JP2023528685A - Method and system for identifying aerosol-generating articles - Google Patents

Abstract

The present invention is a method of identifying coded information located on an aerosol-generating consumable article (1) comprising at least one indicia (10) containing coded information about an article (1), wherein the article (1) is consumed by using an aerosol-generating device (2), the method comprising: - marking the coded information of said indicia (10) as the article moves within or through a cavity (200) of the aerosol-generating device (2). - detecting said coded information during insertion of said aerosol-generating article (1) into said aerosol-generating device (2). The invention also relates to an aerosol generating device (2) comprising an indicia detection system (100, 100') for detecting said readable code during the insertion movement of the article (1). The invention further relates to an article (1) comprising indicia (10) that can be read upon insertion into said device (2), and to a system comprising said device (2) and said article (1). [Selection drawing] Fig. 1

Description

The present invention relates to the field of tobacco, and in particular to reconstituted tobacco and aerosol-generating articles. The invention further relates to smoking devices, particularly electrically heated e-liquid systems or electrically heated aerosol generating systems.

In recent years, electronic cigarettes based on aerosol-generating consumables have grown in popularity. There are mainly two types: liquid vaporizers and heated tobacco inhalers. Heated tobacco inhalers are referred to as "heat-not-burn" systems (HNB). HNB systems provide a more authentic tobacco flavor compared to e-cigarettes and deliver an inhalable aerosol by heating a liquid fill containing an aerosol forming agent, flavorant, and often nicotine. The working principle of the HNB system is to heat tobacco material containing an aerosol-forming substance (such as glycerin and/or propylene glycol), which evaporates during heating and extracts nicotine and flavor components from the tobacco material. produces steam that The tobacco material is heated to 200-350° C., which is below the normal burning temperature of conventional cigarettes. Inhalation devices are typically handheld heaters configured to receive rod-shaped consumables.

Illegal trafficking of aerosol-generating articles, whether standard cigarettes, e-liquids, or HNB articles, is a problem. This is because counterfeit articles, which may be of particularly poor quality, may not guarantee controlled delivery of aerosols or may not be suitable for dedicated aerosol generating systems. In order to identify whether an aerosol-generating consumable article is genuine, a code or equivalent marking containing information about the article may be placed on the outer surface of the article so that it can be detected during or prior to use with a particular device. can be placed on. This makes it possible to verify the authenticity of the consumable item and to take appropriate controls, such as turning off the heating system used with the consumable item, if the authenticity is confirmed to be denied.

Additionally, it may be necessary to distinguish between consumable items and other items in order to accommodate aerosol generation conditions. For example, certain consumable articles of various articles may contain different ingredients (e.g., different tobacco blends, forming agents, nicotine levels, etc.), and therefore different devices for optimizing the consumer experience. Parameter setting is required.

For accurate authentication of codes on consumable items, such as HNB items, the recognition probability must be very high so that suitable items are not rejected. However, existing indicia are limited to the low-density information that can be contained in the indicia, and most known indicia rely on conventional codes such as one- or two-dimensional barcodes that can be easily forged. there is

Various attempts have already been proposed in the prior art to provide certifiable aerosol-generating articles.

WO2019185749 discloses an aerosol-generating device having a cavity for receiving an article (such as an aerosol-generating consumable). The article has marker elements arranged in the form of lines on its outer surface. A marker element consists of encoded parameters associated with an item. The instrument includes a sensor arrangement that monitors a marker element (such as an indicia) after the item has been inserted into the cavity, i.e. when the item no longer performs movement. The instrument includes optical sensor arrangements and non-optical sensor arrangements, such as capacitive sensors, to monitor the presence of these markers. Due to the lack of space, simple markers can only be placed over short lengths and are limited to low density information. In an optical configuration, it is necessary to direct the light with several light sources that need to be arranged with an array of detectors, which is cumbersome and leads to easily duplicateable codes. WO2019185749 also explains that if an optical sensor is used, the optical sensor must have a certain field of view in order to detect the markers.

In another document, US2019008206A1, a miniature camera with a wide field of view is implemented to read codes on articles fully inserted into the cavity of an aerosol generator. The system described in U.S. Patent Application Publication No. 2019008206A1 is designed to ensure that an image of a substantial portion of the surface of the smoking article is required so that the image covers at least the area of the code. , requires a lens with a wide field of view. Implementation of a vision camera requiring a uniform illumination system and a very large aperture lens to cover the angular width of the code on the article is cumbersome and costly. Also, since the system may only see one side of the smoking article, a precise angular orientation of the inserted article with respect to the optical axis of the vision system is required. To avoid the user having to rotate the smoking article so that the code is within the viewing angle of the imaging system, US2019008206A1 describes a low cost smoking device and its inserted smoking device. It discloses an embodiment based on a mirror system that leads to a complex system not adapted to the article.

