KR20230002422A - How to operate an aerosol generating device - Google Patents

Abstract

The present invention relates to a method of operating an aerosol generating device. The method includes determining a location orientation of the device when in use; monitoring device usage; activating a first operating mode when it is determined that the device is in a first orientation, wherein in the first mode, a first indication is provided to a user when usage of the device reaches a first threshold. activating; and activating a second mode of operation when the device is determined to be in a second orientation, wherein in the second mode, no indication is provided to the user.

Description

How to operate an aerosol generating device

The present invention relates to a method of operating an aerosol generating device for improved user experience. More specifically, the present invention relates to aerosol-generating devices, such as e-cigarettes, heat-not-burn devices, and the like, capable of indicating inhalation of an aerosol to a user based on the location of the device.

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION Inhalers or aerosol generating devices such as e-cigarettes or vaping devices are becoming increasingly popular. These generally heat or warm an aerosolisable material to create an aerosol for inhalation, as opposed to burning tobacco as in conventional tobacco products. The resulting aerosol may contain a flavoring agent and/or a stimulant (eg, nicotine or other active ingredient). Users of such inhalers may sometimes wish to monitor the amount of flavor or stimulant inhaled during use.

Most aerosol-generating devices typically contain some form of electronic control circuitry, including a simple computer processor, to allow a user to control the operation of the aerosol-generating device. However, these devices may be quite limited in their settings and may not provide more flexibility to the user. Even in devices that allow users to customize settings, this requires some effort from the user and may not be intuitive.

Accordingly, there is a need for a device that can be operated and controlled according to the user's preference for aerosol monitoring without requiring more effort.

According to an aspect of the present invention, a method of operating an aerosol generating device is provided, the method comprising: determining a positional orientation of the device when in use; monitoring device usage; activating a first operating mode when it is determined that the device is in a first orientation, wherein in the first mode, a first indication is provided to a user when usage of the device reaches a first threshold. activating; and activating a second mode of operation when the device is determined to be in a second orientation, wherein in the second mode, no indication is provided to the user.

Advantageously, a user can choose to operate in two different modes by simply flipping the vaping device in different directions. It is possible to monitor vaping usage in two modes but when operating in the first mode an indication is provided to the user when a usage threshold is reached. In this way, the user has more control over their vaping habits.

Preferably, the first indication is provided only when the usage amount of the device in the first direction reaches the first threshold value.

Preferably, in the method, the first mode is maintained if the device is determined to be in the second direction for less than a preset period of time and returns to the first direction within the preset period of time.

Preferably, when in the second direction, the first mode is maintained if the usage of the device is less than a preset number of puffs before the device returns to the first direction.

Preferably, in the method, it is determined whether the device has been in the first direction at least once during a predetermined period of use and, if so, a second indication is provided to the user at the end of the predetermined period of use.

Preferably, the second indication is provided to the user when usage of the device reaches a second threshold value during a predetermined usage period.

Preferably, in the method, an aerosol source is identified and the second threshold is automatically set based on the aerosol source.

Preferably, in the method, an input is received from a user to set the second threshold value.

Preferably, in the method, a second indication is provided to the user when a usage amount of the device reaches a second threshold value after a predetermined period of usage irrespective of the active mode of operation.

Preferably, in the method, the number of puffs is counted to determine usage of the device, and each puff is associated with a time stamp to analyze usage over time.

Preferably, the method further comprises receiving an input from a user to set the number of puffs in the session as a first threshold for a first mode and resetting the number of puffs to zero if the setting is changed by the user during the session. .

Preferably, in the method, the difference between the first direction and the second direction is 180 degrees along the longitudinal axis of the device.

According to another aspect of the present invention, control circuitry is provided for use in an aerosol generating device, the control circuitry configured to operate the method described above.

According to another aspect of the present invention, an aerosol generating device is provided, comprising: a body having an inlet and an outlet, wherein an air channel is defined between the inlet and the outlet; an orientation sensor configured to detect a location orientation of the device when in use; As a controller, it is configured to monitor usage of the device; configured to activate a first operating mode when the device is detected to be in the first direction, in the first mode, an indication is provided to the user when usage of the device reaches a first threshold; and a controller configured to activate a second mode of operation when the device is detected to be in a second orientation, in the second mode no indication is provided to the user.

According to yet 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.

