JP2023525955A - Method of providing notification on an aerosol generator - Google Patents

Abstract

The present invention includes checking the connection status between the aerosol generator and the personal computing device, determining whether future notifications from the personal computing device are to be shown on the aerosol generator, and Disable sending confirmation to a personal computing device if a notification can be shown on the aerosol generator and showing future notifications on the personal computing device once confirmation is received from the aerosol generator A method is disclosed, comprising: [Selection drawing] Fig. 4

Description

The present invention relates to an aerosol generator with enhanced user functionality. More specifically, the present invention relates to aerosol-generating devices, such as electronic cigarettes, heated non-combustion devices, etc., that can provide notification to the user.

Inhalers or aerosol generating devices such as electronic cigarettes or vaping devices are becoming increasingly popular. They generally heat or warm an aerosolizable substance to generate an aerosol for inhalation, as opposed to burning tobacco as in conventional tobacco products. The generated aerosol may contain flavors and/or stimulants (eg, nicotine or other active ingredients). It may be desirable for such devices to provide additional functionality that enhances the user experience.

Most aerosol generators incorporate some form of electronic control circuitry, typically including a simple computer processor, to allow the user to control the operation of the aerosol generator. Some vaping devices also allow the device to be wirelessly connected to a computing device to exchange data related to the functionality of certain components of the vaping device. However, seamless integration between an aerosol generator and a personal computing device does not improve the user experience.

Therefore, what is needed is a device that can provide additional functionality and that can be used effectively with personal computing devices.

According to one aspect of the present invention, a method is provided, comprising checking a connection status between an aerosol generator and a personal computing device and alerting the aerosol generator of future notifications from the personal computing device to the aerosol generator. sending a confirmation to a personal computing device if future notifications can be indicated on the aerosol generator; and receiving confirmation from the aerosol generator, the personal computer and disabling showing future notifications on the viewing device.

Advantageously, the above method allows a personal computing device, such as a smart phone, to provide instructions for important future notifications on an aerosol generating device, such as an e-cig, that the user is using. Receiving an instruction on the e-cig turns off the instruction for that notification on the smartphone. This eliminates the need for users to check their smartphones unnecessarily, while ensuring that they do not miss important notifications.

Preferably, checking the connection status includes sending a first acknowledgment message by the aerosol generator to the personal computing device to confirm successful connection.

Preferably, the method includes indicating a future notification on the personal computing device if the first acknowledgment message is not received from the aerosol generator.

Preferably, the method comprises receiving, by the aerosol generator, a signal for future notifications from the personal computing device; and sending 2 acknowledgment messages.

Preferably, the method further comprises indicating future notifications to the aerosol-generating device, and optionally sending an acknowledgment of receipt of the future notifications to the personal computing device.

Preferably, the method further comprises indicating a future notification on the personal computing device if confirmation is not received from the aerosol generating device.

Preferably, the method further comprises wirelessly pairing the aerosol generator and the personal computing device to establish communication.

Preferably, determining whether to indicate future notifications on the aerosol generating device includes checking whether an indication can be received on the aerosol generating device.

Preferably, upon determining that it is not possible to receive instructions on the aerosol generator, the method sends a decline message to the personal computing device; and indicates a future notification on the personal computing device; further includes

Preferably, the method further comprises setting an association between the type of upcoming notification and an indication pattern on the aerosol generating device to indicate the upcoming notification on the aerosol generating device.

Preferably, the method comprises identifying a first gesture pattern made by a user on the surface of the aerosol generating device to activate a connection with the personal computing device; and identifying a second gesture pattern created by to disable the connection with the personal computing device.

According to another aspect of the invention, a method of operating an aerosol generating device is provided, the method comprising: sending an acknowledgment to a personal computing device confirming establishment of communication; and, upon determining that it is appropriate to display future notices on the aerosol generator, such that the instructions are disabled on the personal computing device. , sending confirmations to a personal computing device, and showing future notifications only on the aerosol generator.

