EA042372B1 - BAR DISPLAY DEVICE AND ADAPTIVE CONTROL - Google Patents

Description

The present invention relates to a method for estimating and indicating the exhaustion level of a consumable part, a control circuit, and an aerosol generating device having a processor, a memory, and a status indicator.

The popularity and use of aerosol-generating devices (also known as reduced-risk or modified-risk devices or vaporizers) has grown rapidly over the past few years as a means of assisting heavy smokers who wish to quit traditional tobacco products such as cigarettes, cigars, cigarillos, and tobacco. for self-rollers. Various devices and systems are available that heat or excite the carrier material to produce an inhalable aerosol, as opposed to burning tobacco as in conventional tobacco products.

One type of aerosol generating device is an aerosol generating device from a heated substrate or a non-combustion heating device. Devices of this type generate an aerosol by heating a solid aerosol-forming substrate, typically moistened tobacco leaf, to a temperature that can range from 150 to 300°C. Another type of aerosol generating device is a liquid evaporation device. In devices for vaporizing a liquid, the vaporized substance may be contained in a cartridge. The volatilized material can then be heated or otherwise agitated, such as by vibration, so that an aerosol is formed.

When the aerosol-forming substrate is heated, but not combusted or combusted, an aerosol is released containing components desired by the user, but non-toxic and carcinogenic by-products of combustion. In addition, an aerosol formed by heating an aerosol-forming substrate or a vaporized substance, such as tobacco, generally does not have a burnt or bitter taste as a result of combustion, which may be unpleasant to the user. This means that the aerosol forming substrate does not require sugars or other additives that are commonly added to the tobacco of conventional tobacco products to make the smoke more palatable to the user. However, unlike conventional cigarettes, the user cannot directly monitor the exhaustion of tobacco material in aerosol generating devices.

US 10143235 discloses a vaporizer for personal use in the form of an electronic cigarette. The vaporizer for personal use in the form of an electronic cigarette contains an atomizer and a puff counter. The personal vaporizer may comprise a sequence of 12 LEDs that light up in sequence as the personal vaporizer consumes the equivalent of one cigarette of nicotine. According to US 10143235, one LED lights up in one puff, with the strength of the e-liquid used meaning that twelve puffs correspond to smoking one cigarette. Alternatively, the user can set the LEDs so that when the amount of nicotine consumed is equivalent to a whole cigarette, one LED lights up.

US 2015/0142387 A1 discloses a system for detecting, tracking and recording data related to smoking activity. The device contains a housing, a power supply, an atomizer and a data recording device configured to be placed inside the housing. A microcontroller contained in the data logger processes the logged data. Logged data includes data related to the characteristics and states of the system, such as heating element, liquid storage area, atomizer, battery, and data logging user activity. Based on the recorded data, the microcontroller controls the amount and time of delivery of the payload in the form of an aerosol to the user.

WO 2018/098371 A1 relates to a vapor inhalation system and computerized methods for developing user-specific models for effective management of therapeutic and recreational use based on dynamic modeling of the user's physiology, user experience feedback, user behavior regarding use, specific products and environmental factors. WO 2018/098371 A1 proposes the use of a complex tracking system with many variables to improve the overall performance of vaping products.

The prior art solutions have the disadvantage that the user cannot efficiently track his aerosol generating device while adjusting the device to his needs.

Thus, it is an object of the present invention to provide a method, a control circuit and an aerosol generating device that provide simple, intuitive handling while being able to flexibly adapt to the user's habits, needs and practices.

The first aspect of the present invention relates to a method for estimating and indicating the exhaustion level of a consumable in an aerosol generating device. The aerosol generating device has a processor, a memory, and a status indicator. The method includes the steps of generating and storing usage data in relation to the use of the aerosol generating device by the user. The usage data is read from the storage device and the exhaustion level, preferably the remaining number of puffs for the expendable part, is calculated from the usage data. The calculated level of depletion of the consumable part and/or the fact of consumption of the consumable part is sent as a signal to the status indicator. The usage data may include puff records and event records, and the method may include the step of grouping session puff records based on the event records.

The consumable part may contain a portion of tobacco material. The portion of tobacco material contains, for example, a corrugated sheet or strips of reconstituted tobacco paper impregnated with a liquid aerosol forming agent or a liquid aerosol forming substrate.

The storage device (sometimes referred to herein as a storage unit) may store usage data, such as puff records and/or event records. The data storage unit may comprise a volatile or non-volatile storage device such as flash memory or solid state storage or the like. The data storage unit may be suitable for storing a number of puff records or event records. In one example, the storage unit is configured to store 6000 or more puff records and 4000 or more event records. The processor (eg, CPU) may retrieve all or part of the usage data stored in the data storage units to calculate an exhaustion signal based on vaping behavior and user preferences, as will be described in more detail below.

This method has the advantage that the level of exhaustion signaled to the status indicator is individualized and adapted to the needs of the user. The exhaustion level can be calculated and forwarded to the user on an individual basis. According to the present invention, the exhaustion level is calculated from usage behavior (ie, usage data). As a consequence, the exhaustion level will be displayed according to the user's habits. The exhaustion level may allow the user to know when a portion of tobacco has been exhausted and needs to be replaced.

