US20240000143A1 - Article for an aerosol provision system - Google Patents
Article for an aerosol provision system Download PDFInfo
- Publication number
- US20240000143A1 US20240000143A1 US18/250,119 US202118250119A US2024000143A1 US 20240000143 A1 US20240000143 A1 US 20240000143A1 US 202118250119 A US202118250119 A US 202118250119A US 2024000143 A1 US2024000143 A1 US 2024000143A1
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- aerosol
- control circuitry
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Images
Classifications
-
- A—HUMAN NECESSITIES
- A24—TOBACCO; CIGARS; CIGARETTES; SIMULATED SMOKING DEVICES; SMOKERS' REQUISITES
- A24F—SMOKERS' REQUISITES; MATCH BOXES; SIMULATED SMOKING DEVICES
- A24F40/00—Electrically operated smoking devices; Component parts thereof; Manufacture thereof; Maintenance or testing thereof; Charging means specially adapted therefor
- A24F40/40—Constructional details, e.g. connection of cartridges and battery parts
- A24F40/42—Cartridges or containers for inhalable precursors
-
- A—HUMAN NECESSITIES
- A24—TOBACCO; CIGARS; CIGARETTES; SIMULATED SMOKING DEVICES; SMOKERS' REQUISITES
- A24F—SMOKERS' REQUISITES; MATCH BOXES; SIMULATED SMOKING DEVICES
- A24F40/00—Electrically operated smoking devices; Component parts thereof; Manufacture thereof; Maintenance or testing thereof; Charging means specially adapted therefor
- A24F40/10—Devices using liquid inhalable precursors
-
- A—HUMAN NECESSITIES
- A24—TOBACCO; CIGARS; CIGARETTES; SIMULATED SMOKING DEVICES; SMOKERS' REQUISITES
- A24F—SMOKERS' REQUISITES; MATCH BOXES; SIMULATED SMOKING DEVICES
- A24F40/00—Electrically operated smoking devices; Component parts thereof; Manufacture thereof; Maintenance or testing thereof; Charging means specially adapted therefor
- A24F40/50—Control or monitoring
-
- A—HUMAN NECESSITIES
- A24—TOBACCO; CIGARS; CIGARETTES; SIMULATED SMOKING DEVICES; SMOKERS' REQUISITES
- A24F—SMOKERS' REQUISITES; MATCH BOXES; SIMULATED SMOKING DEVICES
- A24F40/00—Electrically operated smoking devices; Component parts thereof; Manufacture thereof; Maintenance or testing thereof; Charging means specially adapted therefor
- A24F40/50—Control or monitoring
- A24F40/53—Monitoring, e.g. fault detection
-
- A—HUMAN NECESSITIES
- A24—TOBACCO; CIGARS; CIGARETTES; SIMULATED SMOKING DEVICES; SMOKERS' REQUISITES
- A24F—SMOKERS' REQUISITES; MATCH BOXES; SIMULATED SMOKING DEVICES
- A24F40/00—Electrically operated smoking devices; Component parts thereof; Manufacture thereof; Maintenance or testing thereof; Charging means specially adapted therefor
- A24F40/60—Devices with integrated user interfaces
-
- A—HUMAN NECESSITIES
- A24—TOBACCO; CIGARS; CIGARETTES; SIMULATED SMOKING DEVICES; SMOKERS' REQUISITES
- A24F—SMOKERS' REQUISITES; MATCH BOXES; SIMULATED SMOKING DEVICES
- A24F40/00—Electrically operated smoking devices; Component parts thereof; Manufacture thereof; Maintenance or testing thereof; Charging means specially adapted therefor
- A24F40/65—Devices with integrated communication means, e.g. wireless communication means
-
- A—HUMAN NECESSITIES
- A24—TOBACCO; CIGARS; CIGARETTES; SIMULATED SMOKING DEVICES; SMOKERS' REQUISITES
- A24F—SMOKERS' REQUISITES; MATCH BOXES; SIMULATED SMOKING DEVICES
- A24F40/00—Electrically operated smoking devices; Component parts thereof; Manufacture thereof; Maintenance or testing thereof; Charging means specially adapted therefor
- A24F40/40—Constructional details, e.g. connection of cartridges and battery parts
- A24F40/46—Shape or structure of electric heating means
-
- A—HUMAN NECESSITIES
- A24—TOBACCO; CIGARS; CIGARETTES; SIMULATED SMOKING DEVICES; SMOKERS' REQUISITES
- A24F—SMOKERS' REQUISITES; MATCH BOXES; SIMULATED SMOKING DEVICES
- A24F40/00—Electrically operated smoking devices; Component parts thereof; Manufacture thereof; Maintenance or testing thereof; Charging means specially adapted therefor
- A24F40/90—Arrangements or methods specially adapted for charging batteries thereof
- A24F40/95—Arrangements or methods specially adapted for charging batteries thereof structurally associated with cases
Definitions
- the present disclosure relates to an article for an aerosol provision system and an aerosol provision system comprising the article.
- Electronic aerosol provision systems such as electronic cigarettes (e-cigarettes) generally contain an aerosol-generating material, such as a reservoir of a source liquid containing a formulation, typically including nicotine, or a solid material such as a tobacco-based product, from which an aerosol is generated for inhalation by a user, for example through heat vaporization.
- an aerosol provision system will typically comprise an aerosol generator, e.g. a heating element, arranged to aerosolize a portion of aerosol-generating material to generate an aerosol in an aerosol generation region of an air channel through the aerosol provision system.
- air is drawn into the device through one or more inlet holes and along the air channel to the aerosol generation region, where the air mixes with the vaporized aerosol generator and forms a condensation aerosol.
- the air drawn through the aerosol generation region continues along the air channel to a mouthpiece, carrying some of the aerosol with it, and out through the mouthpiece for inhalation by the user.
- aerosol provision systems it is common for aerosol provision systems to comprise a modular assembly, often having two main functional parts, namely an aerosol provision device and an article.
- the article will comprise the consumable aerosol-generating material and the aerosol generator (heating element), while the aerosol provision device part will comprise longer-life items, such as a rechargeable battery, device control circuitry, and user interface features.
- the aerosol provision device may also be referred to as a reusable part or battery section and the article may also be referred to as a consumable, disposable/replaceable part, cartridge or cartomizer.
- the aerosol provision device and article are mechanically coupled together at an interface for use, for example using a screw thread, bayonet, latched or friction fit fixing.
- the article may be removed from the aerosol provision device and a replacement article may be attached to the device in its place.
- some articles are configured such that, after the aerosol-generating material in the article has been exhausted, the article can be refilled with more aerosol-generating material, thereby allowing the article to be reused.
- the user is able to refill the article using a separate reservoir of aerosol-generating material.
- the aerosol-generating material used to refill the article may be the same or different to the previous aerosol-generating material in the article, thereby allowing the user to change to a different aerosol-generating material without purchasing a new article.
- Refilling the article with aerosol-generating material extends the life of the article as its use is no longer limited by the volume or amount of aerosol-generating material that the article can hold. As a result, the use of the article may be limited by other factors, such as the life of individual components within the article. Continuous use of the article may therefore result in degradation or fault developing in components within the article. The article may therefore become less reliable, the operation of the article less predictable or the article may stop working entirely, each of which has a negative impact on the user experience.
- an article for an aerosol provision system comprising an aerosol generator, article control circuitry and one or more connectors electrically coupled to the aerosol generator and the article control circuitry.
- the article control circuitry and the aerosol generator receive electrical power via the one or more connectors.
- the aerosol generator and article control circuitry can be electrically connected in parallel.
- a pull-down resistor may be provided to modify the voltage of the electrical power supplied to the article control circuitry.
- data can be transferred, using the connectors, between the article control circuitry and a device coupled to the article.
- a switch may be provided, and the article control circuitry can be configured to control electrical power supplied to the aerosol generator by actuating the switch.
- the article control circuitry can be configured to actuate the switch based on a value of a counter stored in memory of the article control circuitry.
- the switch can be in series with the aerosol generator, and the switch can be integrated into the article control circuitry.
- an aerosol provision system comprising the article described herein.
- the aerosol provision system can comprise an aerosol provision device.
- a method of controlling an article for an aerosol provision system comprising receiving electrical power from a device coupled to the article via one or more connectors, and controlling electrical power supplied to the aerosol generator via the one or more connectors and controlling data transfer between the article and device in response to an inhalation on the aerosol provision system by a user of the aerosol provision system.
- FIG. 1 is a schematic diagram of an aerosol provision system.
- FIG. 2 is a schematic diagram of an example article for use in the aerosol provision system illustrated in FIG. 1 .
- FIG. 3 is a further schematic diagram of an example article for use in the aerosol provision system illustrated in FIG. 1 .
- FIG. 4 A is a schematic diagram of an example article for use in the aerosol provision system illustrated in FIG. 1 .
- FIG. 4 B is another schematic diagram of an example article for use in the aerosol provision system illustrated in FIG. 1 .
- FIG. 5 A is another schematic diagram of an example article for use in the aerosol provision system illustrated in FIG. 1 .
- FIG. 5 B is another schematic diagram of an example article for use in the aerosol provision system illustrated in FIG. 1 .
- FIG. 6 A is another schematic diagram of an example article for use in the aerosol provision system illustrated in FIG. 1 .
- FIG. 6 B is another schematic diagram of an example article for use in the aerosol provision system illustrated in FIG. 1 .
- FIG. 6 C is another schematic diagram of an example article for use in the aerosol provision system illustrated in FIG. 1 .
- FIG. 6 D is another schematic diagram of an example article for use in the aerosol provision system illustrated in FIG. 1 .
- FIG. 6 E is another schematic diagram of an example article for use in the aerosol provision system illustrated in FIG. 1 .
- FIG. 6 F is another schematic diagram of an example article for use in the aerosol provision system illustrated in FIG. 1 .
- FIG. 7 is a flow chart of a method of controlling an article for an aerosol provision system.
- FIG. 8 is a flow chart of a further method of controlling an article for an aerosol provision system.
- FIG. 9 is a flow chart of a further method of controlling an article for an aerosol provision system.
- aerosol provision systems which may also be referred to as aerosol provision systems, such as e-cigarettes.
- aerosol provision systems such as e-cigarettes.
- e-cigarette or “electronic cigarette” may sometimes be used, but it will be appreciated this term may be used interchangeably with aerosol provision system and electronic aerosol provision system.
