Electronic Cigarette Voltage Measurement Circuit
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Solution Overview
Problem
Existing methods for estimating the quantity of substrate vaporized by a heating element in electronic cigarettes are inaccurate due to the difficulty in measuring the variation of resistivity, which is influenced by inhalations.
Innovation Solution
A method that estimates the quantity of substrate vaporized by comparing voltage characteristics at the terminals of the heating element with those in the absence of inhalation, using a circuit with intrinsic characteristics not disturbed by inhalations, allowing for reliable estimation of inhalation intensity and substrate vaporization.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Measurement precision
If the resistivity of the heating element is measured to estimate substrate vaporization, then the estimation can be performed, but the measurement is very difficult and inaccurate
Solution Approach 1:
The patent introduces an intermediary circuit containing resistors and capacitors that mediates between the heating element and the measurement system. This intermediary circuit transforms the difficult-to-measure heating element resistivity into easier-to-measure voltage characteristics across the intermediary components, resolving the measurement difficulty while maintaining estimation accuracy.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent creates an intermediary circuit that replicates or copies the electrical characteristics of the heating element in a controlled manner. By measuring voltage across this copied circuit configuration, the system obtains accurate substrate vaporization data without directly measuring the problematic heating element resistivity.
2Measurement precision
If a measurement circuit is used to detect voltage characteristics across the heating element, then substrate vaporization can be estimated, but power consumption increases
Solution Approach 1:
The patent merges the measurement circuit with the existing power delivery circuit by using the same intermediary components (resistors and capacitors) that are already part of the power transmission path. This integration allows voltage measurements to be taken without adding separate measurement components that would consume additional power.
Solution Approach 2:
The intermediary circuit components serve dual purposes: they are part of the power delivery system to the heating element and simultaneously function as the measurement sensing elements. This self-service approach eliminates dedicated measurement components, thereby reducing overall power consumption while maintaining measurement capability.
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 approach significantly improves the accuracy of estimating the quantity of substrate vaporized, ensuring a majority of the electronic cigarette's power is used for vaporization rather than measurement, thus overcoming the limitations of previous methods.
Implementation Method 1
heating element capable of vaporizing a substrate when the heating element is powered
Implementation Method 2
the variation in the resistivity of the heating element when the temperature of this heating element varies due to inhalations
Data Source
Figure 1
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AI summary
This electronic cigarette (1) comprises: - a heating element (10) able to vapourize a substrate during a smoking period; - means (30) for measuring an approximation (AUIOMESOO, UIOMESOO) of a characteristic of the voltage (U10(t)) across the terminals of the heating element (10) during this smoking period, said approximation being measured across the terminals (Bl, B2) of a circuit (500) no component of which exhibits intrinsic characteristics not disturbed by the inhalations; - means (30) of estimating an approximation (AU10TH(t), UlO-m(t)) of said characteristic of the voltage (U10(t)) across the terminals of the heating element (10) in the absence of inhalation during said smoking period; means (30) of calculating an intensity (F) representative of the intensity of the inhalations during said smoking period on the basis of an integration of the difference between said approximations during said smoking period; and - means (30) of estimating the said quantity of substrate vapourized by the heating element at least on the basis of said intensity.