Voltage regulator for an aerosol delivery device

• US 10,959,459 B2
• Filed: 05/16/2018
• Issued: 03/30/2021
• Est. Priority Date: 05/16/2018
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: RAI STRATEGIC HOLDINGS, INC. (British American Tobacco PLC)
• Original Assignee: RAI STRATEGIC HOLDINGS, INC. (British American Tobacco PLC)
• Inventors: Sur, Rajesh
• Primary Examiner(s): Paschall, Mark H
• Application Number:
  US15/981,371
• Publication Number:
  US 20190350257A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,049 Days
• Field of Search: 219496, 219494, 219497, 219483, 131194, 131328, 131329
• CPC Class Codes: A24F 40/10 Devices using liquid inhalable precursors
• CPC Class Codes: A24F 40/20 Devices using solid inhalable precursors
• CPC Class Codes: A24F 40/50 Control or monitoring
• CPC Class Codes: A24F 40/51 Arrangement of sensors
• CPC Class Codes: A24F 40/53 Monitoring, e.g. fault detection
• CPC Class Codes: A24F 40/60 Devices with integrated user interfaces
• CPC Class Codes: A24F 40/65 Devices with integrated communication means, e.g. wireless communication means
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 20/204 comprising interface for record bearing medium or carrier for electronic funds transfer or payment credit
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 20/3278 RFID or NFC payments by means of M-devices
• CPC Class Codes: H04B 5/72 for local intradevice communication
• CPC Class Codes: H05B 1/0227 Applications
• CPC Class Codes: H05B 1/0297 Heating of fluids for non specified applications

Abstract

An aerosol delivery device is provided that includes a housing structured to retain an aerosol precursor composition, and a sensor configured to produce a measurement of pressure caused by airflow through at least a portion of the housing, and convert the measurement of pressure to a corresponding electrical signal. The aerosol delivery device includes a heating element configured to convert electricity to heat and thereby vaporize components of the aerosol precursor composition. The aerosol delivery device also includes a control component including a processor configured to receive the corresponding electrical signal and in response connect a power source to a load including the heating element and thereby power the heating element. And the aerosol delivery device includes a voltage regulator coupled to and between the sensor and the power source, and configured to step down voltage from the power source to the sensor and thereby power the sensor.

Claims

1. An aerosol delivery device comprising:

a housing structured to retain an aerosol precursor composition;

a sensor configured to produce a measurement of pressure caused by airflow through at least a portion of the housing, and convert the measurement of pressure to a corresponding electrical signal;

a first terminal and a second terminal configured to connect a power source to the aerosol delivery device;

a heating element configured to convert electricity to heat and thereby vaporize components of the aerosol precursor composition;

a control component including;

a processor configured to receive the corresponding electrical signal and in response connect the power source to a load including the heating element and thereby power the heating element;

a high-side load switch between the sensor and the load, the high-side load switch controllable by the processor to connect and disconnect the power source to and from the load including the heating element,

a near-field communication (NFC) tag coupled to the processor and configured to enable the aerosol delivery device to establish NFC communication with a computing device equipped with a NFC reader; and

a second high-side load switch between the first terminal and the NFC tag, the second high-side load switch controllable by the processor to connect and disconnect the power source to and from the NFC tag, and limit input current to the NFC tag; and

a voltage regulator coupled to and between the sensor and the first terminal, the voltage regulator configured to step down voltage from the power source to the sensor and thereby power the sensor,

wherein the processor is configured to control the high-side load switch to connect the power source to the load including the heating element only when the power source is disconnected from the NFC tag.

2. The aerosol delivery device of claim 1, wherein the NFC tag includes at least:

an antenna; and

an integrated circuit (IC) configured to store or generate information including at least an authentication indicia that enables authentication of the aerosol delivery device or a component thereof,

wherein the antenna is coupleable with a corresponding antenna of the NFC reader to enable wireless transfer of the information to the computing device to enable authentication of the aerosol delivery device or the component thereof.

3. The aerosol delivery device of claim 2, wherein the IC is configured to access an event counter configured to maintain a count that indicates a remaining amount of the aerosol precursor composition, and authentication of the aerosol delivery device is authenticated only when the count is positive.

4. The aerosol delivery device of claim 2, wherein the IC is configured to access an event counter configured to maintain a count that indicates a remaining amount of the aerosol precursor composition, and the processor is configured to generate or cease generation of user-perceptible feedback when the count reaches a threshold level that indicates a low remaining amount of the aerosol precursor composition.

5. The aerosol delivery device of claim 4, wherein the control component further includes a piezoceramic vibration device coupled to and controllable by the processor to vibrate and thereby provide the user-perceptible feedback during operation of the aerosol delivery device only when the count is above the threshold level.

6. The aerosol delivery device of claim 2, wherein the IC is further configured to cause the antenna to transmit radio-frequency (RF) energy to the computing device or a second computing device equipped with power harvesting circuitry configured to receive the RF energy, and harvest power from the RF energy to power or charge at least one electronic component of the computing device or second computing device.

7. The aerosol delivery device of claim 1, wherein the computing device is a point-of-sale (POS) terminal, and the NFC tag includes at least:

an antenna; and

an integrated circuit (IC) configured to store or generate information including at least payment information that enables a mobile payment transaction from the aerosol delivery device,

wherein the antenna is coupleable with a corresponding antenna of the NFC reader to enable wireless transfer of the information to the POS terminal to enable the mobile payment transaction from the aerosol delivery device.