Embodiments of the present invention are now described by way of example with reference to the drawings:
1 shows an aerosol generating device according to an aspect of the present invention;
Figure 2 shows a block diagram of various components of the device of Figure 1;
Figure 3 shows a flow diagram of a method of operating the device of Figure 1;
4 and 5 show graphs illustrating the control operation of the device of FIG. 1 .
6 depicts a user's vaping profile displayed on a personal computing device associated with the aerosol generating device of FIG. 1;

Next, various aspects of the present invention will be described. Note that the same or similar parts are denoted by the same or similar reference numerals in the description of the drawings below. Note that the drawings are schematic and the proportions of the respective sizes differ from the actual proportions. Therefore, in consideration of the following description, specific sizes and the like must be estimated.

1 shows an aerosol generating device 100 of the non-combustion type, which is a device for inhaling an aerosol by heating or vaporization without combustion. The device 100 has a rod-like shape with a main body 101 extending from a non-mouthpiece end 102 to a mouthpiece end 103. An air channel or path is defined in the main body 100 between opposite ends 102 and 103 . The aerosol generating device 100 of this example is an electronic cigarette or vaping device, hereinafter referred to as an electronic cigarette 100 . The electronic cigarette 100 operates by vaporizing or heating an aerosol source inserted into the electronic cigarette 100 to release flavoring and/or stimulants for the user to inhale through the mouthpiece end 103. The construction and operation of such aerosol-generating devices is well known in the art and one skilled in the art will understand that the invention disclosed herein can be applied to an aerosol-generating device of any shape, configured with any aerosol-generating technique, including but not limited to examples. will understand

The electronic cigarette 100 may include an activation switch 104 that may be configured to perform at least one of turning on and turning off the power source of the electronic cigarette 100 . The activation switch 104 may be a push button or touch button disposed at any convenient location on the surface of the main body 101 of the e-cigarette 100. Alternatively, the e-cigarette 100 does not rely on a switch button to activate the power supply to the heater, but rather a puff sensor that detects airflow and triggers the device to start generating an aerosol.

2 is a block diagram illustrating the various components or modules of the electronic cigarette 100. In one example, the e-cigarette 100 vaporizes the consumable module 201a and the consumable item 201b received by the consumable module 201a to expel an aerosol containing a flavorant and/or stimulant that is inhaled by the user. The heating element 202 is included. In this example, the consumable item 201b is a substance containing nicotine. The presence of the consumable item 201b in the consumable module 201a can be detected by the detector 201c. The consumable article 201b may be in solid or liquid form and is heated by the heating element 202 to emit an aerosol without burning. If the consumable item 201b is a liquid reservoir, more than one consumable item can be accommodated in the consumable module 201a. Heating element 202 may be powered by power source 203 .

The power source 203 is, for example, a lithium ion battery. The power source 203 supplies power necessary for the operation of the electronic cigarette 100 . For example, the power source 203 supplies power to all other components or modules included in the e-cigarette 100.

For purposes of this description, it will be understood that the terms vapor and aerosol are interchangeable. In some examples, the heating element is disposed within a capsule or cigarette-like aerosol generating material and is connectable to the aerosol generating device rather than being a component of the aerosol generating device itself.

In one embodiment, the flavoring agent is present in the consumable item 201b. Flavoring agents may include ethylvanillin (vanilla), menthol, isoamyl acetate (banana oil) or the like. In another embodiment, the consumable item 201b may include an additional flavoring agent (not shown) provided on the side of the mouthpiece end 103 beyond the consumable module 201a and the consumable item 201b; Along with the aerosol generated from the consumable item 201b, a flavoring agent for the user to inhale is created. In yet another embodiment, the e-cigarette 100 includes more than one consumable article that each includes a flavoring agent and/or a specified level of the active ingredient (nicotine). In this case, each consumable article can be independently heated to create an aerosol.

The e-cigarette 100 also includes a controller 204 configured to control various components within the e-cigarette. For example, the controller 204 includes a timing device 205 (including a timer), a communication device 206, a memory 207, a direction sensor 208 and a puff sensor 209 included in the e-cigarette 100. ) can be controlled. Timing device 205 is configured to generate timestamps for puff data or event data that provide time information (eg, time of day) and help analyze a user's vaping preferences. Timing device 205 is also configured to monitor the timing of each puff and intervene between them and provide this information to controller 204 to monitor and potentially limit a user's use of e-cigarette 100 . For example, the timing device 205 can determine when to indicate the user upon reaching a puff threshold. Note that the functionality of the timing device 205 may be incorporated into the controller 204 .

