Control method for aerosol provision system and aerosol provision system

Abstract

There is provided a control method for an aerosol provision system and an aerosol provision system. The method comprises: recording an absolute clock information of the start of a single puff of a user and an absolute clock information of the end of a single puff of a user, wherein the absolute clock information is measured and output by an absolute clock source in the system from a reference time, determining a single puff according to the absolute clock information of the start of the single puff and the absolute clock information of the end of the single puff, and determining a puffing behavior feature of the user within a specific time window according to the multiple single puffs.

Description

[0001] CONTROL METHOD FOR AEROSOL PROVISION SYSTEM AND AEROSOL PROVISION SYSTEM

[0002] Technical Field

[0003] The present application relates to the field of aerosol provision technology, and particularly relates to a control method for an aerosol provision system and an aerosol provision system.

[0004] Background

[0005] An aerosol provision system refers to a system that contains aerosol-generating materials inside and heats the aerosol-generating materials to generate an aerosol for users to puff.

[0006] As a consumer electronic product, an aerosol provision system has frequent contact with people. Studying its human-computer interaction experience is of great significance. Currently, there are already aerosol provision systems that record users' puffing behaviors to analyze users' puffing behavior features and perform heating control or output prompts according to the users' puffing behavior features. For example, systems may record the puffing frequency of the user's current puffing and output an indication to the user as to whether the puffing is too frequent based on the puffing frequency.

[0007] Analyzing users' puffing behavior features typically requires the recording of time. However, for current aerosol provision systems, the internal timers operate when the system is powered on and started, and stop when the power is cut off, and cannot continuously track time. Therefore, current aerosol provision systems may only record and analyze users' puffing behavior features within the time period of a single power-on, and it is difficult to obtain the puffing behavior features in a continuous time period across multiple power-on and power-off operations. For example, the puffing behavior features of a user within a day or a month. As a result, the aerosol provision system may be unable to make more feedback controls. This is not conducive to enhancing the user's puffing experience or saving the power of the system.

[0008] Summary

[0009] In accordance with some embodiments described herein, there is provided a control method for an aerosol provision system and an aerosol provision system that is able to analyze more puffing behavior features. This may make it possible to provide more feedback controls to enhance the user experience or save the system's power.

[0010] In accordance with a first aspect, there is provided a control method for an aerosol provision system. The method comprises: recording an absolute clock information of the start of a single puff of a user and an absolute clock information of the end of a single puff of a user, determining a single puff according to the absolute clock information of the start of the single puff and the absolute clock information of the end of the single puff, and determining a puffing behavior feature of the user within a specific time window according to the multiple single puffs. Wherein the absolute clock information is measured and output by an absolute clock source in the system from a reference time.

[0011] An absolute clock source is set within the system, which can measure and output absolute clock information from a reference time. That is, it provides a real-time time record within the system's life cycle. The aerosol provision system can associate the user's puffing behavior (e.g. the start and end of each puff) with the absolute clock information, and analyze the user's puffing behavior features (i.e. features of the user’s puffing behavior) within a specific time window according to this association. Based on the real-time time provided by the absolute clock source, the specific time window can be a time window spanning between the system's power-on and power-off. This solution may enable the system to provide more feedback controls, thereby greatly enhancing the user experience or saving the system's power.

[0012] The method may comprise forming a puffing habit model of the user according to the puffing behavior feature, predicting a subsequent puffing behavior of the user according to the puffing habit model, and performing heating control on the heater of the system in advance according to the predicted subsequent puffing behavior.

[0013] The method may comprise comparing the puffing behavior feature with a puffing behavior feature threshold of the system. The method may comprise controlling the heating of the heater of the system and / or outputting a prompt to the user if the puffing behavior feature deviates from the puffing behavior feature threshold.

[0014] The puffing behavior feature threshold may be input by the user into the system or preinstalled in the system.

[0015] The method may comprise forming a puffing habit model of the user according to the puffing behavior feature before the specific time window. The method may comprise determining the puffing behavior feature threshold according to the puffing habit model.

[0016] When users experience specific events such as emotional fluctuations, they often deviate from their puffing habits without realizing it. Analyzing the puffing behavior of users deviating from their puffing habits, and giving users prompts or directly making controls may be beneficial to enhancing the user experience.

[0017] The heating control of the heater of the system may comprise controlling the heater of the system to stop heating. The heating control of the heater of the system may comprise controlling the heater of the system to start heating. The heating control of the heater of the system may comprise adjusting the heating power provided to the heater of the system. The puffing habit model may comprise a first puffing start moment in the specific time window. Predicting a subsequent puffing behavior of the user according to the puffing habit model, and performing heating control on the heater of the system in advance according to the predicted subsequent puffing behavior may comprise predicting a first puff start moment of the user in a subsequent specific time window according to the puffing habit model, and controlling the heater of the system, starting heating before the first puff start time in the subsequent specific time window.

[0018] As used herein, “first puffing start moment” or “first puffing start moment” refers to a start time of a first puff.

[0019] Controlling the heater of the system to start heating before the start moment of the first puff within the subsequent specific time window may comprise controlling the heater of the system to start preheating before the start moment of the first puff within the subsequent specific time window.

[0020] Based on this embodiment, the heating may be started before the user starts puffing, so the user does not need to wait, which may save the user's time and enhance the user experience.

[0021] The puffing behavior feature may comprise a centralized puffing period in the specific time window. The puffing behavior feature threshold may be a preset centralized puffing period. Controlling the heating of the heater of the system and / or outputting a prompt to the user if the puffing behavior feature deviates from the puffing behavior feature threshold may comprise controlling the output of a deviation prompt for the puffing period and / or controlling the heater of the system to stop heating when determining that the centralized puffing period deviates from the preset centralized puffing period.

[0022] As used herein, a “centralized puffing period” refers to a period during which a frequency of puffs is higher than other periods.

[0023] The puffing behavior feature may comprise a puffing duration and / or a puffing number in the specific time window. The puffing behavior feature threshold may be a first preset puffing duration and / or a first preset puffing number. Controlling the heating of the heater of the system and / or outputting a prompt to the user if the puffing behavior feature deviates from the puffing behavior feature threshold may comprise controlling the output of a deviation prompt for the puffing and / or controlling the heater of the system to stop heating when determining that the puffing duration deviates from the first preset puffing duration and / or the puffing number deviates from the first preset puffing number.

[0024] If the user's puffing duration within a specific time window, such as within a day or an hour, exceeds the standard (i.e. the first preset puffing duration), a health prompt for the user can be output. The puffing behavior feature may comprise a puffing interval in the specific time window. The puffing behavior feature threshold may be a first preset puffing interval. Controlling the heating of the heater of the system and / or outputting a prompt to the user if the puffing behavior feature deviates from the puffing behavior feature threshold may comprise outputting a prompt that the system is lost when determining that the puffing interval reaches the first preset puffing interval.

[0025] Outputting a prompt that the system is lost may comprise outputting a prompt that the system is lost through a vibration prompt and / or a sound prompt and / or a light-emitting prompt.

[0026] If the puffing interval exceeds the preset time, that is if there is no puffing behavior within the preset time, it may be inferred that the system has been lost. At this time, a prompt that can be perceived by the user may be output to remind the user to search for it. the puffing behavior feature may comprise a puffing interval in the specific time window. The puffing behavior feature threshold may be a second preset puffing interval. If the puffing behavior feature deviates from the puffing behavior feature threshold, controlling the heating of the heater of the system and / or outputting a prompt to the user may comprise controlling the system to be locked or permanently disabled when determining that the puffing interval reaches the second preset puffing interval.

[0027] For example, if the puffing interval exceeds a preset time, it may be considered that the system is permanently lost. At this time, the system is automatically locked or permanently disabled to prevent it from being used by others.

[0028] The puffing behavior feature may comprise a puffing interval, a puffing duration, a puffing number, a first puff start moment, a centralized puffing start moment and / or a centralized puffing period in the specific time window.

[0029] As used herein, a “centralized puffing start moment” refers to the start time of a centralized puffing period.

[0030] The specific time window may comprise a day, a month, an hour, a cycle of a one-time puffing session and / or a cycle of one puffing section. The puffing session may be configured to comprise at least one single puff. The puffing section may be configured to comprise at least one of the puffing sessions.

[0031] As used herein, “puffing section” refers to a time period comprising one or more, e.g. multiple, puffing sessions.

[0032] The method may comprise determining that the user has performed the puffing session according to at least one of the following: in a monitoring cycle of a puffing session, monitoring that the number of single puffs during the puffing session reaches a preset number of single puffs; in a monitoring cycle of a puffing session, monitoring that a cumulative duration of single puff during the puffing session reaches a preset single puff cumulative duration; in a monitoring cycle of a puffing session, monitoring that a working duration of the system reaches a working duration of a preset puffing session; and in a monitoring cycle of a puffing session, monitoring that the time interval between adjacent single puff is greater than a preset single puff interval.