- aerosol provision systems e-cigarettes
- e-cigarettes often comprise a modular assembly including both a reusable part (aerosol provision device) and a replaceable (disposable) or refillable cartridge part, referred to as an article.
- Systems conforming to this type of two-part modular configuration may generally be referred to as two-part systems or devices.
- electronic cigarettes it is also common for electronic cigarettes to have a generally elongate shape.
- certain embodiments of the disclosure described herein comprise this kind of generally elongate two-part system employing refillable cartridges.
- the present disclosure relates to (but it not limited to) articles of aerosol provision systems, such as e-cigarettes and electronic cigarettes.
- FIG. 1 is a highly schematic diagram (not to scale) of an example aerosol provision system 10 , such as an e-cigarette, to which embodiments are applicable.
- the aerosol provision system 10 has a generally cylindrical shape, extending along a longitudinal or y axis as indicated by the axes (although aspects of the disclosure are applicable to e-cigarettes configured in other shapes and arrangements), and comprises two main components, namely an aerosol provision device 20 and an article 30 .
- the article 30 comprises or consists of aerosol-generating material 32 , part or all of which is intended to be consumed during use by a user.
- An article 30 may comprise one or more other components, such as an aerosol-generating material storage area 39 , an aerosol-generating material transfer component 37 , an aerosol generation area, a housing, a wrapper, a mouthpiece 35 , a filter and/or an aerosol-modifying agent.
- An article 30 may also comprise an aerosol generator 36 , such as a heating element, that emits heat to cause the aerosol-generating material 32 to generate aerosol in use.
- the aerosol generator 36 may, for example, comprise combustible material, a material heatable by electrical conduction, or a susceptor. It should be noted that it is possible for the aerosol generator 36 to be part of the aerosol provision device 20 and the article 30 then may comprise the aerosol-generating material storage area 39 for the aerosol-generating material 32 such that, when the article 30 is coupled with the aerosol provision device 20 , the aerosol-generating material 32 can be transferred to the aerosol generator 36 in the aerosol provision device 20 .
- Aerosol-generating material is a material that is capable of generating aerosol, for example when heated, irradiated or energized in any other way.
- the aerosol-generating material 32 may, for example, be in the form of a solid, liquid or gel which may or may not contain an active substance and/or flavorants.
- the aerosol-generating material 32 may comprise an “amorphous solid”, which may alternatively be referred to as a “monolithic solid” (i.e., non-fibrous).
- the amorphous solid may be a dried gel.
- the amorphous solid is a solid material that may retain some fluid, such as liquid, within it.
- the aerosol-generating material 32 may for example comprise from about 50 wt %, 60 wt % or of amorphous solid, to about 90 wt %, 95 wt % or 100 wt % of amorphous solid.
- the aerosol-generating material comprises one or more ingredients, such as one or more active substances and/or flavorants, one or more aerosol-former materials, and optionally one or more other functional materials such as pH regulators, coloring agents, preservatives, binders, fillers, stabilizers, and/or antioxidants.
- ingredients such as one or more active substances and/or flavorants, one or more aerosol-former materials, and optionally one or more other functional materials such as pH regulators, coloring agents, preservatives, binders, fillers, stabilizers, and/or antioxidants.
- the active substance as used herein may be a physiologically active material, which is a material intended to achieve or enhance a physiological response.
- the active substance may for example be selected from nutraceuticals, nootropics, and psychoactives.
- the active substance may be naturally occurring or synthetically obtained.
- the active substance may comprise for example nicotine, caffeine, taurine, thiene, vitamins such as B6 or B12 or C, melatonin, cannabinoids, or constituents, derivatives, or combinations thereof.
- the active substance may comprise one or more constituents, derivatives or extracts of tobacco, cannabis or another botanical.
- the active substance comprises nicotine. In some embodiments, the active substance comprises caffeine, melatonin, or vitamin B12.
- the aerosol provision device 20 includes a power source 14 , such as a battery, configured to supply electrical power to the aerosol generator 36 .
- the power source 14 in this example is rechargeable and may be of a conventional type, for example of the kind normally used in electronic cigarettes and other applications requiring provision of relatively high currents over relatively short periods.
- the battery 14 may be recharged through the charging port (not illustrated), which may, for example, comprise a USB connector.
- the aerosol provision device 20 includes device control circuitry 28 configured to control the operation of the aerosol provision system 10 and provide conventional operating functions in line with the established techniques for controlling aerosol provision systems such as electronic cigarettes.
- the device control circuitry (processor circuitry) 28 may be considered to logically comprise various sub-units/circuitry elements associated with different aspects of the electronic cigarette's operation.
- the device control circuitry 28 may comprise power source control circuitry for controlling the supply of electrical power from the power source 14 to the aerosol generator 36 , user programming circuitry for establishing configuration settings (e.g. user-defined power settings) in response to user input, as well as other functional units/circuitry associated functionality in accordance with the principles described herein and conventional operating aspects of electronic cigarettes.
- the functionality of the device control circuitry 28 can be provided in various different ways, for example using one or more suitably programmed programmable computer(s) and/or one or more suitably configured application-specific integrated circuit(s)/circuitry/chip(s)/chipset(s) configured to provide the desired functionality.
- the aerosol provision device 20 includes one or more air inlets 21 .
- air is drawn into the aerosol provision device 20 through the air inlets 21 and along an air channel 23 to the aerosol generator 36 , where the air mixes with the vaporized aerosol-generating material 32 and forms a condensation aerosol.
- the air drawn through the aerosol generator 36 continues along the air channel 23 to a mouthpiece 35 , carrying some of the aerosol with it, and out through the mouthpiece 35 for inhalation by the user.
- the one or more air inlets 21 may be included on the article 30 , such that the air channel 23 is entirely contained within the article 30 .
- the article 30 comprises a housing (formed, e.g., from a plastics material), an aerosol-generating material storage area 39 formed within the housing for containing the aerosol-generating material 32 (which in this example may be a liquid which may or may not contain nicotine), an aerosol-generating material transfer component 37 (which in this example is a wick formed of e.g., glass or cotton fibers, or a ceramic material configured to transport the liquid from the reservoir using capillary action), an aerosol-generating area containing the aerosol generator 36 , and a mouthpiece 35 .
- a filter and/or aerosol modifying agent such as a flavor imparting material
- the aerosol generator 36 of this example comprises a heater element formed from an electrically resistive material (such as NiCr8020) spirally wrapped around the aerosol-generating material transfer component 37 , and located in the air channel 23 .
- the area around the heating element and wick combination is the aerosol-generating area of the article 30 .
- FIG. 2 is a schematic diagram of an example article 30 for use in the aerosol provision system 10 illustrated in FIG. 1 , where the same reference signs have been used for like elements between the article 30 illustrated in FIG. 1 and the article 30 illustrated in FIG. 2 .
- the article 30 illustrated in FIG. 2 includes an aerosol-generating material storage area 39 for storing an aerosol-generating material 32 , an aerosol-generating material transfer component 37 , an aerosol generation area containing an aerosol generator 36 , and a mouthpiece 35 .
- the article 30 illustrated in FIG. 2 is configured to be refilled and reused.
- the aerosol-generating material storage area 39 of the article 30 illustrated in FIG. 2 can be refilled with aerosol-generating material 32 once some or all of the aerosol-generating material 32 contained in the aerosol-generating material storage area 39 has been exhausted or depleted.
- the article 30 has a refilling tube 33 extending between the aerosol-generating material storage area 39 and the exterior or an outer surface of the housing of the article 30 , thereby creating a refilling orifice 34 . Aerosol-generating material 32 can then be inserted into the aerosol-generating material storage area 39 via the refilling orifice 34 and refilling tube 33 .
- the article 30 may comprise any other suitable means of facilitating the refilling of the aerosol-generating material storage area 39 with aerosol generating material 32 .
- the refilling orifice 34 and/or the refilling tube 33 may be sealable, for example with a cap or one-way valve, in order to ensure that aerosol-generating material 32 does not leak out of the refilling orifice 34 .
- the refilling orifice 34 is illustrated in FIG. 2 as being on the same end or surface of the article 30 as the air channel 23 and interface with the aerosol provision device this is not essential.
- the refilling orifice 34 may be located at the end of the article 30 comprising the mouthpiece 35 , for example proximate to the outlet of the air channel 23 on the mouthpiece 35 , such that the refilling tube 33 extends between the end of the article 30 comprising the mouthpiece 35 and the aerosol-generating material storage area 39 .
- the article 30 does not necessarily need to be separated from the aerosol provision device 20 in order to refill the article 30 with aerosol-generating material 32 , as the refilling orifice 34 is not obstructed by the aerosol provision device 20 when the article 30 is coupled with the aerosol provision device 20 .
- the article 30 illustrated in FIG. 2 also comprises article control circuitry 38 configured to control the operation of the article 30 and store parameters and/or data associated with the article 30 .
- the parameters associated with the article 30 may include, for example, a serial number and/or stock keeping unit (SKU) for the article 30 or other means of identifying the article 30 and/or the type of the article 30 , a date of manufacture and/or expiry of the article 30 , an indication of the number of times the article 30 has been refilled, the capacity of the aerosol-generating material storage area 39 and/or the amount of aerosol-generating material remaining in the aerosol-generating material storage area 39 .
- SKU stock keeping unit
- the article control circuitry 38 can be provided in various different ways, for example using one or more suitably programmed programmable computer(s) and/or one or more suitably configured application-specific integrated circuit(s)/circuitry/chip(s)/chipset(s) configured to provide the desired functionality.
- the article control circuitry 38 may comprise a microcontroller unit (MCU) or a system on chip (SoC).
- the article 30 illustrated in FIG. 2 also comprises one or more connectors 31 , such as contact electrodes, connected via electrical wiring to the aerosol generator 36 and the article control circuitry 38 .
- the article 30 is coupled to the aerosol provision device 20 and the connectors 31 mate with connectors on the aerosol provision device, thereby allowing electrical power and electrical current to be supplied from the battery 14 of the aerosol provision device 20 to the aerosol generator 36 and the article control circuitry 38 .
- FIGS. 3 to 6 F are further schematic diagrams of example articles 30 for use in the aerosol provision system 10 illustrated in FIG. 1 , where the same reference signs have been used for like elements between the articles 30 illustrated in FIGS. 1 to 6 F .
