WO2021105295A1

WO2021105295A1 - Computer implemented method for controlling the operation of an aerosol generation device, an aerosol generation device, a system comprising the aerosol generation device and a computer readable storage medium

Info

Publication number: WO2021105295A1
Application number: PCT/EP2020/083531
Authority: WO
Inventors: Claude Zominy
Original assignee: Jt International S.A.
Priority date: 2019-11-26
Filing date: 2020-11-26
Publication date: 2021-06-03
Also published as: CN115151151A; EP4064917A1; JP2023502855A

Abstract

A computer implemented method is provided for controlling operation of an aerosol generation device. In the method, the aerosol generation device receives a context message comprising contextual data about one or more contextual parameters relating to the present context of the aerosol generation device (S601). The aerosol generation device determines, whether an operation of the aerosol generation device is to be disabled, wherein the determination is at least partially based on the received contextual data (S604). In case the determination is affirmative, the operation of the aerosol generation device is disabled (S605).

Description

Computer implemented method for controlling the operation of an aerosol generation device, an aerosol generation device, a system comprising the aerosol generation device and a computer readable storage medium

The present invention relates to a computer implemented method for controlling the operation of an aerosol generation device, an aerosol generation device, a system comprising an aerosol generation device, and a computer readable storage medium. The popularity and use of the reduced risk or modified risk smoking devices, also known as electronic cigarettes, vaporizes or aerosol generation devices has grown rapidly in the past few years. Such aerosol generation devices provide an alternative to traditional tobacco products such as cigarettes, cigars cigarillos and rolling tobacco. They generally heat or warm an aerosolisable substance to generate an aerosol for inhalation, as opposed to burning tobacco as in traditional tobacco products. The aerosol generation device may provide an aerosol either by heating but not burning a solid substrate of tobacco material or by vaporizing a liquid substrate containing a tobacco material or similar. Generally, an aerosol generation device comprises a battery, a mouthpiece and a heating component that is powered by the battery. When the device is used, the battery powers the heating component which heats a solid substrate or vaporizes an e- liquid, generating the aerosol. The vaporized aerosol is inhaled by a user. Typically, the aerosol comprises a suspension of fine solid particles and/or liquid droplets in a gas (typically air). In contrast, cigarettes and other traditional smoking products generate a smoke aerosol that is the result of the combustion of tobacco and contains carbon-based solid particles. The carbon-based solid particles in the smoke may be unpleasant to other persons in the vicinity of a user and, due to the smell of the carbon-based solid particles, may affect persons in the vicinity. Aerosol (i.e. no smoke) on the other hand is far more pleasant. This has allowed users to consume solid or liquid substrates, with which an aerosol is generated, in previously smoke free areas, for example inside buildings, apartments and houses and in public spaces.

However, there are areas in which even the consumption of reduced risk or modified risk smoking devices is not allowed. For example, hospitals are locations in which any consumption of vapor generating articles are oftentimes entirely forbidden. Apart from limitations such as in hospitals, there may be local laws preventing consumers from using their aerosol generating devices in certain public areas. In Kyoto for example rules were enacted that designate certain city streets as non-smoking (and vaping) areas.

Most aerosol generation devices incorporate some form of electronic control circuit, typically including a simple computer processor, allowing a user to control operation of the aerosol generation device. This electronic control circuitry may employ short-range wireless communication connections, such as Bluetooth, and send and receive messages from and to a personal computing device, such as a smartphone. This type of connection can be exploited to allow the consumer to control the aerosol generation device in a more sophisticated manner via the personal computing device.

One application of an aerosol generation device connected to a personal computing device is disclosed in US 2019/0058970 Ai. The document discloses a connection with Bluetooth between an e-cigarette and an application (app) running on a smart phone or other suitable mobile communications device (tablet, laptop, smart watch, etc.). The mobile communications device is in one embodiment a GPS enabled mobile phone that receives GPS signals from a sufficient number of satellites to provide a reliable set of GPS coordinates, which are then transmitted to a server, that refers to map data to detect exactly where the mobile communications device is and corrects or confirms the country for which policy alert data is required. Policy alert data acquired according to the location of the user provides the user with a summary of any relevant regulatory restriction in relation to vaping within that country (for example minimum age, restrictions relating to indoor/ outdoor vaping, and/ or any social expectations in relation to vaping. However, in case the user chooses to do so, the e-cigarette may continue to be used.

Another method is disclosed in US 2018/0263283 Ai showing a smartphone in wireless communications with an e-cigarette. The smartphone includes an application that may determine the physical location of the smartphone and determines if its user can consume cannabis legally or not.

