VIDEO ANALYTICS CAMERA SYSTEM FOR AN AEROSOL DELIVERY DEVICE

• US 20190014823A1
• Filed: 07/17/2017
• Published: 01/17/2019
• Est. Priority Date: 07/17/2017
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: RAI STRATEGIC HOLDINGS, INC. (British American Tobacco PLC)
• Original Assignee: RAI STRATEGIC HOLDINGS, INC. (British American Tobacco PLC)
• Inventors: Sur, Rajesh
• Granted Patent: US 11,337,456 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• CPC Class Codes: A24F 40/00 Electrically operated smoking devices; Component parts thereof; Manufacture thereof; Maintenance or testing thereof; Charging means specially adapted therefor
• 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: F24F 11/30 for purposes related to the operation of the system, e.g. for safety or monitoring
• CPC Class Codes: F24F 11/58 using Internet communication
• CPC Class Codes: F24F 11/62 characterised by the type of control or by internal processing, e.g. using fuzzy logic, adaptive control or estimation of values
• CPC Class Codes: F24F 2120/10 Occupancy
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 1/212 Motion video recording combined with still video recording television signal recording H04N5/76
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 7/185 from a mobile camera, e.g. for remote control

Abstract

An aerosol delivery device includes a cartridge of aerosol precursor composition, and a control body coupled or coupleable to the cartridge. The control body includes a control component to control delivery of components of the aerosol precursor composition in response to detection of airflow through at least a portion of the cartridge or control body, and includes a camera system with a digital camera to capture video imagery of a scene in a field of view thereof. The camera system or the control component is configured to perform video content analytics on the video imagery to detect a temporal or spatial event in the scene, and transfer at least one of the video imagery or information indicative of the temporal or spatial event externally to a computing device configured to store or display the video imagery or information, or perform at least one control operation based on the information.

Claims

1. An aerosol delivery device comprising:

a cartridge of aerosol precursor composition; and

a control body coupled or coupleable to the cartridge, the control body including a control component configured to control delivery of components of the aerosol precursor composition in response to detection of airflow through at least a portion of the cartridge or control body, and including a camera system with a digital camera configured to capture video imagery of a scene in a field of view thereof,

wherein the camera system or the control component is configured to perform video content analytics on the video imagery to detect a temporal or spatial event in the scene, and transfer at least one of the video imagery or information indicative of the temporal or spatial event externally to a computing device configured to store or display the video imagery or information, or perform at least one control operation based on the information.

2. The aerosol delivery device of claim 1, wherein the camera system further includes a processor configured to perform the video content analytics on the video imagery, and the control component is configured to transfer at least one of the video imagery or information to the computing device.

3. The aerosol delivery device of claim 1, wherein the temporal or spatial event is a number of people in a room climate controlled by a heating or cooling system, and the computing device is a network-connected thermostat of or coupled to the heating or cooling system, and

wherein the camera system or the control component being configured to transfer at least one of the video imagery or information includes being configured to transfer information indicative of the number of people in the room to the network-connected thermostat configured to perform at least one control operation including control of the heating or cooling system based thereon.

4. The aerosol delivery device of claim 1, wherein the temporal or spatial event is a person in an environment with an electric light, and

wherein the camera system or the control component being configured to transfer at least one of the video imagery or information includes being configured to transfer information indicative of the person in the environment to the computing device configured to perform at least one control operation including control of the at least one electric light based thereon.

5. The aerosol delivery device of claim 4, wherein the electric light is a network-connected electric light with the computing device embedded therein, and the camera system or control component being configured to transfer the information includes being configured to transfer the information to the network-connected electric light.

6. The aerosol delivery device of claim 4, wherein the computing device is a network-connected light switch coupled to the electric light, and the camera system or control component being configured to transfer the information includes being configured to transfer the information to the network-connected light switch.

7. The aerosol delivery device of claim 1, wherein the temporal or spatial event is a person or number of people in an environment, and

wherein the camera system or the control component being configured to transfer at least one of the video imagery or information includes being configured to transfer information indicative of the person or number of people in the environment to the computing device configured to perform at least one control operation including output of a notification of the person or number of people in the environment.

8. The aerosol delivery device of claim 7, wherein the camera system or the control component being configured to transfer at least one of the video imagery or information includes being configured to transfer the video imagery and information indicative of the person or number of people in the environment to the computing device configured to perform at least one control operation including output of the notification that includes display of the video imagery with a visual indicator of the person or number of people thereon.

9. The aerosol delivery device of claim 1, wherein the temporal or spatial event is a person or number of people in an environment, and

wherein the camera system or the control component is configured to transfer at least one of the video imagery or information in response to a second temporal or spatial event in the environment, the camera system or the control component being configured to transfer an indication of the second temporal or spatial event with the video imagery or information, and the second temporal or spatial event including a hazardous condition in the environment.

