cartridge 100 comprises a heater assembly 120 and a housing 105 that encloses a liquid storage compartment having a first portion 130 and a second portion 135. A liquid aerosol forming substrate is held within the liquid storage compartment. Although not shown in Figure 1, the first portion 130 of the liquid storage compartment is connected to the second portion 135 of the liquid storage compartment so that the liquid in the first portion 130 can move into the second portion 135. The heater assembly 120 receives liquid from the second portion 135 of the liquid storage compartment. In this embodiment, the heater assembly 120 comprises a fluid-permeable heating element.

[0114] The airflow passages 140 and 145 pass through the heater assembly 120 from the air intake 150 formed on the side of the housing 105, and from the heater assembly 120, they extend through the cartridge 100 to the mouthpiece opening 110 formed inside the housing 105 at the end of the cartridge 100 opposite to the connection end 115.

[0115] The components of cartridge 100 are arranged such that the first part 130 of the liquid storage compartment is located between the heater assembly 120 and the mouthpiece opening 110, and the second part 135 of the liquid storage compartment is located on the side of the heater assembly 100, opposite the mouthpiece opening 110. In other words, the heater assembly 120 is placed between the two parts 130 and 135 of the liquid storage compartment and receives liquid from the second part 135. The first part 130 of the liquid storage compartment is closer to the mouthpiece opening 110 than the second part 135 of the liquid storage compartment. Airflow passages 140, 145 pass through the heater assembly 110 and extend between the first part 130 and the second part 135 of the liquid storage compartment.

[0116] The main body unit 200 includes a housing 202 that contains the battery 210 and the control circuit 220.

[0117] The system is configured to allow the user to inhale or draw an aerosol into their mouth by inhaling or sucking on the mouthpiece opening 110 of the cartridge. When in operation, as the user inhales through the mouthpiece opening 110, air is drawn from the air intake 150 through the airflow passages 140, 145, past the heater assembly 120, and into the mouthpiece opening 110. The control circuit 220 controls the supply of power from the battery 210 to the cartridge 100 when the system is activated. This consequently controls the amount and characteristics of the vapor produced by the heater assembly 120. The control circuit 220 may include an airflow sensor (not shown), and the control circuit 220 may also supply power to the heater assembly 120 when the airflow sensor detects the user inhaling from the cartridge 100. This type of control arrangement is well established in aerosol generating systems such as inhalers and e-cigarettes. Therefore, when the user inhales vapor from the mouthpiece opening 110 of the cartridge 100, the heater assembly 120 is activated, generating vapor that is carried along with the airflow passing through the airflow passage 140. The vapor cools in the airflow within the passage 145 to form an aerosol, which is then drawn into the user's mouth through the mouthpiece opening 110.

[0118] During operation, the mouthpiece opening 110 is typically the highest point of the system. The structure of the cartridge 100, and in particular the arrangement of the heater assembly 120 between the first part 130 and the second part 135 of the liquid storage compartment, is advantageous because it ensures that the liquid substrate is delivered to the heater assembly 120 by utilizing gravity, even when the liquid storage compartment is beginning to empty, and prevents an oversupply of liquid to the heater assembly 120, which could still lead to liquid leakage into the airflow passage 140.

[0119] Figure 2 shows a block diagram illustrating the main electrical and electronic components of the aerosol generation system of Figure 1, comprising a cartridge 100 and an aerosol generator 200. The cartridge 100 includes an electric heater 120 connected in parallel with a resonant circuit 155 (not shown in Figure 1). The resonant circuit 155 is configured to resonate at a predetermined resonant frequency associated with the identifiability of the cartridge 100. By determining the resonant frequency of the resonant circuit 155, the aerosol generator 200 can identify the cartridge 100 and the aerosol-forming substrate contained within the cartridge 100, and can also control the power supply to the electric heater 120 to generate an appropriate temperature for optimal aerosol generation from the aerosol-forming substrate.

