RU2819390C1 - Aerosol supply system and method - Google Patents

Abstract

FIELD: aerosol supply system.

SUBSTANCE: group of inventions relates to an aerosol supply system, an aerosol generation method and a non-volatile computer-readable medium. The aerosol delivery system is configured to generate an aerosol from an aerosol generating substance for inhalation by the user, it comprises a computer configured to obtain user profile data characterizing the user's use of the aerosol delivery system depending on time, obtaining target usage profile data characterizing the intended use of the delivery system aerosol over time, estimating the difference between at least a portion of the user profile and a corresponding portion of the target usage profile over a given period of time. The computer is configured to adjust one or more operating parameters of the aerosol delivery system to at least partially match the user usage indicated by the user profile data with the intended usage of the aerosol delivery system for said predetermined period of time. The mapping distributes one or more of: the total delivered active ingredient, indicated by the target usage profile, across the user's usage profile over a given period, as specified in the user's profile data; delivery of the active ingredient on the user's breaths in accordance with the schedule of breaths in the intended use of the aerosol delivery system; delivering the active ingredient during the user's respective inhalation depending on the difference between the expected inhalation time indicated by the user profile data and the corresponding target inhalation time.

EFFECT: adjustment of aerosol delivery settings based on user profile data is provided.

13 cl, 9 dwg

Description

Field of technology to which the invention relates

The present invention relates to an aerosol delivery system and method.

State of the art

The description of the “prior art” given in this document is intended to generally provide the context of the invention. The work of the authors of this invention, to the extent that it is described in this section "Background Art", as well as aspects of the description that at the time of filing of the application cannot qualify as prior art, are not recognized as prior art, expressly or impliedly. regarding the present invention.

Electronic aerosol systems, such as electronic cigarettes (e-cigarettes), generally contain a source liquid reservoir containing a composition, typically including nicotine, from which an aerosol is produced, for example, by thermal evaporation. Thus, the aerosol source for the aerosol generation system may comprise a heater having a heating element configured to receive a source liquid from a reservoir, for example, through a wick/capillary effect. Other starting materials may also be heated to form an aerosol, such as plant materials or a gel containing the active ingredient and/or flavor. Therefore, more generally, an e-cigarette can be considered to contain or receive a payload for vaporization when heated.

When a user inhales through the device, electrical energy is applied to the heating element to vaporize an aerosol source (part of the payload) in the vicinity of the heating element to produce an aerosol to be inhaled by the user. Such devices are typically equipped with one or more air inlets located at a distance from the system mouthpiece. As the user sucks through the mouthpiece connected to the end of the system, air is drawn through the inlet ports and passed through the aerosol source. There is a path connecting the aerosol source to the opening in the mouthpiece, such that air drawn through the aerosol source follows a flow path to the mouthpiece opening, carrying with it some of the aerosol from the aerosol source. The air carrying the aerosol exits the aerosol production system through the mouthpiece opening for inhalation by the user.

Typically, electrical current is applied to the heater when the user draws/pulls through the device. Typically, electrical current is applied to a heater, such as a resistive heating element, in response to either activation of an air flow sensor located along the flow path when the user inhales/sucks/puffs, or in response to activation of a button by the user. The heat generated by the heating element is used to evaporate the composition. The released vapor is mixed with air drawn through the device when the user draws to form an aerosol. Alternatively or in addition, a heating element is used to heat, but typically not burn, plant material such as tobacco to release the active ingredients therein as a vapor/aerosol.

The amount of vapour/aerosol payload inhaled by the user will depend at least in part on how long and how deeply the user inhales, as well as how often over a period of time the user inhales. In turn, this behavior of users can be influenced by their mood.

Therefore, it would be beneficial to develop an aerosol delivery mechanism that better responds to the mood or behavior of the user.

Disclosure of the invention

In the first aspect, an aerosol supply system is proposed in accordance with claim 1 of the claims.

In another aspect, a method for generating an aerosol is provided in accordance with claim 10 of the claims.

Corresponding additional aspects and features of the invention are specified in the dependent claims.

It should be understood that the above summary of the invention and the following detailed description are given by way of example and not limitation of the invention.

Brief description of drawings

A more complete understanding of the invention and most of the attendant advantages thereof will be readily obtained and better understood by reference to the following detailed description in conjunction with the accompanying drawings, in which:

in fig. 1 shows an electronic vapor/aerosol system (EVPS);

in fig. Figure 2 shows additional details of the EVPS;

in fig. Figure 3 shows additional details of the EVPS;

in fig. Figure 4 shows additional details of the EVPS;

in fig. 5 shows a system containing an EVPS and a remote device;

in fig. 6 shows a block diagram of the aerosol supply method;

in fig. Figure 7 shows the actual and target EVPS usage profiles;

in fig. Figure 8 shows the EVPS settings depending on the actual and target EVPS usage profiles;

in fig. Figure 9 shows a modified actual EVPS usage profile.

Carrying out the invention

An electronic system and a method for supplying an aerosol are disclosed. In the following description, a number of specific details are presented in order to provide a thorough understanding of the embodiments of the present invention. However, it will be apparent to one skilled in the art that these specific details are not necessary to practice embodiments of the present invention. Rather, specific details known to one skilled in the art have been omitted where appropriate for clarity.

As described above, the present invention relates to an aerosol supply system (eg, a non-combustion aerosol supply system) or an electronic vapor supply system (EVPS), such as an electronic cigarette. In the following description, the expression “electronic cigarette” is sometimes used, but this expression can be used interchangeably with an (electronic) aerosol/vapor delivery system. Likewise, the terms “vapour” and “aerosol” are used interchangeably in this document.

In general, the electronic aerosol/vapor delivery system may be an electronic cigarette, also known as a vaping device or an electronic nicotine delivery (END) system, although it should be noted that the presence of nicotine in the aerosolized material is not required. In some embodiments, the non-combustion aerosol delivery system is a tobacco heating system, also known as a non-combustion heating system. In some embodiments, the non-combustible aerosol delivery system is a hybrid aerosol generation system using a combination of aerosolizable materials, one or more of which can heat. Each of the aerosolizable materials may be in the form of a solid, liquid or gel, for example, and may or may not contain nicotine. In some embodiments, the hybrid system comprises a liquid or gel aerosolizable material and a solid aerosolizable material. The solid aerosolizable material may contain, for example, tobacco or a non-tobacco product. At the same time, in some embodiments, the non-combustion aerosol delivery system generates vapor/aerosol from one or more such aerosolizable materials.

