Patent Description:
Electronic aerosol provision systems such as heating products are configured to release one or more compounds by heating, but not burning, a substrate material to generate an aerosol for user inhalation. Generally, the heating products are configured to heat a portion of tobacco or a tobacco derived product (e.g., reconstituted tobacco) to generate the aerosol. The substrate material is usually formed into a rod which is typically surrounded by a paper layer and includes a mouthpiece end, which is an end that the user inhales on (i.e., puts in their mouth) during use. These rods are broadly similar in appearance to combustible cigarettes. The rods are inserted into the aerosol provision device and electrical power is subsequently supplied to the heating element, from a power source such as a battery, to aerosolise portions of the solid substrate in the vicinity of the heating element. Such devices are usually provided with one or more air inlet holes located away from where the user inhales on the system. When a user inhales / sucks on the mouthpiece end of the rods, air is drawn in through the inlet holes, through the rod and past the substrate source. There is a flow path connecting between the aerosol source and an opening in the mouthpiece so that air drawn past the aerosol source continues along the flow path to the mouthpiece opening, carrying some of the aerosol from the aerosol source with it. The aerosol-carrying air exits the aerosol provision system through the mouthpiece for inhalation by the user.

Such rods are formed of low cost components and are generally designed to be thrown away after use (i.e., after the aerosolisable material has been aerosolised). Because the rods are generally reasonably inexpensive to manufacture, any rod of the correct size can be used with the aerosol provision device. However, this has led to counterfeit rods being manufactured in order to be used with the aerosol provision device. These counterfeit rods may not adhere to the strict manufacturing or distributing regulations normally imposed on genuine rods, which can lead to poor quality rods being sold to consumers and used with aerosol provision devices.

Various approaches are described which seek to help address some of these issues.

<CIT> discloses an example of a vaporizer and vaporizer systems having a cartridge comprising a cartridge memory.

<CIT> discloses a vaporizer apparatus for a compressed tablet formed from a plant source material containing medicinal ingredients of therapeutic efficacy. In an embodiment, the apparatus includes: a holder for a compressed tablet; a microprocessor; a controlled air flow; and a controlled heat source; wherein the microprocessor is adapted to control the air flow and the heat source to vaporize the compressed tablet received in the compressed tablet holder at a desired rate. In another embodiment, the vaporizer apparatus includes a carousel for receiving a disc cartridge containing packaged compressed tablets. In still another embodiment, the vaporizer apparatus is adapted to recognize a type of compressed tablet placed into the holder, and to control an air flow and a heat source based on selected therapeutic compounds desired to be released from the recognized type of compressed tablet.

<CIT> discloses a method of controlling operation of an inhaling device, the inhaling device comprising a gas flow path through which gas can be drawn by the action of a user puff, a gas flow sensor within the gas flow path and a memory, the method comprising: recording gas flow measurements from the gas flow sensor; comparing the gas flow measurements with the user puff signature stored in memory to provide a correlation score; and enabling or disabling further operation of the device based on a value of the correlation score. This method allows an inhaling device, such as an electrically operated smoking device or a medical inhaler to authenticate a user of the device based on a detected puffing behaviour.

<CIT> discloses a heating apparatus for heating a cavity inside a chamber. A capsule containing smokeable material may include a readable RFID tag.

<CIT> discloses a smoking system comprising a smoking set and a smoke cartridge used in cooperation with the smoking set, the smoking set comprises a microcontroller and an execution part and a smoke cartridge reading part which are electrically connected with the microcontroller, the execution part comprises a heating part used for heating the smoke cartridge to generate smoke, and the smoke cartridge comprises a smoke cartridge information carrier carrying the smoke cartridge. The smoke cartridge reading part is configured to obtain smoke cartridge information from the smoke cartridge information carrier, and the microcontroller controls whether the heating part can conduct a heating motion or not according to the smoke cartridge information or whether the heating part can conduct the heating motion or not according to a heating condition corresponding to the smoke cartridge information.

<CIT> discloses a control body and cartridge that are coupleable with one another to form an aerosol delivery device are provided. The control body comprises a control component and an RFID reader contained within at least one housing. The cartridge comprises at least one heating element and an RFID tag contained within at least one housing. The RFID reader of the control body is coupled to the control component of the control body and configured to communicate with the RFID tag of the cartridge upon coupling of the control body with the cartridge. The control component of the control body is configured to authorize the cartridge for use with the control body based at least in part on communication between the RFID reader and the RFID tag.

According to a first aspect of certain embodiments there is provided an aerosol provision system for generating aerosol for user inhalation, the system comprising: an aerosol generating article comprising an aerosolisable material, the aerosolisable material being a solid or a gel; and a control unit having a receptacle configured to receive the aerosol generating article, wherein the control unit is configured, in use, to generate aerosol from the aerosolisable material, wherein the aerosol generating article includes a data storage unit configured to store an identifier identifying the aerosol generating article, and wherein the control unit is configured to receive the identifier from the data storage unit and, based on the received identifier, cause the control unit to perform an action.

According to a second aspect of certain embodiments there is provided an aerosol provision device for generating aerosol for user inhalation from an aerosol generating article comprising an aerosolisable material, the aerosolisable material being a solid or a gel and the aerosol generating article including a readable data storage unit configured to store an identifier identifying the aerosol generating article, and wherein the aerosol provision device comprises; a control unit having a receptacle configured to receive the aerosol generating article, wherein the control unit is configured, in use, to generate aerosol from the aerosolisable material, wherein the control unit is configured to perform an action based on an identifier received from the data storage unit of the aerosol generating article.

According to a third aspect of certain embodiments there is provided an aerosol generating article comprising: an aerosolisable material, the aerosolisable material being a solid or a gel; and a readable data storage unit configured to store an identifier identifying the aerosol generating article.

According to a fourth aspect of certain embodiments there is provided a method of identifying an aerosol generating article for use with an aerosol provision device for generating aerosol for user inhalation, the method comprising: receiving, from the readable data storage unit of an aerosol generating article comprising a solid or gel aerosolisable material, an identifier identifying the aerosol generating article; and causing the control unit to perform an action based on the received identifier.

According to a fifth aspect of certain embodiments there is provided an aerosol provision system for generating aerosol for user inhalation, the system comprising: aerosol generating means comprising an aerosolisable material, the aerosolisable material being a solid or a gel; and control means having a receptacle configured to receive the aerosol generating means, wherein the control unit is configured, in use, to generate aerosol from the aerosol generating means, wherein the aerosol generating means includes data storage means configured to store an identifier identifying the aerosol generating means, and wherein the control means is configured to receive the identifier from the data storage means and, based on the received identifier, cause the control means to perform an action.