[0033] The method may comprise determining that the user has completed a single puffing section according to one of the following: in a monitoring cycle of a puffing section, monitoring that the number of puffing sessions during the puffing section reaches a preset number of puffing sessions; in a monitoring cycle of a puffing section, monitoring that the time interval between consecutive puffs is greater than a preset puffing interval; and in a monitoring cycle of a puffing section, monitoring that a working duration of the system reaches a working duration of a preset puffing section.

[0034] The method may comprise recording absolute clock information of startup of the system and absolute clock information of shutdown of the system. The method may comprise controlling the system to be locked or permanently disabled when monitoring that the shutdown duration of the system reaches a preset shutdown duration according to the absolute clock information of startup of the system and the absolute clock information of shutdown of the system.

[0035] Recording an absolute clock information of the start of a single puff of a user and an absolute clock information of the end of a single puff of a user may comprise a microcontroller of the system synchronizes its timer with the absolute clock source every time after the system starts up, and records an absolute clock information of the start of a single puff of a user and an absolute clock information of the end of a single puff of a user according to the time output by the timer of the microcontroller. The absolute clock source and the microcontroller may be separately arranged.

[0036] Based on this arrangement, there may be no need for the microcontroller to frequently communicate with the absolute clock source to obtain the absolute clock information. Instead, it may only need to perform time synchronization after each power-on, which may reduce the resource occupation of the microcontroller and improve the efficiency.

[0037] In accordance with a second aspect, there is provided an aerosol provision system. The system comprises: an absolute clock source configured to output absolute clock information measured from a reference time, a microcontroller configured to execute the control method of an aerosol provision system in the first aspect, and a heater configured to heat the aerosol generating material in the aerosol provision system under the control of the microcontroller to generate an aerosol.

[0038] The absolute clock source and the microcontroller may be separately arranged.

[0039] The microcontroller may comprise a timer. Every time after the system starts up, a microcontroller of the system may control the timer to synchronize with the absolute clock source, and record an absolute clock information of the start of a single puff of a user and an absolute clock information of the end of a single puff of a user according to the time output by the timer of the microcontroller.

[0040] The system may comprise a power supply configured to supply power to the absolute clock source, the heater and the microcontroller.

[0041] The absolute clock source may be an RTC (Real-Time Clock).

[0042] The system may comprise an air pressure sensor configured to monitor air pressure in the system. The microcontroller may be configured to acquire the air pressure from the air pressure sensor and determine the start and end of single puff according to the air pressure.

[0043] In accordance with a third aspect, there is provided a computer device. The device comprises a memory and a processor. The memory stores a computer program executable on the processor. When the computer program is executed by the processor, the control method for the above aerosol provision system is implemented.

[0044] In accordance with a fourth aspect, there is provided a computer-readable storage medium. The computer-readable storage medium stores a computer program. When the computer program is executed, the control method for the above aerosol provision system is implemented.

[0045] In accordance with an aspect, there is provided a method of controlling an aerosol provision system, comprising: recording an absolute time of the start of one or more single puffs of a user and an absolute time of the end of one or more single puffs of a user, wherein the absolute time is measured and output by an absolute clock source of the system configured to measure absolute time based on a reference time; determining that the user has taken one or more single puffs according to the absolute time of the start of the single puff(s) and the absolute time of the end of the single puff(s); and determining a feature of the user’s puffing behavior within a specific time window according to the determined single puff(s).

[0046] The method may include one or more or all of the features described above or below.

[0047] In accordance with an aspect, there is provided an aerosol provision system, comprising: an absolute clock source, configured to output absolute time based on a reference time; a microcontroller; and a heater configured to heat aerosol generating material configured to be received in the aerosol provision system under the control of the microcontroller to generate an aerosol, wherein the microcontroller is configured to: record an absolute time of the start of one or more single puffs of a user and an absolute time of the end of one or more single puffs of a user, wherein the absolute time is measured and output by the absolute clock source; determine that the user has taken one or more single puffs according to the absolute time of the start of the single puff(s) and the absolute time of the end of the single puff(s); and determine a feature of the user’s puffing behavior within a specific time window according to the determined single puff(s). The aerosol provision system may include one or more or all of the features described above or below.

[0048] The microcontroller may be configured to perform the any one or more or all of the method steps described above or below.

[0049] The aerosol provision system may comprise an aerosol provision device and a consumable comprising aerosol generating material.

[0050] In accordance with an aspect, there is provided a computer device, comprising: a memory; and one or more processors; wherein the memory stores a computer program that, when executed by the one or more processors, the one or more processors are caused to: record an absolute time of the start of one or more single puffs of a user of an aerosol provision system and an absolute time of the end of one or more single puffs of a user of an aerosol provision system, wherein the absolute time is measured and output by an absolute clock source of the aerosol provision system configured to measure absolute time based on a reference time; determine that the user has taken one or more single puffs according to the absolute time of the start of the single puff(s) and the absolute time of the end of the single puff(s); and determine a feature of the user’s puffing behavior within a specific time window according to the determined single puff(s).

[0051] When executed by the one or more processors, the computer program may cause the one or more processors to perform one or more or all of the method steps discussed above or below.

[0052] In accordance with an aspect, there is provided a computer-readable storage medium storing a computer program that, when executed by a computer, cause the computer to: record an absolute time of the start of one or more single puffs of a user of an aerosol provision system and an absolute time of the end of one or more single puffs of a user of an aerosol provision system, wherein the absolute time is measured and output by an absolute clock source of the aerosol provision system configured to measure absolute time based on a reference time; determine that the user has taken one or more single puffs according to the absolute time of the start of the single puff(s) and the absolute time of the end of the single puff(s); and determine a feature of the user’s puffing behavior within a specific time window according to the determined single puff(s).

[0053] When executed by a computer, the computer program may cause the one or more processors to perform one or more or all of the method steps discussed above or below.

[0054] One or more embodiments may have at least one or more of the following beneficial effects:

[0055] An absolute clock source is set within the system, which can measure and output absolute clock information from a reference time. That is, the absolute clock source provides a real-time time record within the system's life cycle. The aerosol provision system can associate the user's puffing behavior (the start and end of each puff) with the absolute clock information, and analyze the user's puffing behavior features within a specific time window according to this association. Based on the real-time time provided by the absolute clock source, the specific time window can be a time window spanning between the system's power- on and power-off. This may enable the system to provide more feedback controls, and may thereby greatly enhance the user experience or save the system's power.

[0056] Additional aspects and advantages will be partially described in the following description, some will become apparent from the following description.

[0057] Brief Description of the Drawings

[0058] Referring to the accompanying drawings, the present disclosure will become more understandable. Those skilled in the art can easily understand that these drawings are only for illustrative purposes and are not intended to limit the scope of protection. Moreover, similar numbers in the figures are used to represent similar components, wherein:

[0059] Figure 1 is a schematic diagram of an aerosol provision system;

[0060] Figure 2 is a flowchart of a method for controlling an aerosol provision system; and Figure 3 is a schematic structural diagram of a computer device.

[0061] Detailed Description

[0062] The following describes some embodiments with reference to the accompanying drawings. It should be understood by those skilled in the art that these embodiments are only for explaining technical principles and are not intended to limit the scope of protection.

[0063] As used herein, the term “delivery system” is intended to encompass systems that deliver at least one substance to a user in use, and includes: combustible aerosol provision systems, such as cigarettes, cigarillos, cigars, and tobacco for pipes or for roll-your-own or for make-your-own cigarettes (whether based on tobacco, tobacco derivatives, expanded tobacco, reconstituted tobacco, tobacco substitutes or other smokable material); non-combustible aerosol provision systems that release compounds from an aerosolgenerating material without combusting the aerosol-generating material, such as electronic cigarettes, tobacco heating products, and hybrid systems to generate aerosol using a combination of aerosol-generating materials; and aerosol-free delivery systems that deliver the at least one substance to a user orally, nasally, transdermally or in another way without forming an aerosol, including but not limited to, lozenges, gums, patches, articles comprising inhalable powders, and oral products such as oral tobacco which includes snus or moist snuff, wherein the at least one substance may or may not comprise nicotine.

[0064] According to the present disclosure, a “combustible” aerosol provision system is one where a constituent aerosol-generating material of the aerosol provision system (or component thereof) is combusted or burned during use in order to facilitate delivery of at least one substance to a user.

[0065] In some embodiments, the delivery system is a combustible aerosol provision system, such as a system selected from the group consisting of a cigarette, a cigarillo and a cigar.

