Lock Assembly Wake Authentication for Aerosol Power Control

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Solution Overview

Problem

Existing aerosol delivery devices, such as electronic nicotine delivery systems (ENDS) devices, face challenges in efficiently managing power consumption during authentication processes, particularly when waking up from a low power or sleep state.

Innovation Solution

The implementation of a lock assembly in aerosol delivery devices that detects a wake event, wakes up from a low power or sleep mode, performs an authentication process, and transitions between locked and unlocked states upon successful authentication, allowing for efficient power management and device operation.

Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles

VSEngineering Contradiction Analysis

1Reliability

If the device performs authentication process after waking from low power mode, then the device can be unlocked and operated, but power is consumed during the authentication waiting period

Engineering Contradiction:

Improveauthentication completionVSAvoidpower consumption

Core Design Contradiction:

ReliabilityVSUse of energy by moving object

Solution Approach 1:

The device wakes from low power mode and performs authentication process before enabling charging and aerosol generation functions. This preliminary action ensures that authentication is completed in advance, allowing the device to transition to a lower power state sooner while maintaining reliability of the authentication process.

Inventive Principle:

Principle #10Preliminary action

2Loss of energy

If the device enables charging and aerosol generation functions after authentication, then power management is optimized, but the device remains locked during authentication process

Engineering Contradiction:

Improvepower wastageVSAvoiddevice accessibility

Core Design Contradiction:

Loss of energyVSEase of operation

Solution Approach 1:

The lock assembly wakes up and performs authentication process in advance before enabling power-consuming functions. This preliminary action optimizes power management by ensuring authentication is complete before allowing device operation, reducing power wastage while maintaining ease of operation through automated authentication.

Inventive Principle:

Principle #10Preliminary action

Solution Approach 2:

The lock assembly automatically performs authentication process without requiring user intervention. The device self-manages the authentication workflow, waking from low power mode, verifying credentials, and transitioning to operational state autonomously, improving ease of operation while optimizing power consumption.

Inventive Principle:

Principle #25Self-service

Data Source

PatentUS20250072519A1Methods, apparatuses and systems for waking a device prior to device activation

Publication Date: 2025.03.06 RAI STRATEGIC HOLDINGS INC

AI summary

An aerosol delivery device may include a rechargeable power source configured to provide power to generate an aerosol, device electronics configured to generate the aerosol responsive to application of the power from the power source, and a lock assembly configured to perform either one or both of preventing recharging the power source and preventing the application of the power from the power source to the device electronics in a locked state, and to enable recharging the power source and the application of power from the power source to the device electronics in an unlocked state. The lock assembly may be configured to detect a wake event while the lock assembly is in the locked state, wake the lock assembly in response to the wake event, perform an authentication process, and, in response to completing the authentication process, transition the lock assembly between the locked state and the unlocked state.