It will be appreciated that features and aspects of the invention described above in relation to the first and other aspects of the invention are equally applicable to, and may be combined with, embodiments of the invention according to other aspects of the invention as appropriate, and not just in the specific combinations described above.

The present disclosure relates to an aerosol provision system, and more specifically to a heating product which is configured to release one or more compounds by heating, but not burning, a substrate material. The substrate material is an aerosolisable material which may be for example tobacco or other non-tobacco products, which may or may not contain nicotine. Substrate materials, which also may be referred to herein as aerosol generating materials, are materials that are capable of generating aerosol for example when heated, irradiated or energized in any other way. A substrate material may be in the form of a solid or gel which may or may not contain nicotine and/or flavourants. In some embodiments the substrate material may comprise a vapour or aerosol generating agent or a humectant, such as glycerol, propylene glycol, triacetin or diethylene glycol. As used herein, the terms "flavour" and "flavourant" refer to materials which, where local regulations permit, may be used to create a desired taste or aroma in a product for adult consumers.

The present disclosure relates to the identification of an aerosol generating article for use with an aerosol provision device. The aerosol generating article comprises a solid or gel aerosolisable material and is generally arranged to provide enough aerosol for the duration of a session, which may be between <NUM> to <NUM> inhalations / puffs, although some implementations may allow for up to <NUM> or <NUM> puffs depending upon the application at hand. Once consumed, the aerosol generating article is disposed of and replaced with a fresh aerosol generating article. The aerosol generating article comprises a small number of relatively inexpensive components to reduce the cost of the article per available puff.

The aerosol generating article comprises a data storage unit which is configured to store an identifier therein. The identifier can be read by an aerosol provision device when the aerosol generating article is located in / coupled to the aerosol provision device, thus enabling the aerosol provision device to be aware of the aerosol generating article installed. This allows the aerosol provision device the potential to respond to the aerosol generating article to be used with the device, which might include altering the way in which the aerosol generating article is heated, or whether or not the aerosol generating article is permitted to be heated. The use of a data storage unit has numerous advantages. It allows for the aerosol generating article to, visually, look the same as any other but enables identifiers to be associated with the specific aerosol generating article. These identifiers can only be read / interpreted by an appropriate reader (e.g., unlike visual markings which could be read by a reader and a human). Moreover, the use of a data storage unit means that data can be stored securely and, in some cases, may even be encrypted to reduce the chance of counterfeit aerosol generating articles being provided with a genuine identifier.

<FIG> schematically shows, in perspective view, an example of an aerosol generating article <NUM> according to principles of the present disclosure. The aerosol generating article <NUM> comprises an aerosolisable material <NUM>, a substrate layer <NUM>, a mouthpiece <NUM>, and a data storage unit <NUM>.

As shown in <FIG>, the aerosol generating article <NUM> has a generally cylindrical shape. The size of the aerosol generating article <NUM> is approximately <NUM> in length (along an x-direction) and approximately <NUM> in diameter (along a y- / z-direction), although the aerosol generating article <NUM> may have different dimensions and shapes in different implementations. The aerosol generating article <NUM> is intended to generate aerosol for user inhalation.

The aerosol generating article <NUM> includes aerosolisable material <NUM> which, in the present example, is given as reconstituted tobacco, although it should be appreciated that any of the solid or gel aerosolisable materials discussed above may be used as the aerosolisable material <NUM> in other implementations. The formation and processing of the aerosolisable material (reconstituted tobacco in the present example) is not the subject of this disclosure and so is not discussed further herein. In the present example, the reconstituted tobacco is formed into a generally rod-shaped / cylindrical element, and around the outer surface of the reconstituted tobacco rod <NUM> is wrapped a substrate layer <NUM>. The substrate layer <NUM> in this example is made of paper, but other materials such as card or metal foil (e.g., aluminium foil) may also be used in other implementations. In this example, the substrate layer <NUM> acts as a physical barrier between the reconstituted tobacco <NUM> and the external environment, thereby improving the handling of the aerosol generating article <NUM> by a user. Additionally, the substrate layer <NUM> may act as an outer wrap to retain the cylindrical rod shape of the reconstituted tobacco <NUM>.

The cylindrical rod has a proximal end 10a and a distal end 10b. In the present example, a mouthpiece <NUM> is located at the proximal end 10a. The mouthpiece <NUM> is the part of the aerosol generating article <NUM> that engages with the lips of a user - in other words, the user places their lips around the mouthpiece <NUM> during use of the aerosol generating article <NUM>, as explained further below. In some implementations, the substrate layer <NUM> may be formed of multiple sub-layers stacked one on top of the other (i.e., in the radial direction of article <NUM>), where at least one of the sub-layers extends the entire length of the aerosol generating article <NUM> and is wrapped around both the aerosolisable material <NUM> and the mouthpiece <NUM> to retain the mouthpiece <NUM> at the proximal end 10a of the aerosol generating article <NUM>. The mouthpiece <NUM> may be formed of any suitable porous material that is air permeable, e.g., a filter material such as cellulose acetate, a sponge, etc. It should be appreciated however that the mouthpiece <NUM> is optional and in some implementations the mouthpiece <NUM> is omitted.

The aerosol generating article <NUM> further includes a data storage unit <NUM> which, in this implementation, is positioned on an outer surface of the aerosol generating article <NUM>. More specifically, the data storage unit <NUM> is located on an outer surface of the substrate layer <NUM>. In the present implementation, the data storage unit <NUM> is an approximately cuboidal box having various circuitry located therein, which may include a plurality of transistors suitable for storing data. The data storage unit <NUM> is affixed to the outer surface of the substrate layer <NUM>, e.g., via a suitable adhesive. However, in other implementations, the data storage unit <NUM> may be located within the aerosol generating article <NUM> as opposed to on an outer surface of the layer <NUM>. For example, the data storage unit <NUM> may be located between two sub-layers of the substrate layer <NUM>, or embedded in the aerosol forming material <NUM> or mouthpiece <NUM>. In some further implementations, the data storage unit <NUM> may be integrally formed with a component of the aerosol generating article <NUM>, e.g., the layer <NUM>. The data storage unit <NUM> may be integrally formed during manufacture of the layer <NUM>, for example. The data storage unit <NUM> is configured to store an identifier which is related to the identity of the aerosol generating article <NUM>. This is explained in more detail below. It should be appreciated that while only one data storage unit <NUM> is shown in <FIG>, the aerosol generating article <NUM> may be provided with one or more data storage units <NUM>, each having an identifier (which might be the same identifier for each data storage unit or different identifiers, e.g., two or more different identifiers).