The communication device 206 is configured to manage communications with any personal computing device, server, tracking device, or other electronic cigarette in the vicinity of the electronic cigarette 100 . Memory 207 is configured to store vaping usage history and information, such as user settings and preferences.

The e-cigarette 100 may also include various sensors, such as a direction sensor 208 and a puff sensor 209 . The orientation sensor 208, eg, a gyroscope, is configured to determine the positional orientation of the e-cigarette 100, eg, whether the e-cigarette 100 is held facing up or facing down when in use. . When the e-cigarette 100 is used with its face up (activation button 104 and/or LED and/or logo facing upward), a first mode of operation is provided in which an indication is provided to the user when the puff threshold is reached. Activated. This mode is also referred to as session mode.

When the e-cigarette is used face down (activation button 104 and/or LED facing downward), a second mode of operation is activated in which no indication is presented to the user when the puff threshold is reached. This mode is also referred to as free mode. That is, the electronic cigarette 100 is rotated or turned 180 degrees along its longitudinal axis to switch between session mode and free mode. In session mode with the LED facing upward, the puff threshold is indicated to the user by an LED that is easily visible to the user. In free mode with the LED pointing downward, the puff threshold is not displayed to the user.

Note that the e-cigarette 100 facing up or down may also be defined for any visual pattern, such as a logo or surface design, to serve as a reference for the user. An activation button and LED may not be necessary to provide this reference. In any case, the sensors on the device may not be dependent on this physical or visual element.

Puff sensor 209 is configured to determine the number of puff actuations that inhale an aerosol. The puff sensor 209 may also determine a period of time required for a puff actuation to inhale an aerosol. Recorded usage data may include puff duration (ie, length of puff), puff interval (ie, time between successive puffs) and fluid and/or nicotine consumption.

The electronic cigarette 100 may also include a consumable recognition sensor (not shown) configured to identify a consumable item 201b inserted into the electronic cigarette 100 . The recognition sensor may be included in the consumable module 201a or the detector 201c. A cognitive sensor may recognize the strength of the stimulant contained in the consumable item 201b from an NFC/RFID tag disposed on the consumable item 201b using NFC, RFID or any other known technique.

The electronic cigarette 100 may also include an input-output (I/O) or user interface 210 configured to provide indications to and receive input from the user. I/O interface 210 preferably includes a display device and an input device. The display device may include a visual light emitting element including one or more Light Emitting Diodes (LEDs), a screen display or an acoustic emitter or other suitable means to provide an indication to a user. A visual light emitting element, such as an LED, may be disposed at the tip of the non-mouthpiece end 102 or on the side of the e-cigarette 100 . These LEDs indicate different light-emitting modes: puff state where aerosol is inhaled, non-puff state where aerosol is not inhaled, preheat state where the heater is heated, ready to vape state when the heater is operating at the target temperature to generate aerosol, LED The bar may provide the user with an indication of the depletion status indicative of the depletion level of the aerosol source and any other information related to the operating status of the e-cigarette. The input device may be one or more user-operable buttons or sensible touch panels responsible for being pressed, toggled or touched.

All of the components described above transmit and/or receive commands and/or data via the communication bus 211 .

In one embodiment, the e-cigarette 100 is also configured to communicate with a personal computing device (not shown) owned by the user. A personal computing device may be a smartphone, tablet or laptop. For clarity, the personal computing device is hereinafter referred to as a smartphone. Preferably, the electronic cigarette 100 is configured to be communicatively connected to or paired with a smartphone wirelessly using Wi-Fi, Bluetooth, or other wireless communication standard. The smartphone preferably runs a mobile application (commonly referred to as an app) that allows a user to interact with the e-cigarette 100 through a user-friendly interface. The app may be hosted by the manufacturer of the e-cigarette 100 and may be compatible with different mobile platforms, such as iOS™ and Android™.

3 shows a flow diagram of a process 300 for activating the e-cigarette 100. Note that the steps of process 300 may not necessarily be performed in the same sequence. Also, not all steps are shown and some of the steps may be optional and may be omitted.

In step 301, the location direction of the device is determined when in use. In this example, when the user starts using the e-cigarette 100, the orientation sensor 208 of the e-cigarette 100 determines whether the e-cigarette 100 is held in an upward or downward position. . Optionally, the direction sensor 208 can be activated when the user presses the activation switch 104 . In addition, there may be a motion sensor that detects movement of the electronic cigarette 100 in addition to activation of the activation switch 104 . Signals from the direction sensor 208, activation switch 104 and motion sensor are all processed by the controller 204 to determine if one of the two modes of operation is active.