According to another aspect of the invention, an aerosol generating device is provided, the aerosol generating device having a body having an inlet and an outlet with an air channel defined between the inlet and the outlet; A user interface for receiving and activating or deactivating communication with a personal computing device, and a controller configured to perform the method described above.

According to another aspect of the invention, a method of operating a personal computing device is provided, the method comprising checking a connection status with an aerosol generator and receiving a confirmation message from the aerosol generator. confirming that the confirmation message can indicate future notifications on the aerosol generator; sending signals to the aerosol generator for future notifications; and disabling the indication for notification.

According to another aspect of the invention, there is provided a computer-readable storage medium containing instructions which, when executed by a computer, cause the computer to perform the steps of the method described above.

According to another aspect, a method is provided, comprising: checking a connection state between an aerosol generator and a personal computing device; by detecting that the aerosol generating device is in motion or that the aerosol generating device is being held by a user determining that future notifications can be shown on the aerosol generator by, and sending a confirmation to the personal computing device if future notifications can be shown on the aerosol generator. , upon receiving confirmation from the aerosol generator, disabling showing future notifications on the personal computing device.

In some cases, it may be determined that future notifications can be indicated on the aerosol generator by a signal from the touch screen on the aerosol generator.

Therefore, the determination of whether future notifications can be shown to the user is based on whether the user is in proximity to the aerosol generating device. This avoids providing instructions to the aerosol generating device when the user cannot see or confirm the instructions. The determinations include detecting movement of the aerosol generating device to indicate that the aerosol generating device is being moved by the user, detecting that the aerosol generating device is being held by the user, and This can be done in a number of ways including, but not limited to, detecting a signal from a touch screen on the aerosol generator to indicate that it is interacting with the generator. Also, any suitable sensor can be used to determine whether the user is in proximity to the aerosol generating device, for example by detecting whether the user is holding the aerosol generating device. Examples of sensors that can be used to detect whether the aerosol generating device is in contact with, ie, being held by, a user's hand include optical sensors and capacitive sensors.

According to another aspect, a method of operating an aerosol generator is provided, comprising: sending an acknowledgment confirming establishment of communication to a personal computing device; and executing on the personal computing device: Determining whether to indicate future notifications from at least one application on the aerosol generating device by detecting that the aerosol generating device is in motion or when the aerosol generating device is being held by a user. and determining that it is appropriate to show future notifications on the aerosol generator by detecting that the personal computer sending a confirmation to the personal computing device so that the instructions are overridden on the device; and showing future notifications only on the aerosol generator.

According to another aspect, a method of operating a personal computing device is provided, the method comprising: checking a connection status with an aerosol generating device; receiving a confirmation message from the aerosol generating device; confirming that the message can indicate future notifications on the aerosol generator from at least one application running on the personal computing device; and signaling the aerosol generator for future notifications. and disabling the indication for future notifications on the personal computing device.

Embodiments of the invention will now be described by way of example with reference to the drawings.

1 illustrates an aerosol generating device according to one aspect of the invention; 2 shows a system including the devices of FIG. 1 and other entities in a connected network; Figure 2 shows a block diagram of various components of the apparatus of Figure 1; 3 depicts a block diagram of various components of a personal computing device present in the system of FIG. 2; FIG. Fig. 3 shows a flow diagram of a method according to an aspect of the invention; 3 shows a sequence diagram of message exchanges between the aerosol generator of FIG. 2 and a personal computing device; FIG.

Various aspects of the invention are now described. It should be noted that, in the following description of the drawings, the same or similar parts are denoted by the same or similar reference numerals. It should be noted that the drawings are schematic representations and the proportions of the respective sizes are different from the actual ones. Therefore, specific sizes and the like should be determined in consideration of the following description.

FIG. 1 shows a non-combustion aerosol generator 100, which is a device for inhaling an aerosol by heating or vaporizing it without burning it. The device 100 has a rod shape with a body 101 extending from a non-mouthpiece end 102 to a mouthpiece end 103 . An air channel or pathway is defined within body 100 between opposing ends 102 , 103 . The aerosol generating device 100 in this embodiment is an electronic cigarette or vaping device, hereinafter referred to as e-cig 100. The e-cig 100 functions by vaporizing or heating an aerosol source that is inserted into the e-cig 100 to release flavors or stimulants for inhalation through the mouthpiece end 103 by the user. The construction and operation of such devices for generating aerosols are well known in the art, and the invention disclosed herein is not limited to any form of aerosol generation technique, constructed by any aerosol generation technique. It will be understood by those skilled in the art that it may be applicable to aerosol generating devices.