For example, a high frequency of consumable replacements may indicate that the user wants to receive a high dosage, while a low frequency of consumable replacements may indicate that the user wants to reduce their nicotine intake.

Because the exhaustion level is calculated from usage data rather than some fixed function as in the prior art, this better takes into account user preferences, improving their experience of using an aerosol generating device. For example, some users may prefer a strong flavor that results in faster exhaustion, while other users may want to keep their portion of tobacco for a longer time. In an example of the present invention, the user often performs vaping sessions, from which it is concluded that the user desires a stronger taste or a greater supply of nicotine.

In a preferred embodiment of the first aspect, the depletion rate calculation occurs in response to the detection of a consumable insertion.

In a preferred embodiment of the first aspect, the usage data includes at least one of the following: number of puffs per consumable, airflow parameters in the puff(s) such as volume, duration and/or strength, puff frequency, duration and/or frequency sessions and session times.

In a preferred embodiment of the first aspect, the usage data includes puff records including at least one of puff airflow parameters and a timestamp. Airflow parameters may include puff, volume, duration, and/or strength.

Additional usage data parameters can be calculated from puff records and used in the calculation. Examples of such parameters are the elapsed time since the previous puff(s) and the frequency of puffs during the session. In certain embodiments, the puff records may further include environmental data, i.e. one or more of the following: current temperature, location, and weather.

In a preferred embodiment of the first aspect, the usage data includes event records including at least one of the following: event type, consumable type, consumable identification number, and timestamp. The type of event may include insertion of a consumable, removal of a consumable, depletion of a consumable, turning on the aerosol generating device (ie turning on the device), turning off the aerosol generating device, and an error message. Examples of error messages are heater malfunctions, holder (stick) malfunctions, low battery, heater cleaning required.

From the records, additional indicators can be calculated, such as the time between successive puffs, sessions, and other indicators of how the puffs are performed. A session can be understood as the time from the moment the device is activated and the device is used until the device is turned off again.

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In a preferred embodiment of the first aspect, puff records are grouped into sessions based on event records. In particular, puff records with a timestamp between the aerosol generating device on event timestamp and the aerosol generating device off event timestamp may be grouped into a session. Usage data grouped into vaping sessions, in particular the previous or current vaping session, can provide reliable information about the user's current behavior and preferences.

The timestamp may in particular include the time of day and/or the day of the week. In additional examples, the timestamp may include the month and year. Using the above usage data, user behavior can be analyzed and accurate individual exhaustion levels can be calculated based on individual user behavior.

In the preferred embodiment of the first aspect, a profile for the type of consumable inserted is received and the number of puffs remaining is additionally calculated based on the type of consumable inserted.

In a preferred embodiment of the first aspect, the exhaustion level calculation is based on the average number of puffs for the previous consumables. The average number of puffs for previous consumables can, for example, be obtained using puff records using timestamps of event records indicating insertion of the consumable into and removal from the aerosol generating device.

In a preferred embodiment of the first aspect, the depletion level calculation uses a machine learning algorithm to calculate the depletion level.

In a preferred embodiment of the first aspect, the calculation of the exhaustion level is based on the current time, in particular time of day, usage data during the immediately preceding session and/or usage data during the current session. For example, puffs in the morning may result in faster exhaustion, since such puffs are usually deeper than in the evening, when puffs may be less intense.

In a preferred embodiment of the first aspect, the exhaustion level calculation is based on a comparison of usage data during the current session with usage data during an average session.

In a preferred embodiment of the first aspect, the exhaustion level is calculated or recalculated based on usage data in response to activation of the aerosol generating device, the calculation or recalculation being preferably based on time and/or usage data during the immediately preceding session.

In a preferred embodiment of the first aspect, the exhaustion level is calculated or recalculated from usage data periodically or in response to puff detection. The calculation or recalculation preferably uses the usage data during the current session and particularly preferably compares the usage data with the usage data during previous sessions.

In a preferred embodiment of the first aspect, usage data is generated using at least one of the following: a puff sensor, a consumable replacement detector, in particular an eject sensor and/or an insertion sensor, a consumable detection unit for detecting a consumable identification mark, and a user interface. input. The consumable replacement detector may, for example, be formed by a movable piston moving in response to insertion of a consumable, a (end) position sensor, a proximity sensor, a light sensor, or a switch.

The puff sensor detects the presence of a puff and can therefore provide information regarding puff duration, puff time (by clock) and puff airflow parameters. The puff sensor can provide usage data to the processor.

In a preferred embodiment of the first aspect, the exhaustion level is communicated to the user by means of a display device, dynamic head or vibrator. The display device is preferably a bar graph. As a consequence, the user may be informed visually, audibly, or tactilely of the current level of consumable depletion. Of course, combinations of the above means for displaying the status are possible.