[0066] In some embodiments, the disclosure relates to a component for use in a combustible aerosol provision system, such as a filter, a filter rod, a filter segment, a tobacco rod, a spill, an aerosol-modifying agent release component such as a capsule, a thread, or a bead, or a paper such as a plug wrap, a tipping paper or a cigarette paper.

[0067] According to the present disclosure, a “non-combustible” aerosol provision system is one where a constituent aerosol-generating material of the aerosol provision system (or component thereof) is not combusted or burned in order to facilitate delivery of at least one substance to a user.

[0068] In some embodiments, the delivery system is a non-combustible aerosol provision system, such as a powered non-combustible aerosol provision system.

[0069] In some embodiments, the non-combustible aerosol provision system is an electronic cigarette, also known as a vaping device or electronic nicotine delivery system (END), although it is noted that the presence of nicotine in the aerosol-generating material is not a requirement.

[0070] In some embodiments, the non-combustible aerosol provision system is an aerosolgenerating material heating system, also known as a heat-not-burn system. An example of such a system is a tobacco heating system.

[0071] In some embodiments, the non-combustible aerosol provision system is a hybrid system to generate aerosol using a combination of aerosol-generating materials, one or a plurality of which may be heated. Each of the aerosol-generating materials may be, for example, in the form of a solid, liquid or gel and may or may not contain nicotine. In some embodiments, the hybrid system comprises a liquid or gel aerosol-generating material and a solid aerosol-generating material. The solid aerosol-generating material may comprise, for example, tobacco or a non-tobacco product.

[0072] Typically, the non-combustible aerosol provision system may comprise a non- combustible aerosol provision device and a consumable for use with the non-combustible aerosol provision device. In some embodiments, the disclosure relates to consumables comprising aerosolgenerating material and configured to be used with non-combustible aerosol provision devices. These consumables are sometimes referred to as articles throughout the disclosure.

[0073] In some embodiments, the non-combustible aerosol provision system, such as a noncombustible aerosol provision device thereof, may comprise a power source and a controller. The power source may, for example, be an electric power source or an exothermic power source. In some embodiments, the exothermic power source comprises a carbon substrate which may be energised so as to distribute power in the form of heat to an aerosol-generating material or to a heat transfer material in proximity to the exothermic power source.

[0074] In some embodiments, the non-combustible aerosol provision system may comprise an area for receiving the consumable, an aerosol generator, an aerosol generation area, a housing, a mouthpiece, a filter and / or an aerosol-modifying agent.

[0075] In some embodiments, the consumable for use with the non-combustible aerosol provision device may comprise aerosol-generating material, an aerosol-generating material storage area, an aerosol-generating material transfer component, an aerosol generator, an aerosol generation area, a housing, a wrapper, a filter, a mouthpiece, and / or an aerosolmodifying agent.

[0076] In some embodiments, the delivery system is an aerosol-free delivery system that delivers at least one substance to a user orally, nasally, transdermally or in another way without forming an aerosol, including but not limited to, lozenges, gums, patches, articles comprising inhalable powders, and oral products such as oral tobacco which includes snus or moist snuff, wherein the at least one substance may or may not comprise nicotine.

[0077] In some embodiments, the substance to be delivered may be an aerosol-generating material or a material that is not intended to be aerosolised. As appropriate, either material may comprise one or more active constituents, one or more flavours, one or more aerosolformer materials, and / or one or more other functional materials.

[0078] In some embodiments, the substance to be delivered comprises an active substance. The active substance as used herein may be a physiologically active material, which is a material intended to achieve or enhance a physiological response. The active substance may for example be selected from nutraceuticals, nootropics, psychoactives. The active substance may be naturally occurring or synthetically obtained. The active substance may comprise for example nicotine, caffeine, taurine, theine, vitamins such as B6 or B12 or C, melatonin, cannabinoids, or constituents, derivatives, or combinations thereof. The active substance may comprise one or more constituents, derivatives or extracts of tobacco, cannabis or another botanical.

[0079] In some embodiments, the active substance comprises nicotine. In some embodiments, the active substance comprises caffeine, melatonin or vitamin B12. As noted herein, the active substance may comprise one or more constituents, derivatives or extracts of cannabis, such as one or more cannabinoids or terpenes.

[0080] As noted herein, the active substance may comprise or be derived from one or more botanicals or constituents, derivatives or extracts thereof. As used herein, the term "botanical" includes any material derived from plants including, but not limited to, extracts, leaves, bark, fibres, stems, roots, seeds, flowers, fruits, pollen, husk, shells or the like. Alternatively, the material may comprise an active compound naturally existing in a botanical, obtained synthetically. The material may be in the form of liquid, gas, solid, powder, dust, crushed particles, granules, pellets, shreds, strips, sheets, or the like.

[0081] Example botanicals are tobacco, eucalyptus, star anise, hemp, cocoa, cannabis, fennel, lemongrass, peppermint, spearmint, rooibos, chamomile, flax, ginger, ginkgo biloba, hazel, hibiscus, laurel, licorice (liquorice), matcha, mate, orange skin, papaya, rose, sage, tea such as green tea or black tea, thyme, clove, cinnamon, coffee, aniseed (anise), basil, bay leaves, cardamom, coriander, cumin, nutmeg, oregano, paprika, rosemary, saffron, lavender, lemon peel, mint, juniper, elderflower, vanilla, Wintergreen, beefsteak plant, curcuma, turmeric, sandalwood, cilantro, bergamot, orange blossom, myrtle, cassis, valerian, pimento, mace, damien, marjoram, olive, lemon balm, lemon basil, chive, carvi, verbena, tarragon, geranium, mulberry, ginseng, theanine, theacrine, maca, ashwagandha, damiana, guarana, chlorophyll, baobab or any combination thereof. The mint may be chosen from the following mint varieties: Mentha Arventis, Mentha c.v., Mentha niliaca, Mentha piperita, Mentha piperita citrata c.v., Mentha piperita c.v, Mentha spicata crispa, Mentha cardifolia, Memtha longifolia, Mentha suaveolens variegata, Mentha pulegium, Mentha spicata c.v. and Mentha suaveolens.

[0082] In some embodiments, the active substance comprises or is derived from one or more botanicals or constituents, derivatives or extracts thereof and the botanical is tobacco. In some embodiments, the active substance comprises or derived from one or more botanicals or constituents, derivatives or extracts thereof and the botanical is selected from eucalyptus, star anise, cocoa and hemp.

[0083] In some embodiments, the active substance comprises or derived from one or more botanicals or constituents, derivatives or extracts thereof and the botanical is selected from rooibos and fennel.

[0084] In some embodiments, the substance to be delivered comprises a flavour. As used herein, the terms "flavour" and "flavourant" refer to materials which, where local regulations permit, may be used to create a desired taste, aroma or other somatosensorial sensation in a product for adult consumers. They may include naturally occurring flavour materials, botanicals, extracts of botanicals, synthetically obtained materials, or combinations thereof (e.g., tobacco, cannabis, licorice (liquorice), hydrangea, eugenol, Japanese white bark magnolia leaf, chamomile, fenugreek, clove, maple, matcha, menthol, Japanese mint, aniseed (anise), cinnamon, turmeric, Indian spices, Asian spices, herb, Wintergreen, cherry, berry, red berry, cranberry, peach, apple, orange, mango, clementine, lemon, lime, tropical fruit, papaya, rhubarb, grape, durian, dragon fruit, cucumber, blueberry, mulberry, citrus fruits, Drambuie, bourbon, scotch, whiskey, gin, tequila, rum, spearmint, peppermint, lavender, aloe vera, cardamom, celery, cascarilla, nutmeg, sandalwood, bergamot, geranium, khat, naswar, betel, shisha, pine, honey essence, rose oil, vanilla, lemon oil, orange oil, orange blossom, cherry blossom, cassia, caraway, cognac, jasmine, ylang-ylang, sage, fennel, wasabi, piment, ginger, coriander, coffee, hemp, a mint oil from any species of the genus Mentha, eucalyptus, star anise, cocoa, lemongrass, rooibos, flax, ginkgo biloba, hazel, hibiscus, laurel, mate, orange skin, rose, tea such as green tea or black tea, thyme, juniper, elderflower, basil, bay leaves, cumin, oregano, paprika, rosemary, saffron, lemon peel, mint, beefsteak plant, curcuma, cilantro, myrtle, cassis, valerian, pimento, mace, damien, marjoram, olive, lemon balm, lemon basil, chive, carvi, verbena, tarragon, limonene, thymol, camphene), flavour enhancers, bitterness receptor site blockers, sensorial receptor site activators or stimulators, sugars and / or sugar substitutes (e.g., sucralose, acesulfame potassium, aspartame, saccharine, cyclamates, lactose, sucrose, glucose, fructose, sorbitol, or mannitol), and other additives such as charcoal, chlorophyll, minerals, botanicals, or breath freshening agents. They may be imitation, synthetic or natural ingredients or blends thereof. They may be in any suitable form, for example, liquid such as an oil, solid such as a powder, or gas.

