WO2022002742A1

WO2022002742A1 - Gestures to lock device and enable locking function

Info

Publication number: WO2022002742A1
Application number: PCT/EP2021/067297
Authority: WO
Inventors: Karima Lakraa
Original assignee: Jt International Sa
Priority date: 2020-06-29
Filing date: 2021-06-24
Publication date: 2022-01-06
Also published as: EP4172728A1; JP2023530577A

Abstract

An aerosol generation device (10) comprising: a sensor (11) configured to detect user gestures; a feedback unit (12) configured to provide sensory feedback to a user; and locking control circuitry (13) configured to lock or unlock the aerosol generation device (10) upon detection of a first gesture followed by a second gesture by the sensor (11); wherein the first and second gestures have different characteristics; wherein the sensor (11) is configured to provide a signal to the feedback unit (12) upon detection of the first gesture; and wherein the feedback unit (12) is configured to provide the sensory feedback to the user upon receipt of the signal.

Description

GESTURES TO LOCK DEVICE AND ENABLE LOCKING FUNCTION FIELD OF THE INVENTION

The present invention relates to aerosol generation devices and the use of gestures to operate such devices.

BACKGROUND TO THE INVENTION

An aerosol generation device such as an electronic cigarette is typically easily operated, for example by providing negative pressure to a mouthpiece, i.e. inhaling, or by pressing a button. The ease with which the aerosol generation device may be operated can be beneficial to a user, but there may be situations in which a higher level of security is desired, such as when the user is around children. Accidental usage may be avoided by increasing the security level of the device.

It is desirable to be able to easily and conveniently adapt the security level of an electronic cigarette.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION

An aspect of the invention provides an aerosol generation device comprising: a sensor configured to detect user gestures; a feedback unit configured to provide sensory feedback to a user; and locking control circuitry configured to lock or unlock the aerosol generation device upon detection of a first gesture followed by a second gesture by the sensor. The first and second gestures have different characteristics. The sensor is configured to provide a signal to the feedback unit upon detection of the first gesture and before detection of the second gesture and the feedback unit is configured to provide the sensory feedback to the user upon receipt of the signal.

This advantageously provides the user with a secure locking mechanism. The device can be conveniently locked or unlocked on demand, but the input sequence of the first and second gestures is not easily entered accidentally. Furthermore, the feedback provided to the user upon recognition of the first gesture beneficially provides the user with confirmation that the locking or unlocking sequence is being recognised by the device.

By providing a signal to the feedback unit upon detection of the first gesture and before detection of the second gesture, the present approach can assist the user in performing a technical task, which is the locking or unlocking of the aerosol generation device. The feedback unit provides sensory feedback to the user when the first gesture has been successfully detected. In this way, the user can understand when the first gesture has been completed successfully so that they can be guided through this human-machine interaction in order to input the second gesture and lock or unlock the device. If the user attempts to complete the first gesture but does not receive any sensory feedback they can understand that there was an error in the detection or performance of the first gesture. The absence of expected feedback can therefore guide the user to re-enter the first gesture. The presence or absence of sensory feedback guides the user either to enter the second gesture or to re-enter the first gesture, and thereby assists the user in performing this technical task.

The first and second gestures have different characteristics. For example, the first gesture may include touching the sensor for a predetermined time period and the second gesture may include a swipe action. The sensor is configured to provide the signal to the feedback unit upon detection of the first gesture and before detection of the second gesture, and may be configured to provide the signal after the predetermined time period.

An advantage of these differing characteristics is the ability to prevent accidental locking or unlocking. For example, if the user of the device has locked the device in order to prevent children playing with it, it is preferable for the gestures required to unlock the device to be deliberate and specific gestures which would be difficult to input accidentally.

The sensor configured to detect user gestures preferably comprises a capacitive unit. The capacitive unit may have a plurality of capacitive cells. A capacitive unit comprises capacitors. Advantageously a capacitive unit can be used to detect the touch of a digit such as a finger or thumb.

The capacitive cells may be arranged linearly within the capacitive unit. For example, the capacitive cells may be arranged in an m x n grid structure with m rows and n columns. There may be a single column or a single row. Information identifying which cell or cells in the capacitive unit were pressed can advantageously be used to distinguish between different gestures.

The linear arrangement of capacitive cells may have a first end and a second end. The first gesture may comprise touching the first end or touching the second end for a predetermined time period. Touching the first or second end may comprise touching one capacitive cell, which may be a first capacitive cell. Alternatively the first gesture may be detected when the outermost cell at either the first end or second end is pressed simultaneously with an adjacent cell. Advantageously this reduces the precision required to enter the first gesture. Touching and holding the first capacitive cell is beneficially easy to perform as the capacitive unit only needs to be touched in one place.

The first gesture may comprise touching a plurality of the capacitive cells for a predetermined time period. The plurality of the capacitive cells may be non contiguous. For example, two capacitive cells may be pressed simultaneously: one at the first end of a linear arrangement, and another at the second end of the linear arrangement. The input of the first gesture may therefore require more than one digit. Advantageously this is difficult to perform inadvertently which makes the locking mechanism more secure.

The duration of the predetermined time period may be a few seconds, preferably one to three seconds, typically approximately one and a half seconds. This distinguishes the first gesture as a touch and hold gesture instead of, for example, a tap or a short press. By distinguishing between inputs in this way, the number of different input gestures or sequence of gestures increases. This advantageously allows the user to interact with the aerosol generation device in a variety of different ways. Different types of gesture may correspond to different user requests or commands.