<FIG> schematically shows, in cross section, an aerosol provision system <NUM> in accordance with principles of the present disclosure. The aerosol provision system <NUM> includes the aerosol generating article <NUM> of <FIG> in addition to an aerosol provision device <NUM> (sometimes referred to herein as device part <NUM>). The aerosol provision device <NUM> includes a housing <NUM>, a power cell <NUM>, a control circuitry <NUM>, a receptacle <NUM> sized to receive the aerosol generating article <NUM> of <FIG>, a vaporiser which in this example takes the form of a heater <NUM> positioned adjacent the receptacle <NUM> and forming at least a part of the inner surface of the receptacle <NUM>, and a data reader <NUM>.

<FIG> is described with respect to the reference frame as indicated on the right-hand side of the Figure; however, it should be appreciated that this reference frame is arbitrary and any other reference frame may be used to describe the various orientations and positions of the components of the aerosol provision device <NUM>.

The aerosol provision device <NUM> includes a housing <NUM> which defines the outer surface of the device <NUM>. The housing <NUM> in this example is approximately cuboidal and may have a height in the x-direction of approximately <NUM>, a width in the y-direction of approximately <NUM>, and a thickness in the z-direction of approximately <NUM> to <NUM>. The corners of the housing are slightly rounded in this example to provide a sleeker appearance and a more ergonomic design. However, it should be appreciated that in other implementations the housing <NUM> may take a different shape / size.

Inside the housing <NUM> is provided a power cell <NUM>. The power cell <NUM> in this example is a rechargeable battery, such as a Lithium Ion battery, which can be recharged when the device <NUM> is appropriately coupled to an external power source. The power cell <NUM> is configured to supply electrical power to the control circuitry <NUM>, and ultimately the heater <NUM>, during use of the device <NUM>. The control circuitry <NUM> is coupled to the power cell <NUM> via any suitable form of electrical coupling, such as via wires 34a as shown in <FIG>.

The control circuitry <NUM> is responsible for controlling a number of functions of the device <NUM>. For example, the control circuitry <NUM> may control the power supply to the heater <NUM>, the charging of the power cell <NUM> from an external source (e.g., via connection of an external power supply with a USB / microUSB port located in the housing <NUM>, or via an induction based charging mechanism), or any other functionality such as data communication to a host computer (e.g., a personal PC, smartphone, etc.). The control circuitry <NUM> may include a (micro)controller, processor, ASIC or similar form of control chip in order to realise this control functionality. Moreover, the control circuitry may be formed on or mounted to a printed circuit board (PCB). Note also that the functionality provided by the control circuitry <NUM> may be split across multiple circuit boards and/or across components which are not mounted to a PCB, and these additional components and/or PCBs can be located as appropriate within the housing. For example, the functionality of the control circuitry for controlling the (re)charging functionality of the battery <NUM> may be provided separately (e.g. on a different PCB) from the functionality for controlling the discharge (i.e., for providing power to the heater).

The device <NUM> further includes a receptacle <NUM> sized to receive at least a part of the aerosol generating article <NUM>. The receptacle in this example is formed as a cylindrical recess extending in the x-direction by a distance approximately two-thirds the length of the aerosol generating article <NUM>, e.g., <NUM>. The aerosol generating article <NUM> is inserted into the receptacle <NUM> distal end 10b first. When fully inserted, the distal end of the aerosol generating article <NUM> rests at the bottom of the receptacle <NUM> and the proximal end 10a (including the optional mouthpiece <NUM>) protrudes a distance from the surface of the housing <NUM>, e.g., approximately <NUM> of the aerosol generating article <NUM> is exposed / protrudes from the surface of the housing <NUM> in this example. In this way, the mouthpiece <NUM> is presented to the user when the aerosol generating article <NUM> is inserted into the receptacle <NUM>.

Surrounding the receptacle <NUM> is provided a heater <NUM>. In this example, the heater <NUM> is an annular heater <NUM> (i.e., a hollow cylindrical element) through which the receptacle <NUM> passes. More specifically, in this example, the inner surface of the annular heater forms a part of the inner surface of the receptacle <NUM>. This arrangement means that the heater can be provided in close proximity to the surface of the aerosol generating article <NUM>, meaning that the heat transfer efficiency from the heater <NUM> to the aerosol generating article <NUM> can be improved. The heater <NUM> in this example is formed from, or at least comprises, an electrically resistive material, e.g., nichrome (NiCr), which generates heat when a current is passed through the resistive material. The supply of power from the power cell <NUM> to the heater <NUM> is controlled via the control circuitry <NUM>, as mentioned above. The heater <NUM> is coupled to the control circuitry <NUM> via any suitable form of electrical coupling, such as via electrically conductive wires 40a as shown in <FIG>.

In order to generate aerosol for user inhalation, the user must first place the aerosol generating article <NUM> in the receptacle <NUM>. Thereafter, the aerosol provision system <NUM> begins supplying power from the power cell <NUM> to the heater <NUM> upon activation of the device <NUM>. In the example shown, this is achieved through use of a user actuated button (not shown) provided on the surface of the housing <NUM>. For example, when the button is pressed once, the control circuitry <NUM> supplies power to the heater <NUM> for a predetermined time (e.g., the length of a session, such as <NUM> to <NUM> minutes). Accordingly, as power is supplied to the heater <NUM>, the temperature of the heater <NUM> rises. This subsequently heats the aerosol generating article <NUM> in the receptacle <NUM> and, more importantly, the aerosolisable material <NUM> therein to generate a vapour or aerosol. It is important to note that the aerosolisable material <NUM> is heated and not combusted / burnt. In some implementations, the temperature of the aerosolisable material during heating is between <NUM> to <NUM>, although it should be appreciated that the precise temperature will depend on the type of aerosolisable material being heated and the construction of the aerosol generating article <NUM>. A user places their lips around the mouthpiece <NUM> and inhales to draw air from outside the device <NUM> via an air inlet (not shown) through an opening in the receptacle <NUM> and through the aerosol generating article <NUM> (e.g., through the aerosolisable material <NUM> and generally along a longitudinal axis of the aerosol generating article <NUM>). Air drawn in and along the aerosol generating article <NUM> collects vaporised particles released from the aerosolisable material <NUM> as the material <NUM> is heated to form an aerosol which is then passed along the aerosol generating article <NUM>, through the mouthpiece <NUM>, before entering the user's mouth / lungs.

Generally, the aerosol generating article <NUM> comprises enough aerosolisable material to last a session, which equates to approximately <NUM> to <NUM> user inhalations. The precise quantity of aerosolisable material <NUM> will be dependent on the type of aerosolisable material <NUM> in addition to the way in which the device <NUM> is configured to heat the aerosolisable material. Once the user has finished the session (i.e., the aerosolisable material is spent), the user will remove and dispose of the aerosol generating article <NUM>. To begin a new session, the user inserts a fresh aerosol generating article <NUM>.

