Patent Publication Number: US-2023142151-A1

Title: Burning prediction and communications for an electronic cigarette

Description:
CROSS REFERENCE TO RELATED APPLICATION 
     This application is a Continuation application of U.S. application Ser. No. 16/894,152, filed on Jun. 5, 2020, which is a Divisional application of U.S. patent application Ser. No. 15/193,540, filed on Jun. 27, 2016, which is a Divisional application of U.S. patent application Ser. No. 14/280,299, filed on May 16, 2014, which claims priority under 35 U.S.C. § 119(e) to U.S. Provisional Application No. 61/825,304, filed on May 20, 2013, the entire contents of each of which are incorporated herein by reference. 
    
    
     BACKGROUND 
     An electronic cigarette (“e-cigarette” or “e-Cig”) is a device that emulates tobacco cigarette smoking, by producing smoke replacement (e.g. vapor or aerosol) that may be similar in its physical sensation, general appearance, and sometimes flavor (i.e., with tobacco fragrance, menthol taste, added nicotine etc.). The device may use heat, ultrasonic energy, or other means to vaporize/aerosolize a liquid (for example based on propylene glycol, or glycerin, for example including taste and fragrance ingredients) solution into an aerosol mist. The vaporization may be similar to nebulizer or humidifier vaporizing solutions for inhalation. The generated mist may be sensed similar to cigarette smoke. 
     A common problem in electronic cigarettes (“e-Cigs”) may be burning. Burning may occur when a cartridge filled with a liquid becomes empty. In other words, burning may occur when the liquid has evaporated or been vaporized as part of the e-Cig smoking process. Burning may result in bad taste and less pleasure when smoking. A smoker of an e-Cig may not be able to predict when the burning will occur. 
     SUMMARY 
     Disclosed herein is an electronic cigarette which comprises a battery portion which is operable to provide power to a heating element of the electronic cigarette, and a cartomizer coupled with the battery portion. The cartomizer comprises a liquid container which provides a liquid toward the heating element wherein the liquid is used for producing and flavoring a vapor of the electronic cigarette, the heating element generates the vapor from the liquid contained in the liquid container, and a memory which is operable to record and store an amount of the liquid remaining in the liquid container. 
     Also disclosed herein is an electronic cigarette which comprises a battery portion including a battery that provides power to a heating element of the electronic cigarette, and a cartomizer coupled with the battery portion. The cartomizer comprises the heating element which generates a vapor, a liquid container which provides a liquid to the heating element which is used to form the vapor, wherein the liquid is used for flavoring the vapor, and a temperature sensor for sensing the temperature of the heating element. 
     Additionally disclosed herein is an electronic cigarette which comprises a battery portion including a battery that provides power to a heating element of the electronic cigarette, and a cartomizer coupled with the battery portion. The cartomizer comprises the heating element which generates a vapor, the heating element including a heating coil which supplies the heat to a liquid delivered to the heating element when powered by the battery, a liquid container which delivers the liquid to the heating element, the liquid used for flavoring the vapor, and a coil resistance measurement system that measures the resistance of the heater coil during use of the electronic cigarette. 
    
    
     
       BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS 
       The system and method may be better understood with reference to the following drawings and description. Non-limiting and non-exhaustive embodiments are described with reference to the following drawings. The components in the drawings are not necessarily to scale, emphasis instead being placed upon illustrating principles of operation of the components. In the drawings, like referenced numerals designate corresponding parts throughout the different views. 
         FIG.  1    is a diagram of an electronic cigarette. 
         FIG.  2    is another diagram of an electronic cigarette. 
         FIG.  3    is a diagram of an electronic cigarette with a memory in the cartridge. 
         FIG.  4    is one embodiment of memory. 
         FIG.  5    is a diagram of an electronic cigarette with communications in the cartridge. 
         FIG.  6    is a circuit diagram for measuring coil resistance. 
         FIG.  7    is another diagram illustrating temperature measurement in an electronic cigarette. 
     
    
    
     DETAILED DESCRIPTION 
     The system and method described herein may solve the burning problem by cutting off power to the cartridge of the e-Cig or adjusting power to the cartridge of the e-Cig before burning occurs. The power to the cartridge may be stopped based on the residual liquid in the cartridge. This action may give the smoker more puffs per e-Cig. Smart algorithms may automatically adjust the power to the cartridge during smoking. 