WO2017207442A1 discloses a tubular aerosol-generating article with an identifier. The identifier can be located on the inner surface of the item or can be anywhere. The tubular aerosol-generating article includes a mouthpiece, a proximal end and a distal end configured to receive the heating portion of the main unit. The identity of the tubular aerosol-generating article includes a sensor system, with detection performed by an optical scanner and electrical circuitry. The system disclosed in WO2017207442A1 is limited to either intensity fluctuations or changes in current or resistance information when the stick is introduced. For example, the system can detect one resistance value that can be compared to values stored in a lookup table. Therefore, the system is limited to low density code and is easy to replicate.

WO2019129378A1 discloses an inhaler for heated tobacco rods (such as consumables) having indicia readable by an optical reader only after the consumable has been exposed to a temperature above a temperature threshold. This system is limited to detecting when a consumable is overheated or used twice. Due to the lack of space, only simple codes can be detected by the system, or detection must be done by the human eye to see if the code on the item has been tampered with. Accordingly, there is a need for improved techniques to enable authentication of aerosol-generating articles such as HNBs, inhalers and smoking articles. In order to improve the authentication quality and make counterfeiting of articles more difficult, code-based authentication is preferred, especially since it contains a higher information density detectable by less cumbersome detection systems.

Also, detecting complex codes using complex detection and/or imaging optics should be avoided. Imaging optics for detecting complex codes often require complex or voluminous optical paths and optical components, leading to devices that are too heavy or have unacceptable dimensions. Also, the use of chemicals in liquid or gas form to achieve indicia should be avoided during the consumable manufacturing process.

The inventors of the present invention have solved the above problem by providing an authentication method that simplifies the detection system required to detect the indicia by using the insertion movement of the aerosol-generating article into the aerosol-generating device. figured out a solution. The present invention utilizes the movement of inserting the consumable article into the aerosol generating device, which movement must occur anyway when the article is consumed.

In a first aspect, the invention is accomplished by a method of identifying coded information located on an aerosol-generating consumable article. The article includes at least one indicia defining an insertion direction Z and containing coded information relating to an article located on or within said article, the aerosol generating device being adapted for insertion of the article along the insertion direction. and includes an indicia detection system.

The method is
- upon insertion of the aerosol-generating article into the cavity, as the article moves within or through the cavity of the aerosol-generating device, in particular during the elapsed time of the insertion movement of the aerosol-generating article within the cavity; detecting the encoded information in the indicia with an indicia detection system.

This detection may require that the insertion motion be an accelerated motion or a motion with a constant velocity. Detecting the indicia during the introduction movement of the coded indicia allows the use of indicia that can have considerable length on the consumable. This makes it possible to provide a distributed code that can be read by a simple, non-bulky detector system located in reduced space next to or along the cavity of the aerosol generating device. Also, the indicia may have a length that is much greater than the width of the detection area defined on the surface of the consumable. Further, since detection is performed during movement of the indicia, optical sensors with a relatively narrow field of view to detect the markers, or optical sensors that do not require convergence or redirection of optical elements, such as microlenses or mirrors, are used. can do.

In one embodiment, the indicia are made of an array of optical layers arranged in the insertion length of the article. The layers may be aligned along lines parallel to the insertion direction. The layers are separated by distances that may be constant or variable between adjacent layers.

In an advantageous embodiment, the layer comprises
- can have different lengths,
- can be cross-layers with overlapping regions,
- may have any shape defined in the plane of the layer, preferably a shape defined by polynomial shapes such as triangles, pentagons, ellipses or ovals,
- may contain at least two branches, such as a layer with a Y-shape;
- comprising at least one opening, which may be a through opening extending from one side of the layer to the opposite side,
- can be a layer overlapping another layer over a certain length,
- having a variable width over the length of the layer; For example, the variable width can be a series of continuous or discontinuous steps arranged over at least a portion of its length.

An indicia detection system may include several optical detectors. Using more than one indicia layer can increase the probability of authentic detection of the consumable. In variations, the indicia may be arranged in different orientations, not necessarily in the direction of insertion of the article. Preferably, the insertion length of the article corresponds to the longitudinal extension of the article. When the article is a rod-shaped article, the longitudinal direction is the central axis of the article.

In one embodiment, at least two of said optical layers have different light transmission or reflection properties. Such layers should not be parallel layers and may exhibit angles with respect to each other. The layers can also be cross layers, or layers arranged in a matrix configuration, or layers arranged according to a spiral configuration over a length around the article. Using optical layers as indicia with different optical properties can complicate the identification code of the consumable and make the embedded code information more difficult to detect. It also makes it possible to provide denser code information, such as information about the desired operating parameters of the device.

In one embodiment, the indicia or indicia layer may be made of an array of conductive layers arranged lengthwise in said insertion direction Z, and said indicia detection system includes at least one electrical sensing portion. Detection methods similar to those used for optical detection schemes can be used, such as using conductive cone-shaped indicia.