As mentioned above, the aerosol generating article <NUM> according to the present disclosure includes a data storage unit <NUM>, while the device <NUM> includes a data reader <NUM>. The data storage unit <NUM> is configured to store an identifier which identifies the aerosol generating article <NUM>. The data reader <NUM> is configured to read the data storage unit <NUM> and obtain the identifier therefrom. The data reader <NUM> is coupled to the control unit via any suitable data connection, e.g., via electrically conductive wires 42a, and is arranged to transmit a signal indicative of the identifier to the control circuitry <NUM>. As will be described in more detail below, the control circuitry <NUM> receives the signal indicative of the identifier of the aerosol generating article <NUM> and is arranged to cause the device <NUM> to perform an action on the basis of the identifier.

The data storage unit <NUM> in the present example is configured to store a digital representation of the identifier (e.g., a <NUM>-bit identification number). For example, the identifier may be in the form of a binary sequence or of a hexadecimal sequence.

In this example, the data storage unit <NUM> is programmable, meaning that the identifier can be programmed into the data storage unit <NUM>. That is, the data storage units for two aerosol generating articles <NUM> may structurally be the same, but can be programmed to store different identifiers accordingly. The programming may be performed before, during, or after manufacture of the aerosol generating article <NUM>. This may simplify the manufacturing process, particularly in the application of the data storage unit <NUM> to (or in) the aerosol generating article. The data storage unit <NUM> may be a write once data storage unit <NUM> (e.g., a write once read many (WORM) data storage unit <NUM>). That is, the data storage unit <NUM> can be written to once (i.e., when the identifier is applied) and then cannot easily be written to again. In other implementations, the data storage unit <NUM> may be re-writable (i.e., it can be written to multiple times) depending upon the application at hand.

The identifier is provided to identify the aerosol generating article. This may be on the basis of the type of aerosolisable material <NUM> of the aerosol generating article <NUM>. Alternatively or additionally, the identifier may identify an origin (geographical and/or manufacturing) of the aerosol generating article <NUM>. Alternatively or additionally, the identifier may uniquely identify the aerosol generating article <NUM>.

In one implementation, the identifier is related to a substrate material and/or flavour and/or strength of the aerosolisable material. <FIG> shows an example table including a digital identifier. It should be appreciated that <FIG> is a non-exhaustive and purely exemplary representation of a possible identifiers. In the examples shown, an aerosol generating article <NUM> can be associated with a text identifier (i.e., the "Name" column). In this example, each Name is descriptive of the aerosolisable material <NUM> in the aerosol generating article <NUM> for ease of description, but it should be appreciated that any other naming convention could be used. In <FIG>, each aerosolisable material <NUM> is described first by the substrate material to be aerosolised (e.g., Tobacco (such as reconstituted tobacco) or Gel), then by a flavour of the substrate material (e.g., Tobacco flavour, Cherry flavour, Strawberry flavour, etc.), and then by a strength of the active substance, such as nicotine, present in the substrate material (here characterised as Weak, Medium, or Strong, where Medium indicates a higher concentration of active substance than Weak, but less than Strong).

In accordance with this example, each digital identifier (i.e. binary code) is a composite of binary codes associated with each of the categories mentioned above. For example, the material to be aerosolised can be represented as '<NUM>' for Tobacco, and '<NUM> for Gel. The flavour can be represented as '<NUM>' for Tobacco flavour, '<NUM>' for Cherry, and '<NUM>' for Strawberry, etc. The strength can be represented as '<NUM>' for Weak, '<NUM>' for Medium, and '<NUM>' for Strong. Accordingly, a seven binary digit code can be created to digitally encode the identifier of the aerosol generating article <NUM> - e.g., for a tobacco flavoured, reconstituted tobacco aerosol generating article <NUM> of medium strength, the identifier stored in the data storage unit <NUM> is '<NUM>'.

It should be appreciated that the above is purely one way of digitally identifying properties of an aerosol generating article <NUM>. For instance, in some implementations, the device <NUM> may be configured to only operate with one substrate material, e.g., tobacco, and/or the aerosol generating articles <NUM> may only be manufactured using one substrate material, in which case the initial two binary digits can be dropped / omitted. In other examples, binary codes may be randomly generated and assigned to the various aerosolisable materials <NUM> of aerosol generating articles <NUM>.

Regardless of the specific form of the identifier, once the identifier is read by the data reader <NUM>, a signal indicative of the identifier is transmitted to the control circuitry <NUM>. For example, the signal indicative of the identifier may be a modulated signal mirroring the binary code of the identifier. Once received by the control circuitry <NUM>, the control circuitry <NUM> is configured to interpret the signal and perform an action on this basis of this identifier. In some cases, the control circuitry <NUM> may be configured to determine whether the identifier belongs to an authenticated article (e.g., by comparing the identifier with one or more stored identifiers in the control circuitry <NUM>, or by comparing the identifier against a remote database of identifiers). In other cases, the control circuitry <NUM> may additionally or alternatively, interpret the identifier as representing a certain type of aerosol generating article <NUM>, e.g., a tobacco flavoured, reconstituted tobacco aerosol generating article <NUM> of medium strength. The control circuitry <NUM> in this example, includes a memory storing a plurality of pre-defined operation modes and the control circuitry <NUM> is configured to select one of the pre-defined operation modes on the basis of the identifier. This may include, for example, a variety of heating profiles (i.e., temperature vs time profiles). Each of the possible identifiers is linked to a certain heating profile which may be configured to deliver a particular experience to the user when using that aerosol generating article <NUM>. Hence, when the identifier is received, the control circuitry <NUM> can select the heating profile that is deemed to be suitable for that particular aerosol generating article <NUM> and then proceeds to heat the aerosol generating article according to that heating profile. It should be appreciated that other operational parameters, besides the heating profile, may also be altered on the basis of the received identifier, e.g., a pressure drop (controlled by altering the size of the air inlet into the device). In other examples, once the identifier has been confirmed as authentic (e.g., if it is present in the memory of the control circuitry <NUM> it may be deemed authentic), the control circuitry <NUM> may automatically begin heating of the aerosol generating article <NUM>. In other words, in this implementation, once the article has been identified, the control circuitry is configured to begin heating the article without any further input from the user. This may be the case as soon as the identifier has been confirmed as authentic or after a predetermined delay. Operating in this way may raise the temperature of the aerosol generating article <NUM> before a user inhales on the article, or until a user input is received, and thus reduce the time required between a user input (e.g., pressing a button or inhaling on the device) and receiving aerosol.

