Aerosol Device Indicator for Usage Session Progress
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Solution Overview
Problem
Aerosol-generating devices lack effective indicators to show the progress of a usage session, making it difficult for users to gauge the remaining duration, leading to potential overconsumption and reduced user experience.
Innovation Solution
Incorporating a light emitting indicator with no more than two light emitting units that displays different indication modes to show the progress of a usage session, divided into sequential phases based on time and user interaction parameters, allowing users to monitor their usage more intuitively.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Loss of information
If a traditional combustible cigarette is used, then the user receives constant visual indication of consumption progress through the combustion line, but aerosol-generating devices lack such effective indicators making it difficult to gauge remaining duration
Solution Approach 1:
The usage session is divided into sequential phases (e.g., first phase, second phase, third phase, fourth phase), and the light emitting indicator displays different indication modes corresponding to each phase. This segmentation allows the system to provide comprehensive progress information through a simple binary display, resolving the contradiction between information completeness and device complexity.
Solution Approach 2:
Instead of using a continuous visual indicator like a combustion line, the patent uses a discrete multi-state light emitting indicator that conveys phase information through different indication modes. This dimensional change from continuous to discrete representation provides effective progress indication while maintaining simplicity.
2Loss of information
If more light emitting units are used to provide more detailed progress information, then the indication capability is improved, but the device size and energy consumption increase
Solution Approach 1:
The usage session is divided into sequential phases, and the light emitting indicator displays different indication modes corresponding to each phase. This segmentation allows comprehensive progress information to be conveyed through a minimal number of light emitting units, reducing energy consumption while maintaining information detail.
Solution Approach 2:
The light emitting indicator is designed to perform multiple functions: indicating current phase, showing progress within phase, and providing visual feedback for different usage scenarios. This multi-functionality allows a single simple indicator system to replace what would otherwise require multiple specialized indicators, reducing overall energy consumption.
3Loss of information
If more light emitting units are used to display detailed progress information, then the indication capability is improved, but the surface area required on the device increases
Solution Approach 1:
The usage session is divided into sequential phases with distinct indication modes for each phase. This segmentation enables detailed progress information to be communicated through a minimal number of light emitting units occupying small surface area, while still providing comprehensive feedback across all usage stages.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent transitions from a spatially extended display (combustion line) to a temporally sequenced discrete display (light emitting indicator with multiple indication modes). This dimensional change allows detailed progress information to be conveyed through time-varying states of a compact indicator rather than requiring extensive display surface area.
4Duration of action of moving object
If the usage session duration is extended, then user experience duration is improved, but the risk of substrate depletion and overconsumption increases
Solution Approach 1:
The light emitting indicator provides continuous visual feedback about the current phase and progress within each phase, enabling users to monitor their consumption in real-time. This feedback mechanism allows users to adjust their usage rate to complete the entire usage session without depleting the substrate, thereby extending effective duration while maintaining reliability.
Solution Approach 2:
The system pre-defines sequential phases with specific duration ranges and indication modes, allowing users to understand the planned progression before completing the full usage session. This preliminary structuring helps userspace their consumption to achieve complete utilization of the aerosol-forming substrate without overconsumption.
Applied Scientific Principles
This section explains which scientific principles are used to turn an abstract innovation direction into a practical engineering solution.
Function Achieved in This Case
This solution provides users with a simple and non-intrusive way to track the progress of their usage session, preventing overconsumption and enhancing the overall user experience by ensuring the aerosol-forming substrate is not depleted prematurely.
Implementation Method 1
a light emitting indicator having at least one light emitting unit
Data Source
AI summary
An aerosol-generating device is provided for generating an aerosol from an aerosol- forming substrate during a usage session including at least four sequential phases, the device including: a light emitting indicator being configured to display any one of at least four different indication modes during the usage session; and a controller to control the indicator to display any one of the modes to indicate progress of the usage session, in which any or each of the phases has a maximum phase duration determined by a timer, in which the device is configured such that the usage session has a maximum usage session duration determined by the timer, and to record at least one user interaction parameter during the usage session, a phase duration of any, or each, of the phases having a duration less than the maximum phase duration if a value of the parameter reaches a predetermined threshold.