Once the first gesture has been detected, and before the second gesture has been detected, the aerosol generation device provides sensory feedback to the user. Optionally the capacitive cells are released after entry of the first gesture and before entry of the second gesture. Alternatively, one or more capacitive cells may remain pressed between the first gesture and the second gesture. This advantageously allows the sequence of the first gesture followed by the second gesture to be performed seamlessly. A seamless movement is typically natural for a user to perform and therefore may beneficially enhance user experience.

The second gesture may include a swipe across the plurality of capacitive cells. A swipe action involves smoothly traversing between one capacitive cell and another, adjacent, cell. Typically, a swipe action involves swiping from a first end of the capacitive unit to a second end of the capacitive unit. Swiping from the second end to the first end of the capacitive unit may also be registered as a swipe action, or may be registered as a reverse swipe and be used as separate gesture. A partial swipe action may also be registered in which a subset comprising fewer than the total number of capacitive cells in the unit are activated sequentially. Advantageously this is a simple, natural gesture for a user to input to the device.

When the first gesture involves pressing the sensor at a single point at the first end of the capacitive unit, the second gesture preferably starts at the first end. Similarly, when the first gesture involves pressing the sensor at a single point at the second end of the capacitive unit, the second gesture preferably starts at the second end. Advantageously this results in a more natural gesture which consequently is easier to perform.

The feedback unit is configured to provide sensory feedback to the user. The sensory feedback may be provided during input, or following the input, of a particular gesture in order to provide feedback to the user that the gestures are being recognised. The feedback unit may comprise a haptic unit. The haptic unit may provide feedback in the form of vibrations.

An advantage of including a haptic unit in the feedback unit is the ability to communicate information to a user without the user needing to focus on or look at the device. The length, in time, of the vibration may be adjustable. Similarly, the strength of the vibration may be adjustable. Furthermore the strength may vary during the course of the vibration so as to provide, for example, an increasing vibration or a pulsed vibration. The strength may drop to zero between pulses to provide a sequence of distinct vibrations. The features of the vibration may be configured to a factory setting or may be configurable by a user.

The feedback unit may comprise a light-emitting unit configured to provide feedback using one or more light-emitting diodes (LEDs). The LEDs may be white or coloured. Feedback may be provided to the user by turning on one or more of the LEDs. Other light-emitting components may be used in place or in addition to the LEDs to provide photic feedback. The duration, colour and sequence of the LEDs may be adjusted to communicate different messages to the user. An advantage of photic feedback is the clarity of feedback provided.

The feedback unit may comprise both a haptic unit and a light-emitting unit. Advantageously this can provide further options for communicating different feedback messages to a user of the device.

The feedback unit is configured to provide sensory feedback to the user upon receipt of the signal. The sensory feedback may be in the form of haptic or photic feedback or a combination or haptic and photic feedback. The sensor is configured to provide a signal to the feedback unit upon detection of the first gesture and also, preferably, upon detection of the second gesture. The activation of the feedback unit may initiate a stored pattern of vibrations or a light sequence. The feedback unit may also receive a signal from the sensor upon detection of the first gesture followed by the second gesture by the sensor. The feedback unit may also be activated during the first gesture and/or the second gesture.

In addition to the locking control circuitry which is configured to lock or unlock the aerosol generation device as described above, the device may further comprise lock enable control circuitry. The lock enable control circuitry may be configured to enable or disable the locking control circuitry upon detection of a third gesture by the sensor. In addition, or alternatively, the lock enable control circuitry may be configured to enable or disable the locking control circuitry upon receipt of a control command sent to the aerosol generation device by a connected electronic device. The electronic device may be connected to the aerosol generation device using wireless communication such as Bluetooth low energy (BLE).

Advantageously, the lock enable control circuitry provides additional control over the security of the device. The user can adapt the security level depending on the particular situation. If the user is wishing to use the device frequently, the user may disable the locking control circuitry so that the device may be freely used without needing to lock or unlock the device. The locking control circuity may be enabled when necessary to avoid accidental usage of the aerosol generation device. The enabling or disabling of the locking control circuitry in response to a gesture or a command provides a benefit of added flexibility to the user.

The third gesture used to enable or disable the locking control circuitry may comprise a swipe action. The third gesture may include more than one swipe action performed sequentially. For example, the third gesture may comprise: swiping in a first direction along the length of the plurality of capacitive cells; and swiping in a second direction along the length of the plurality of capacitive cells; wherein the second direction is substantially opposite to the first direction. Swiping in the first direction may include performing a first swipe action in which the user swipes from the first end of the capacitive unit to the second end of the capacitive unit. Swiping in the second direction may include performing a second swipe action in which the user swipes from the second end of the capacitive unit to the first end of the capacitive unit. Alternatively, the third gesture may include multiple swipes performed in the same direction. Each swipe action performed may be a full swipe in which each of the cells in the capacitive unit are activated, or may be a partial swipe in which only some of the cells are activated.

Advantageously, a swipe action is an easy and natural gesture for a user to input. In the event that the third gesture is a particular sequence of swipe actions, this provides a further advantage that the third gesture is difficult to input accidentally.

Another aspect of the invention provides a method for locking or unlocking an aerosol generation device. The aerosol generation device comprises a sensor, a feedback unit and locking control circuitry. The method comprises the sequential steps of: detecting, by the sensor, a first gesture entered by a user; providing, by the feedback unit, feedback to the user; detecting, by the sensor, a second gesture entered by the user; and locking or unlocking, by the locking control circuitry, the aerosol generation device; wherein the first and second gestures have different characteristics.