In one embodiment, said conductive layer is a metal layer. Thin metal layers, such as fine wires, can be easily incorporated into articles. These layers can be arranged, for example, as an array of metal wire parts. Metal wires or layers may have a stiffening function. The metal wire or layer, due to its rigidity, can be easily introduced into the article, for example in a glue or bond, or as a separate layer on the article.

In one embodiment, said conductive layer is a conductive ink layer. Application of the conductive ink layer can be applied by deposition that is readily adaptable to manufacturing articles. For example, the ink layer is deposited as a thin metal film on the surface of the article by evaporation under vacuum. The use of an ink layer makes it possible to provide barcode-type indicia that can be read sequentially in the direction of article insertion during insertion of the article into the aerosol generating device. In a variant, the glue or seam or joint layer may include conductive dopants or particles to provide the layer with at least partially conductive properties.

In embodiments, the conductive layer may be a layer made of an intrinsically conductive polymer (ICP). This makes it possible to provide a conductive layer free of metal compounds or metal particles. In a variant, different types of conductive layers may be implemented on or within the same consumable article 1 .

In embodiments, detection may be based on detecting electrical and/or magnetic properties of the indicia. Electrical sensing methods may be based on sensing or measuring capacitance, inductance, or resistance. Using electrical and/or magnetic detection of moving indicia is simpler than optical detection as it requires less space.

In one embodiment, the sensing portion is configured to sense capacitance and/or inductance effects between said conductive layer and said electrical sensing portion. Using a method of detecting and measuring the electrical effect provided by the indicia makes the detection easier than optical detection because the effects of surface contamination are reduced. In a variant, optical detection can be combined with electrical detection. In one embodiment, the indicia detection system includes more than one electrical detector and more than one optical detector. Using a combination of different detection methods, such as combining electrical and optical detection of the code during introduction of the article into the device, greatly complicates the code embedded in the indicia, requiring more data encoding. It becomes possible to impose requirements.

In one embodiment, the electrical sensing portion is configured to sense an electrical resistance between the conductive layer and the electrical sensing portion. To this end, the electrical sensing portion touches the indicia and senses the resistance. The electrical contacts can be flexible to ensure increased flexibility between the article and the detection system.

In one embodiment, the indicia are made of an array of magnetic layers arranged in the length of said insertion direction Z, and said indicia detection system is configured to detect magnetic fields generated by said magnetic layers. contains two magnetic detectors. Using a magnetic detection method makes it possible to provide a detection method that is completely immune to fouling of the detection system by particles or moisture.

In one embodiment, said article comprises indicia made of at least a first array and a second array of detectable layers extending in parallel and in said insertion direction Z. The signals provided by each of the first and second arrays of the detectable layer provide at least two signals S1, S2 that can be detected by one detector or multiple detectors. In a variant, the first detector is arranged to provide the first signal S1 and the second detector is arranged to provide the second signal. In a variant, the at least first and second arrays of detectable layers may be layers angled with respect to each other and may be cross layers.

Preferably, the signals S1, S2 provided by each of the first and second arrays of detectable layers are detected by at least one optical detector and superimposed to provide a unique identification of the aerosol-generating consumable article. provides a superimposed signal S3 which provides the identification code of the . Using a configuration in which at least two different codes are superimposed allows the detection system to be independent of the acceleration of the insertion movement of the article into the device. Thus, in an advantageous variant, said indicia may comprise at least one electrically detectable layer and at least one optically detectable layer, both layers being arranged parallel and separately along the insertion direction Z. The indicia detection system includes at least one electrical detector and at least one optical detector.

In a variant, additional information about the article may be obtained during the removal movement of the article 1 from said aerosol generator.

In a second aspect, the invention includes a power section and a heating cavity located within an outer body, said body having an opening accessible in the outer body and defining an insertion direction Z. It is accomplished by an aerosol generating device configured to receive a consumable item. Preferably, the heating cavity defines a cavity axis parallel to the direction of insertion.

The aerosol generating device has indicia detection configured within the device to optically and/or electrically detect the readable code upon insertion of the article into the cavity and as the article moves within the cavity. Further includes a system. Preferably, this movement is performed from the proximal end to the distal end of the cavity. The detection system may include one detector and may include a slit positioned in front of the detector, such as the varying light intensity provided by the indicia passing in front of the detector system. It makes it possible to provide simple detection systems that rely on the detection of changing optics and/or optical effects. In another variation, the detector system includes an imaging system for providing an image of the indicia, or a portion thereof, as the indicia passes in front of the detection system upon introduction of the consumable article into the aerosol generating device.

In a variant, the detector is an electrical and/or magnetic detector, configured to detect and/or measure values or changes in capacitance, inductance, magnetic field, resistance, electric field, potential, current, microdischarge. It is In a variant, the device comprises a microwave source and the detector is a microwave detector.

