Electronic vapor provision system

• US 10,159,279 B2
• Filed: 10/08/2014
• Issued: 12/25/2018
• Est. Priority Date: 10/09/2013
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Nicoventures Trading Ltd. (British American Tobacco PLC)
• Original Assignee: Nicoventures Holdings Limited (British American Tobacco PLC)
• Inventors: Lord, Christopher, Mullin, Martin
• Primary Examiner(s): VU, HIEN D
• Application Number:
  US15/027,344
• Publication Number:
  US 20160242466A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,539 Days
• Field of Search: 131328, 131329
• CPC Class Codes: A24F 40/10 Devices using liquid inhalable precursors
• CPC Class Codes: A24F 40/50 Control or monitoring
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 1/3296 by lowering the supply or operating voltage
• CPC Class Codes: H05B 1/0202 Switches
• CPC Class Codes: H05B 3/0014 Devices wherein the heating current flows through particular resistances

Abstract

An electronic vapor provision system is provided including: a pressure drop or air flow sensor for monitoring inhalation by a user through the electronic vapor provision system; and a control unit for detecting the start and end of inhalation based on readings from the sensor. The control unit is configured to: monitor the cumulative period of inhalation (Ti) over a predetermined window (Tw); and transfer the electronic vapor provision system to a sleep mode if the cumulative period (Ti) exceeds a predetermined threshold (Th).

Claims

1. An electronic vapor provision system comprising:

a pressure drop or air flow sensor for monitoring inhalation by a user through the electronic vapor provision system; and

a control unit for detecting the start and end of an inhalation based on readings from the sensor;

wherein the control unit is configured to;

detect the start of an inhalation when the reading of the sensor departs by more than a first pressure or air flow based threshold from a previous reading of the sensor; and

detect the end of the inhalation when the reading of the sensor departs by less than a second pressure or air flow based threshold from the previous reading of the sensor;

wherein the first pressure or air flow based threshold is greater than the second pressure or air flow based threshold.

2. The electronic vapor provision system of claim 1, wherein the previous reading comprises an ambient value which is updated on a periodic basis.

3. The electronic vapor provision system of claim 1, wherein upon detection of the start of the inhalation the control unit increases the rate at which the reading of the sensor is obtained.

4. The electronic vapor provision system of claim 1, wherein upon detection of the start of the inhalation the control unit sets one or more timers to track the duration of this particular inhalation.

5. The electronic vapor provision system of claim 1, wherein the first pressure or air flow based threshold may be an absolute or relative difference with respect to the previous reading.

6. The electronic vapor provision system of claim 5, wherein the first pressure or air flow based threshold is an absolute difference with respect to the previous reading.

7. The electronic vapor provision system of claim 5, wherein the first pressure or air flow based threshold is a percentage difference with respect to the previous reading.

8. The electronic vapor provision system of claim 1, wherein the second pressure or air flow based threshold may be an absolute or relative difference with respect to the previous reading.

9. The electronic vapor provision system of claim 8, wherein the second pressure or air flow based threshold is an absolute difference with respect to the previous reading.

10. The electronic vapor provision system of claim 8, wherein the second pressure or air flow based threshold is a percentage difference with respect to the previous reading.

11. The electronic vapor provision system of claim 1, wherein the control unit is further configured to:

monitor the period of inhalation;

if the period of inhalation exceeds a third threshold;

render the electronic vapor provision system inactive for a predetermined period;

render the electronic vapor provision system active after the predetermined period has expired;

monitor the period of the next inhalation such that if the period of the next inhalation exceeds a fourth threshold;

transfer the electronic vapor provision system to a sleep mode.

17. The electronic vapor provision system of claim 1, wherein the control unit is further configured to:

monitor the cumulative period of inhalation (Ti) over a predetermined window (Tw); and

transfer the electronic vapor provision system to a sleep mode if the cumulative period (Ti) exceeds a predetermined threshold (Th).

12. An electronic vapor provision system comprising:

a pressure drop or air flow sensor for monitoring inhalation by a user through the electronic vapor provision system; and

a control unit for detecting the start and end of inhalation based on readings from the sensor, wherein the control unit is configured to;

monitor the period of an inhalation;

if the period of the inhalation exceeds a first threshold;

render the electronic vapor provision system inactive for a predetermined period;

render the electronic vapor provision system active after the predetermined period has expired;

monitor the period of the next inhalation such that if the period of the inhalation exceeds the first threshold and the period of the next inhalation exceeds a second threshold;

transfer the electronic vapor provision system to a sleep mode.

13. An electronic vapor provision system according to claim 12, wherein the first threshold is substantially the same in period as the second threshold.

14. An electronic vapor provision system according to claim 12, wherein the first threshold is from 3 to 5 seconds.

15. An electronic vapor provision system according to claim 12, wherein the second threshold is from 3 to 5 seconds.

16. An electronic vapor provision system according to claim 12, wherein the period of inactivity is from 3 to 5 seconds.

18. An electronic vapor provision system comprising:

a pressure drop or air flow sensor for monitoring inhalation by a user through the electronic vapor provision system; and

a control unit for detecting the start and end of inhalation based on readings from the sensor;

wherein the control unit is configured to;

monitor the cumulative period of inhalation (Ti) over a predetermined window (Tw); and

transfer the electronic vapor provision system to a sleep mode if the cumulative period (Ti) exceeds a predetermined threshold (Th), wherein upon entering the sleep mode, one or more components of the system must be disengaged and re-engaged to transfer the system from the sleep mode to a user mode.

19. An electronic vapor provision system according to claim 18, wherein the predetermined window (Tw) is fixed in period.

20. An electronic vapor provision system according to claim 18, wherein the predetermined window (Tw) represents a rolling window.

21. An electronic vapor provision system according to claim 18, the system comprising a vaporizer for vaporizing liquid for inhalation by a user of the electronic vapor provision system and a power supply comprising a cell or battery for supplying power to the vaporizer, wherein following being transferred to sleep mode the system is transferred back to a user mode whereby power is available to the vaporizer, said transfer occurring by disengaging and re-engaging the vaporizer from the power supply.

22. A method of operating an electronic vapor provision system comprising a control unit for detecting a start and an end of inhalation by a user through the electronic vapor provision system and a pressure sensor for monitoring inhalation by a user through the electronic vapor provision system, the method comprising:

monitoring inhalation by a user through the electronic vapor provision system by the pressure sensor;

detecting by the control unit the start of inhalation when a pressure reading from the pressure sensor differs by more than a first threshold from a previous pressure reading of the pressure sensor; and

detecting by the control unit the end of inhalation when a pressure reading from the pressure sensor differs by less than a second threshold from the previous pressure reading, wherein the first threshold is greater than the second threshold.