Smoking substitute devices and associated methods, systems and apparatuses

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-12426642-B2
Application number	US-202217733582-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Apr 29, 2022
Priority date	Nov 8, 2019
Publication date	Sep 30, 2025
Grant date	Sep 30, 2025

Abstract

A smoking substitute device is configured to record and store user data that is generated during operation of the device. Analyzing the user data can provide the user with useful information regarding their use of the smoking substitute device as well as useful information regarding the operational performance of the device. Typically, the analysis of the data would be conducted by a remote device and the smoking substitute device therefore includes a communication interface to connect and communicate with the remote device. The smoking substitute device and method of managing the smoking substitute device allows user data to be deleted from the device upon identification of a reset operation wherein the reset operation is able to be triggered from the connected remote device and/or the smoking substitute device. Providing a function to delete user data upon identification of a reset operation provides the user with some control over their information.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1. A smoking substitute device comprising a memory, a communication interface, a control unit and at least one additional component; wherein the memory is configured to store firmware data that is used by the control unit to operate the smoking substitute device;
the control unit is configured to identify user data that is generated during operation of the smoking substitute device as either user specific data or global device data;
the memory is further configured to store both the user specific data and the global device data that is generated during operation of the smoking substitute device;
the control unit is operable to cause the communication interface to transmit user data stored in the memory to an external device;
the control unit is configured to delete only the user specific data stored in the memory upon identification of a reset operation, wherein the reset operation is a predetermined manipulation of said additional component or receipt by the communication interface of a reset command from the external device.

2. The smoking substitute device of claim 1 , wherein the communication interface is a wireless interface and the control unit is configured to store details of the external device as a connected external device as user data in the memory.

3. The smoking substitute device of claim 1 , wherein an additional component is an actuator that is manipulated by a user pressing the actuator.

4. The smoking substitute device of claim 1 , wherein an additional component is a motion sensor that is activated by movement of the smoking substitute device.

5. The smoking substitute device of claim 1 , wherein the body houses a further additional component and the further additional component is an airflow sensor for detecting airflow through the body, wherein the control unit monitors the airflow sensor to determine an inhale event, wherein each inhale event is logged as user data to count a number of inhale events.

6. The smoking substitute device of claim 1 , wherein the smoking substitute device comprises a further additional component and the further additional component is an airflow sensor for detecting airflow through the body, wherein the control unit monitors the airflow sensor to determine an inhale event, wherein the duration of each inhale event is recorded as user data to record the inhale duration.

7. The smoking substitute device of claim 1 , wherein the smoking substitute device comprises a power source and control circuitry for controlling charging of the power source, and the control unit monitors the control circuitry to log or record as user data charge duration and/or charge status and/or voltage of the power source.

8. The smoking substitute device of claim 1 , wherein the control unit logs as user data an error count and/or a reset operation count.

9. The smoking substitute device of claim 1 , wherein the smoking substitute device comprises body including a coupling portion arranged to receive a consumable and the control unit logs as user data a count of inserted consumables and/or records as user data details read from each inserted consumable.

10. The smoking substitute device of claim 1 , wherein global device data is a count of user data over a time period equal to the lifetime operation of the smoking substitute device.

11. The smoking substitute device of claim 1 , wherein user specific data is a count of user data over a time period of operation of the smoking substitute device since a first operation or, if a reset operation has been completed, since the reset operation.

12. A method of managing a smoking substitute device, the method comprising the steps of;
identifying user data generated during operation of the smoking substitute device as being either user specific or global device data;
storing both the user specific data and the global device data generated during operation of the smoking substitute device in a memory,
causing a communication interface to transmit user data stored in the memory to an external device,
deleting only the user specific data from the memory upon identification of a reset operation input, wherein
the step of deleting user data includes at least one of identifying a user manipulation of an additional component as replicating a predetermined user manipulation of the additional component or receiving at the communication interface a reset command.

13. A non-transitory computer-readable medium containing computer-readable instructions which, when executed by a processor, cause the processor to perform a method of managing a smoking substitute device, the method comprising the steps of;
identifying user data generated during operation of the smoking substitute device as being either user specific or global device data;
storing both the user specific data and the global device data generated during operation of the smoking substitute device in a memory,
causing a communication interface to transmit user data stored in the memory to an external device,
deleting only the user specific data from the memory upon identification of a reset operation input, wherein
the step of deleting user data includes at least one of identifying a user manipulation of an additional component as replicating a predetermined user manipulation of the additional component or receiving at the communication interface a reset command.

Assignees

• Imperial Tobacco Ltd

Inventors

• Thomas David
• Talbot Oliver
• Fard Daniel
• Harden Daniel
• Derby Cole
• Liu Kaikai

Classifications

• A24F40/65

  Devices with integrated communication means, e.g. wireless communication means · CPC title

• A24F40/53 Primary

  Monitoring, e.g. fault detection · CPC title

• A24F40/50 Primary

  Control or monitoring · CPC title