[0085] In some embodiments, the flavour comprises menthol, spearmint and / or peppermint. In some embodiments, the flavour comprises flavour components of cucumber, blueberry, citrus fruits and / or redberry. In some embodiments, the flavour comprises eugenol. In some embodiments, the flavour comprises flavour components extracted from tobacco. In some embodiments, the flavour comprises flavour components extracted from cannabis.

[0086] In some embodiments, the flavour may comprise a sensate, which is intended to achieve a somatosensorial sensation which are usually chemically induced and perceived by the stimulation of the fifth cranial nerve (trigeminal nerve), in addition to or in place of aroma or taste nerves, and these may include agents providing heating, cooling, tingling, numbing effect. A suitable heat effect agent may be, but is not limited to, vanillyl ethyl ether and a suitable cooling agent may be, but not limited to eucolyptol, WS-3.

[0087] Aerosol-generating material is a material that is capable of generating aerosol, for example when heated, irradiated or energized in any other way. Aerosol-generating material may, for example, be in the form of a solid, liquid or gel which may or may not contain an active substance and / or flavourants. In some embodiments, the aerosol-generating material may comprise an “ amorphous solid ” , which may alternatively be referred to as a “ monolithic solid” (i.e. non-fibrous). In some embodiments, the amorphous solid may be a dried gel. The amorphous solid is a solid material that may retain some fluid, such as liquid, within it. In some embodiments, the aerosol-generating material may for example comprise from about 50wt%, 60wt% or 70wt% of amorphous solid, to about 90wt%, 95wt% or 100wt% of amorphous solid.

[0088] The aerosol-generating material may comprise one or more active substances and / or flavours, one or more aerosol-former materials, and optionally one or more other functional material.

[0089] The aerosol-former material may comprise one or more constituents capable of forming an aerosol. In some embodiments, the aerosol-former material may comprise one or more of glycerol, propylene glycol, diethylene glycol, triethylene glycol, tetraethylene glycol, 1 ,3-butylene glycol, erythritol, meso-Erythritol, ethyl vanillate, ethyl laurate, a diethyl suberate, triethyl citrate, triacetin, a diacetin mixture, benzyl benzoate, benzyl phenyl acetate, tributyrin, lauryl acetate, lauric acid, myristic acid, and propylene carbonate.

[0090] The one or more other functional materials may comprise one or more of pH regulators, colouring agents, preservatives, binders, fillers, stabilizers, and / or antioxidants.

[0091] The material may be present on or in a support, to form a substrate. The support may, for example, be or comprise paper, card, paperboard, cardboard, reconstituted material, a plastics material, a ceramic material, a composite material, glass, a metal, or a metal alloy. In some embodiments, the support comprises a susceptor. In some embodiments, the susceptor is embedded within the material. In some alternative embodiments, the susceptor is on one or either side of the material.

[0092] A consumable is an article comprising or consisting of aerosol-generating material, part or all of which is intended to be consumed during use by a user. A consumable may comprise one or more other components, such as an aerosol-generating material storage area, an aerosol-generating material transfer component, an aerosol generation area, a housing, a wrapper, a mouthpiece, a filter and / or an aerosol-modifying agent. A consumable may also comprise an aerosol generator, such as a heater, that emits heat to cause the aerosol-generating material to generate aerosol in use. The heater may, for example, comprise combustible material, a material heatable by electrical conduction, or a susceptor.

[0093] A susceptor is a material that is heatable by penetration with a varying magnetic field, such as an alternating magnetic field. The susceptor may be an electrically-conductive material, so that penetration thereof with a varying magnetic field causes induction heating of the heating material. The heating material may be magnetic material, so that penetration thereof with a varying magnetic field causes magnetic hysteresis heating of the heating material. The susceptor may be both electrically-conductive and magnetic, so that the susceptor is heatable by both heating mechanisms. The device that is configured to generate the varying magnetic field is referred to as a magnetic field generator, herein. An aerosol-modifying agent is a substance, typically located downstream of the aerosol generation area, that is configured to modify the aerosol generated, for example by changing the taste, flavour, acidity or another characteristic of the aerosol. The aerosolmodifying agent may be provided in an aerosol-modifying agent release component, that is operable to selectively release the aerosol-modifying agent. The aerosol-modifying agent may, for example, be an additive or a sorbent. The aerosol-modifying agent may, for example, comprise one or more of a flavourant, a colourant, water, and a carbon adsorbent. The aerosol-modifying agent may, for example, be a solid, a liquid, or a gel. The aerosol-modifying agent may be in powder, thread or granule form. The aerosol-modifying agent may be free from filtration material.

[0094] An aerosol generator is an apparatus configured to cause aerosol to be generated from the aerosol-generating material. In some embodiments, the aerosol generator is a heater configured to subject the aerosol-generating material to heat energy, so as to release one or more volatiles from the aerosol-generating material to form an aerosol. In some embodiments, the aerosol generator is configured to cause an aerosol to be generated from the aerosolgenerating material without heating. For example, the aerosol generator may be configured to subject the aerosol-generating material to one or more of vibration, increased pressure, or electrostatic energy.

[0095] The present disclosure relates to aerosol delivery systems (which may also be referred to as vapour delivery systems) such as nebulisers or e-cigarettes. Throughout the following description the term "e-cigarette" or "electronic cigarette" may sometimes be used, but it will be appreciated this term may be used interchangeably with aerosol delivery system I device and electronic aerosol delivery system I device. Furthermore, and as is common in the technical field, the terms "aerosol" and "vapour", and related terms such as "vaporise", "volatilise" and "aerosolise", may generally be used interchangeably.

[0096] Aerosol delivery systems (e-cigarettes) often, though not always, comprise a modular assembly comprising a reusable device part and a replaceable (disposable / consumable) cartridge part. Often, the replaceable cartridge part will comprise the aerosol-generating material and the vaporiser (which may collectively be called a “cartomizer” ) and the reusable device part will comprise the power provision (e.g. rechargeable power source) and control circuitry. It will be appreciated these different parts may comprise further elements depending on functionality. For example, the reusable device part will often comprise a user interface for receiving user input and displaying operating status characteristics, and the replaceable cartridge device part in some cases comprises a temperature sensor for helping to control temperature. Cartridges are electrically and mechanically coupled to the control unit for use, for example using a screw thread, bayonet, or magnetic coupling with appropriately arranged electrical contacts. When the aerosol-generating material in a cartridge is exhausted, or the user wishes to switch to a different cartridge having a different aerosol-generating material, the cartridge may be removed from the reusable part and a replacement cartridge attached in its place. Systems and devices conforming to this type of two-part modular configuration may generally be referred to as two-part systems / devices.

[0097] It is common for electronic cigarettes to have a generally elongate shape. For the sake of providing a concrete example, certain embodiments of the disclosure will be taken to comprise this kind of generally elongate two-part system employing disposable cartridges. However, it will be appreciated that the underlying principles described herein may equally be adopted for different configurations, for example single-part systems or modular systems comprising more than two parts, refillable devices and single-use disposables, as well as other overall shapes, for example based on so-called box-mod high performance devices that typically have a boxier shape. More generally, it will be appreciated certain embodiments of the disclosure are based on aerosol delivery systems which are operationally configured to provide functionality in accordance with the principles described herein and the constructional aspects of systems configured to provide the functionality in accordance with certain embodiments of the disclosure is not of primary significance.

[0098] Embodiment 1

[0099] Embodiment 1 provides an aerosol provision system. Figure 1 is a schematic diagram of an aerosol provision system 10. It shows the composition of system 10 in a simplified manner, in which each part is not drawn to scale, and parts irrelevant to the understanding are omitted.

[0100] Referring to Figure 1 , the aerosol provision system 10 comprises a housing 100. The housing 100 is provided with a mouthpiece 101 , and an article insertion port 102 is opened on the mouthpiece 101. An air inlet 103 is also opened on the housing 100. The air inlet 103 can be set at one end away from the mouthpiece 101 , or can be set at other positions of the housing 100.

[0101] A containing space and an air channel are formed inside the housing 100. Inside the containing space, there are a chamber 200 for containing (at least a portion of) an article 700 comprising an aerosol generating material, a heater 300, a power supply (e.g. a battery assembly) 400, and a microcontroller 500. The power supply 400 is configured to supply power to the heater 300 under the control of the microcontroller 500, and the heat generated when the heater 300 is energized atomizes the aerosol generating material.