8. The aerosol delivery device of claim 1, wherein the control component further includes a piezoceramic vibration device coupled to and controllable by the processor to vibrate and thereby provide user-perceptible feedback during operation of the aerosol delivery device.

9. A control body for an aerosol delivery device, the control body comprising:

a sensor configured to produce a measurement of pressure caused by airflow through at least a portion of the housing, and convert the measurement of pressure to a corresponding electrical signal;

a first terminal and a second terminal configured to connect a power source to the aerosol delivery device;

a heating element or terminals configured to connect the heating element to the control body, the heating element configured to convert electricity to heat and thereby vaporize components of an aerosol precursor composition;

a control component including;

a processor configured to receive the corresponding electrical signal and in response connect the power source to a load including the heating element and thereby power the heating element;

a high-side load switch between the sensor and the load, the high-side load switch controllable by the processor to connect and disconnect the power source to and from the load including the heating element,

a near-field communication (NFC) tag coupled to the processor and configured to enable the control body to establish NFC communication with a computing device equipped with a NFC reader; and

a second high-side load switch between the first terminal and the NFC tag, the second high-side load switch controllable by the processor to connect and disconnect the power source to and from the NFC tag, and limit input current to the NFC tag and

a voltage regulator coupled to and between the sensor and the first terminal, the voltage regulator configured to step down voltage from the power source to the sensor and thereby power the sensor,

wherein the processor is configured to control the high-side load switch to connect the power source to the load including the heating element only when the power source is disconnected from the NFC tag.

10. The control body of claim 9, wherein the NFC tag includes at least:

an antenna; and

an integrated circuit (IC) configured to store or generate information including at least an authentication indicia that enables authentication of the control body or a cartridge including the heating element coupled to the terminals thereof,

wherein the antenna is coupleable with a corresponding antenna of the NFC reader to enable wireless transfer of the information to the computing device to enable authentication of the control body or the component thereof.

11. The control body of claim 10, wherein the IC is configured to access an event counter configured to maintain a count that indicates a remaining amount of the aerosol precursor composition, and authentication of the control body is authenticated only when the count is positive.

12. The control body of claim 10, wherein the IC is configured to access an event counter configured to maintain a count that indicates a remaining amount of the aerosol precursor composition, and the processor is configured to generate or cease generation of user-perceptible feedback when the count reaches a threshold level that indicates a low remaining amount of the aerosol precursor composition.

13. The control body of claim 12, wherein the control component further includes a piezoceramic vibration device coupled to and controllable by the processor to vibrate and thereby provide the user-perceptible feedback during operation of the control body only when the count is above the threshold level.

14. The control body of claim 10, wherein the IC is further configured to cause the antenna to transmit radio-frequency (RF) energy to the computing device or a second computing device equipped with power harvesting circuitry configured to receive the RF energy, and harvest power from the RF energy to power or charge at least one electronic component of the computing device or second computing device.

15. The control body of claim 9, wherein the computing device is a point-of-sale (POS) terminal, and the NFC tag includes at least:

an antenna; and

an integrated circuit (IC) configured to store or generate information including at least payment information that enables a mobile payment transaction from the aerosol delivery device,

wherein the antenna is coupleable with a corresponding antenna of the NFC reader to enable wireless transfer of the information to the POS terminal to enable the mobile payment transaction from the aerosol delivery device.

16. The control body of claim 9, wherein the control component further includes a piezoceramic vibration device coupled to and controllable by the processor to vibrate and thereby provide user-perceptible feedback during operation of the control body.

17. An aerosol delivery device comprising:

a housing structured to retain an aerosol precursor composition;

a first terminal and a second terminal configured to connect a power source to the aerosol delivery device;

a heating element configured to convert electricity to heat and thereby vaporize components of the aerosol precursor composition;

a control component including a processor configured to connect the power source to a load including the heating element and thereby power the heating element, and further including at least;

a near-field communication (NFC) tag coupled to the processor and configured to enable the aerosol delivery device to establish NFC communication with a computing device equipped with a NFC reader; and

a high-side load switch between the first terminal and the NFC tag, the high-side load switch controllable by the processor to connect and disconnect the power source to and from the NFC tag, and limit input current to the NFC tag,

wherein the processor is configured to connect the power source to the load including the heating element only when the power source is disconnected from the NFC tag.

18. The aerosol delivery device of claim 17, wherein the NFC tag includes at least:

an antenna; and

an integrated circuit (IC) configured to store or generate information including at least an authentication indicia that enables authentication of the aerosol delivery device or a component thereof,

wherein the antenna is coupleable with a corresponding antenna of the NFC reader to enable wireless transfer of the information to the computing device to enable authentication of the aerosol delivery device or the component thereof.

19. The aerosol delivery device of claim 17, wherein the computing device is a point-of-sale (POS) terminal, and the NFC tag includes at least:

an antenna; and

an integrated circuit (IC) configured to store or generate information including at least payment information that enables a mobile payment transaction from the aerosol delivery device,

wherein the antenna is coupleable with a corresponding antenna of the NFC reader to enable wireless transfer of the information to the POS terminal to enable the mobile payment transaction from the aerosol delivery device.

20. The aerosol delivery device of claim 17, wherein the control component further includes a piezoceramic vibration device coupled to and controllable by the processor to vibrate and thereby provide user-perceptible feedback during operation of the aerosol delivery device.