[0120] The resonant circuit 155 comprises an inductor L1 and a capacitor C1 connected in series. The resonant circuit 155 is connected in parallel to both sides of the electric heater 120.

[0121] In this arrangement of the resonant circuit 155 and electric heater 120, only two electrical connections are required between the cartridge 100 and the aerosol generator 200. The two electrical connections can be used to power the heater 120 for heating the aerosol-forming substrate, to provide an input signal to the resonant circuit 155, and to receive an output signal from the resonant circuit 155 to determine the resonant frequency of the resonant circuit 155 and to determine the identifiability of the cartridge 100. As a result, the cartridge 100 has a single pair of electrical contacts 160 for electrical connection with the aerosol generator 200.

[0122] The aerosol generator 200 includes a battery 210 that acts as a power source and a control circuit 220 that controls the supply of power from the battery 210 to the cartridge 100. The aerosol generator 200 further includes a single pair of electrical contacts 260 complementary to the pair of electrical contacts 160 on the cartridge 100 for the electrical connection between the aerosol generator 200 and the cartridge 100.

[0123] The control circuit 220 includes a microcontroller (MCU) 230. The microcontroller 230 is configured to control the supply of power to the electric heater 120 shown in Figure 2 by a DC voltage source V1 and a switch S1, which may be a transistor or other suitable electronic switch. The microcontroller 230 modulates the DC voltage source V1 by pulse width modulation (PWM) to supply power to the electric heater 120 in a series of pulses. The power to the electric heater 120 is controlled by controlling a load cycle of a series of pulses that control the temperature of the electric heater 120. No passive components that can generate heat (such as resistors or inductors) are connected in series between the DC voltage source V1 and the electric heater 120. This helps to reduce energy loss during heating of the electric heater 120.

[0124] The control circuit 220 also includes an identification circuit 240 connected to the resonant circuit 155. The microcontroller 230 is also configured to control the supply of power to the resonant circuit 155 via the identification circuit 240. The configuration of the microcontroller 230 for controlling the supply of power to the resonant circuit 155 via the identification circuit 240 is shown in Figure 2 by a DC voltage source V2 and a switch S2, which may be a transistor or other suitable electronic switch. The microcontroller 230 is further configured to receive an output signal from the identification circuit 240 and to determine the resonant frequency of the resonant circuit 155 from the output signal of the identification circuit 240, as described in more detail below with respect to Figure 3.

[0125] Although the two separate voltage sources V1 and V2 are shown separately from the microcontroller 230 in Figure 2, naturally, in practice both of these voltage sources are supplied by the microcontroller 230. Also naturally, in some embodiments, the aerosol generator may actually have two separate power sources (such as two separate batteries) which may form the voltage sources V1 and V2 separately.

[0126] Figure 3 shows a schematic circuit diagram of the electrical circuit of the aerosol generation system shown in Figures 1 and 2.

[0127] The cartridge 100 comprises an electric heater 120 and a resonant circuit 155 connected in parallel. The electric heater 120 is a resistive heater and is therefore indicated as RH in Figure 3. The resonant circuit 155 comprises a capacitor C1 and an inductor L1 connected in series.

[0128] In this embodiment, the resistive heater RH is made to have no inductance and is therefore not shown to form part of the resonant circuit 155. However, naturally, in other embodiments, the resistive heater RH may have inductance and may form part of the resonant circuit 155.

[0129] The cartridge 100 is equipped with a pair of electrical contacts 160, which electrically connect the cartridge 100 to the aerosol generator 200 via a complementary pair of electrical contacts 260 on the aerosol generator 200 when the cartridge 100 is received by the aerosol generator 200.

[0130] The aerosol generator 200 includes a control circuit 220 which includes a microcontroller 230 and an identification circuit 240. The battery 210 of the aerosol generator 200 is not shown in Figure 3, but the first DC voltage source V1, switch S1, second DC voltage source V2, and switch S2 shown in Figure 2 above are shown.