A further aerosol generating device and personal computing device is disclosed in US 2015/181945 Ai. The document shows a mobile communications device (e.g. a smartphone) which runs a software application that relates to an electronic cigarette and monitors the location of the mobile communication device and thus a location of the electronic cigarette. The vapor providing capability of the electronic cigarette 100 is disabled, when the electronic cigarette is deemed to be within a certain distance of a vaping prohibited area whose location is known such as a recorded landmark (e.g. an airport, hospital, restaurant, school, etc.) or a vehicle whose location is tracked (e.g. an airplane, public transit vehicle, rental car, etc.). The proposed method has the disadvantage of relying entirely on the mobile phone for making a determination, that the vapor providing capability of the electronic cigarette needs to be disabled. For example, a user may circumvent the disabling by disconnecting the aerosol generation device from the mobile communication device. While this may be addressed by disabling the aerosol generation device in general and only allowing a use, when aerosol generation device and communication device are connected, it limits the convenience of use for user unduly, since it is mobile communication device needs to be switched on for using the device.

The conventional methods provided by the prior art have limitations because a lot of data that is available locally in the e-cigarette must be sent to the communications device to determine usage conditions and take appropriate actions. This requires bidirectional communication and the exchange of a large amounts of data.

The problem of the invention is thus optimizing the data exchange and improving a reactivity of the e-cigarette. Additionally, a further problem of the invention is providing an appropriate level of security. According to the invention, the problem is solved with a computer implemented method for controlling operation of an aerosol generation device. In the method, a context message comprising contextual data about one or more contextual parameters relating to the present context of the aerosol generation device is received. The aerosol generation device determines, whether an operation of the aerosol generation device is to be disabled, wherein the determination is at least partially based on the received contextual data. In case the determination is affirmative, the operation of the aerosol generation device is disabled. The context message may include an expiration date or period.

Thereby, it is ensured that the aerosol generation device is not permanently disabled in case no further context message is received, e.g. in case a connection to the communication device is lost. However, at the same time, the aerosol generation device is disabled for a prespecified time. Further, the context message may comprise a timestamp such that the expiration date or period can be calculated.

An aerosol generating unit, in particular a heater of the unit, of the aerosol generation device may be disabled, while the aerosol generation device may still be configured to receive further messages. Thereby, a vapor generation is restricted in some areas.

Contextual data in context messages may be understood as a set of data that can be user specific, geo-localization information, environmental conditions (temperature, humidity, weather) and/or time related. Particularly, with respect to the present disclosure, context may relate to information related to the possibility to use the device at the current location of the aerosol generation device or the communication device. Thereby, a user might be prevented from being using the device in unauthorized spaces.

Another application may be contextual data with biometric data such as cardiac pulses or blood pressure. The contextual data may be used to activate the aerosol generating device to dispense a particular drug or deactivate the aerosol generation device, if certain thresholds are crossed. Further the contextual data maybe a time of day. This may help a user in regulating his usage behavior. For example, aerosol generation devices maybe used to reduce an intake of nicotine gradually and a user may define a computational rule according to which the aerosol generating device is disabled during certain times of the day.

The contextual data maybe obtained from the internet, i.e. a Webserver that maybe public or private, by the communication device or by the aerosol generation device. The communication device or the aerosol generation device for example may comprise sensors or receivers for obtaining user data (i.e. biometric data) and GNSS data.

One advantage of the invention may be that the usage determination and the decision making process is implemented directly at the aerosol generating device. The communication device merely collects the contextual parameters in which the aerosol generation device is operated but that are specific to the aerosol generating device and sends the parameters in a context message to the device, which then determines whether operation of the aerosol generating device is disabled locally. Since the decision is made locally, a more sophisticated approach is provided, and the decisions are more precise. In some embodiments, the context message might be a broadcast message. Thus, there may not be the need to authenticate or encrypt the message. Some contextual data may be protected, for example by encoding. In particular user identification data or biometric data may be encoded. In a preferred embodiment, the contextual parameters include at least one of: a position of the aerosol generation device or the communication device with which the context message is sent to the aerosol generation device, in particular a GNSS position, user specific data, a consumable profile, a user profile, and environmental data, such as environmental conditions, in particular temperature, humidity, and weather.

In a preferred embodiment, the contextual data includes data specifying areas in which the use of aerosol generation devices is not authorized or permitted. In a preferred embodiment, the determination, whether an operation of the aerosol generation device is to be disabled is based on a computational rule. Example computational rules are unsupervised machine learning algorithms such as clustering analysis, unsupervised decision trees, and supervised machine learning algorithms. The computational rule may be received by the aerosol generation device from the communication device. In certain embodiments, the communication device may receive (i.e. download) the computational rule and forward the computational rule to the aerosol generation device. In a preferred embodiment the aerosol generation device verifies the received context message using consumer data and/ or consumable data stored on the aerosol generation device. In certain embodiments, the verification includes an authentication with a public key system as shown for example in EP 19189885.7 filed by JT International SA on August 2, 2019.

In a preferred embodiment, the contextual message comprises a set of multiple contextual parameters.