At step 302, usage of the device is monitored. In this example, when it is determined that the device is in use, regardless of direction, the controller 204 begins monitoring usage of the e-cigarette 100 with the aid of the puff sensor 209 and the timing device 205 . Puff sensor 209 detects each puff that the user inhales and timing device 205 not only timestamps each puff, but also monitors the start and end of each puff. In session mode, the timing device 205 starts and stops a timer between two consecutive puffs and monitors interruptions during a puff session. This is explained in detail later with reference to FIGS. 4 and 5 . Nevertheless, in both session mode and free mode, the number of puffs inhaled by the user is counted and recorded to analyze the user's vaping pattern over time.

At step 303, it is determined whether the device is in a first orientation. In this example, if the controller 204 determines from the signal received from the orientation session 208 that the e-cigarette 100 is to be held facing up, then processing moves to step 304, or otherwise processing moves to step 307. ) is moved to

At step 304, a first mode of operation is activated. In this example, upon determining that the e-cigarette 100 is held in the upward position, the controller 204 activates the session operating mode. In session mode, timing device 205 actively monitors the timing and number of each puff and communicates with controller 204 to take necessary action as needed. In one embodiment, a user may set the number of puffs in a session in session mode based on user preferences. For example, 0, 5, 10, 15 or 20 puffs in one session and user are notified when a set number of puffs in the session is reached. When “None” is selected, a minimum number of puffs is not set during the session. Furthermore, when the user is set in the middle of a session and in a new parameter or criterion, the number of puffs and amount vaporized are reset to zero.

In step 305, it is determined whether the amount of usage has reached a first threshold. In the present example, in session mode, the timing device continuously monitors the number of puffs taken by the user and compares this number to a predetermined threshold (also referred to as a puff threshold). When the number reaches the puff threshold, timing device 205 informs controller 204 and processing moves to step 306, otherwise processing allows controller 204 to continue using e-cigarette 100. It moves back to step 302 of monitoring.

At step 306, an indication is provided to the user. In this example, upon determining that the number of puffs has reached the puff threshold, controller 204 activates one or more indicators on I/O interface 210 . For example, after reaching the 15th puff (eg, 1 second after finishing inhalation), the upward facing LED on the I/O interface 210 is illuminated with a soft light as well as the e-cigarette 100 It is vibrated (eg, two short vibrations) to provide both a visual and a tactile indication to the user to remind the user of continued vaping. In addition, the user may also receive notifications in an app provided on the associated smartphone. If the user continues to vape after this, additional indications may be provided to the user after an additional threshold or Nth puff is reached, i.e., 30th puff, 45th puff, etc.

That is, in step 307 the second mode of operation is activated. In this example, when it is determined that the e-cigarette 100 is being used while pointing down, the controller 204 activates the free mode. While in the free mode, the controller 204 continuously monitors changes in the number and direction of the position of the e-cigarette 100, but no activation control is performed. Thus, as shown in step 308, no indication is provided to the user while operating in free mode. However, if the session mode is activated even once for a predefined period of time (eg, for 1 day), the electronic cigarette 100 will, regardless of the currently active mode of operation, have a safety threshold set to the corresponding predefined operating mode. When the time period is reached, safe mode is entered to provide an indication to the user. For example, if the user is currently vaping in free mode and has reached 50 puffs on the day and has vaped at least 1 time during the day in active session mode, controller 204 will trigger an I/O when the 50th puff is reached. An indication is provided to the user via interface 210 .

In one embodiment, the safety threshold may be based on the strength of the consumable item 201b as identified by the perceptual sensor. For example, if the nicotine strength of the consumable item 201b is 12 mg/ml, the safety threshold can be automatically set to 50 puffs per day and if the strength is 18 mg/ml, the safety threshold is set to 40 puffs per day. do. In another embodiment, the safety threshold may be set based on user input.