In a preferred embodiment of the first aspect, the exhaustion level is indicated by a display device with at least one light emitting device. In a preferred embodiment, the display device comprises two or more light emitting devices, which are even more preferably arranged in a linear arrangement. The light emitting device may change its color depending on the current exhaustion level. For example, when a new consumable part is inserted, the light emitting device may display a green color and then change the color to red according to the current exhaustion level.

In a preferred embodiment, the display device comprises three, four, five or more light emitting devices, in particular LEDs, the light emitting devices

- 3 042372 have a linear layout. The progression on the linear layout displays an adaptively calculated level of exhaustion of a serving of tobacco material calculated by the processor for the user. In the example of two light emitting devices, when the first light emitting device is ignited, half of the consumable portion is exhausted, and when the second light emitting device is ignited, the consumable portion is completely exhausted. Alternatively, the light emitting device may (the light emitting devices may) have another suitable arrangement, such as a circle, on which a progression may be displayed. This provides an intuitive and easy way to display the current exhaustion level to the user.

The second aspect of the present invention relates to a control circuit comprising a processor and a storage device. The control circuit is configured to perform the method described above.

A third aspect of the present invention relates to an aerosol generating device having a processor and a memory and a status indicator. The aerosol generating device is configured to perform the method described above and indicate the depletion level of the consumable part and/or the fact that the consumable part has been used up by means of a status indicator.

The aerosol generating device may be a non-combustion heating device (T-Vapor) or a liquid vaporizer (E-Vapor). Non-combustion heating articles and/or liquid vaporizers may be referred to as an aerosol generating device within the scope of the present invention.

In a preferred embodiment, the aerosol generating device comprises an interface that can be configured to receive a consumable, such as a heated stick or cartridge, containing e-liquid for an electronic cigarette. Since it may be difficult or impossible for users to determine the exhaustion level of heated sticks or cartridges directly, the proposed current exhaustion calculation is particularly advantageous for heated sticks and cartridges containing e-liquids.

Parameters such as consumable insertion/replacement, time of day, consumable type detection (nicotine, flavor), etc., can be used for T-vapor and E-vapor devices in the same or different way.

Parameters related to the time of active heating, in the absence of a puff, can be especially relevant for a T-vapor type device. One example would be a puff interval and/or the duration between two successive puffs. In T-vapor devices, the heater continues to operate at normal operating temperature during the entire vaping session, including the time between puffs. A portion of tobacco can heat up between puffs, which, as a result, can affect the depletion of the expendable part. Thus, the calculation can take into account the time spent in the active state of the heater and the time between puffs, in particular, for devices of the T-Vapor type.

In E-vapor devices, the heater can be activated by the puff sensor and heat up during puffs, but not when not puffing. There is no heating between puffs, and the time between puffs may have little or no effect on exhaustion.

The consumable part may contain an identification label with the default number of remaining puffs as the basis for calculation. In some embodiments, the implementation of the device may contain an interface for reading data from the identification tag of the consumable. The default profile can start the calculation with a remaining number of puffs that is closer to the user's preference when a particular type of consumable is inserted.

In the preferred embodiment, the default number of remaining puffs is based on the type of consumable. There may be different classes of consumables, such as consumables with different blends or consumables with additives such as methanol, herbs, and fruit flavors, which the user can select based on their personal preferences. The device can determine the class of the consumable using the ID tag and adjust the default puff count accordingly. In a particularly preferred embodiment, the user may be able to set their preferred default level on the consumable part or on the device. In a further preferred embodiment, the user may set the default number of puffs via an interface (eg, one or more buttons).

The present invention is described in more detail below with reference to embodiments illustratively shown in the drawings, in which:

fig. 1 is a schematic perspective view of an aerosol generating device according to the first embodiment, shown with a consumable portion loaded into the aerosol generating device, FIG. 2 is a schematic cross-sectional view of the aerosol generating device and the consumable part of FIG. 1, fig. 3 is a schematic perspective view of a second embodiment of an aerosol generating device,

- 4 042372 fig. 4a, 4b, 4c are schematic views of the sequence of exhaustion levels during use of the aerosol generating device, FIG. 5 is a schematic view of the sequence of events during use of the aerosol generating device, FIG. 6 is a block diagram of the components of an aerosol generating device, FIG. 7 is a block diagram of a control circuit that contains an aerosol generating device, FIG. 8 is a block diagram of the adaptive calculation of the exhaustion level when inserting a consumable part, FIG. 9 is a flowchart of the adaptive calculation of exhaustion level when starting a new vaping session, FIG. 10 is a block diagram of the adaptive calculation of exhaustion level during a vaping session, FIG. 11A and 11B are schematic views of the first embodiment of the insertion/removal sensor, FIG. 11C and 11D are schematic views of a second embodiment of the insertion/removal sensor, and FIG. 12A-12C are schematic views of a third embodiment of the insertion/removal sensor.