- certain features of the article 30 have been omitted from FIGS. 3 to 6 F , such as the aerosol-generating material storage area 39 , aerosol-generating material 32 and mouthpiece 35 , but it will be appreciated that the article 30 described with reference to FIGS. 3 to 6 F may also contain some or all of these additional features illustrated in FIG. 2 but omitted from FIGS. 3 to 6 F .
- the one or more connectors 31 a , 31 b are electrically coupled to the aerosol generator 36 and the article control circuitry 38 such that, in use, the article control circuitry 38 and aerosol generator 36 receive electrical power via the same one or more connectors.
- electrical power (voltage) is supplied to the article control circuitry 38 and aerosol generator 36 from the same input (positive voltage) and output (negative voltage or ground) wires.
- the article control circuitry 38 and aerosol generator 36 can be electrically connected to the connectors 31 a , 31 b in parallel, but it will be appreciated that the article control circuitry 38 and aerosol generator 36 can be electrically connected to the connectors 31 a , 31 b in series. Supplying electrical power to both the article control circuitry 38 and aerosol generator 36 via the same connector reduces the number of connectors and wiring required for the article 30 , thereby reducing the complexity of the article 30 .
- FIG. 3 there can be two connectors 31 : an input (positive voltage) connector 31 a and an output (negative voltage or ground) connector 31 b .
- an input (positive voltage) connector 31 a and an output (negative voltage or ground) connector 31 b .
- electrical current is provided to the article 30 via the connectors 31 a , 31 b such that current is able to flow from the input connector 31 a to both the article control circuitry 38 and aerosol generator 36 and then to the output connector 31 b .
- the article 30 can also comprise a switch 310 .
- the switch 310 is in series with and upstream (in other words on the input connector 31 a side) of the aerosol generator 36
- the switch 310 is in series with and downstream (in other words on the output connector 31 b side) of the aerosol generator 36 .
- the article control circuitry 38 is configured to control the electrical power supplied to the aerosol generator 36 by actuating the switch 310 .
- the article control circuitry 38 is configured to actuate the switch to selectively allow or prevent electrical power from being supplied to the aerosol generator 36 .
- the article control circuitry 38 is on a separate circuit to (in other words, wired in parallel with) the switch 310 and the aerosol generator 36 so that electrical power can be supplied via the connectors 31 to the article control circuitry 38 regardless of whether the switch is open or closed. This means that, when the article 30 is coupled to another device, such as the aerosol provision device 20 , the article control circuitry 38 can receive electrical power via the connectors 31 a , 31 b without having to activate the aerosol generator 36 . The article control circuitry 38 can therefore receive electrical power independently of the aerosol generator 36 .
- the article control circuitry 38 can be configured to keep the switch 310 open by default, such that electrical power is only transferred to the aerosol generator 36 in response to the article control circuitry 38 actuating (closing) the switch 310 .
- a device such as the aerosol provision device 20 or a refilling device
- the article control circuitry 38 can be configured to actuate the switch 310 based on a value of a counter stored in the memory of the article control circuitry 38 .
- the switch is actuated by article control circuitry 38 such that whether or not electrical power is supplied to the aerosol generator 36 is dependent on the value of the counter.
- value of the counter can indicate the number of inhalations (or puffs) performed on the article 30 forming part of the aerosol provision system 10 by the user of the aerosol provision system 10 .
- the article control circuitry 38 can then be configured to update the value of the counter in response to an inhalation on the aerosol provision system 10 by a user of the aerosol provision system 10 .
- the value of the counter may be updated by incrementing or decrementing the value of the counter depending on the exact implementation of the counter, for example by a value of one for each inhalation performed by the user.
- a user may perform multiple inhalations within a short period of time, and the article control circuitry 38 may be configured to update the value of the counter periodically (for example every 10 seconds, every minute, 5 minutes, or 10 minutes) to reflect the number of inhalations performed in that time period, rather than updating the counter in response to each inhalation.
- the article control circuitry 38 can be configured to actuate (open) the switch 310 to prevent electrical power from being supplied to the aerosol generator 36 based on a comparison between the value of the counter and an inhalation limit, where in the inhalation limit represents the point at which the article 30 needs to be refilled.
- the article control circuitry 38 can then prevent electrical power from being supplied to the aerosol generator 36 by keeping the switch 310 open until the article 30 (more specifically the aerosol-generating material storage area 39 ) has been refilled with aerosol-generating material 32 .
- the article control circuitry 38 can be configured to reset or update the value of the counter (for example to zero) to indicate that the article 30 has been refilled with aerosol-generating material 32 . Accordingly, the next time the article control circuitry 38 compares the value of the counter to the inhalation limit (for example in response to an inhalation on the aerosol provision system 10 by a user of the aerosol provision system 10 ), the article control circuitry 38 can enable the supply of electrical power to the aerosol generator 36 by actuating (closing) the switch 310 .
- the switch 310 is illustrated as a separate component to the article control circuitry 38
- the switch 310 may also be integrated into the article control circuitry 38 such that the switch 310 and the article control circuitry 38 form a single component, such as a microcontroller unit (MCU) or a system on chip (SoC) as described above.
- MCU microcontroller unit
- SoC system on chip
- the articles 30 illustrated in FIGS. 5 A and 5 B have an additional data wire 320 that facilitates the transfer of data between the article control circuitry 38 and a device coupled to the article, such as the aerosol provision device 20 or a refilling device.
- the article control circuitry 38 is configured to send data to and receive data from the device.
- the data wire 320 can be connected between the article control circuitry 38 and one or more of the connectors 31 , such as the input connector 31 a , such that data is transferred between the article control circuitry 38 and the device using the connectors 31 .
- the same connectors 31 a , 31 b on the article 30 are used for transferring electrical power to the aerosol generator 36 , for transferring electrical power to the article control circuitry 38 and for transferring data to and from the article control circuitry 38 .
- fluctuations in the input voltage received via the input connector 31 a and the data wire 320 can be read by the article control circuitry 38 in order to receive data from the device.
- the article control circuitry 38 can then fluctuate the input voltage on the data line 320 such that the fluctuations are transmitted via the input connector 31 a to the device.
- This arrangement reduces the number of connectors required between the article 30 and the device coupled to the article 30 , as the same connectors can be used for powering the components of the article 30 as for data transfer.
- the voltage at the input connector 31 a may be between 3.3 and 4.4V, whilst the voltage received at the article control circuitry 38 via the data wire 320 may be around 2.8V because of the drop-down resistor 325 .
- the article control circuitry 38 illustrated in FIG. 5 A , is directly connected to the input connector 31 a , and therefore the article control circuitry 38 receives the same input voltage as the aerosol generator 36 (for example, 3.3 to 4.4V).
- the article 30 illustrated in FIG. 5 B has diodes 330 between the connectors 31 a , 31 b and the article control circuitry 38 to control the direction of current through the article control circuitry 38 whilst still allowing data to be transferred between the article control circuitry 38 and a device coupled to the article 30 using the connectors 31 a , 31 b .
- the diodes 330 also act to limit the voltage from the input connector 31 a to avoid damaging the article control circuitry 38 whilst electrical power is transferred to the aerosol generator 36 .
- an input voltage of 3.3 to 4.4V at the input connector 31 a can be transferred to the aerosol generator 36 , whilst the diodes 330 ensure a lower voltage (for example 2.8V) is supplied to the article control circuitry 38 as both the electrical power supply and for transferring data.
- the article control circuitry 38 can be configured to actuate the switch 310 such that data is only transferred to and from the article control circuitry 38 when the switch is open (and electrical power being transferred to the aerosol generator 36 is prevented). This means that the operation of the aerosol generator 36 is not adversely affected by fluctuations in the input voltage as a result of data being transferred to and from the article control circuitry 38 .
- the article control circuitry 38 can actuate the switch to ensure that data is only transferred between the article control circuitry 38 and the device control circuitry 28 when activation of the aerosol generator 36 is not required (in other words, when a user is not inhaling on the aerosol provision system 10 ).
- the device control circuitry 28 and/or the article control circuitry 38 may be configured to detect an inhalation on the aerosol provision system 10 .
- the device control circuitry 28 and/or the article control circuitry 38 can then send an indication to the other control circuitry to stop the transfer of data.
- the article control circuitry 38 can then be configured to actuate (close) the switch 310 to allow electrical power to be provided to the aerosol generator 36 .
- the article control circuitry 38 in response to detecting the end of an inhalation (by the device control circuitry 28 and/or the article control circuitry 38 ), can be configured to actuate (open) the switch 310 to prevent electrical power being provided to the aerosol generator 36 , then provide an indication to the device control circuitry 28 to indicate that data transfer between the article control circuitry 38 and the device control circuitry 28 can commence again.
- the article control circuitry 38 can therefore be configured to keep the switch 310 open when the article 30 is coupled to the refilling device, thereby preventing electrical power from being transferred to the aerosol generator 36 .
- the article control circuitry 38 can be configured to determine that the article 30 has been coupled to the refilling device, for example by transferring data to and from the refilling device using the data wire 320 . In response to determining that the article 30 has been coupled to the refilling device, the article control circuitry 38 can then be configured to keep the switch open, such the aerosol generator 36 does not received electrical power when the article 30 has been coupled to the refilling device.
- FIGS. 6 A to 6 F illustrate a further arrangement for transferring data to and from the article control circuitry 38 .
- the connectors 31 a , 31 b are electrically coupled to both the aerosol generator 36 and the article control circuitry 38 such that, in use, the article control circuitry 38 and the aerosol generate receive electrical power via the same connectors 31 a , 31 b .
- the articles in FIG. 6 A to 6 F have one or more data connectors 31 c , 31 d electrically coupled to the article control circuitry 38 .
- FIG. 6 A and 6 C to 6 F have a single data connector 31 c
- the article 30 illustrated in FIG. 6 B has two data connectors 31 c , 31 d
- the data connectors 31 c , 31 d facilitate the transfer of data between the article control circuitry 38 and a device, such as the aerosol provision device 20 , when the device is coupled to the connectors 31 a , 31 b and the data connectors, 31 c , 31 d .