Typically, a non-combustion aerosol delivery system may comprise a non-combustion aerosol delivery device and an article for use with the non-combustion aerosol delivery system. However, it is contemplated that articles which themselves contain a means of feeding an aerosol generating component may themselves form an aerosol supply system without combustion. In one embodiment, the non-combustion aerosol delivery device may include a power source and a controller. The power source may be an electrical power source or an exothermic energy source. In one embodiment, the exothermic energy source includes a carbon substrate to which energy can be applied to distribute energy in the form of heat to an aerosolized material or heat transfer material in close proximity to the exothermic energy source. In one embodiment, an energy source, such as an exothermic energy source, is provided in the article to generate an aerosol without combustion. In one embodiment, an article for use with a non-combustion aerosol delivery device may comprise an aerosolizable material.

In some embodiments, the aerosol generating component is a heater capable of interacting with the aerosolized material to release one or more volatiles from the aerosolized material to form an aerosol. In one embodiment, the aerosol generating component is capable of generating an aerosol from the aerosolized material without heating. For example, the aerosol generating component may be capable of generating an aerosol from the material to be aerosolized without applying heat to it, such as through one or more of vibration, mechanical, pressure, or electrostatic means.

In some embodiments, the aerosolizable material may comprise an active material, an aerosol-forming material, and, optionally, one or more functional materials. The active material may contain nicotine (optionally contained in tobacco or a tobacco derivative) or one or more other physiologically active substances that are odorless. An odorless physiologically active material is a material that is included in an aerosolized material to achieve a physiological response other than olfactory perception. The aerosol generating material may contain one or more of the following components: glycerin, glycerin, propylene glycol, diethylene glycol, triethylene glycol, tetraethylene glycol, 1,3-butylene glycol, erythritol, mesoerythritol, ethyl vanillate, ethyl laurate, diethyl suberate, triethyl citrate, triacetin, diacetin mixture, benzyl benzoate , benzylphenylacetate, tributyrin, lauryl acetate, lauric acid, myristic acid and propylene carbonate. The one or more functional materials may contain one or more of the following: flavoring agents, carriers, pH adjusters, stabilizers, and/or antioxidants.

In some embodiments, an article for use with a non-combustion aerosol delivery device may include aerosolizable material or an area for receiving aerosolizable material. In one embodiment, an article for use with a non-combustion aerosol delivery device may include a mouthpiece. The aerosol material receiving area may be an aerosol material storage area. For example, the storage area may be a reservoir. In one embodiment, the area for inserting the aerosolizable material may be separate from or integrated with the aerosol generating area.

Referring now to the drawings, like reference numerals designate identical or corresponding parts in multiple views.

In fig. 1 is a schematic (not to scale) representation of an electronic aerosol/vapor delivery system, such as an electronic cigarette 10, in accordance with some embodiments of the invention. The electronic cigarette has a generally cylindrical shape extending along a longitudinal axis indicated by the dotted line LA, and contains two main components, namely, a body 20 and a cartomizer 30. The cartomizer includes an inner chamber containing a reservoir of a substance, such as, for example, with a liquid containing nicotine, a vaporizer (eg, a heater) and a mouthpiece 35. References to nicotine in the following are to be understood as merely exemplary and may be replaced by any other suitable payload. In the following, reference to "liquid" as a payload should be understood as an example only, and can be replaced by any other payload such as plant material (such as tobacco, which should be heated rather than burned) or a gel containing the active ingredient and /or flavoring. The reservoir may be a foam base or any other structure to hold the liquid until it needs to be delivered to the evaporator. In the case of a liquid/fluid payload, the evaporator is designed to vaporize liquid, and the cartomizer 30 also includes a wick or similar device for transporting a small amount of liquid from a reservoir to an evaporation point on or adjacent to the evaporator. In the following, the heater is used as a specific example of an evaporator. However, it is understood that other forms of vaporizer (eg, using ultrasonic waves) can also be used, and it is also understood that the type of vaporizer used may also depend on the type of payload that needs to be vaporized.

The housing 20 includes a battery or battery for supplying power to the electronic cigarette 10 and a circuit board for performing general control of the electronic cigarette. When the heater receives power from the battery under the control of the circuit board, the heater vaporizes the liquid, and this vapor is then inhaled through the mouthpiece 35 by the user. In some specific embodiments, the housing also includes a manual activation device 265, such as a button, switch, or touch button located on the outside of the housing.

The housing 20 and the cartomizer 30 can be detached from each other in a direction parallel to the longitudinal axis LA, as shown in FIG. 1, but when the device 10 is in use they are connected to each other by means of a connection schematically indicated in FIG. 1 through 25A and 25B to provide mechanical and electrical connectivity between the housing 20 and the cartomizer 30. The electrical connector 25B on the housing 20, which is used for connection to the cartomizer 30, also serves as a jack for connecting a charger (not shown) when the housing 20 is disconnected from the cartomizer 30. The other end of the charger may be inserted into a USB connector for charging a battery in the housing 20 of the electronic cigarette 10. In other implementations, a cable may be provided for direct connection between the electrical connector 25B on the housing 20 and the USB connector.

The electronic cigarette 10 includes one or more holes (not shown in FIG. 1) for air intake. These holes are connected to an air passage passing through the electronic cigarette 10 to the mouthpiece 35. When the user inhales through the mouthpiece 35, air is drawn into this air passage through one or more air intake holes that are suitably located on the outside of the electronic cigarette. When the heater is activated to vaporize nicotine from the cartridge, an air stream passes through and mixes with the resulting vapor, and this mixture of the air stream and the resulting vapor then exits through the mouthpiece 35 and is inhaled by the user. With the exception of disposable devices, the cartomizer 30 can be detached from the body 20 and disposed of when the liquid supply is used up (and replaced with another cartomizer if necessary).

It will be understood that the electronic cigarette 10 shown in FIG. 1 is provided by way of example, and various other implementations can be adapted. For example, in some embodiments, the cartomizer 30 is configured as two separate components, namely, a cartridge containing a reservoir of liquid with a mouthpiece (which can be replaced when the liquid in the reservoir is used up), and a vaporizer containing a heater (which is typically retained) . As another example, the charger may be connected to a supplementary or alternative power source, such as a vehicle's cigarette lighter.

In fig. 2 is a schematic (simplified) representation of the housing 20 of the electronic cigarette 10 shown in FIG. 1, in accordance with some embodiments of the invention. Fig. 2 can generally be considered a cross-section on a plane through the longitudinal axis LA of the electronic cigarette 10. Note that various components and housing parts, such as wires and more complex shapes, have been omitted in FIG. 2 for clarity.

Housing 20 includes a battery or accumulator 210 for powering the electronic cigarette 10 in response to activation of the device by a user. In addition, housing 20 includes a control unit (not shown in FIG. 2), such as a chip such as an application specific integrated circuit (ASIC) or microcontroller, for controlling the electronic cigarette 10. The microcontroller or ASIC includes a CPU or microprocessor. The actions of the CPU and other electronic components are generally at least partially controlled by programs running on the CPU (or other component). Such programs may be stored in nonvolatile memory, such as ROM, which may be integrated into the microcontroller itself or implemented as a separate component. If necessary, the CPU can access ROM to load individual programs. The microcontroller also contains a corresponding communication interface (and control software) for appropriate communication with other devices in the housing 10.