[0131] As shown in Figure 3, the first voltage source V1 is directly connected to the electric heater RH. Naturally, in other embodiments, the voltage source V2 may be indirectly connected to the electric heater RH, for example, via a resistor. The microcontroller 230 and the first voltage source V1 are configured to supply power pulses to the electric heater RH to heat the aerosol-forming substrate in the cartridge 100. The load cycle of the power pulses from the first voltage source V1 is controlled by the microcontroller 230 via pulse width modulation (PWM) to control the temperature of the electric heater RH. A capacitor C1 of a resonant circuit connected in parallel with the electric heater RH prevents DC current from being drawn through the inductor L1, thus minimizing current loss through the inductor L1 when power pulses are supplied from the first voltage source V1 to the electric heater RH to heat the aerosol-forming substrate.

[0132] As shown in Figure 3, the second voltage source V2 is directly connected to the identification circuit 240. The identification circuit 240 is connected to the resonant circuit 155 in the cartridge 100 via the same rail that connects the first voltage source V1 to the heater RH. The output of the identification circuit 240 is connected to the microcontroller 230.

[0133] In this embodiment, the identification circuit 240 is configured as an oscillator that outputs a square wave signal having a frequency equal to a predetermined resonant frequency of the resonant circuit 155.

[0134] The identification circuit 240 includes a voltage comparator U5. In this embodiment, the comparator U5 is an LM311 from Texas Instruments Incorporated, but of course, other comparators may be used.

[0135] A second voltage source V2 is connected to the positive supply terminal (pin 8) of the voltage comparator U5. The second voltage source V2 is also connected to the non-inverting input (pin 2) of the voltage comparator U5 via a voltage divider with equal 100-kilohm resistors R3 and R4. A feedback loop from the output (pin 7) of the voltage comparator U5 to the non-inverting input (pin 2) of the voltage comparator U5 is provided via a 10-kilohm resistor R2. Additionally, a 1-kilohm resistor R1 is provided between the second voltage source V2, the output (pin 7) of the voltage comparator U5, and resistor R2 to provide a voltage drop between the second voltage supply V2 and the output of the voltage comparator U5. A 22 nanofarad capacitor C5 is connected to the inverting input (pin 3) of the voltage comparator U5 and also to the output (pin 7) of the comparator U5 via a 100-kilohm resistor R5. The non-inverting input (pin 2) of the voltage comparator U5 is also connected to the cartridge 100 via a 100 nanofarad capacitor C2, which is connected in parallel with a 10 microfarad electrolytic capacitor C4. Capacitors C2 and C4 are decoupling capacitors that allow AC oscillations to pass between the resonant circuit 155 and the identification circuit 240, while preventing DC signals from passing between the resonant circuit 155 and the identification circuit 240. Capacitor C2 is provided to allow the passage of high frequencies, and electrolytic capacitor C4 is provided to allow the passage of low frequencies.

[0136] When switch S2 is closed and the second voltage source V2 is connected to the identification circuit, the voltage at the non-inverting input of voltage comparator U5 is approximately half of V2 (this is approximately 1.5 volts if we use an embodiment where V2 is approximately 3 volts) due to the voltage divider formed by equal resistors R3 and R4. This input yields an output of approximately V2 (approximately 3 volts) from voltage comparator U5. The output of voltage comparator U5 charges capacitor U5 through resistor R5 until the voltage at the inverting input of voltage comparator U5 is also approximately half of V2 (approximately 1.5 volts). When the inverting input of voltage comparator U5 reaches approximately half of V2 (approximately 1.5 volts), which is the same voltage as the non-inverting input, the output of voltage comparator U5 is switched to a low level to induce a transient voltage in the identification circuit. This transient voltage is supplied to the resonant circuit 155 in the cartridge 100 via resistor R2 and capacitors C2 and C4, maintaining the resonant circuit 155 in resonance at a predetermined resonant frequency. Resonance of the resonant circuit 155 affects the voltage at the non-inverting input of the voltage comparator U5, which generates a square wave at the output of the voltage comparator U5, having a frequency at the predetermined resonant frequency of the resonant circuit 155. The square wave output from the voltage comparator U5 is fed back to the resonant circuit 155 through resistor R2 and capacitor C2, sustaining the resonant oscillation of the resonant circuit. The square wave output from the voltage comparator U5 is also fed back to capacitor C5 through resistor R5, which then induces an AC signal at the inverting input of the voltage comparator U5. The phase difference between the output from the voltage comparator U5 and the AC signal at the inverting input of the voltage comparator U5 causes the output of the voltage comparator U5 to be a square wave signal.