- the connectors 31 a , 31 b mate with power connectors on the aerosol provision device 20 , thereby allowing electrical power and electrical current to be supplied from the battery 14 of the aerosol provision device 20 to the aerosol generator 36 and the article control circuitry 38 via the connectors 31 a , 31 b , whilst the data connectors 31 c , 31 d mate with data connectors of the aerosol provision device 20 , thereby allowing the transfer of data between the article control circuitry 38 and the device control circuitry 28 via the data connectors 31 c , 31 d . Accordingly, in the article 30 illustrated in FIGS.
- data can be transferred to and from the article control circuitry 38 via different connectors to the connectors via which electrical power is supplied to the aerosol generator 36 and the article control circuitry 38 .
- data can be transferred using the connectors 31 a , 31 b as described above in relation to FIGS. 5 A and 5 B .
- Having separate data connectors 31 c , 31 d for transferring data between the article control circuitry 38 and a device coupled to the article 30 means that the input voltage at the input connector 31 a for supplying electrical power to the aerosol generator 36 and the article control circuitry 38 is not altered or fluctuated when data is transferred to and from the article control circuitry 38 . This allows a constant voltage to be supplied to the aerosol generator 36 and the article control circuitry 38 at the same time as transferring data between the article control circuitry 38 .
- data can be transferred between the article control circuitry 38 and the device control circuitry 28 via the data connectors 31 c , 31 d at the same time as the aerosol generator 36 is activated via the connectors 31 a , 31 b , such as during an inhalation on the mouthpiece 35 by a user of the aerosol provision system 10 .
- the article control circuitry 38 can exchange data with the refilling device whilst preventing electrical power from being supplied to the aerosol generator 36 as described above in relation to FIGS. 5 A and 5 B , but in this case the data can be transmitted via the data connectors 31 c , 31 b whilst the article control circuitry 38 receives electrical power via connectors 31 a , 31 b .
- the switch 310 is kept open, however, to prevent the supply of electrical power to the aerosol generator 36 .
- the article control circuitry 38 may comprise integrated circuit(s)/circuitry/chip(s)/chipset(s) configured to provide the functionality described herein.
- the article control circuitry 38 illustrated in FIGS. 6 C to 6 F is an integrated circuit with four connectors 381 - 384 .
- the first connector 381 is the positive supply voltage (VCC), whilst the second connector 382 is the ground connector.
- the third connector 383 and fourth connector 394 are input/output connectors, with the third connector 383 connected to the data connector 31 c to enable data transfer whilst the fourth connector 384 is connected to the switch 310 to enable the article control circuitry 38 to actuate the switch 310 as described above.
- the fourth connector 384 is located inside the article 30 and is not directly connected to any of the connectors 31 a - d .
- the article 30 illustrated in FIGS. 6 D and 6 F has a diode 330 between the connector 31 a and the article control circuitry 38 (i.e., the first connector 381 ) to control the direction of current through the article control circuitry 38 .
- the article illustrated in FIGS. 6 D and 6 F also comprises one or more capacitors 340 between the first connector 381 and the second connector 382 to act as a power rectifier such that voltage can be supplied to the article control circuitry 38 when the connectors 31 a , 31 b are not electrically connected to either the aerosol provision device 20 or a refilling device.
- This also prevents the value of the counter stored in the memory of the article control circuitry 38 from being erroneously changed due to the input voltage to the article control circuitry 38 falling to zero. This ensures that the counter and the article control circuitry 38 continue to function in their intended fashion, and in particular that the article 30 cannot be used once the value of the counter has reached or exceeded the inhalation limit.
- the article 30 illustrated in FIGS. 3 E and 3 F has a Sziklai pair 350 between the fourth connector 384 and the switch 310 .
- a Sziklai pair 350 comprises a pair of bipolar transistors 351 , 352 ; the first transistor 351 is a PNP transistor and the second transistor 352 is a NPN transistor. There is also a resistor 325 on each of the lines between the voltage line to the heater and the transistors 351 , 352 of the Sziklai pair 350 .
- the Sziklai pair 350 is used to control the supply of electrical power to the aerosol generator 36 , in particular, to pick up the output from the fourth connector 384 since the fourth connector 384 may have a low power output.
- the Sziklai pair 350 used in combination with the power rectifier (diode 330 and capacitor 340 ) the voltage line into the heater 36 is entirely separate from the line between the fourth connector 384 and the switch 310 .
- the present disclosure relates to (but it not limited to) an article 30 for an aerosol provision system 10 comprising an aerosol generator 36 , article control circuitry 38 and one or more connectors 31 a , 31 b electrically coupled to the aerosol generator 36 and the article control circuitry 38 .
- the article control circuitry 38 and the aerosol generator 36 receive electrical power via the one or more connectors 31 a , 31 b.
- FIG. 7 is a flow chart of a method 700 of controlling an article 30 for an aerosol provision system 10 , for example performed by the article control circuitry 38 .
- the method begins at 710 , where electrical power is received from a device via one or more connectors 31 a , 31 b .
- the supply of electrical power to the aerosol generator 36 via the one or more connectors 31 a , 31 b is controlled and data transfer between the article 30 and device 20 is controlled in response to an inhalation on the aerosol provision system 10 by a user of the aerosol provision system 10 .
- the method then ends.
- FIG. 8 is a flow chart of a method 800 of controlling an article 30 for an aerosol provision system 10 , for example performed by the article control circuitry 38 of the article 30 illustrated in FIGS. 5 A and 5 B .
- the method begins at 810 , where electrical power is received from a device via connectors 31 a , 31 b .
- the method then continues to 860 , where the supply of electrical power to the aerosol generator 36 via the connectors 31 a , 31 b is enabled, for example by closing the switch 310 . The method then ends. If at 820 it is determined that an inhalation has not been detected, the method proceeds to 830 , where the supply of electrical power to the aerosol generator 36 via the connectors 31 a , 31 b is prevented, for example by opening the switch 310 or keeping the switch 310 in the open position. The method then continues to 840 , where data transfer via the connectors 31 a , 31 b is enabled, for example by sending a notification to the device via the connectors 31 a , 31 b or by closing a switch on the data line 320 . The method then ends.
- FIG. 9 is a flow chart of a further method 900 of controlling an article 30 for an aerosol provision system 10 , for example performed by the article control circuitry 38 of the article 30 illustrated in FIGS. 6 A and 6 B .
- the method begins at 910 , where electrical power is received from a device via connectors 31 a , 31 b .
- the method then continues to 950 .
- the method proceeds to 940 , where the supply of electrical power to the aerosol generator 36 via the connectors 31 a , 31 b is prevented, for example by opening the switch 310 or keeping the switch 310 in the open position.
- the method then continues to 950 , where it is determined whether data transfer has been requested, for example by a signal or notification received from the device. If it is determined that data transfer has been requested, the method continues to 960 , where data transfer via the data connector(s) 31 c , 31 d is enabled, for example by sending a notification to the device via the data connector(s) 31 c , 31 d or by closing a switch on the data line 320 . The method then ends.
- the method continues to 970 , wherein data transfer via the data connector(s) 31 c , 31 d is prevented, for example by sending a notification to the device via the data connector(s) 31 c , 31 d or by opening a switch on the data line 320 . Alternatively, no action may be necessary in response to determining that data transfer has not been requested. The method then ends.
- the article 30 illustrated in FIGS. 6 A and 6 B allows for the transfer of data to and from the article 30 concurrently with supplying the aerosol generator with electrical power, it will be appreciated that method 900 may be performed in a different order. In particular, 920 to 940 may be performed concurrently, or independently of 950 to 970 .
- the methods 700 , 800 , 900 illustrated in FIGS. 7 , 8 and 9 may be stored as instructions on a computer readable storage medium, such that when the instructions are executed by a processor, the methods 700 , 800 , 900 described above are performed.
- the computer readable storage medium may be non-transitory.
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Abstract
An article for an aerosol provision system comprises an aerosol generator, article control circuitry and one or more connectors electrically coupled to the aerosol generator and the article control circuitry. In use, the article control circuitry and the aerosol generator receive electrical power via the one or more connectors.
Description
- The present application is a National Phase entry of PCT Application No. PCT/GB2021/052737, filed Oct. 22, 2021, which claims priority from GB Application No. 2016760.7, filed Oct. 22, 2020, and GB Application No. 2019002.1, filed Dec. 2, 2020, and GB Application No. 2113502.5, filed Sep. 22, 2021, each of which is hereby fully incorporated herein by reference.
- The present disclosure relates to an article for an aerosol provision system and an aerosol provision system comprising the article.
- Electronic aerosol provision systems such as electronic cigarettes (e-cigarettes) generally contain an aerosol-generating material, such as a reservoir of a source liquid containing a formulation, typically including nicotine, or a solid material such as a tobacco-based product, from which an aerosol is generated for inhalation by a user, for example through heat vaporization. Thus, an aerosol provision system will typically comprise an aerosol generator, e.g. a heating element, arranged to aerosolize a portion of aerosol-generating material to generate an aerosol in an aerosol generation region of an air channel through the aerosol provision system. As a user inhales on the device and electrical power is supplied to the aerosol generator, air is drawn into the device through one or more inlet holes and along the air channel to the aerosol generation region, where the air mixes with the vaporized aerosol generator and forms a condensation aerosol. The air drawn through the aerosol generation region continues along the air channel to a mouthpiece, carrying some of the aerosol with it, and out through the mouthpiece for inhalation by the user.
- It is common for aerosol provision systems to comprise a modular assembly, often having two main functional parts, namely an aerosol provision device and an article. Typically, the article will comprise the consumable aerosol-generating material and the aerosol generator (heating element), while the aerosol provision device part will comprise longer-life items, such as a rechargeable battery, device control circuitry, and user interface features. The aerosol provision device may also be referred to as a reusable part or battery section and the article may also be referred to as a consumable, disposable/replaceable part, cartridge or cartomizer.
- The aerosol provision device and article are mechanically coupled together at an interface for use, for example using a screw thread, bayonet, latched or friction fit fixing. When the aerosol-generating material in an article has been exhausted, or the user wishes to switch to a different article having a different aerosol-generating material, the article may be removed from the aerosol provision device and a replacement article may be attached to the device in its place. Alternatively, some articles are configured such that, after the aerosol-generating material in the article has been exhausted, the article can be refilled with more aerosol-generating material, thereby allowing the article to be reused. In this example, the user is able to refill the article using a separate reservoir of aerosol-generating material. The aerosol-generating material used to refill the article may be the same or different to the previous aerosol-generating material in the article, thereby allowing the user to change to a different aerosol-generating material without purchasing a new article.