FIG. 4 depicts a graph 400 illustrating the related response of the timing device 205 and puff sensor 209 of the e-cigarette 100 . The response of the timing device 205 is plotted on the X-axis against the response of the puff sensor 209 on the Y-axis. The puff sensor 209 detects the first puff 400-1 performed by the user. As soon as the first puff 400-1 ends, the timing device 205 starts a timer, i.e., at the trailing edge of the puff wave. The timing device 205 continues to monitor the time and the timer remains on until the next puff is detected. As soon as the next puff is detected, ie at the leading edge of the next puff wave, the timer is turned off. The timer turns on again on the trailing edge of this puff wave.

In session mode, controller 204 uses this information from timing device 205 to monitor interruptions made by the user between puffs. Controller 204 continues to count successive puffs in the same session if the duration of the interruption made between two consecutive puffs is within a preset time period, as determined by the timer being turned on and off. When the number of puffs in that session reaches the puff threshold, controller 204 triggers I/O interface 210 to provide an indication to the user. That is, when the duration of the interruption exceeds a pre-set time period, eg, 7 minutes, the controller 204 restarts the counting of puffs in a new session. As shown in FIG. 4 , after the third puff 400-3, the user performs a long break and then performs the next puff 400-4. If this long break is shorter than 7 minutes, the timing device 205 counts it as a fourth puff in the same session. However, if this long break is longer than 7 minutes, timing device 205 resets the counter and puff 400-4 is the first puff in the new session. In this way, unnecessary indications are not provided to the user when the user takes long breaks in between and thus engages in continuous vaping that lasts once.

5 depicts a graph 500 illustrating the puff coefficient correction method used by controller 204 . The parameters of graph 500 are the same as those of graph 400 . In this example, the controller 204 directs the e-cigarette 100 downward (and thus operates in a free mode) when the user is actually intended to continue holding the e-cigarette 100 upward (and thus operating in a session mode). ) monitor the situation of inadvertent maintenance. The controller 204 determines that the e-cigarette 100 is inadvertently held in the downward direction if the user rotates the e-cigarette again in the upward direction within the correction threshold. Controller 204 therefore continues to count puffs in session mode and triggers an indication when the number of puffs exceeds the puff threshold.

In the first scenario, as shown in FIG. 5, the user holds the e-cigarette 100 facing up (first/session mode is activated) and 10 puffs in one session up to the 10th puffs 500-10. consider doing Then, after a 2 minute break period, the user inadvertently performs the next 2 puffs with the e-cigarette 100 pointed downward (activating the second/free mode). The user soon notices the mistake and rotates the e-cigarette 100 upward (within the correction threshold, eg, 3 puffs) and performs 3 additional puffs. In this scenario, the controller 204 will understand that the 2 puffs performed in the downward direction were accidental, and will therefore count these 2 puffs in session mode, thus setting the total number of puffs performed to 15 (puff threshold value) circuit and thus provide an indication to the user after the 15th puff (500-15).

In the second scenario, other things being the same as in the first scenario, the user ends up performing 5 puffs with the e-cigarette 100 facing down (free mode) before rotating the e-cigarette 100 upward. In this scenario, the controller 204 will not count these 5 puffs in session mode because the number of puffs exceeds the correction threshold. Therefore, even if the total number of puffs performed by the user is 15, no indication is provided to the user.

6 depicts a graphical representation of a user's vaping profile. In this example, an app provided on a smartphone associated with the electronic cigarette 100 creates the user's vaping profile 600 . As can be seen, the vaping profile 600 represents the total number of puffs taken by the user in the current puff session as well as the total amount of vapors or aerosols inhaled by the user on that day. There is also information about the total number of sessions and vaping time during the day by hourly breakdown, shown as a line graph. The profile 600 may also indicate the remaining battery level of the e-cigarette 100 and may indicate the number of sessions remaining or vaping time remaining with the current battery usage. Note that the user's vaping history is monitored regardless of the mode of operation.

Thus, in both session mode and free mode, the user can view the full vaping profile in the app.

It is understood that the devices and methods described above may vary depending on design choices and manufacturer's preferences. For example, the operating mode can be changed based on different location orientations of the device. Additionally, the timing control and puff counting sequence can be changed. Additionally, various thresholds and preset values may be hard coded or user configurable.

