阅读说明：本技术 具有制剂水平指示器的电子蒸汽烟装置 (Electronic vaping device with formulation level indicator ) 是由 T·T·巴赫 R·W·劳 C·S·塔克 于 2018-12-18 设计创作，主要内容包括：本发明提供了一种用于电子蒸汽烟装置(10)的汽化器组件(20)。汽化器组件包括：加热元件(420)；被构造成容纳蒸汽前制剂的蒸汽前制剂储存器(416)；包括指示器(312,322)的蒸汽前制剂水平指示器；以及至少一个处理器(502)。处理器(502)被配置成：确定供应到加热元件(420)的功率的第一占空比与供应到加热元件的功率的第二占空比之间的差；并且基于所确定的占空比差调整指示器(312,322)。(A vaporizer assembly (20) for an electronic vaping device (10) is provided. The vaporizer assembly comprises: a heating element (420); a pre-vapor formulation reservoir (416) configured to contain a pre-vapor formulation; a pre-vapor formulation level indicator comprising an indicator (312, 322); and at least one processor (502). The processor (502) is configured to: determining a difference between a first duty cycle of power supplied to the heating element (420) and a second duty cycle of power supplied to the heating element; and adjusting an indicator (312, 322) based on the determined duty cycle difference.)

1. A vaporizer assembly for an electronic vaping device (10), the vaporizer assembly comprising:

a heating element;

a pre-vapor formulation reservoir configured to contain a pre-vapor formulation;

a pre-vapor formulation level indicator comprising a plurality of indicator segments; and

at least one processor configured to:

determining a difference between a first duty cycle of power supplied to the heating element and a second duty cycle of power supplied to the heating element; and

adjusting the indicator based on the determined duty cycle difference.

2. The vaporizer assembly of claim 1, wherein the at least one processor is further configured to increase an amount of indicator segments receiving power in proportion to the determined duty cycle difference.

3. The vaporizer assembly of claim 1 or claim 2, wherein the at least one processor is further configured to reduce the amount of indicator segments receiving power in proportion to the determined duty cycle difference.

4. The vaporizer assembly of any preceding claim, wherein the at least one processor is further configured to increase the amount of indicator segments in proportion to a currently determined duty cycle.

5. The vaporizer assembly for an electronic vaping device of any preceding claim, wherein the pre-vapor formulation level indicator comprises an electronic paper film.

6. The vaporizer assembly for an electronic vaping device according to any preceding claim, wherein the processor is further configured to provide power to the indicator section in an amount proportional to a reduced amount of pre-vapor formulation in the pre-vapor formulation reservoir.

7. The vaporizer assembly for an electronic vaping device of any preceding claim, wherein the pre-vapor formulation level indicator is backlit.

8. The vaporizer assembly for an electronic vaping device of any preceding claim, wherein the processor is further configured to direct power to an indicator in an amount proportional to a reduced amount of pre-vapor formulation in the pre-vapor formulation reservoir.

9. The vaporizer assembly for an electronic vaping device according to any preceding claim, wherein the pre-vapor formulation level indicator is an organic light emitting diode (O L ED).

10. The vaporizer assembly for an electronic vaping device of any preceding claim, wherein the processor is further configured to direct power to the indicator in an amount proportional to a reduced amount of pre-vapor formulation in the pre-vapor formulation reservoir.

11. The vaporizer assembly for an electronic vaping device according to any preceding claim, wherein the processor is further configured to determine at least one of the first and second duty cycles based on a type of pre-vapor formulation in the pre-vapor formulation reservoir.

12. A vaporizer assembly for an electronic vaping device, the vaporizer assembly comprising:

a heating element;

a pre-vapor formulation reservoir configured to contain a pre-vapor formulation;

a pre-vapor formulation level indicator, the pre-vapor formulation level indicator comprising an indicator; and

at least one processor configured to:

determining a difference between a first duty cycle of power supplied to the heating element and a second duty cycle of power supplied to the heating element; and

adjusting the indicator based on the determined duty cycle difference.

13. The vaporizer assembly of claim 12, wherein the indicator comprises a plurality of pre-vapor formulation level indicator segments.

14. The vaporizer assembly of claim 12 or claim 13, wherein the at least one processor is further configured to reduce power to the indicator in proportion to the determined duty cycle.

15. The vaporizer assembly of any of claims 12 to 14, wherein the at least one processor is further configured to increase power to the indicator in proportion to the determined duty cycle.

16. The vaporizer assembly of any of claims 12 to 15, wherein the at least one processor is further configured to reduce power to the indicator in proportion to the determined duty cycle.

17. A vaporiser assembly for an e-vaping device according to any one of claims 12 to 16 in which the indicator includes an e-paper membrane.

18. The vaporizer assembly for an electronic vaping device of any of claims 12 to 17, wherein the processor is further configured to provide power to the indicator in an amount proportional to a decrease in pre-vapor formulation in the pre-vapor formulation reservoir.

19. A vaporizer assembly for an electronic vaping device according to any one of claims 12 to 18, wherein the pre-vapor formulation level indicator is backlit.

20. The vaporizer assembly for an electronic vaping device of any of claims 12 to 19, wherein the processor is further configured to provide power to the indicator in an amount proportional to a decrease in pre-vapor formulation in the pre-vapor formulation reservoir.