- Refilling the article with aerosol-generating material extends the life of the article as its use is no longer limited by the volume or amount of aerosol-generating material that the article can hold. As a result, the use of the article may be limited by other factors, such as the life of individual components within the article. Continuous use of the article may therefore result in degradation or fault developing in components within the article. The article may therefore become less reliable, the operation of the article less predictable or the article may stop working entirely, each of which has a negative impact on the user experience.
- Various approaches are described herein which seek to help address or mitigate some of the issues discussed above.
- In accordance with some embodiments described herein, there is provided an article for an aerosol provision system comprising an aerosol generator, article control circuitry and one or more connectors electrically coupled to the aerosol generator and the article control circuitry. In use, the article control circuitry and the aerosol generator receive electrical power via the one or more connectors.
- The aerosol generator and article control circuitry can be electrically connected in parallel.
- A pull-down resistor may be provided to modify the voltage of the electrical power supplied to the article control circuitry.
- In use, data can be transferred, using the connectors, between the article control circuitry and a device coupled to the article.
- There may also be one or more data connectors electrically coupled to the article control circuitry. In use, data is transferred, using the connectors, between the article control circuitry and a device coupled to the connectors and the data connectors.
- A switch may be provided, and the article control circuitry can be configured to control electrical power supplied to the aerosol generator by actuating the switch. The article control circuitry can be configured to actuate the switch based on a value of a counter stored in memory of the article control circuitry. The switch can be in series with the aerosol generator, and the switch can be integrated into the article control circuitry.
- In accordance with some embodiments described herein, there is provided an aerosol provision system comprising the article described herein. The aerosol provision system can comprise an aerosol provision device.
- In accordance with some embodiments described herein, there is provided a method of controlling an article for an aerosol provision system comprising receiving electrical power from a device coupled to the article via one or more connectors, and controlling electrical power supplied to the aerosol generator via the one or more connectors and controlling data transfer between the article and device in response to an inhalation on the aerosol provision system by a user of the aerosol provision system.
- There is also provided a computer readable storage medium comprising instructions which, when executed by a processor, performs the above method.
- These aspects and other aspects will be apparent from the following detailed description. In this regard, particular sections of the description are not to be read in isolation from other sections.
- Embodiments of the disclosure will now be described, by way of example only, with reference to the accompanying drawings, in which:
-
FIG. 1 is a schematic diagram of an aerosol provision system. -
FIG. 2 is a schematic diagram of an example article for use in the aerosol provision system illustrated inFIG. 1 . -
FIG. 3 is a further schematic diagram of an example article for use in the aerosol provision system illustrated inFIG. 1 . -
FIG. 4A is a schematic diagram of an example article for use in the aerosol provision system illustrated inFIG. 1 . -
FIG. 4B is another schematic diagram of an example article for use in the aerosol provision system illustrated inFIG. 1 . -
FIG. 5A is another schematic diagram of an example article for use in the aerosol provision system illustrated inFIG. 1 . -
FIG. 5B is another schematic diagram of an example article for use in the aerosol provision system illustrated inFIG. 1 . -
FIG. 6A is another schematic diagram of an example article for use in the aerosol provision system illustrated inFIG. 1 . -
FIG. 6B is another schematic diagram of an example article for use in the aerosol provision system illustrated inFIG. 1 . -
FIG. 6C is another schematic diagram of an example article for use in the aerosol provision system illustrated inFIG. 1 . -
FIG. 6D is another schematic diagram of an example article for use in the aerosol provision system illustrated inFIG. 1 . -
FIG. 6E is another schematic diagram of an example article for use in the aerosol provision system illustrated inFIG. 1 . -
FIG. 6F is another schematic diagram of an example article for use in the aerosol provision system illustrated inFIG. 1 . -
FIG. 7 is a flow chart of a method of controlling an article for an aerosol provision system. -
FIG. 8 is a flow chart of a further method of controlling an article for an aerosol provision system. -
FIG. 9 is a flow chart of a further method of controlling an article for an aerosol provision system. - Aspects and features of certain examples and embodiments are discussed/described herein. Some aspects and features of certain examples and embodiments may be implemented conventionally and these are not discussed/described in detail in the interests of brevity. It will thus be appreciated that aspects and features of articles and systems discussed herein which are not described in detail may be implemented in accordance with any conventional techniques for implementing such aspects and features.
- The present disclosure relates to aerosol provision systems, which may also be referred to as aerosol provision systems, such as e-cigarettes. Throughout the following description the term “e-cigarette” or “electronic cigarette” may sometimes be used, but it will be appreciated this term may be used interchangeably with aerosol provision system and electronic aerosol provision system.
- As noted above, aerosol provision systems (e-cigarettes) often comprise a modular assembly including both a reusable part (aerosol provision device) and a replaceable (disposable) or refillable cartridge part, referred to as an article. Systems conforming to this type of two-part modular configuration may generally be referred to as two-part systems or devices. It is also common for electronic cigarettes to have a generally elongate shape. For the sake of providing a concrete example, certain embodiments of the disclosure described herein comprise this kind of generally elongate two-part system employing refillable cartridges. However, it will be appreciated the underlying principles described herein may equally be adopted for other electronic cigarette configurations, for example modular systems comprising more than two parts, as devices conforming to other overall shapes, for example based on so-called box-mod high performance devices that typically have a more boxy shape.
- As described above, the present disclosure relates to (but it not limited to) articles of aerosol provision systems, such as e-cigarettes and electronic cigarettes.
-
FIG. 1 is a highly schematic diagram (not to scale) of an exampleaerosol provision system 10, such as an e-cigarette, to which embodiments are applicable. Theaerosol provision system 10 has a generally cylindrical shape, extending along a longitudinal or y axis as indicated by the axes (although aspects of the disclosure are applicable to e-cigarettes configured in other shapes and arrangements), and comprises two main components, namely anaerosol provision device 20 and anarticle 30. - The
article 30 comprises or consists of aerosol-generatingmaterial 32, part or all of which is intended to be consumed during use by a user. Anarticle 30 may comprise one or more other components, such as an aerosol-generatingmaterial storage area 39, an aerosol-generatingmaterial transfer component 37, an aerosol generation area, a housing, a wrapper, amouthpiece 35, a filter and/or an aerosol-modifying agent. - An
article 30 may also comprise anaerosol generator 36, such as a heating element, that emits heat to cause the aerosol-generatingmaterial 32 to generate aerosol in use. Theaerosol generator 36 may, for example, comprise combustible material, a material heatable by electrical conduction, or a susceptor. It should be noted that it is possible for theaerosol generator 36 to be part of theaerosol provision device 20 and thearticle 30 then may comprise the aerosol-generatingmaterial storage area 39 for the aerosol-generatingmaterial 32 such that, when thearticle 30 is coupled with theaerosol provision device 20, the aerosol-generatingmaterial 32 can be transferred to theaerosol generator 36 in theaerosol provision device 20. - Aerosol-generating material is a material that is capable of generating aerosol, for example when heated, irradiated or energized in any other way. The aerosol-generating
material 32 may, for example, be in the form of a solid, liquid or gel which may or may not contain an active substance and/or flavorants. In some embodiments, the aerosol-generatingmaterial 32 may comprise an “amorphous solid”, which may alternatively be referred to as a “monolithic solid” (i.e., non-fibrous). In some embodiments, the amorphous solid may be a dried gel. The amorphous solid is a solid material that may retain some fluid, such as liquid, within it. In some embodiments, the aerosol-generatingmaterial 32 may for example comprise from about 50 wt %, 60 wt % or of amorphous solid, to about 90 wt %, 95 wt % or 100 wt % of amorphous solid. - The aerosol-generating material comprises one or more ingredients, such as one or more active substances and/or flavorants, one or more aerosol-former materials, and optionally one or more other functional materials such as pH regulators, coloring agents, preservatives, binders, fillers, stabilizers, and/or antioxidants.
- The active substance as used herein may be a physiologically active material, which is a material intended to achieve or enhance a physiological response. The active substance may for example be selected from nutraceuticals, nootropics, and psychoactives. The active substance may be naturally occurring or synthetically obtained. The active substance may comprise for example nicotine, caffeine, taurine, thiene, vitamins such as B6 or B12 or C, melatonin, cannabinoids, or constituents, derivatives, or combinations thereof. The active substance may comprise one or more constituents, derivatives or extracts of tobacco, cannabis or another botanical.
- In some embodiments, the active substance comprises nicotine. In some embodiments, the active substance comprises caffeine, melatonin, or vitamin B12.