     Subject matter will now be described more fully hereinafter with reference to the accompanying drawings, which form part of the specification hereof, and which show, by way of illustration, specific examples of embodiments disclosed herein. Subject matter may, however, be embodied in a variety of different forms and, therefore, covered or claimed subject matter is intended to be construed as not being limited to any example embodiments set forth herein as example embodiments are provided merely to be illustrative. Likewise, a reasonably broad scope for claimed or covered subject matter is intended. Among other things, for example, subject matter may be embodied as methods, devices, components, or systems. Accordingly, embodiments disclosed herein may, for example, take the form of hardware, software, firmware or any combination thereof (other than software per se). The following detailed description is, therefore, not intended to be taken in a limiting sense. 
     Throughout the specification and claims, terms may have nuanced meanings suggested or implied in context beyond an explicitly stated meaning. Likewise, the phrase “in one embodiment” as used herein does not necessarily refer to the same embodiment and the phrase “in another embodiment” as used herein does not necessarily refer to a different embodiment. It is intended, for example, that claimed subject matter include combinations of examples of embodiments disclosed herein in whole or in part. 
     In general, terminology may be understood at least in part from usage in context. For example, terms, such as “and”, “or”, or “and/or,” as used herein may include a variety of meanings that may depend at least in part upon the context in which such terms are used. Typically, “or” if used to associate a list, such as A, B or C, is intended to mean A, B, and C, here used in the inclusive sense, as well as A, B or C, here used in the exclusive sense. In addition, the term “one or more” as used herein, depending at least in part upon context, may be used to describe any feature, structure, or characteristic in a singular sense or may be used to describe combinations of features, structures or characteristics in a plural sense. Similarly, terms, such as “a,” “an,” or “the,” again, may be understood to convey a singular usage or to convey a plural usage, depending at least in part upon context. In addition, the term “based on” may be understood as not necessarily intended to convey an exclusive set of factors and may, instead, allow for existence of additional factors not necessarily expressly described, again, depending at least in part on context. 
     By way of introduction, an improvement to an electronic cigarette (“e-Cig”) may include detection of potential burning for burning reduction/elimination. In addition, the e-Cig may include temperature control. In one embodiment, a memory may be included with the cartomizer that records the liquid level for predicting when the liquid will run out. In addition to memory, a communication function may be provided on the cartomizer for communicating information, such as an amount of liquid remaining. The cartomizer may be disposable, but the memory can record the liquid level and allow for a cartomizer to be switched to different e-Cigs. The memory may store the accumulated operation time (as well as other parameters) that can be adapted by the e-Cig controller during smoking and may represent the age of the cartomizer of the e-Cig. Although commonly referred to as a smoker throughout, a user of an e-Cig may also be referred to as a vaper and the act of “smoking” may be referred to as vaping. Likewise, a non-electronic cigarette may be referred to as a “regular” or “standard” cigarette, but should be understood to include nonelectronic cigarettes. 
     Other systems, methods, features and advantages will be, or will become, apparent to one with skill in the art upon examination of the following figures and detailed description. It is intended that all such additional systems, methods, features and advantages be included within this description, be within the scope of the invention, and be protected by the following claims. Nothing in this section should be taken as a limitation on those claims. Further aspects and advantages are discussed below. 