Advantageously the method allows a user to unlock or lock the device on demand to add a level of security to the device. The device may be left locked if there are other people in the vicinity and the requirement to input an unlocking sequence before use advantageously helps avoid accidental usage of the aerosol generation device. Preferably the device can only be used to generate an aerosol or a vapour when in an unlocked state.

The sensor may be a capacitive sensor. The feedback unit optionally provides haptic and/or photic feedback. The first gesture may include a touch and hold sequence and the second gesture may include a swipe action. The gestures may be input by a user. Advantageously these touch inputs are easy and natural for a user to enter so that the device may be unlocked and locked on demand, but the specific sequence of gestures is difficult to enter inadvertently. The provision of sensory feedback from the feedback user advantageously enhances user interaction with the device as the user can easily determine when a gesture has been properly detected.

The method may involve a step of step of identifying an error in at least one of the preceding steps, during a testing or debugging process. An error message may be generated and output to the developer or tester.

A further aspect of the invention provides a computer readable medium comprising instructions which when executed by a computer cause the computer to carry out sequential steps comprising: detecting a first gesture entered by a user; providing feedback to the user; detecting a second gesture entered by the user; and locking or unlocking an aerosol generation device. This advantageously provides a secure locking mechanism. The user experience is beneficially enhanced by the receipt of feedback upon detection of the first gesture. BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

Embodiments of the invention will now be described with reference to the accompanying drawings in which:

Figure 1 is a schematic illustration of a first aerosol generation device;

Figure 2 is a schematic illustration of a first gesture; Figure 3 is a schematic illustration of a second gesture;

Figure 4 is a schematic illustration of an application interface;

Figure 5 is a flow chart illustrating a successful lock unlock sequence;

Figure 6 is a flow chart illustrating a first failed lock unlock sequence;

Figure 7 is a flow chart illustrating a second failed lock unlock sequence; Figure 8 is a schematic illustration of a second aerosol generation device;

Figure 9A is a schematic illustration of a first portion of a third gesture;

Figure 9B is a schematic illustration of a second portion of the third gesture;

Figure 10 is a flow chart illustrating lock enable control circuitry; and

Figure 11 is a schematic illustration of the components of a third aerosol generation device.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION

Figure 1 schematically illustrates an aerosol generation device in accordance with an embodiment of the invention. The aerosol generation device 10 comprises a sensor 11, a feedback unit 12 and control circuitry 13. The aerosol generation device 10 can detect user gestures using the sensor 11 and provide feedback to a user using the feedback unit 12. In this embodiment, the feedback unit 12 comprises a light-emitting unit and a haptic unit configured to provide feedback using lights and/or vibrations. The control circuitry 13 is locking control circuitry and is configured to lock or unlock the aerosol generation device upon detection of a particular user gesture by the sensor 11.

A user gesture typically involves input using motion, touch, or a combination of inputs either in sequence or simultaneously. In this embodiment, the particular user gesture is a first gesture followed by a second gesture. The first and second gesture have different characteristics. The first gesture is a touch and hold gesture which involves touching the sensor 11 for a predetermined time period. The first gesture is described in more detail with reference to Figure 2. The second gesture is a swipe gesture which involves swiping across the length of the sensor 11. The second gesture is described in more detail with reference to Figure 3.

The sensor 11 is configured to provide a signal to the feedback unit 12 upon detection of the first gesture. Upon receipt of the signal, the feedback unit 12 is configured to provide sensory feedback to the user in the form of photic and/or haptic feedback. The mode of feedback given to the user may be pre programmed or may be programmed by the user in accordance with user preference.

In this embodiment, the haptic unit of the feedback unit 12 vibrates with increasing strength during the first gesture. Once the predetermined time period has elapsed, the vibration stops to indicate that the first gesture has been properly detected. In this embodiment, the light-emitting unit of the feedback unit 12 is activated once the first gesture has been properly detected and starts to blink. Blinking of the light-emitting unit involves the light-emitting unit emitting a series of short pulses of light, in this case of a single colour. The colour may be chosen to be neutral so that it is not confused with, for example, a battery indication. In this embodiment a blue LED is chosen to provide the feedback to the user that the first gesture has been detected.

Figure 2 schematically illustrates a first gesture using an aerosol generation device 20 with a capacitive unit 21. In this embodiment, the input of the first gesture followed by a second gesture changes the lock state of the aerosol generation device 20, i.e. unlocks a locked device or locks an unlocked device. The capacitive unit 21 is used as a sensor to sense user input. The capacitive unit 21 has a plurality of capacitive cells which can be activated separately or together. In order to activate a capacitive cell, it must be touched using something electrically conducting such as a finger or a thumb of a user.

The first gesture is a touch and hold gesture. To perform the first gesture, a user must touch the capacitive unit 21 and hold for a predetermined time period. In this embodiment, two capacitive cells 22, 23 are touched simultaneously. The first capacitive cell 22 is the terminal cell at a first end of the capacitive unit. The second capacitive cell 23 is the terminal cell at a second end of the capacitive unit. In a first alternative embodiment, the first gesture involves touching and holding only the first capacitive cell 22. In a second alternative embodiment, the first gesture involves touching and holding only the second capacitive cell 23. In this embodiment the capacitive unit comprises a single column of capacitive cells. The length of the capacitive unit is such that the two extreme capacitive cells can be touched simultaneously using two adjacent fingers of a user’s hand. Alternatively, the user may perform the first gesture of this embodiment using two hands.