- The
aerosol provision device 20 includes apower source 14, such as a battery, configured to supply electrical power to theaerosol generator 36. Thepower source 14 in this example is rechargeable and may be of a conventional type, for example of the kind normally used in electronic cigarettes and other applications requiring provision of relatively high currents over relatively short periods. Thebattery 14 may be recharged through the charging port (not illustrated), which may, for example, comprise a USB connector. - The
aerosol provision device 20 includesdevice control circuitry 28 configured to control the operation of theaerosol provision system 10 and provide conventional operating functions in line with the established techniques for controlling aerosol provision systems such as electronic cigarettes. The device control circuitry (processor circuitry) 28 may be considered to logically comprise various sub-units/circuitry elements associated with different aspects of the electronic cigarette's operation. For example, depending on the functionality provided in different implementations, thedevice control circuitry 28 may comprise power source control circuitry for controlling the supply of electrical power from thepower source 14 to theaerosol generator 36, user programming circuitry for establishing configuration settings (e.g. user-defined power settings) in response to user input, as well as other functional units/circuitry associated functionality in accordance with the principles described herein and conventional operating aspects of electronic cigarettes. It will be appreciated the functionality of thedevice control circuitry 28 can be provided in various different ways, for example using one or more suitably programmed programmable computer(s) and/or one or more suitably configured application-specific integrated circuit(s)/circuitry/chip(s)/chipset(s) configured to provide the desired functionality. - The
aerosol provision device 20 includes one ormore air inlets 21. In use, as a user inhales on themouthpiece 35, air is drawn into theaerosol provision device 20 through theair inlets 21 and along anair channel 23 to theaerosol generator 36, where the air mixes with the vaporized aerosol-generatingmaterial 32 and forms a condensation aerosol. The air drawn through theaerosol generator 36 continues along theair channel 23 to amouthpiece 35, carrying some of the aerosol with it, and out through themouthpiece 35 for inhalation by the user. Alternatively, the one ormore air inlets 21 may be included on thearticle 30, such that theair channel 23 is entirely contained within thearticle 30. - By way of a concrete example, the
article 30 comprises a housing (formed, e.g., from a plastics material), an aerosol-generatingmaterial storage area 39 formed within the housing for containing the aerosol-generating material 32 (which in this example may be a liquid which may or may not contain nicotine), an aerosol-generating material transfer component 37 (which in this example is a wick formed of e.g., glass or cotton fibers, or a ceramic material configured to transport the liquid from the reservoir using capillary action), an aerosol-generating area containing theaerosol generator 36, and amouthpiece 35. Although not shown, a filter and/or aerosol modifying agent (such as a flavor imparting material) may be located in, or in proximity to, themouthpiece 35. Theaerosol generator 36 of this example comprises a heater element formed from an electrically resistive material (such as NiCr8020) spirally wrapped around the aerosol-generatingmaterial transfer component 37, and located in theair channel 23. The area around the heating element and wick combination is the aerosol-generating area of thearticle 30. -
FIG. 2 is a schematic diagram of anexample article 30 for use in theaerosol provision system 10 illustrated inFIG. 1 , where the same reference signs have been used for like elements between thearticle 30 illustrated inFIG. 1 and thearticle 30 illustrated inFIG. 2 . As per thearticle 30 illustrated inFIG. 1 , thearticle 30 illustrated inFIG. 2 includes an aerosol-generatingmaterial storage area 39 for storing an aerosol-generatingmaterial 32, an aerosol-generatingmaterial transfer component 37, an aerosol generation area containing anaerosol generator 36, and amouthpiece 35. - The
article 30 illustrated inFIG. 2 is configured to be refilled and reused. In other words, the aerosol-generatingmaterial storage area 39 of thearticle 30 illustrated inFIG. 2 can be refilled with aerosol-generatingmaterial 32 once some or all of the aerosol-generatingmaterial 32 contained in the aerosol-generatingmaterial storage area 39 has been exhausted or depleted. To facilitate the refilling or replenishment of aerosol-generatingmaterial 32, thearticle 30 has a refilling tube 33 extending between the aerosol-generatingmaterial storage area 39 and the exterior or an outer surface of the housing of thearticle 30, thereby creating a refillingorifice 34. Aerosol-generatingmaterial 32 can then be inserted into the aerosol-generatingmaterial storage area 39 via the refillingorifice 34 and refilling tube 33. It will be appreciated, however, that such a configuration of a refilling tube 33 and a refillingorifice 34 is not essential, and thearticle 30 may comprise any other suitable means of facilitating the refilling of the aerosol-generatingmaterial storage area 39 withaerosol generating material 32. - The refilling
orifice 34 and/or the refilling tube 33 may be sealable, for example with a cap or one-way valve, in order to ensure that aerosol-generatingmaterial 32 does not leak out of the refillingorifice 34. Although the refillingorifice 34 is illustrated inFIG. 2 as being on the same end or surface of thearticle 30 as theair channel 23 and interface with the aerosol provision device this is not essential. The refillingorifice 34 may be located at the end of thearticle 30 comprising themouthpiece 35, for example proximate to the outlet of theair channel 23 on themouthpiece 35, such that the refilling tube 33 extends between the end of thearticle 30 comprising themouthpiece 35 and the aerosol-generatingmaterial storage area 39. In this case, thearticle 30 does not necessarily need to be separated from theaerosol provision device 20 in order to refill thearticle 30 with aerosol-generatingmaterial 32, as the refillingorifice 34 is not obstructed by theaerosol provision device 20 when thearticle 30 is coupled with theaerosol provision device 20. - The
article 30 illustrated inFIG. 2 also comprisesarticle control circuitry 38 configured to control the operation of thearticle 30 and store parameters and/or data associated with thearticle 30. The parameters associated with thearticle 30 may include, for example, a serial number and/or stock keeping unit (SKU) for thearticle 30 or other means of identifying thearticle 30 and/or the type of thearticle 30, a date of manufacture and/or expiry of thearticle 30, an indication of the number of times thearticle 30 has been refilled, the capacity of the aerosol-generatingmaterial storage area 39 and/or the amount of aerosol-generating material remaining in the aerosol-generatingmaterial storage area 39. As described above in relation to thedevice control circuitry 28, thearticle control circuitry 38 can be provided in various different ways, for example using one or more suitably programmed programmable computer(s) and/or one or more suitably configured application-specific integrated circuit(s)/circuitry/chip(s)/chipset(s) configured to provide the desired functionality. For example, thearticle control circuitry 38 may comprise a microcontroller unit (MCU) or a system on chip (SoC). - The
article 30 illustrated inFIG. 2 also comprises one ormore connectors 31, such as contact electrodes, connected via electrical wiring to theaerosol generator 36 and thearticle control circuitry 38. In use, thearticle 30 is coupled to theaerosol provision device 20 and theconnectors 31 mate with connectors on the aerosol provision device, thereby allowing electrical power and electrical current to be supplied from thebattery 14 of theaerosol provision device 20 to theaerosol generator 36 and thearticle control circuitry 38. -
FIGS. 3 to 6F are further schematic diagrams ofexample articles 30 for use in theaerosol provision system 10 illustrated inFIG. 1 , where the same reference signs have been used for like elements between thearticles 30 illustrated inFIGS. 1 to 6F . For ease of illustration, certain features of thearticle 30 have been omitted fromFIGS. 3 to 6F , such as the aerosol-generatingmaterial storage area 39, aerosol-generatingmaterial 32 andmouthpiece 35, but it will be appreciated that thearticle 30 described with reference toFIGS. 3 to 6F may also contain some or all of these additional features illustrated inFIG. 2 but omitted fromFIGS. 3 to 6F . - As illustrated in
FIG. 3 , the one ormore connectors aerosol generator 36 and thearticle control circuitry 38 such that, in use, thearticle control circuitry 38 andaerosol generator 36 receive electrical power via the same one or more connectors. In other words, electrical power (voltage) is supplied to thearticle control circuitry 38 andaerosol generator 36 from the same input (positive voltage) and output (negative voltage or ground) wires. As illustrated inFIG. 3 , thearticle control circuitry 38 andaerosol generator 36 can be electrically connected to theconnectors article control circuitry 38 andaerosol generator 36 can be electrically connected to theconnectors article control circuitry 38 andaerosol generator 36 via the same connector reduces the number of connectors and wiring required for thearticle 30, thereby reducing the complexity of thearticle 30. - As illustrated in
FIG. 3 , there can be two connectors 31: an input (positive voltage)connector 31 a and an output (negative voltage or ground)connector 31 b. In use, when the article is coupled to another device, such as theaerosol provision device 20, electrical current is provided to thearticle 30 via theconnectors input connector 31 a to both thearticle control circuitry 38 andaerosol generator 36 and then to theoutput connector 31 b. Although there are twoconnectors FIG. 3 , there may only be a single connector, such as a pin, jack, plug or socket connector that allows an input (positive voltage) wire and an output (negative voltage or ground) wire to be connected through thesame connector 31. - As illustrated in
FIGS. 4A and 4B , thearticle 30 can also comprise aswitch 310. InFIG. 4A theswitch 310 is in series with and upstream (in other words on theinput connector 31 a side) of theaerosol generator 36, whilst inFIG. 4B theswitch 310 is in series with and downstream (in other words on theoutput connector 31 b side) of theaerosol generator 36. Thearticle control circuitry 38 is configured to control the electrical power supplied to theaerosol generator 36 by actuating theswitch 310. In other words, thearticle control circuitry 38 is configured to actuate the switch to selectively allow or prevent electrical power from being supplied to theaerosol generator 36. As illustrated inFIGS. 4A and 4B , thearticle control circuitry 38 is on a separate circuit to (in other words, wired in parallel with) theswitch 310 and theaerosol generator 36 so that electrical power can be supplied via theconnectors 31 to thearticle control circuitry 38 regardless of whether the switch is open or closed. This means that, when thearticle 30 is coupled to another device, such as theaerosol provision device 20, thearticle control circuitry 38 can receive electrical power via theconnectors aerosol generator 36. Thearticle control circuitry 38 can therefore receive electrical power independently of theaerosol generator 36. - The
article control circuitry 38 can be configured to keep theswitch 310 open by default, such that electrical power is only transferred to theaerosol generator 36 in response to thearticle control circuitry 38 actuating (closing) theswitch 310. In this case, when thearticle 30 is connected to a device, such as theaerosol provision device 20 or a refilling device, only thearticle control circuitry 38 initially receives electrical power; theaerosol generator 36 will only receive electrical power when thearticle control circuitry 38 actuates theswitch 310. This ensures that theaerosol generator 36 is not inadvertently actuated as soon as electrical power is received at theconnectors - The