       FIG.  1    is a diagram of an electronic cigarette. The “smoke” (e.g. vapor or aerosol) produced by an e-Cig is a created by turning (i.e. generating) a liquid (i.e. e-Liquid)  110  into mist (aerosol) and some vapor with an aerosol generator  112 . The cartomizer  113  may include the aerosol generator  112  and the e-Liquid  110  in a liquid container. The cartomizer  113  may also be referred to as a cartridge throughout this disclosure and may be disposable. The e-liquid  110  may have a high viscosity at room temperature to enable longer shelf life and reduce leakages; however, this high viscosity may reduce the vaporization rate. The e-Liquid  110  is vaporized via air flow  108 , generated by the inhalation of a user (i.e. the smoker, consumer or vaper), which produces a pressure difference that removes e-Liquid droplets from the e-Liquid  110 . In one embodiment, the e-Liquid  110  may be soaked in a wick. In order to reduce the e-Liquid viscosity, to a level enabling vaporization, external heat may be applied through a heating element  111  as further described below. In this embodiment, local viscosity reduction via heating, while inhalation occurs, enables e-Liquid vaporization in the inhalation-generated flow of air  108 . The e-Liquid  110  may be heated via an electric current flowing through the heating element  111  and may then be vaporized through the e-Cig wherein the e-Liquid  110  may contain tastes and aromas that create a smoking sensation. The controller  102  may be activated due to air flow  108  (from the inhaled air) passing a flow sensor  104 . The sensor  104  may be activated by the pressure drop across the sensor and may directly switch the battery  106  power on, or be used as an input for the controller  102  that then switches the battery  106  current on. Although illustrated as separate from the e-Cig, the controller  102  may be a part of the e-Cig (e.g. along with the battery  106 ). The battery  106  may be a separate/removable assembly. The battery  106  may include one or more electronic chips which control and communicate therewith. The battery  106  may connect with the cartomizer  113 , which can be replaced or changed (e.g. when a new/different e-Liquid  110  is desired). 
     The e-Cig may include two parts. The first part is often just referred to as the battery or battery portion (i.e. battery enclosure) and it includes the battery  106 , the air flow sensor  104  and the controller  102 . The second part is the cartridge (i.e. cartomizer  113 ) that is filled up with e-Liquid  110  and flavors that are required for smoke and flavor generation. The battery portion and the cartomizer  113 may be connected by metal connectors. An airflow tube of the battery enclosure and an airflow tube of the cartomizer  113 may enable the smoker to puff through the electronic cigarette and activate the airflow sensor  104  inside the battery portion. This may trigger the controller  102  and cause the heating element  111  (such as a wire heating coil) inside the cartridge to get hot, evaporate the e-Liquid that is in the cartomizer  113  and cause smoke (i.e. vapor) to be produced. The process is further explained in  FIG.  2   . 
       FIG.  2    is another diagram of an electronic cigarette.  FIG.  2    illustrates the battery portion  205  that includes the battery  206 , the airflow sensor  204  and the controller  202 . The battery portion  205  has a battery barrel  207  and a connector  208  that connects with the connector  210  of the cartridge  203 . The cartridge  203  includes wires  214  for a heating coil  216  along with e-Liquid  212 . The cartridge  203  may be disposable and replaceable, while the battery portion  205  may receive a new cartridge  203  whenever the e-Liquid of the former cartridge becomes depleted. When a new cartridge  203  is inserted (i.e. coupled to) into the battery portion  205  and the smoking action starts, the air flow sensor  204  detects the airflow and causes the controller  202  to activate the heating coil  216 . The controller  202  activates the heating coil  216  through the connectors  208  and  210  and the wires  214  thereby causing the e-Liquid  212  to evaporate and form smoke or vapor. 
       FIG.  3    is another diagram of an electronic cigarette according to another embodiment. This embodiment may include an estimation mechanism to estimate the amount of e-Liquid  212  or residual e-Liquid  212  in the cartridge  203 . As burning is directly connected to the amount of e-Liquid  212  in the cartridge  203 , the knowledge or estimation of the e-Liquid in the cartridge  203  enables the controller  202  to adapt the power supplied to the heating coil  216  of the cartridge  203  such that burning is mitigated, or to alert a user that the cartomizer  113 should be disposed when there is not enough e-Liquid in the cartridge  203 . When a new cartridge  203  is connected to the battery portion  205  and the smoking action starts, the air flow sensor  204  may detect the airflow and cause the controller  202  to read memory  301  that is in the cartridge  203 . In one example, the memory  301  may be one bit non-volatile memory. The data that the controller  202  reads from the memory  301  may include the information about the residual smoking capability of the cartridge  203 . This smoking capability information may include any of the exemplary parameters: residual e-Liquid  212 , cartridge  203  manufacturing date, and cartridge  203  first smoking date as well as other statistical information. When the smoking action starts, the controller  202  measures and accumulates the actual power over time that the heating coil  216  gets, adds the result to the information from the memory, and stores the new data on the memory. In each sequence the controller  202  adapts the power to the heating coil  216  according to the data such that burning may be mitigated. For example, based on the last smoke data, if there is less e-Liquid, or the time from the first smoke is longer, or the original manufacturing date of the cartridge  203  is earlier, then the power to the heating coil  216  may be lower. When the data on the memory  301  approaches a value that represents a status wherein the smoke amount that may be generated due to the residual e-Liquid, or to the residual power in the battery  206  is less than the minimum defined, then the controller  202  may write obsolete code to the memory  301  and prevent the smoking action. When a cartridge  203  with obsolete code is plugged into the battery portion  205 , smoking of the electronic cigarette may not be enabled by the controller  202 . 