The e-cig 100 may include an activation switch 104 that may be configured to power on and/or power off the e-cig 100 . Activation switch 104 may be a push button or touch button located at any convenient location on the surface of body 101 of e-cig 100 . Alternatively, the e-cig 100 does not rely on a switch button to activate power to the heater, but relies on a puff sensor to detect airflow and trigger the device to begin generating aerosol.

FIG. 2 shows a system 200 including e-cig 100 and other related entities. In this example, e-cig 100 is configured to communicate with personal computing device 201 owned by user 202 . Personal computing device 201 may be a smart phone, tablet, or laptop. For simplicity, personal computing device 201 is hereinafter referred to as smart phone 201 . The e-cig 100 is preferably configured to wirelessly communicatively connect or pair with the smartphone 201 using Wi-Fi, Bluetooth, or other wireless communication standard. Smartphone 201 preferably runs a mobile application (commonly referred to as an app) that allows a user to interact with e-cig 100 through a user-friendly interface. The app may be hosted by the e-cig 100 manufacturer and compatible with different mobile platforms such as iOS™ and Android™.

The e-cig 100 and/or smartphone 201 may also be configured to connect to network 202 . Network 203 may be a public network, such as the Internet, and may allow e-cig 100 and smart phone 201 to connect to other entities within system 200 . It will be appreciated that the e-cig 100 and apps on smartphone 201 preferably have built-in security protocols to prevent unauthorized access by any malicious entity connected via network 203. .

The e-cig 100 and/or smartphone 201 may also be connected to server 204 via network 203 . Server 204 is preferably a central controller preferably managed or licensed by the manufacturer of e-cig 100 and is configured to manage e-cig 100 remotely. The server 204 manages and monitors the operation of the e-cig 100 and can learn from the user's habits by running machine learning algorithms or artificial intelligence programs. An app on smartphone 201 preferably interfaces with server 204 to share the status of e-cig 100 and receive any updates and suggestions for the user from server 204 . The user may also be able to order refills and other flavors for the e-cig 100 from the server 204 using the app.

Of course, system 200 is implemented using known communication technologies and standards. System 200 may include several other entities that are well known to those skilled in the art that are not shown or described for the sake of brevity.

FIG. 3A is a block diagram showing various components or modules of e-cig 100. As shown in FIG. In one embodiment, the e-cig 100 vaporizes the consumable module 301a and the consumable 301b received by the consumable module 301a to release an aerosol containing flavors and/or stimulants for inhalation by the user. and a heating element 302 . In this embodiment, consumable 301b is a substance containing nicotine. The presence of consumable 301b within consumable module 301a may be detected by detector 301c. Consumable 301b may be in solid or liquid form and is heated by heating element 302 to emit an aerosol without burning. If consumable 301b is a liquid reservoir, more than one consumable can be received in consumable module 301a. Heating element 302 may be powered by power source 303 .

Power supply 303 is, for example, a lithium ion battery. A power supply 303 provides the power necessary for the e-cig 100 to operate. For example, power supply 303 powers all other components or modules included in e-cig 100 .

For the purposes of this description, the terms vapor and aerosol will be understood interchangeably. In some embodiments, the heating element is located inside a capsule or cigarette-like aerosol-generating material and can be connected to the aerosol-generating device rather than being a component of the aerosol-generating device itself.

In one embodiment, the flavorant is present in consumable 301b. Flavoring agents may include ethyl vanillin (vanilla), menthol, isoamyl acetate (banana oil), or the like. In another embodiment, the consumable 301b may include an additional flavor source (not shown) provided on the side of the mouthpiece end 103 beyond the consumable module 301a, the consumable 301b. Generates a flavor to be inhaled by the user along with the aerosol generated from 301b. In yet another embodiment, the e-cig 100 is equipped with two or more consumables, each containing a flavorant and/or a certain level of active ingredient (nicotine). In this case, each consumable can be heated separately to generate an aerosol.