[0137] The square wave output from the voltage comparator U5 is supplied to a microcontroller 230, which is configured to determine the frequency of the square wave output.

[0138] In this example, the microcontroller 230 is configured to determine the resonant frequency of the resonant circuit 155 by determining the frequency of the square wave output of the identification circuit 240 by counting the number of vibrations or pulses over a predetermined period of approximately 100 milliseconds. Naturally, other predetermined periods, such as approximately 10 milliseconds to approximately 200 milliseconds, may be used. Naturally, in other embodiments, the microcontroller 230 may be configured to determine the resonant frequency of the resonant circuit 155 by determining the frequency of the square wave output by measuring the duration of one or more vibrations or pulses.

[0139] In this embodiment, the microcontroller 230 is configured to disconnect the first voltage source V1 from the electric heater RH via switch S1 before the second voltage source V2 is connected to the identification circuit 240 via switch S2. Advantageously, this reduces interference from the first voltage source V1 to the square wave output of the identification circuit 240.

[0140] In this embodiment, the microcontroller 230 includes a memory (not shown) that stores a lookup table containing multiple reference resonant frequency values, each of which is associated with the identifiability and power value of a specific cartridge. The identifiability of each associated cartridge relates to a specific aerosol-forming substrate contained within the cartridge. The associated power value corresponds to the power that needs to be supplied to the electric heater in order to generate an optimal aerosol from the specific aerosol-forming substrate contained within the cartridge.

[0141] The microcontroller 230 is configured to determine the identifiability of the cartridge 100 based on the determined resonant frequency by comparing the determined resonant frequency with a plurality of reference resonant frequency values ​​stored in a lookup table.

[0142] When the determined resonant frequency matches one of the stored reference resonant frequency values, the microcontroller 230 is configured to determine that the identifiability of cartridge 100 is the cartridge identifiability associated with the matched reference resonant frequency value in the lookup table. The microcontroller 230 is further configured to control a first voltage source V1 to supply power to the electric heater RH in cartridge 100 according to the power value associated with the cartridge identifiability in the lookup table.

[0143] When the determined resonant frequency does not match any of the reference resonant frequency values ​​stored in the lookup table, the microcontroller 230 is configured to determine that the cartridge is an uncertified cartridge. When the microcontroller 230 determines that the cartridge is uncertified, it is configured to prevent power from being supplied from the first voltage source V1 to the electric heater RH, thereby preventing the heating of the aerosol-forming substrate in the cartridge.

[0144] Figure 4 shows a schematic circuit diagram of an alternative embodiment of an electrical circuit suitable for the aerosol generating system of Figure 1. The exemplary circuit of Figure 4 is substantially the same as the exemplary circuit of Figure 3, and therefore corresponding features are indicated by given corresponding reference numerals.

[0145] The only difference between the exemplary circuit in Figure 3 and the exemplary circuit in Figure 4 is that the resonant circuit 155 in the exemplary circuit of Figure 4 does not have the inductor L1 of the exemplary circuit of Figure 3. The exemplary circuit of Figure 4 uses the parasitic inductance Lp of the resonant circuit 155, which consists mainly of the parasitic inductance of capacitor C1 instead of the inductor L1 of the exemplary circuit of Figure 3. In this embodiment, the heater RH is considered to have no inductance. However, naturally, in most embodiments, the heater RH will have a considerable inductance and will contribute to the parasitic inductance Lp of the resonant circuit 155. In some embodiments, the parasitic inductance of the heater RH is significantly higher than the parasitic inductance of other components in the resonant circuit, and in these embodiments, the resonant frequency of the resonant circuit is mainly determined by the capacitance of capacitor C1 and the inductance of heater RH.

