Aerosol delivery system and related method, apparatus, and computer program product for providing control information to an aerosol delivery device via a cartridge

• US 9,597,466 B2
• Filed: 03/12/2014
• Issued: 03/21/2017
• Est. Priority Date: 03/12/2014
• 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: Henry, Raymond Charles Jr., Ampolini, Frederic Philippe
• Primary Examiner(s): Douglas, Steven
• Assistant Examiner(s): LYDDANE, KATHRYNN M
• Application Number:
  US14/207,016
• Publication Number:
  US 20150258289A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,105 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: A61M 11/042 electrical
• CPC Class Codes: A61M 15/06 Inhaling appliances shaped like cigars, cigarettes or pipes
• CPC Class Codes: A61M 2205/02 characterised by a particular materials
• CPC Class Codes: A61M 2205/33 Controlling, regulating or measuring
• CPC Class Codes: A61M 2205/35 Communication
• CPC Class Codes: A61M 2205/3673 thermo-electric, e.g. Peltier effect, thermocouples, semi-conductors
• CPC Class Codes: A61M 2205/50 with microprocessors or computers
• CPC Class Codes: A61M 2205/502 User interfaces, e.g. screens or keyboards
• CPC Class Codes: A61M 2205/52 with memories providing a history of measured variating parameters of apparatus or patient
• CPC Class Codes: A61M 2205/582 by tactile feedback
• CPC Class Codes: A61M 2205/583 by visual feedback
• CPC Class Codes: A61M 2205/6018 providing set-up signals for the apparatus configuration
• CPC Class Codes: A61M 2205/702 automatically during use
• CPC Class Codes: A61M 2205/8206 battery-operated
• CPC Class Codes: A61M 2205/8212 with means or measures taken for minimising energy consumption

Abstract

The present disclosure relates to an aerosol delivery system and methods, apparatuses, and computer program products for providing control information to an aerosol delivery device via a cartridge. For example, a method may include a control body for the aerosol delivery device reading control information carried by a cartridge removably engaged with the control body. The method may further include the control body performing an action based on the control information.

Claims

1. An aerosol delivery system, comprising:

a control body comprising processing circuitry; and

an accessory cartridge carrying control information that is readable by the processing circuitry;

wherein the control body further comprises a cartridge engaging portion with which the control body is alternately, removably engageable with an aerosol cartridge with a heating element and an aerosol precursor composition, and the accessory cartridge without a heating element or aerosol precursor composition, wherein the control body and the aerosol cartridge when engaged form an aerosol delivery device; and

wherein the processing circuitry is configured to at least;

read the control information carried by the accessory cartridge when the control body and the accessory cartridge are engaged; and

perform an action based on the control information.

2. The aerosol delivery system of claim 1, wherein:

the control information comprises indicia of a configuration setting update; and

the processing circuitry being configured to perform the action includes being configured to modify a configuration of the aerosol delivery device in accordance with the configuration setting update.

3. The aerosol delivery system of claim 2, wherein the aerosol delivery device includes a light emitting diode (LED) indicator, and the configuration setting update comprises one or more of a configuration setting for the LED indicator, a heating profile configuration for the heating element, an aerosol precursor composition vaporization setting for the aerosol precursor composition, or a puff control setting.

4. The aerosol delivery system of claim 1, wherein:

the control information comprises a software update for the aerosol delivery device;

the accessory cartridge comprises a first memory storing the software update;

the control body comprises a second memory; and

the processing circuitry being configured to perform the action includes being configured to install the software update on the second memory.

5. The aerosol delivery system of claim 1, wherein:

the control information is configured to cause the processing circuitry to execute a diagnostic program for testing functionality of the aerosol delivery device; and

the processing circuitry being configured to perform the action includes being configured to execute the diagnostic program in response to the control information.

6. The aerosol delivery system of claim 1, wherein:

the control information is configured to trigger a reset of control data for the aerosol delivery device, the control data being separate from the control information; and

the processing circuitry being configured to perform the action includes being configured to reset the control data to a default state in response to the control information.

7. The aerosol delivery system of claim 1, wherein the accessory cartridge comprises a memory storing the control information.

8. The aerosol delivery system of claim 1, wherein:

the control information comprises an equivalent resistance value of the accessory cartridge, wherein the equivalent resistance value is measurable by the processing circuitry when the control body and the accessory cartridge are engaged;

the processing circuitry being configured to read the control information includes being configured to measure the equivalent resistance value;

the processing circuitry is further configured to determine an action having a defined correlation to the equivalent resistance value; and

the processing circuitry being configured to perform the action includes being configured to perform the action having the defined correlation to the equivalent resistance value.

9. The aerosol delivery system of claim 8, wherein:

the processing circuitry is further configured to compare the equivalent resistance value to a reference resistance value associated with the aerosol cartridge; and

the processing circuitry is configured to determine and perform the action having the defined correlation to the equivalent resistance value only in an instance in which the equivalent resistance value is not substantially equal to the reference resistance value.

