RADIO-FREQUENCY IDENTIFICATION (RFID) AUTHENTICATION SYSTEM FOR AEROSOL DELIVERY DEVICES

• US 20170020191A1
• Filed: 07/24/2015
• Published: 01/26/2017
• Est. Priority Date: 07/24/2015
• 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: Rogers, Terrence E., Lamb, Wilson Christopher, Henry, Raymond Charles Jr., Ampolini, Frederic Philippe
• Granted Patent: US 11,033,054 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 40/53 Monitoring, e.g. fault detection
• CPC Class Codes: A61M 11/042 electrical
• CPC Class Codes: A61M 15/008 Electronic counters
• CPC Class Codes: A61M 15/0081 Locking means
• CPC Class Codes: A61M 15/0083 Timers
• CPC Class Codes: A61M 15/06 Inhaling appliances shaped like cigars, cigarettes or pipes
• CPC Class Codes: A61M 2016/0024 with an on-off output signal, e.g. from a switch
• CPC Class Codes: A61M 2016/0039 in the inspiratory circuit
• CPC Class Codes: A61M 2205/127 with provisions for heating or cooling
• CPC Class Codes: A61M 2205/14 Detection of the presence or absence of a tube, a connector or a container in an apparatus
• CPC Class Codes: A61M 2205/27 preventing use
• CPC Class Codes: A61M 2205/3368 Temperature
• CPC Class Codes: A61M 2205/3592 using telemetric means, e.g. radio or optical transmission
• CPC Class Codes: A61M 2205/3653 by Joule effect, i.e. electric resistance
• CPC Class Codes: A61M 2205/6018 providing set-up signals for the apparatus configuration
• CPC Class Codes: A61M 2205/6054 Magnetic identification systems
• CPC Class Codes: A61M 2205/8212 with means or measures taken for minimising energy consumption
• CPC Class Codes: H04B 5/77 for interrogation
• CPC Class Codes: H04B 5/79 : for data transfer in combination with power transfer

Abstract

A control body and cartridge that are coupleable with one another to form an aerosol delivery device are provided. The control body comprises a control component and an RFID reader contained within at least one housing. The cartridge comprises at least one heating element and an RFID tag contained within at least one housing. The RFID reader of the control body is coupled to the control component of the control body and configured to communicate with the RFID tag of the cartridge upon coupling of the control body with the cartridge. The control component of the control body is configured to authorize the cartridge for use with the control body based at least in part on communication between the RFID reader and the RFID tag.

Claims

1. A control body coupleable with a cartridge that is equipped with a heating element and contains an aerosol precursor composition, and that is further equipped with a radio-frequency identification (RFID) tag, the control body being coupleable with the cartridge to form an aerosol delivery device in which the heating element is configured to activate and vaporize components of the aerosol precursor composition, the control body comprising:

at least one housing; and

contained within the at least one housing,

a control component configured to control operation of at least one functional element of the aerosol delivery device based on a detected flow of air through at least a portion of the aerosol delivery device; and

an RFID reader coupled to the control component and configured to communicate with the RFID tag of the cartridge upon coupling of the control body with the cartridge, the control component being configured to authorize the cartridge for use with the control body based at least in part on communication between the RFID reader and the RFID tag.

2. The control body of claim 1, wherein the RFID reader includes an antenna and is contained within the at least one housing such that upon coupling of the control body with the cartridge, the antenna is located proximate a corresponding antenna of the RFID tag to enable the communication between the RFID reader and the RFID tag, and

wherein the antenna of the RFID reader is up to two millimeters in length to render the RFID reader substantially incapable of communication with any device external to the control body other than the RFID tag.

3. The control body of claim 1, wherein the communication between the RFID reader and the RFID tag includes an authentication indicia communicated from the RFID tag to the RFID reader, and the control component being configured to authorize the cartridge includes being configured to automatically:

receive the authentication indicia from the RFID tag via the RFID reader upon coupling the control body with the cartridge; and

evaluate the authentication indicia to determine whether the cartridge is authorized for use with the control body, the cartridge in at least one instance being authorized for use with the control body.

4. The control body of claim 3, wherein the control component is configured to enable current flow and thereby activation of the heating element in the at least one instance in which the cartridge is authorized for use with the control body, and prohibit the current flow and thereby activation of the heating element in at least one other instance in which the cartridge is unauthorized for use with the control body.

5. The control body of claim 1, wherein the RFID reader includes an antenna and a radio-frequency amplifier configured to drive the antenna, the radio-frequency amplifier being configured to operate at a power level of at least one-hundred milliwatts to enable an emission of energy sufficient to at least partially power the RFID tag.

6. A cartridge coupleable with a control body equipped with a radio-frequency identification (RFID) reader, the cartridge being coupleable with the control body to form an aerosol delivery device, the cartridge comprising:

at least one housing; and

contained within the at least one housing,

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

an RFID tag configured to communicate with the RFID reader of the control body upon coupling of the cartridge with the control body, the control body being configured to authorize the cartridge for use with the control body based at least in part on communication between the RFID tag and the RFID reader.

7. The cartridge of claim 6, wherein the RFID tag includes an antenna and is contained within the at least one housing such that upon coupling of the control body with the cartridge, the antenna is located proximate a corresponding antenna of the RFID reader to enable the communication between the RFID reader and the RFID tag, and

wherein the antenna of the RFID tag is up to two millimeters in length to render the RFID tag substantially incapable of communication with any device external to the cartridge other than the RFID reader.