[0102] The air inlet 103 and the inside of the heater 300 are in internal communication to form the air channel inside the housing 100. When the user puffs, the external air enters from the air inlet 103, passes through the inside of the heater 300, and flows out from the article 700 to the user. The mouthpiece 101 may be integrally formed with the housing 100, or may be detachably separated from the housing 100. A detachable mouthpiece 101 may be helpful for cleaning the mouthpiece 101. In addition, setting the detachable mouthpiece 101 can help access the inside of the housing 100 to facilitate the replacement of the aerosol generating material inside the housing 100.

[0103] The power supply 400 is configured to provide power to the heater 300, and specifically may be a battery assembly. In other examples, the battery may be replaced by a portable power source (for example, a capacitive power storage device such as a supercapacitor or an ultracapacitor), a mechanical power source (a mechanical power source spring or a generator), or an alternative chemical energy source (for example, a fuel cell).

[0104] The aerosol provision system 10 also comprises an absolute clock source 600, which is configured to output absolute clock information measured from a reference time. Generally, the timer in a central processing unit (CPU) stops timing when the system is powered off, so it only records relative time. The absolute clock source 600 is different from such a timer and will not stop timing due to the system being powered off. It can provide continuous real-time time within the life cycle of the system, so that absolute time (e.g. actual time) can be obtained at every moment. This time may specifically be expressed in the form of year x, month x, day x, hour x, minute x, second x, and millisecond x. As used herein, the “real-time time” may also be referred to as “absolute clock information” or “absolute time”.

[0105] The microcontroller 500 is configured to record the user's single puff behavior and the corresponding absolute clock information, and analyze and determine the user's puffing behavior features based on this record. Since it is associated with the absolute clock information, the microcontroller 500 can analyze and determine the user's puffing behavior features within a day or a month in the sense of absolute time.

[0106] In embodiments, the absolute clock source 600 may be integrally arranged on the microcontroller 500. Under this arrangement, when the microcontroller 500 monitors the user's puffing, it may obtain the absolute clock information from the absolute clock source 600 for associated recording.

[0107] In an alternative embodiment, the absolute clock source 600 and the microcontroller 500 are separately arranged. When they are separately arranged, the microcontroller 500 communicates with the absolute clock source 600 to obtain the absolute clock information for associated recording when it monitors the user's puffing. This method may lead to frequent communication between the microcontroller 500 and the absolute clock source 600, which may result in the occupation of system resources. Therefore, the microcontroller 500 may control its own timer to synchronize with the absolute clock source 600 after each power-on of the system, and record the user's puffing behavior in association with the time output by the timer. That is, the microcontroller 500 may include its own timer that is synchronized with the absolute clock source 600 when the system is powered on.

[0108] The absolute clock source 600 may need to maintain power supply for timing. In embodiments, the power supply for the absolute clock source 600 is not limited. As an example, the absolute clock source 600 and the microcontroller 500 in an embodiment share the above power supply 400. In an alternative embodiment, the system is equipped with another power source independent of the power supply 400 to supply power to the absolute clock source 600. It can be understood that the power maintenance time of this power source is theoretically equal to or longer than the life cycle of the system.

[0109] It can be understood that in embodiments, various types and structures of absolute clock sources 600 may be selected. This may be set according to actual needs. As an example, the absolute clock source 600 in an embodiment is an RTC (Real-Time Clock). As an example, in an embodiment the absolute clock source 600 takes the GPS time as the reference time.

[0110] As mentioned above, the microcontroller 500 obtains and records the absolute clock information when it monitors the user's puffing behavior. To this end, the aerosol provision system 10 also comprises a puffing monitoring sensor 800, which is configured to monitor the user's puffing. Specifically, it may monitor the start and end of the user's single puff. The microcontroller 500 may analyze and obtain the user's puffing behavior features, including but not limited to a puffing interval, a number of puffs, a puffing duration, etc., by combining the puffing monitoring and the corresponding absolute clock information.

[0111] The puffing monitoring sensor 800 has various variations, and may be or comprise any sensor suitable for monitoring a user’s puff. For example, the puffing monitoring sensor 800 may be configured as an air pressure sensor. By using the air pressure sensor, the air pressure inside the system is monitored to determine the start and end of the user's single puff. For another example, the puffing monitoring sensor 800 may be configured as a temperature sensor. Through the law of temperature change caused by the heat taken away by the user's puffing, the temperature of the heater 300 is monitored, and the start and end of the user's single puff are determined according to the temperature change. It can be understood that other types of sensors may also be utilised to determine the start and end of the user's single puff, e.g. through the change of the amount of aerosol and the change of power adjustment. This specific form of the sensor is not limited.

[0112] In an embodiment, the aerosol provision system 10 also comprises a prompting component, which is configured to output indication information under the control of the microcontroller 500. The prompting component may be at least one of a vibration component, a sound component, and a light-emitting component.

[0113] The user may wish to check their own puffing habits or historical puffing data. As such, in some embodiments, the aerosol provision system 10 also comprises a display interface. The display interface is configured to be connected to the microcontroller 500 to display an editing interface to the user for the user to input information; and / or the display interface is configured to display the user's puffing habits or historical puffing data, for example, display the user's puffing habits within a certain period of time or a change curve of the puffing habits.

[0114] The aerosol provision system may be small in size and have weak (i.e. limited) data processing capabilities. In an embodiment, the aerosol provision system 10 also includes a communication module. The aerosol provision system may communicate with external devices through the communication module to receive information input from the outside or transmit information to the outside for external display, storage, or analysis.

[0115] It should be understood that Embodiment 1 and Figure 1 only provide one example of an aerosol provision system. Other variations are also possible. For example, an aerosol provision system using liquid e-liquid may not have an article insertion port but may have an air outlet.

[0116] In terms of structure, an aerosol provision system using liquid e-liquid may include an aerosol provision device and a cartridge detachably installed on the aerosol provision device. The above microcontroller 500 and power supply 400 are generally set in the aerosol provision device. Considering that the absolute clock source 600 records the real-time time throughout the life cycle of the system, in some embodiments, the absolute clock source 600 is set on the aerosol provision device rather than on the detachable cartridge.

[0117] Embodiment 2

[0118] Embodiment 2 provides a control method for an aerosol provision system. The aerosol provision system has an absolute clock source and a microcontroller. In one example, this system may be the same as or substantially the same as the system in Embodiment 1 above. This method is applied in the microcontroller of the aerosol provision system. As shown in Figure 2, the method comprises the following steps.

[0119] Step S21 : recording an absolute clock information of the start of a single puff of a user and an absolute clock information of the end of a single puff of a user, wherein the absolute clock information is measured and output by an absolute clock source in the system from a reference time.

[0120] In some embodiments, the microcontroller may obtain the absolute clock information from the absolute clock source in real-time, and perform associated recording when it monitors the start and end of a single puff of the user.

[0121] There may be issues with resource occupation caused by real-time communication. Hence, in an embodiment, the microcontroller may actively communicate with the absolute clock source to obtain the absolute clock information for associated recording when it monitors the start and end of a single puff of the user. Whether it is real-time communication with the absolute clock source or communication with the absolute clock source triggered by a specific event, this may occupy a lot of resources of the microcontroller. Therefore, in an embodiment, the microcontroller comprises a timer. After each power-on of the system, the microcontroller controls the timer to synchronize with the absolute clock source, and performs associated recording of the user's puffing behavior according to the time output by the timer.

[0122] The single-puff monitoring of the user may be carried out in various ways. For example, it may be monitored through the air pressure sensor, temperature sensor, etc. in Embodiment 1 . The specific nature of the monitoring or the device / component used to monitor the user’s puff is not limited.

[0123] Step S22: determining a single puff according to the absolute clock information of the start of the single puff and the absolute clock information of the end of the single puff.

[0124] Step S23: determining a puffing behavior feature of the user within a specific time window according to the multiple single puffs.

[0125] The specific time window includes but is not limited to at least one of a day, a month, and an hour. It should be noted that the specific time window, as used herein, refers to the time window in the sense of absolute time. One day here refers to a continuous 24-hour period (e.g. including morning, noon, afternoon, and night).

[0126] Moreover, the specific time window may also be a time window divided based on puffing rather than simply time. For example, the specific time window comprises the cycle of a single puffing session and the cycle of a single puffing section.

[0127] A puffing session is similar to the process of puffing a traditional cigarette, which comprises multiple consecutive puffs. In an embodiment, the microcontroller is configured to determine that the user has carried out a single puffing session according to at least one of the following:

[0128] Within the monitoring cycle of a puffing session, it is monitored that (i.e. determined that) the number of single puffs during the puffing session reaches a preset number of single puffs. This number may be 10 - 20 puffs.