In FIG. 1 and 2 show an aerosol generating device 100 and a consumable part implemented as a substrate carrier 114. The aerosol generating device 100 includes a housing 118 accommodating various components of the aerosol generating device 100. As shown in FIG. 1 and 2, housing 118 is tubular and cylindrical. It should be noted that housing 118 need not be tubular or cylindrical, but may be of any shape as long as its size will accommodate the components described in the various embodiments set forth herein. Housing 118 may be formed from any suitable materials or layers of material. For example, the outer shell of housing 118 may be formed from an inner layer made of metal and an outer layer made of plastic. This provides a pleasant feeling to the user when holding the housing 118.

The housing 118 includes a first end 104 and a second end 106. In use, the user typically orients the aerosol generating device 100 with the first end 104 down and/or distal to the user's mouth and the second end 106 up and/or proximal to the user's mouth. . The second end 106 holds a pair of washers 107a, 107b (see section in FIG. 2) by an interference fit with the inside of the housing 118. The aerosol generating device 100 includes an interface for receiving a substrate carrier 114, the interface being implemented as a heating chamber. 108 located towards the second end 106 of the aerosol generating device 100. The heating chamber 108 is open towards the second end 106 of the aerosol generating device 100, and a substrate carrier 114 can be placed inside the heating chamber 108.

In addition, the device 100 has a button 116 controlled by the user. The button 116 is located on the body 118. The button 116 is located such that when actuated, such as by pressing the button, the user can activate the aerosol generating device 100 and begin a vaping session. Upon activation, substrate carrier 114 may be heated to generate an inhalable aerosol. On the side wall of the housing 118, the device 100 further includes a status indicator implemented as a display device 101 including light emitting devices 101a-101f. The light emitting devices 101a-101f are arranged linearly along the axis of the housing 118.

The heating chamber 108 (see FIG. 2) includes an open end 110, a side wall 126, and a base 112. A plurality of projections 140 are formed on the inner surface of the side wall 126. The projections 140 extend towards and engage with the substrate carrier 114.

In the embodiment shown in the figures, the aerosol generating device 100 is electrically powered. Aerosol generation by the aerosol generating device 100 takes place using electricity. The aerosol generating device 100 includes a power source 120 such as a battery. Power source 120 is connected to control circuit 122 operatively coupled to heater 124. A user operated button is configured to connect power source 122 and heater 124 when control circuit 122 is actuated. In addition, the control circuit 122 controls the light emitting devices 101a to 101f.

Substrate carrier 114 shown in FIG. 1 and 2, together with the aerosol generating device 100, includes a first end 134 and a second end 136. The carrier 114 contains a portion of tobacco. In the case of the carrier 114, portioned tobacco is an aerosol forming substrate 128 (see FIG. 4) placed towards the first end 134 and a vapor collecting portion 130 which is placed towards the second end 136. As the vapor collecting portion 130, and the aerosol-forming substrate 128 are retained by the wrapper 132.

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The aerosol-forming substrate and substrate carrier 114 may be referred to as a consumable part or consumable unit. In the illustrated embodiment, the consumable may be in the form of a rod that contains processed tobacco material, such as corrugated sheet or reconstituted tobacco paper (RTB) oriented ribbons, impregnated with a liquid aerosol agent.

The user inserts the substrate carrier 114, starting at the first end 134, into the heating chamber 108 until the first end 134 touches the base 112. In this position, the heater 124 is capable of heating the substrate 128 so that an aerosol is generated. The aerosol generating device 100 includes an end position sensor (eg, a piston, not shown) for detecting the insertion and removal of the substrate carrier 114.

The user activates the device 100 by pressing a button 116 which controls the control circuit 122 and the power supply 122 so that electrical power is supplied to the electrical heater 124. The button 116 may include an indicator light or lights (e.g., one or more LEDs or other suitable light sources) to display the current state of the aerosol generating device 100. Status can mean one or more of the following: remaining battery power, depletion level, heater status (such as on, off, error, etc.), device status (such as ready to take a puff), or other indication of the current state, for example, error modes.

The user may insert substrate carrier 114 into heating chamber 108. When carrier 114 is inserted, a movable piston (not shown) may move in response to insertion of carrier 114 and send an insertion signal to the processor. Alternatively or additionally, device 100 may include another sensor for detecting wearer 114, such as a position sensor, proximity sensor, light sensor, or switch. The control circuit may detect the signal from the sensor and may generate an event record, ie. insertion of carrier 114. On the other hand, when carrier 114 is removed, the control circuitry may detect a second signal from the sensor and may generate a second event record, i. removing the media 114. Event records are stored in the data storage unit so that they can be processed immediately or later.

The control circuit 122 may be configured to count puffs. A single breath by a user may be referred to as a puff. Control circuit 122 may be configured to count puffs, i. e. by receiving a signal from the puff sensor. In some embodiments, the implementation of the device determines the presence of a puff using a temperature sensor. The temperature decreases during puffing as fresh, cold air passes by the sensor, and therefore a drop in temperature may indicate puffing. In other embodiments, the control circuit may determine the passage of airflow through the device 100 or through the aerosol generating substrate 128 using an airflow sensor (not shown).

Control circuit 122 includes processor 270 as shown in FIG. 7. The processor 270 controls the display device 101 with the light emitting devices 101a-101f (and/or additional light emitting devices in the button 116 in a similar manner). The display device 101 displays the exhaustion level of the substrate carrier 114 to the user.