The e-cig 100 also includes a controller 304 configured to control various components within the e-cig. For example, controller 304 may control timing unit 305 , communication unit 306 , memory 307 , and sensors 308 included in e-cig 100 . Timing unit 305 is configured to provide time information (eg, time of day) and generate time stamps for puff or event data to aid in analyzing a user's vaping preferences. The timing unit 305 also schedules a customized aerosol delivery profile (also referred to as a vaping profile) for the user and provides this customized vaping profile to the controller 304 to facilitate the user's use of the e-cig 100. configured to monitor and limit the

Communication unit 306 is configured to manage communication with smart phone 201 , server 204 and network 203 . Memory 307 is configured to store information such as different vaping profiles and user settings and preferences.

The e-cig 100 may also include various sensors 308 (eg, puff sensors, motion sensors, biometric sensors, etc.) to record usage data associated with each inhalation or puff when a user uses the e-cig 100. good. The usage data recorded may comprise puff duration (ie, length of puff), puff interval (ie, time between successive puffs), and fluid and/or nicotine consumption. In one example, the puff detector can determine the number of puffs to inhale the aerosol. The puff detector can also detect the time required for one puff to inhale the aerosol.

The e-cig 100 may also include an input/output (I/O) or user interface 309 configured to provide instructions to and receive input from the user. The I/O interface 309 preferably includes a display device and an input device. The indicating device may comprise a visible light emitting element including one or more light emitting diodes (LEDs), a screen display, or an acoustic emitter, or other suitable means of providing instructions to the user. A visible light emitting element, such as an LED, may be disposed on the tip of the non-mouthpiece end 102 or on the side of the e-cig 100 . Such LEDs indicate the puff state when aerosol is being inhaled, the non-puff state when no aerosol is being inhaled, the preheat state when the heater is heating, and the vape ready when the heater is operating at the target temperature to generate aerosol. Various lighting modes may be indicated to provide the user within the display with a completion status, a depletion status where the LED bar indicates the depletion level of the aerosol source, and any other information regarding the operational status of the e-cig.

User 202 can also provide input to e-cig 100 via a touch-sensitive panel located on the surface of e-cig 100 . The touch-sensitive panel responds to various actions or gestures made by user 202 such as taps, shakes, toggles, pinches, drawing patterns, and the like. For example, user 202 may activate e-cig 100 by swiping or making any other gesture on the touch-sensitive surface of e-cig 100 .

All elements described above send and/or receive commands and/or data via communication bus 310 .

FIG. 3B is a block diagram of various components in personal computing device/smartphone 201 . The smartphone 201 includes a processor 311 for controlling various operations of the smartphone, a memory 312 for storing system and user data, an operating system 313 such as Android™ or iOS™, and power to the device. and a power source 314, such as a lithium-ion battery, for supplying the power. Smartphone 201 also comprises a communication unit 315 including modules such as Bluetooth, Wi-Fi, NFC, etc., to connect with various entities present in system 200 . Further, smart phone 201 includes an I/O interface 316 for interacting with the user. The I/O interface 316 preferably comprises a touch screen capable of receiving input from a user via touch actions and displaying content to the user on the screen. However, it should be appreciated that the I/O interface may alternatively include keys for receiving input and a non-touch screen for displaying content.

Additionally, the smartphone 201 has an e-cig control app 317 running thereon that can be downloaded onto the smartphone 201 by the user. The e-cig control app 317 preferably allows the user to set his vaping preferences on the e-cig 100 . The e-cig control app 317 may also allow the user to view vaping history and other useful statistics.

All the elements described above send and/or receive commands and/or data via communication bus 320 .

FIG. 4 shows a flow diagram 400 of a method for managing notifications to users using smart phone 201 and e-cig 100 . Note that the steps in process 400 do not necessarily have to be performed in the same order. Also, some steps may be optional and may be omitted.