While it has been described that different identifiers are provided for each of the different types of aerosol generating articles <NUM>, it should be appreciated that some identifiers may be used for multiple types of aerosol generating articles <NUM>. This might particularly be the case where, despite the aerosol generating articles <NUM> comprise different aerosolisable materials <NUM>, the aerosolisable materials are heated according to the same heating profile. In this case, the aerosol generating articles may be grouped into groups with common properties - e.g., suppose the Tobacco Cherry Medium and the Tobacco Strawberry Medium can be heated in the same manner, then these aerosol generating articles can be grouped into a single group and assigned the same identifier. That is, the identifier identifiers that the aerosol generating article <NUM> belongs to a certain group of aerosol generating articles <NUM>.

In another implementation, instead of being provided with an identifier based on the type of aerosolisable material, the identifier is provided based on the origin of the aerosol generating article <NUM>. For example, each aerosol generating article <NUM> can be provided with an identifier indicating the origin of the article <NUM>. This could be an identifier indicating that the article is manufacture by a certain manufacturer (such that each manufacturer has a unique identifier), or certain batches of articles <NUM> could be provided with unique identifiers (such that each batch has a unique identifier). Alternatively or additionally, each aerosol generating article <NUM> may be provided with a unique identifier (that is, an identifier that is only used on a single article <NUM>).

In these implementations, the device <NUM> may be configured to operate only when the identifier is considered to be a genuine identifier. For example, assuming all aerosol generating articles <NUM> manufactured by a certain manufacturer contain an identifier, when the data reader <NUM> reads the identifier and supplies a signal representative of the identifier to the control circuitry <NUM>, the control circuitry <NUM> is configured to compare the received identifier with (in this case) a reference identifier obtained in advance. If the two match, the control circuitry <NUM> is configured to supply power to the heater <NUM> to heat the aerosol generating article <NUM>. Conversely, if the received identifier does not match the reference identifier, then the control circuitry <NUM> is configured to not supply power to the heater <NUM>. That is, if the aerosol generating article <NUM> is found to not include a matching identifier, then the device <NUM> is configured to not aerosolise the aerosolisable material. The same control mechanism may be present for batches of aerosol generating articles <NUM>, or for individual aerosol generating articles <NUM>, although the number of reference identifiers that the received identifier would have to be checked against is greater for individual articles as opposed to groups of articles <NUM>.

It should be appreciated that while the above has generally described the identifiers relating to type of aerosolisable material and origin as separate, the skilled person will appreciate that these two types of identifiers could be combined in a single identifier. Moreover, a unique identifier may also contain information concerning the type or aerosolisable material and/or the origin of the aerosol generating article.

In the present example, the data storage unit <NUM> is read by the data reader <NUM> when the aerosol generating article <NUM> is inserted in the receptacle <NUM>. The data reader <NUM> may be controlled by the control circuitry <NUM> to periodically perform a read operation. If the data storage unit <NUM> is present or is in range of the data reader <NUM>, the data reader <NUM> obtains the identifier from the data storage unit <NUM> and subsequently transmits a signal indicative of the identifier to the control circuitry <NUM>. Alternatively, the data reader <NUM> may be controlled to read when the user activates the device <NUM> (e.g., via a push button), which may reduce overall power consumption as the reader <NUM> is only activated in certain scenarios.

While it has been described above that in certain cases the aerosol provision device <NUM> may be controlled to not aerosolise the aerosolisable material <NUM> if the identifier does not match a pre-stored or reference identifier, it should also be appreciated that the device <NUM> may not aerosolise the aerosolisable material <NUM> in the even that no identifier can be read by the data reader <NUM>. For instance, should a user insert an aerosol generating article <NUM> into receptacle <NUM> that does not include data storage unit <NUM>, then the data reader <NUM> will not read an identifier and the control circuitry <NUM> cannot receive the identifier. In this case, the device <NUM> is configured to prevent the supply of power to the heater <NUM> even in the event the user depresses the actuation button. Moreover, in some implementations, if no identifier is read within a pre-determined time period, e.g., <NUM> minute from an initial read operation, then the control unit may be configured to switch off or enter a low power mode to conserve battery power.

In some examples, the device <NUM> may include an indicator (such as a light or a display) which indicates to the user whether an identifier has been read from aerosol generating article <NUM> inserted into receptacle <NUM> or not. In instances where a user inserts a genuine article <NUM> (i.e., one including a data storage unit <NUM> with a genuine identifier) but the data reader <NUM> cannot read the data storage unit <NUM>, the indication of not being able to read the identifier may prompt the user to rotate the aerosol generating article <NUM> around its longitudinal axis to bring the data storage unit <NUM> closer to the data reader <NUM>, for example.

Referring back to <FIG>, the data storage unit <NUM> is provided at a portion of the aerosol generating articles <NUM> that is not directly heated - specifically, the data storage unit <NUM> is positioned above the heater <NUM>. The annular heater <NUM> generally heats a direct region of the aerosol generating article <NUM> that is encircled by the heater <NUM> when the aerosol generating article <NUM> is inserted into the receptacle <NUM>. While heat can travel along the axial direction of the aerosol generating article <NUM>, these regions are not directly heated by the heater <NUM> itself. Accordingly, the data storage unit <NUM> is located in these regions that are not directly heated by the heater <NUM>. That is, the data storage unit is provided adjacent to the region of the aerosol generating article <NUM> to be heated by the heater <NUM>. This may help substantially reduce the influence of the heater <NUM> on the data storage unit <NUM> (i.e., reduce the chance of damaging the data storage unit <NUM> by the heater <NUM>) and may also enable a less heat resilient (and hence more cost efficient) data storage unit <NUM> to be used.

Generally, the data storage unit <NUM> described above does not require a power source to store the identifier - that is, the identifier is written into permanent memory. However, in some implementations, the data storage unit <NUM> may be provided with a power source (this may be integrally formed as part of the data storage unit <NUM>, or provided separately and engaged with the data storage unit <NUM>), which supplies power to non-volatile memory once the identifier is written into the data storage unit <NUM>. This can be advantageous as the power supply can define a lifetime for the aerosol generating article <NUM> (see below for a more detailed discussion).

<FIG> schematically show more detailed implementations of the data storage unit and data reader, and specifically in terms of the coupling between data storage unit and data reader.

<FIG> is a schematic representation of an aerosol generating article <NUM> having a data storage unit <NUM> that is configured to be electronically read by an aerosol provision device <NUM>.

The aerosol generating article <NUM> is substantially the same as the aerosol generating article <NUM> described above, and a discussion of similar features is not provided here. The aerosol generating article <NUM> includes a data storage unit <NUM> which is broadly similar to data storage unit <NUM> described above; however, in <FIG>, the data storage unit <NUM> is coupled to one or more electrically conductive traces <NUM>. The electrically conductive traces <NUM> join at one end to the data storage unit <NUM> and at the other end are exposed. In this example, each the conductive traces <NUM> are each approximately one-third of the circumference of the aerosol generating article <NUM>, and extend in either direction from the data storage unit <NUM>. Therefore, the traces <NUM> cover approximately two-thirds of the outer circumference of the aerosol generating article <NUM>. The number of conductive traces <NUM> used will depend on the type of data storage unit <NUM> used (e.g., based on the number of inputs and outputs required to read / write to the data storage unit <NUM>).