[0146] The parasitic inductance Lp of the resonant circuit 155 is typically significantly lower than the inductance of an actual inductor, such as coil L1 in the exemplary circuit of Figure 3. As a result, the resonant frequency of the resonant circuit 155 in the exemplary circuit of Figure 4 is typically significantly higher than the resonant frequency of a resonant circuit containing an actual inductor, such as the exemplary circuit of Figure 3.

[0147] Advantageously, using the parasitic inductance of a resonant circuit without providing an actual inductor can reduce the complexity of the resonant circuit and potentially lower the cost of cartridge components.

[0148] Figure 5 shows a schematic diagram of another embodiment of the aerosol generating system according to the present invention. The aerosol generating systems in Figures 5, 6, and 7 are substantially similar to the aerosol generating system in Figure 1, and therefore corresponding features are given corresponding reference numerals.

[0149] The aerosol generating system comprises two main components: a cartridge 100 and a main body 200. A connection end 115 of the cartridge 100 is detachably connected to a corresponding connection end 205 of the main body 200. The main body includes a battery 210 (which in this embodiment is a rechargeable lithium-ion battery) and a control circuit 220. The aerosol generating system is portable and comparable in size to a conventional cigar or cigarette. A mouthpiece is located at the end of the cartridge 100 opposite the connection end 115.

[0150] The cartridge 100 comprises a heater assembly 120 and a housing 105 that encloses a liquid storage compartment 130. The liquid aerosol forming substrate is held within the liquid storage compartment.

[0151] In this embodiment, the heater assembly 120 comprises a heating element in the form of a heating coil. The heater assembly 120 receives liquid from the liquid storage compartment 130 via a capillary core 122. One end of the capillary core 122 is located inside the liquid storage compartment 130, and the other end of the capillary core 122 is located outside the liquid storage compartment 130 and is surrounded by the heating coil 120.

[0152] The airflow passages 140 and 145 pass through the heater assembly 120 from the air intake 150 formed on the side of the housing 105, and from the heater assembly 120, they extend through the cartridge 100 to the mouthpiece opening 110 formed inside the housing 105 at the end of the cartridge 100 opposite to the connection end 115.

[0153] The main body unit 200 includes a housing 202 that contains the battery 210 and the control circuit 220.

[0154] The system is configured to allow the user to inhale or draw an aerosol into their mouth by inhaling or sucking on the mouthpiece opening 110 of the cartridge. When in operation, as the user inhales through the mouthpiece opening 110, air is drawn from the air intake 150 through the airflow passages 140, 145, past the heater assembly 120, and into the mouthpiece opening 110. The control circuit 220 controls the supply of power from the battery 210 to the cartridge 100 when the system is activated. This consequently controls the amount and characteristics of the vapor produced by the heater assembly 120. The control circuit 220 may include an airflow sensor (not shown), and the control circuit 220 may also supply power to the heater assembly 120 when the airflow sensor detects the user inhaling from the cartridge 100. This type of control arrangement is well established in aerosol generating systems such as inhalers and e-cigarettes. Therefore, when the user inhales vapor from the mouthpiece opening 110 of the cartridge 100, the heater assembly 120 is activated, generating vapor that is carried along with the airflow passing through the airflow passage 140. The vapor cools in the airflow within the passage 145 to form an aerosol, which is then drawn into the user's mouth through the mouthpiece opening 110.

[0155] Figure 6 shows a block diagram illustrating the main electrical and electronic components of the aerosol generation system of Figure 5, which includes a cartridge 100 and an aerosol generator 200.

[0156] The cartridge 100 includes an electric heater 120 in the form of a heater coil. Due to the geometric shape of the heater coil 120, the heater coil 120 forms an inductor, and therefore the heater coil 120 is also referred to as LH in Figures 6 and 7.