At step 401, the connection status between the aerosol generator and the personal computing device is checked. In this example, the e-cig 100 and smart phone 201 are connected or paired wirelessly via Bluetooth. During initial setup, user 202 can configure such pairing by turning on the Bluetooth channel on both devices and setting them as mutually trusted devices. After initial setup is complete, the e-cig 100 and smart phone 201 will automatically connect to each other if Bluetooth is active on both devices and both devices are within range.

In one embodiment, the user 202 draws a gesture pattern (eg, swiping from one side to the other using a finger on the touch-sensitive surface of the e-cig 100, or shaking the e-cig). to activate a Bluetooth connection on the e-cig 100. This allows the e-cig 100 to connect to the smart phone 201 in the vicinity of the e-cig 100 . The smart phone 201 can check that the connection with the e-cig 100 has been successfully established. The e-cig 100 sends an acknowledgment message to the smart phone 201 to confirm the connection status. Successful establishment of a connection between e-cig 100 and smartphone 201 may be indicated to user 202 in multiple ways using any type of indicator. For example, using the e-cig 100's LED, audio signal, or vibration pattern. User 202 can also view the connection status via an app on smartphone 201 .

At step 402, it is determined whether future notifications from the personal computing device should be shown on the aerosol generator. In this example, smartphone 201 monitors all future notifications from various apps installed on smartphone 201, such as, for example, the messaging app, email app 318, calendar app 319, and reminders app. Smartphone 201 may constantly or periodically check such apps to detect any future notifications to the user.

User 202 preferably has the option to enable or disable notifications for various events on these apps. This can be set by the user using the e-cig control app 317 . For example, if the user wishes to disable notifications from the calendar app 319 , he can do so by simply turning off calendar app notifications via the e-cig control app 317 . Some of these may be triggered upon receipt of an external communication via communication unit 315, such as receiving a text message from another entity. Other notifications, such as reminders for due tasks, are fetched from memory 312 . Once the smartphone 201 is connected to the e-cig 100, the e-cig 100 determines whether it is appropriate to show future notifications to the user on the e-cig 100. This can be done at predetermined intervals by a sensor 308 such as a motion sensor included in the e-cig 100 . If the e-cig 100 is detected to be in motion, it is determined to be in active use or at least in close proximity to the user 202 . Alternatively, this may also be determined by a signal from the touch sensitive screen when the user 202 holds the e-cig 100 and is likely to activate the touch sensitive screen. Therefore, providing instructions to the user 202 on the e-cig 100 is appropriate.

If the user is in close proximity to the e-cig 100, it is determined suitable for showing future notifications to the user. This avoids providing instructions to the e-cig 100 when the user is too far away from the e-cig 100 to see or see. As we have seen, determinations are generally made using sensors that can determine whether a user is in proximity to the e-cig 100 based on signals received from the sensors. In some cases, proximity may be when the e-cig 100 is held by the user in the user's hand. In other cases, proximity may be when the e-cig 100 is positioned around the user's body, eg, in a pocket, such as a jacket or pants pocket.

In the latter case, the sensor may be a motion sensor such as an accelerometer. When the e-cig 100 is in the user's pocket, the user's movements will cause the e-cig 100 to move. Thus, in this case, the signal received from the motion sensor indicating motion would indicate that the e-cig 100 is in close proximity to the user.

In the former case, detecting whether the e-cig 100 is in contact with, ie, being held by, the user's hand can be performed using any suitable sensor, such as, for example, an optical sensor or a capacitive sensor. These sensors detect a signal or signal change that indicates that the user is interacting with the sensor, e.g., that the user is holding the e-cig 100 by touching or covering the sensor. can be done. For example, when a user holds the e-cig 100, an optical sensor can detect changes in light level and a capacitive sensor can detect changes in capacitance.

As will be appreciated, any number of sensors, or a combination of different types of sensors, may be provided on the e-cig 100 to determine whether a user is in proximity to the e-cig 100 .