21. The vaporizer assembly for an electronic vaping device according to any one of claims 12 to 20, wherein the pre-vapor formulation level indicator is an organic light emitting diode (O L ED).

22. The vaporizer assembly for an electronic vaping device of any of claims 12 to 21, wherein the processor is further configured to provide power to the indicator in an amount proportional to a decrease in pre-vapor formulation in the pre-vapor formulation reservoir.

23. The vaporizer assembly for an electronic vaping device according to any of claims 12 to 22, wherein the processor is further configured to determine at least one of the first and second duty cycles based on a type of vapor pre-formulation in the vapor pre-formulation reservoir.

24. An e-vaping device comprising the vaporizer assembly of any of claims 12 to 23.

Technical Field

One or more example embodiments relate to an e-vaping device.

Background

The e-vaping device includes a heating element that vaporizes a vapor precursor to produce a vapor for withdrawal through an outlet of the e-vaping device. An e-vaping device may be referred to as an e-vaping device (e-vaprdevice) or an e-vaping device (e-vaping device).

The e-vaping device also includes a power source, such as a battery, disposed in the e-vaping device. The battery is electrically connected to the heating element to power the heating element such that the heating element heats to a temperature sufficient to convert the pre-vapor formulation to vapor. The vapor exits the e-vaping device through a mouth-end component that includes at least one outlet.

Disclosure of Invention

This section provides a general summary of the disclosure, but does not fully disclose its full scope or all of its features.

At least one example embodiment relates to an electronic vaping device.

The e-vaping device includes a vaporizer assembly (also referred to as a vaporizer section or cartridge) including a heating element, a pre-vapor formulation reservoir, a pre-vapor formulation level indicator comprising a plurality of discrete segments, and at least one processor. The pre-vapor formulation reservoir may be configured to contain a pre-vapor formulation, and the at least one processor may be configured to determine a difference between a first duty cycle of power supplied to the heating element and a second duty cycle of power supplied to the heating element, and adjust the indicator based on the determined duty cycle difference.

Further areas of applicability will become apparent from the description provided herein. The description and specific examples in this summary are intended for purposes of illustration only and are not intended to limit the scope of the present disclosure.

Drawings

The drawings described herein are for illustrative purposes only of selected embodiments and not all possible implementations, and are not intended to limit the scope of the present disclosure.

FIG. 1 illustrates an example embodiment of an e-vaping device;

figure 2 illustrates a cross-sectional view of a power section of an exemplary e-vaping device;

FIG. 3 illustrates a cross-sectional view of an example embodiment of a cartridge of an e-vaping device;

FIG. 4A illustrates an example embodiment of a cartridge of an e-vaping device;

FIG. 4B illustrates another example embodiment of a cartridge of an e-vaping device;

FIG. 4C illustrates another example embodiment of a cartridge of an e-vaping device;

FIG. 5 shows an exemplary circuit diagram of an example embodiment of an e-vaping device;

figure 6 illustrates an exemplary information flow diagram embedded in a block diagram that illustrates the flow of information within an electronic vaping device in accordance with an example embodiment;

FIG. 7 is a flowchart illustrating an indicator initialization process according to an example embodiment;

FIG. 8 is a flowchart illustrating an indicator control process according to an example embodiment;

FIG. 9 is a flowchart illustrating another indicator control process according to an example embodiment;

FIG. 10 is a flowchart illustrating yet another indicator control process according to an example embodiment; and

FIG. 11 illustrates a process of updating the indicator of the cartridge.

Corresponding reference characters indicate corresponding parts throughout the several views of the drawings.

Detailed Description

Example embodiments will now be described more fully with reference to the accompanying drawings.

Example embodiments are provided so that this disclosure will be thorough, and will fully convey the scope to those skilled in the art. Numerous specific details are set forth, such as examples of specific items, devices, and methods, to provide a thorough understanding of embodiments of the present disclosure. It will be apparent to those skilled in the art that specific details need not be employed, that example embodiments may be embodied in many different forms, and that neither should be construed to limit the scope of the disclosure. In some example embodiments, well-known methods, well-known device structures, and well-known techniques have not been described in detail.

The terminology used herein is for the purpose of describing particular example embodiments only and is not intended to be limiting. As used herein, the singular forms "a", "an" and "the" are intended to include the plural forms as well, unless the context clearly indicates otherwise. The terms "comprises," "comprising," and "having," are inclusive and therefore specify the presence of stated features, integers, steps, operations, elements, or items, but do not preclude the presence or addition of one or more other features, integers, steps, operations, elements, items, or groups thereof. Unless specifically identified as an order of execution, the method steps, processes, and operations described herein are not to be construed as necessarily requiring their execution in the particular order discussed or illustrated. It should also be understood that additional or alternative steps may be employed.

When an element or layer is referred to as being "on," "engaged to," "connected to" or "coupled to" another element or layer, it may be directly on, engaged, connected or coupled to the other element or layer or intervening elements or layers may be present. In contrast, when an element is referred to as being "directly on," "directly engaged to," "directly connected to" or "directly coupled to" another element or layer, there may be no intervening elements or layers present. Other words used to describe the relationship between elements (e.g., "between … …" and "between … … upright," "adjacent" and "directly adjacent," etc.) should be interpreted in a similar manner.