The duration of the predetermined time period can be adjusted. Typically the duration is approximately 1.5 seconds. When the specified time has elapsed, the aerosol generation device provides feedback to the user to indicate that the first gesture has been detected. Receiving feedback guides and triggers the user in this human-machine interaction to either enter a second gesture or to release the pressed capacitive cells. The user must wait for feedback following successful performance of the first gesture before entering the second gesture, following the release of the pressed capacitive cells. The user can learn to expect feedback after successful performance of the first gesture, and therefore an absence of expected feedback can indicate an error in the performance or detection of the first gesture. An absence of expected feedback can therefore guide the user to re-enter the touch-and-hold first gesture.

Figure 3 schematically illustrates a second gesture using an aerosol generation device 30 with a capacitive unit 31. The capacitive unit 31 has four capacitive cells arranged linearly along the length of the aerosol generation device 30 with a first end closer to a mouthpiece 36 of the device 30 and a second end further from the mouthpiece 36 of the device 30. In this embodiment, the input of the second gesture after the first gesture as described in relation to Figure 2 changes the lock state of the aerosol generation device 30 from locked to unlocked or from unlocked to locked.

The second gesture is a swipe action in which a plurality of capacitive cells are activated sequentially. A swipe action is a smooth motion and is distinct from the pressing of consecutive cells one after the other. A swipe is a continuous action.

Figure 3 highlights the activated capacitive cell at four points in time during the second gesture. At the start of the second gesture, at a first time, a first cell 32 is pressed. In this embodiment, the first cell 32 is the cell closest to the mouthpiece 36. At a second time which is later than the first time, a second cell 33 is pressed. Due to the smooth movement, there is likely to be a time after the first time and before the second time during which both the first and second cells 32, 33 are pressed simultaneously. This can be used to distinguish between the continuous swipe movement and the separated pressing of cells.

The swipe action continues along the capacitive unit 31 such that at a third time which is later than the second time a third cell 34 is pressed and at a fourth time which is later than the third time a fourth cell 35 is pressed. In this embodiment, the fourth cell 35 is at the second end of the device 30 and is the cell furthest away from the mouthpiece 36. In this embodiment a full swipe is performed as the second gesture in which the start and end points are the two outermost cells of the capacitive unit 31. In an alternative embodiment a partial swipe may be recognised as the second gesture. In a partial swipe, some of the cells are not activated. For example, a partial swipe may activate the first cell 32, the second cell 33 and the third cell 34 sequentially.

In this embodiment, the second gesture is a swipe action in a first direction from the first end to the second end of the device 30. In an alternative embodiment, the second gesture is in a second direction, starting at the fourth cell 35 and swiping towards the first cell 32. If a partial swipe is entered, the first activated cell may be closer to the mouthpiece 36 than the fourth cell 35. For example, a partial swipe in the second direction may be recognised if the third cell 34, second cell 33 and first cell 32 are activated sequentially.

The aerosol generation device 30 can be configured to detect the second gesture only upon input of a swipe action in one of the first or second directions, or upon input of a swipe action in either the first or the second direction. The aerosol generation device 30 can be configured to detect the second gesture only upon input of a full swipe, or upon input of a partial swipe.

The techniques described above involve the input of first and second gestures to change the lock state of the aerosol generation device 20. These techniques may also be used in a testing or debugging scenario by a developer. Specifically, the developer can use the feedback to determine whether the aerosol generation device 20 is operating correctly. The developer in this scenario can perform the first gesture by simultaneously touching and holding two capacitive cells 22, 23 for the predetermined time period. The developer knows to expect feedback from the feedback unit 12, and therefore an absence of feedback can be an indication that the device is not operating correctly. Similarly, the developer can input the second gesture, after successfully receiving feedback following performance of the first gesture, by performing a swipe action in which a plurality of capacitive cells are activated sequentially. The developer knows that successful performance of the second gesture should change the lock state of the aerosol generation device 20, and this can be used as evidence for whether the device is functioning as intended. A step of outputting an error message can be performed to identify one or more steps that appear not to be functioning correctly.

Figure 4 illustrates an application interface of a connected electronic device. The connected electronic device can be a mobile terminal, a tablet, a laptop, or any suitable electronic device which can communicate with the aerosol generation device. In this embodiment the communication between the connected electronic device and the aerosol generation device is achieved using Bluetooth low energy (BLE).

The connected electronic device can be used to input commands or change the configuration of the aerosol generation device. Advantageously a suitable connected electronic device has a screen, which enhances the available user interaction.

Figure 4 depicts a ‘Lock/Unlock’ screen 40 that can be provided on a connected electronic device such as a smartphone running an application dedicated for the aerosol generation device and paired/connected to the aerosol generation device via wireless communication protocol (e.g., Bluetooth). Using the lock/unlock screen 40, the locking control circuitry of the aerosol generation device may be enabled or disabled using a switch 41. This may alternatively be achieved by performing the third gesture as described in relation to Figures 9A and 9B. In this embodiment the lock/unlock screen 40 further provides gesture information 42 which illustratively teaches the sequence of gestures which the user may perform on the aerosol generation device in order to lock or unlock the device. The lock/unlock screen 40 further provides warning information 43 to the user. When the aerosol generation device is locked, it has reduced functionality and not all gestures input by the user will be recognised. In addition, feedback from the aerosol generation device such as photic or haptic feedback will be limited or absent when locked. This prolongs the battery life of the aerosol generation device.

