Methods and devices for cartridge authentication

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-12193480-B2
Application number	US-202318350308-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Jul 11, 2023
Priority date	Mar 24, 2017
Publication date	Jan 14, 2025
Grant date	Jan 14, 2025

Abstract

A device comprises a sensor and processing circuitry coupled to the sensor. The sensor is configured to obtain authentication information from an identification label of a cartridge of an electronic vaping device. The processing circuitry is configured to perform authentication of the cartridge based on the authentication information; and determine whether to unlock a battery section of the electronic vaping device to power the cartridge based on a result of the authentication of the cartridge.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1. A device comprising:
a body defining at least one slot configured to receive at least one electronic vaping device, the at least one electronic vaping device including a cartridge and a battery section;
a device battery configured to charge the battery section of the at least one electronic vaping device;
a charger input communicatively coupled to the device battery;
a controller configured to
detect insertion of the at least one electronic vaping device into the at least one slot,
determine a charge level of the battery section,
in response to the charge level of the battery section being above a first threshold value, unlock the battery section to enable supply of power to the cartridge,
in response to the charge level of the battery section being below the first threshold value, determine whether a charge level of the device battery is above a second threshold,
in response to the charge level of the device battery being above the second threshold, enable charging of the battery section,
in response to the charge level of the device battery being below the second threshold, enable charging of the device battery and the battery section by an external power source via the charger input,
determine whether the device battery is connected to the external power source,
in response to determining that the device battery is not connected to the external power source, communicate an absence of a connection of the device battery to the external power source and,
in response to the device battery not being connected to the external power source, recheck for a connection of the device battery to the external power source after a threshold period of time; and

a first switch configured to connect the external power source to the device battery via the charger input; and
a second switch configured to selectively connect the device battery to the battery section or the external power source to the battery section via the charger input.

2. The device of claim 1 , further comprising at least one sensor configured to obtain authentication information from an identification label of the at least one electronic vaping device, the authentication information associated with the cartridge.

3. The device of claim 2 , further comprising:
a memory storing reference identification information for a plurality of cartridges; and
wherein the controller is further configured to
perform authentication of the cartridge based on the authentication information, and
in response to determining that the authentication information from the identification label corresponds to a first reference identification information stored in a memory, unlock the battery section to power the cartridge.

4. The device of claim 3 , wherein:
the identification label includes a watermark;
the authentication information includes digital information corresponding to the watermark; and
the controller is further configured to
perform authentication of the cartridge by applying a watermark decoding algorithm to the digital information, and
determine the authentication of the cartridge is successful in response to (i) determining that the authentication information corresponds to the first reference identification information stored in the memory and (ii) successful application of the watermark decoding algorithm.

5. The device of claim 3 , wherein:
the first reference identification information corresponding to the authentication information includes an expiration date; and
the controller is further configured to maintain the battery section in a locked state in response to determining that the expiration date has passed.

6. The device of claim 2 , wherein:
the identification label includes a watermark;
the authentication information includes digital information obtained from the watermark; and
the controller is further configured to
perform authentication of the cartridge by applying a watermark decoding algorithm to the digital information, and
determine whether to unlock the battery section to power the cartridge based on whether the applying the watermark decoding algorithm to the digital information is successful.

7. The device of claim 2 , wherein the identification label includes a barcode, a quick response (QR) code, a near field communication (NFC) tag, special ink, a sub-combination thereof, or a combination thereof.

8. The device of claim 7 , wherein:
the special ink is a magnetic ink including a magnetic ink character recognition (MiCR) code; and
the at least one sensor includes a MiCR reader.

9. The device of claim 2 , wherein the identification label is on an outer housing of the cartridge.

10. The device of claim 1 , further comprising:
a cover element having at least one hollow section corresponding to the at least one slot, the at least one hollow section configured to receive a portion of the at least one electronic vaping device that extends out of the at least one slot when inserted in the at least one slot, the cover element configured to be opened and closed, and to cover the at least one electronic vaping device when closed.

11. The device of claim 1 , wherein the controller is further configured to detect insertion of the at least one electronic vaping device into the at least one slot by detecting a change in resistance at an interface associated with the at least one slot, the interface providing an electrical connection between the at least one electronic vaping device and the device.

12. The device of claim 1 , wherein the at least one slot comprises two or more slots configured to receive an electronic vaping device.

13. The device of claim 12 , further comprising:
a divider between the two or more slots, the divider configured to separate the two or more slots; and
wherein at least one sensor and the controller positioned on the divider.

14. The device of claim 1 , further comprising:
a display positioned on an exterior of the body, the display configured to provide information indicative of whether one or more of the battery section or the device battery are sufficiently charged; and
wherein the controller is further configured to drive the display to provide the information indicative of whether one or more of the battery section or the device battery are sufficiently charged.

15. The device of claim 1 , further comprising:
an audio output configured to provide information indicative of whether one or more of the battery section or the device battery are sufficiently charged; and
wherein the controller is further configured to drive the audio output to provide the information indicative of whether one or more of the battery section or the device battery are sufficiently charged.

16. A method of enabling charging of a battery section of at least one electronic vaping device, the method comprising:
detecting insertion of the at least one electronic vaping device into at least one slot of a device, the device including
a body defining the at least one slot,
a device battery configured to charge a battery section of the at least one electronic vaping device,
a charger input communicatively coupled to the device battery, and
a controller;

determine a charge level of the battery section;
unlocking the battery section and enabling supply of power to a cartridge of the at least one electronic vaping device in response to the charge level of the battery section being above a first threshold value;
determining whether a charge level of the device battery is above a second threshold in response to the charge level of the battery section

Assignees

• Altria Client Services Llc

Inventors

• Holtz Arie
• Juster Bernard
• Gavrielov Shmuel

Classifications

• H02J7/70

  characterised by the mechanical construction · CPC title

• G06K7/1417

  2D bar codes · CPC title

• G06K7/1413

  1D bar codes · CPC title

• G06F1/26

  Power supply means, e.g. regulation thereof (for memories G11C) · CPC title

• G06V30/2253

  Recognition of characters printed with magnetic ink (G06V30/2247 takes precedence) · CPC title