       FIG.  4    is one embodiment of (one bit) memory. Other embodiments and memory types/sizes are possible. The electronics signals to a heating element such as heating coil  490  in a normal puff sequence may be based on a pulse width modulation (“PWM”) control method. A normal puff time  472  may be about 2 seconds, and in this period, the control signals to the heating coil  490  are detailed in the blowup  473 , that shows PWM over a small portion of time. The actual PWM  475  period may normally be about 10 milliseconds. Switches  410  and  420  are solid state switches that may be transistors or field-effect transistors (“FEY”) or other electronic switching technology. A resistor  430  is used for heating coil  490  current measurements during operation of the heating coil  490 . A resistor  440  is used for reading the one bit memory data when the power  400  is not supplied to the heating coil  490  through resistor  430 . The resistor  430  is preferably a low value resistance resistor with respect to the resistor  440  which is preferably a high value resistor. A battery  400  powers a controller  450  and the heating coil  490 , through the small value resistor  430  and the through switch  410  in a normal smoking mode. A memory chip (as used herein memory)  480  is preferably a one bit memory. The memory  480  may receive the supply voltage from the heating coil  490  power while smoking. This voltage passes to a capacitor  470  through a resistor  460 , and charges the capacitor  470 . When power supplied to the heating coil  490  stops, the one bit memory chip  480  may receive the power from the capacitor  470 . The controller  450  sends data to the memory chip  480  by toggling the switch  410  in high frequency. This toggling may be fast and lasts for a short time and therefore does not activate the heating coil  490  to a level which increases the heat of the heating coil  490 . The controller  450  reads data from the memory  480  by asserting the switch  410  open, closing switch  420  and reading the voltage on the high value resistor  440 . The read/write operation may be fast and take less than about a millisecond. This operation, compared to the normal operation of the PWM sequence of the heating coil  490  (tens of milliseconds per cycle) is faster as shown through the operation of the coil, and also between smoking. Counting the accumulating power to the cartridge during its life may allow for a prediction of the complete end of life of the cartridge  203  so that the cartridge  203  may be disposed in advance of burning. The disposal process may include writing information to its memory. 
       FIG.  5    is a diagram of an electronic cigarette with communications in a cartridge  590 . This embodiment may be based on estimation mechanism to residual e-Liquid  563  in the cartridge  590 . As burning is directly connected to the amount of e-Liquid  563  in the cartridge  590 , the knowledge or estimation of the e-Liquid  563  in the cartridge  590  enables the controller  520  to adapt the power to the cartridge  590 , or dispose of the cartridge completely when there is not enough e-Liquid  563  in the cartridge  590 . When a new cartridge  590  is connected to a battery enclosure  585  via connectors  560  and wires  570  and the smoking action starts, the air flow sensor  510  detects the airflow and causes the controller  520  to read the wireless memory  540  that is in the cartridge  590 . The read action is performed using a wireless transmitter/receiver  521  and an antenna  587  which it requires for the short distance transmission. The memory  540  may be a wireless memory in one embodiment (e.g. radio-frequency identification “RFID” technology) or may be based on near field communication (“NFC”) technology, or other similar wireless memory technology that may not require a power source to be physically connected to the memory  540 . The data that the controller  520  reads from the memory  540  may contain the information about the residual smoking capability of the cartridge  590 . This smoking capability information may be a combination of the following parameters: residual e-Liquid  563 , cartridge  590  manufacturing date, cartridge  590  first smoking date, expiration date and other statistical information. When the smoking action starts, the controller  520  measures and accumulates the actual power over time supplied by the battery  530  to the heating coil  580  by measuring the voltage and the current that the heating coil  580  gets, adds the result to the information of the memory  540 , and stores the new data in the memory  540 . In each sequence the controller  520  adapts the power supplied to the heating coil  580  from the battery  530  according to the last smoke data, such that when there is less liquid, or the time from the first smoke is longer, or the original manufacturing day of the cartridge is earlier, then the power supplied to the heating coil  580  is lowered. When the data of the memory  540  approaches a value that represents a status wherein the amount of smoke that may be generated due to the amount of residual e-Liquid in the cartridge  590  or to the amount of residual power in the battery  530  is less than a defined minimum, then the controller  520  may write obsolete code to the memory  540 . Whenever a cartridge  590  with obsolete code is plugged into a battery  530 , then smoking will not be enabled by the controller  520 . Counting the accumulating power to a cartridge  590  during its life may be used to predict the complete end of life of the cartridge  590  and signal to a user to dispose of the cartridge  590  by writing information (obsolete code) to its memory  540  such that smoking will not be enabled by the controller  520 . 