10. The aerosol delivery device of claim 1, wherein the temporal or spatial event is a person in an environment, and the camera system or the control component being configured to perform video content analytics includes being configured to detect a facial expression of the person, and

wherein the camera system or the control component is configured to transfer at least one of the video imagery or information in response to a second temporal or spatial event, the camera system or the control component being configured to transfer an indication of the second temporal or spatial event with the video imagery or information, and the second temporal or spatial event including distress detected based on the facial expression of the person.

11. The aerosol delivery device of claim 1, wherein the scene is a parking lot including a layout of parking spaces, the temporal or spatial event in the scene is an open one of the parking spaces, and

wherein the camera system or the control component being configured to transfer at least one of the video imagery or information includes being configured to transfer the video imagery and information indicative of the open one of the parking spaces to the computing device configured to perform at least one control operation including display of the video imagery with a visual indicator of the open one of the parking spaces thereon.

12. The aerosol delivery device of claim 1, wherein the housing is coupled to the cartridge including a reservoir of aerosol precursor composition comprising glycerin and nicotine.

13. A control body of an aerosol delivery device, the control body comprising:

a housing to which a cartridge of aerosol precursor composition is coupled or coupleable to form the aerosol delivery device;

a control component contained within the housing and configured to control delivery of components of the aerosol precursor composition in response to detection of airflow through at least a portion of the housing or cartridge; and

a camera system with a digital camera configured to capture video imagery of a scene in a field of view thereof,

wherein the camera system or the control component is configured to perform video content analytics on the video imagery to detect a temporal or spatial event in the scene, and transfer at least one of the video imagery or information indicative of the temporal or spatial event externally to a computing device configured to store or display the video imagery or information, or perform at least one control operation based on the information.

14. The control body of claim 13, wherein the camera system further includes a processor configured to perform the video content analytics on the video imagery, and the control component is configured to transfer at least one of the video imagery or information to the computing device.

15. The control body of claim 13, wherein the temporal or spatial event is a number of people in a room climate controlled by a heating or cooling system, and the computing device is a network-connected thermostat of or coupled to the heating or cooling system, and

wherein the camera system or the control component being configured to transfer at least one of the video imagery or information includes being configured to transfer information indicative of the number of people in the room to the network-connected thermostat configured to perform at least one control operation including control of the heating or cooling system based thereon.

16. The control body of claim 13, wherein the temporal or spatial event is a person in an environment with an electric light, and

wherein the camera system or the control component being configured to transfer at least one of the video imagery or information includes being configured to transfer information indicative of the person in the environment to the computing device configured to perform at least one control operation including control of the at least one electric light based thereon.

17. The control body of claim 16, wherein the electric light is a network-connected electric light with the computing device embedded therein, and the camera system or control component being configured to transfer the information includes being configured to transfer the information to the network-connected electric light.

18. The control body of claim 16, wherein the computing device is a network-connected light switch coupled to the electric light, and the camera system or control component being configured to transfer the information includes being configured to transfer the information to the network-connected light switch.

19. The control body of claim 13, wherein the temporal or spatial event is a person or number of people in an environment, and

wherein the camera system or the control component being configured to transfer at least one of the video imagery or information includes being configured to transfer information indicative of the person or number of people in the environment to the computing device configured to perform at least one control operation including output of a notification of the person or number of people in the environment.

20. The control body of claim 19, wherein the camera system or the control component being configured to transfer at least one of the video imagery or information includes being configured to transfer the video imagery and information indicative of the person or number of people in the environment to the computing device configured to perform at least one control operation including output of the notification that includes display of the video imagery with a visual indicator of the person or number of people thereon.

21. The control body of claim 13, wherein the temporal or spatial event is a person or number of people in an environment, and

wherein the camera system or the control component is configured to transfer at least one of the video imagery or information in response to a second temporal or spatial event in the environment, the camera system or the control component being configured to transfer an indication of the second temporal or spatial event with the video imagery or information, and the second temporal or spatial event including a hazardous condition in the environment.

22. The control body of claim 13, wherein the temporal or spatial event is a person in an environment, and the camera system or the control component being configured to perform video content analytics includes being configured to detect a facial expression of the person, and

wherein the camera system or the control component is configured to transfer at least one of the video imagery or information in response to a second temporal or spatial event, the camera system or the control component being configured to transfer an indication of the second temporal or spatial event with the video imagery or information, and the second temporal or spatial event including distress detected based on the facial expression of the person.

23. The control body of claim 13, wherein the scene is a parking lot including a layout of parking spaces, the temporal or spatial event in the scene is an open one of the parking spaces, and

wherein the camera system or the control component being configured to transfer at least one of the video imagery or information includes being configured to transfer the video imagery and information indicative of the open one of the parking spaces to the computing device configured to perform at least one control operation including display of the video imagery with a visual indicator of the open one of the parking spaces thereon.

24. The control body of claim 13, wherein the housing is coupled to the cartridge including a reservoir of aerosol precursor composition comprising glycerin and nicotine.