In a preferred embodiment, the aerosol generation device obtains local contextual data from a local storage unit of the aerosol generation device. The step of determining, if an operation of the aerosol generation device is to be disabled, is based on both, the contextual data included in the context message and the local contextual data.

The local contextual data may comprise at least one of: data about past usage of the aerosol generation device, in particular puff records, a consumer identity, consumer settings and device settings. Further examples include event records (e.g. a removal or insertion of consumables, switching the device on and off), and historical decision making records for e.g. supervised machine learning. In a preferred embodiment, the communication device may transmit a new context message when the communication device detects a change in GNSS position. Particularly preferred, the communication device may transmit a new context message whenever the GNSS position differs from the previous GNSS position by a predetermined threshold. For example, the communication device may send a new context message when the GNSS position has changed at least by 10 m, 50 m or 100 m.

In a preferred embodiment, the aerosol generation device sends a context request for a context message to a communication device.

In a preferred embodiment, the context request is sent in reaction to the aerosol generation device determining that does not have a valid context message, in particular when the expiration date of the most recent context message has passed.

In a preferred embodiment, additionally, a communication device is provided. The communication device obtains of the contextual data and transmits the context message to the aerosol generation device. In a further preferred embodiment, the transmission is performed in reaction to the communication device detecting a change of its position, in particular a change in GNSS information.

In a preferred embodiment, the context message is transmitted wirelessly from the communication device to the aerosol generation device.

According to a further aspect of the invention, an aerosol generation device is configured to execute the steps according to the method as outlined above. According to a further aspect of the invention, a system comprising an aerosol generation device as described above and a communication device is provided, wherein the communication device is configured to execute the steps as outlined above.

A further aspect of the invention relates to a computer readable storage medium comprising instructions, which when executed cause an aerosol generation device and/or a communication device to carry out the steps of the method as outlined above.

Non-limiting embodiments of the invention are described, by way of example only, with respect to the accompanying drawings, in which: Figure l is a schematic diagram of a communication network according to a preferred embodiment of the disclosure.

Figure 2 is a schematic diagram of an aerosol generation device operating in the communication network.

Figure 3 is a schematic diagram of a personal computing device operating in the communication network.

Figure 4 is a block diagram of the personal computing device.

Figure 5 is a block diagram of the aerosol generation device.

Figure 6 is a flow chart of the computer implemented method according to the invention.

Figure 7 is flow chart of a further computer implemented method for requesting context messages.

Referring to Figure 1, according to a first embodiment, in a communication network 100 a personal computing device 104 is in communication with one or more aerosol generation devices 102 (each of which is a consumer apparatus). In the illustrated embodiment, the personal computing device 104 is potentially in communication with four aerosol generation devices 102. A communication link between the personal computing device 104 and each aerosol generation device 102 is a short-range wireless communication connection 116. In the present embodiment, this short-range wireless communication connection 116 is a Bluetooth® connection. In other embodiments, the short-range wireless communication connection 116 is a connection implemented using one or more of the Institute of Electrical and Electronics Engineers (IEEE) 802.11 standards (Wi-Fi®), an Infrared (IR) wireless connection, a ZigBee® connection or some other similar connection. In one particular embodiment, the short-range wireless communication connection is a Near-field Communication (NFC) connection. NFC employs electromagnetic induction between two loop antennas. NFC-enabled devices, e.g. the personal computing device 104 and the aerosol generation device 102, exchange information using a globally available unlicensed radio frequency band, e.g. the industrial, scientific and medical (ISM) band of 13.56 MHz. NFC communication is defined by the International Organization for Standardization (ISO) and the International Electrotechnical Commission (IEC) Joint Technical Committee (JTC). The ISO/IEC 18000-3 standard achieves rates ranging from 106 to 424 kbit/s. The reference to “short-range” in the context of the short range wireless communication connections 116 therefore means capable of being maintained over a few metres, for example up to around 100 metres but usually less than 10 metres and, indeed, in the context of NFC for example, less than 10 cm or even just up to 4cm.

The personal computing device 104 is also in communication with a remote server 114 via the Internet 112. In the present embodiment, the personal computing device 104 is arranged to communicate with the Internet 112 via an access point 110.

The personal computing device 104 is arranged to communicate with the access point 110 via another short-range wireless communication connection 118. This other short- range wireless communication connection 118 is a Wi-Fi® connection in the present embodiment. In other embodiments, the other short-range wireless communication connection 118 is a Bluetooth® connection, IR wireless connection, ZigBee® connection or some similar connection. In the present embodiment, the personal computing device 104 is also arranged to communicate with the Internet 112 via a cellular radio network link 120 using an appropriate communication standard, such as Global System for Mobile Communications (GSM), Universal Mobile

Telecommunications System (UMTS) or Long-Term Evolution (LTE), to provide data communication.