Figure 5 is a flow chart illustrating the communication between locking control circuitry components of the aerosol generation device during a successful lock or unlock sequence comprising a first gesture followed by a second gesture. The first gesture includes touching and holding a capacitive sensor and the second gesture includes a swipe action. In this embodiment the locking control circuitry comprises a capacitive area control module 501, application business logic 502, a light-emitting diode (LED) control module 503 and a haptic control module 504.

The first gesture includes touching and holding two capacitive cells, otherwise known as capacitive pads, in a capacitive sensing unit of an aerosol generation device. The two capacitive pads are the extreme pads within the unit. The extreme pads may be referred to as the side pads. When the capacitive unit senses that the two side pads are held, the capacitive area control module 501 sends a signal 511 to the application business logic 502 indicating that the first gesture is being entered by indicating that the two side pads are held. The application business logic 502 commands 512 the haptic control module 504 to play a lock/unlock hold vibration. The haptic control module 504 plays 513 a vibration with a constantly increasing power for a predetermined time period.

In this embodiment the predetermined time period is 1.5 seconds. The application business logic waits 514 1.5 seconds for the hold to complete and commands 515 the haptic control module 504 to play a lock/unlock hold confirmation vibration. The haptic control module 504 plays 516 one short vibration. The short vibration indicates to the user that the first gesture has been successfully entered. Having received the confirmation vibration 516, the user is prompted to proceed with the next stage of the lock or unlock sequence.

Once the capacitive pads have been released, the capacitive area control module 501 sends a signal 517 to the application business logic 502 indicating that the two side pads have been released. The application business logic 502 commands 518 the LED control module 503 to start the blue LED blinking. Blinking of an LED involves rapid pulsing of the LED. A blue LED is chosen in this embodiment as it is a neutral colour which is not associated with a particular function and can therefore be used to communicate a general message to a user.

The blinking of the blue LED indicates to the user that the second gesture can be entered. The application business logic 502 waits for a predetermined time period for the user to enter the second gesture. In this embodiment, the application business logic 502 waits 519 for 3 seconds for the swipe gesture. Upon input of the second gesture, the capacitive area control module 501 sends a signal 520 to the application business logic 502 to indicate that the swipe has been recognized, and that the final capacitive pad has been released. The swipe gesture can be input in any direction along the length of the capacitive unit in order to be successfully recognised as the second gesture. The release of the pad indicates that the swipe action is complete. The application business logic 502 then commands 521 the LED control module 503 to stop the blue LED blinking.

After successfully entering the lock/unlock sequence as described, the lock state of the aerosol generation device will be switched. If the device was locked, the device will be unlocked, and if the device was unlocked, the device will be locked. In one embodiment, the LED control module 503 and/or the haptic control module 504 provide feedback to the user relating to the initial state of the device. For example, if the aerosol generation device is unlocked when the lock/unlock sequence is initiated, a short pulse of light or a short vibration may be played to indicate that the device is unlocked. Similarly, if the aerosol generation device is locked when the lock/unlock sequence is initiated, there may be no additional feedback in order to indicate to the user that the device is locked.

In a successful lock/unlock sequence, as illustrated in Figure 5, the application business logic receives three signals from the capacitive area control module. The first signal indicates that the first gesture has begun; the second signal indicates that the first gesture has stopped; and the third signal indicates that the second gesture has been entered. The lock/unlock sequence may fail and be cancelled if the first gesture stops too soon or if the second gesture is not entered soon enough. The specific timing configuration of the lock/unlock sequence can be adjusted such that the sequence of gestures is easy and natural for a user to enter.

Figures 6 and 7 are flow charts illustrating possible failed lock/unlock sequences. In Figure 6, the first gesture is terminated early. In Figure 7, the second gesture is not entered before the predetermined wait time has elapsed.

Figure 6 illustrates similar locking control circuitry to Figure 5, i.e. a capacitive area control module 601, application business logic 602, an LED control module

603 and a haptic control module 604. In this embodiment, the first gesture includes touching and holding a single capacitive pad of the capacitive unit. The pressed capacitive pad is one of the outermost pads. When the capacitive unit senses that one of the side pads is held, the capacitive area control module 601 communicates this to the application business logic 602 by sending a signal 611. The application business logic 602 commands 612 the haptic control module

604 to play a lock/unlock hold vibration, and waits 614 for a predetermined time period for the hold gesture to be completed. While the pad is being pressed, the haptic control module 604 plays 613 a vibration with a constantly increasing power. When the capacitive unit senses that the pressed side pad is released, the capacitive area control module 601 communicates this to the application business logic 602 by sending another signal 615 indicating that the side pad has been released. Upon receipt of the signal 615 that the side pad has been released, the application business logic 602 determines 616 how much time has passed since the signal 611 that one of the side pads is held was sent. If the release signal 615 is sent before the predetermined time period has elapsed, the application business logic 602 determines that the side pad was not held for long enough for the first gesture to be fully detected. In this embodiment the predetermined time period is 1.5 seconds. If the pressed pad is released too early, the lock/unlock sequence is cancelled 616 by the application business logic 602. The application business logic 602 commands 617 the haptic control module 604 to stop vibrating accordingly.