article control circuitry 38 can be configured to actuate theswitch 310 based on a value of a counter stored in the memory of thearticle control circuitry 38. In other words, the switch is actuated byarticle control circuitry 38 such that whether or not electrical power is supplied to theaerosol generator 36 is dependent on the value of the counter. For example, value of the counter can indicate the number of inhalations (or puffs) performed on thearticle 30 forming part of theaerosol provision system 10 by the user of theaerosol provision system 10. This may also correspond to the number of activations of theaerosol generator 36; in other words, the number of times power was supplied to theaerosol generator 36, since theaerosol generator 36 is activated each time a user performs an inhalation on theaerosol provision system 10 in order to generate an aerosol for delivery to the user. Thearticle control circuitry 38 can then be configured to update the value of the counter in response to an inhalation on theaerosol provision system 10 by a user of theaerosol provision system 10. The value of the counter may be updated by incrementing or decrementing the value of the counter depending on the exact implementation of the counter, for example by a value of one for each inhalation performed by the user. A user may perform multiple inhalations within a short period of time, and thearticle control circuitry 38 may be configured to update the value of the counter periodically (for example every 10 seconds, every minute, 5 minutes, or 10 minutes) to reflect the number of inhalations performed in that time period, rather than updating the counter in response to each inhalation. - The
article control circuitry 38 can be configured to actuate (open) theswitch 310 to prevent electrical power from being supplied to theaerosol generator 36 based on a comparison between the value of the counter and an inhalation limit, where in the inhalation limit represents the point at which thearticle 30 needs to be refilled. Thearticle control circuitry 38 can then prevent electrical power from being supplied to theaerosol generator 36 by keeping theswitch 310 open until the article 30 (more specifically the aerosol-generating material storage area 39) has been refilled with aerosol-generatingmaterial 32. This prevents electrical power from being supplied to theaerosol generator 36 when there is little or no aerosol-generatingmaterial 32 in the aerosol-generatingmaterial storage area 39, which could cause theaerosol generator 36 to dry out (as there is no aerosol-generatingmaterial 32 present to aerosolize) and/or cause theaerosol generator 36 to overheat, which could in turn cause damage to theaerosol generator 36 or other components of thearticle 30 andaerosol generation system 10. - In response to the
article 30 being refilled with aerosol-generatingmaterial 32, thearticle control circuitry 38 can be configured to reset or update the value of the counter (for example to zero) to indicate that thearticle 30 has been refilled with aerosol-generatingmaterial 32. Accordingly, the next time thearticle control circuitry 38 compares the value of the counter to the inhalation limit (for example in response to an inhalation on theaerosol provision system 10 by a user of the aerosol provision system 10), thearticle control circuitry 38 can enable the supply of electrical power to theaerosol generator 36 by actuating (closing) theswitch 310. - Although in
FIGS. 4A and 4B theswitch 310 is illustrated as a separate component to thearticle control circuitry 38, theswitch 310 may also be integrated into thearticle control circuitry 38 such that theswitch 310 and thearticle control circuitry 38 form a single component, such as a microcontroller unit (MCU) or a system on chip (SoC) as described above. - The
articles 30 illustrated inFIGS. 5A and 5B have anadditional data wire 320 that facilitates the transfer of data between thearticle control circuitry 38 and a device coupled to the article, such as theaerosol provision device 20 or a refilling device. In use, when a device (such as the aerosol provision device 20) is coupled to the article, thearticle control circuitry 38 is configured to send data to and receive data from the device. As illustrated inFIGS. 5A and 5B , thedata wire 320 can be connected between thearticle control circuitry 38 and one or more of theconnectors 31, such as theinput connector 31 a, such that data is transferred between thearticle control circuitry 38 and the device using theconnectors 31. In other words, thesame connectors article 30 are used for transferring electrical power to theaerosol generator 36, for transferring electrical power to thearticle control circuitry 38 and for transferring data to and from thearticle control circuitry 38. For example, fluctuations in the input voltage received via theinput connector 31 a and thedata wire 320 can be read by thearticle control circuitry 38 in order to receive data from the device. To send data to the device, thearticle control circuitry 38 can then fluctuate the input voltage on thedata line 320 such that the fluctuations are transmitted via theinput connector 31 a to the device. This arrangement reduces the number of connectors required between thearticle 30 and the device coupled to thearticle 30, as the same connectors can be used for powering the components of thearticle 30 as for data transfer. - As illustrated in
FIGS. 5A and 5B , there is a pull-down resistor 325 on thedata wire 320 between theinput connector 31 a and thearticle control circuitry 38 in order to modify the voltage of the electrical power supplied to thearticle control circuitry 38 via thedata line 320. For example, the voltage at theinput connector 31 a may be between 3.3 and 4.4V, whilst the voltage received at thearticle control circuitry 38 via thedata wire 320 may be around 2.8V because of the drop-down resistor 325. - The
article control circuitry 38, illustrated inFIG. 5A , is directly connected to theinput connector 31 a, and therefore thearticle control circuitry 38 receives the same input voltage as the aerosol generator 36 (for example, 3.3 to 4.4V). In contrast, thearticle 30 illustrated inFIG. 5B hasdiodes 330 between theconnectors article control circuitry 38 to control the direction of current through thearticle control circuitry 38 whilst still allowing data to be transferred between thearticle control circuitry 38 and a device coupled to thearticle 30 using theconnectors diodes 330 also act to limit the voltage from theinput connector 31 a to avoid damaging thearticle control circuitry 38 whilst electrical power is transferred to theaerosol generator 36. For example, an input voltage of 3.3 to 4.4V at theinput connector 31 a can be transferred to theaerosol generator 36, whilst thediodes 330 ensure a lower voltage (for example 2.8V) is supplied to thearticle control circuitry 38 as both the electrical power supply and for transferring data. - The
article control circuitry 38 can be configured to actuate theswitch 310 such that data is only transferred to and from thearticle control circuitry 38 when the switch is open (and electrical power being transferred to theaerosol generator 36 is prevented). This means that the operation of theaerosol generator 36 is not adversely affected by fluctuations in the input voltage as a result of data being transferred to and from thearticle control circuitry 38. - For example, when the
article 30 is coupled to theaerosol provision device 20, thearticle control circuitry 38 can actuate the switch to ensure that data is only transferred between thearticle control circuitry 38 and thedevice control circuitry 28 when activation of theaerosol generator 36 is not required (in other words, when a user is not inhaling on the aerosol provision system 10). Thedevice control circuitry 28 and/or thearticle control circuitry 38 may be configured to detect an inhalation on theaerosol provision system 10. Thedevice control circuitry 28 and/or thearticle control circuitry 38 can then send an indication to the other control circuitry to stop the transfer of data. In response to stopping the transfer of data, thearticle control circuitry 38 can then be configured to actuate (close) theswitch 310 to allow electrical power to be provided to theaerosol generator 36. Similarly, in response to detecting the end of an inhalation (by thedevice control circuitry 28 and/or the article control circuitry 38), thearticle control circuitry 38 can be configured to actuate (open) theswitch 310 to prevent electrical power being provided to theaerosol generator 36, then provide an indication to thedevice control circuitry 28 to indicate that data transfer between thearticle control circuitry 38 and thedevice control circuitry 28 can commence again. Alternatively, there may be a switch on thedata line 320 that thearticle control circuitry 38 is configured to actuated in order to enable or prevent data transfer (by closing or opening the switch, respectively). - Equally, when the
article 30 is coupled to a refilling device (used to fill/refill the aerosol-generatingmaterial storage area 39 with aerosol-generating material 32), inhalations are not performed on themouthpiece 35 of thearticle 30 by the user, and therefore aerosol generation is not required. Accordingly, electrical power does not need to be transferred to theaerosol generator 36 when thearticle 30 is coupled to a refilling device. Thearticle control circuitry 38 can therefore be configured to keep theswitch 310 open when thearticle 30 is coupled to the refilling device, thereby preventing electrical power from being transferred to theaerosol generator 36. For example, in response to receiving electrical power from the refilling device via theconnectors article control circuitry 38 can be configured to determine that thearticle 30 has been coupled to the refilling device, for example by transferring data to and from the refilling device using thedata wire 320. In response to determining that thearticle 30 has been coupled to the refilling device, thearticle control circuitry 38 can then be configured to keep the switch open, such theaerosol generator 36 does not received electrical power when thearticle 30 has been coupled to the refilling device. -
FIGS. 6A to 6F illustrate a further arrangement for transferring data to and from thearticle control circuitry 38. In the same way as for thearticles 30 illustrated inFIGS. 3, 4A -B and 5A-B, theconnectors aerosol generator 36 and thearticle control circuitry 38 such that, in use, thearticle control circuitry 38 and the aerosol generate receive electrical power via thesame connectors articles 30 illustrated inFIGS. 5A and 5B , the articles inFIG. 6A to 6F have one ormore data connectors article control circuitry 38. Thearticle 30 illustrated inFIGS. 6A and 6C to 6F have asingle data connector 31 c, whilst thearticle 30 illustrated inFIG. 6B has twodata connectors data connectors article control circuitry 38 and a device, such as theaerosol provision device 20, when the device is coupled to theconnectors article 30, theconnectors aerosol provision device 20, thereby allowing electrical power and electrical current to be supplied from thebattery 14 of theaerosol provision device 20 to theaerosol generator 36 and thearticle control circuitry 38 via theconnectors data connectors aerosol provision device 20, thereby allowing the transfer of data between thearticle control circuitry 38 and thedevice control circuitry 28 via thedata connectors article 30 illustrated inFIGS. 6A to 6F , data can be transferred to and from thearticle control circuitry 38 via different connectors to the connectors via which electrical power is supplied to theaerosol generator 36 and thearticle control circuitry 38. Alternatively, or in addition, data can be transferred using theconnectors FIGS. 5A and 5B . - Having
separate data connectors article control circuitry 38 and a device coupled to thearticle 30 means that the input voltage at theinput connector 31 a for supplying electrical power to theaerosol generator 36 and thearticle control circuitry 38 is not altered or fluctuated when data is transferred to and from thearticle control circuitry 38. This allows a constant voltage to be supplied to theaerosol generator 36 and thearticle control circuitry 38 at the same time as transferring data between thearticle control circuitry 38. For example, when thearticle 30 is coupled to theaerosol provision device 20, data can be transferred between thearticle control circuitry 38 and thedevice control circuitry 28 via thedata connectors aerosol generator 36 is activated via theconnectors mouthpiece 35 by a user of theaerosol provision system 10. - As described above, when the
article 30 is connected to a refilling device, electrical power does not need to be supplied to theaerosol generator 36. For thearticles 30 illustrated inFIGS. 6A to 6F , thearticle control circuitry 38 can exchange data with the refilling device whilst preventing electrical power from being supplied to theaerosol generator 36 as described above in relation toFIGS. 5A and 5B , but in this case the data can be transmitted via thedata connectors article control circuitry 38 receives electrical power viaconnectors switch 310 is kept open, however, to prevent the supply of electrical power to theaerosol generator 36. - As described above, the