Although the terms first, second, third, etc. may be used herein to describe various elements, items, regions, layers and sections, these elements, items, regions, layers and sections should not be limited by these terms. These terms may be only used to distinguish one element, item, region, layer or section from another region, layer or section. Terms such as "first," "second," and other numerical terms when used herein do not imply a sequence or order unless clearly indicated otherwise by the context. Thus, a first element, item, region, layer or section discussed below could be termed a second element, item, region, layer or section without departing from the teachings of example embodiments.

Spatially relative terms, such as "inner," "outer," "below," "lower," "above," "upper," and the like, may be used herein to describe one element or feature's relationship to another element or feature as illustrated in the figures for ease of description. Spatially relative terms may be intended to encompass different orientations of the device in use or operation in addition to the orientation depicted in the figures. For example, if the device in the figures is turned over, elements described as "below" or "beneath" other elements or features would then be oriented "above" the other elements or features. Thus, the example term "below" can encompass both an orientation of above and below. The device may be otherwise oriented (rotated 90 degrees or at other orientations) and the spatially relative descriptors used herein interpreted accordingly.

The vapor precursor is a material or combination of materials that can be converted to a vapor. For example, the pre-vapor formulation may be a liquid, solid, or gel formulation, including but not limited to water, beads, solvents, actives, ethanol, plant extracts, natural or artificial flavors, or vapor formers such as glycerin and propylene glycol. Examples of formulation mixtures are disclosed in U.S. patent application No. 14/602,099 (publication No. 2015/0313275), U.S. patent application No. 14/333,212 (publication No. 2015/0020823), and U.S. patent application No. 13/756,127 (publication No. 2013/0192623), which are incorporated herein by reference in their entirety.

The pre-vapor formulation may or may not include nicotine. The pre-vapor formulation may comprise one or more tobacco flavors. The pre-vapor formulation may comprise one or more flavorants separately from one or more tobacco flavorants.

In some example embodiments, the nicotine-containing vapor precursor may further comprise one or more acids. The one or more acids may be one or more of the following: pyruvic acid, formic acid, oxalic acid, glycolic acid, acetic acid, isovaleric acid, valeric acid, propionic acid, caprylic acid, lactic acid, levulinic acid, sorbic acid, malic acid, tartaric acid, succinic acid, citric acid, benzoic acid, oleic acid, aconitic acid, butyric acid, cinnamic acid, capric acid, 3, 7-dimethyl-6-octenoic acid, 1-glutamic acid, heptanoic acid, hexanoic acid, 3-hexenoic acid, trans-2-hexenoic acid, isobutyric acid, lauric acid, 2-methylbutyric acid, 2-methylvaleric acid, myristic acid, pelargonic acid, palmitic acid, 4-pentenoic acid, phenylacetic acid, 3-phenylpropionic acid, hydrochloric acid, phosphoric acid, sulfuric acid, and combinations thereof.

The pre-vapor formulation may also or alternatively be a pre-dispersed formulation, wherein the formulation may or may not be vaporized, but may also or alternatively be dispersed.

Fig. 1 illustrates an example embodiment of an e-vaping device 10.

Figure 1 is an illustration of an assembled e-vaping device 10 according to an example embodiment. The device 10 may include two main sections: a barrel 20 and a power section 30. Alternatively, the device 10 may comprise more than two sections, or the device 10 may be one integrated section. The power section 30 may be reusable, or alternatively the power section 30 may be disposable. The cartridge 20 may be disposable, or alternatively the cartridge 20 may be reusable. The sections 20/30 may be connected to each other by a threaded connection (not shown). Alternatively, the sections 20/30 may be connected to each other by other structures, such as one or more of a close-fit connection, detents, press-fit, clips, snap rings, and the like. The cartridge 20 is configured to heat the pre-vapor formulation to generate vapor.

Figure 2 is an illustration of a cross-sectional view of the power section 30 of the e-vaping device 10 of figure 1 (and more particularly the cross-sectional view 'a-a' of figure 1), according to an example embodiment. The power section 30 provides power to the cartridge 20. As described above, the power section 30 may be a reusable section of an e-vaping device. In this case, the reusable section can be recharged by an external charging device. Alternatively, the power section 30 may be a disposable section of the e-vaping device such that the power section 30 can only be used until the energy of the power source 60 (described below) is exhausted.

The power section 30 is not limited to a battery as a power source; it may be any other power source. The power supply 60 may be a lithium ion battery or one of its variants (e.g., lithium ion polymer battery, lithium iron phosphate, etc.). Alternatively, the power source may be a nickel-metal hydride battery, a nickel cadmium battery, a lithium-manganese battery, a lithium-cobalt battery, or a fuel cell. The e-vaping device may be used by adult e-vapers until the energy in the power supply is exhausted, or in the case of a lithium polymer battery, a minimum voltage cutoff level is reached.

With further reference to fig. 2, the power section 30 includes a first connector portion 40a in a housing shell 202, a pressure sensor 55, a power source 60, and a controller 70. The housing shell 202 may be formed of plastic and may optionally include a metal (e.g., aluminum) coating, although other suitable materials may also be used. The controller 70 may be a processor, microprocessor, controller, Application Specific Integrated Circuit (ASIC), or other such hardware.

The controller 70 may be connected to a pressure sensor 55 operable to sense a drop in air pressure within the e-vaping device and initiate application of voltage from the power section 30 to the heating element in the cartridge 20 when the cartridge 20 is connected to the power section 30.

