Dynamic output power management for electronic smoking device

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-2017367410-A1
Application number	US-201415538171-A
Country	US
Kind code	A1
Filing date	Dec 25, 2014
Priority date	Dec 25, 2014
Publication date	Dec 28, 2017
Grant date	—

Abstract

A dynamic output power management unit for a heating circuit ( 100 ) of an electronic smoking device is disclosed, the heating circuit ( 100 ) having a heating element ( 10 ) connected to a power source ( 20 ) via a first switching element ( 30 ), the unit having at least one voltage detection device to detect voltage values at various points of the heating circuit ( 100 ); and a controller ( 2 ) configured to deriving a resistance of the heating element ( 10 ), estimating a discharge time or a power consumption value of the power source ( 20 ) such that an energy converted in a period of time is substantially identical to a predetermined energy conversion value for a same period of time.

First claim

1 . An electronic smoking device, comprising
an atomizer including an electrical resistance heating element; a power source connected to the heating element and to a controller; a first circuit connected to the controller and to the power source for measuring output voltage of the power source; a second circuit connected to the controller and to the heating element for measuring resistance of the heating element; and the controller adjusting electrical power supplied from the power source to the heating element based on power source voltage and heating element resistance.

2 . The smoking device of claim 1 with the second circuit comprising a reference resistor and a pair of switches for switching the reference resistor into and out of a series connection with the heating element.

3 . The smoking device of claim 1 with the controller including a memory for storing a resistance value.

4 . An electronic smoking device comprising:
an atomizer including an electrical resistance heating element; a power source connected to the heating element and to a dynamic output power management system including: a reference element having a substantially constant resistance; a second switching element operable to change from a first state to a second state to connect the reference element to the heating circuit and from the second state to the first state to disconnect the reference element from the heating circuit; and a power management unit, comprising
at least one voltage detection device to detect an output voltage of
a power source, and/or a voltage drop across the reference element, and/or a voltage drop across the heating element; and
a controller configured to
change the second switching element from the first state to the second state;
receive a first detection result from the detection device;
derive a resistance of a heating element in the heating circuit;
change the second switching element from the second state to the first state;
receive a second detection result from the voltage detection device; and
derive an active time of the heating circuit as a function of

the resistance of the heating element and the second detection result such that an energy converted by the heating element in a period of time is substantially identical to a predetermined energy conversion value for a same period of time.

5 . (canceled)

6 . The method of claim 8 further comprising deriving a pattern of a waveform based on the estimated discharging time and a predetermined discharging time for each puff; and generating a control waveform for a switching element in the heating circuit based on the derived pattern.

7 . The method of claim 8 wherein detecting of a first output voltage of a power source is performed at the beginning of a puff.

8 . A method of operating an electronic smoking device,
comprising,
detecting a first output voltage of a power source, and/or a voltage drop across a heating element operably connected to the power source via a first switching element, and/or a voltage drop across a reference element operably connected to the power source via a second switching element, wherein the first output voltage is detected when the reference element is connected to the power source;
deriving a resistance of the heating element as a function of the at least two of the first output voltage of a power source, the voltage drop across the heating element and the voltage drop across the heating element;
detecting a second output voltage of the power source; and
estimating the discharging time of the power source for the puff as a function of the second output voltage of the power source and the derived resistance of the heating element such that an energy converted in the puff is substantially identical to a predetermined energy conversion value for one puff.

9 . The method of claim 8 wherein detecting of a first output voltage of a power source is performed at the beginning of a puff.

10 . The method of claim 8 further comprising deriving a pattern of a control waveform based on the estimated discharging time and a predetermined discharging time for each puff; and generating a control waveform for the first switching element based on the derived pattern.

11 . A method for power management for a heating circuit of an electronic smoking device, comprising,
dividing the duration of a puff into a number of interval cycles; detecting in each interval cycle a first output voltage of a power source, and/or a voltage drop across a heating element operably connected to the power source via a first switching element, and/or a voltage drop across a reference element operably connected to the power source via a second switching element, wherein the first output voltage is detected when the reference element is connected to the power source; deriving a resistance of the heating element as a function of the at least two of the first output voltage of a power source, the voltage drop across the heating element and the voltage drop across the heating element; detecting a second output voltage of the power source; and estimating the discharging time of the power source for the interval cycle as a function of the second output voltage of the power source and the derived resistance of the heating element such that an energy converted in the interval cycle is substantially identical to a predetermined energy conversion value for one interval cycle.

12 . The method of claim 11 wherein detecting of a first output voltage of a power source is performed at the beginning of each interval cycle.

13 . The method of claim 11 further comprising
deriving a pattern of a control waveform based on the estimated discharging time and a predetermined discharging time for each interval cycle; and
generating a control waveform for the first switching element based on the derived pattern.

14 . The electronic smoking device of claim 1 further including:
a tubular housing;
a liquid supply in the housing for providing liquid to the heating element; and
with the atomizer, power source, first and second circuits and the controller within the tubular housing.

15 . (canceled)

16 . The device of claim 14 wherein the power source is a battery and the controller provides current from the battery to the heating element so that the product of the current times the voltage to the heating element varies by less than 15% over the charge life of the battery.

Assignees

• Fontem Holdings 1 Bv

Inventors

• Hon Lik

Classifications

• A61M2205/3317

  Electromagnetic, inductive or dielectric measuring means · CPC title

• A61M2205/702

  automatically during use · CPC title

• A61M11/042

  electrical · CPC title

• A61M2205/8237

  Charging means · CPC title

• H05B1/0297

  Heating of fluids for non specified applications · CPC title