article control circuitry 38 may comprise integrated circuit(s)/circuitry/chip(s)/chipset(s) configured to provide the functionality described herein. Thearticle control circuitry 38 illustrated inFIGS. 6C to 6F is an integrated circuit with four connectors 381-384. As described above, thefirst connector 381 is the positive supply voltage (VCC), whilst thesecond connector 382 is the ground connector. Thethird connector 383 and fourth connector 394 are input/output connectors, with thethird connector 383 connected to thedata connector 31 c to enable data transfer whilst thefourth connector 384 is connected to theswitch 310 to enable thearticle control circuitry 38 to actuate theswitch 310 as described above. In particular, thefourth connector 384 is located inside thearticle 30 and is not directly connected to any of theconnectors 31 a-d. This means thefourth connector 384 cannot be easily accessed by the user of the aerosol-provision device 10, thereby making it harder for the user to tamper with thearticle 30, for example the user is not able to supply electrical power to theaerosol generator 36 whilst bypassing thearticle control circuitry 38. This results in a more robust, tamperresistant article 30. - The
article 30 illustrated inFIGS. 6D and 6F has adiode 330 between theconnector 31 a and the article control circuitry 38 (i.e., the first connector 381) to control the direction of current through thearticle control circuitry 38. The article illustrated inFIGS. 6D and 6F also comprises one ormore capacitors 340 between thefirst connector 381 and thesecond connector 382 to act as a power rectifier such that voltage can be supplied to thearticle control circuitry 38 when theconnectors aerosol provision device 20 or a refilling device. This also prevents the value of the counter stored in the memory of thearticle control circuitry 38 from being erroneously changed due to the input voltage to thearticle control circuitry 38 falling to zero. This ensures that the counter and thearticle control circuitry 38 continue to function in their intended fashion, and in particular that thearticle 30 cannot be used once the value of the counter has reached or exceeded the inhalation limit. - The
article 30 illustrated inFIGS. 3E and 3F has aSziklai pair 350 between thefourth connector 384 and theswitch 310. ASziklai pair 350 comprises a pair ofbipolar transistors first transistor 351 is a PNP transistor and thesecond transistor 352 is a NPN transistor. There is also aresistor 325 on each of the lines between the voltage line to the heater and thetransistors Sziklai pair 350. TheSziklai pair 350 is used to control the supply of electrical power to theaerosol generator 36, in particular, to pick up the output from thefourth connector 384 since thefourth connector 384 may have a low power output. As illustrated inFIG. 3F , when theSziklai pair 350 used in combination with the power rectifier (diode 330 and capacitor 340), the voltage line into theheater 36 is entirely separate from the line between thefourth connector 384 and theswitch 310. - As described above, the present disclosure relates to (but it not limited to) an
article 30 for anaerosol provision system 10 comprising anaerosol generator 36,article control circuitry 38 and one ormore connectors aerosol generator 36 and thearticle control circuitry 38. In use, thearticle control circuitry 38 and theaerosol generator 36 receive electrical power via the one ormore connectors -
FIG. 7 is a flow chart of amethod 700 of controlling anarticle 30 for anaerosol provision system 10, for example performed by thearticle control circuitry 38. The method begins at 710, where electrical power is received from a device via one ormore connectors aerosol generator 36 via the one ormore connectors article 30 anddevice 20 is controlled in response to an inhalation on theaerosol provision system 10 by a user of theaerosol provision system 10. The method then ends. -
FIG. 8 is a flow chart of amethod 800 of controlling anarticle 30 for anaerosol provision system 10, for example performed by thearticle control circuitry 38 of thearticle 30 illustrated inFIGS. 5A and 5B . The method begins at 810, where electrical power is received from a device viaconnectors connectors connectors data line 320. The method then continues to 860, where the supply of electrical power to theaerosol generator 36 via theconnectors switch 310. The method then ends. If at 820 it is determined that an inhalation has not been detected, the method proceeds to 830, where the supply of electrical power to theaerosol generator 36 via theconnectors switch 310 or keeping theswitch 310 in the open position. The method then continues to 840, where data transfer via theconnectors connectors data line 320. The method then ends. -
FIG. 9 is a flow chart of afurther method 900 of controlling anarticle 30 for anaerosol provision system 10, for example performed by thearticle control circuitry 38 of thearticle 30 illustrated inFIGS. 6A and 6B . The method begins at 910, where electrical power is received from a device viaconnectors aerosol generator 36 via theconnectors switch 310. The method then continues to 950. If at 920 it is determined that an inhalation has not been detected, the method proceeds to 940, where the supply of electrical power to theaerosol generator 36 via theconnectors switch 310 or keeping theswitch 310 in the open position. The method then continues to 950, where it is determined whether data transfer has been requested, for example by a signal or notification received from the device. If it is determined that data transfer has been requested, the method continues to 960, where data transfer via the data connector(s) 31 c, 31 d is enabled, for example by sending a notification to the device via the data connector(s) 31 c, 31 d or by closing a switch on thedata line 320. The method then ends. If at 950 it is determined that data transfer has not been request, the method continues to 970, wherein data transfer via the data connector(s) 31 c, 31 d is prevented, for example by sending a notification to the device via the data connector(s) 31 c, 31 d or by opening a switch on thedata line 320. Alternatively, no action may be necessary in response to determining that data transfer has not been requested. The method then ends. As thearticle 30 illustrated inFIGS. 6A and 6B allows for the transfer of data to and from thearticle 30 concurrently with supplying the aerosol generator with electrical power, it will be appreciated thatmethod 900 may be performed in a different order. In particular, 920 to 940 may be performed concurrently, or independently of 950 to 970. - The
methods FIGS. 7, 8 and 9 may be stored as instructions on a computer readable storage medium, such that when the instructions are executed by a processor, themethods - Thus, there has been described an
article 30 for anaerosol provision system 10, a method of controlling an article for an aerosol provision system and anaerosol provision system 10 comprising thearticle 30. - The various embodiments described herein are presented only to assist in understanding and teaching the claimed features. These embodiments are provided as a representative sample of embodiments only, and are not exhaustive and/or exclusive. It is to be understood that advantages, embodiments, examples, functions, features, structures, and/or other aspects described herein are not to be considered limitations on the scope of the disclosure as defined by the claims or limitations on equivalents to the claims, and that other embodiments may be utilized and modifications may be made without departing from the scope of that which is claimed. Various embodiments of the disclosure may suitably comprise, consist of, or consist essentially of, appropriate combinations of the disclosed elements, components, features, parts, steps, means, etc., other than those specifically described herein. In addition, this disclosure may include other inventions not presently claimed, but which may be claimed in future.
Claims (13)
1. An article for an aerosol provision system comprising:
an aerosol generator;
article control circuitry; and
one or more connectors electrically coupled to the aerosol generator and the article control circuitry,
wherein, in use, the article control circuitry and the aerosol generator receive electrical power via the one or more connectors.
2. The article of claim 1 , wherein the aerosol generator and the article control circuitry are electrically connected in parallel.
3. The article of claim 1 , further comprising a pull-down resistor to modify a voltage of the electrical power supplied to the article control circuitry.
4. The article of claim 1 , wherein, in use, data is transferred, using the one or more connectors, between the article control circuitry and a device coupled to the article.
5. The article of claim 1 , further comprising one or more data connectors electrically coupled to the article control circuitry,
wherein, in use, data is transferred, using at least one of the one or more connectors or the one or more data connectors, between the article control circuitry and a device coupled to at least one of the one or more connectors or the one or more data connectors.
6. The article of claim 1 , further comprising a switch, wherein the article control circuitry is configured to control the electrical power supplied to the aerosol generator by actuating the switch.
7. The article of claim 6 , wherein the article control circuitry is configured to actuate the switch based on a value of a counter stored in memory of the article control circuitry.
8. The article of claim 6 , wherein the switch is in series with the aerosol generator.
9. The article of claim 6 , wherein the switch is integrated into the article control circuitry.
10. An aerosol provision system comprising the article of claim 1 .
11. The aerosol provision system of claim 10 , further comprising an aerosol provision device.
12. A method of controlling an article for an aerosol provision system comprising:
receiving electrical power from a device coupled to the article via one or more connectors; and
controlling the electrical power supplied to the aerosol generator via the one or more connectors and controlling data transfer between the article and the device in response to an inhalation on the aerosol provision system by a user of the aerosol provision system.
13. A non-transitory computer readable storage medium comprising instructions which, when executed by a processor, cause the processor to perform a method of controlling an aerosol generator of an article for an aerosol provision system comprising:
receiving electrical power from a device coupled to the article via one or more connectors;
controlling the electrical power supplied to the aerosol generator via the one or more connectors and controlling data transfer between the article and the device in response to an inhalation on the aerosol provision system by a user of the aerosol provision system.
Applications Claiming Priority (7)
Application Number | Priority Date | Filing Date | Title |
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GB2016760.7 | 2020-10-22 | ||
GBGB2016760.7A GB202016760D0 (en) | 2020-10-22 | 2020-10-22 | Refilling device |
GBGB2019002.1A GB202019002D0 (en) | 2020-10-22 | 2020-12-02 | Article for an aerosol provision system |
GB2019002.1 | 2020-12-02 | ||
GB202113502 | 2021-09-22 | ||
GB2113502.5 | 2021-09-22 | ||
PCT/GB2021/052737 WO2022084687A1 (en) | 2020-10-22 | 2021-10-22 | Article for an aerosol provision system |
Publications (1)
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US20240000143A1 true US20240000143A1 (en) | 2024-01-04 |
Family
ID=81290121
Family Applications (1)
Application Number | Title | Priority Date | Filing Date |
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US18/250,119 Pending US20240000143A1 (en) | 2020-10-22 | 2021-10-22 | Article for an aerosol provision system |
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US (1) | US20240000143A1 (en) |
EP (1) | EP4203724A1 (en) |
CA (1) | CA3196504A1 (en) |
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WO (1) | WO2022084687A1 (en) |
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CN104432534B (en) * | 2013-09-13 | 2019-02-12 | 惠州市吉瑞科技有限公司 | Battery rod, electronic cigarette and knowledge method for distinguishing is carried out to atomizer |
UA118042C2 (en) * | 2014-01-27 | 2018-11-12 | Сіс Рісорсез Лтд. | Wire communication in an e-vaping device |
CA3083718A1 (en) * | 2017-11-22 | 2019-05-31 | Juul Labs, Inc. | User interface and user experience for a vaporizer device |
CN112602080A (en) * | 2018-06-27 | 2021-04-02 | 尤尔实验室有限公司 | Connected evaporator device system |
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2021
- 2021-10-22 EP EP21805585.3A patent/EP4203724A1/en active Pending
- 2021-10-22 CA CA3196504A patent/CA3196504A1/en active Pending
- 2021-10-22 MX MX2023004552A patent/MX2023004552A/en unknown
- 2021-10-22 WO PCT/GB2021/052737 patent/WO2022084687A1/en active Application Filing
- 2021-10-22 US US18/250,119 patent/US20240000143A1/en active Pending
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EP4203724A1 (en) | 2023-07-05 |
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MX2023004552A (en) | 2023-06-16 |
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