At step 403, if future notifications can be indicated on the aerosol generator, a confirmation is sent to the personal computing device. In this example, after e-cig 100 determines that it is suitable to indicate future notifications, e-cig 100 sends a confirmation message to smart phone 201 . This confirmation message assures smart phone 201 that future notifications will be received by user 202 on e-cig 100 . Accordingly, smart phone 201 signals future notifications to e-cig 100 and instructs e-cig 100 to provide instructions to user 202 . The e-cig 100 then uses the I/O interface 309 to show future notifications to the user on the e-cig 100 .

However, if e-cig 100 determines that it is not appropriate to show future messages on e-cig 100 for some reason, e-cig 100 may send a decline message to smart phone 201 . Upon receiving the decline message, smart phone 201 continues to show future notifications on smart phone 201 as usual.

Instructions can be provided in several ways. In one example, an LED on the I/O interface 309 of the e-cig 100 blinks one color twice when a message is received on the smart phone 201 or another when a calendar notification is received on the smart phone 201 . A color may flash once. Alternatively, the LED may flash blue six times to indicate an important notification. In another example, the e-cig 100 may vibrate vigorously for a few seconds when a message is received and gently vibrate when a calendar notification is received. Alternatively, the device may vibrate six times briefly to indicate an important notification.

Such associations between notification types and instruction patterns may be preset or defined by user 202 according to user preferences. These associations can be configured using an app on smartphone 201 . In one embodiment, smart phone 201 only signals e-cig 100 for future notifications if there is a predefined association between the type of future notification and the instructional pattern. For example, the user does not have to define an association for incoming calls because the user has to check smart phone 201 anyway to service incoming calls. In another embodiment, smartphone 201 signals e-cig 100 for all future notifications for notification-enabled apps, such as calendar app 319, set by user 202, regardless of pre-defined associations. In this case, the user 202 is provided with default indications of upcoming notifications on the calendar app 319 so that the user can check the smart phone 202 immediately.

At step 404, upon receiving confirmation from the aerosol generator, indications of future notifications are disabled on the personal computing device. In this example, once the prompt for future notifications on e-cig 100 is successful and the confirmation message is received, smartphone 201 turns off prompts for future notifications on smartphone 201 . Such confirmation may be triggered by the user providing input on the e-cig 100 to confirm receipt of the incoming call notification. User input can be acknowledged by, for example, tapping the e-cig 100 . In another embodiment, future notification indications on personal computing device 201 are automatically disallowed after successfully sending future event notifications to e-cig 100 . The user 202 can define in the e-cig control app 317 whether user confirmation is required to prohibit instructions on the smart phone 201 . For example, a user may require confirmation for calendar notifications but not for email notifications.

Smartphone 201 does not notify user 202 of future notifications on I/O interface 316 of smartphone 201 because the user has already been notified on e-cig 100 . This avoids the unnecessary burden of checking the smart phone 201 on the user. Notifications are received on smart phone 201 as normal for user 202 to check on their own time, but without any perceptible instructions on smart phone 201 . The app icon and notification center on smartphone 201 may show pending notifications when the user checks smartphone 201 .

In this way, instructions for important notifications are provided on the e-cig 100 so that the user does not have to unnecessarily check the smart phone 201 to check for notifications. This not only saves the user time, but also limits unnecessary exposure to the smartphone 201 display screen.

On the other hand, the user 202 is not approaching the e-cig 100 (e.g., the e-cig 100 is left stationary on a table and is not making detectable motion by a motion sensor, or the e-cig 100 is being held by the user). If the confirmation message is not received from the e-cig 100 for any reason, such as not being held, i.e., no signal detectable by the touch-sensitive screen), the smartphone 201 will post future messages to the user 202 on the smartphone 201 in the normal manner. Show notifications. This ensures that users do not miss important notifications. However, in this case, indications for future notifications are prohibited on the e-cig 100 .

User 202 can also manually configure not to receive instructions for future notifications on e-cig 100 . This can be done by simply disabling communication between the e-cig 100 and the smart phone 201 . The user 202 may do so by drawing another gesture pattern (eg, swiping the surface of the e-cig 100 from one side to the other, or shaking the e-cig) to turn off the Bluetooth connection. can be

FIG. 5 shows a sequence diagram 500 for message exchange between e-cig 100 and smart phone 201 . Note that there may be other system exchange messages between the two devices in addition to those shown.

