Aerosol delivery system and related method, apparatus, and computer program product for providing control information to an aerosol delivery device via a cartridge

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-9597466-B2
Application number	US-201414207016-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Mar 12, 2014
Priority date	Mar 12, 2014
Publication date	Mar 21, 2017
Grant date	Mar 21, 2017

Abstract

The present disclosure relates to an aerosol delivery system and methods, apparatuses, and computer program products for providing control information to an aerosol delivery device via a cartridge. For example, a method may include a control body for the aerosol delivery device reading control information carried by a cartridge removably engaged with the control body. The method may further include the control body performing an action based on the control information.

First claim

The invention claimed is:

1. An aerosol delivery system, comprising:
a control body comprising processing circuitry; and
an accessory cartridge carrying control information that is readable by the processing circuitry;
wherein the control body further comprises a cartridge engaging portion with which the control body is alternately, removably engageable with an aerosol cartridge with a heating element and an aerosol precursor composition, and the accessory cartridge without a heating element or aerosol precursor composition, wherein the control body and the aerosol cartridge when engaged form an aerosol delivery device; and
wherein the processing circuitry is configured to at least:
read the control information carried by the accessory cartridge when the control body and the accessory cartridge are engaged; and
perform an action based on the control information.

2. The aerosol delivery system of claim 1 , wherein:
the control information comprises indicia of a configuration setting update; and
the processing circuitry being configured to perform the action includes being configured to modify a configuration of the aerosol delivery device in accordance with the configuration setting update.

3. The aerosol delivery system of claim 2 , wherein the aerosol delivery device includes a light emitting diode (LED) indicator, and the configuration setting update comprises one or more of a configuration setting for the LED indicator, a heating profile configuration for the heating element, an aerosol precursor composition vaporization setting for the aerosol precursor composition, or a puff control setting.

4. The aerosol delivery system of claim 1 , wherein:
the control information comprises a software update for the aerosol delivery device;
the accessory cartridge comprises a first memory storing the software update;
the control body comprises a second memory; and
the processing circuitry being configured to perform the action includes being configured to install the software update on the second memory.

5. The aerosol delivery system of claim 1 , wherein:
the control information is configured to cause the processing circuitry to execute a diagnostic program for testing functionality of the aerosol delivery device; and
the processing circuitry being configured to perform the action includes being configured to execute the diagnostic program in response to the control information.

6. The aerosol delivery system of claim 1 , wherein:
the control information is configured to trigger a reset of control data for the aerosol delivery device, the control data being separate from the control information; and
the processing circuitry being configured to perform the action includes being configured to reset the control data to a default state in response to the control information.

7. The aerosol delivery system of claim 1 , wherein the accessory cartridge comprises a memory storing the control information.

8. The aerosol delivery system of claim 1 , wherein:
the control information comprises an equivalent resistance value of the accessory cartridge, wherein the equivalent resistance value is measurable by the processing circuitry when the control body and the accessory cartridge are engaged;
the processing circuitry being configured to read the control information includes being configured to measure the equivalent resistance value;
the processing circuitry is further configured to determine an action having a defined correlation to the equivalent resistance value; and
the processing circuitry being configured to perform the action includes being configured to perform the action having the defined correlation to the equivalent resistance value.

9. The aerosol delivery system of claim 8 , wherein:
the processing circuitry is further configured to compare the equivalent resistance value to a reference resistance value associated with the aerosol cartridge; and
the processing circuitry is configured to determine and perform the action having the defined correlation to the equivalent resistance value only in an instance in which the equivalent resistance value is not substantially equal to the reference resistance value.

10. A control body comprising:
a cartridge engaging portion with which the control body is alternately, removably engageable with an aerosol cartridge with a heating element and an aerosol precursor composition, and an accessory cartridge without a heating element or aerosol precursor composition, wherein the control body and the aerosol cartridge when engaged form an aerosol delivery device; and
processing circuitry configured to at least:
read control information carried by the accessory cartridge when the accessory cartridge is engaged with the control body; and
perform an action based on the control information.

11. The control body of claim 10 , wherein the processing circuitry is further configured to read control information at least in part by reading control information stored on a memory of the accessory cartridge.

12. The control body of claim 10 , wherein the processing circuitry is further configured to:
read the control information at least in part by measuring an equivalent resistance value of the accessory cartridge;
determine an action having a defined correlation to the equivalent resistance value; and
perform the action by performing the action having the defined correlation to the equivalent resistance value.

13. An accessory cartridge configured for use with a control body of an aerosol delivery device, the accessory cartridge comprising:
a control body engaging portion with which the accessory cartridge is removably engageable with the control body of the aerosol delivery device, control body being alternately, removably engageable with an aerosol cartridge with a heating element and an aerosol precursor composition, and the accessory cartridge without a heating element or aerosol precursor composition, wherein the control body and the aerosol cartridge when engaged form the aerosol delivery device;
wherein the accessory cartridge is configured to carry control information readable by the control body when the control body and the accessory cartridge are engaged, the control body being configured to perform an action based on the control information.

14. The accessory cartridge of claim 13 , further comprising a memory storing the control information.

15. The accessory cartridge of claim 13 , wherein the accessory cartridge has an equivalent resistance value measurable when the control body and the accessory cartridge are engaged, and wherein the control information comprises the equivalent resistance value.

16. A method for providing control information to a control body of an aerosol delivery device, the method comprising the steps of:
engaging an accessory cartridge with the control body comprising a cartridge engaging portion with which the control body is alternately, removably engageable with an aerosol cartridge with a heating element and an aerosol precursor composition, and the accessory cartridge without a heating element or aerosol precursor composition, wherein the control body and the aerosol cartridge when engaged form an aerosol delivery device;
reading, by processing circuitry of the control body, control information carried by the accessory cartridge; and
performing, by the processing circuitry, an action based at least in part on the control information.

17. The method of claim 16 , wherein:
the control information comprises indicia of a configuration setting update; and
performing the action

Assignees

• Reynolds Tobacco Co R
• Reynolds Tobacco Co R

Inventors

• Henry Jr Raymond Charles
• Ampolini Frederic Philippe

Classifications

• A61M2205/502

  User interfaces, e.g. screens or keyboards · CPC title

• A61M2205/52

  with memories providing a history of measured variating parameters of apparatus or patient · CPC title

• A61M2205/35

  Communication · CPC title

• A61M2205/583

  by visual feedback · CPC title

• A61M2205/33

  Controlling, regulating or measuring · CPC title