The device <NUM> is substantially the same as device <NUM> described above. However, receptacle <NUM> in this example includes electrically conductive contacts <NUM> which are coupled to control circuitry <NUM>. When the aerosol generating article <NUM> is inserted into the receptacle <NUM>, the exposed ends of the electrical traces <NUM> are arranged to electrically contact the electrically conductive contacts <NUM>. This permits a signal to be transmitted from the data storage unit <NUM> to the control circuitry <NUM> via electrical traces <NUM> and electrically conductive contacts <NUM>.

In this arrangement, the control circuitry <NUM> is arranged to perform the function of the data reader <NUM> described above. Specifically, the control circuitry <NUM> is configured to read the data storage unit <NUM> and obtain the identifier stored therein. The precise way in which this is achieved will depend upon the type of data storage unit <NUM> used and whether or not the data storage unit <NUM> requires a current to be passed therethrough to be read (in which case the control circuitry <NUM> will be configured to pass a current through the data storage unit <NUM> to obtain the identifier) or whether the data storage unit <NUM> does not require a current to be passed therethrough (in which case the identifier is passed to the control circuitry <NUM> when the contacts <NUM> and <NUM> are coupled).

In this arrangement, the identifier is received via a direct electrical connection between the aerosol generating article <NUM> and the receptacle <NUM> of the aerosol provision device <NUM>.

In the implementation shown, the data storage unit <NUM> and electrical traces <NUM> are provided on the surface of the aerosol generating article <NUM>. However, in other implementations, the data storage unit <NUM> and at least a part of the electrical traces <NUM> may be provided below the outermost surface of the aerosol generating article <NUM> (e.g., within the aerosolisable material or between sub-layers of the substrate layer. This may help protect the data storage unit <NUM> and the connection between traces <NUM> and the data storage unit <NUM>, particularly during handling of the aerosol generating article <NUM> by a user. However, it should be appreciated that in such implementations, at least part of the electrical traces <NUM> is exposed (i.e., is provided on the outermost surface of the aerosol generating article <NUM>) in order to achieve electrical contact between the data storage unit <NUM> and the electrical contacts <NUM>.

In some implementations, the electrical traces <NUM> and data storage unit <NUM> are printed directly onto the substrate layer of the aerosol generating article <NUM>. Printing of electronic circuitry may be performed during assembly of the aerosol generating article <NUM> (i.e., before the substrate layer has been wrapped around the aerosolisable material) or after the aerosol generating article <NUM> has been formed (i.e., printing onto the curved / wrapped surface of the substrate layer). Although the data storage unit <NUM> has generally been described as a separate, self-contained unit (i.e., a housing containing circuitry), it should be appreciated that the data storage unit <NUM> itself may be formed of a number of interconnected electrical components which can be printed directly onto the substrate layer of the aerosol generating article <NUM>.

By printing electrically conductive components directly onto the substrate layer of the aerosol generating article <NUM>, any attempts to transfer the data storage unit <NUM> to another aerosol generating article (e.g., a counterfeit article) would result in damage to the data storage unit <NUM> and/or electrical traces <NUM>, resulting in an unsuccessful (or even impossible) transfer of the data storage unit <NUM> to the counterfeit article. This is particularly useful in preventing counterfeit articles, which may not be manufactured in a highly regulated environment, for being adapted for use with the aerosol provision device <NUM>. In addition, the electronics can be printed in different patterns (and thus store different identifiers) at the time of manufacture.

<FIG> is a schematic representation of an aerosol generating article <NUM> having a data storage unit <NUM> that is configured to be wirelessly read by an aerosol provision device <NUM>.

The aerosol generating article <NUM> is substantially the same as the aerosol generating article <NUM> described above, and a discussion of similar features is not provided here. The aerosol generating article <NUM> includes a data storage unit <NUM> which operates in a broadly similar manner to data storage unit <NUM> described above; however, in <FIG>, the data storage unit <NUM> is electrically coupled to an antenna / transmitter <NUM>. The transmitter <NUM> is configured to wirelessly transmit a signal indicative of the identifier from data storage unit <NUM>. The transmitter <NUM> may be formed of any suitable material (e.g., the transmitter may be a metallic strip). The transmitter <NUM> may be formed on the outer surface of the article <NUM>, e.g., on layer <NUM>. Further, in some instances, the data storage unit <NUM> may be placed directly on top of the transmitter <NUM> in order to make an electrical contact between the transmitter <NUM> and data storage unit <NUM> (in these cases, the transmitter <NUM> may have dimensions different to, i.e., greater than, a corresponding dimension of the data storage unit <NUM>). Accordingly, the data storage unit <NUM> may be provided with suitable electric components to enable the formation of a suitable wireless signal that can be transmitted via transmitter <NUM>; for example, the data storage unit <NUM> may form part of an integrated circuit (IC) which is coupled to the transmitter <NUM>, where the function of the IC is to generate the wireless signal suitable for transmission via the transmitter <NUM>. The remaining sections of the IC in this example may be generally referred to as a controller / control unit and hence may be configured to control various functions (including signal generation) of the IC.

The device <NUM> is substantially the same as device <NUM> described above. However, the device <NUM> is provided with a wireless receiver <NUM> connected to the control circuitry <NUM>. The wireless receiver <NUM> performs the function of the data reader <NUM> described above in that the receiver <NUM> is configured to receive the signal indicative of the identifier wirelessly transmitted by the transmitter <NUM>. Once received by the wireless receiver <NUM>, the signal indicative of the identifier is passed to the control circuitry <NUM> and the control circuitry <NUM> is configured to alter an aspect of operation of the device <NUM> on the basis of the identifier (as described above).

The data storage unit <NUM> and the transmitter <NUM> are configured to transmit the signal indicative of the identifier in any suitable way using any suitable transmission protocol. In some implementations, the data storage unit <NUM> and transmitter <NUM> form an integrated component, for example, an RFID tag configured to transmit a radio frequency, RF, signal (or a modulated RF signal) indicative of the identifier. The data storage unit <NUM> and the transmitter <NUM> may be formed on a common substrate (e.g., a semiconductor chip). In these examples, the wireless receiver <NUM> is a wireless RF receiver, and may be tuned to receive the specific RF frequency. For instance, the RF signal may be generated with signals in the Ultra High Frequency (UHF; approximately <NUM> to <NUM>,<NUM>), Very High Frequency (VHF; approximately <NUM> to <NUM>), High Frequency (HF; approximately <NUM> to <NUM>), Medium Frequency (MF; approximately <NUM> to <NUM>,<NUM>) or Low Frequency (LF; approximately <NUM> to <NUM>) range. In some implementations, the RF frequency is in the range of <NUM> to <NUM>, e.g., <NUM>. However, it should be appreciated that other radio based systems, such as Bluetooth™, and/or other radio frequencies different to those given above may also be used in accordance with the principles of the present disclosure.