[0129] Within the monitoring cycle of a puffing session, it is monitored that (i.e. determined that) the cumulative duration of single puffs during the puffing session reaches a preset cumulative duration of single puffs. This cumulative duration may be 3 - 4 minutes.

[0130] Within the monitoring cycle of a puffing session, it is monitored that (i.e. determined that) the working duration of the system reaches a preset working duration of a puffing session. Considering that power-on does not necessarily mean puffing, this working duration may be 8 - 10 minutes. Within the monitoring cycle of a puffing session, it is monitored that (i.e. determined that) the time interval between adjacent single puffs is greater than a preset single-puff interval. If the puffing interval is long, it may be considered that they belong to different puffing sessions.

[0131] A puffing section is similar to the concept of a period when the user puffs intensively. A puffing section comprises multiple consecutive puffing sessions. In some embodiments, the microcontroller is configured to determine that the user has carried out a single puffing section according to at least one of the following:

[0132] Within the monitoring cycle of a puffing section, it is monitored that (i.e. determined that) the number of puffing sessions during the puffing section reaches a preset number of puffing sessions.

[0133] Within the monitoring cycle of a puffing section, it is monitored that (i.e. determined that) the time interval between consecutive puffs is greater than a preset puffing session interval.

[0134] Within the monitoring cycle of a puffing section, it is monitored that (i.e. determined that) the working duration of the system reaches a preset working duration of a puffing section.

[0135] The puffing behavior feature refers to the puffing characteristics shown by the user in multiple puffs. In an embodiment, the puffing behavior feature includes at least one of the following within the specific time window: the puffing interval, the puffing duration, the number of puffs, the start moment of the first puff, the start moment of the concentrated puffing, and the concentrated puffing period. It should be noted that the puffing interval here may be the puffing interval between single puffs, the puffing interval between puffing sessions, or the puffing interval between puffing sections.

[0136] In a further embodiment, the method further comprises: the microcontroller performs heating control on the heater of the system or outputs a prompt to the user based on the determined puffing behavior feature.

[0137] As an example, the heating control of the heater of the system includes at least one of the following controls: controlling the heater of the system to stop heating, controlling the heater of the system to start heating, and adjusting the heating power provided to the heater of the system.

[0138] As an example, outputting a prompt to the user may include controlling the output of a vibration prompt, a sound prompt, and / or a light-emitting prompt.

[0139] Regarding the microcontroller performing heating control on the heater of the system based on the determined puffing behavior feature, two implementation methods are described herein.

[0140] In a first implementation method, the microcontroller forms a puffing habit model of the user according to the puffing behavior feature, predicts the subsequent puffing behavior of the user according to the puffing habit model, and performs heating control on the heater of the system in advance according to the predicted subsequent puffing behavior.

[0141] In one of the usage scenarios, the puffing habit model is the start moment of the first puff of the user within a specific time window. The microcontroller may predict the start moment of the first puff of the user within a subsequent specific time window according to this model, and start heating before the start moment of the first puff within the subsequent specific time window. For example, according to the user's past puffing behavior, it is determined that 7 a.m. every day is the start moment of the user's first puff every day. Based on this, it is predicted that the user will start the first puff of the day at 7 a.m. on the next day. The microcontroller can start heating before 7 a.m. on the next day. In this way, when the user starts puffing at 7 a.m., the aerosol generating material is already heated, and the user will have a better puffing experience.

[0142] In an embodiment, considering the uncertainty of prediction, the microcontroller can use a lower power to achieve preheating in advance. That is, the microcontroller may use a lower power to control the temperature of the heater below the temperature at which the aerosol can be atomized. An advantage of this may be that if the user does not start puffing at 7 a.m. (i.e. if the user does not start puffing at the predicted time), the preheating with a lower power will not cause excessive energy waste and the loss of the aerosol generating material.

[0143] In other embodiments, the puffing habit model may be the start moment or end moment of the user's puffing session within a specific time window, or the duration of a single puff, etc. The microcontroller may predict the corresponding puffing behavior of the user within a subsequent specific time window according to this model, and start heating in advance, end heating, or adjust the heating power, etc. Based on the advance control, the user experience may be enhanced or the system resources may be saved.

[0144] In a second implementation method, the microcontroller compares the puffing behavior feature with a puffing behavior feature threshold of the system. If the puffing behavior feature deviates from the puffing behavior feature threshold, it (i.e. the microcontroller) performs heating control on the heater of the system and / or outputs a prompt to the user.

[0145] In one example, the puffing behavior feature threshold is input by the user into the system or pre-installed in the system.

[0146] In an alternative example, the microcontroller may form a puffing habit model of the user according to the puffing behavior feature before the specific time window, and determine the puffing behavior feature threshold according to the puffing habit model. When users experience specific events such as emotional fluctuations, they often deviate from their puffing habits without realizing it. Determining the feature threshold based on the puffing habit can analyze the user's puffing behavior that deviates from their own puffing habit, and give the user a prompt or directly make a control. It may be beneficial for the user to understand their current unconventional puffing behavior, and this may improve the user experience.

[0147] The following takes specific usage scenarios as examples to illustrate the second implementation method.

[0148] Usage Scenario 1 : Deviation Analysis of the Concentrated Puffing Period

[0149] In Usage Scenario 1 , the puffing behavior feature comprises the concentrated puffing period within a specific time window, and the puffing behavior feature threshold is the preset concentrated puffing period. The preset concentrated puffing period may be determined based on the user's past puffing behavior, or may be determined through system pre-installation or user input.

[0150] When the microcontroller determines that the concentrated puffing period deviates from the preset concentrated puffing period, it controls the output of a prompt indicating the deviation of the puffing period and / or controls the heater of the system to stop heating.

[0151] Without additional factors, users tend to choose the same concentrated puffing period as in the past for concentrated puffing. However, when additional factors such as emotional fluctuations occur, it may cause puffing behavior that is inconsistent with the past concentrated puffing period. The microcontroller may determine the user's habitual concentrated puffing period according to the associated record of the user's past puffing behavior and its absolute clock information, and use this as the preset concentrated puffing period. When the microcontroller determines that the user's concentrated puffing period on that day deviates from the above habitual concentrated puffing period according to the associated record of the user's puffing behavior on that day and its absolute clock information, it determines that the user's concentrated puffing period deviates, and outputs a deviation prompt or stops the heating of the heater. For example, according to the associated record of the user's puffing behavior in the past few days and its absolute clock information, the microcontroller determines that from 7 p.m. to 9 p.m. every day is the user's habitual concentrated puffing period. The microcontroller determines the period from 7 p.m. to 9 p.m. every day as the preset concentrated puffing period accordingly. When the microcontroller determines that the user's concentrated puffing period on that day is from 6 a.m. to 8 a.m. according to the associated record of the user's puffing behavior on that day and its absolute clock information, it determines that the user's concentrated puffing period deviates.

[0152] For the user's physical health, the system may preset an appropriate period as the preset concentrated puffing period. When the microcontroller determines that the user's concentrated puffing period on that day deviates from the preset concentrated puffing period according to the associated record of the user's puffing behavior on that day and its absolute clock information, it outputs a deviation prompt for the user to make further feedback. In one example, considering that puffing at night is more unfavorable to physical health, the period from 6 a.m. to 8 a.m. every day is set as the preset concentrated puffing period. If it is monitored that the user's concentrated puffing period on that day is from 7 p.m. to 9 p.m., a deviation prompt is output or the heater is directly controlled to stop heating.

[0153] Usage Scenario 2: Deviation Analysis of Puffing Duration and / or Puffing Number

[0154] In Usage Scenario 2, the puffing behavior feature comprises the puffing duration and / or the puffing number within the specific time window, and the puffing behavior feature threshold is the first preset puffing duration and / or the first preset puffing number. The first preset puffing duration and / or the first preset puffing number can be determined based on the user's past puffing behavior, or can be determined through system pre-installation or user input.

[0155] The puffing duration within the specific time window is determined through the following steps: determining the duration of a single puff based on the absolute clock information of the start and end of the single puff, and accumulating the durations of all single puffs within the specific time window to obtain the puffing duration within the specific time window.

[0156] The puffing number within the specific time window is determined through the following steps: determining a single puff based on the start and end of the single puff, and accumulating the number of single puffs within the specific time window to obtain the puffing number within the specific time window according to the record of the absolute clock information.

[0157] When the microcontroller determines that the puffing duration deviates from the first preset puffing duration and / or the puffing number deviates from the first preset puffing number, it controls the output of a prompt indicating the deviation of the puffing and / or controls the heater of the system to stop heating.

[0158] For example, if the user's puffing duration within a day exceeds the first preset puffing duration, a health prompt for the user can be output or the heater may be directly controlled to stop heating.