For example, a substrate carrier may provide 60 puffs. In the example shown in FIG. 1 and 2, the display device 101 includes 6 light emitting devices 101a to 101f. Thus, after the first ten puffs, the first light emitting device 101a is activated. After ten further puffs, the second light emitting device 101b is activated, while the first light emitting device 101a may or may not remain activated. After all 60 puffs are used up, the last light emitting device 101f is activated, which indicates to the user that the aerosol-forming substrate 128 of the substrate carrier 114 has been depleted and that the substrate carrier 114 must be replaced.

A schematic view of a second embodiment of an aerosol generating device 100 with a mouthpiece 50 and a display device 60 is shown in FIG. 3. The aerosol generating device 100 includes a housing 118 with a dial indicator 60. The dial indicator 60 includes elongated sections 61-66 each containing an LED. One of the sections is activated (section 64). This indicates that 50% of the serving of tobacco (3 out of 6) has been exhausted. The elongated sections 61-66 are spaced apart. Advantageously, the elongated sections 61-66 may also be placed directly next to each other.

A schematic view of the third embodiment of the light emitting device 101 is shown in FIG. 4a, 4b and 4c. In the third embodiment, the status indicator is implemented as a display device 101 that shows a scale with decreasing length as the consumable portion is consumed. In FIG. 4a, the substrate carrier 114 has just been inserted and the status indicator shows that no depletion has occurred. In FIG. 4b approximately 50% of the substrate carrier has been exhausted, while in FIG. 4C substrate carrier is 95% exhausted. The continuous display device 101 shown in FIG. 4a, 4b and 4c allows for fine tuning of exhaustion levels.

To improve the user experience, the device 100 may have different profiles stored

- 6 042372 inside. In the first mode, the pre-programmed mode, the device contains a data store implemented as an electronic storage device, which may be part of the control circuit 122, within which different profiles are stored. The first profile (large fortress) corresponds to the large fortress. In this profile, the first light emitting device 101a in FIG. 1 lights up after the first five puffs. The second light emitting device 101b then lights up when the number of puffs is 10. Exhaustion is thus reached already after 30 puffs (6 light emitting devices with 5 puffs each). This profile can be particularly advantageous for users who take deep and long puffs that quickly deplete the substrate carrier 114.

In the second profile (medium strength) that can be selected, transitions from one light emitting device (eg, light emitting device 101a) to the next light emitting device (eg, light emitting device 101b) are made after 8 puffs. In this profile, the substrate carrier is depleted after 48 puffs. The third profile (low strength) may be suitable for users who only draw short and/or lightly from the device during each puff. In the third profile, the transition from one light emitting device to the next light emitting device is performed after 12 puffs. The user can switch between profiles by pressing a button (eg button 116).

Alternatively or additionally, the number of puffs between transitions may be determined by the carrier of the substrate. For example, each substrate carrier 114 may contain an identification tag, such as an RFID tag, a bar code, or any information on the substrate carrier that can be read by the device 100. The substrate carrier or other consumable parts (in particular, aerosol-generating liquid substrate cartridges ) may contain an electronic storage device as an identification mark. After reading the information from the identification tag, the control circuit 122 of the device 100 switches to the corresponding profile. Consumable parts may, for example, have different amounts of nicotine or flavors. Through profiles, the exhaustion level can be adapted to a particular type of consumable.

In the second mode, adaptive mode, the device can be individually adapted to the needs of the user. In the second mode, instead of using a fixed, predetermined progression for each consumable part or each type of consumable part as in the first mode, the progression between the light emitting devices 101 is calculated adaptively based on the user's behavior. The puff sensor counts the number of puffs taken from each inserted disposable part, which provides information about when the user personally considers a portion to be exhausted. According to this information, a progression for the display device 101 is calculated. For example, if the user replaces the substrate carriers 114 regularly or after an average of 54 puffs, the transition from one light emitting device to the next light emitting device may occur after 9 puffs.

In this mode, the device detects the introduction of a new consumable part and monitors the state of the counter CT1. When a new consumable part is inserted, the processor resets counter CT1 to zero. When the device is activated, the device monitors and counts the puffs, resulting in a corresponding incremental increase in CT1 (i.e., one for each puff). When the device is turned off, the number of puffs is stored in the data storage unit.

One simplified example of this procedure is shown in FIG. 5. In FIG. 5 shows the various events that can happen in the time interval starting with the insertion of a new consumable and ending with the removal of a consumable. The first time (see FIG. 5 top, consumable detection) denotes consumable insertion and withdrawal detection. The second time period (see center of FIG. 5, puff sequence) denotes puffs taken by the user, and the third time slot (see bottom of FIG. 5) denotes the periods in which the device 100 is turned on (vaping sessions).

