ELECTRONIC SMOKE APPARATUS

• US 20150313284A1
• Filed: 10/07/2013
• Published: 11/05/2015
• Est. Priority Date: 10/05/2012
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Altria Client Services LLC (Altria Group, Inc.)
• Original Assignee: Smart Chip Microelectronic Co., Limited
• Inventors: Liu, Loi Ying
• Granted Patent: US 10,111,465 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 1/1
• 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 40/50 Control or monitoring
• CPC Class Codes: A24F 40/57 Temperature control
• CPC Class Codes: H05B 1/0244 Heating of fluids H05B1/0247 takes precedence

Abstract

An electronic smoke apparatus comprising an inhale sensor, a smoke source containing vapor-able smoke flavored substances, an electric heater for heating up the smoke flavored substances, and a power management controller to control power supply to operate the heater; wherein the power management controller is to adaptively supply operating power to the heater according to characteristics of a smoking inhaling event detected at said inhale sensor.

Claims

1. A power management device for an electronic smoke apparatus, wherein the device comprises a controller to adaptively supply operating power to a heater to operate the electronic smoke apparatus according to received signals which represent characteristics of a smoking inhaling event.

2. A power management device according to claim 1, wherein said characteristics include beginning of a smoking inhaling event, and said controller is to supply a power boost to operate said heater upon detection of said beginning and to reduce power supply to a running level power supply after a boost heating interval has elapsed.

3. A power management device according to claim 2, wherein said boost heating interval corresponds to a time period for a smoke source of the electronic cigarette to enter into a vaporization state or a near vaporization state.

4. A power management device according to claim 2, wherein the power boost is at a power level of more than 30%, preferably more than 40%, and even more preferably more than 50%, higher than the running level power supply.

5. A power management device according to claim 2, wherein the controller is to supply a power boost for a duration of shorter than 1 second, preferably shorter than 0.8 second, and even more preferably shorter than 0.6 second.

6. A power management device according to claim 2, wherein the running level power supply is set to maintain a substantially constant running level smoke vapor volume generation rate.

7. A power management device according to claim 2, wherein the controller is to supply a substantially constant voltage to terminals of said heater when at a running level power supply mode to supply running level power supply.

8. A power management device according to claim 1, wherein said characteristics of a smoking inhaling event include inhale power level, and said controller is to set the operating power supply at a level according to the inhale power level.

9. A power management device according to claim 8, wherein the controller is to vary operating power supply to follow variation in inhale power level during a smoking inhaling event.

10. A power management device according to claim 1, wherein the controller is to set the operating power at one of a plurality of discrete operating power levels, and the instantaneous operating power level is determined by the instantaneous inhale power level.

11. An electronic smoke apparatus comprising an inhale sensor, a smoke source containing vapor-able smoke flavored substances, an electric heater for heating up the smoke flavored substances, and a power management controller to control power supply to operate the heater;

wherein the power management controller is to adaptively supply operating power to the heater according to characteristics of a smoking inhaling event detected at said inhale sensor.

12. An electronic smoke apparatus according to claim 11, wherein said characteristics include onset or beginning of a smoking inhaling event, and the controller is to supply a power boost to operate said heater upon detection of said onset or beginning and to reduce power supply to a running level power supply after a boost heating interval has elapsed.

13. An electronic smoke apparatus according to claim 11, wherein said inhale sensor is to detect inhale power level and to give out signals representing inhale power level, said characteristics of a smoking inhaling event include inhale power level, and said controller is to set the operating power supply at a level according to detected inhale power level.

14. An electronic smoke apparatus according to claim 11, wherein said inhale sensor comprises a capacitive airflow sensor to detect inhale power level, and the capacitance value of said airflow sensor varies according to the instantaneous inhale power appearing at said inhale sensor, and wherein the controller is to determine the inhale power at the inhale sensor with reference to the capacitance value or variation in capacitance value of the inhale sensor.

15. An electronic smoke apparatus according to claim 11, wherein said power management controller comprises a power management device.

16. An electronic smoke apparatus according to claim 11, wherein the controller is to increase power supply to the heater to increase smoke vapor generation volume rate upon detection of an increase in inhale power during a smoking inhaling event.

17. An electronic smoke apparatus according to claim 11, wherein the controller is to decrease power supply to the heater to decrease smoke vapor generation volume rate upon detection of a decrease in inhale power during a smoking inhaling event.

18. An electronic smoke apparatus according to claim 11, wherein the controller is to main a steady state power supply to the heater after the apparatus has been set into operation, the steady state power supply being to maintain the smoke source in a vaporization state.

19. An electronic smoke apparatus according to claim 11, wherein the controller is to determine whether the smoke source has reached a vaporization state or a near-vaporization state with reference to temperature at the smoke source to adjust power supply to the heater.

20. An electronic smoke apparatus according to claim 11, wherein the controller is to reduce power supply to the heater when the smoke source has been heated to a temperature near or reaching a vaporizing temperature after initial activation.