[0159] Usage Scenario 3: Deviation Analysis of Puffing Interval

[0160] In Usage Scenario 3, the puffing behavior feature comprises the puffing interval within the specific time window, and the puffing behavior feature threshold is the first preset puffing interval. The first preset puffing interval may be determined based on the user's past puffing behavior, or may be determined through system pre-installation or user input.

[0161] The puffing interval may comprise the puffing interval between single puffs, the puffing interval between puffing sessions, and the puffing interval between puffing sections. The microcontroller may determine the puffing interval through the end time of one puff and the start time of the next puff.

[0162] It can be understood that when there is no puffing for a long interval, it may be inferred that the system is lost. Therefore, the microcontroller is configured to output a prompt that the system is lost when it determines that the puffing interval reaches a first preset puffing interval. By outputting the lost prompt, the user can be reminded to search for the system. The prompt that the system is lost comprises outputting a vibration prompt and / or a sound prompt and / or a light-emitting prompt indicating that the system is lost.

[0163] It can be understood that when there is no puffing for an even longer interval, it may be inferred that the system is permanently lost. To prevent it from being used by others, in embodiments, the puffing behavior feature comprises the puffing interval within the specific time window, and the puffing behavior feature threshold is a second preset puffing interval. When the microcontroller determines that the puffing interval reaches the second preset puffing interval, it controls the system to be locked or permanently disabled.

[0164] The above-mentioned first preset puffing interval and second preset puffing interval may use the puffing interval between puffing sessions or puffing sections as the measurement unit. For example, the second preset puffing interval is 3 puffing sections.

[0165] It can be understood that the microcontroller may also record the absolute clock information of the startup of the system and the absolute clock information of the shutdown of the system, and when it monitors that the shutdown duration of the system reaches a preset shutdown duration according to the absolute clock information of the startup of the system and the absolute clock information of the shutdown of the system, it controls the system to be locked or permanently disabled.

[0166] By setting an absolute clock source in the system that may measure and output absolute clock information from a reference time, a real-time time record within the life cycle of the system can be provided. The aerosol provision system can associate the user's puffing behavior (e.g. the start and end of each puff) with the absolute clock information, and analyze the user's puffing behavior features within a specific time window according to this association. Based on the real-time time provided by the absolute clock source, the specific time window can be a time window spanning between the system's power-on and power-off. This enables the system to provide more feedback controls, and may thereby greatly enhance the user experience or save the system's power.

[0167] It should be noted that the contents of Embodiment 1 and Embodiment 2 can be referred to each other. For the same or similar contents, they will not be repeated here.

[0168] Embodiment 3

[0169] Corresponding to the above Embodiments 1 and 2, described herein is a computer device, comprising: a processor and a memory. The memory stores a computer program that can run on the processor. When the computer program is executed by the processor, it executes the control method for the aerosol provision system provided in any of the above embodiments.

[0170] Figure 3 exemplarily shows a computer device 1500, which can specifically include a processor 1510, a video display adapter 1511 , a disk drive 1512, an input / output interface 1513, a network interface 1514, and a memory 1520. The above-mentioned processor 1510, video display adapter 1511 , disk drive 1512, input / output interface 1513, network interface 1514, and memory 1520 can be communicatively connected through a communication bus 1530.

[0171] The processor 1510 may be implemented by a general-purpose CPU (Central Processing Unit), a microprocessor, an ASIC (Application Specific Integrated Circuit), or one or more integrated circuits, etc., for executing relevant programs to implement the technical solutions provided herein.

[0172] The memory 1520 may be implemented in the form of a ROM (Read Only Memory), a RAM (Random Access Memory), a static storage device, a dynamic storage device, etc. The memory 1520 can store an operating system 1521 for controlling the operation of the electronic device and a BIOS (Basic Input - Output System) for controlling the low-level operations of the electronic device. In addition, it can also store a web browser 1523, a data storage management system 1524, and a device identification information processing system 1525, etc. The above-mentioned device identification information processing system 1525 can be the application program that specifically implements the operations of the foregoing steps in the embodiment. In short, when implementing the technical solutions provided herein through software or firmware, the relevant program codes are stored in the memory 1520 and called and executed by the processor 1510.

[0173] The input / output interface 1513 is used to connect an input / output module to realize information input and output. The input / output module can be configured as a component in the device (not shown in the figure) or externally connected to the device to provide corresponding functions. The input devices can include a keyboard, a mouse, a touch screen, a microphone, various sensors, etc., and the output devices can include a display, a speaker, a vibrator, an indicator light, etc.

[0174] The network interface 1514 is used to connect a communication module (not shown in the figure) to realize the communication interaction between this device and other devices. The communication module can realize communication through a wired method (such as USB, network cable, etc.) or a wireless method (such as mobile network, WIFI, Bluetooth, etc.).

[0175] The bus comprises a path for transmitting information between various components of the device (such as the processor 1510, video display adapter 1511 , disk drive 1512, input / output interface 1513, network interface 1514, and memory 1520).

[0176] In addition, the electronic device may also obtain information on specific redemption conditions from the virtual resource object redemption condition information database for condition judgment, etc.

[0177] It should be noted that although the above-mentioned device only shows the processor 1510, video display adapter 1511 , disk drive 1512, input / output interface 1513, network interface 1514, memory 1520, bus, etc., in the specific implementation process, the device may also include other components necessary for normal operation. In addition, those skilled in the art can understand that the above-mentioned device may only include the components necessary for implementing the methods described herein, rather than all the components shown in the figure.

[0178] In this embodiment, the contents that are the same as or similar to those in Embodiment 1 and Embodiment 2 above can be referred to the above introduction, and will not be repeated hereinafter.

[0179] Embodiment 4

[0180] Corresponding to the above Embodiments 1 to 3, described herein is a computer- readable storage medium. The computer-readable storage medium stores a computer program. When the computer program is executed by the processor, it implements the control method for the aerosol provision system as described in the above embodiments. In this embodiment, the content that is the same as or similar to that in the above Embodiments 1 to 3 may refer to the above introduction, and will not be repeated hereinafter.

[0181] It should be understood that embodiments may be implemented by hardware, software, firmware or combinations thereof. In the above implementations, multiple steps or methods may be implemented with software or firmware stored in memory and executed by an appropriate instruction execution system. For example, if it is implemented by hardware, as in another implementation, it can be implemented by any one of the following technologies known in the art or combinations thereof: discrete logic circuits with logic gate circuits for implementing logic functions for data signal, special integrated circuits with appropriate combined logic gate circuits, programmable gate arrays (PGAs), field programmable gate arrays (FPGAs), etc.

[0182] In the description, the referential terminology "an embodiment," "some embodiments," "example," "specific example," or "some examples" means that specific features, structures, materials, or characteristics described in connection with the embodiment or example are comprised in at least one embodiment or example. The indicative expression of the above terms does not necessarily refer to the same embodiment or example. Furthermore, the described specific features, structures, materials, or characteristics may be combined in any suitable way in any one or more embodiments or examples.

[0183] Moreover, the terms "first," "second," etc., are used merely for descriptive purposes and should not be construed as indicating or implying relative importance or implicitly specifying the quantity of the indicated technical features. Thus, the characteristics defined as "first," "second," etc., may explicitly or implicitly comprise at least one such characteristic. The term "multiple" as used herein means at least two, such as two, three, etc., unless otherwise specifically defined. Unless explicitly defined and limited, terms such as "mounting," "connecting," "connection," "fixing," etc., should be understood broadly. For instance, the connection can be a fixed connection or a detachable connection, or integrated; it can be a mechanical connection or an electrical connection; it can be a direct connection or an indirect connection through an intermediary medium, it can be the internal communication of two components or the interaction between two components, unless explicitly defined otherwise. Those skilled in the art can understand the specific meanings of these terms given the surrounding context and based on the circumstances.

[0184] Although embodiments have been shown and described above, it should be understood that the above-described embodiments are exemplary and should not be considered as limiting. Those skilled in the art within the scope of the application can make variations, modifications, replacements, and variations to the above-described embodiments. 1

Claims

Claims1 . A method of controlling an aerosol provision system, comprising: recording an absolute time of the start of one or more single puffs of a user and an absolute time of the end of one or more single puffs of a user, wherein the absolute time is measured and output by an absolute clock source of the system configured to measure absolute time based on a reference time; determining that the user has taken one or more single puffs according to the absolute time of the start of the single puff(s) and the absolute time of the end of the single puff(s); and determining a feature of the user’s puffing behavior within a specific time window according to the determined single puff(s).