In some implementations, a power source (not shown) is provided on the aerosol generating article <NUM>. The power source may be provided as a separate component that is individually attached to the aerosol generating article <NUM> and coupled to the data storage unit <NUM> / transmitter <NUM>, or the power source may be integrally provided with the data storage unit <NUM> and/or the transmitter <NUM> (e.g., the IC may comprise the power source). In this case, the controller may be programmed to transmit the identifier periodically, regardless of whether the aerosol generating article <NUM> is located in the receptacle <NUM> of the device <NUM>. (Alternatively, the controller may be configured to transmit the identifier in response to a received signal, as described in more detail below).

This arrangement may increase the cost of goods of the aerosol generating article <NUM> but may provide a defined lifetime for the aerosol generating article <NUM> (dependent upon the capacity of the power source and the power consumption of the controller / transmitter <NUM>). Accordingly, once the power source has been sufficiently depleted, either the signal strength becomes too weak to enable reception of the identifier by the receiver <NUM>, or the controller stops functioning and thus stops causing the signal to be transmitted. This means the identifier is not able to be received by the control circuitry <NUM> and thus the aerosol generating article <NUM> is unable to be used in the device <NUM>. In other words, the inclusion of a power source may define a period from manufacture in which the article <NUM> can be used.

In some further implementations, the transmitter <NUM> and the receiver <NUM> are both configured to act as transceivers (i.e., they both have transmitting and receiving capabilities). In these implementations, the aerosol generating article <NUM> is configured to not transmit the identifier (or signal indicative of the identifier) until a request signal transmitted by the device <NUM> is received by the transceiver <NUM>. In other words, the device <NUM> is configured to periodically transmit a request signal via the transceiver <NUM>, which signifies a request for the identifier. If no identifier is received within a certain time period, then the device <NUM> may resend the request signal. The aerosol generating article <NUM> receives the request signal and then transmits the identifier (or signal indicative of the identifier) via the transceiver <NUM> upon reception of the request signal. This arrangement ensures that the aerosol generating article only transmits the identifier at a suitable time which additionally can reduce power requirements. The device <NUM> is configured to not aerosolise the aerosolisable material of the aerosol generating article <NUM> until such a time as the identifier is received via the transceiver <NUM>.

In other implementations, the aerosol generating article <NUM> is provided with a wireless power reception module (not shown). The wireless power reception module is configured to receive power wirelessly transmitted by the device <NUM>, e.g., via induction or any other suitable form of wireless power transfer. The wireless power reception module may be integrally provided with the data storage unit <NUM> and/or the transmitter <NUM>, or the wireless power reception module may be provided as a separate component electronically coupled to the data storage unit <NUM>. That is, the wireless power reception module may form part of the IC. In some instances, the wireless power reception The device <NUM> is correspondingly provided with a wireless power transmitter (not shown). The wireless power transmitter is accordingly configured to wirelessly transmit power to the wireless power reception module on the aerosol generating article <NUM>. The wireless power transmitter may be configured to transmit power according to any suitable mechanism, e.g., the wireless power transmitter may transmit an RF frequency of <NUM>. Note that the power transmitter and the transmitter <NUM> may operate at the same or different frequencies. Once power is received, the aforementioned circuitry enables the identifier stored in the data storage unit <NUM> to be transmitted via the transmitter <NUM> as previously described. Such an arrangement may be referred to as passive (or passive transmission of the identifier) as the identifier is transmitted only in response to reception of power from a source external to (or separate from) the aerosol generating article <NUM>.

In yet further implementations, the data storage unit <NUM> and the transmitter <NUM> may form an integrated circuit having a relatively small size, referred to herein as small-scale IC chips. For example, the areal size of the small-scale IC chip may be less than <NUM><NUM>, less than <NUM><NUM>, or less than <NUM><NUM>. By way of example only, the small-scale IC chip may have an area extent of <NUM> x <NUM> or less, <NUM> x <NUM> or less, or <NUM> x <NUM> or less. In some implementations, the size of the small-scale IC chip may even be as small as <NUM> x <NUM>. The thickness of the small-scale IC chip may depend on the construction of, or components included in, the small-scale IC chip but, by way of example, the thickness may be <NUM> or less, <NUM> or less, or <NUM> or less. In some implementations, the thickness may be as thin as <NUM>. Generally, small-scale IC chip arrangements may be particularly suited to cases where no power source is provided (either externally to the small-scale IC chip or as part of the small-scale IC chip) which may otherwise generally increase the size of the small-scale IC chip. In other words, such small sizes may generally be achievable in passive small-scale IC chips. Suitable examples of such small-scale IC chips include the RFID DUST developed by Hitachi Ltd of Tokyo, Japan, or the Monza <NUM> RFID chips manufactured by Impinj Inc. of Washington, USA.

The read range (which is the distance between the transmitter <NUM> and the receiver <NUM> above which the receiver is no longer able to receive the identifier) of the IC chip may be dependent upon the size of the transmitter <NUM> and / or the wireless power reception module. The read range may also be non-uniform with respect to an angular position (that is, the read range may be orientation dependent). The read range of the present implementations may take any value desired; however, because the article <NUM> and the receiver <NUM> are generally placed in close proximity of one another, in some implementations the read range may be <NUM> or less, <NUM> or less, or <NUM> or less, or <NUM> or less. Such read ranges are generally possible using IC chips with integrated transmitters (i.e., where the transmitter is or a size comparable to, or less than, the overall size of the IC chip).