8. The cartridge of claim 6, wherein the communication between the RFID tag and the RFID reader includes an authentication indicia communicated from the RFID tag to the RFID reader, and the RFID tag is configured to automatically communicate the authentication indicia to the RFID reader upon coupling of the control body with the cartridge, and

wherein the control body being configured to authorize the cartridge includes a control component of the control body being configured to receive the authentication indicia from the RFID tag via the RFID reader, and evaluate the authentication indicia to determine whether the cartridge is authorized for use with the control body, the cartridge in at least one instance being authorized for use with the control body.

9. The cartridge of claim 8, wherein the control component is configured to enable current flow and thereby activation of the heating element in the at least one instance in which the cartridge is authorized for use with the control body, and prohibit the current flow and thereby activation of the heating element in at least one other instance in which the cartridge is unauthorized for use with the control body.

10. The cartridge of claim 6, wherein the cartridge is a disposable cartridge with flavor-containing aerosol precursor composition, and

wherein the RFID tag includes a memory configured to store information related to a capacity of the cartridge or flavor of the flavor-containing aerosol precursor composition, and store data related to a puff count associated with the cartridge.

11. A method of operation of a control body coupleable with a cartridge that is equipped with a heating element and contains an aerosol precursor composition, and that is further equipped with a radio-frequency identification (RFID) tag, the control body being coupleable with the cartridge to form an aerosol delivery device in which the heating element is configured to activate and vaporize components of the aerosol precursor composition, the method comprising at the control body:

a control component controlling operation of at least one functional element of the aerosol delivery device based on a detected flow of air through at least a portion of the aerosol delivery device;

an RFID reader communicating with the RFID tag of the cartridge upon coupling of the control body with the cartridge; and

the control component authorizing the cartridge for use with the control body based at least in part on communication between the RFID reader and the RFID tag.

12. The method of claim 11, wherein the RFID reader includes an antenna such that upon coupling of the control body with the cartridge, the antenna is located proximate a corresponding antenna of the RFID tag to enable the communication between the RFID reader and the RFID tag, and

wherein the antenna of the RFID reader is up to two millimeters in length to render the RFID reader substantially incapable of communication with any device external to the control body other than the RFID tag.

13. The method of claim 11, wherein the communication between the RFID reader and the RFID tag includes an authentication indicia communicated from the RFID tag to the RFID reader, and the control component authorizing the cartridge includes automatically:

receiving the authentication indicia from the RFID tag via the RFID reader upon coupling the control body with the cartridge; and

evaluating the authentication indicia to determine whether the cartridge is authorized for use with the control body, the cartridge in at least one instance being authorized for use with the control body.

14. The method of claim 13, further comprising the control component enabling current flow and thereby activation of the heating element in the at least one instance in which the cartridge is authorized for use with the control body, and prohibiting the current flow and thereby activation of the heating element in at least one other instance in which the cartridge is unauthorized for use with the control body.

15. The method of claim 11, wherein the RFID reader includes an antenna and a radio-frequency amplifier driving the antenna, the method further comprising the radio-frequency amplifier operating at a power level of at least one-hundred milliwatts to enable an emission of energy sufficient to at least partially power the RFID tag.

16. A method of operation of a cartridge coupleable with a control body equipped with a radio-frequency identification (RFID) reader, the cartridge being coupleable with the control body to form an aerosol delivery device, the method comprising at the cartridge:

a heating element activating to vaporize components of an aerosol precursor composition in response to a flow of air through the aerosol delivery device, the air being combinable with a thereby formed vapor to form an aerosol; and

an RFID tag communicating with the RFID reader of the control body upon coupling of the cartridge with the control body, the cartridge being authorized at and for use with the control body based at least in part on communication between the RFID reader and the RFID tag.

17. The method of claim 16, wherein the RFID tag includes an antenna and is contained within the at least one housing such that upon coupling of the control body with the cartridge, the antenna is located proximate a corresponding antenna of the RFID reader to enable the communication between the RFID reader and the RFID tag, and

wherein the antenna of the RFID tag is up to two millimeters in length to render the RFID tag substantially incapable of communication with any device external to the cartridge other than the RFID reader.

18. The method of claim 16, wherein the communication between the RFID tag and the RFID reader includes an authentication indicia communicated from the RFID tag to the RFID reader, and the method further comprises the RFID tag automatically communicating the authentication indicia to the RFID reader upon coupling of the control body with the cartridge, and

wherein the cartridge being authorized includes a control component of the control body receiving the authentication indicia from the RFID tag via the RFID reader, and evaluating the authentication indicia to determine whether the cartridge is authorized for use with the control body, the cartridge in at least one instance being authorized for use with the control body.

19. The method of claim 18, wherein current flow and thereby activation of the heating element is enabled by the control component in the at least one instance in which the cartridge is authorized for use with the control body, and prohibited in at least one other instance in which the cartridge is unauthorized for use with the control body.

20. The method of claim 16, wherein the cartridge is a disposable cartridge with flavor-containing aerosol precursor composition, and the RFID tag includes a memory, and wherein the method further comprises at the memory:

storing information related to a capacity of the cartridge or flavor of the flavor-containing aerosol precursor composition; and

storing data related to a puff count associated with the cartridge.