When the power section 30 is connected to the cartridge 20, the power supply 60 is electrically connected with the heating element of the cartridge 20 when the negative pressure applied by an adult e-cigarette smoker within one or both of the cartridge 20 and the power section 30 is sensed by the pressure sensor 55. Air is drawn into the central air passage of the cartridge primarily through the mouth end member of the e-vaping device 10. Example embodiments are not limited to e-vaping devices that use pressure sensors to activate vaporization. Indeed, example embodiments are also applicable to e-vaping devices that may be activated in other ways (e.g., by a button, a capacitive button, etc.).

The first connector portion 40a may be a female connector that is connectable to a male connector on another e-vaping element (e.g., the cartridge 20 of the e-vaping device 10) (see fig. 3 and 4A-4C). Alternatively, the first connector portion 40a may be a male connector that is connectable to a female connector on another section of the e-vaping device. The second connector portion 40b may be a male connector that is connectable to a female connector on another e-vaping element (e.g., the power section 30 of the e-vaping device 10) (see fig. 3 and 4A-4C). Alternatively, the second connector portion 40b may be a female connector that is connectable to a male connector on another section of the e-vaping device. The distal end of the connector 40a/40b may define threads (not shown) that are capable of mating with threads (not shown) on another e-vaping segment.

Figure 3 is a cross-sectional view of an example embodiment of the cartridge 20 of the e-vaping device 10. As with power section 30, a different barrel or section may be used with the present subject matter.

Referring to fig. 3, the cartridge 20 includes a housing 402, an indicator 320, and has a mouth end 315 and a connector end 305. The housing 402 may be formed of metal (e.g., stainless steel), but other suitable materials may be used.

The cartridge 20 heats the vapor precursor contained within the cartridge 20 to generate vapor that can be drawn through the multiport insert 50 in the mouth end 315. U.S. patent application No. 13/741,254 (publication No. 2013/0192619), which is incorporated herein by reference in its entirety, discloses an example dispersion multiport mouth insert.

The cartridge 20 includes an inner tube 414, a vapor precursor reservoir 416 for storing or containing a vapor precursor, and a cartridge inlet 418. The inner tube 414 defines a passage that is generally coaxially positioned within and with the outer shell 402. A pre-vapor formulation reservoir 416 may be housed in the outer ring between the outer shell 402 and the inner tube 414.

In at least one example embodiment, the reservoir 416 contains a vapor precursor, and optionally a storage medium (e.g., a fibrous medium) configured to disperse, regulate, or both disperse and regulate the flow of the vapor precursor in the reservoir. For example, the storage medium may be a gauze packing layer surrounding the inner tube. The storage medium includes a gauze outer wrapper surrounding a gauze inner wrapper of the same or different material. In at least one example embodiment, the storage medium of the reservoir 416 is comprised of alumina ceramic in the form of loose particles, loose fibers, or woven or non-woven fibers, or alternatively, the storage medium is comprised of a cellulosic material, such as cotton or gauze material, or a polymeric material, such as polyethylene terephthalate in the form of loose fiber bundles.

The fibers of the storage media may have diameters ranging from about 6 microns to about 15 microns (e.g., about 8 microns to about 12 microns, or about 9 microns to about 11 microns). The storage medium may be a sintered, porous or foamed material. Additionally, the fibers may be sized to be unsuitable for air intake, and may have a cross-section that is Y-shaped, cross-shaped, clover-shaped, or any other suitable shape. In some example embodiments, the pre-vapor formulation reservoir 416 may include a filled tank that lacks any storage medium and contains only pre-vapor formulation.

The mouth end 315 includes a multiport insert 50 that may include an outlet 408 in fluid communication with an inner tube 414 that extends to an anode 452 of the second connector portion 40 b. The anode 452 may include a through bore 454 in fluid communication with the inner tube 414 at one end and in fluid communication with an air inlet (not shown) at an opposite end.

In at least some example embodiments, the cartridge 20 may further include a heating element 420, a wick 422, and electrode leads 424a and 424b that are configured to electrically couple the heating element 420 (alternatively referred to as a "heater") to a power source when the cartridge 20 is connected to a power supply segment, such as the power segment 30.

When the cartridge 20 is connected to the power section 30, the power source 60 may be operably connected to the heating element 420 to apply a voltage across the heating element 420. In addition, the power supply 60 provides power to a controller on the printed circuit board 72, as will be described in more detail.

Fig. 4A-4C illustrate example embodiments of a cartridge. Referring to fig. 4A, cartridge 20a includes an indicator 320 for indicating the amount of fluid remaining in reservoir 416 of cartridge 20. The displayed amount may be similar to the amount of fluid remaining in reservoir 416. In one example, a fully powered indicator 320 may represent a fully filled reservoir. Alternatively, a fully powered indicator 320 may represent a fully depleted reservoir. For example, in the configuration of the example embodiment, if the pre-vapor formulation in the cartridge 20 is depleted, the indicator 320 may be configured to be fully powered. In another configuration of the example embodiment, the indicator 320 may be configured to be fully powered if the cartridge 20a is filled with the pre-vapor formulation. In another configuration of the example embodiment, if the cartridge 20a is partially filled, the indicator 320 may be configured to be partially powered. The controller 70 controls the power delivered to the indicator 320 according to the amount of pre-vapor formulation in the reservoir.