The personal computing device 104 typically selects to communicate with the Internet 112 from time to time via the other short-range wireless communication connection 118 and the access point 110 or via the cellular radio network link 120, depending upon availability and other criteria and preferences. In the present embodiment, the personal computing device 104 is a mobile computing device, in particular a smartphone running the Android® operating system. In other embodiments, the personal computing device 104 is a smartphone, tablet computing device or laptop computer running any other type of operating system such as iOS, Linux or Windows for mobile OS. In most embodiments, the personal computing device 104 is arranged to communicate via the cellular radio network link 120 and as such the personal computing device 104 can be referred to as User Equipment (UE). In other embodiments, the personal computing device 104 is a desktop Personal Computer (PC) configured to communicate via the Internet 112 via a wired Ethernet connection. In such an embodiment, the Ethernet connection is effectively similar to the other short-range wireless connection 118, in that it connects, albeit via a fixed line or wired connection rather than a wireless one, to the access point 110, e.g. in the form of a broadband modem or the like, and thence on to the Internet 112. Referring to Figure 2, in common with a general electronic consumer apparatus, each aerosol generation device 102 comprises a Processor 202, memory 204, storage 206, communication interface 208, antenna 210 and a user interface 212 in communication with one another via a communication bus 214. The aerosol generation device 102 also has aerosol generation components, in particular a heating element 216 and a consumables module 218 which includes, in the present embodiment, a detector 219 for detecting when a suitable consumable item 217 has been inserted into the consumables module 218. Note that in the present embodiment, the consumable item 217 can be in the form of a tobacco rod or stick, or in the form of a capsule or pod containing liquid, or in the form of mouse, or any possible types to be vaporized or heated by an aerosol generation deivce. It should therefore be understood that, in the context of those methods, the described aerosol generation device 102 is just one example of an appropriate consumer apparatus for use with the methods.

The aerosol generation device 102 additionally comprises a puff sensor (not shown), that is configured to detect, when a user draws on the aerosol generation device 102 while it is activated. The puff sensor may detect an airflow or may be realized as a temperature sensor detecting a temperature reduction due to a flow of air through the aerosol generation device 102 or any other suitable sensor to detect a puff.

The processor 202 can be, or can comprise, any suitable microprocessor or microcontroller, for example, a low-power application-specific controller (ASIC) and/ or a field programmable gate array (FPGA) designed or programmed specifically for the task of controlling a device as described herein, or a general purpose central processing unit (CPU). The processor is arranged to execute instructions, e.g. in the form of computer executable code, and to process data, e.g. in the form of values and strings, including instructions and data stored in the memory 204 and the storage 206.

The memory 204 is implemented as one or more memory units providing Random Access Memory (RAM) for the aerosol generation device 102. In the illustrated embodiment, the memory 204 is a volatile memory, for example in the form of an on- chip RAM integrated with the processor 202 using System-on-Chip (SoC) architecture.

However, in other embodiments, the memory 204 is separate from the processor 202. The memory 204 is arranged to store the instructions and data executed and processed by the processor 202. Typically, only selected elements of the instructions and data are stored by the memory 204 at any one time, which selected elements define the instructions and data essential to the operations of the aerosol generation device 102 being carried out at the particular time. In other words, the instructions and data stored transiently in the memory 204 whilst some particular process is handled by the processor 202.

The storage 206 is provided integrally with the aerosol generation device 102, in the form of a non-volatile memory. The storage 206 is in most embodiments embedded on the same chip as the processor 202 and the memory 204, using SoC architecture, e.g. by being implemented as a Multiple-Time Programmable (MTP) array. However, in other embodiments, the storage 206 is an embedded or external flash memory, or such like. The storage 206 stores the instructions and data executed and processed by the processor 202. The storage 206 stores the instructions and data permanently or semi permanently, e.g. until overwritten. That is, the instructions and data are stored in the storage 206 non-transiently. Typically, the instructions and data stored by the storage 206 relates to instructions fundamental to the operation of the processor 202, communication interface 208, user interface 212 and the aerosol generation device 102 more generally, as well as to applications performing higher-level functionality of the aerosol generation device 102.

The communication interface 208 supports short-range wireless communication, in particular Bluetooth® communication. The communication interface 208 is configured to establish the short-range wireless communication connection 116 with the personal computing device 104. The communication interface 208 is coupled to the antenna 210, via which antenna 210 wireless communications are transmitted and received over the short range wireless communication connection 116. It is also arranged to communicate with the processor 202 via the communication bus 214. The user interface 212 comprises a display 220 and input device 222. In this embodiment, the display 220 is a plurality of separate indicators, such as Light Emitting Diodes (LEDs). In other embodiments, the display 220 is a screen, such as a Thin-Film-Transistor (TFT) Liquid Crystal Display (LCD) display or an Organic Light Emitting Diode (OLED) display, or other appropriate display. The input device 222 is one or more user operable buttons, responsive to depression, toggling or touch by the user. The user interface 212, is arranged to provide indications to the user, under the control of the processor 202, and to receive inputs from the user, and to convey these inputs to the processor 202 via the communications bus 214. The aerosol generation device 102 maybe described as a personal inhaler device, an electronic cigarette (or e-cigarette), a vaporiser or vaping device. In one particular embodiment, the aerosol generation device 102 is a Heat-not-Burn (HnB) device. All of these devices generally heat or warm an aerosolisable substance to generate an aerosol for inhalation, as opposed to burning tobacco as in conventional tobacco products.