The housing 20 also includes a cap 225 for enclosing and protecting the distal end of the electronic cigarette 10. Typically, an air intake hole is provided in or near the cap 225 to allow air to enter the housing 20 when a user inhales through the mouthpiece 35. The control unit or The ASIC may be located along the battery 210 or at one end thereof. In some embodiments, the ASIC is coupled to sensor 215 to detect an inhalation through mouthpiece 35 (or, alternatively, sensor 215 may be implemented on the ASIC itself). An airflow path is formed from the air inlet through the e-cigarette through the airflow sensor 215 and the heater (in the vaporizer or cartomizer 30) to the mouthpiece 35. Thus, when the user inhales through the mouthpiece of the e-cigarette, the CPU detects such inhalation based on information from the sensor 215 air flow.

At the opposite end of the housing 20 from the cap 225, there is a connector 25B for connecting the housing 20 to the cartomizer 30. The 25B connector provides mechanical and electrical connectivity between the housing 20 and the cartomizer 30. The connector 25B includes a housing connector 240, which is metallic (in some embodiments silver plated) to act as a single contact for an electrical connection (positive or negative) to the cartomizer 30. The 25V connector also includes an electrical contact 250 providing a second contact for an electrical connection to the cartomizer 30 having the opposite direction of the first contact, that is, connector 240 housings, polarity. The electrical contact 250 is mounted on the coil spring 255. When the housing 20 is attached to the cartomizer 30, the connector 25A on the cartomizer 30 presses on the electrical contact 250 so as to compress the coil spring in the axial direction, i.e. in a direction parallel (codirectional) to the longitudinal axis LA. Due to the elasticity of the spring 255, this compression displaces the spring 255, causing it to expand, which presses the electrical contact 250 tightly against the connector 25A of the cartomizer 30, thereby helping to ensure good electrical connectivity between the housing 20 and the cartomizer 30. The housing connector 240 and the electrical contact 250 are separated by support 260 made of a non-conductive material (eg plastic) to provide good insulation between the two electrical contacts. The support 260 is shaped to promote mutual mechanical engagement of the connectors 25A and 25B.

As noted above, a button 265, which is a type of manual activation device 265, may be located on the outside of the housing 20. The button 265 may be implemented using any suitable mechanism that can be manually activated by a user, such as a mechanical button or switch. , capacitive or resistive touch sensor, etc. It is also understood that the manual activation device 265 may be located outside the cartomizer housing 30 rather than outside the housing 20, in which case the manual activation device 265 may be coupled to the ASIC via connectors 25A, 25B. A button 265 may also be located at the end of the housing 20, in place of (or in addition to) the cap 225.

In fig. 3 is a schematic representation of the cartomizer 30 of the electronic cigarette 10 shown in FIG. 1, in accordance with some embodiments of the invention. Fig. 3 can generally be considered a cross-section on a plane through the longitudinal axis LA of the electronic cigarette 10. Note that various components and parts of the cartomizer 30, such as wires and more complex shapes, have been omitted in FIG. 3 for clarity.

The cartomizer 30 includes an air passage 355 extending along the central (longitudinal) axis of the cartomizer 30 from the mouthpiece 35 to a connector 25A connecting the cartomizer 30 to the housing 20. A liquid reservoir 360 is located around the air passage 335. This reservoir 360 may be implemented, for example , in the form of cotton wool or foam soaked in liquid. The cartomizer 30 also includes a heater 365 for heating liquid from the reservoir 360 to produce vapor passing through the air passage 355 and from the mouthpiece 35 in response to the user's inhalation through the electronic cigarette 10. The heater is powered through lines 366 and 367, which, in turn, turn, are connected to opposite poles (positive and negative or vice versa) of the battery 210 in the main body 20 through connector 25A (details of the wiring between power lines 366 and 367 and connector 25A in FIG. 3 are omitted).

Connector 25A includes an internal electrode 375, which may be silver plated or another suitable metal or conductive material. When cartomizer 30 is coupled to housing 20, internal electrode 375 contacts electrical contact 250 of housing 20 to provide a first electrical path between cartomizer 30 and housing 20. Specifically, when connectors 25A and 25B are engaged, internal electrode 375 presses against electrical contact 250. compressing the coil spring 255, thereby helping to ensure good electrical contact between the inner electrode 375 and the electrical contact 250.

The inner electrode 375 is surrounded by an insulating ring 372, which may be made of plastic, rubber, silicone, or any other suitable material. The insulating ring is surrounded by a cartomizer connector 370, which may be silver plated or another suitable metal or conductive material. When cartomizer 30 is coupled to housing 20, cartomizer connector 370 contacts connector 240 of housing 20 to provide a second electrical path between cartomizer 30 and housing 20. In other words, internal electrode 375 and cartomizer 370 act as positive and negative contacts (or vice versa) to appropriately supply power from battery 210 in housing 20 to heater 365 in cartomizer 30 via power lines 366 and 367.

The cartomizer connector 370 includes two projections or tabs 380A, 380B that project in opposite directions from the longitudinal axis of the electronic cigarette 10. These tabs are used to provide a bayonet connection in combination with the housing connector 240 for connecting the cartomizer 30 to the housing 20. This bayonet connection provides a secure connection. and a secure connection between the cartomizer 30 and the housing 20 such that the cartomizer and housing are held in a fixed position relative to each other with a minimum of oscillation or bending, and the likelihood of any accidental disconnection is very small. At the same time, the bayonet connection allows for simple and quick connection and disconnection by inserting and turning to connect and turning (in the opposite direction) and then removing to disconnect. It will be appreciated that other embodiments may employ another form of connection between housing 20 and cartomizer 30, such as a snap or screw connection.

In fig. 4 is a schematic representation of some of the components of the connector 25B at the end of the housing 20 in accordance with some embodiments of the invention (but for the sake of clarity, much of the internal structure of the connector shown in FIG. 2, such as support 260, is omitted). In particular, in FIG. 4 shows the outer casing 201 of the housing 20, which is generally in the shape of a cylindrical pipe. This outer casing 201 may, for example, comprise an inner tube of metal with an outer covering of paper or the like. The outer housing 201 may also include a manual activation device 265 (not shown in FIG. 4), such that the manual activation device 265 is easily accessible to the user.

