Electronic cigarette with illuminated tip

• US 9,974,338 B2
• Filed: 07/25/2016
• Issued: 05/22/2018
• Est. Priority Date: 07/25/2016
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Fontem Ventures BV (Imperial Tobacco Group PLC)
• Original Assignee: Fontem Holdings 1 BV (Imperial Tobacco Group PLC)
• Inventors: Alarcon, Ramon, Hoffman, Adam, Myles, Christopher, Conrey, James R.
• Primary Examiner(s): NGUYEN, TRUC T
• Application Number:
  US15/219,043
• Publication Number:
  US 20180020725A1
• Time in Patent Office: 666 Days
• 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
• 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 2016/0021 with a proportional output signal, e.g. from a thermistor
• CPC Class Codes: A61M 2205/3331 Pressure; Flow
• CPC Class Codes: A61M 2205/3368 Temperature
• CPC Class Codes: A61M 2205/3653 by Joule effect, i.e. electric resistance
• CPC Class Codes: A61M 2205/583 by visual feedback
• CPC Class Codes: A61M 2205/8206 battery-operated
• CPC Class Codes: F21V 23/0442 activated by means of a sensor, e.g. motion or photodetectors
• CPC Class Codes: F21V 33/0004 Personal or domestic articles
• CPC Class Codes: F21W 2111/10 for personal use, e.g. hand-held
• CPC Class Codes: F21Y 2115/10 Light-emitting diodes [LED]
• CPC Class Codes: G02B 6/0036 2-D arrangement of prisms, protrusions, indentations or roughened surfaces
• CPC Class Codes: G02B 6/0051 Diffusing sheet or layer
• CPC Class Codes: G02B 6/0068 Arrangements of plural sources, e.g. multi-colour light sources
• CPC Class Codes: G02B 6/0083 Details of electrical connections of light sources to drivers, circuit boards, or the like
• CPC Class Codes: H05B 45/10 : Controlling the intensity of the light

Abstract

Aspects of the instant disclosure relate to electronic cigarettes. More particularly, to electronic cigarettes including a circumferential light guide that distributes light transmitted by a light source, and controller circuitry that variably illuminates the circumferential light guide of the electronic cigarette based on a user'"'"'s draw strength.

Claims

1. An electronic cigarette comprising:

a sensor configured and arranged to

determine a user draw characteristic, and

transmit a draw signal indicative of the determined user draw characteristic;

controller circuitry communicatively coupled to the sensor, the controller circuitry configured and arranged to

receive the draw signal, and

transmit a light intensity signal based on the draw signal; and

a light source communicatively coupled to the controller circuitry, the light source configured and arranged to receive the light intensity signal and to thereafter emit an intensity of light corresponding to the received light intensity signal.

2. The electronic cigarette of claim 1, wherein the user draw characteristic comprises a magnitude of a user draw on the electronic cigarette.

3. The electronic cigarette of claim 1, wherein the sensor comprises a mass airflow sensor, and wherein the user draw characteristic corresponds to a mass of air moving through the electronic cigarette during the user draw.

4. An electronic cigarette comprising:

a sensor configured and arranged to

determine a draw characteristic, and

transmit a signal indicative of the determined draw characteristic;

a light source configured and arranged to emit a varying intensity of light in response to an input signal; and

controller circuitry communicatively coupled to the sensor and the light source, the controller circuitry configured and arranged to

receive, from the sensor, the signal indicative of the determined draw characteristic,

associate the determined draw characteristic with a light intensity of the light source, and

generate and transmit the input signal to the light source based on the light intensity associated with the determined draw characteristic.

5. The electronic cigarette of claim 4, wherein the sensor is a mass airflow sensor configured and arranged to determine a mass flowrate of the draw.

6. The electronic cigarette of claim 4, wherein the sensor is selected from the group consisting of a mass airflow sensor, a heater coil temperature sensor, and a capacitive sensor.

7. The electronic cigarette of claim 4, wherein the light intensity of the light source is non-linear relative to the user draw characteristic.

8. The electronic cigarette of claim 7, wherein the non-linear association is controlled by a logarithmic transfer function.

9. The electronic cigarette of claim 4, wherein the light source includes a plurality of light emitting diodes, wherein each light emitting diode of the plurality of diodes is configured and arranged to be independently addressable by the controller circuitry.

10. The electronic cigarette of claim 4, wherein in response to a change in the draw characteristic measured by the sensor over time, the controller circuitry is further configured and arranged to vary the input signal and thereby visually indicate a change in the draw characteristic.