25. The aerosol delivery system of claim 2, wherein the aerosol delivery device includes a haptic feedback device, and the configuration setting update comprises one or more of a haptic feedback configuration setting for the haptic feedback device, a heating profile configuration for the heating element, an aerosol precursor composition vaporization setting for the aerosol precursor composition, or a puff control setting.

26. The aerosol delivery system of claim 2, wherein the aerosol delivery device includes a battery, and the configuration setting update comprises one or more of a heating profile configuration for the heating element, an aerosol precursor composition vaporization setting for the aerosol precursor composition, a puff control setting, or a battery management setting for the battery.

10. A control body comprising:

a cartridge engaging portion with which the control body is alternately, removably engageable with an aerosol cartridge with a heating element and an aerosol precursor composition, and an accessory cartridge without a heating element or aerosol precursor composition, wherein the control body and the aerosol cartridge when engaged form an aerosol delivery device; and

processing circuitry configured to at least;

read control information carried by the accessory cartridge when the accessory cartridge is engaged with the control body; and

perform an action based on the control information.

11. The control body of claim 10, wherein the processing circuitry is further configured to read control information at least in part by reading control information stored on a memory of the accessory cartridge.

12. The control body of claim 10, wherein the processing circuitry is further configured to:

read the control information at least in part by measuring an equivalent resistance value of the accessory cartridge;

determine an action having a defined correlation to the equivalent resistance value; and

perform the action by performing the action having the defined correlation to the equivalent resistance value.

13. An accessory cartridge configured for use with a control body of an aerosol delivery device, the accessory cartridge comprising:

a control body engaging portion with which the accessory cartridge is removably engageable with the control body of the aerosol delivery device, control body being alternately, removably engageable with an aerosol cartridge with a heating element and an aerosol precursor composition, and the accessory cartridge without a heating element or aerosol precursor composition, wherein the control body and the aerosol cartridge when engaged form the aerosol delivery device;

wherein the accessory cartridge is configured to carry control information readable by the control body when the control body and the accessory cartridge are engaged, the control body being configured to perform an action based on the control information.

14. The accessory cartridge of claim 13, further comprising a memory storing the control information.

15. The accessory cartridge of claim 13, wherein the accessory cartridge has an equivalent resistance value measurable when the control body and the accessory cartridge are engaged, and wherein the control information comprises the equivalent resistance value.

16. A method for providing control information to a control body of an aerosol delivery device, the method comprising the steps of:

engaging an accessory cartridge with the control body comprising a cartridge engaging portion with which the control body is alternately, removably engageable with an aerosol cartridge with a heating element and an aerosol precursor composition, and the accessory cartridge without a heating element or aerosol precursor composition, wherein the control body and the aerosol cartridge when engaged form an aerosol delivery device;

reading, by processing circuitry of the control body, control information carried by the accessory cartridge; and

performing, by the processing circuitry, an action based at least in part on the control information.

17. The method of claim 16, wherein:

the control information comprises indicia of a configuration setting update; and

performing the action comprises modifying a configuration of the aerosol delivery device in accordance with the configuration setting update.

18. The method of claim 17, wherein the aerosol delivery device includes a light emitting diode (LED) indicator, and the configuration setting update comprises one or more of a configuration setting for the LED indicator, a heating profile configuration for the heater heating element, an aerosol precursor composition vaporization setting for the aerosol precursor composition, or a puff control setting.

19. The method of claim 16, wherein the control information comprises a software update for the aerosol delivery device, and wherein performing the action comprises installing the software update on a memory of the control body.

20. The method of claim 16, wherein the control information is configured to cause the control body to execute a diagnostic program for testing functionality of the aerosol delivery device, and wherein performing the action comprises executing the diagnostic program in response to reading the control information.

21. The method of claim 16, wherein the control information is configured to trigger a reset of control data for the aerosol delivery device, the control data being separate from the control information, and wherein performing the action comprises resetting the control data to a default state in response to reading the control information.

22. The method of claim 16, wherein reading the control information comprises accessing control information stored on a memory of the accessory cartridge.

23. The method of claim 16, wherein:

the control information comprises an equivalent resistance value of the accessory cartridge;

reading the control information comprises measuring the equivalent resistance value; and

the method further comprises the control body;

determining an action having a defined correlation to the equivalent resistance value; and

performing the action having the defined correlation to the equivalent resistance value.

24. The method of claim 23, wherein the method further comprises the control body:

comparing the equivalent resistance value to a reference resistance value associated with the aerosol cartridge; and

determining the action having the defined correlation to the equivalent resistance value and performing the action only in an instance in which the equivalent resistance value is not substantially equal to the reference resistance value.

27. The method of claim 17, wherein the aerosol delivery device includes a haptic feedback device, and the configuration setting update comprises one or more of a haptic feedback configuration setting for the haptic feedback device, a heating profile configuration for the heating element, an aerosol precursor composition vaporization setting for the aerosol precursor composition, or a puff control setting.

28. The method of claim 17, wherein the aerosol delivery device includes a battery, and the configuration setting update comprises one or more of a heating profile configuration for the heating element, an aerosol precursor composition vaporization setting for the aerosol precursor composition, a puff control setting, or a battery management setting for the battery.