The controller 204 may also adjust the aerosol delivery to increase or decrease substances in the aerosol and/or add flavoring agents to the aerosol according to the user's preferences. The amount of a substance in an aerosol can be altered (increased or decreased) in a number of ways. In one example, the amount of aerosol expelled from the consumable article 201b may be changed to affect the amount of substance that the user inhales. In another example, a multi-tank vaping device may be used that includes two or more liquid reservoirs each containing liquid with a different concentration of a substance. By switching the feed to the reservoir containing different concentrations of liquid, it is possible to regulate substance inhalation while maintaining the same aerosol volume. In yet another example, mass transfer is achieved by controlling the heating operation in a steam-based device and a device that heats without burning (eg, by controlling the energy supplied to the heater) or by controlling the pressurized liquid source of the steam-based device. can be changed by doing

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

The foregoing description of exemplary 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 medium” refers to any medium for short- and long-term storage of 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 a method or technique. Accordingly, the methods described herein may be encoded as executable instructions embodied in a tangible, non-transitory computer readable medium, including without limitation storage and/or memory devices. When executed by a processor, these instructions cause the processor to perform at least some of the methods described herein. Moreover, as used herein, the term "non-transitory computer readable medium" includes both volatile and nonvolatile media and removable and non-removable media such as firmware, physical and virtual storage, CD-ROMs, DVDs and any other media. includes all types of computer readable media, including without limitation non-transitory computer storage devices, including without limitation digital sources such as networks or the Internet, as well as digital means still under development (the only exception being non-transitory radio signals) .

As will be understood based on the foregoing specification, the above-described embodiments of the present disclosure may be implemented using computer programming or engineering techniques including computer software, firmware, hardware, or any combination or subset thereof. there is. Any such resulting program, having computer readable code, may be included in or provided on one or more computer readable media to enable a computer program product, i.e., an article of manufacture, to be fabricated in accordance with the discussed embodiments of the present disclosure. can do. Articles of manufacture containing computer code may be made and/or used by executing the code directly from one medium, copying the code from one medium to another, or transmitting the code over a network.

Claims (15)

A method of operating an aerosol generating device comprising:
determining the location orientation of the device when in use;
monitoring usage of the device;
activating a first operating mode when the device is determined to be in a first orientation, providing a first indication to a user when usage of the device in the first mode reaches a first threshold; 1 activating mode of operation; and
activating a second mode of operation when the device is determined to be in a second orientation, wherein in the second mode, activating the second mode of operation provides no indication to the user;
Including, method. The method of claim 1 , wherein the first indication is provided only when usage of the device in the first direction reaches a first threshold. The method of claim 1 , further comprising maintaining the first mode if the device is determined to be in the second direction for less than a preset period of time and returns to the first direction within the preset period of time. . The method of claim 1 , further comprising maintaining the first mode if usage of the device when in the second direction is less than a preset number of puffs before the device returns to the first direction. Way. 3. The method of claim 1 or 2, further comprising determining if the device has been in the first direction at least once during a predetermined period of use and, if so, providing a second indication to the user at the end of the predetermined period of use. The method further comprising steps. 6. The method of claim 5, wherein the second indication is provided to the user when usage of the device during the predetermined period of usage reaches a second threshold. 7. The method of claim 6, further comprising identifying an aerosol source and automatically setting the second threshold based on the aerosol source. The method of claim 6 , further comprising setting the second threshold by receiving an input from the user. 9. The method according to any one of claims 6 to 8, wherein the second indication is provided to the user when usage of the device reaches the second threshold after the predetermined period of use regardless of the active mode of operation. The method further comprising steps. 10. The method of any one of claims 1 to 9, further comprising counting the number of puffs to determine usage of the device, wherein each puff is associated with a time stamp to analyze usage over time. Way. 11. The method of claim 10, wherein receiving an input from the user to set the number of puffs in a session as the first threshold during the first mode and resetting the number of puffs to zero if the setting is changed by the user during the session. Further comprising a method. 12. A method according to any preceding claim, wherein the difference between the first direction and the second direction is 180 degrees along the longitudinal axis of the device. Control circuitry for use in an aerosol generating device, configured to operate a method according to any one of claims 1 to 12. As an aerosol generating device,
a body having an inlet and an outlet, wherein an air channel is defined between the inlet and the outlet;
an orientation sensor configured to detect a location orientation of the device when in use;
As a controller,
configured to monitor usage of the device;
configured to activate a first operating mode when the device is detected to be in a first direction, in the first mode, an indication is provided to a user when usage of the device reaches a first threshold;
a controller configured to activate a second mode of operation when the device is detected to be in a second orientation, in the second mode no indication is provided to the user;
Including, aerosol generating device. A computer readable storage medium comprising instructions which, when executed by a computer, cause the computer to perform the steps of a method according to any one of claims 1 to 12.

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