The present invention also provides an aerosol-generating article for an aerosol-generating device comprising a cavity, the article including at least one indicia defining an insertion direction Z and containing coded information about the article, said indicia being located within the cavity. an aerosol-generating device positioned in an insertion direction Z for being read by an indicia detection system of the aerosol-generating device as the article moves within or through the aerosol-generating device upon insertion of the aerosol-generating article into the aerosol-generating device achieved by goods. In embodiments, the article includes different types of layers as described above. In one variant, the first layer is optically detectable and the second layer is electrically detectable by said detection system. Also, in a variant, the optical detection signal may be provided as a function of time before or after the electrical detection signal during insertion of the article into the device.

In another configuration, the layers are made up of a fist layer comprising a plurality of first layer elements and a second layer comprising a second array of second layer elements. The layers may be arranged as a series of successive first and second layer elements. In a variant, said first layer and said second layer are arranged side by side on a common longitudinal axis or in contact or close proximity. In an advantageous embodiment, said first layer and/or second layer is partly optically detectable and partly electrically detectable.

The present invention is also accomplished by an aerosol-generating system comprising said aerosol-generating device and an at least partially inserted aerosol-generating article.

1 shows a schematic diagram of one embodiment of the aerosol-generating article and aerosol-generating device of the present invention; FIG. The device includes an optical system for detecting the elongated indicia during the insertion motion V of the article within the device. Fig. 2 shows a typical signal provided by the detection system of the device; The signal varies as a function of time of insertion and is provided by at least one detector detecting information provided by optical or non-optical effects provided by indicia or arrays of indicia disposed on the article. . An article is shown that includes at least two indicia that are at least partially detected during insertion of the article into the device. FIG. 4 shows typical signals provided by indicia during article insertion motion; FIG. The indicia include at least two different indicia that are detected and identified during insertion of the article into the device. FIG. 4 shows typical signals provided by indicia during article insertion motion; FIG. The indicia include at least two different indicia that are detected and identified during insertion of the article into the device. Figure 2 shows an article with distributed indicia comprising a plurality and possibly different indicia elements specifically detectable by different detection means, e.g. electrical detection and optical detection; Figure 4 shows a detailed view of the superposition of two signals provided by one embodiment of the article shown in Figure 3; The figure shows that the shape of the superimposed signal is independent of the acceleration of the insertion movement of the article into the device. Fig. 3 shows a wedge-shaped indicia according to the present invention; A two-dimensional indicia containing two orthogonal codes and the corresponding signals provided by the two orthogonal codes are shown. The first code is a bar-like code arranged along the insertion direction of the article and the second code is realized by detection of changes in width or thickness of the indicia. Figure 3 shows the indicia realized on the substrate layer. The figures show that the indicia elements can have different heights or widths or lengths, said height being defined in a radial direction perpendicular to the insertion direction of the article. Indicia including in-coupling and out-coupling structures are shown, the indicia being realized on a layer having waveguiding properties. The figure also shows the in-coupling and out-coupling of light beams to and from the indicia layer.

The present invention will be described with respect to particular embodiments and with reference to the accompanying drawings, but the invention is not limited thereto. The drawings described are only schematic and are non-limiting. In the drawings, the size of some of the elements may be exaggerated and not drawn on scale for illustrative purposes. The dimensions and relative dimensions do not correspond to actual reductions in accordance with the practice of the invention.

Although the present invention will be described in the examples below in relation to tobacco-based consumable articles, the scope of the present invention is not to be construed as limited to tobacco-based consumable articles, such as an aerosol that can be inhaled when heated. any aerosol-generating consumable article, such as smoking articles, heated non-combustible articles, e-liquid cartridges, and cartomizers, which contain an aerosol-generating substrate capable of generating a The aerosol-generating article 1 of the present invention is also defined herein as a consumable or expendable article.

As used herein, the term "aerosol-generating material" refers to a material that, upon heating, can release volatile compounds capable of forming an aerosol. Aerosols generated from the aerosol-generating materials of the aerosol-generating articles described herein can be visible or invisible and include vapors (e.g., fine particles of substances in a gaseous state that are normally liquids or solids at room temperature) as well as gases and condensed particles. It may contain vapor droplets. Detailed compositions of aerosol-generating substances can be tobacco, aerosol-forming agents, binders, flavorants, nicotine, and combinations thereof. Aerosol-forming substrates may be provided within a stable support. Such supports may be in the form of powders, granules, strands, strips, sheets or foams.

The term "wrapper" is broadly defined as any structure or layer that protects and contains a charge of aerosol-generating material and allows them to be handled. The wrapper has an inner surface that can contact the aerosol-generating material and an outer surface that is spaced from the aerosol-generating material. Wrapper 3 may preferably comprise paper and/or a cellulose-based material such as cellulose acetate. The wrapper 3 may also be made of biodegradable polymers, or made of glass or ceramic and/or cellulose acetate. The wrapper 3 may be a porous material, may have a smooth or rough outer surface 5, and may be flexible or rigid.