[0157] The aerosol generator 200 includes a capacitor C1. When the cartridge 100 is received by the aerosol generator 200, the heater coil LH and the capacitor C1 are connected in parallel to form a resonant circuit 155 (not shown in Figure 5). The resonant circuit 155 is configured to resonate at a predetermined resonant frequency associated with the identification of the cartridge 100. By determining the resonant frequency of the resonant circuit 155, the aerosol generator 200 can identify the cartridge 100 and the aerosol-forming substrate contained within the cartridge 100, and can also control the power supply to the electric heater 120 to generate an appropriate temperature for optimal aerosol generation from the aerosol-forming substrate.

[0158] The resonant frequency of the resonant circuit 155 is associated with the identifiability of the cartridge through the inductance of the heater coil LH. The inductance of the heater coil LH may vary between cartridges containing different aerosol-forming substrates, so that the resonant frequency of the resonant circuit 155 for each cartridge is associated with the liquid aerosol-forming substrate in the cartridge. Advantageously, separating the components of the resonant circuit between the aerosol generator and the cartridge may reduce the number of components in the cartridge, thereby lowering the complexity and cost of the cartridge.

[0159] In this arrangement of the heater coil LH and capacitor C1, only two electrical connections are required between the cartridge 100 and the aerosol generator 200. The two electrical connections can be used to supply power to the heater coil LH for heating the aerosol-forming substrate, to provide an input signal to the resonant circuit 155, to determine the resonant frequency of the resonant circuit 155, and to receive an output signal from the resonant circuit 155 to determine the identifiability of the cartridge 100. As a result, the cartridge 100 has a single pair of electrical contacts 160 for electrical connection with the aerosol generator 200.

[0160] The aerosol generator 200 includes a battery 210 that acts as a power source and a control circuit 220 that controls the supply of power from the battery 210 to the cartridge 100. The aerosol generator 200 further includes a single pair of electrical contacts 260 complementary to the pair of electrical contacts 160 on the cartridge 100 for the electrical connection between the aerosol generator 200 and the cartridge 100.

[0161] The control circuit 220 includes a microcontroller (MCU) 230. The microcontroller 230 is configured to control the supply of power to the heater coil LH shown in Figure 6 by a DC voltage source V1 and a switch S1, which may be a transistor or other suitable electronic switch. The microcontroller 230 modulates the DC voltage source V1 by pulse width modulation (PWM) to supply power to the heater coil in a series of pulses. The power to the heater coil LH is controlled by controlling a load cycle of a series of pulses that control the temperature of the heater coil LH. No passive components that can generate heat (such as resistors or inductors) are connected in series between the DC voltage source V1 and the heater coil LH. This helps to reduce energy loss during heating of the heater coil LH.

[0162] The control circuit 220 also includes an identification circuit 240 connected to the resonant circuit 155. The microcontroller 230 is also configured to control the supply of power to the resonant circuit 155 via the identification circuit 240. The configuration of the microcontroller 230 for controlling the supply of power to the resonant circuit 155 via the identification circuit 240 is shown in Figure 6 by a DC voltage source V2 and a switch S2 which may be a transistor or other suitable electronic switch. The microcontroller 230 is further configured to receive an output signal from the identification circuit 240 and to determine the resonant frequency of the resonant circuit 155 from the output signal of the identification circuit 240, as described above with respect to Figures 3 and 4.

[0163] Although the two separate voltage sources V1 and V2 are shown separately from the microcontroller 230 in Figure 6, naturally, in practice both of these voltage sources are supplied by the microcontroller 230. Also naturally, in some embodiments, the aerosol generator may actually have two separate power sources (such as two separate batteries) which may form the voltage sources V1 and V2 separately.

[0164] Figure 7 shows a schematic circuit diagram of one embodiment of an electrical circuit suitable for the aerosol generating system of Figure 5. The exemplary circuit in Figure 7 is substantially the same as the exemplary circuit in Figure 3, and therefore corresponding features are indicated by given corresponding reference numerals.