In fig. 4A, cartridge 20a is shown having a multi-port insert 50 at a mouth end 315, a second connector portion 40b at a connector end 305, and a housing 402. The indicator 320 is disposed longitudinally on the surface of the barrel 20 a. The indicator 320 may have an elongated shape and extend longitudinally along the longitudinal axis of the barrel 20 a. In this example, the indicator 320 is shown as a single display; however, embodiments should not be limited to this example. Indicator 320 may be configured to display a similar representation of the amount of fluid remaining in cartridge 20 a. Further, indicator 320 may include a plurality of discrete indicators, where each indicator may be configured to receive power independent of the other discrete indicators. The amount of power received by the discrete indicator may be similar to the amount of pre-vapor formulation remaining in the cartridge 20 a.

FIG. 4B illustrates another example embodiment of a cartridge.

Referring to fig. 4B, the cartridge 310 is similar to the cartridge 20a, but the cartridge 310 includes an indicator 312 at an end thereof. The indicator 312 may encircle the entire circumference of the cartridge 310, partially encircle the circumference of the cartridge 310, or intermittently encircle the circumference of the cartridge 310. According to at least one example embodiment, the indicator 312 is configured to display a plurality of discrete segments 312a of the indicator 312, wherein the discrete segments 312a are configured to each independently receive a voltage from the power section 30 when the cartridge 310 is connected to the power section 30. Each of the discrete segments 312a may be powered simultaneously with, but independently of, the remainder of the discrete segment. For example, discrete segment 312a is shown receiving power and second discrete segment 312b is shown without power. The discrete segments are discussed in more detail below.

Various methods may be used to determine the order in which the discrete segments may be powered, and will not be discussed in detail herein. The indicator 312 is configured to provide an indication of how much pre-vapor formulation remains in the reservoir of the cartridge. The operation of the indicator will be discussed in detail below.

Referring to fig. 4C, the cartridge 330 is similar to the cartridge 20a, but the cartridge 330 includes an indicator 322. The indicator 322 may be unitary and may include a charged material 322a and an uncharged material 322 b.

The indicator 322 may be, and is not limited to, electronic paper ("e-paper"), an organic light emitting diode ("O L ED"), a light emitting diode, etc. the indicator 322 may have a singular configuration that may be configured to indicate a similar representation of the vapor precursor remaining in the reservoir.

The indicator segments 322a, 322b may be arranged in a row longitudinally along the barrel, in rows of dots, columns of broken line or other shaped lights circumferentially along the barrel, etc., in the shape of an indicator segment, multiple rings, different objects of different shapes, such as squares, circles, ovals, flowers, stars, trapezoids, rectangles, etc. The operation of the indicator 322 is discussed in more detail below.

Fig. 5 shows a block diagram of controller 70 according to an example embodiment. Fig. 6 is a schematic diagram showing the indicator control circuit 515 and the heater control circuit 515 in more detail.

As shown in fig. 5, controller 70 includes microprocessor 502, computer readable storage medium 505, indicator control circuit 515, heater control circuit 517, charge control circuit 520, Battery Management Unit (BMU)510, and pressure sensor 55 on circuit board 72. In an example embodiment, various components of controller 70 and microprocessor 502 communicate using a built-in integrated circuit (I2C) interface. In at least some example embodiments, the circuit board 72 also includes an external device input/output interface 530 for the external device 528. The I/O interface 530 may be, for example, a bluetooth interface.

The controller 70 controls the power section 30 and features of the entire e-vaping device 10, such as controlling the heating element 420, interfacing with the external charger 540, and monitoring the pressure within the e-vaping device 10 to determine whether an adult e-vaper has applied negative pressure. The controller 70 may be hardware, firmware, hardware executing software, or any combination thereof. For example, the controller 70 may be one or more Central Processing Units (CPUs), Digital Signal Processors (DSPs), one or more circuits, Application Specific Integrated Circuits (ASICs), Field Programmable Gate Arrays (FPGAs), computers configured as special purpose machines to perform the functions of the controller 70, and the like.

For example, if the controller 70 is a processor executing software, the controller 70 executes instructions stored in the computer-readable storage medium 505 to configure the controller 70 as a special-purpose machine.

As disclosed herein, the term "computer-readable storage medium" or "non-transitory computer-readable storage medium" may represent one or more devices for storing data, including Read Only Memory (ROM), Random Access Memory (RAM), magnetic RAM, core memory, magnetic disk storage media, optical storage media, flash memory devices, and other tangible machine-readable media for storing information. The term "computer-readable storage medium" can include, but is not limited to portable or fixed storage devices, optical storage devices, and various other media capable of storing, containing, or carrying one or both of instructions and data.

As shown in fig. 5, the power supply 60 supplies the voltage VBAT to internal circuits such as the microprocessor 502, the indicator control circuit 515, the heater control circuit 517, the pressure sensor 55, and the charge control circuit 520. Based on the voltage VBAT and data from the microprocessor 502 to the indicator control circuit 515, the indicator 312 generates a light or series of lights indicating the amount of pre-vapor formulation in the reservoir.

Indicator control circuit 515 and charge control circuit 520 are controlled by microprocessor 502 and transmit/receive data to/from microprocessor 502.