After the user 202 activates wireless connectivity (e.g., wireless communication capabilities such as Bluetooth) on the e-cig 100 and smartphone 201, the e-cig 100 and smartphone 201 establish a wireless connection link and then check the connection status. be able to. The smart phone 201 sends a connectivity check message 501 to the e-cig 100 to check the connection status. If the connection is successful, the e-cig 100 receives the message 501 and in response sends a first acknowledgment message 502 to the smart phone 201 . This set of message exchanges thus confirms the successful establishment of a connection between the e-cig 100 and the smart phone 201 . After establishing a wireless connection by exchanging messages, the connection status can be checked periodically. This can be advantageous to save battery level. Alternatively, the connection status check can be performed by constantly searching and checking for available radio signals using existing communication protocols.

It then sends a confirmation message 503 to smartphone 201 after e-cig 100 determines that it is appropriate to provide instructions for future notifications on e-cig 100 . Confirmation message 503 essentially confirms that e-cig 100 is the primary notification device for future notifications. Thus, when an upcoming notification is detected, smart phone 201 sends command signal 504 for that future notification to e-cig 100 . In another embodiment, the first acknowledgment message 502 and the confirmation message 503 can be combined into one message and sent to the smart phone 201 in response to the connectivity check message 501 to save communication bandwidth. In a further embodiment, a single confirmation message 503 periodically sent to smartphone 201 may ensure connection status. In this case, the messages 501 and 502 can be omitted, and each time the smartphone 201 receives the confirmation message 502 indicating that the e-cig 100 is the primary notification device, the smartphone 201 will confirm that the connection is still successfully established. and the smart phone 201 is available to send a notification command signal to the e-cig 100 .

Upon receiving the command signal from smart phone 201 , e-cig 100 sends a second acknowledgment message 505 to smart phone 201 to acknowledge receipt of the notification by e-cig 100 . In another embodiment, the e-cig 100 provides instructions to the user 202 upon receiving the command signal 504 and also sends a confirmation to the smart phone 201 confirming receipt of the notification by the user 202 . In response, smart phone 201 inhibits instructions for future notifications on smart phone 201, as described above. However, in the absence of the first or second acknowledgment message, smart phone 201 continues to provide instructions for future notifications on smart phone 201 .

The above method is advantageous because it conveniently provides the user with instructions for future notifications on the e-cig 100 instead of the smart phone 201 . However, if the user is not in close proximity to the e-cig 100, instructions are provided on the smart phone 201 as normal. In either case, it ensures that the user never misses a notification while avoiding unnecessary prompts on both devices.

The processing steps described herein performed by the main control unit, or controller, may be stored on a non-transitory computer readable medium, or storage, associated with the main control unit. Computer-readable media can include non-volatile media and volatile media. Volatile media can include semiconductor memory and dynamic memory, among others. Non-volatile media can include, among others, optical and magnetic disks.

The foregoing description of illustrative embodiments has been presented for purposes of illustration and description. It is not intended to be exhaustive or limiting with respect to the precise forms disclosed, and modifications and variations are possible in light of the above teachings or may be acquired from practice of the disclosed embodiments. .

As used herein, the term "non-transitory computer-readable media" refers to short-term and long-term information such as computer-readable instructions, data structures, program modules and submodules, or other data in any device. It is intended to represent any tangible computer-based device implemented in any method or technology for storage. Accordingly, the methods described herein may be encoded as executable instructions embodied in tangible, non-transitory computer-readable media including, but not limited to, storage devices and/or memory devices. . Such instructions, when executed by a processor, cause the processor to perform at least part of the methods described herein. Moreover, as used herein, the term "non-transitory computer-readable media" includes, but is not limited to, volatile and non-volatile media, non-transitory computer storage devices, firmware, physical and virtual All tangible computer readable media, including but not limited to storage, removable and non-removable media such as CD-ROMs, DVDs, and any other digital sources such as networks or the Internet, and transitory propagating signals. Including not yet developed digital means, with one exception.