Figure 7 illustrates similar locking control circuitry to Figures 5 and 6, including a capacitive area control module 701 , application business logic 702, an LED control module 703 and a haptic control module 704. In this embodiment, the first gesture, a touch and hold gesture in which two side pads of the capacitive unit are pressed, is entered correctly and is therefore properly detected. A hold signal 711 is sent by the capacitive area control module 701 to the application business logic 702 when the two side pads are held. The application business logic 702 commands 712 the haptic control module 704 to vibrate with a constant power increase. The application business logic 702 may specify the starting strength of the vibration as well as the rate of increase of the strength of vibration. The haptic control module 704 vibrates 713 accordingly.

In Figure 7, the application business module 702 waits 714 for a predetermined time period of 1.5 seconds for the hold to complete and then commands 715 the haptic control module 704 to play a confirmation vibration 716. Similarly, the application business logic 702 may specify the strength and duration of the confirmation vibration 716 as part of the command 715. The haptic control module 704 plays one short vibration 716 to confirm that the first gesture has been detected.

Subsequently, a release signal 717 is sent by the capacitive area control module 701 to the application business logic 702 when the two side pads are released. The application business logic 702 commands 718 the LED control module 703 to start a blue LED blinking. The colour and pattern of light pulses including the duration and intensity can be communicated to the LED control module 703 as part of the command 718.

The application business logic 702 then waits 719 for a predetermined time period. During this predetermined time period the application business logic 702 listens for a signal from the capacitive area control module 701 indicating that the second gesture has been detected. The predetermined time period is typically a few seconds, and is 3 seconds in this embodiment. In the scenario illustrated in Figure 7, the second gesture is not detected before 3 seconds has passed 720. Accordingly, the application business logic 702 cancels 720 the lock/unlock, and commands 721 the LED control module 703 to stop the blue LED blinking.

Figure 8 schematically illustrates an aerosol generation device in accordance with an embodiment of the invention. The aerosol generation device 80 comprises a sensor 81 , locking control circuitry 82 and lock enable control circuitry 83. The aerosol generation device 80 can detect user gestures using the sensor 81. The sensor 81 can recognise and detect a number of user gestures including a first gesture and a second gesture. Each user gesture includes at least one gesture component. Multiple gesture components may be performed one after the other to form a gesture sequence, and the gesture sequence may be recognised by the sensor 81 as a predefined user gesture.

Each user gesture is typically linked to a particular action. In this embodiment, when the sensor 81 detects the first gesture, the locking control circuitry 82 locks or unlocks the aerosol generation device 80. When the sensor 81 detects the second gesture, the lock enable control circuitry 83 enables or disables the locking control circuitry 82. When the locking control circuitry is disabled, the locking control circuitry 82 does not affect the lock state of the aerosol generation device 80 and therefore does not lock or unlock the aerosol generation device 80. In this embodiment, the device can be used freely when the locking control circuitry is disabled. The sensor 81 in this embodiment includes a capacitive unit with a plurality of capacitive cells or capacitive pads. User gestures which can be detected using a capacitive sensor typically involve touch such as taps, presses, holds and swipes. In this embodiment, the first gesture comprises holding a first capacitive cell and a second capacitive cell for a predetermined time period; and subsequently swiping along a length of the plurality of capacitive cells. In an alternative embodiment, the first gesture comprises holding the first capacitive cell for the predetermined time period.

The first and second capacitive cells are the side cells, i.e. the outermost cells of the capacitive unit. In alternative embodiments the first and second capacitive cells may not be the most extreme cells but they are typically non-contiguous such that more than one press point is required in order to contact both of the cells simultaneously. The predetermined time period is typically between half a second and three seconds. The swipe gesture can be detected by the sensor 81 independent of the particular swipe direction. However the recognised swipe directions may be limited.

The second gesture in this embodiment comprises swiping in a first direction along the length of the plurality of capacitive cells; and swiping in a second direction along the length of the plurality of capacitive cells. The second direction is substantially opposite to the first direction. In this embodiment the capacitive unit is linear and the first and second directions are in line with the longitudinal axis of the capacitive unit. The second gesture is detected, in this embodiment, when a swipe is entered followed by a reverse swipe. The relative direction between the two swiping actions is detected, and the absolute direction is not important. However in an alternative embodiment the absolute direction may be important.

The aerosol generation device 80 provides feedback to the user in order to communicate to the user that a gesture has been detected. This is particularly relevant when a user gesture comprises multiple component gestures to form a gesture sequence. In a gesture sequence with N gesture components, the aerosol generation device 80 can be configured to confirm to the user that the n- th gesture has been recognised before the user enters the n+1-th gesture for 1 < n < N. The aerosol generation device 80 can also provide feedback to the user once the gesture or gesture sequence has been completed. The feedback is typically sensory feedback.

Figures 9A and 9B schematically illustrate a first and second portion of a user gesture respectively. The user gesture is performed on an aerosol generation device 90 with a capacitive unit 91 acting as a sensor to sense user input. The capacitive unit 91 has four capacitive cells arranged linearly along the length of the aerosol generation device 90. In alternative embodiments there may be any number of capacitive cells. Figure 9A illustrates a swipe action in a first direction 901 and Figure 9B illustrates a swipe action in a second direction 902.