A housing connector 240 projects from this outer casing 201 of the housing 20. The housing connector 240, as shown in FIG. 4 includes two main portions, a barrel portion 241 in the form of a hollow cylindrical tube, the size of which corresponds to the internal dimension of the outer casing 201 of the body 20, and a protruding portion 242, which is directed in a direction radially outward from the main longitudinal axis (LA) of the electronic cigarette. The shaft portion 241 of the housing connector 240, where the shaft portion does not overlap with the outer casing 201, is surrounded by a sleeve or sleeve 290, which is also in the shape of a cylindrical tube. The clutch 290 is held between the protruding portion 242 of the housing connector 240 and the outer housing casing 201, which prevent the clutch 290 from moving in the axial direction (ie, parallel to the axis LA). However, the clutch 290 is free to rotate about the barrel portion 241 (and therefore also the axis LA).

As mentioned above, the cap 225 has an air intake opening to allow air to pass when the user inhales through the mouthpiece 35. However, in some embodiments, the majority of the air entering the device when the user inhales passes through the sleeve 290 and the housing connector 240. as shown by two arrows in Fig. 4.

Now with reference to FIG. 6, in an embodiment of the present invention, it has been recognized that it may be desirable to change the user's behavior and, in particular, his use of the aerosol delivery system (electronic steam system), by adjusting his behavior towards the target usage behavior. Additionally, understand that while this can be done through reminders and notifications that encourage the user to consciously change their behavior, this can be intrusive and ineffective. Accordingly, embodiments of the present invention are directed to modifying the effectiveness of a user's behavior by changing the response of the aerosol delivery system in a manner that induces the user's behavior to move closer to the target use.

Accordingly, in an embodiment of the present invention, the aerosol generation method comprises the following:

in a first step s610, user profile data characterizing the user's use of the aerosol delivery system over time is obtained;

in a second step s620, target use profile data characterizing the target use of the aerosol delivery system as a function of time is obtained;

in a third step s630, the difference between at least a portion of the user profile and a corresponding portion of the target usage profile over a given period of time is estimated; And

in a fourth step s640, one or more operating parameters of the aerosol delivery system are adjusted to at least partially match the user usage indicated by the user profile data with the target use of the aerosol delivery system for said predetermined period of time.

In a first step s610, user profile data is generated/extracted from usage data over repeated sample periods of time. For example, a day can be divided into 24 one-hour sample periods, and the behavior pattern in each period can be built over successive days. Alternatively, specified days of the week can be divided into 24 one-hour sample periods, and over successive weeks a behavioral model can be built for each period of each specified day to construct a behavioral model for each individual day. In this latter case, a basic general day model using the first approach can be used to bootstrap a refined model for each specified day using the second approach to speed up the retrieval of user profile data. Other approaches can be considered, such as building a model for weekdays and weekends.

It should be understood that discrete one-hour periods are a non-limiting example. Other examples include overlapping sampling periods (for example, one-hour periods provided every 30 minutes and overlapping adjacent periods of 15 minutes) and sampling periods of different lengths (for example, discrete 20-minute periods or half-hour periods provided every 20 minutes and overlapping for five minutes adjacent periods). If desired, the sampling periods can be uneven; for example, periods can be defined by having, on average, an equal number of breaths in each period defined in time. In this case, for example, a period of midday on a weekday might last three hours as it usually only includes an occasional break from using the e-cigarette, while a period of early morning or early evening might last 20 minutes while the user takes advantage of the opportunity. Use your aerosol dispenser more often. Likewise, sample periods can be determined by user behavior; for example, the period may correspond to a detected time-dependent pattern or "session", such as corresponding to a period of use above a first use threshold, between periods of non-use, or use below a second use threshold. It is also clear that a mixture of such periods can be used, for example with overlapping or non-overlapping default 1-hour, half-hour or 20-minute periods, but one or more of these are replaced by frequency-based periods (for example, if the average number of breaths per period default is below the first threshold, then it is combined with the adjacent period, or if the average number of breaths during the default period is above the second threshold, then the period is divided) or periods corresponding to a certain time-dependent pattern inferred from the data.

In either case, user profile data over a given period may be in the form of a rolling average of usage based on consecutive usages over a given period of time; this allows usage to be characterized by persistent systematic or large changes in behavior, while individual and isolated fluctuations in behavior do not contribute significantly to the overall profile.

Aspects of use that may influence user profile data include, but are not limited to, one or more of the following: the total amount of active ingredient consumed during the period (e.g., nicotine), and the amount, rate, duration, and/or depth breaths during the period.

It should be understood that the delivery of all the active ingredient over a given period is indicative of the user's needs during that period (which in turn may be determined by the structure of their day, both in terms of when they can use their aerosol delivery system, e.g. during non-working hours and when you want to use your aerosol delivery system, for example during periods of high stress or in social situations).

Here, parameters describing how the user inhales to obtain all the active ingredient indicate, for example, the user's effectiveness in obtaining all the active ingredient; therefore, a large number of high-frequency, shallow breaths may be considered less effective than a smaller number or lower frequency of deeper breaths.

Alternatively, inspiratory depth and/or duration (where depth can be viewed as a function of airflow speed and duration or effective volume of inspired air) can also be used to estimate the total amount of active ingredient inhaled by the user (as opposed to delivered by an aerosol delivery system) - unlikely that in shallow breaths the vapor/aerosol will be drawn deep into the lungs, and thus for an equivalent total amount of aerosol delivered in several shallow breaths, less active ingredient may be delivered to the user than for an equivalent volume of aerosol delivered in fewer deep breaths breaths.

Therefore, as a first approximation, simply the number of breaths can be used to estimate the amount of active ingredient delivered to the user, while as a second approximation, the number and depth/duration of breaths can be used to refine the estimated amount of active ingredient delivered to the user.

In any case, the user profile data over a given period of time may thus optionally comprise an indication of the amount of active ingredient conditionally delivered to the user and/or, alternatively, data characterizing the type of inhalation behavior (amount/rate/duration/depth ), as discussed above.

Thus, in general, user profile data characterizes the likely/typical (average) behavior of a user over given periods of time.

Embodiments of the present invention seek to modify this usage behavior to direct the user toward a target behavior. Typically, the goal behavior is to achieve a more uniform distribution of inhalation activity and delivery of the active ingredient. There is a tendency to improve the mood of consumers by reducing the variability of the active ingredient in the user's body and therefore its pharmacological effects, as well as to successfully systematically reduce the levels of the active ingredient if desired by the user.

With reference now also to FIG. 7 shows a graph with the hours of the day on the x-axis and the amount of active ingredient consumed during a given time as an arbitrary scale on the y-axis. In the graph, solid line A shows an example of usage behavior for the user, and dotted line T shows the conditional intended use. In this case, the target usage may be one of several predefined usage profiles, in this case corresponding to the workday profile.

Alternatively, as shown in this figure, the integral of the user's inhaled active ingredient and the target inhaled active ingredient are the same, in other words, the target represents a redistribution of the same total intake level throughout the day.