As will be appreciated based on the foregoing specification, the above-described embodiments of the disclosure employ computer programming or engineering techniques, including computer software, firmware, hardware, or any combination or subset thereof. may be implemented using Any such resulting program having computer readable code means may be embodied or provided in one or more computer readable media, thereby creating a computer program product, i.e., a computer program product, according to the contemplated embodiments of the present disclosure. , may create manufactured goods. An article of manufacture containing computer code is created and/or by executing the code directly from one medium, by copying the code from one medium to another medium, or by transmitting the code over a network. may be used.

Claims (15)

checking the connection status between the aerosol generator and the personal computing device;
determining whether to indicate on the aerosol generator an upcoming notification from at least one application running on the personal computing device, wherein detecting that the aerosol generator is in motion. or by detecting that the aerosol-generating device is being held by a user, the upcoming notification can be shown on the aerosol-generating device;
sending a confirmation to the personal computing device if the future notification can be indicated on the aerosol generating device;
disabling showing the future notification on the personal computing device upon receiving the confirmation from the aerosol generator;
A method, including 2. The method of claim 1, wherein checking the connection status comprises sending, by the aerosol generator, a first acknowledgment message to the personal computing device to confirm a successful connection. 3. The method of claim 2, further comprising indicating the future notification on the personal computing device if the first acknowledgment message is not received from the aerosol generator. receiving, by the aerosol generator, a signal for the future notification from the personal computing device;
3. The method of claim 1 or 2, further comprising sending, by the aerosol generator, a second acknowledgment message confirming receipt of the signal for the future notification to the personal computing device. . indicating the future notice on the aerosol generator;
3. The method of claim 1 or 2, further comprising optionally sending an acknowledgment of receipt of the future notification to the personal computing device. 6. The method of claim 5, further comprising displaying the upcoming notification on the personal computing device if confirmation is not received from the aerosol generating device. 7. The method of any preceding claim, further comprising wirelessly pairing the aerosol generator and the personal computing device to establish the communication. 8. Any of claims 1-7, wherein determining whether to indicate the upcoming notification on the aerosol generator comprises checking whether an indication can be received on the aerosol generator. The method according to item 1. upon determining that the instructions are not available to receive on the aerosol generator, sending a decline message to the personal computing device; and showing the future notification on the personal computing device. 9. The method of claim 8, further comprising: 10. Any of claims 1-9, further comprising setting an association between a type of future notification and an indication pattern on the aerosol generator to indicate the future notification on the aerosol generator. The method according to item 1. identifying a first gesture pattern made by a user on the surface of the aerosol generator to activate the connection with the personal computing device;
and identifying a second gesture pattern made by a user on the surface of the aerosol generator to disable the connection with the personal computing device. A method according to any one of paragraphs. A method of operating an aerosol generator, comprising:
sending an acknowledgment confirming establishment of communication to the personal computing device;
determining whether to indicate on the aerosol generator an upcoming notification from at least one application running on the personal computing device, wherein detecting that the aerosol generator is in motion. or by detecting that the aerosol-generating device is being held by a user, the upcoming notification can be shown on the aerosol-generating device;
upon determining that it is appropriate to show the future notice on the aerosol generator, sending a confirmation to the personal computing device such that the indication is disabled on the personal computing device;
and showing the future notification only on the aerosol generating device. a body having an inlet and an outlet with an air channel defined between the inlet and the outlet;
a user interface that receives input from a user to activate or deactivate communication with the personal computing device;
a controller configured to perform the method of claim 12;
An aerosol generator. A method of operating a personal computing device comprising:
checking the connection status with the aerosol generator;
receiving a confirmation message from the aerosol generator, the confirmation message indicating on the aerosol generator an upcoming notification from at least one application running on the personal computing device; make sure you can and
sending the future notification signal to the aerosol generator;
and disabling the indication for the future notification on the personal computing device. A computer-readable storage medium containing instructions that, when executed by a computer, cause said computer to perform the steps of the method of any one of claims 1-12 and 14.

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