Figure 9A highlights the activated capacitive cell at four points in time during the swipe action. Activation of a capacitive cell involves pressing the cell with an electrically conducting member such as a finger or a thumb. Contiguous cells may be activated simultaneously by a single digit. At a first time, a first cell 92 is activated. At a second time later than the first time, a second cell 93 adjacent to the first cell 92 is activated. At a third time later than the second time, a third cell 94 adjacent to the second cell 93 is activated. Finally, a fourth time later than the third time, a fourth cell 95 adjacent to the third cell 94 is activated.

The successive activation in a continuous manner of the first, second, third and fourth cells 92, 93, 94, 95 is detected by the capacitive unit 91 as a swipe action in the first direction 901. The continuous manner of the swipe means that at some point in time between the first time and the second time, both the first cell 92 and the second cell 93 will be activated. The finger or thumb used to activate the capacitive unit is in contact with the capacitive unit throughout the swipe action. The activated cell is changed over time as a result of lateral movement of the finger or thumb without any raising or lowering of the finger or thumb during the swipe action.

Figure 9B highlights which cells are activated at four more points in time during a swipe action in a second direction 902. At a fifth time, a first cell 96 of the capacitive unit 91 is activated. At a sixth time later than the fifth time, a second cell 97 adjacent to the first cell 96 is activated. At a seventh time later than the sixth time, a third cell 98 adjacent to the second cell 97 is activated. At an eighth time later than the seventh time, a fourth cell 99 adjacent to the third cell 98 is activated. The successive activation in a continuous manner of the first, second, third and fourth cells 96, 97, 98, 99 is detected by the capacitive unit 91 as a swipe action in the second direction 902.

In this embodiment, the user gesture includes a swipe action in the first direction

901 followed by a swipe action in the second direction 902, and the fifth time is later than the fourth time. Alternatively, a swipe action in the second direction

902 followed by a swipe action in the first direction 901 , in which the first time is later than the eighth time, may be recognised as the same user gesture or as a different user gesture. Swipe actions performed in the first and/or second directions may be combined to form any sequence of swipe actions in order to input specific user commands or requests. In this way the user may easily interact with the aerosol generation device 90. In this embodiment, performing a swipe in the first or second direction followed by a swipe in the reverse direction, i.e. the second or first direction respectively, triggers lock enable control circuitry to enable or disable locking control circuitry.

Figure 10 is a flow chart illustrating the communication between the lock enable control circuitry components of the aerosol generation device during a successful enable or disable sequence comprising two anti-parallel swipe gestures. In this embodiment the lock enable control circuitry comprises a capacitive area control module 1001 , application business logic 1002 and a feedback control module 1003. The feedback control module 1003 may provide feedback using a light-emitting unit and/or a haptic unit. In this embodiment, the lock enable control circuitry is configured to enable or disable locking control circuitry upon detection of a user gesture comprising two swipe actions.

The capacitive area control module 1001 is in communication with the capacitive unit which senses touch input. When the capacitive unit detects a swipe input in a first direction, the capacitive area control module 1001 informs the application business logic 1002 by sending a signal 1010. The signal 1010 is sent once the swipe has been completed, i.e. once the final capacitive pad or cell has been released.

In this embodiment, the application business logic 1002 commands 1011 the feedback module 1003 to provide feedback. The feedback is sensory feedback such as photic, haptic and/or aural feedback. The feedback module 1003 then provides feedback 1012 to the user in accordance with the command 1011 received from the application business logic 1002. At the same time, the application business logic 1002 listens for a further signal from the capacitive area control module 1001. The application business logic 1002 waits for the second swipe in the sequence of two swipes. The wait time is typically between 1 and 5 seconds. In this embodiment the wait time is 3 seconds.

When the capacitive unit detects a second swipe input in a second direction, the capacitive area control module 1001 informs the application business logic 1002 by sending a signal 1014 on completion of the swipe. If the signal 1014 is received before the wait time has elapsed, the enable or disable sequence has been entered successfully and the lock enable state of the device is switched. Switching of the lock enable state of the device entails disabling the locking control circuitry if it is enabled, or enabling the locking control circuitry if it is disabled.

In this embodiment, the application business logic 1002 commands 1015 the feedback module 1003 to provide feedback to the user to communicate that the second swipe has been recognised. The feedback module 1003 then provides haptic, photic and/or aural feedback 1016 to the user in accordance with the received command 1015.

In an alternative embodiment, the application business logic 1002 is only configured to command the feedback module 1003 to provide feedback to the user following detection of the first swipe and the second swipe. The first and second swipes may be in the same direction or may be in opposite directions. For example, the second swipe may be anti-parallel to the first swipe. Figure 10 illustrates a successful enable or disable sequence. In an alternative embodiment, the wait time 1013 set by the application business logic 1002 elapses before the signal about the second swipe is transmitted 1014. The application business logic 1002 is configured to cancel the enable/disable sequence if the second swipe is not detected in the allotted time.

The feedback module 1003 can be configured to provide further feedback about the state of the aerosol generation device. For example, if a user attempts to input a lock unlock sequence as described in Figures 5, 6 and 7 when the locking control circuitry is disabled, the feedback module 1003 may play a short vibration, a short pulse of light, or a short beep to indicate to the user that the lock unlock sequence will not work when the associated circuitry is disabled.

The state of the aerosol generation device, i.e. whether the locking control circuitry is enabled or disabled, may also be reviewed using a connected electronic device. An application interface as described in relation to Figure 4 can be provided to switch from an enabled state to a disabled state and from a disabled state to an enabled state using the connected electronic device instead of the user gestures as described above.