In more detail, the aerosol generation device 102 is configured to heat a consumable item 217 inserted into the consumables module 218, using the associated heating element 216 to produce an inhalable aerosol or vapour for a user to inhale. The consumables module 218, in the present embodiment, is intended to receive a consumable item 217, that can be in the form of a rod which contains processed tobacco material, a capsule containing liquid, or any other forms containing aerosol generating material.

The consumables module 218 has a detector 219 for detecting the consumable item 217 inserted into the consumable’s module 218. The detector 219 is operable to identify a type of the consumable item 217 inserted into the consumable’s module 218 and to determine if the inserted consumable item 217 is appropriate for use in the aerosol generation device 102. In the present embodiment, the consumables module 218 achieves this by detecting an indicium (e.g. a printed bar code or an RFID chip or an NFC tag etc.) on the consumable item 217. The aerosol generation device 102 is configured to run a plurality of software modules. The software modules include a clock module 226, a short-range wireless communication controller 228 and a heating element controller 230. Each of the software modules comprises a set of instructions for performing one or more functions of the aerosol generation device 102. The instructions are provided in the form of computer executable code stored in the storage 206 and/or the memory 204, and processed by the processor 202, communication interface 208 and user interface 212. The clock module 226 is configured to provide time information (e.g., time of the day) and generate timestamp for puff data or even data, which is helpful to analyze user’s preference. The clock module 226 will also determine when a validity period of the received context message expires.

The short-range wireless communication controller 228 is primarily configured to control the communication interface 208. It is operable to establish the short-range wireless connection via the communication interface 208. In the present embodiment, the short-range wireless communication connection is a Bluetooth® connection. Consequently, the short-range wireless communication controller 228 includes instructions in accordance with the Bluetooth® wireless communication standards, as available at www.bluetooth.org, with Bluetooth 5.0 being the currently prevailing specification. The heating element controller 230 is configured to control the heating element 216. It is operable to monitor the amount of energy and the power (i.e. rate of energy) supplied to the heating element 216 and the temperature of the heating element 216 (preferably by monitoring the resistance of the heating element 216, which is known to vary in a predetermined way with the temperature of the heating element 216). In particular though, in the present embodiment, the heating element controller 230 is configured to receive commands to disable or enable the use of the heating element 216. (Note that in embodiments where the aerosol generation device 102 does not itself include a heating element 216 but instead supplies power to a heating element within a consumable item 217 (e.g. a cartomiser) then the heating element controller 230 instead controls the supply of power to the heating element contained within the consumable item 217).

Referring to Figure 3, the personal computing device 104 (also referred to as communication device herein) comprises a cpu 302, memory 304 (volatile memory), storage 306 (non-volatile memory), removable storage 308 (non-volatile memory, e.g, a micro Secure Digital (SD) card or some other portable flash memory device), communication interface 310, antenna 312 and user interface 314 in communication with one another via a communication bus 316. The CPU 302 is a computer processor, e.g. a microprocessor. It is arranged to execute instructions, e.g. in the form of computer executable code, and to process data, e.g. in the form of values or strings, including instructions and data stored in the memory 304, storage 306 and removable storage 308. The instructions and data executed and processed by the CPU 302 include instructions and data for coordinating operation of the other components of the personal computing device 104, such as the communication interface 310 and the user interface 314. They also include instructions and data for running applications on the personal computing device 104.

The communication interface 310 comprises a short-range wireless communications interface and a cellular radio communications interface (or other connection to the access point 110), and is coupled to the antenna 312. The short-range wireless interface is configured to establish the short-range wireless communication 116, for example the Bluetooth® connection, with the aerosol generation device 102, and to establish the other short-range wireless communication connection 118, for example the Wi-Fi® connection, with the access point 110. The cellular radio communications interface is configured to establish the cellular radio communication connection 120 to the Internet 112 using appropriate protocols previously discussed. As such, the communications interface 210 comprises one or more wireless modems suitable for supporting the different communication connections 116, 118, 120 (see Figure 1). In another embodiment, the communication interface 310 also comprises a wired communication interface. The wired communication interface may be used to provide a wired communication connection, for example an Ethernet or Universal Serial Bus (USB) connection (not shown), to the access point 110. The user interface 314 comprises a display 318 and an input device 320. In the present embodiment, the display 318 and the input device 320 are implemented together as a touch sensitive screen.