The heater control circuit 517 is configured to control the voltage supplied to the heating element 420 based on the pulse width modulated signal and the enable signal from the microprocessor 502. For example, when the microprocessor 502 detects that the cartridge 20 and the power section 30 are connected, the heater control circuit 517 is configured to monitor the voltage across the heating element 420 and the current through the heating element 420. The heater control circuit 517 is configured to feed back the monitored voltage and current through the heating element 420 to the microprocessor 502. The microprocessor 502 is then configured to adjust the pulse width modulated signal based on feedback from the heater control circuit 517. This operation will be described in more detail below with reference to fig. 6 and 7.

BMU 510 monitors the voltage VBAT generated by power supply 60. If voltage VBAT is within a set range (e.g., between 2.5V and 4.3V), BMU 510 supplies voltage VBAT to microprocessor 502. If voltage VBAT is not within the set range, BMU 510 prevents power from being supplied to microprocessor 502.

The microprocessor 502 includes a voltage regulator to convert the voltage VBAT to the supply voltage VDD. Microprocessor 502 supplies voltage VDD to pressure sensor 55, indicator 312, and heater 420.

The pressure sensor 55 may be a micro-electromechanical system (MEMS) sensor. The microprocessor 502 uses the MEMS pressure sensor 55, which includes the piezoelectric element 550, to determine whether an adult vaper has applied negative pressure to the e-vaping device 10. When the microprocessor 502 detects that the adult vaper applies negative pressure, the microprocessor 502 controls the heater control circuit 517 to initiate a heating process to cause the heating element 420 to generate vapor by vaporizing the pre-vapor formulation. The pressure sensor 55 is typically disposed at one end of the device and placed into a gasket that seals one side of the sensor from the other side of the sensor. For example, MEMS pressure sensor 55 may be a MS5637-02BA03 low voltage barometric pressure sensor. The gas flow sensor may be used in place of or in addition to a MEMS sensor.

As shown in fig. 6, the heater control circuit includes a voltage monitoring circuit 605 coupled to the microprocessor 502 through an interface 601a, and the voltage monitoring circuit 605 is coupled to the heating element 420 through an interface 602 a. The current monitoring circuit 610 is coupled to the microprocessor 502 through interface 601b and the current monitoring circuit 610 is coupled to the heating element 420 through interface 602 b. The pulse modulation circuit 615 is coupled to the microprocessor 502 via an interface 601c, and the pulse modulation circuit 615 is coupled to the heating element 420 via an interface 602 c. The indicator control circuit 515 is coupled to the microprocessor 502 via the interface 601d, and the indicator control circuit 515 is coupled to at least one of the possible plurality of indicator segments 312 via the interface 602 d. The indicator control circuit 515 is coupled to the heater control circuit 517 via the interface 603. Indicator control circuit 515 is coupled to one or several discrete segments. The interfaces 601a, 601b, and 601c may be one or more pins.

Heater control circuit 517 includes voltage monitoring circuit 605 and current monitoring circuit 610. The heater control circuit 517 also includes a pulse modulation circuit 615. It should be understood that the heater control circuit 517 may also include other circuits, but these other circuits have been omitted for the sake of brevity. The voltage monitoring circuit 605 may be a voltage detector. The current monitoring circuit 610 may be a current detector.

Fig. 7 shows an initialization process. The initialization process may be triggered in at least one of a number of different ways. For example, in some example embodiments, an initialization process may be triggered when the cartridge is connected to the power section. In other example embodiments, the initialization process may be triggered when an adult e-cigarette smoker applies negative pressure to the cartridge. In another example embodiment, the initialization process may be triggered when the e-vaping device is moved from a resting position. For exemplary purposes, the example embodiment shown in fig. 7 will be described with reference to the diagrams shown in fig. 5 and 6.

The initialization process results in a duty-cycle power supply being applied to the heating element 420. For example, the microprocessor 502 obtains the required power from the storage medium 505. The required power may be a design parameter that is empirically determined by the manufacturer and pre-stored in the storage medium 505.

Referring to fig. 7, at step S710, the controller 70 measures the voltage of the power supply 60 via the battery management unit 710 (which may be an analog-to-digital converter). At step S720, the controller 70 determines a duty ratio based on the measured voltage. At step S730, the controller 70 applies a duty cycle to the heating element 720. The determination and application of the duty cycle will be explained in more detail below with reference to fig. 8. Although the example embodiment is described with reference to the process shown in FIG. 7, any known initialization process may be used. U.S. patent application No. 15/191,778, which is incorporated by reference herein in its entirety, is an example of another initialization process that may be used with example embodiments.

FIG. 8 shows a flow diagram of an indicator control process according to an example embodiment.

Referring to fig. 8, in step S800, the controller 70 retrieves the resistance value of the heating element 420 from the storage medium 505. The resistance value may be stored in the storage medium 505 when the e-vaping device is manufactured. At step S805, the controller 70 determines the current duty ratio based on the battery voltage. For example, the microprocessor 502 obtains the required power from the storage medium 505. The required power may be a design parameter that is empirically determined by the manufacturer and pre-stored in the storage medium 505. In one example embodiment, the required power may be 3.9 watts. The microprocessor 502 also obtains the firing resistance R from the storage medium 505_start. Starting resistor R_startIs the assumed resistance of the heater 420. Starting resistor R_startMay be design parameters that are empirically determined by the manufacturer and pre-stored in the storage medium 505. In a fruitIn an example, the starting resistance may be about 3.5 ohms. The microprocessor 502 uses the measured battery voltage, the required power, and the firing resistance to determine the duty cycle (DR) (or duty ratio) according to the following equation:

wherein, DR_n-1Is the duty cycle, V, determined using equation (1)_BATIs the measured battery voltage.

