MOTION SENSING FOR AN AEROSOL DELIVERY DEVICE

• US 20170156397A1
• Filed: 12/07/2015
• Published: 06/08/2017
• Est. Priority Date: 12/07/2015
• 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: Sur, Rajesh, Sears, Stephen B.
• Granted Patent: US 10,440,992 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• CPC Class Codes: A24F 40/10 Devices using liquid inhalable precursors
• CPC Class Codes: A24F 40/51 Arrangement of sensors
• CPC Class Codes: A24F 40/65 Devices with integrated communication means, e.g. wireless communication means
• CPC Class Codes: A61M 15/06 Inhaling appliances shaped like cigars, cigarettes or pipes
• CPC Class Codes: A61M 2205/35 Communication
• CPC Class Codes: A61M 2205/82 Internal energy supply devices
• CPC Class Codes: G01P 15/08 with conversion into electric or magnetic values
• CPC Class Codes: G01P 15/14 by making use of gyroscopes gyroscopes per se G01C19/00
• CPC Class Codes: G08B 21/18 Status alarms G08B21/02 takes precedence

Abstract

An aerosol delivery device includes at least one housing; and contained within the at least one housing, a control component and motion sensor. The control component may control operation of the aerosol delivery device based on a detected flow of air through at least a portion of the at least one housing. The motion sensor may detect a defined motion of the aerosol delivery device that indicates a vulnerability of the aerosol delivery device or a user thereof, with the motion sensor being configured to convert the defined motion to an electrical signal. The control component or motion sensor may recognize the vulnerability and an operation associated with the vulnerability based on the electrical signal, and the control component may control at least one functional element of the aerosol delivery device to perform the operation, which may thereby be performed in response to detection of the vulnerability.

Claims

1. An aerosol delivery device comprising:

at least one housing; and

contained within the at least one housing,

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

a motion sensor configured to detect a defined motion of the aerosol delivery device that indicates a vulnerability of the aerosol delivery device or a user thereof, the motion sensor being configured to convert the defined motion to an electrical signal,

wherein the control component or motion sensor is configured to recognize the vulnerability and an operation associated with the vulnerability based on the electrical signal, and the control component is configured to control at least one functional element of the aerosol delivery device to perform the operation, which is thereby performed in response to detection of the vulnerability.

2. The aerosol delivery device of claim 1, wherein the motion sensor being configured to detect the defined motion includes being configured to detect vibration, shock or freefall.

3. The aerosol delivery device of claim 2, wherein the motion sensor is an accelerometer, and the motion sensor being configured to detect vibration includes the accelerometer being configured to detect a periodic acceleration of at least a threshold amount.

4. The aerosol delivery device of claim 2, wherein the motion sensor is an accelerometer, and the motion sensor being configured to detect shock includes the accelerometer being configured to detect at least a threshold amount of acceleration for less than a threshold period of time.

5. The aerosol delivery device of claim 2, wherein the motion sensor is an accelerometer, and the motion sensor being configured to detect freefall includes the accelerometer being configured to detect less than a threshold amount of acceleration for at least a threshold period of time.

6. The aerosol delivery device of claim 1 further comprising a power source configured to supply power to the aerosol delivery device,

wherein the motion sensor being configured to detect the defined motion includes being configured to detect the defined motion that indicates a vulnerability of the aerosol delivery device, and

wherein the control component being configured to control at least one functional element includes being configured to shut off the power source, which is thereby shut off in response to detection of the vulnerability of the aerosol delivery device.

7. The aerosol delivery device of claim 1 further comprising a communication interface coupled to the control component and configured to enable wireless communication,

wherein the motion sensor being configured to detect the defined motion includes being configured to detect the defined motion that indicates a vulnerability of a user of the aerosol delivery device, and

wherein the control component being configured to control at least one functional element includes being configured to generate and wirelessly communicate an alert message through the communication interface, which is thereby wirelessly communicated in response to detection of the vulnerability of the user of the aerosol delivery device.

8. The aerosol delivery device of claim 7 further comprising a position sensor configured to determine a geographic position of the aerosol delivery device,

wherein the motion sensor being configured to generate the alert message includes being configured to generate the alert message including the geographic position from the position sensor.

9. A method of operating an aerosol delivery device including at least one housing, and a control component and motion sensor contained therein, the method comprising:

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

detecting by the motion sensor, a defined motion of the aerosol delivery device that indicates a vulnerability of the aerosol delivery device or a user thereof, the motion sensor converting the defined motion to an electrical signal;

recognizing by the control component or motion sensor, the vulnerability and an operation associated with the vulnerability based on the electrical signal; and

controlling by the control component, at least one functional element of the aerosol delivery device to perform the operation, which is thereby performed in response to detection of the vulnerability.

10. The method of claim 9, wherein detecting the defined motion includes detecting vibration, shock or freefall.

11. The method of claim 10, wherein the motion sensor is an accelerometer, and detecting vibration includes the accelerometer detecting a periodic acceleration of at least a threshold amount.

12. The method of claim 10, wherein the motion sensor is an accelerometer, and detecting shock includes the accelerometer detecting at least a threshold amount of acceleration for less than a threshold period of time.

13. The method of claim 10, wherein the motion sensor is an accelerometer, and detecting freefall includes the accelerometer detecting less than a threshold amount of acceleration for at least a threshold period of time.

14. The method of claim 9, wherein the aerosol delivery device further includes a power source configured to supply power to the aerosol delivery device,

wherein detecting the defined motion includes detecting the defined motion that indicates a vulnerability of the aerosol delivery device, and

wherein controlling at least one functional element includes shutting off the power source, which is thereby shut off in response to detection of the vulnerability of the aerosol delivery device.

15. The method of claim 9, wherein the aerosol delivery device further includes a communication interface coupled to the control component and configured to enable wireless communication,

wherein detecting the defined motion includes detecting the defined motion that indicates a vulnerability of a user of the aerosol delivery device, and

wherein controlling at least one functional element includes generating and wirelessly communicating an alert message through the communication interface, which is thereby wirelessly communicated in response to detection of the vulnerability of the user of the aerosol delivery device.

16. The method of claim 15, wherein the aerosol delivery device further includes a position sensor configured to determine a geographic position of the aerosol delivery device, and

wherein generating the alert message includes generating the alert message including the geographic position from the position sensor.