Therefore, in a second step s620, data is obtained from the target use profile characterizing the target use of the aerosol delivery system as a function of time;

It should be understood that any target profile can be created/selected and used. For example, a user can create their own profile using a suitable graphical user interface on a mobile phone (e.g., by drawing it with their finger), or can choose from several profiles created by the application developer or submitted to a pool of profiles by other users.

An application may provide different profiles depending on different modes or intended use; for example, the application may provide a daily profile, a weekday/weekend profile, or a specific day profile, making use of the aerosol delivery system more even throughout the day, or may provide a profile that reduces consumption of an active ingredient later in the day if the ingredient is a stimulant. Likewise, the application may provide a sequence of profiles as part of a behavior modification program, such as a program to reduce total intake of an active ingredient over a period of time, such as several weeks or months.

Alternatively or in addition, profiles may be selected based on the user's activities and their relative times, such as core work hours, ability to take breaks during those work hours, length of lunch break, and the like. A profile can also be created from a questionnaire in the application or web page where the user is logged in asking questions similar to the ones above.

Alternatively or in addition, one or more special target profiles may be generated by applying a low-pass filter to the actual user profile data, be it the user profile data for a day, a day of the week/weekend, or a specific day, as described above. Again, such a profile could be the starting point for a number of target profiles seeking preferred behavior, as described later in this document.

As noted above, in a third step s630, the difference between at least a portion of the user profile and a corresponding portion of the target usage profile over a given period of time is estimated.

It should be understood that for purposes of illustration, FIG. 7 refers to use in terms of total active ingredient intake, rather than in terms of number or frequency of inhalations (as discussed later in this document).

In fig. 7 shows that the user had several intensive sessions of use early in the morning before work. He usually also has a break around 10:30. At the same time, he apparently doesn't use his aerosol system often during lunch hours, for example because he eats at his desk. Perhaps as a result, he starts having a long, intense session again shortly after work. Subsequently, after a lull, he holds a final session late in the evening/night.

The target profile aims to limit the intensity of each session, typically by spreading out the sessions and spreading them out more evenly. Specifically, the goal is to vary the morning and afternoon breaks (therefore evenly distributing active ingredient consumption between these periods), and to offset some of the heavy pre- and post-work consumption with more moderate consumption during the lunch break. The goal also encourages the user to use their aerosol delivery system gradually throughout the evening, gradually reducing the dosage before bed.

In principle, this targeted profile gives the user a longer period of time during the day, with the positive benefits of the active ingredient being the avoidance of intensive use sessions and significant nighttime use.

Thus, the estimated difference may simply be the result of subtracting the user's usage profile from the target usage profile (or vice versa). If desired, this can be done after scaling the target usage profile so that the integral of the two profiles is identical, or, in the case of an active ingredient reduction or discontinuation program, so that the integral of the target usage profile can represent a predetermined fraction of the actual usage profile.

In the case of FIG. 7, roughly speaking, there is excessive consumption between 23:00 and 01:00, but consumption can be increased between 5:00 and 6:00. Again, there is excess consumption between 7 and 9 a.m., while consumption between 9 and 12 a.m. could be made more even. Consumption may be increased between 12 and 2 pm and slightly increased on average between 2 and 5 pm. The peak intake between 6 and 8 pm could then be spread over a wider period between 5 and 10 pm, varyingly increasing and decreasing consumption during this period as needed.

Therefore, in a fourth step s640, one or more operating parameters of the aerosol delivery system are adjusted to at least partially match the user usage indicated by the user profile data with the target use of the aerosol delivery system for said predetermined period of time.

Again, as noted above, FIG. 7 refers to total active ingredient consumption. Therefore, for example, the delivery system can be configured to vary the amount of active ingredient delivered to individual puffs throughout the day so that the user's total consumption is closer to the target value than his or her original user profile.

Now also with reference to FIG. 8, the same initial and target user profiles are shown along with arrows indicating whether the amount of active ingredient delivered to individual puffs increases or decreases over a given period of time. It should be understood that the arrows are a rough indication and that the increase or decrease may be, for example, proportional to the actual difference between the user and target profiles at any given time, optionally subject to a limited maximum.

This increase or decrease, for example, can be achieved by adjusting the operating parameters to change the amount of active ingredient inhaled, for example, either by changing the amount of air inhaled by changing the air flow in the aerosol delivery system, or, more typically, by changing the amount of active ingredient delivered ingredient per unit volume of inhaled air.

Therefore, for example, the amount of active ingredient can be increased by increasing the temperature of the aerosol delivery system heater to increase the amount of steam generated per unit volume of air. At the same time, the amount of active ingredient can be reduced per unit volume of air, for example, by lowering the temperature of the heater or introducing a duty cycle such that the heater operates intermittently (as a non-limiting example, the heater can be turned on for one hundredth to one tenth a fraction of a second every 10th second, thereby generating between 10% and 100% of normal performance depending on timing).

Therefore, for example, all other things being equal, the user will thus receive a greater than average amount of active ingredient during periods when actual use is below target, and will receive less than average amount of active ingredient during periods when actual use exceeds target.

As noted earlier, an increase or decrease can only refer to the percentage of difference between the actual and target profiles (e.g., 25%, 50%, 75%, 100%). This modification can be slowly increased over time so that the user is gradually led to consume the active ingredient according to the distribution of the target profile.

In particular, providing more active ingredient where target use exceeds actual use can be seen as rewarding the user for changing behavior towards the target, while providing less active ingredient where actual use exceeds target can be seen in part as discouraging to ensure that the user continues such behavior, and also in part as a partial mitigation of the consequences of this behavior.

Accordingly, with reference to FIG. 9 shows the user's modified usage as a long dotted (red) line. After exposure to the modified delivery of the active ingredient by the aerosol delivery system, the user was encouraged to use his aerosol delivery system a little earlier in the morning and a little later, but overall less intensely. At the same time, the user began to change the use of the system in the middle of the morning and increase the use during the lunch hour. He has also been encouraged to start using the device earlier after work and, as a result, uses it much less intensively in the early evening, and late evening use has been significantly reduced. Overall, overall user usage remains about the same as before, but is more evenly distributed.

In this way, the user is encouraged to more evenly distribute use and absorption of the active ingredient into their body through a combination of encouraging use at times that are underutilized according to the target profile and reducing the effectiveness of use at times that usage is higher than the target profile .

Subsequently, the user may continue to approach the target profile in response to a change in inhalation efficiency caused by the amount of active ingredient delivered in response to the difference between the usage profile data and the target data. However, if desired, the target profile itself can be refined over time (for example, by reducing the integral of the target profile as part of a reduction or termination program), for example, when the total difference between the user profile data and the target data is less than a threshold amount.