The manufactured aerosol-generating consumable article 1 may have any regular or irregularly shaped cross-section, for example an elliptical or circular cross-section defined in a plane perpendicular to the longitudinal axis. obtain.

As used herein, the term "indicia" refers to any layer or structure or element or configuration or layer or any geometric and/or physical and/or chemical characteristic that can be used to identify an aerosol-generating article. It is a broad term that includes The indicia are applied to the aerosol-generating article or made to be part of the aerosol-generating article, capable of being detected or read by a detection device to provide a signal in analog or digital form. there is

The indicia of the present invention are specifically configured to be readable by passing in front of or next to the detector system 100, typically during the introduction movement of the indicia within the device. It is understood that the indicia may also contain additional information that is read when the indicia are not in motion, for example when the article is introduced into the device, before, during or after its consumption.

Information in the indicia may be encoded in digital (eg, binary) or analog fashion.

As used herein, the term "electrical effect" includes effects caused by electric fields, or voltage or current resistance, or magnetic or inductive effects. As used herein, "optical effect" includes any color, intensity, polarization, spectral, interference, transmission, deviation, or reflection effect.

In a first aspect, the invention is accomplished by a method of identifying coded information located on an aerosol-generating consumable article 1 . The article 1 comprises at least one indicia 10 defining an insertion direction Z and containing coded information relating to the article 1 placed on or within said article 1 .

The method is
- inserting the aerosol-generating article along the insertion direction Z into the heated cavity 200 of the aerosol-generating device 2 for receiving the aerosol-generating consumable article 1, said aerosol-generating device 2 comprising the indicia detection system 100; , process and
- said encoding in said indicia 10 during the insertion movement of said aerosol-generating article 1 into said heating cavity 200 of said aerosol-generating device 2 from the proximal end 2a of said cavity 200 to the distal end 2b of said heating cavity 200; detecting the information with an indicia detection system;
including.

It is understood that movement of the aerosol-generating article may be achieved after full insertion of the article into said cavity. This movement can be, for example, any back-and-forth movement of the aerosol-generating article after it has been inserted into cavity 200 .

Detection of indicia 10 can be accomplished by any of the previously defined optical and/or electrical effects. Detection of indicia 10 is completely terminated when aerosol-generating article 1 is no longer moving. In a variant, additional information about the article 1 may be obtained during the removal movement of the article 1 .

Indicia 10 may have a continuous shape (FIGS. 8, 10) along the length of the article, or may be arranged according to a plurality of indicia elements 11-17 (FIGS. 1, 3, 6, 10). may be

In one embodiment, the indicium 10 is made of an array of optical layers arranged lengthwise in the insertion direction Z, and the indicia detection system 100 includes at least one optical detector 130,140. As further described and illustrated in FIG. 6, detector system 100 may include two different detectors. In one embodiment, at least one of said two detectors 130, 140 may be a non-optical detector. For example, the first detector is an optical detector and the second detector is an electrical detector, such as a capacitive, inductive, or resistive detector.

The layer that can be used as a support for the code or indicia 10 is advantageously selected among article layers such as one of glue layers, joints, seams, separation layers, joining layers, overlapping layers. A layer may also have a single function as a support layer for indicia or an array of indicia.

In advantageous embodiments, the indicia 10 are typically implemented on or within a layer that may have one of the following functions.
- bonding or gluing;
- spacing between layers or elements;
- mechanical or humidity protection, packaging, stiffening and/or separation,
- air flow or cooling,
- reducing or increasing friction on the user's skin,
- optical and/or aesthetic functions;

Indicia may also be placed on components or inserts or layers incorporated within or on the article simply to prove the indicia.

In a variant, a layer of an article may be used as indicia 10 . Indeed, it is understood that typical manufacturing layers of article 1, such as paper wrappers or glue layers, may be manufactured to conform to a predetermined shape, such as a triangle, which may be identified during introduction of the article into the apparatus. . Thus, shaped portions of such layers can be used as indicia 10 and no additional indicia layer on or within article 1 is required.

In a variant (not shown) the indicia 10 may be formed by at least two straight lines or strips arranged according to an angle with respect to the longitudinal axis of the article 10 . For example, indicia 10 may comprise two thin lines or strips separated or touching by a small distance on the consumable portion side of the article and having a greater separation on the mouthpiece side of the article. Such lines or strips may have curved shapes and/or may have variable widths. Said at least two straight lines or strips may have an angle with respect to each other, or may even be intersecting lines or strips. In a variant, the indicia may comprise two fine lines exhibiting a relative angle of less than 10°, preferably less than 5°, which are difficult to detect with the naked human eye. Such a variant can also be combined with the further described embodiment of FIG. 8, which includes an additional longitudinal code, possibly a bar code extending the length of said two lines or strips.