The personal computing device 104 is configured to run a plurality of software modules. The software modules include an operating system 322, an aerosol generation device application 326, and a wireless communication controller 330. Each of the software modules comprises a set of instructions for performing one or more functions of the personal computing device 104. The instructions are provided in the form of computer executable code stored in the storage 306, removable storage 308 and/or the memoiy 304, and processed by the CPU 302, communication interface 310 and user interface 314.

In the present embodiment, the personal computing device 104 is a smartphone whose operating system 322 can be an Android® operating system, Apple® iPhone® OS (iOS) or Microsoft® Windows®. An aerosol generation device application 326 in the present embodiment is downloaded and/or installed on the personal computing device by a user. The aerosol generation device application 326 is related to control a paired aerosol generation device, and can be in any type of application software designed to run on a mobile device (such as a smartphone or tablet computer), including Web Apps, Progressive Web Apps, Mobile Apps, Native Apps, Hybrid Apps.

Referring to figure 4, the personal computing device 104 obtains data from different databases 402, 404, 408 and 410. The databases 402, 404, 408 and 410 can be provided on the personal computing device as part of memory 304, storage 306 or removable storage 308 or, additionally or alternatively, on the remote server 114, to which the personal computing device 104 is connected to via access point 110 or directly through the cellular radio network link 120 (see figure 1). Alternatively, the databases 402, 404, 408 and 410 can be implemented as separate from the storages, e.g. on a separate storage unit or hard disk drive.

The databases 402, 404, 408 and 410 can be accessed with applications operating on the personal computing devices. The databases 402, 404, 408 and 410 are arranged to store contextual data for the aerosol generation device. Typically, the databases 402, 404, 408 and 410 are configured to store information relating to users that own, or have owned, one or more of the aerosol generation device(s) 102, along with configuration information relating to the user and the aerosol generation device(s) 102.

The contextual data includes contextual parameters relating to the aerosol generation device 102. In particular, the contextual parameters include a spatial position of the personal computing device 104 or the aerosol generation device 102. The spatial position maybe a GNSS (Global Navigation Satellite System) position, such as GPS, Glonass, Galileo, Beidou positions. The current position of the personal computing device 104 may be obtained by a GNSS Module comprised by the personal computing device 104 and then stored in the position database 408. The position database 408 may contain the positions obtained by the GNSS module over time. Alternatively, the positions obtained by the GNSS module might be forwarded directly to an aggregator 424 for further use.

The further database 410 stored on the personal computing device 104 may include a consumer profile indicating preferences by a user. These preferences may be calculated from usage data or downloaded from a server, such as remote server 114 or selected by a user on the personal computing device 104 or the aerosol generation device 102. For example, the consumer profile may include personal data such as name, age, address etc. as well as puff records and/ or event records or preferred usage time periods or time periods where usage is not allowed. Particularly, the puff records may include a number of puffs for a consumable, parameters on an airflow of puffs, such as volume, duration and or strength, a frequency of puffs, a duration and frequency of sessions (i.e. time periods during which the aerosol generation device 104 is switched on) in addition to the current time. Further, the consumer profile may indicate whether the user prefers particular tastes, i.e. a stronger or a weaker taste.

The further database 410 or an additional database (not shown) could include general contextual data such as types of consumables and their properties. For example, the data may indicate preferred temperatures for particular types of consumables, a number of puffs on a particular type of consumable, or similar data.

Furthermore, the further database 410 or another additional database (also not shown) could include computational rules. The computational rules may be forwarded from the personal computing device 104 to the aerosol generation device 102 e.g., wirelessly through Bluetooth communication to allow the aerosol generation device 102 to decide whether operation of the aerosol generation device is to be disabled. In addition to the local databases on the personal computing device, the personal computing device 104 may also access databases stored on remote server, e.g. a remote server 114 (see figure 1). The databases 402 and 404 on remote web server 114 (or on two different remote servers) may include contextual data. The databases may in principle also be stored anywhere on the web (“web data”)· Database 402 includes locations or areas in which the usage of the aerosol generation devices is not authorized. The personal computing device 104 may access the database 402 and compare the location stored on database 402 to its current location or the current location of aerosol generation device 102. The areas where the usage of the aerosol generation device is not authorized can include in particular hospitals, airports, museums, public areas (e.g. streets) in which the usage of the aerosol generation devices is forbidden, or similar areas.

The areas on database 402 are in particular parts on a map and may in a preferred embodiment be stored on a website that could be continuously updated by a service provider. The areas on a map where use of the aerosol generation device is not authorized can be similar to no-fly zones for drones or other unmanned aerial vehicles (UAV) where it is crowded with people or regulated by local rules specifically restricting vaping. The personal computing device may replicate the database 402 locally in its memory 304 or on one of its storages 306, 308. In a preferred embodiment, the personal computing device 104 compares its location or the current location of the aerosol generation device 104 and then selects a subset of locations stored in the database 402 that are nearby (i.e. within a certain threshold of distance) and obtain this smaller subset of locations from the database 402. The database 402 may be accessed and the data aggregated by the software modules operating on the personal computing device 104. Further, the personal computing device 104 may access a further database 404 including contextual data. In particular database 404 may include general contextual data, such as the current weather, including temperature, humidity, or similar.