Alternatively, if the target usage profile is applied in the manner described above to encourage behavior change, then the user profile data is updated more quickly, for example, using a shorter moving average, to reflect the relatively rapid changes in behavior that may be caused by the changes in inhalation efficiency described above.

In the examples in FIGS. 7, 8, and 9 differences between target and use were assessed more or less continuously throughout the day. However, more generally, in addition to assessing and adjusting throughout the day, the period may be based on the aerosol delivery system being disconnected from the charger (for example, to indicate the start of use during the day, or to associate an aspect of a change in inhalation behavior or delivery with battery capacity). Likewise, the start of use during the day can be indicated by the first inhalation of the day or the current time (for example, when the user starts the control program; for example, he may want to change his inhalation behavior only in the evenings or on weekends).

Again, although the examples in FIGS. 7, 8 and 9 show continuous assessment throughout the day, as noted earlier, a predefined period of time for assessment and adjustment can correspond in duration to a time-dependent pattern detected in the user profile data, or even a time-dependent pattern detected in the target profile . The period can refer to the entire day, when only the overall level of consumption is monitored. Typically, however, the specified period will correspond to sample periods of the user's profile data, as described previously.

The above discussion of varying inhalation efficiency to encourage increased or decreased active ingredient intake relative to a target essentially assumes the same distribution of individual puffs throughout the day, while at the same time varying the delivery of the active ingredient during those individual puffs.

However, be aware that the user's inhalation pattern may also change, for example, more inhalations occurring during periods that were previously underused relative to the target profile, and potentially fewer inhalations during periods that were previously used more heavily than in target profile.

Accordingly, the adjusting step may comprise at least partially matching the user's use, indicated by the user profile data, with the target use of the aerosol delivery system, where the match distributes the total delivered active ingredient, indicated by the target use profile, across the user's use profile over a predetermined period, as indicated in the user profile data.

In this case, the user profile data is assumed to also contain the number and frequency of breaths for the sample period, and will attempt to divide the total modified amount of active ingredient to be delivered during that period among the expected number of breaths for that period. If desired, the method may respond to actual inhalation behavior over a period of time corresponding to the current sample period, so that, for example, if the user inhales more frequently, then the amount of active ingredient delivered per inhalation may be adjusted or reduced to maintain the overall target for that period. and/or delivery of the active ingredient may be stopped if the target for that period is reached (or the preset proportion exceeds the target to account for user variability). Alternatively or in addition, the system may selectively or preferentially deliver the active ingredient during inhalations corresponding to a target schedule to facilitate the target mode of use, as described later in this document.

With respect to the number or frequency of breaths, alternatively, the user's target profile may also comprise a target number or frequency of breaths over a given period of time, which can be considered an inhalation rhythm. A rough distinction, for example, could be between "burst" behavior, where the user inhales rapidly for 10 or 15 minutes and then essentially stops inhaling for 30 minutes, and "smooth" behavior, where the user inhales less frequently but practically evenly over an hour.

Accordingly, the adjustment step may comprise at least partially matching the user's use, indicated by the user profile data, with the target use of the aerosol delivery system, where the match distributes the delivery of the active ingredient across the user's breaths according to the inhalation schedule of the target use of the aerosol delivery system.

Therefore, for example, when a user inhales closer to a target time, more active ingredient may be delivered to the user than when inhaled between target times. Therefore, for example, if a user has a period where he is using the aerosol delivery system intensively and is therefore inhaling twice as often as the intended use, then the aerosol delivery system may only deliver the active ingredient through inhalation.

In practice, rather than relying on specific time events in the target profile, it is more likely that a preferred frequency is set, and when inhaled closer to that frequency, the user will receive some amount of active ingredient similar to that described earlier in this document depending on the difference between the profile user and target profile, while inhaling above this frequency the user may receive a proportionately reduced amount of active ingredient or may receive an amount of active ingredient depending on where in the target frequency cycle the inhalation occurs.

It should be kept in mind that in the case of predetermined inhalation timings, additional feedback may be provided to the user to assist him, for example, similar to a traffic light where the light on the aerosol delivery system indicates that he is inhaling (green) at the preferred inhalation timing. close (yellow) to the preferred timing or somewhere between (red) preferred timings for inhalation. Likewise, graphical feedback may be provided by an accompanying mobile phone or similar remote device, or even by the display of the aerosol delivery system itself.

In addition to pushing the user to a target amount of active ingredient over a given period, and, alternatively or in addition to pushing the user to a target inhalation rate over a given period, embodiments of the methods described herein can push the user to a target depth or duration of inhalation, for example to reduce stress-related inhalation behavior at certain times of the day. For example, an inhalation characterized by a sharp, deep initial inhalation may be a sign of stress, and therefore a deep (high volume) inhalation, but a short inhalation may indicate unwanted stress or unwanted use of the aerosol delivery system in response to that stress.

Accordingly, the adjustment step may comprise at least partially matching the user's usage, indicated by the user profile data, with the target use of the aerosol delivery system, where the mapping distributes the delivery of the active ingredient during the user's corresponding inhalation depending on the difference between the expected inhalation duration, indicated by the user profile data , and the corresponding target inspiratory duration.

The inhalation profile can be modified, for example, to begin delivering the aerosol after a short delay after the initial trigger breath at the beginning of the inhalation so that the user maximizes the intake of the active ingredient through slower inhalation. Alternatively or in addition, the heater activation threshold can be increased so that the aerosol is delivered only after a sufficiently deep inhalation is detected; this can be used to help the user exercise by deliberately using an artificially strong breath to indicate a conscious choice to follow a target time and/or pattern of use.

It should be understood that any of the above methods can be used in any suitable combination. Therefore, by way of non-limiting examples, the target profile may indicate the amount of active ingredient over a given period, and the target periods in the original target profile, together with the target amounts, may optionally be converted into overlapping periods, non-uniform periods, and/or the like. if they were used to characterize the user's profile. In either case, the target profile may also specify a target frequency of use over a predetermined period and/or, alternatively, a preset inhalation profile (eg, designed to prevent excessively deep inhalations at certain times of the day). The aerosol delivery system, or a companion mobile phone application that provides controls for the aerosol delivery system, can then calculate a combination of expected delivery rates of the active ingredient over predefined periods, optionally further based on the relative frequency of use of the aerosol delivery system, the relative patterns of use of the delivery system aerosol and the relative depth/volume of inhalation through the aerosol delivery system during these periods.

It should be understood that the methods described above have the potential to significantly change the behavior of the aerosol delivery system (with the intent, in turn, to change the behavior of the user), and this may cause frustration, irritation or mistrust of the user if the user is not aware of this process and does not give active consent to its use.