In variations of all the embodiments herein, layer 10 can have at least one of the following characteristics.
- the layers may comprise different portions with different lengths;
- the layer can at least partially overlap another layer that is also used as indicia 10;
- A layer can have any 2D and/or 3D shape, the 2D shape being defined in the plane of the layer. Preferably, the shape is defined by a polynomial shape such as a triangle, pentagon, ellipse or oval.
- a layer may comprise at least two branches, such as a layer having a Y-shape;
- the layer comprises at least one opening, which may be a through opening extending from one side of the layer to the opposite side;
- having a variable width over the length of the layer; For example, the variable width can be a series of continuous or discontinuous steps arranged over at least a portion of its length.

Indicia 10 may also be formed by chemical treatment of a portion of the layer of consumable 1 . For example, a predetermined surface area of the wrapper can be chemically etched or vapor deposited, and this partially etched or vapor deposited area can serve as indicia 10 . For example, etching is used to achieve a seam layer with variable width along the length of the article so that the seam layer can be detected when the article is introduced along the central axis 204 of the cavity of the device. can be

In a variant, the indicia 10 may be formed by thickened predetermined areas of the surface of the article 1 .

In one embodiment, the indicia 10 may be formed by at least two optical or electrical layers 10, 10' having different optical transmission or reflection properties or different electrical properties.

In one embodiment, the indicia 10 are made of an array of continuous conductive layers arranged lengthwise in the insertion direction Z, and the indicia detection system 100 includes at least one electrical sensing portion 110 .

In one embodiment, said conductive layer is a metal layer. Alternatively, the layer is a graphite layer or a conductive ink layer. In a variant, the layers of the article can have directional conductivity. For example, the conductivity can differ in two orthogonal directions. This can be achieved, for example, by directional doping of the layers.

In one embodiment, said conductive layer is a conductive ink layer 10 .

In embodiments, the conductive layer may be a layer made of an intrinsically conductive polymer (ICP). This makes it possible to provide a conductive layer free of metal compounds or metal particles.

In a variant, different types of conductive layers may be implemented on or within the same consumable article 1 .

In one embodiment, the electrical sensing portion is configured to sense at least the capacitance between the conductive layer and the electrical sensing portion.

In one embodiment, the electrical sensing portion is configured to sense at least electrical inductance generated between the conductive layer 10 and the electrical sensing portion.

In one embodiment, the electrical sensing portion 100 of the present invention is configured to sense at least electrical resistance between said conductive layer 10 and said electrical sensing portion.

In one embodiment, the indicia 10 are made of an array 10 of magnetic layers arranged in the length of the insertion direction Z, and the indicia detection system 100 is configured to detect the magnetic field generated by the magnetic layers. and at least one magnetic detector.

In the embodiment shown in Figure 3, said indicia 10 are at least a first array 10' and a second array 10' of detectable layers both extending along said insertion direction Z or parallel to said insertion direction Z. ' is made by a signal S1 provided by an optical or electrical effect of said at least a first array 10′ and a second array 10″, respectively, of detectable layers, as schematically illustrated in FIGS. 4 and 5; S2 is detected by at least one detector 110, 110' and superimposed to provide a superimposed signal S3 that provides a unique identification code identifying the aerosol-generating consumable article 1. FIG. The sensing units 110, 110' can be optical or electrical or magnetic sensors, but also sensors configured to measure optical and electrical effects simultaneously. For example, the sensor may be configured as a Faraday Effect sensor, which may detect the polarization state and, at the same time, change the polarization state with an induced current induced in a metal layer or wire.

FIG. 7 shows a detailed view of the two superimposed signals S1, S2. As can be seen by comparing the shape of the signals S1+S2 for different velocities V1 and V2 as shown in FIG. 7, the signal shape of the superimposed signal S1+S2 presents a unique shape independent of the acceleration of the insertion movement of the article. The shape of the signals S1+S2 at speed V2 above speed V1 is the same. For example, even if the introductory movement of the article in the device is an accelerating movement, it is still possible to determine the overall shape of the superimposed signal S1+S2, for example by counting the number of peaks and valleys.

In a variant, a detector scheme for detecting and correcting abrupt rearward, i.e. z-direction, i.e. movements away from the end 2b of the cavity 200 may be implemented. Such correction techniques are well known in the field of rotary or linear encoders and will not be further described herein.

In one embodiment, the indicia detection system 100 includes at least one electrical detector 130 and at least one optical detector 140 .

In an advantageous variant shown in FIG. 6, said indicia 10 comprises at least one electrically detectable layer 10a and at least one optically detectable layer 10b, both layers along said direction of insertion Z or said Disposed parallel to the direction Z, the indicia detection system 100 includes at least one electrical detector 130 and at least one optical detector 140 . In a variant of the configuration of FIG. 6, said indicia 10 comprises at least two different optically detectable layers 10a, 10b and the two detectors 130, 140 are different optical detectors. The detectors 130, 140 can be detectors that include color filters or interference filters. In all embodiments of the present invention, optical detection system 100 may include optical means for measuring spectral properties such as spectrometers or refractive or diffractive dispersive elements. The optical detection system may include mirrors for directing the collected light to detectors 130, 140 located away from portions of the layer that provide optical information such as its spectral characteristics. In one variant, the detection portion may be arranged at the distal end 2b of the cavity 200. FIG.