After obtaining the data from databases 402, 404, 408 and 410 (and/or any further applicable databases) , the personal computing device 104 aggregates the obtained data from the different sources (e.g. geo-localization, internet, web server, storage on personal computing device) in an aggregator 420 into a context message. The context message is then forwarded to the communication interface 310 and sent to the aerosol generation device 102 via antenna 312 over the above-mentioned short-range wireless communication. Though a wireless communication is preferred, the context message may also be provided over a wired communication to the aerosol generation device 102.

The context message may include the entire data comprised by databases 402, 404,

408 and 410 or the data may be preprocessed or pre-filtered by the personal computing device such that a traffic from the personal computing device to the aerosol generation device is reduced.

Referring now to figure 5, the aerosol generation device 102 receives the context message over the antenna 210 and its communication interface 208. After receipt, the context message is verified and then stored on the aerosol generation device 102 on the memory 204 or on the storage 206. The verification may include an authentication with a key system including a public and a private key or other techniques to verify that the information is transmitted from a previously paired personal computing device. After verification, the context message is forwarded to a microcontroller unit (“MCU”). In addition, local contextual data stored on the aerosol generation device 102 (“local contextual data”) is also forwarded to the MCU. The local contextual data may be stored in database 502, 504 stored on the memory 204 or the storage 206 (see figure 2) of the aerosol generation device 102. The database 502 may in particular comprise puff records, event records (i.e. the insertion or removal of consumables) and historical decision-making records. For example, the database 502 comprises entries when and where the aerosol generation device 102 was switched on and off and when a puff was taken. Further, a second database 504 may include entries on a consumer ID.

These entries are forwarded as a local context message comprising local contextual data to the MCU. The MCU receives the local contextual data and the context message from the personal computing device 104 and decides according to a computational rule, whether a heater is to be disabled. The computational rule is in particular based on an unsupervised or supervised machine learning algorithm. For example, the computational rule may compare the consumer ID stored locally on the aerosol generation device (i.e., in the local context message) to a consumer profile (i.e. consumer ID) in the context message received from the personal computing device 104 and determine that the IDs are not identical and disable the heater thereafter. In other words, if another unauthorized person tries to connect another phone to the aerosol generation device and send context messages, the device may consider the received message is from an anonymous sender and disable itself for security protection.

A particularly preferred embodiment of the invention relates to disabling the heater when the aerosol generation device is in an area, where usage of the aerosol generation device is not authorized. The computational rule may compare the GNSS data to the non-authorized areas indicated in the context message and obtained from database 402. In case the MCU determines that the heater is to be disabled, a heater switch command is sent to the heater disabling the heater of the aerosol generation device. Thereupon, the aerosol generation device 102 is unable to generate an aerosol until the heater is enabled again.

In a further preferred embodiment, certain substrates may not be consumed depending on the environmental data. For example, the computational rule may determine that a humidity or temperature above a certain threshold in combination with a type of consumable may be prevented by disabling the operation of the aerosol generation device 102.

The computational rule may be stored in a memory or storage of the aerosol generation device. In some embodiments, the computational rule maybe updated. In these cases, the computational rule is forwarded from the personal computing device 104 to the aerosol generation device 102, possibly as part of the context message, preferably however in a separate message. Note that the decision that the aerosol generation device (i.e. the heater) is disabled is made on the aerosol generation device 102 itself. The personal computing device 104 only supplies the data that is relevant for the decision. Thereby, data only needs to be forwarded from web servers and personal communication device to the aerosol generation device. There is a reduced need for data traffic in the upload direction from the aerosol generation device to the personal computing device. Further, since the aerosol generation device itself enables or disables the heater and also includes the necessary information for the decision, the disablement may not be circumvented by disconnecting aerosol generation device 102 and personal computing device 104. The invention hence provides a safer and more reliable mechanism for disabling the aerosol generation device 102 when necessary.

The aerosol generation device may be entirely disabled. Preferably however, only parts, in particular only an aerosol generation unit, i.e. a heater, is disabled. The communication interface as well as the MCU and the user interface 212 may remain active, such that further context messages may be received and such that the device may be switched off.