     The memory  540  may be based on short range wireless technology such as NFC. The RF part such as the wireless transmitter  521  in the battery barrel  550  of the electronic cigarette may match the same frequency as the memory  540  of the cartridge  590  and require a short antenna  587  because of the physically close position of the wireless transmitter  521  to the memory  540  and the electrical connection between the battery  530  and the heating coil  580  of the cartridge  563 . The memory  540  may also require only a short antenna, and in some cases may be used without an antenna at all. The memory  540  may be embedded in one of the plastic parts of the cartridge  590 , or implemented as a sticker that wraps on or sticks to the cartridge  590 . 
     Another embodiment disclosed herein includes protecting the burning operation by measuring the heating coil temperature. In this embodiment, if the coil or the coil environment temperature increases above a certain level, then, the power to the heating coil stops. There may be at least two methods for detecting the temperature:  1 ) by controlling temperature as described with respect to the e-Cig of  FIG.  2    and described below; and  2 ) the method described below with respect to  FIGS.  6  and  7   . 
     The heating coil  216 , referring now back to  FIG.  2   , may be made of metal with an initial resistance at room temperature. While smoking, electric power is driven into the heating coil  216  which causes the heating coil  216  to increase in temperature which thereby changes the resistance of the heating coil  216 . If the cartridge  203  is filled up with e-Liquid  212 , then the heating coil  216  temperature may have the maximum temperature at the boiling point of the e-Liquid  212 . When the e-Liquid  212  is evaporated and not enough e-Liquid  212  is present on or in close proximity to the heating coil  216 , then the heating coil  216  temperature will increase, according to the following formula: 
         R ( T )= R   0 [1+α( T−T   0 )]
 
     wherein R(T) is the resistance of the heating coil  216  at high temperature, R 0  is the resistance of the heating coil  216  at room temperature, T 0  is room temperature, α is the temperature coefficient of the heating coil material, and T is the heating coil  216  temperature during smoking. When T increases above a certain value, R will also increase, whereupon a controller  202  will stop the power from the battery  206  to the heating coil  216 . One method for measuring the heating coil  216  resistance is described with respect to  FIG.  6   . 
     As shown in  FIG.  6   , a controller  610  supplies power to the heating coil  620  from a battery (not shown) through a low resistance resistor  630 . The two voltage points on the resistor  630  can be measured using an analog to digital converter. The voltage points can be subtracted from each other by the controller wherein the result is divided by the resistance Ro of the heating coil  620  to find the current through the heating coil  620 . The voltage across the heating coil  620  may be calculated by subtracting the analog input voltage V 2  from V 3 . The result of which can be divided by the aforementioned current result which will give the heating coil  620  resistance. Those measurements are performed during the smoking action, while the heating coil  620  temperature is varying. Therefore the controller  610  may take many measurements and monitor the heating coil  620  resistance such that the R(T) resistance of the heating coil  620  does not exceed the maximum resistance. The changing of the heating coil  620  resistance as a result of temperature changes is noisy process and the results may therefore vary. Accordingly, the controller  610  may average many samples of the coil resistance R(T) at different times. According to the formula: 
         R ( T )= R   0 [1+α(T−T 0 )]
 
     The controller may calculate the resistance of the heating coil  620  also at room temperature and then calculate the actual heating coil  620  temperature. 