2. The method according to claim 1 , comprising: forming a puffing habit model of the user according to the feature of the user’s puffing behavior, predicting a subsequent puffing behavior of the user according to the puffing habit model, and controlling the heater of the system in advance of the predicted subsequent puffing behavior according to the predicted subsequent puffing behavior.

3. The method according to claim 1 or 2, comprising: comparing the feature of the user’s puffing behavior with a puffing behavior feature threshold of the system, and controlling the heater of the system and / or outputting a prompt to the user if the feature of the user’s puffing behavior deviates from the puffing behavior feature threshold.

4. The method according to claim 3, wherein the puffing behavior feature threshold is input by the user into the system or pre-installed in the system.

5. The method according to claim 3, comprising forming a puffing habit model of the user according to the feature of the user’s puffing behavior before the specific time window, and determining the puffing behavior feature threshold according to the puffing habit model.

6. The method according to any of claims 2 to 5, wherein controlling the heater of the system comprises at least one of: controlling the heater of the system to stop heating; controlling the heater of the system to start heating; andadjusting the heating power provided to the heater of the system.

7. The method according to claim 2, wherein: the puffing habit model comprises a start time of a first puff in the specific time window; predicting a subsequent puffing behavior of the user according to the puffing habit model comprises predicting a start time of a first puff of the user in a subsequent specific time window according to the puffing habit model; and controlling the heater of the system in advance of the predicted subsequent puffing behavior according to the predicted subsequent puffing behavior comprises starting heating before the predicted start time of a first puff in the subsequent specific time window.

8. The method according to any one of claims 3 to 6, wherein: the feature of the user’s puffing behavior comprises a centralized puffing period in the specific time window, and the puffing behavior feature threshold is a preset centralized puffing period threshold; and controlling the heater of the system and / or outputting a prompt to the user if the feature of the user’s puffing behavior deviates from the puffing behavior feature threshold comprises: outputting of a deviation prompt for the puffing period and / or controlling the heater of the system to stop heating if it is determined that the centralized puffing period deviates from the preset centralized puffing period threshold.

9. The method according to any one of claims 3 to 6, wherein: the feature of the user’s puffing behavior comprises a puffing duration and / or a number of single puffs in the specific time window, and the puffing behavior feature threshold is a first preset puffing duration threshold and / or a first preset puffing number threshold; and controlling the heater of the system and / or outputting a prompt to the user if the feature of the user’s puffing behavior deviates from the puffing behavior feature threshold comprises: outputting a deviation prompt and / or controlling the heater of the system to stop heating if it is determined that the puffing duration deviates from the first preset puffing duration threshold and / or the puffing number deviates from the first preset puffing number threshold.

10. The method according to any one of claims 3 to 6, wherein: the feature of the user’s puffing behavior comprises an interval between puffs in the specific time window, and the puffing behavior feature threshold is a first preset puffing interval threshold; andcontrolling the heater of the system and / or outputting a prompt to the user if the feature of the user’s puffing behavior deviates from the puffing behavior feature threshold comprises: outputting a prompt that the system is lost if it is determined that the interval between puffs reaches the first preset puffing interval threshold.

11. The method according to claim 10, wherein outputting a prompt that the system is lost comprises outputting a prompt that the system is lost through a vibration prompt and / or a sound prompt and / or a light-emitting prompt.

12. The method according to any one of claims 3 to 6, wherein: the feature of the user’s puffing behavior comprises an interval between puffs in the specific time window, and the puffing behavior feature threshold is a second preset puffing interval threshold; and controlling the heater of the system and / or outputting a prompt to the user if the feature of the user’s puffing behavior deviates from the puffing behavior feature threshold comprises: controlling the system to be locked or permanently disabled if it is determined that the interval between puffs interval reaches the second preset puffing interval threshold.

13. The method according to any one of claims 1 to 7, wherein the feature of the user’s puffing behavior comprises at least one of: an interval between puffs, a puffing duration, a number of single puffs, a start time of a first puff, a start time of a centralized puffing period and a centralized puffing period in the specific time window.

14. The method according to any one of claims 1 to 13, wherein: the specific time window comprises at least one of a day, a month, an hour, a cycle of a one-time puffing session, and a cycle of one puffing section; the puffing session comprises one or more single puff; and the puffing section comprises one or more puffing sessions.

15. The method according to claim 14, comprising determining that the user has performed the puffing session according to at least one of: in a monitoring cycle of a puffing session, determining that the number of single puffs during the puffing session reaches a preset number of single puffs; in a monitoring cycle of a puffing session, determining that a cumulative duration of the one or more single puff during the puffing session reaches a preset single puff cumulative duration;in a monitoring cycle of a puffing session, determining that a working duration of the system reaches a preset working duration for a puffing session; and in a monitoring cycle of a puffing session, determining that the time interval between consecutive single puffs is greater than a preset single puff interval.

16. The method according to any one of claims 13 to 15, comprising determining that the user has completed a single puffing section by: in a monitoring cycle of a puffing section, monitoring that the number of puffing sessions during the puffing section reaches a preset number of puffing sessions; in a monitoring cycle of a puffing section, monitoring that the time interval between consecutive puffs is greater than a preset puffing interval; and in a monitoring cycle of a puffing section, monitoring that a working duration of the system reaches a working duration of a preset puffing section.

17. The method according to any one of claims 1 to 16, characterized in that, the method further comprises: recording an absolute time of startup of the system and an absolute time of shutdown of the system; and controlling the system to be locked or permanently disabled if it is determined that the amount of time since shutdown of the system reaches a preset shutdown duration.

18. The method according to any one of claims 1 to 17, wherein recording an absolute time of the start of one or more single puffs of a user and an absolute time of the end of one or more single puffs of a user comprises: synchronizing a timer of a microcontroller of the system with the absolute clock source each time the system starts up, and recording an absolute time of the start of one or more single puffs of a user and an absolute time of the end of one or more single puffs of a user according to the time output by the timer of the microcontroller, wherein the absolute clock source and the microcontroller are separately arranged.

19. An aerosol provision system, comprising: an absolute clock source, configured to output absolute time based on a reference time; a microcontroller; and a heater configured to heat aerosol generating material configured to be received in the aerosol provision system under the control of the microcontroller to generate an aerosol,wherein the microcontroller is configured to: record an absolute time of the start of one or more single puffs of a user and an absolute time of the end of one or more single puffs of a user, wherein the absolute time is measured and output by the absolute clock source; determine that the user has taken one or more single puffs according to the absolute time of the start of the single puff(s) and the absolute time of the end of the single puff(s); and determine a feature of the user’s puffing behavior within a specific time window according to the determined single puff(s).

20. The aerosol provision system according to claim 19, wherein the absolute clock source and the microcontroller are separately arranged.

21. The aerosol provision system according to claim 20, wherein the microcontroller comprises a timer, and the microcontroller is configured to: control the timer to synchronize with the absolute clock source each time the system starts up, and record an absolute time of the start of one or more single puffs of a user and an absolute time of the end of one or more single puffs of a user according to the time output by the timer of the microcontroller.

22. The aerosol provision system according to claim 21 , comprising a power supply configured to supply power to the absolute clock source, the heater and the microcontroller.

23. The aerosol provision system according to any one of claims 19 to 22, wherein the absolute clock source comprises a Real-Time Clock.

24. The aerosol provision system according to any one of claims 19 to 23, comprising an air pressure sensor configured to monitor air pressure in the system; wherein the microcontroller is configured to acquire the air pressure from the air pressure sensor and determine the start and end of a single puff according to the air pressure.

25. The aerosol provision system according to any one of claims 19 to 24, comprising an aerosol provision device and a consumable comprising aerosol generating material.

26. A computer device, comprising: a memory; andone or more processors; wherein the memory stores a computer program that, when executed by the one or more processors, the one or more processors are caused to: record an absolute time of the start of one or more single puffs of a user of an aerosol provision system and an absolute time of the end of one or more single puffs of a user of an aerosol provision system, wherein the absolute time is measured and output by an absolute clock source of the aerosol provision system configured to measure absolute time based on a reference time; determine that the user has taken one or more single puffs according to the absolute time of the start of the single puff(s) and the absolute time of the end of the single puff(s); and determine a feature of the user’s puffing behavior within a specific time window according to the determined single puff(s).

27. A computer-readable storage medium storing a computer program that, when executed by a computer, cause the computer to: record an absolute time of the start of one or more single puffs of a user of an aerosol provision system and an absolute time of the end of one or more single puffs of a user of an aerosol provision system, wherein the absolute time is measured and output by an absolute clock source of the aerosol provision system configured to measure absolute time based on a reference time; determine that the user has taken one or more single puffs according to the absolute time of the start of the single puff(s) and the absolute time of the end of the single puff(s); and determine a feature of the user’s puffing behavior within a specific time window according to the determined single puff(s).

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