The device 100 detects the insert 10 of the expendable part. The device 100 is then activated at time 20 until the user turns off the device at time 22. During the first vaping session 21, the user takes four puffs 12. The device 100 stores 4 puffs in an electronic memory. At a later, third time point 24, the user reactivates the device and starts the second vaping session 25. In the second session 25, the user takes four puffs 14 before turning off the device again. After that, the extraction 30 of the consumable part is detected.

In total, the user took 8 puffs during the use of the consumable, before deeming the consumable as depleted. When inserting a new consumable part, the device may display the exhaustion level according to the information collected during the session shown in FIG. 5. For example, after the first puff, the first part of the display device, the light emitting device 101a, lights up; after the third puff, the second part of the display device 101, the light emitting device 101b, is lit, and so on. The status indicator (display device 101) shows the exhaustion level according to the consumption of the user during the previous session.

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Additionally, the processor can compare the number of puffs taken during the consumption of the previous consumable with additional data from the history, i.e. the number of puffs for additional consumables that have been used up. The processor may execute an algorithm to adjust and determine the number of puffs typically applied to such consumables. This algorithm may include statistical analysis with averaging or more complex statistical analysis, for example, using machine learning, including neural networks.

The present invention is not limited to counting the total number of puffs during use of a consumable. Similarly, the puff frequency and duration of vaping sessions 21 and 25, or any other usage data mentioned herein, may be taken into account. In one example, the consumer is vaping longer than usual, which may indicate that they desire more, or stronger flavor, or more nicotine delivery. Accordingly, the total consumption for one disposable part can be reduced to 16 puffs instead of the user's usual 20 puffs.

In another example, with a new consumable, the consumer takes a puff every 15 seconds, while for the previous consumables he took a puff every 30 seconds, which may also indicate a desire for a stronger flavor or more nicotine delivery. Similarly, total consumption can be reduced from 20 puffs to 16 puffs by appropriately calculating the exhaustion level.

In addition, the device 100 may include a clock that records the time of day and the user's vaping behavior during that time of day. For example, in the morning, a user may start short vaping sessions with frequent puffs, while in the afternoon the same user starts long vaping sessions with infrequent puffs. In this case, the expenditure part is exhausted faster in the morning, while the exhaustion is slower in the afternoon.

The processor can reset the status indicator each time to 0% (i.e. 0% consumed, none of the light emitting devices are lit) or 100% (one hundred percent remaining to be consumed, all light emitting devices are lit, or the last light emitting device is lit). Although in FIG. 1-4c show a progression of light emitting devices 101a-101f (particularly LEDs) in a linear form or bar graph, the present invention is not limited to such status indicators. Additionally or alternatively, the device may comprise a display device showing a numerical value, a circle of light emitting devices, or a bar graph with any number of light emitting devices. The level of exhaustion may be shown as a progression on a scale, such as a bar or dial, a number, a flash rate, a color, or any combination thereof. For example, the light emitting device 101a may emit green light, while the light emitting device 101c may emit orange light, and the light emitting device 101f may emit red light.

In FIG. 6 is a block diagram of an aerosol generating device 200, such as the aerosol generating devices 100 shown in one of FIGS. 1-4s. However, the blocks shown in the block diagram in FIG. 6 may also be implemented in other aerosol generating devices, such as devices based on the use of liquid for electronic cigarettes. The aerosol generating device 200 includes a control circuit 222 that sends a depletion signal to a status indicator 201 that notifies the user of the depletion level.

The control circuit collects data from the usage data sensors 251-253 and hours 254 and calculates the exhaustion level from the data. Any data received by the control circuit may be stored in the data storage unit 240 . The data received from the usage sensors 251-253 can also be directly stored in the data storage unit. The data store may contain a depletion profile for each inserted consumable based on usage data collected from sensors 251-253. Such an exhaustion profile can be analyzed at a later stage to adaptively estimate the level of exhaustion (see, in particular, FIGS. 8-10).

Data is collected from the extraction sensor 251, the puff sensor 252, the consumable part recognition unit 253, and the clock 254. The extraction sensor 251 is used to detect the removal or removal of the consumable part from the device. The consumable part recognition unit 253 is configured to identify the inserted consumable part and extract/read data indicative of nicotine level, flavor, or other related properties of the consumable part.

The aerosol generating device 200 may include a user interface 260. The user interface may accept user input to make adjustments and/or toggle between default depletion signal calculation and adaptive depletion signal calculation. In addition, the user interface may accept user input to control the level of exhaustion or its calculation.

The aerosol generating device 200 may include additional sensors such as a temperature sensor adapted to measure the outside temperature or the heater temperature of the aerosol generating device 200, an inertial motion sensor, or a tilt sensor. Data from additional sensors can also be taken into account in the adaptive calculation of user behavior.

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When the withdrawal sensor sends a signal to the control circuit indicating that the consumable is inserted into or removed from the aerosol generating device, the control circuit generates an event record with a list item that includes whether the consumable was inserted or inserted and the time when the consumable was inserted. parts. Additionally, the control circuit can calculate the time between the previous insertion/retrieval and add the result to the event record. Then, the consumable part recognition unit 253 can detect an identification tag, such as an RFID tag, or an electronic storage device, and read the identification data stored there. The identification data may be added to the event record, or a separate additional event record may be added. For example, a control schema might generate an event record with the following list items: Time: Thursday, May 8, 2019 8:15 PM; inserting a new cartridge; cartridge type: strong. The data storage unit 240 may include additional data regarding the specific cartridge type detected, such as nicotine concentration, specific flavors, or suitable temperatures for the heater. Alternatively, such additional data may be contained in the identification data.

