Electronic Cigarette with Encoded Cartridge

• US 20150101625A1
• Filed: 10/10/2013
• Published: 04/16/2015
• Est. Priority Date: 10/10/2013
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: JUUL Labs, Inc. (PAX Labs, Inc.)
• Original Assignee: Kyle D. Newton
• Inventors: Newton, Kyle D., Brown, Daniel R.
• Granted Patent: US 9,820,509 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 131/329
• CPC Class Codes: A24F 40/10 Devices using liquid inhalable precursors
• CPC Class Codes: A24F 40/40 Constructional details, e.g. connection of cartridges and battery parts
• CPC Class Codes: A24F 40/53 Monitoring, e.g. fault detection
• CPC Class Codes: A24F 40/60 Devices with integrated user interfaces
• CPC Class Codes: H05B 1/0244 Heating of fluids H05B1/0247 takes precedence

Abstract

An electronic cigarette with an atomizer cartridge and a battery assembly. The atomizer cartridge has an atomizer coupled to a first and second terminal of a cartridge interface. A passive electrical circuit is coupled between the first terminal and a sensing terminal. The battery assembly has an interface with a first, second, and sensing contact. The interface engages the cartridge interface to provide electrical continuity between the terminals and contacts. The battery assembly has an atomizer drive circuit connected between the first and second contact, and a controller that activates the atomizer drive circuit in response to negative pressure at a draw sensor. A sensing circuit coupled to the sensing contact outputs a parameter signal indicative of the electrical parameters of the passive electrical circuit. The controller activates an RGB LED to produce discrete colors of light corresponding to discrete values of the parameter signal.

Claims

1. An electronic cigarette apparatus, comprising:

an atomizer cartridge, further comprising;

an atomizer coupled to a first terminal and a second terminal of a cartridge interface;

a passive two-terminal electrical circuit, coupled between said first terminal and a sensing terminal of said cartridge interface, and

a battery assembly, further comprising;

an assembly interface having a first contact, a second contact, and a sensing contact, and adapted to engage said cartridge interface to supportively engage said atomizer cartridge to said battery assembly while providing electrical continuity between corresponding terminals and contacts;

an atomizer drive circuit coupled between said second contact and said first contact;

a controller coupled to a draw sensor, and operable to activate said atomizer drive circuit in response to negative pressure detected by said draw sensor;

a sensing circuit coupled to said sensing contact and said controller, which generates a parameter signal indicative of the electrical parameters of said passive two-terminal electrical circuit;

a multi-color light source coupled to said controller, and wherein

said controller activates said multi-color light source to produce discrete colors of light corresponding to discrete values of said parameter signal.

2. The apparatus of claim 1, and wherein:

said sensing circuit is an analog to digital converter.

3. The apparatus of claim 1, and wherein:

said sensing circuit comprises a bridge circuit.

4. The apparatus of claim 1, and wherein:

said sensing circuit comprises an inductance, capacitance, and resistance meter.

5. The apparatus of claim 1, and wherein:

said passive two-terminal electrical circuit is a resistor.

6. The apparatus of claim 5, and wherein:

discrete values of said resistor correspond to discrete flavors of said atomizer cartridge.

7. The apparatus of claim 1, and wherein:

said passive two-terminal electrical circuit comprises a first resistor and a second resistor, and wherein

said first resistor indicates the flavor of said atomizer cartridge, and said second resistor indicates nicotine concentration of said atomizer cartridge.

8. The apparatus of claim 7, and wherein:

said first resistor and second resistor are wired in series.

9. The apparatus of claim 7, and wherein:

said first resistor and second resistor are wired in parallel.

10. The apparatus of claim 1, further comprising:

a second passive two-terminal electrical circuit disposed within said battery assembly, and coupled between said second contact and said sensing contact.

11. The apparatus of claim 1, and wherein:

said passive two-terminal electrical circuit is a first resistor, and further comprising

a second resistor in said battery assembly coupled between said sensing contact and said first contact, thusly forming a voltage divider circuit with said first resistor, and wherein

said sensing circuit is an analog to digital circuit that outputs a digital word having a value corresponding to the value of said first resistor.

12. The apparatus of claim 1, and wherein:

said multi-colored light source comprises plural light emitting diodes.

13. The apparatus of claim 1, and wherein:

said multicolored light source is comprised of a red-green-blue light emitting diode.

14. The apparatus of claim 1, further comprising:

an actuator coupled to said controller, and wherein said controller is responsive to actuation of said actuator to alter said discrete colors of light that are produced corresponding to said discrete values of said parameter signal.

15. The apparatus of claim 14, and wherein:

said discrete colors of light are altered to correspond with colors associated with each discrete flavor.

16. The apparatus of claim 14, and wherein:

said controller alters said discrete colors of light to be randomly selected upon each negative pressure detection by said draw sensor.

17. The apparatus of claim 14, and wherein:

said discrete colors of light are altered to be amber for all of said discrete values of said parameter signal.

18. The apparatus of claim 14, and wherein:

said discrete colors of light are altered to be blue for all of said discrete values of said parameter signal.

19. The apparatus of claim 14, and wherein:

said discrete colors of light are altered to be inactive for all of said discrete values of said parameter signal.