Figure 11 schematically illustrates the components of an aerosol generation device and a connected electronic device. The application modules 1110 comprise a Bluetooth low energy (BLE) transport module 1111 , communication protocol support 1112, application business logic 1113, a capacitive area control module 1114, an LED control module 1115, a haptic control module 1116 and a battery supervisor 1117. The dependencies 1120 comprise a capacitive area driver 1121 and a motion Al library 1122. The application business logic 1113 mediates between the hardware 1130 and application modules 1110.

The communication protocol support 1112 mediates communication between the application business logic 1113 and the BLE transport module 1111. The BLE transport module is configured to communicate using BLE with a mobile terminal device 1100. The hardware 1130 of the aerosol generation device comprises a capacitive area 1131 , a white LED 1132, a red-green-blue (RGB) LED 1133, a haptic engine 1134, inertial sensors 1135 and a battery 1136. Input to the capacitive area 1131 is transformed using the capacitive area driver 1121 into information about the input such as which capacitive pads were pressed and what level of force was applied. Capacitive events identified by the capacitive area driver 1121 are transformed using a capacitive area control module 1114 which is in communication with the application business logic 1113. The capacitive area control module 1114 can recognise input events such as swipe, tap, double-tap, or other user interaction patterns.

The LED control module 1115 provides a link between the application business logic 1113 and the white and RGB LEDs 1132, 1133. The LED control module 1115 controls light indication. Similarly, the haptic control module 1116 provides a link between the application business logic 1113 and the haptic engine 1134. The haptic control module 1116 controls the specific vibration pattern output by the haptic engine 1134.

Data from the inertial sensors 1135 is processed by the motion Al library 1122. The motion Al library 1122 transforms the raw data from the inertial sensors 1135 into physical values which can be interpreted by the application business logic 1113. The battery supervisor 1117 is in communication with the battery 1136. The application business logic 1113 can determine the battery level by sending a request to the battery supervisor 1117.

In this embodiment, in a locked state the LED control module 1115, haptic control module 1116, battery supervisor 1117, communication protocol support 1112 and Bluetooth transport module 1111 are de-activated. Unlocking the aerosol generation device allows these modules to be accessed. The capacitive area control module 1114, along with the associated dependencies and hardware, remains active in order to detect further user gestures. This allows the battery usage to be reduced when the device is locked. As will be appreciated, an aerosol generation device is provided with control circuitry configured to change the lock state of the device upon detection of a particular user gesture or set of gestures by a sensor in the device. Locking control circuitry can be used to lock or unlock the aerosol generation device and lock enable control circuitry can be used to enable or disable the locking control circuitry. In this way a user can adapt the security level of the aerosol generation device to match the requirements of a situation.

Claims

1. An aerosol generation device comprising: a sensor configured to detect user gestures; a feedback unit configured to provide sensory feedback to a user; and locking control circuitry configured to lock or unlock the aerosol generation device upon detection of a first gesture followed by a second gesture by the sensor; wherein the first and second gestures have different characteristics; wherein the sensor is configured to provide a signal to the feedback unit upon detection of the first gesture and before detection of the second gesture; and wherein the feedback unit is configured to provide the sensory feedback to the user upon receipt of the signal.

2. The aerosol generation device of claim 1 , wherein the first gesture includes touching the sensor for a predetermined time period and wherein the second gesture includes a swipe action.

3. The aerosol generation device according to claim 1 or claim 2, wherein the sensor comprises a capacitive unit having a plurality of capacitive cells.

4. The aerosol generation device according to claim 3, wherein the capacitive cells are arranged linearly.

5. The aerosol generation device according to claim 3 or claim 4, wherein the first gesture comprises touching a first capacitive cell for a predetermined time period.

6. The aerosol generation device according to claim 3 or claim 4, wherein the first gesture comprises touching a plurality of the capacitive cells for a predetermined time period.

7. The aerosol generation device according to any of claims 3 to 6, wherein the second gesture includes a swipe across the plurality of capacitive cells.

8. The aerosol generation device according to any of the preceding claims, wherein the feedback unit comprises a haptic unit.

9. The aerosol generation device according to any of the preceding claims, wherein the feedback unit further comprises a light-emitting unit.

10. The aerosol generation device according to any of the preceding claims, further comprising: lock enable control circuitry configured to enable or disable the locking control circuitry upon detection of a third gesture by the sensor or upon receipt of a control command sent to the aerosol generation device by a connected electronic device.

11. The aerosol generation device according to claim 10, wherein the third gesture comprises a swipe action.

12. The aerosol generation device according to claim 11, wherein the third gesture comprises: swiping in a first direction along the length of the plurality of capacitive cells; and swiping in a second direction along the length of the plurality of capacitive cells; wherein the second direction is substantially opposite to the first direction.

13. A method for locking or unlocking an aerosol generation device comprising a sensor, a feedback unit and locking control circuitry, wherein the method comprises the sequential steps of: detecting, by the sensor, a first gesture entered by a user; providing, by the feedback unit, feedback to the user; detecting, by the sensor, a second gesture entered by the user; and locking or unlocking, by the locking control circuitry, the aerosol generation device; wherein the first and second gestures have different characteristics.

14. The method of claim 13, comprising the step of identifying an error in at least one of the steps, during a testing or debugging process.

15. A computer readable medium comprising instructions which when executed by a computer cause the computer to carry out sequential steps comprising: detecting a first gesture entered by a user; providing feedback to the user; detecting a second gesture entered by the user; and locking or unlocking an aerosol generation device.