For example, at step S807, the controller 70 bases on the current duty ratio DR_n-1The power applied to the heating element 420 is determined. Microprocessor 502 may calculate the applied Power (Power) using the following equation_Applied)：

Wherein, V_SampleIs the measured voltage, I_SampleIs the measured current across the heating element 420.

At step S810, the controller 70 determines a new duty cycle DR for applying power to the heating element 420_n. For example, the microprocessor 502 determines the new duty cycle according to the following equation:

other methods of determining duty cycle are disclosed in U.S. patent application No. 15/191,778, which is incorporated herein by reference in its entirety.

Referring back to fig. 6, for example, the voltage monitoring circuit 605 samples the filtered (e.g., averaged) voltage across the heating element 420 and the current monitoring circuit 610 samples the filtered (e.g., averaged) current through the heating element 420. The controller 70 receives a voltage measurement from the voltage measurement circuit 605 and a current measurement from the current measurement circuit 610. As will be appreciated, these and any other measurements received by the controller 70 may undergo analog-to-digital conversion. The controller 70 may store the measured voltage and the measured current in the storage medium 505.

The controller 70 stores the new duty cycle in the storage medium 505. The controller 70 continues to apply power to the heating element 420, but applies power according to the new duty cycle. For example, the microprocessor 502 controls the power modulation circuit 615 to provide a pulse width modulated power signal to the heating element 420 according to the new duty cycle.

At step S820, the controller 70 determines a difference between the current duty ratio and the new duty ratio to retrieve the duty ratio difference (Δ DR). Then at step S830, the controller retrieves the duty cycle threshold Δ DR from the medium 505_thresh. At step S840, the controller 70 compares Δ DR and Δ DR_threshA comparison is made. For example, if controller 70 determines that Δ DR is less than Δ DR_threshThe controller 70 returns to step S800. On the other hand, if the controller 70 determines that Δ DR is greater than Δ DR_threshAt step S850, the controller 70 controls the indicator based on Δ DR. Step S850 will be discussed in more detail below.

As will be appreciated, in the next iteration, the duty cycle DR_n-1Equal to the new duty cycle DR from the previous iteration_n. However, if the application of negative pressure has ended, the process ends.

In an example embodiment, the cycle time of the startup process and the cycle time of one iteration of the closed loop power control process may be set equal. Example embodiments, however, are not limited to these processes having the same start time. In one example embodiment, the cycle time may be about 60-80 ms. However, example embodiments are not limited to these values.

As will be appreciated, the method of fig. 7-8 is repeated during each application of negative pressure. In an example embodiment, after the first application of negative voltage, the firing resistance may be determined based on the last measured voltage across the heating element 420 divided by the last measured current applied to the heating element 420.

In an alternative embodiment, the processes of fig. 7-8 may be based on a desired voltage applied to the heating element 420, rather than a desired power. The required voltage may be empirically determined by the manufacturer and pre-stored in the storage medium 505 as design parameters. For example, rather than determining the new duty cycle according to equation (3), the new duty cycle may be determined according to equation (4) below:

in yet another alternative embodiment, the processes of fig. 7-8 may be based on a desired current, rather than a desired power, applied to the heating element 420. The required current may be a design parameter that is empirically determined by the manufacturer and pre-stored in the storage medium 505. For example, rather than determining the new duty cycle according to equation (3), the new duty cycle may be determined according to equation (5) below:

FIG. 9 shows a flow chart illustrating the indicator control process 850 of FIG. 8. At step S905, the Δ DR determined in step S820 above is either used directly after the determination, or retrieved from the storage medium 505. At step S910, Δ DR is retrieved from the storage medium 505_min. For example,. DELTA.DR_minIs a reference value on which the change of the indicator is performed. Therefore, at step S915, Δ DR and Δ DR are adjusted_minA comparison is made to determine if the benchmark is met.

If Δ DR is less than Δ DR_minThe process returns to the beginning. On the other hand, if Δ DR is greater than Δ DR_minThe controller 70 varies the power of the discrete segments in a single increment/decrement unit. For example, one unit may be equal to providing power to a new discrete segment 312a of the indicator 312. Any relationship between duty cycle and increment/decrement units may be determined by the manufacturer. For example, a twenty-five percent duty cycle may result in power being directed to all of the discrete segments 312 a. Further, a seventy-five percent duty cycle may result in power being directed to one discrete segment (or not to any discrete segment). Additionally, a fifty percent duty cycle may result in power being directed to half of the discrete segments.

According to the disclosure hereinBy way of example, it should be appreciated that upon determining Δ DR is greater than Δ DR_minThereafter, the controller 70 will reduce the power of the discrete segment.