In embodiments, the indicia may be made to include at least two cords, which may be cords having a predetermined angle. For example, FIG. 8 shows conical indicia with varying widths. As shown schematically in FIG. 8, a code such as a bar code not only contains readable code in the longitudinal distribution of the code elements, but also adds complexity to the code by adding information about variations in the width of the indicia. can be incorporated within or on a layer of indicia.

In an advantageous variant, the indicia may have a wedge shape and at least one of its sides may comprise a step structure as shown in the example of FIG. FIG. 9 shows how the first signal Sz can be provided in relation to the longitudinal distribution of the code elements 1001 , 1004 , 1007 , 1010 of the indicia 10 . FIG. 9 shows exemplary signals Sz1, Sz4, Sz7, Sz10 corresponding to longitudinally oriented code elements 1001, 1004, 1007, 1010. FIG. Variations in the width of the step of the indicia can result in a summed signal Sy whose maximum value area aligns with the center of the step as shown in FIG. The sum of the signal Sx, which relates to the longitudinal code elements, and the signal Sy, which relates to information about changes in the width or presence of the steps, provides far more information than simpler codes such as the code shown in FIG. constitute a code signal S1+S2 containing

In a variant, to further complicate the code, information about variable thickness of consecutive indicia elements with different thicknesses can be provided, as shown in FIG. The indicia elements are arranged in an array in the direction Z, for example parallel to the longitudinal axis of the article, as shown in FIG. The thickness of each element is determined in the insertion direction Z or perpendicular to the tangent to the surface of the article, for example radially with respect to the surface of the rod-shaped article. In a variant, the indicia elements 11 - 19 can be realized directly in the material of layer 20 . Indicia may be realized in or on at least one side of the material of layer 20 during manufacture of the article, for example by means of a press tool. The thickness may also differ between two parallel arrays of layers. For example, the first array may have layers of first thicknesses t1, t2, t3 and the second array may have layers of second thicknesses t4, t5, t6. good.

FIG. 11 shows indicia made of layers configured to provide internally reflected light similar to the reflection in a prism or pentaprism. This allows a signal to be provided depending on the manner in which the item is introduced into the device, for example providing information regarding the depth of introduction of the item within the cavity 200 . The light source 300 and detector system 100 of the embodiment of Figure 11 can be configured to detect a layer 10 disposed at the distal end of an article. For example, the device 2 may not trigger activation of the device 2 unless the distal end containing the layer provides a signal to the detector 110 .

In variations, the indicia 10 of the present invention may have optical properties such as light converging properties, light diverging properties, and the like. In variations, the indicia may provide signals related to changes in color, polarization, and optical scattering effects, or changes in combinations of such optical effects. It is generally understood herein that various detection schemes or imaging methods can be applied to detect and/or image the indicia 10 or indicia layer 10 of the present invention. The image processing techniques of the present invention can be simple contrast enhancement techniques or very sophisticated image processing methods such as those used in any high security detection system such as those used in banking or fingerprint recognition. In variations, 2D and/or 3D imaging may be used to detect and interpret information embedded in indicia 10 . For example, 3D imaging techniques can be used to detect changes in height of indicia elements such as elements 11-19 shown in FIG. In a variant, an optical depth probe can be used to detect the indicia. Such probes are optical devices that provide information about the depth or depth profile of structures, in this case indicia structures. Interferometric optical techniques may also be used in the detection system 100, 100' of the present invention.

Any advanced imaging and/or image processing techniques can be used to detect the indicia. Image processing, including feature extraction techniques, is well known in the art of 2D and 3D image processing and will not be further described herein.

As such, reference is made to the following publications, which are incorporated herein in their entirety.
-R. Szeliski, Computer vision: Algorithms and Applications, Springer Verlag, 2010, ISBN 978-1848829343,
-J. R. Parker, Algorithms for image processing and Computer Vision ( ^2nd ed.), Wiley, 2011, ISBN 978-0470643853,
-N. Mark, A. Aguado, Feature Extraction and Image Processing for Computer Vision (4th ed.), Academic Press, 2019, ISBN 978-0128149768.

In another aspect, the invention includes a power section (not shown) disposed within an outer body and a cavity 200 defining a cavity axis 204, said body having an opening accessible in the outer body. and configured to receive a consumable article 1 defining an insertion direction Z.

The aerosol generating device 2 is for optically and/or electrically detecting the readable code during the insertion movement of the article 1 into the cavity 200 from its proximal end 2a to its distal end 2b. , further includes a configured indicia detection system 100 disposed within the device 2 .

