Electronic vapor provision device

• US 9,955,724 B2
• Filed: 05/14/2013
• Issued: 05/01/2018
• Est. Priority Date: 05/14/2012
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Nicoventures Trading Ltd. (British American Tobacco PLC)
• Original Assignee: Nicoventures Holdings Limited (British American Tobacco PLC)
• Inventors: Lord, Christopher
• Primary Examiner(s): Yaary, Eric
• Application Number:
  US14/401,503
• Publication Number:
  US 20150128966A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,813 Days
• Field of Search: 320114-115
• 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 40/50 Control or monitoring
• CPC Class Codes: A24F 40/60 Devices with integrated user interfaces

Abstract

An electronic vapor provision device comprising a body (4) configured to be releasably connectable to a vaporizer (10). The body (4) comprises a power cell (20), a computer processor (18), a memory (22) and an audio signalling device (16). The memory (22) stores information on a first user notification event comprising connection of the vaporizer. Moreover, the computer processor (18) is configured to identify when the first user notification event occurs and to notify a user of the event by emitting a user (10) notification sound from the audio signalling device (16).

Claims

1. An electronic vapor provision device comprising:

a vaporizer;

a body configured to be releasably connectable to the vaporizer, the body including a power cell, a computer processor, a sensor comprising a pressure sensor, a memory and an audio output device,

the memory configured to store information for;

a first user notification event comprising connection of the vaporizer, wherein the computer processor is configured to determine whether the vaporizer is connected to the body from a mechanical pressure detected by the sensor; and

one or more further user notification events relating to states of the electronic vapor provision device,

the information stored for each user notification event including information defining a user notification sound corresponding to that event; and

wherein the computer processor is configured to;

determine when the electronic vapor provision device enters a state;

identify when the determined state corresponds to one of the first user notification event or the one or more further user notification events;

select the user notification sound corresponding to the particular one of the first stored user notification event or the one or more further stored user notification events; and

control the audio output device to emit the selected user notification sound to notify the user of the event.

2. The electronic vapor provision device of claim 1, wherein the one or more further user notification events comprises a charge of the power cell falling below a threshold charge.

3. The electronic vapor provision device of claim 1, wherein the one or more further user notification events comprises the power cell being connected to a charging source.

4. The electronic vapor provision device of claim 1, wherein the one or more further user notification events comprises the power cell being disconnected from a charging source.

5. The electronic vapor provision device of claim 1, wherein the one or more further user notification events comprises a fault in the electronic vapor provision device.

6. The electronic vapor provision device of claim 1, wherein each user notification sound comprises one or more beeps, and notification sounds are distinguished from one another by one or more of the following characteristics:

the number of beeps in a sequence;

a frequency of each beep in a sequence;

a duration of each beep in a sequence; and

a duration between beeps in a sequence.

7. The electronic vapor provision device of claim 1, further comprising decode instructions.

8. The electronic vapor provision device of claim 7, wherein the decode instructions comprise information on a meaning of a given user notification sound.

9. The electronic vapor provision device of claim 1, wherein the audio output device comprises a buzzer.

10. The electronic vapor provision device of claim 1, wherein each user notification sound comprises a plurality of beeps, and a number of beeps in the plurality of beeps is larger when the corresponding user notification event is a fault event than when the corresponding user notification event is not a fault event.

11. The electronic vapor provision device of claim 1, wherein the vaporizer is connected to the body.

13. The electronic vapor provision device of claim 1, wherein at least one of the user notification sounds comprises a first beep having a first pitch and a second beep having a second pitch that is different from the first pitch.

14. The electronic vapor provision device of claim 1, wherein one of the one or more further user notification events comprises a charge of the power cell reaching or exceeding an upper threshold reference charge.

12. A method of operating an electronic vapor provision device having a body configured to be releasably connectable to a vaporizer, the body having a power cell, a computer processor, a sensor comprising a pressure sensor, a memory and an audio output device, the method comprising:

storing, in a memory, information on;

a first user notification event associated with connection of the vaporizer, wherein the computer processor is configured to determine whether the vaporizer is connected to the body by a mechanical pressure detected by the sensor; and

one or more further user notification events, wherein the one or more further user notification events are events relating to states of the electronic vapor provision device, wherein at least one of the user notification events relates to a fault event, and at least one of the user notification events relates to a non fault event;

wherein the information stored on each user notification event comprises information defining a user notification sound associated with that user notification event; and

determining, via a computer processor, a state of the electronic vapor provision device;

identifying when the determined state corresponds to a particular one of the first stored user notification event or the one or more further stored user notification events;

selecting the user notification sound corresponding to the particular one of the first stored user notification event or the one or more further stored user notification events; and

controlling the audio output device to emit the selected user notification sound, thereby notifying the user of the user notification event associated with the selected user notification sound.