Article Including Identification Information for Use in an Electrically Heated Smoking System

• US 20100163063A1
• Filed: 12/22/2009
• Published: 07/01/2010
• Est. Priority Date: 12/24/2008
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Philip Morris USA Incorporated (Altria Group, Inc.)
• Original Assignee: Philip Morris USA Incorporated (Altria Group, Inc.)
• Inventors: CORDEY, JEAN-PIERRE, FERNANDO, FELIX
• Granted Patent: US 8,689,804 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 131/184.100
• CPC Class Codes: A24D 1/20 Cigarettes specially adapted for simulated smoking devices
• CPC Class Codes: A24F 40/20 Devices using solid inhalable precursors
• CPC Class Codes: A24F 40/50 Control or monitoring
• CPC Class Codes: A24F 40/51 Arrangement of sensors
• CPC Class Codes: A24F 40/53 Monitoring, e.g. fault detection
• CPC Class Codes: A24F 40/57 Temperature control
• CPC Class Codes: A24F 40/85 Maintenance, e.g. cleaning
• CPC Class Codes: B08B 9/0808 by methods involving the use of tools, e.g. by brushes, scrapers
• CPC Class Codes: G06V 30/2253 Recognition of characters printed with magnetic ink G06V30/2247 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: G09F 2003/0272 Labels for containers
• CPC Class Codes: H05B 1/0244 Heating of fluids H05B1/0247 takes precedence

Abstract

A smoking article includes identification information encoded on the smoking article. The smoking article can be used with an electrically heated smoking system having a detector for detecting the smoking article and distinguishing the smoking article from other articles based on the identification information. A cleaning article includes identification information encoded on the cleaning article. The cleaning article cleans an electrically heated smoking system having a detector for detecting the cleaning article and distinguishing the cleaning article from other articles based on the identification information. An electrically heated smoking system for receiving an article configured for use with the smoking system includes: a cavity for receiving the article having identification information encoded thereon, a heating element, a power supply, electrical hardware, and a detector capable of detecting the presence of the article in the cavity and distinguishing the article from other articles based on the identification information.

Claims

1. A smoking article comprising:

encoded identification information on the smoking article, said smoking article being configured for use with an electrically heated smoking system having a detector for detecting a smoking article and distinguishing a smoking article from other articles based on the encoded identification information.

2. The smoking article of claim 1, wherein the identification information is printed on the article.

3. The smoking article of claim 1, wherein the identification information includes at least one of visible ink, ultra violet (UV) ink, infra red (IR) ink, phosphorescent ink, fluorescent ink or metallic ink.

4. The smoking article of claim 1, wherein the identification information includes one or more of:

smoking article type, aerosol-forming substrate type, cleaning article type, cleaning means information, cleaning ingredient type, date of production, place of production, production batch number, production details, and use-by date.

5. The smoking article of claim 1, wherein the identification information is arranged to change as the article is used.

19. A smoking article specially adapted for use with the electrically heated smoking system of claim 1.

6. A cleaning article comprising:

encoded identification information on the cleaning article, said cleaning article being configured for cleaning an electrically heated smoking system having a detector for detecting the cleaning article and distinguishing the cleaning article from other articles based on the encoded identification information.

7. The cleaning article of claim 6, wherein the identification information is printed on the article.

8. The cleaning article of claim 6, wherein the identification information comprises at least one of visible ink, ultra violet (UV) ink, infra red (IR) ink, phosphorescent ink, fluorescent ink or metallic ink.

9. The cleaning article of claim 6, wherein the identification information comprises one or more of:

smoking article type, aerosol-forming substrate type, cleaning article type, cleaning means information, cleaning ingredient type, date of production, place of production, production batch number, other production details, and use-by date.

10. The cleaning article of claim 6, wherein the identification information is arranged to change as the article is used.

11. An electrically heated smoking system for receiving an article configured for use with the smoking system, the system comprising:

a cavity for at least partially receiving an article, the article including encoded identification information thereon;

at least one heating element;

a power supply for supplying power to the at least one heating element;

electrical hardware connected to the power supply and the at least one heating element; and

a detector capable of detecting the presence of an article in the cavity and distinguishing among articles, based on the identification information.

12. The electrically heated smoking system of claim 11, further including an article selected from the group consisting of a smoking article and a cleaning article.

13. The electrically heated smoking system of claim 11, wherein the system is arranged to initiate, when the detector detects an article in the cavity.

14. The electrically heated smoking system of claim 11, wherein the electrical hardware is arranged to establish a heating protocol for the at least one heating element based on a particular article identified by the detector.

15. The electrically heated smoking system of claim 11, wherein the system is configured to receive a plurality of smoking articles including identification information, and the system is arranged to operate only with a subset of the plurality of smoking articles configured for use with the smoking system, each smoking article of the subset being distinguishable by the detector, based on the identification information.

16. The electrically heated smoking system of claim 11, wherein the detector comprises an optical sensor including at least one light emitter and at least one light sensor, and the identification information is printed on the article.

17. The electrically heated smoking system of claim 11, wherein the identification information is configured to be altered during heating so as to indicate whether the article has been used.

18. The electrically heated smoking system of claim 11, wherein the electrical hardware comprises a sensor to detect air flow indicative of a user taking a puff.