Accordingly, in embodiments of the present invention, the method comprises instructing the user to begin matching (ie, actively adjusting the behavior of the aerosol delivery system) from the user interface. The aerosol delivery system or accompanying application user interface may also provide the ability to pause/cancel the mapping scheme, for example, to allow the user to temporarily or intensively use the aerosol delivery system for a specific reason. Alternatively, the user's profile is not updated during such a period, so that this isolated behavior change does not affect the user's profile and therefore the subsequent matching process.

Likewise, in principle, the user can also disable the matching process. Meanwhile, if the user has no intention of using the matching/customization function in the near future, then, in principle, the user can also specify not to create a user profile for him.

Options

The above embodiments are intended to guide the user to a more advantageous use of his aerosol delivery system by varying the efficiency of its use depending on the difference between the actual usage pattern and the desired target use.

As noted earlier, this pattern may be the same every day, or may vary between weekdays and weekends, or may be different each day of the week, and separate user profiles can be created and used to account for these differences.

However, it should also be understood that behavior and usage may change depending on where the user is located; for frequent location changes such as work and home, this could in principle be captured by time points of specific behavior in user profiles for weekday and weekend profiles.

However, for people who work irregularly, such time allocation may not be possible, and so a location-specific profile may be more appropriate, with a corresponding location-specific user profile relating to, for example, an eight-hour shift rather than a 24-hour shift. hour day. For such shift work, appropriate target profiles may be provided, or, alternatively, a portion of the normal target profile corresponding to normal working hours may be used as the target shift profile. The work location can be specified by the user through the user interface of a companion application on the mobile phone, for example using his current GPS location at work. In addition, the home location can be specified in a similar manner.

Likewise, users tend to change their behavior while on vacation. Accordingly, matching/modifying the behavior of the aerosol delivery system may be suspended when the user moves more than a predetermined distance from home, or does not return home within a 24-hour period, or when he is detected to be in an area different from his local area. etc.; alternatively or in addition, the user's holiday profile or profiles may be generated and used in a manner similar to those described earlier in this document, for example, the holiday profile is used to initially load data into the holiday profile, and at least initially using a relatively short a moving average that allows the model to be refined.

It is understood that the above described methods and technologies can be implemented on conventional hardware, suitably adapted accordingly, either through software instructions or by incorporating or replacing special hardware. Typical hardware is shown in FIG. 5, wherein the aerosol delivery system/electronic steam delivery system 10 communicates with a remote device, such as a mobile phone 100, operating in accordance with software instructions (eg, a companion application) capable of implementing the methods described herein. The extent to which the steps of implementing an aerosol supply system and accompanying application are described above may range from an aerosol delivery system limited to transmitting raw usage data and receiving control data from a mobile phone, and the mobile phone performing the remaining steps, to an aerosol delivery system performing most or all stages, and the mobile phone is limited to the user interface. Alternatively, if the aerosol delivery system contains its own suitable user interface, then a corresponding device may not be needed. It should be understood that instead of a local link to a mobile phone, the aerosol delivery system can also work with a remote server via Wi-Fi or a mobile data connection. In this case, if user interaction is required beyond the capabilities of the aerosol delivery system itself, then they can be accessed through a web page provided by the server.

In any case, the required adaptation to existing parts of a conventional equivalent device can thus be implemented in the form of a computer program product containing processor-executable instructions stored on a permanent machine medium such as a floppy disk, optical disk, hard disk, solid state drive, PROM, random access memory, flash memory, or any combination of these or other storage media, or may be implemented in hardware, such as an ASIC (application specific integrated circuit) or FPGA (field programmable gate array) or other configurable circuit suitable for use in adaptation conventional equivalent device. Separately, such a computer program may be transmitted via data signals over a network such as Ethernet, a wireless network, the Internet, or any combination of these and other networks.

Accordingly, an aerosol delivery system may be provided, configured to generate an aerosol from an aerosol-generating substance for inhalation by a user, which comprises a computer configured to implement the steps of the method described earlier in this document, namely, to obtain user profile data characterizing the user's use of the aerosol delivery system as a function of time, obtaining target usage profile data characterizing the target use of the aerosol delivery system as a function of time, estimating the difference between at least a portion of the user's profile and a corresponding portion of the target use profile over a given period of time, and adjusting one or more operating parameters of the aerosol delivery system to at least partially match user usage, as indicated by the user profile data, with the target use of the aerosol delivery system for said predetermined time period.

However, it will be apparent to one skilled in the art that the apparatus may implement variations of the above method corresponding to various embodiments of the method and/or apparatus as described and claimed herein contemplated by the present invention, including but not limited to the following: limited to:

- the specified period of time begins from a moment selected from a list consisting of the following: calendar day, disconnection of the aerosol delivery system from the charger, first breath of the day and current time;

- the specified time period is selected from a list consisting of the following: a period corresponding in duration to the time-dependent pattern detected in the user profile data, a period corresponding in duration to the time-dependent pattern detected in the target usage profile, a sample period of the user profile data, hour and day;

- operating parameters are adjusted to change the amount of active ingredient delivered per unit volume of inspired air;

- the computer is configured to at least partially match the user's use, indicated by the user profile data, with the target use of the aerosol delivery system, where the match allocates the total delivered active ingredient, indicated by the target use profile, to the user's use profile for a predetermined period, as indicated in user profile data;

- the computer is configured to at least partially match the user's use, indicated by the user profile data, with the target use of the aerosol delivery system, where the match distributes the delivery of the active ingredient across the user's breaths in accordance with the schedule of breaths in the target use of the aerosol delivery system;

- the computer is configured to at least partially match the user's use, indicated by the user's profile data, with the target use of the aerosol delivery system, where the match distributes the delivery of the active ingredient during the user's corresponding inhalation depending on the difference between the expected inhalation duration, indicated by the user's profile data, and corresponding target inspiratory duration;

- the computer is configured to receive from the user interface an instruction from the user to begin matching; And

- computer operations are performed within one or more objects selected from a list consisting of an aerosol delivery system, a remote server capable of communicating with the aerosol delivery system, a mobile computing device capable of communicating with the aerosol delivery system, and a remote server capable of communication with a mobile computing device capable of communicating with the aerosol delivery system.

Finally, again with reference to FIG. 1, it is clear from the above discussion that an EVPS may be a self-contained device (commonly referred to as an electronic cigarette, even though the device itself does not necessarily conform to the shape or dimensions of a conventional cigarette). Such an electronic cigarette may include airflow sensing means, processing means, and optionally one or more feedback means such as tactile, audio, and/or light/display means.

Alternatively, as shown in FIG. 5, the EVPS system may consist of two components, such as an e-cigarette 10 and a mobile phone or similar device (such as a tablet) 100 for communicating with the e-cigarette (e.g., at least receiving data from the e-cigarette), e.g. via Bluetooth®.

