Electronic smoking article and associated method
First Claim
1. A smoking article, comprising:
- a control body portion having a control body engagement end, the control body portion having a first control component and a memory therein, the memory being configured to store one or more pre-calculated, pre-programmed challenge-response pairs; and
a cartridge body portion including a cartridge body engagement end configured to removably engage the control body engagement end, the cartridge body portion further including a consumable arrangement comprising at least an aerosol precursor composition and at least one heating element operably engaged therewith, and a second control component and a second memory, the consumable arrangement being configured to he in communication with the first control component upon engagement between the cartridge body and control body portions,wherein the first control component is configured to execute an authentication process in which the first control component is configured to select;
a challenge with an associated response from the one or more pre-calculated, pre-programmed challenge-response pairs, and send the challenge to the second control component, and the second control component the configured to send a response to the challenge to the first control component, the first control component being further configured to authorize the consumable arrangement for use with the control body portion, if the response matches the associated response,wherein the second memory is configured to store a cartridge life count that indicates a remaining amount of the aerosol precursor composition, and the first control component is configured to read the cartridge life count from the second memory, and execute the authentication process only in an instance in which the cartridge life count is positive.
2 Assignments
0 Petitions
Accused Products
Abstract
Electronic smoking articles, and methods are provided. An exemplary article comprises a control body portion having a first control component therein. A cartridge body portion is removably engaged with the control body portion. The cartridge body portion includes a consumable arrangement having an aerosol precursor composition, a heating element, and a second control component. The consumable arrangement is configured to communicate with the first control component upon engagement between the cartridge body and control body portions. The first control component is configured to send a challenge to the second control component, and to receive a response to the challenge therefrom. The first control component is further configured to authorize the consumable arrangement for use with the control body portion, if the response corresponds to the challenge.
339 Citations
22 Claims
-
1. A smoking article, comprising:
-
a control body portion having a control body engagement end, the control body portion having a first control component and a memory therein, the memory being configured to store one or more pre-calculated, pre-programmed challenge-response pairs; and a cartridge body portion including a cartridge body engagement end configured to removably engage the control body engagement end, the cartridge body portion further including a consumable arrangement comprising at least an aerosol precursor composition and at least one heating element operably engaged therewith, and a second control component and a second memory, the consumable arrangement being configured to he in communication with the first control component upon engagement between the cartridge body and control body portions, wherein the first control component is configured to execute an authentication process in which the first control component is configured to select;
a challenge with an associated response from the one or more pre-calculated, pre-programmed challenge-response pairs, and send the challenge to the second control component, and the second control component the configured to send a response to the challenge to the first control component, the first control component being further configured to authorize the consumable arrangement for use with the control body portion, if the response matches the associated response,wherein the second memory is configured to store a cartridge life count that indicates a remaining amount of the aerosol precursor composition, and the first control component is configured to read the cartridge life count from the second memory, and execute the authentication process only in an instance in which the cartridge life count is positive. - View Dependent Claims (2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10, 21, 22)
-
-
11. A method of forming a smoking article, comprising:
-
removably engaging a control body engagement end of a control body portion with a cartridge body engagement end of a cartridge body portion, wherein the control body portion includes a first control component and a memory therein, the memory storing one or more pre-calculated, pre-programmed challenge-response pairs, and the cartridge body portion includes a consumable arrangement comprising at least an aerosol precursor composition and at least one heating element operably engaged therewith, and a second. control component and a second memory, so as to establish communication between the consumable arrangement and the first control component upon engagement between the cartridge body and control body portions; executing an authentication process from the first control component including; selecting a challenge with an associated response from the one or more pre-calculated, pre-programmed challenge-response pairs; sending the challenge from the first control component to the second control component; sending a response to the challenge from the second control component to the first control component; and authorizing the consumable arrangement with the first control component, for use with the control body portion, if the response matches the associated response, wherein the second memory is configured to store a cartridge life count that indicates a remaining amount of the aerosol precursor composition, and the method further comprises the first control component reading the cartridge life count from the second memory, the authentication process being executed only in an instance in which the cartridge life count read from the second memory is positive. - View Dependent Claims (12, 13, 14, 15, 16, 17, 18, 19, 20)
-
Specification