[0165] The first difference between the exemplary circuit in Figure 3 and the exemplary circuit in Figure 7 is that the resonant circuit 155 in the exemplary circuit of Figure 7 includes a heater coil LH, which also forms the inductor of the resonant circuit 155. As a result, the resonant circuit 155 in the exemplary circuit of Figure 7 does not include the separate heater 120 and inductor L1 of the exemplary circuit of Figure 3.

[0166] The second difference between the exemplary circuit in Figure 3 and the exemplary circuit in Figure 7 is that the cartridge 100 does not include the entire resonant circuit 155. The cartridge 100 in the exemplary circuit of Figure 7 does not include the capacitor C1 of the resonant circuit 155. In the exemplary circuit of Figure 7, the aerosol generator includes the capacitor C1 of the resonant circuit 155.

[0167] Advantageously, using the parasitic inductance of a resonant circuit without providing an actual inductor can reduce the complexity of the resonant circuit and potentially lower the cost of cartridge components.

[0168] Advantageously, dividing the components of the resonant circuit between the aerosol generator and the cartridge can reduce the number of components within the cartridge, potentially lowering the complexity and cost of the cartridge.

[0169] For the purposes of this specification and the appended claims, unless otherwise indicated, all numbers representing amounts, quantities, percentages, etc., should be understood in all cases as being modified by the term “approximately.” Furthermore, all ranges include the disclosed maximum and minimum points and any intermediate ranges therebetween, which may or may not be specifically listed herein. Thus, in this context, the number A is understood as A ± {5%}. In this context, the number A may be considered to include a number that falls within the general standard error to the measurement of the characteristic that the number A modifies. In some cases as used in the appended claims, the number A may deviate by the percentage listed above, provided that the amount of deviation does not substantially affect the basic and novel characteristics(s) of the claimed invention. Furthermore, all ranges include the disclosed maximum and minimum points and any intermediate ranges therebetween, which may or may not be specifically listed herein.

Claims

1. an aerosol generation system, A cartridge containing an aerosol-forming substrate, A resonant circuit wherein the cartridge comprises at least a portion of the resonant circuit, the resonant circuit is configured to resonate at a predetermined resonant frequency, and the predetermined resonant frequency is associated with the identifiability of the cartridge, Aerosol generator, A housing configured to removably receive the aforementioned cartridge, A power supply for supplying power to the aforementioned cartridge, A control circuit, When the cartridge is received by the aerosol generator, the resonant frequency of the resonant circuit is determined, and an aerosol generator comprising: a control circuit including a controller configured to identify the cartridge based on the determined resonant frequency; The aforementioned resonant circuit comprises a capacitor and an inductor, The aerosol generator includes the capacitor, An aerosol generating system in which the cartridge has a connection terminal configured to connect the cartridge to the aerosol generator, the connection terminal of the cartridge is provided with an electrical contact for the electrical connection of the cartridge to the aerosol generator, and the aerosol generator has a connection terminal configured to connect the aerosol generator to the cartridge, the connection terminal of the aerosol generator is provided with an electrical contact for the electrical connection of the aerosol generator to the cartridge.

2. The aerosol generating system according to claim 1, wherein the cartridge includes an electric heater for heating the aerosol forming substrate, and the resonant circuit includes the electric heater.

3. The aerosol generating system according to claim 1, wherein the cartridge comprises the inductor.

4. The aerosol generating system according to claim 1, wherein the cartridge includes an electric heater for heating the aerosol forming substrate, the resonant circuit comprises the electric heater, the electric heater comprises a coil, and forms the inductor of the resonant circuit.

5. The aerosol generating system according to claim 3 or 4, wherein the capacitor of the resonant circuit is connected in parallel with the inductor.

6. The aerosol generating system according to claim 1, wherein the predetermined resonant frequency of the resonant circuit depends on the capacitance of the capacitor and the parasitic inductance of the resonant circuit.

Images