When the user puffs on the cigarette, the puff sensor 252 detects the puff and the control circuit adds a puff record. Like the event record, the time measured by clock 254 can be added to the puff record. Additional data may be added to the tightening record, depending on the sensor data. For example, the puff sensor may detect and measure airflow, from which the amount of puff may be calculated by the control circuit or the puff sensor itself. The control scheme may calculate additional list items for the puff entry. In particular, the control circuitry may calculate the time between the previous puff and the current puff, group a sequence of puffs together into a hover session, and associate a puff entry with any previous event entry or list entries thereof. Puffs can be grouped into sessions based on the phases during which the device is turned on and/or otherwise. The control circuitry may store all event and puff records in storage 240 and access storage 240 to read the event and puff records for adaptive calculation.

In FIG. 7 shows the control circuit 222 in detail. The control circuit includes a processor 270, a power controller 260, a display device controller 280, and an internal storage unit 241. The data storage unit 240 shown in FIG. 6 may be implemented as an internal storage unit 241 or an external storage unit 242 in which all records may be stored. The control circuitry may include input interfaces 271-273 to which a variety of sensors, user interfaces, and blocks may be connected, such as shown in FIG. 6. In addition, the control circuit contains a connection 275 to the battery and a connection 276 to the heater. The heater is controlled by the power controller 260. Any data received by the control circuit 222 may be stored in the internal data storage unit 241 contained in the control circuit 222 or the external data storage unit 242 . In addition, the control circuit includes an interface 277 for sending exhaust signals to the status indicator 201 .

The adaptive exhaustion rate calculation is shown in more detail in the flowcharts of FIG. 8-10. In FIG. 8 shows the adaptive calculation of the exhaustion level when a new consumable is inserted. First, the device is activated. Once activated, the user can insert a new consumable part. The previously mentioned withdrawal sensor can detect the insertion of a consumable part and send an appropriate signal to the control circuit. The control scheme can then use the default settings or extract additional data such as event records of previously inserted and removed consumables and previous puff records. Based on puff records, event records, and the current time of day, the control circuit can calculate and set the number of puffs remaining, for example, 30 puffs to exhaustion of the inserted consumable, and display the current exhaustion level (for example, 100% or 30 puffs to exhaustion) to the user . Each time a puff is detected by the puff sensor, the number of puffs remaining is updated until the supply is depleted. The removal sensor can then detect the removal of the consumable. Upon subsequent insertion of a new consumable part, the control circuitry may recalculate the number of puffs to exhaustion based on the retrieved data from the previous smoking session and set the number of puffs to exhaustion to the same or a different number. For example, the user could take fast and deep puffs indicating high consumption and fast depletion, which could cause the control circuitry to set fewer puffs to exhaustion for the next consumable part (eg, 28 or 27 puffs to exhaustion).

In FIG. 9 shows a block diagram of another adaptive exhaustion rate calculation. In FIG. 9, the adaptive calculation of the number of puffs remaining starts at the beginning of a new vaping session. When the user activates the device, a new session is started. Starting a new vaping session differs from inserting a new consumable in that the previously inserted and partially depleted consumable continues to be used. Accordingly, the remaining number of puffs / exhaustion level starts from a lower value.

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Claims (16)