The invention also includes at least one indicia 10 defining an insertion direction Z and containing coded information about the article 1 , said indicia 10 and said coded information being associated with the insertion of the aerosol-generating article 1 into the aerosol-generating device 2 . Realized by the aerosol-generating article 1 being arranged along or parallel to the insertion direction Z to be readable by the indicia detection system 100 of the aerosol-generating device 2 during movement.

In another aspect, the invention is also realized by an aerosol-generating system comprising an at least partially inserted aerosol-generating article 1 and said aerosol-generating device 2 .

Claims (17)

A method of identifying coded information located on an aerosol-generating consumable article (1) for consumption by using an aerosol-generating device, said article (1) defining an insertion direction (Z), comprising at least one indicia (10) containing coded information relating to said article (1) located on or within said article (1), said aerosol generating device (2) being positioned on said article (1); comprising a cavity (200) configured for insertion of said article (1) along a direction (Z), comprising an indicia detection system (100), said method comprising:
Insertion of said aerosol-generating article (1) within said cavity (200) as said article (1) moves within or through said cavity (200) of said aerosol-generating device (2). A method comprising reading said encoded information of said indicia (10) by said indicia detection system (100) during the course of time of movement. The indicia (10) of claim 1, wherein the indicia (10) comprises an array of optical layers arranged lengthwise in the insertion direction (Z) and the indicia detection system (100) comprises at least one optical detector (110). 1. The method according to 1. 3. A method according to claim 2, wherein at least two of said optical layers have different light transmission and/or reflection and/or absorption and/or scattering and/or diffraction and/or polarization properties. The indicia (10) comprises an array of conductive layers arranged along the length in the insertion direction (Z), and the indicia detection system (100) comprises at least one electrical sensing portion (110). Item 4. The method according to any one of items 1 to 3. 5. The method of claim 4, wherein said conductive layer (10) is a metal layer. A method according to claim 4 or 5, wherein said conductive layer (10) is a conductive ink layer, preferably a metallic ink layer. A method according to claim 4 or 5, wherein said conductive layer (10) is an intrinsically conductive polymer (ICP) layer. The method of any one of claims 4-7, wherein the electrical sensing portion is configured to sense a capacitance between the conductive layer and the electrical sensing portion. The method of any one of claims 4 to 7, wherein the electrical sensing portion (100) is configured to sense an electrical inductance generated between the conductive layer and the electrical sensing portion. The electrical sensing portion (100) of any one of claims 4 to 7, wherein the electrical sensing portion (100) is configured to sense an electrical resistance between the conductive layer (10) and the electrical sensing portion (100). described method. Said indicia (10) comprises an array of magnetic layers arranged in said length in said insertion direction (Z), said indicia detection system being at least configured to detect magnetic fields generated by said magnetic layers. 2. The method of claim 1, comprising a single magnetic detector. Said indicia (10) are at least a first array (10') and a second array (10') of detectable layers both extending along said insertion direction (Z) or parallel to said insertion direction (Z). '), wherein the signals (S1, S2) generated by each of the at least first array (10') and the second array (10'') of the detectable layer are subjected to at least one optical detection Claims 1 to 11, providing a superimposed signal (S3) detected by a portion (110, 110') and preferably superimposed to provide a unique identification code identifying said aerosol-generating consumable article (1). The method according to any one of . The method of any of claims 1-12, wherein the indicia detection system (100) comprises at least one electrical detector (130) and at least one optical detector (140). Said indicia (10) comprises at least one electrically detectable layer (10a) and at least one optically detectable layer (10b), both layers along said insertion direction (Z) or (Z), wherein the indicia detection system (100) comprises at least one electrical detector (130) and at least one optical detector (140). The method according to item 1. comprising a power section (120) disposed within an outer body (110) and a cavity (200) defining a cavity axis (204), said body (110) having an opening accessible in said outer body. (202) and configured to receive a consumable article (1) defining an insertion direction (Z), comprising:
Said aerosol generator (2) optically transmits a readable code upon insertion of said article (1) into said cavity and as said article moves within or through said cavity (200). and/or an indicia detection system configured within the device to electrically detect
Aerosol generator (2). An aerosol-generating article (1) for an aerosol-generating device comprising a cavity, said article having at least one indicia (10) defining an insertion direction (Z) and containing coded information relating to said article (1). wherein said indicia (10) indicate that said aerosol-generating article (1) is inserted into said cavity, as said article moves within or through said cavity of said aerosol-generating device (2); positioned in said insertion direction (Z) for being read by the indicia detection system of the generator (2);
Aerosol-generating article (1). An aerosol-generating system comprising the aerosol-generating device (2) according to claim 15 and the aerosol-generating article (1) according to claim 16, wherein the aerosol-generating article (1) is at least partially An aerosol generation system inserted in said aerosol generator (2).

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