Sensor apparatus

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-11629981-B2
Application number	US-202117329539-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	May 25, 2021
Priority date	Dec 29, 2017
Publication date	Apr 18, 2023
Grant date	Apr 18, 2023

Abstract

A sensor apparatus may include a channel structure configured to couple with an external element and a fluid conduit, such that the channel structure may receive a fluid, at least partially drawn through the external element from an ambient environment, and direct the fluid through the fluid conduit. A sensor may generate sensor data indicating a flow rate of the fluid through the fluid conduit based on monitoring a variation in a pressure at a location in hydrodynamic contact with the fluid conduit and in relation to an ambient pressure of the ambient environment. The sensor apparatus may enable generation of improved topography information associated with flows of fluid drawn from the external element based on measuring a local pressure at the location in hydrodynamic contact with the fluid conduit and determining the ambient pressure based on monitoring the local pressure over time.

First claim

What is claimed:

1. A system, comprising:
a sensor apparatus, the sensor apparatus including
a channel structure including an inlet, an outlet, and an inner surface defining a fluid conduit extending from the inlet to the outlet through an interior of the channel structure, the fluid conduit not including a restriction in a diameter of the fluid conduit, the channel structure configured to couple with an external element, such that the channel structure is configured to
receive a fluid drawn through the external element at the inlet, the fluid at least partially drawn through the external element from an ambient environment that is external to the fluid conduit, and
direct the fluid through the fluid conduit,

a single, individual sensor device in hydrodynamic contact with the fluid conduit, wherein the single, individual sensor device is configured to measure a value of a local pressure at a single location in hydrodynamic contact with the fluid conduit at separate points in time over at least a period of time, the single, individual sensor device further configured to generate sensor data associated with one or more values of the local pressure measured by the single, individual sensor device over the period of time, and
a communication interface configured to communicate the sensor data to a separately-located device external to the sensor apparatus; and

a computing device communicatively linked to the sensor apparatus,
wherein the sensor apparatus is configured to communicate the sensor data to the computing device,
wherein the computing device is further configured to process the sensor data to generate topography information associated with at least one of the sensor apparatus and the external element, based on
processing the sensor data to
determine a value of an ambient pressure P 0 of the ambient environment based on a plurality of values of the local pressure measured by the single, individual sensor device over the period of time as indicated by the sensor data, and
determine a flow rate of the fluid through the fluid conduit at a first point in time based on determining a pressure differential ΔP between the determined value of the ambient pressure P 0 and a first value of the local pressure P measured by the single, individual sensor device at the first point in time.

2. The system of claim 1 , wherein the communication interface is a wireless network communication transceiver, such that the communication interface is configured to communicate the sensor data to the separately-located device via a wireless network communication link.

3. The system of claim 2 , wherein the sensor apparatus is further configured to communicate a sensor data stream providing a real-time indication of a value of the local pressure measured by the single, individual sensor device.

4. The system of claim 1 , wherein the single, individual sensor device is incorporated into the inner surface defining the fluid conduit, such that a fluid conduit-proximate surface of the single, individual sensor device is substantially coplanar with the inner surface without reducing the diameter of the fluid conduit.

5. The system of claim 1 , wherein
the external element is an e-vaping device configured to generate a vapor and direct the vapor through an outlet end of the e-vaping device, and
the inlet includes an interface configured to couple with the outlet end of the e-vaping device, such that
the interface establishes a substantially airtight seal between the inlet of the channel structure and the outlet end of the e-vaping device, and
the channel structure is configured to receive the vapor at the inlet and direct the vapor through the fluid conduit to the outlet.

6. The system of claim 5 , wherein the interface is configured to detachably couple with the outlet end of the e-vaping device.

7. The system of claim 1 , wherein the computing device is configured to determine that an instance of fluid is passing through the channel structure, based on monitoring a variation in the measured value of the local pressure, measured by the single, individual sensor device at the single location, over a particular period of time.

8. The system of claim 7 , wherein the computing device is configured to determine a volume and/or mass of the instance of fluid based on monitoring the variation in the measured value of the local pressure, measured by the single, individual sensor device at the single location, over the particular period of time.

Assignees

• Altria Client Services Llc

Inventors

• Kane David B
• Pithawalla Yezdi B
• Janardhan Srinivasan
• Kobal Gerd

Classifications

• A24F40/485

  Valves; Apertures · CPC title

• G01F1/42 Primary

  Orifices or nozzles · CPC title

• A24F40/80

  Testing · CPC title

• G01F1/363 Primary

  with electrical or electro-mechanical indication (G01F1/37 and G01F1/38 take precedence) · CPC title

• A24F40/51

  Arrangement of sensors · CPC title