When starting a new session, the control scheme may simply use the exhaustion level calculated for the previous session, or it may calculate an updated exhaustion level, for example, based on the exhaustion measured during the previous session. For example, the control scheme may determine that it is evening when the previous session was in the morning and recalculate the exhaustion level. In general, the number of puffs remaining (i.e., exhaustion level) is calculated similarly to the above example in FIG. 8 as above and the exhaustion level is shown to the user. In FIG. 10 shows another adaptive calculation. In the embodiment of FIG. 10 adaptive calculation runs every time a puff is detected by the puff sensor. When the control circuit generates a new puff record, the puff is subtracted from the remaining number of puffs. The control circuit retrieves the data as mentioned above and calculates the remaining number of puffs, additionally taking into account the (previous) behavior of the user as indicated by the retrieved data. In the above embodiments, the data may be retrieved from a data store or directly sent to the processor and used in the calculation. The adaptive calculations shown in FIG. 8-10 may be used alone or in any combination. Preferably, all adaptive calculations shown in FIG. 8-10 are used simultaneously. In the examples above, the adaptive exhaustion level calculation is triggered by some event, such as turning on the device, inserting a consumable part, or puffing. An adaptive calculation may not require a start, and may also be continuously updated at specified time intervals. In FIG. 11A-12C are schematic illustrations of various insertion/removal sensor embodiments. The images show part of the aerosol generating device that houses the heated sticks. The aerosol generating device may be similar to device 100 shown in FIG. 1-3. The aerosol generating device 100, shown in a simplified form, comprises an interface zone 108 (i.e., a heating chamber) in which a consumable part 114 is located. A normally open switch 301 is provided within the interface zone. control scheme. When pushing the consumable into the interface 108 through the open end 110, the first end 134 of the consumable 114 closes the switch 301, so that the circuit is closed (see Fig. 11B). As a result, the insertion of the consumable part 114 is detected. When the consumable part 114 is removed, the switch 301 is opened again. As a consequence, the removal of the consumable part 114 is detected. In FIG. 11C and 11D show a variation of such an insertion/removal sensor. Like switch 301 shown in FIG. 11A and 11B, switch 305 is disclosed. Switch 305 is normally open and connected to the control circuit via lead wires 306 and 307. However, switch 305 is located at the end of interface zone 108 and only closes when consumable 114 is fully inserted. after the user pushes the consumable part 114 into its final position, as shown in FIG. 11D. In FIG. 12A-12C show another variation of the insertion/removal sensor. In this embodiment, the piston 310 is placed in the zone 108 interface. The piston is displaced towards the open end of the interface zone. When the piston is in the position shown in Fig. 12A, i.e. in the first position, the connecting wires 312 and 313 of the switch 311 are closed. When the user inserts the consumable portion 114 as shown in FIG. 12B at arrow 315, piston 310 is pushed away from open end 110. This opens switch 311 and allows the insertion of consumable 114 to be detected. The embodiment shown in FIG. 12A-12C further provides a lever 316 with an anchor point 317. The lever 316 is rotatable about the anchor point and actuates a piston 311. When a user operates the lever 317 as shown by arrow 318, the disposable portion 114 is pushed out of the interface 108 as shown by arrow 319. Actuation of lever 316 creates electrical contact between wires 313 and 312 via switch 311 and detects the removal of consumable 114. CLAIM 1. A method for estimating and indicating the level of depletion of the consumable part (114) in an aerosol generating device (100), having a processor (270), a memory device (241; 242) and a status indicator (201), and the method includes the steps: generating and storing usage data in relation to the use of the aerosol generating device by the user; reading the usage data from the storage device and calculating the exhaustion level, preferably the remaining number of puffs for the consumable part, based on the usage data; and signaling the calculated level of depletion of the consumable part and/or the fact that the consumable part has been used up on the status indicator, - 10 042372 wherein the usage data includes puff records and event records, characterized in that the method includes the step of grouping puff records in sessions based on event records. 2. The method according to claim 1, characterized in that the level of depletion is calculated in response to the detection of the insertion of the expendable part. 3. The method according to claim 1 or 2, characterized in that the usage data includes at least one of the following: number of puffs per consumable part, airflow parameters during puffs, such as volume, duration and / or strength, frequency of puffs, duration and/or frequency of use sessions and session time. 4. A method according to any one of the preceding claims, wherein the puff records include at least one of the following: puff airflow parameters such as volume, duration and/or strength, and a timestamp. 5. A method according to any one of the preceding claims, wherein the event records include at least one of the following: event type, consumable type, consumable identification number, and timestamp. 6. A method according to any one of the preceding claims, characterized in that it includes the step of receiving a profile for the type of consumable inserted and additionally calculating the number of puffs remaining based on the type of consumable inserted. 7. Method according to any one of the preceding claims, characterized in that the calculation of the exhaustion level is based on the average number of puffs for the previous expendable parts. 8. Method according to any one of the preceding claims, characterized in that the exhaustion level is calculated or recalculated from usage data in response to activation of the aerosol generating device. 9. The method of claim 8, wherein the calculation or recalculation is based on time and/or usage data during the immediately preceding session. 10. A method according to any one of the preceding claims, wherein the exhaustion level is calculated or recalculated from usage data periodically or in response to puff detection, wherein the calculation or recalculation preferably uses the usage data during the current session. 11. The method of claim 10, wherein the calculation or recalculation compares the usage data with the usage data from past sessions. 12. A method according to any one of the preceding claims, wherein the exhaustion level is calculated or calculated by calculating the number of puffs to exhaustion and reducing the number of puffs to exhaustion by the number of detected puffs after insertion of the expendable part. 13. The method according to any of the preceding claims, characterized in that it includes the step of generating usage data using at least one of the following: a puff sensor (252), a consumable replacement detector, in particular an extraction sensor (251) and/or a sensor insert, block (253) recognition of the consumable part to identify the identification mark of the consumable part and the user interface input. 14. A method according to any one of the preceding claims, characterized in that the exhaustion level is communicated to the user by means of a display device (101), in particular a dial indicator, dynamic head or vibrator. 15. A control circuit (222) comprising a processor and a memory, the control circuit being configured to perform the method of any one of the preceding claims. 16. An aerosol generating device (100), comprising a processor, a memory and a status indicator, and configured to perform the method according to any one of claims 1 to 12, and indicate the calculated level of depletion of the consumable part and / or the fact that the consumable part has been used up by means of an indicator states. -