PROXIMITY DETECTION FOR AN AEROSOL DELIVERY DEVICE

• US 20160219933A1
• Filed: 01/29/2015
• Published: 08/04/2016
• Est. Priority Date: 01/29/2015
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: RAI STRATEGIC HOLDINGS, INC. (British American Tobacco PLC)
• Original Assignee: R J Reynolds Tobacco Company (R. J. Reynolds Tobacco)
• Inventors: Kimsey, Glen Joseph, Henry, Raymond Charles Jr., Lamb, Wilson Christopher
• Granted Patent: US 10,321,711 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 40/50 Control or monitoring
• CPC Class Codes: A24F 40/65 Devices with integrated communication means, e.g. wireless communication means
• CPC Class Codes: G08C 17/02 using a radio link
• CPC Class Codes: G08C 2201/91 Remote control based on location and proximity
• CPC Class Codes: G08C 2201/93 Remote control using other portable devices, e.g. mobile phone, PDA, laptop

Abstract

An aerosol delivery device is provided that includes a housing, heating element, communication interface and microprocessor. The heating element may to activate and vaporize components of an aerosol precursor composition in response to a flow of air through at least a portion of the housing, with the air being combinable with a thereby formed vapor to form an aerosol. The communication interface may effect a wireless, proximity-based communication link with a computing device. And the microprocessor may be coupled to the communication interface, may control at least one functional element of the aerosol delivery device based on a state of the proximity-based communication link, or in response to a trigger signal received from the computing device over the proximity-based communication link.

Claims

1. An aerosol delivery device comprising:

a housing;

a heating element configured to activate and vaporize components of an aerosol precursor composition in response to a flow of air through at least a portion of the housing, the air being combinable with a thereby formed vapor to form an aerosol;

a communication interface configured to effect a wireless, proximity-based communication link with a computing device; and

a microprocessor coupled to the communication interface and configured to control at least one functional element of the aerosol delivery device based on a state of the proximity-based communication link, or in response to a trigger signal received from the computing device over the proximity-based communication link.

2. The aerosol delivery device of claim 1, wherein the microprocessor is configured to control the at least one functional element of the aerosol delivery device in an instance in which the proximity-based communication link is broken.

3. The aerosol delivery device of claim 1, wherein the microprocessor is configured to control the at least one functional element of the aerosol delivery device based on a signal strength of the proximity-based communication link.

4. The aerosol delivery device of claim 1, wherein the microprocessor being configured to control at least one functional element of the aerosol delivery device includes being configured to control a sensory-feedback member to provide a user-perceptible feedback.

5. The aerosol delivery device of claim 1, wherein the microprocessor being configured to control at least one functional element of the aerosol delivery device includes being configured to control at least one functional element to alter a locked state of the aerosol delivery device.

6. A computing device comprising:

a communication interface configured to effect a wireless, proximity-based communication link with an aerosol delivery device including;

a housing; and

a heating element configured to activate and vaporize components of an aerosol precursor composition in response to a flow of air through at least a portion of the housing, the air being combinable with a thereby formed vapor to form an aerosol; and

a processor coupled to the communication interface and configured to control at least one functional element of the computing device based on a state of the proximity-based communication link, or cause transmission of a trigger signal to the aerosol delivery device over the proximity-based communication link to effect control of the aerosol delivery device in response thereto.

7. The computing device of claim 6, wherein the processor is configured to control the at least one functional element of the computing device, and in an instance in which the proximity-based communication link is broken.

8. The computing device of claim 6, wherein the processor is configured to control the at least one functional element of the computing device, and based on a signal strength of the proximity-based communication link.

9. The computing device of claim 6, wherein the processor is configured to cause transmission of the trigger signal, including being configured to cause transmission of the trigger signal to effect control of a sensory-feedback member of the aerosol delivery device to provide a user-perceptible feedback.

10. The computing device of claim 6, wherein the processor is configured to cause transmission of the trigger signal, including being configured to cause transmission of the trigger signal to alter a locked state of the aerosol delivery device.

11. A method of controlling operation of an aerosol delivery device including a heating element configured to activate and vaporize components of an aerosol precursor composition in response to a flow of air through at least a portion of the housing, the air being combinable with a thereby formed vapor to form an aerosol, the method comprising at the aerosol delivery device:

effecting a wireless, proximity-based communication link with a computing device; and

controlling at least one functional element of the aerosol delivery device based on a state of the proximity-based communication link, or in response to a trigger signal received from the computing device over the proximity-based communication link.

12. The method of claim 11, wherein the at least one functional element of the aerosol delivery device is controlled in an instance in which the proximity-based communication link is broken.

13. The method of claim 11, wherein the at least one functional element of the aerosol delivery device is controlled based on a signal strength of the proximity-based communication link.

14. The method of claim 11, wherein controlling at least one functional element of the aerosol delivery device includes controlling a sensory-feedback member to provide a user-perceptible feedback.

15. The method of claim 11, wherein controlling at least one functional element of the aerosol delivery device includes controlling at least one functional element to alter a locked state of the aerosol delivery device.

16. A method of interacting with an aerosol delivery device including a heating element configured to activate and vaporize components of an aerosol precursor composition in response to a flow of air through at least a portion of the housing, the air being combinable with a thereby formed vapor to form an aerosol, the method comprising at a computing device:

effecting a wireless, proximity-based communication link with the aerosol delivery device; and

controlling at least one functional element of the computing device based on a state of the proximity-based communication link, or causing transmission of a trigger signal to the aerosol delivery device over the proximity-based communication link to effect control of the aerosol delivery device in response thereto.

17. The method of claim 16 comprising controlling the at least one functional element of the computing device, and in an instance in which the proximity-based communication link is broken.

18. The method of claim 16 comprising controlling the least one functional element of the computing device, and based on a signal strength of the proximity-based communication link.

19. The method of claim 16 comprising causing transmission of the trigger signal, including causing transmission of the trigger signal to effect control of a sensory-feedback member of the aerosol delivery device to provide a user-perceptible feedback.

20. The method of claim 16 comprising causing transmission of the trigger signal, including causing transmission of the trigger signal to alter a locked state of the aerosol delivery device.