     Referring now to  FIG.  7    is a diagram illustrating a second method for temperature measurement in an electronic cigarette. In this embodiment, wires  770  are made from the same material as a heating coil  780  and may become heated with a reference to the heating coil  780  current. A temperature sensor (e.g. thermocouple)  791  is connected to a connector  740  of a battery portion  785  of the electronic cigarette. The connector  740  is made of metal and may be connected to a connector  560  of the cartridge  790  that is also a metal part. Metals transfer heat, so the heating coil  780  that is connected to wires  770  (which are made of metal), to the connector  560 , and to the connector  740  causes the temperature sensor (e.g. thermocouple)  791  to increase in heat as well. The temperature at the temperature sensor  791  may be less than the heating coil  780  temperature, but may still give a good indication to the controller  720  of the coil temperature. The temperature sensor  791  may be connected to the controller  720  and may be measured during smoking. The relationship between the temperature that is sensed by the temperature sensor  791  and the heating coil  780  temperature may be different between different cigarette assemblies and can be found out through experimentation of each assembly. While smoking, the air sensor  710  detects air flow and the controller  720  samples the temperature values of the heating coil  780  and compares the temperature values to a stored value which can be used to suggest that the heating coil  780  temperature is coming close to a burning point. When this value is reached, the controller  720  stops the power from the battery  730  to the heating coil  780  of the e-Cig  763 . In one example the user is notified by changing a LED  795  light color, or any other method, such as sound. 
     Another embodiment of a system as disclosed herein may utilize a temperature sensing method as described in any of the previous embodiments for close loop control over the heating coil temperature. During the smoking action, the temperature of the heating coil may be sensed through changes in resistance thereof. If the temperature of the heating coil, as being sensed by a resistance method or a temperature sensor, increases, then the controller can reduce the power supplied from the battery to the heating coil, and if the temperature of the heating coil reduces, then the controller can increase the power supplied from the battery to the heating coil. 
     Placing memory inside a disposable cartridge of the e-Cig may be used to provide additional applications, including storing smoking habits of a user, manufacturing date, etc. The age of the cartridge may also be useful to store for guaranteeing freshness. Electrically storing the manufacturing date or storing the opening date of the cartridge may be one way of protecting a smoker. Using the NFC technology on the cartridge may allow for communication with mobile phones or other computing devices. The memory may be part of the NFC chip. 
     A “computer-readable medium,” “machine readable medium,” “propagated- signal” medium, and/or “signal-bearing medium” may comprise any device that includes, stores, communicates, propagates, or transports software for use by or in connection with an instruction executable system, apparatus, or device. The machine-readable medium may selectively be, but not limited to, an electronic, magnetic, optical, electromagnetic, infrared, or semiconductor system, apparatus, device, or propagation medium. A non-exhaustive list of examples of a machine-readable medium would include: an electrical connection “electronic” having one or more wires, a portable magnetic or optical disk, a volatile memory such as a Random Access Memory “RAM”, a Read-Only Memory “ROM”, an Erasable Programmable Read-Only Memory (EPROM or Flash memory), or an optical fiber. A machine-readable medium may also include a tangible medium upon which software is printed, as the software may be electronically stored as an image or in another format (e.g., through an optical scan), then compiled, and/or interpreted or otherwise processed. The processed medium may then be stored in a computer and/or machine memory. 
     In an alternative embodiment, dedicated hardware implementations, such as application specific integrated circuits, programmable logic arrays and other hardware devices, can be constructed to implement one or more of the methods described herein. Applications that may include the apparatus and systems of various embodiments can broadly include a variety of electronic and computer systems. One or more embodiments described herein may implement functions using two or more specific interconnected hardware modules or devices with related control and data signals that can be communicated between and through the modules, or as portions of an application-specific integrated circuit. Accordingly, the present system encompasses software, firmware, and hardware implementations. 
     The illustrations of the embodiments described herein are intended to provide a general understanding of the structure of the various embodiments. The illustrations are not intended to serve as a complete description of all of the elements and features of apparatus and systems that utilize the structures or methods described herein. Many other embodiments may be apparent to those of skill in the art upon reviewing the disclosure. Other embodiments may be utilized and derived from the disclosure, such that structural and logical substitutions and changes may be made without departing from the scope of the disclosure. Additionally, the illustrations are merely representational and may not be drawn to scale. Certain proportions within the illustrations may be exaggerated, while other proportions may be minimized. Accordingly, the disclosure and the figures are to be regarded as illustrative rather than restrictive.