Authentication and age verification for an aerosol delivery device

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-11989990-B2
Application number	US-202318143948-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	May 5, 2023
Priority date	Apr 2, 2019
Publication date	May 21, 2024
Grant date	May 21, 2024

Abstract

A charger for an electronic nicotine delivery systems (“ENDS”) device, which may include aerosol delivery devices provides functionality for authentication, including age verification. Such devices may be restricted based on age or other factors that require some form of authentication, verification, and/or identification to satisfy the restriction. The accessory or charger may provide or connect with a verification system for confirming an age of a user. If the authentication or verification is not satisfied, the charger or accessory will not charge the device, rendering it unusable.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1. A system comprising:
an age verification system comprising age-verified information for a user that is associated with a prior age verification of the user;
a network;
a host device configured to communicate with the age verification system via the network;
an aerosol delivery device comprising a battery and processing circuitry; and
an accessory comprising authentication circuitry and an accessory housing such that the accessory is a separate device from the host device and the aerosol delivery device;
wherein the authentication circuitry is configured to:
receive an age verification confirmation from the host device based on an age verification confirmation communication received by the host device from the age verification system;
perform an authentication of the user, based on the age verification confirmation communication; and
in response to a valid authentication of the user, send an authentication communication indicating the valid authentication to the aerosol delivery device;

wherein the processing circuitry of the aerosol delivery device is configured to:
control the aerosol delivery device to enable or disable generation of an aerosol;
control the aerosol delivery device to enable or disable charging of the battery; and
in response to receiving the authentication communication indicating the valid authentication, enable charging of the battery.

2. The system of claim 1 , wherein the processing circuitry of the aerosol delivery device is configured to require receipt of a respective authentication communication indicating a new valid authentication of the user by the accessory prior to enabling charging of the battery.

3. The system of claim 1 , wherein the processing circuitry of the aerosol delivery device is configured to enable generation of the aerosol until charging of the battery is required.

4. The system of claim 1 , wherein the aerosol delivery device comprises a switch;
wherein the processing circuitry is configured to control a state of the switch in association with enabling or disabling charging of the battery.

5. The system of claim 4 , wherein control of the switch permits the battery to receive a charging current or prevents the battery from receiving the charging current.

6. The system of claim 1 , wherein the authentication communication comprises a data code associated with the authentication of the user;
wherein the processing circuitry of the aerosol delivery device is configured to enable or disable charging of the battery in response to receipt of a correct data code, receipt of an incorrect data code, and receipt of no data code.

7. The system of claim 1 , wherein the accessory comprises a case with an opening configured to receive a body of the aerosol delivery device.

8. The system of claim 7 , wherein the case comprises an electrical connector configured to connect to the aerosol delivery device.

9. The system of claim 1 , wherein the accessory further comprises a biometric sensor;
wherein the authentication circuitry is further configured to perform the authentication of the user based on biometric information received from the biometric sensor.

10. The system of claim 9 , wherein the biometric sensor comprises an imaging device configured to capture images for facial recognition.

11. The system of claim 1 , wherein the aerosol delivery device is configured to operably couple with a replaceable aerosol production component;
wherein the processing circuitry of the aerosol delivery device is configured to enable or disable generation of the aerosol by controlling an output voltage applied to the aerosol production component.

12. The system of claim 11 , wherein the processing circuitry of the aerosol delivery device is configured to enable generation of the aerosol in response to receipt of the authentication communication from the accessory indicating the valid authentication of the user.

13. The system of claim 1 , wherein the accessory is configured to communicate with the aerosol delivery device to cause the aerosol delivery device to disable generation of the aerosol.

14. The system of claim 1 , wherein the aerosol delivery device comprises a sensor that is configured to receive the authentication communication from the accessory.

15. The system of claim 1 , wherein the accessory further comprises a power interface configured to connect with the aerosol delivery device to charge the battery.

16. The system of claim 1 , wherein the processing circuitry of the aerosol delivery device is further configured to periodically require receipt of a new authentication communication from the accessory indicating a new valid authentication of the user.

17. The system of claim 1 , wherein the accessory is configured to communicate with the aerosol delivery device via universal serial bus (USB) communications or Bluetooth communications.

18. The system of claim 1 , wherein the accessory and the aerosol delivery device communicate via only a first communication protocol, and the host device communicates via the first communication protocol and a second communication protocol.

19. The system of claim 1 , wherein the processing circuitry of the aerosol delivery device is configured to communicate a data package to the accessory prior to enabling charging.

20. An accessory for controlling charging of an aerosol delivery device, the accessory comprising:
an accessory housing;
a communications interface configured to communicate with an age verification system via a host device and communicate with an aerosol delivery device; and
authentication circuitry configured to:
receive an age verification confirmation for a user from the host device based on an age verification confirmation communication from the age verification system;
perform an authentication of the user, based on the age verification confirmation communication; and
in response to a valid authentication of the user, send an authentication communication indicating the valid authentication to the aerosol delivery device to cause the aerosol delivery device to transition the aerosol delivery device from:

disabling charging of a battery of the aerosol delivery device to enabling charging of the battery of the aerosol delivery device, and
disabling generation of an aerosol by the aerosol delivery device to enabling generation of an aerosol by the aerosol delivery device.

21. The accessory of claim 20 , wherein the communications interface is a wireless communications interface.

Assignees

• Rai Strategic Holdings Inc

Inventors

• Hubbard Sawyer
• Joyce Leigh Ann
• Aller Jared
• Novak Jake
• Daugherty Sean

Classifications

• H02J7/47

  Arrangements for checking compatibility or authentication between one component, e.g. a battery or a battery charger, and another component, e.g. a power source · CPC title

• H02J7/70

  characterised by the mechanical construction · CPC title

• G07C9/32 Primary

  in combination with an identity check · CPC title

• H02J7/0042

  Electricity · mapped topic

• H04L63/08

  for authentication of entities (cryptographic mechanisms or cryptographic arrangements for entity authentication H04L9/32) · CPC title