A method for disabling the aerosol generation device is shown in the flow chart of figure 6. In a first step, the aerosol generation device receives a context message (S601). Then, in a second optional step (S602), a computational rule is received from the computing device. The aerosol generation device can simply use a computational rule from default setting or received previously and in this case step S602 is not to be performed. The computational rule can be updated when there is new context message transmitted to the aerosol generation device, or updated periodically by the manufacturer to update firmware. In a third, also optional, step (S 603), local contextual data is obtained on the aerosol generation device. Note that the order of step S602 and S603 is reversible. A proper computational rule can be selected based on the available data, context data received from computing device and/or context data locally stored. Then, according to the computational rule, it is determined, whether an operation of the aerosol generation device is to be disabled on the aerosol generation device (S604). Upon the determination, that the operation is to be disabled, a command is sent to the heating unit of the aerosol generation device that the heating unit is to be disabled (S605).

The context messages may stay valid as long as no new context message is sent to the aerosol generation device. In some embodiments, the personal computing device 104 may regularly (i.e. every minute, every 10 minutes, every hour, etc.) send context messages to the aerosol generation device. In other embodiments, sending of a new context message is triggered by an event. For example, any time a new GNSS location is obtained or the GNSS location differs from the previous GNSS location by a certain (potentially pre-defmed) threshold, a new context message is sent. In other examples, new context messages are sent (and received), when other new contextual parameters are available in any of the databases 402, 404, 408 and 410. These embodiments refer to pushing of the context message from the communication device 104 to the aerosol generation device 102. However, as will be shown with reference to figure 7, the context message may also be pulled from the communication device 104 by the aerosol generating device 102. Referring to figure 7, a method of updating the context messages is shown. In the embodiment shown in figure 7, a context message is requested by the aerosol generation device 102. In step S701, the aerosol generation device 102 sends a request for a context message to the personal computing device 104. In response, the personal computing device 104 sends the context message to the aerosol generation device 102 in step S702. The aerosol generation device 102 verifies, if a message was received (S703) and verifies the message itself in step S704. In case no context message was received, another request for a context message (S701) is sent to the personal computing device. In case a context message is received, the validity of the context message is determined. In case the determination is affirmative, the context message is used (S705) as outlined previously for example in figure 6, to enable or disable operation of the aerosol generation device. In the embodiment of figure 7, the context message includes an expiration date or an expiration period and the message is used as long as no new context message is received (S705). However, if the context message has expired, a new context message is requested (S701). While the aerosol generation device 102 does not have a valid context message, operation of the aerosol generation device, i.e. operation of the heater, maybe disabled.

Claims

1. A computer implemented method for controlling an operation of an aerosol generation device, comprising the following steps:

- Receiving, by the aerosol generation device (102), a context message comprising contextual data about one or more contextual parameters relating to the present context of the aerosol generating device (S601);

- Determining, by the aerosol generation device, whether an operation of the aerosol generation device is to be disabled, wherein the determination is at least partially based on the received contextual data (S604);

- In case the determination is affirmative, disabling the operation of the aerosol generation device (S605), characterized in that the context message includes an expiration date or period.

2. Method according to claim 1, wherein the contextual parameters include at least one of: a position of a communication device, in particular a GNSS position, user specific data, a consumable profile, a user profile, and environmental conditions, in particular temperature, humidity, weather.

3. Method according to claim 1 or 2, wherein the contextual data includes data specifying areas in which the use of an aerosol generation device is not authorized or permitted.

4. Method according to any one of the preceding claims, comprising the step of:

- Receiving a computational rule by the aerosol generation device (S602)

- Determining whether an operation of the aerosol generation device is to be disabled is based on the computational rule.

5. Method according to any one of the preceding claims, wherein the aerosol generation device verifies the received context message using consumer data and/or consumable data stored on the aerosol generation device.

6. Method according to any one of the preceding claims, comprising the step of:

- Obtaining, by the aerosol generation device, local contextual data from a local storage unit of the aerosol generation device (S603); wherein the step of determining whether an operation of the aerosol generation device is to be disabled is based on both, the contextual data comprised by the context message and the local contextual data.

7. Method according to claim 6, wherein the local contextual data comprises at least one of: data about past usage of the aerosol generating device, in particular puff records, a consumer identity, consumer settings, and device settings.

8. Method according to any one of the preceding claims, comprising the step of:

- Sending a context request for a context message from the aerosol generation device to a communication device (S701).

9. Method according to claim 8, wherein the context request is sent in reaction to the aerosol generation device determining that it does not have a valid context message, in particular when the expiration date of the most recent context message has passed (S705).

10. Method according to any one of the preceding claims, comprising the following steps performed by the communication device:

- Obtaining the contextual data; and

- Transmitting the context message to the aerosol generation device.

11. Method according to claim 10, wherein the step of transmitting the context message is performed in reaction to the communication device detecting a change of its position, in particular a change in GNSS information.

12. Aerosol generation device configured to execute the steps according to any one of the claims 1 to 9.

13. System comprising an aerosol generation device according to claim 12 and a communication device, wherein the communication device is configured to execute the steps according to any one of the claims 10 to 11.

14. A computer-readable storage medium comprising instructions which, when executed cause an aerosol generation device and/or a communication device to carry out the steps of the method of any one of claims 1 to 11.