Then, the mobile phone may comprise processing means and one or more feedback means, such as tactile, audio and/or light/display means, as an alternative to or in addition to the electronic cigarette means.

Alternatively, the EVPS system may include an electronic cigarette 10 configured to communicate with a mobile phone 100, wherein the mobile phone stores and receives one or more parameters or other data (e.g., data characterizing one or more aspects of user use) for the EVPS. data from an electronic cigarette. Then, the phone can also process such parameters/data and either return the processed data and/or instructions to the EVPS, display the result to the user (or perform another action), or forward the processed and/or raw parameters/data to the remote server.

Alternatively, the mobile phone or the EVPS itself may provide wireless access to data associated with the user's account on such a remote server.

In an embodiment of the invention, a user's first EVPS may transfer some or all of its user settings to another EVPS. User settings may contain settings related to the implementation of the methods disclosed above, such as data specific to user behavior and/or data related to modifying the operation of the EVPS.

Such data may be transferred between devices either directly (for example, via Bluetooth® or near field communication) or through one or more intermediate devices, such as a mobile phone owned by the user of the two devices, or a server on which the user has an account. .

In this way, the user can easily exchange data from one device to another, for example, if the user has two EVPS devices, or if the user wants to replace one EVPS device with another without losing the accumulated personalization data.

Alternatively, in this embodiment, if the second EVPS is different in type from the first EVPS (eg, has a different default power level or heating efficiency), then a conversion factor or lookup table may be used to convert the operating parameters of the first EVPS to the second EVPS. This may be provided in software or firmware of the second EVPS, and may identify the first EVPS and therefore the corresponding transformations when communicating directly (or when the data is transmitted unchanged through an intermediary such as a telephone). Alternatively or in addition, the application on the phone may provide conversion capability by optionally downloading appropriate conversions in response to the identification of the first and second EVPS. Again, alternatively or in addition, the remote server may provide a conversion in response to the identification of the first and second EVPS associated with the user account.

The foregoing discussion discloses and describes only exemplary embodiments of the present invention. As will be appreciated by those skilled in the art, the present invention may be embodied in other specific forms without deviating from its essential characteristics. Accordingly, the disclosure of the present invention is intended to illustrate, but not to limit, the scope of the invention as well as the other claims. The invention, including any readily distinguishable variations of the ideas presented herein, defines in part the scope of the terminology of the following claims, so that no subject matter of the invention is intended to be in the public domain.

Claims (45)

1. An aerosol delivery system configured to generate an aerosol from an aerosol generating substance for inhalation by a user, comprising a computer configured to obtain user profile data characterizing the user's use of the aerosol delivery system as a function of time, obtaining target use profile data characterizing target use of the aerosol delivery system as a function of time, estimating the difference between at least a portion of the user's profile and a corresponding portion of the target use profile over a given period of time, and adjusting one or more operating parameters of the aerosol delivery system to at least partially match the user's indicated usage user profile data, with targeted use of the aerosol delivery system for a specified specified period of time, wherein the mapping allocates one or more of: i) the total active ingredient delivered, as indicated by the target usage profile, by the user's usage profile during the specified period, as specified in the user profile data; ii) delivering the active ingredient through the user's breaths in accordance with the breath schedule for the intended use of the aerosol delivery system; iii) delivering the active ingredient during the user's corresponding inhalation depending on the difference between the expected inhalation duration indicated by the user's profile data and the corresponding target inhalation duration. 2. The aerosol supply system according to claim 1, in which the specified period of time begins from a moment selected from: i) calendar day; ii) disconnecting the aerosol supply system from the charger; iii) first breath of the day; And iv) current time. 3. An aerosol supply system according to claim 1 or 2, in which the specified period of time is selected from: i) a period corresponding in duration to the time-dependent pattern detected in the user profile data; ii) a period corresponding in duration to the time-dependent pattern detected in the target usage profile; iii) sample period from user profile data; iv) hour; And v) day. 4. Aerosol supply system according to any one of paragraphs. 1-3, in which the operating parameters are adjusted to change the amount of active ingredient delivered per unit volume of inspired air. 5. Aerosol supply system according to any one of paragraphs. 1-4, wherein the computer is configured to receive, from a user interface, an instruction from a user to begin matching. 6. Aerosol supply system according to any one of paragraphs. 1-5, in which computer operations are performed within one or more objects of: i) aerosol delivery systems; ii) a remote server configured to communicate with the aerosol supply system; iii) a mobile computing device configured to communicate with the aerosol supply system; And iv) a remote server configured to communicate with a mobile computing device capable of communicating with the aerosol delivery system. 7. A method for generating an aerosol, comprising the steps of: obtaining user profile data characterizing the user's use of the aerosol delivery system as a function of time; obtaining target use profile data characterizing the target use of the aerosol delivery system as a function of time; estimating the difference between at least a portion of the user's profile and a corresponding portion of the target usage profile over a given period of time; and adjusting one or more operating parameters of the aerosol delivery system to at least partially match the user usage indicated by the user profile data with the target use of the aerosol delivery system for said predetermined period of time; wherein the mapping allocates one or more of: i) the total active ingredient delivered, as indicated by the target usage profile, by the user's usage profile during the specified period, as specified in the user profile data; ii) delivering the active ingredient through the user's breaths in accordance with the breath schedule for the intended use of the aerosol delivery system; iii) delivering the active ingredient during the user's corresponding inhalation depending on the difference between the expected inhalation duration indicated by the user's profile data and the corresponding target inhalation duration. 8. The method according to claim 7, in which the specified period of time begins from a moment selected from: i) calendar day; ii) disconnecting the aerosol supply system from the charger; iii) first breath of the day; And iv) current time. 9. The method according to claim 7 or 8, wherein the predetermined time period is selected from: i) a period corresponding in duration to the time-dependent pattern detected in the user profile data; ii) a period corresponding in duration to the time-dependent pattern detected in the target usage profile; iii) sample period from user profile data; iv) hour; And v) day. 10. Method according to any one of paragraphs. 7-9, in which the operating parameters are adjusted to change the amount of active ingredient delivered per unit volume of inspired air. 11. Method according to any one of paragraphs. 7-10, comprising receiving an instruction from the user interface from the user to begin matching. 12. Method according to any one of paragraphs. 7-11, in which the implementation of the method steps is carried out on one or more devices from: i) aerosol delivery systems; ii) a remote server configured to communicate with the aerosol supply system; iii) a mobile computing device configured to communicate with the aerosol supply system; And iv) a remote server configured to communicate with a mobile computing device capable of communicating with the aerosol delivery system. 13. A non-transitory computer-readable medium storing a computer program containing computer-executable instructions that, when executed, cause the computer system to execute the method according to any one of claims. 7-12.

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