At step S920, the increment/decrement counter is incremented by one when the power is incremented. At step S925, the total number of increments/decrements, e.g., the total number of all increments or decrements that occur from a cartridge, is stored in the storage medium 505. The increment/decrement total counter is later retrieved to determine how many discrete segments the controller should provide power for a new vaping session after the vaping session ends and when a new vaping session is initiated. For example, if there are ten discrete segments on the cartridge 20 and the increment/decrement counter has a value of five, then five discrete segments may be powered.

Another example embodiment is shown in fig. 10. FIG. 10 illustrates the process of updating the indicator of a cartridge with a static indicator (e.g., electronic paper) after the indicator has been adjusted, power to the indicator segment has been discontinued, and power to the discrete segment has been reestablished. At step S1005, the controller 70 obtains the increment/decrement total (I) from the storage medium 505. At step S1010, the controller 70 determines whether the duty ratio has changed. If there is no change, the process returns to S1005 and repeats. On the other hand, if the duty cycle has changed, the controller 70 increases or decreases the power to the indicator based on the new duty cycle as described above at step S1015.

In some example embodiments, the controller 70 may apply 100% duty cycle power to the heating element 420 for a short period of time (e.g., only a few milliseconds). This may occur when the multi-port insert 50 is attached or when negative pressure is first applied. The controller 70 measures the voltage and current across the heating element 420 and determines the resistance of the heating element 420. If the resistance is outside of the desired range, the multi-port insert 50 is identified as being invalid and no more power will be supplied to the multi-port insert 50. The desired range may be a design parameter that is empirically determined and stored in the storage medium 505. For example, the desired range may be about 2 to 5 ohms. The controller 70 may be configured to ignore any duty cycle outside of a certain range. For example, a one hundred percent duty cycle and a ten percent duty cycle may be ignored.

Another example embodiment is shown in fig. 11. FIG. 11 shows a process 1150 of updating an indicator of a cartridge based on a relationship between a duty cycle and an amount of power to be applied to the indicator.

The lookup table may be stored in the storage medium 505 (e.g., at the time of manufacture). The look-up table may contain a relationship matrix in which the amount of power applied to the indicator is related to a particular duty cycle. The values in the relationship matrix may be determined empirically prior to manufacturing the electronic vaping device 10. Alternatively, the relationship matrix may be uploaded to the storage medium 505 after manufacture.

As the duty cycle varies, the amount of power to the indicator also varies. For example, as shown in fig. 11, at step S1155, the microprocessor 502 obtains the current duty ratio from the storage medium 505. At step S1160, the microprocessor 502 determines whether a change in duty cycle has occurred based on the process discussed above with respect to fig. 8 and 9. If the microprocessor 502 determines that the duty ratio has not changed, the process returns to step S1155. At step S1165, the microprocessor 502 obtains the power to be applied to the indicator from a look-up table in the storage medium 505 based on the current duty ratio. At step 1170, the microprocessor 502 updates the indicator by adjusting the power to the indicator.

As described above, according to example embodiments, different vapor precursor formulations may be included in an e-vaping device. According to at least some example embodiments, the starting resistance (R)_START) May vary depending on the type of vapor precursor formulation contained in the e-vaping device. A pre-vapor formulation look-up table may be included in the e-vaping device. The pre-vapor formulation look-up table may include information specific to a particular type of pre-vapor formulation.

In some example embodiments, the storage medium 505 of the controller 70 within the power section 30 may include a look-up table with information regarding various different pre-vapor formulations. For example, a first type of vapor precursor may have a different electrical resistance than a second type of vapor precursor. For example, the cartridge 20 may be configured to communicate the type of vapor precursor formulation contained therein to the processor 502 via RFID, EPROM, resistor, or the like. The processor 502 may be selected fromLookup table retrieval resistance R in storage medium 505_STARTFor use in determining fluid levels as discussed herein.

In other example embodiments, processor 502 may determine R when the pre-vapor formulation information is not contained in the lookup table_START. For example, the cartridge 20 may include data indicative of the electrical resistance of a particular pre-vapor formulation within the cartridge 20. The processor 502 may be configured to retrieve (e.g., directly retrieve) data from the cartridge 20 relating to the resistance of a particular vapor precursor within the cartridge, and determine the fluid level accordingly. In these other example embodiments, data relating to the resistance of a particular pre-vapor formulation may be stored in hardware, such as an EPROM, or embodied in a resistor having a particular value at the cartridge 20 to indicate to the processor 502 the resistance of the pre-vapor formulation within the cartridge 20.

For example, in some example embodiments, processor 502 may retrieve the resistance value from the EPROM in cartridge 20, and may use the retrieved resistance value as discussed above to determine the fluid level.

Alternatively, in other example embodiments, the cartridge 20 may include an identification resistor having a resistance value that enables the processor 502 to determine the fluid level as described herein. For example, the processor 502 may apply a voltage to the identification resistor to determine a resistance value of the identification resistor, and then the processor 502 may determine the fluid level based on the determined resistance value as disclosed herein.

The foregoing description of the embodiments has been presented for purposes of illustration and description. The description is not intended to be exhaustive or to limit the disclosure. Individual elements or features of a particular embodiment are generally not limited to that particular embodiment, but, where applicable, are interchangeable and can be used in a selected embodiment, even if not specifically shown or described. The individual elements or features of a particular example embodiment may also be varied in a number of ways. Such variations are not to be regarded as a departure from the disclosure, and all such modifications are intended to be included within the scope of the disclosure.