Providing a small-scale IC chip enables the small-scale IC chip to be integrated into components forming the aerosol generating article <NUM>. For example, one or more small-scale IC chips may be integrally formed / embedded in the substrate layer <NUM> (e.g., the paper material forming the substrate layer <NUM>), or in some cases, even in the aerosolisable material <NUM> of the aerosol generating article <NUM>. As described above, the aerosol generating article <NUM> may include a substrate layer <NUM> (such as paper), and the small-scale IC chips can be embedded within the substrate layer <NUM>. Accordingly, during manufacture, the substrate layer <NUM> can be processed along with the other components forming the aerosol generating article <NUM> (e.g., the aerosol forming material <NUM>) to form the aerosol generating article <NUM>. In some implementations, the layer <NUM> is tipping paper including an embedded small-scale IC chip, wherein the layer <NUM> can be bobbinised (i.e., formed into a bobbin / spool of paper <NUM>) and then used to produce an aerosol generating article <NUM> according to known techniques / using known machinery. That is, one aspect of the present disclosure is a component for forming an aerosol generating article, wherein the component includes an integrated data storage unit. The small-scale IC chips may be integrated with the layer <NUM> through a printing method, such as rotogravure, although the skilled person will appreciate that other printing/manufacturing techniques are possible. In some implementations, the small-scale IC chips may be mixed into the pulp used to form the layer <NUM> prior to formation of the layer <NUM>. In some examples, when the layer <NUM> is wrapped around, and in some cases adhered to, the aerosol forming material <NUM> and / or the filter <NUM>, the small-scale IC chips are located at the appropriate position to be read by the receiver <NUM> when the aerosol generating article <NUM> is inserted in the device <NUM>. Alternatively, or additionally, one or more small-scale IC chips can be embedded in the aerosolisable material <NUM> of the article <NUM>, either by embedding the small-scale IC chips within the aerosolisable material <NUM> during the manufacture of the aerosolisable material (e.g., during the reconstituted tobacco sheet manufacturing process) or by applying the small-scale IC chips during formation of the aerosolisable material <NUM> (e.g., when forming the sheet into a reconstituted tobacco rod element online during the article <NUM> making process).

Alternatively, one or more small-scale IC chips can be applied to the surface of the substrate layer <NUM>, e.g., via embedding the small-scale IC chip(s) in a suitable coating material which is subsequently coated on the substrate layer <NUM>, or applied to the aerosolisable material <NUM> once the aerosolisable material <NUM> is formed / shaped to the desired shape. The coating may be applied over the whole article <NUM> or only over a portion (e.g., a portion closer to the proximal end 10a to the distal end 10b, or vice versa, or a middle portion of the article <NUM>). In this regard, the coating may be formed as a slurry, e.g., a slurry comprising the coating material and one or more small-scale IC chips, which is then applied to the substrate layer <NUM> (however, other techniques for applying the coating may also be used depending on the manufacturing of the article <NUM>). It should also be appreciated that the coating may be applied on either surface of the substrate layer <NUM> and may be applied before or after assembling the article <NUM>. The coating material may include a liquid adhesive and, in some implementations, the liquid adhesive may be applied to the layer <NUM> during manufacture of the aerosol generating article <NUM> (e.g., during wrapping of the layer <NUM> around the aerosol forming material <NUM> and / or the filter <NUM>). For instance, the liquid adhesive including small-scale IC chips may adhere ends of the layer <NUM> to one another. Hence, one aspect of the present disclosure includes an aerosol forming article in which a substrate layer forming the article is adhered using an adhesive including one or more small-scale IC chips.

<FIG> depicts an exemplary method for generating an aerosol for user inhalation from an aerosol generating article <NUM>, <NUM>, <NUM>.

The method begins at step S1, where the user inserts the aerosol generating article <NUM> into the receptacle <NUM> of the aerosol provision device <NUM>. This step may be preceded by removal of a previous aerosol generating article, if applicable.

Once the aerosol generating article <NUM> has been inserted into the receptacle <NUM> the read operation is activated. As discussed above, this may be triggered by a user activating a button on the exterior housing of the aerosol provision device <NUM>, at which point the data reader <NUM> begins reading the data storage unit <NUM>, or the data reader <NUM> may periodically perform a read operation (in which case step S2 is not necessarily only present between steps S1 and S3, but may be periodically present before step S1).

At step S3, the control circuitry determines whether the identifier is received by the control circuitry <NUM> (i.e., whether the data reader <NUM> has read the identifier). If yes, then the method proceeds to step S4 where the control circuitry <NUM> alters an aspect of operation of the device <NUM>. As described above, this could be in terms of beginning a heating operation (in the event the identifier is a genuine identifier) or by altering the way in which the aerosol generating article <NUM> is heated.

In the alternative, if at step S3 the answer is no, then the method proceeds to repeat the read procedure at step S5 and S2. If the read operation is a periodic read operation, then when transitioning from step S3 to S4, the periodic reading may be temporarily stopped for a set duration, e.g., the duration of a session (e.g., between <NUM> to <NUM> minutes). When, for example, the read operation at step S2 is initially performed when the user actuates a button on the housing of the device <NUM>, then if the identifier is initially not received, the method proceeds to activate another instance of the read operation at step S2, until such a time as the identifier is read.

In some cases, the identifier will not be read (as the identifier is not present) and in which case, after a predefined number of read operations (or after a predetermined time period starting from the initial read operation), the device <NUM> may be configured to indicate that the identifier could not be read (e.g., via an indicator, such as an LED).

Thus, there has been described an aerosol provision system for generating aerosol for user inhalation, wherein the system comprises: an aerosol generating article comprising an aerosolisable material, the aerosolisable material being a solid or a gel; and a control unit having a receptacle configured to receive the aerosol generating article, wherein the control unit is configured, in use, to generate aerosol from the aerosolisable material. The aerosol generating article includes a data storage unit configured to store an identifier identifying the aerosol generating article. The control unit is configured to receive the identifier from the data storage unit and, based on the received identifier, cause the control unit to perform an action.

Although the above has generally described an aerosol generating article <NUM>, <NUM>, <NUM> in the form of a cylindrical rod, it should be appreciated that the aerosol generating article <NUM>, <NUM>, <NUM> may take any form as desired. For example, the aerosol generating article may comprise a flat (i.e., not rolled) substrate layer <NUM> where the aerosolisable material <NUM> is provided on a surface of the substrate layer <NUM> (e.g., coated on the layer <NUM>). Other shaped aerosol generating articles may also be possible depending upon the application at hand. It should also be appreciated that the receptacle <NUM>, <NUM>, <NUM> may be sized to receive the aerosol generating article accordingly. The aerosol generating article <NUM>, <NUM>, <NUM> may also be provided in the form of a pod, e.g., an aerosolisable material <NUM> housed in a plastic cage / housing having air holes to allow passage of air therethrough.

Although the above has generally described an aerosol generating article <NUM>, <NUM>, <NUM> in which the aerosol generating article <NUM>, <NUM>, <NUM> includes a substrate layer <NUM>. It should be appreciated that the substrate layer <NUM> of the aerosol generating article <NUM>, <NUM>, <NUM> may be separate from the aerosol generating material <NUM> such that the aerosol generating material is removable from the substrate layer <NUM>. In this instance, the aerosolisable material may include a supporting member arranged to hold the aerosolisable material in a manner which enables handling of the aerosolisable material by a user, e.g., the supporting member may be a paper or card tube. The removable substrate layer <NUM> may function with multiple aerosolisable materials, and includes the data storage unit. That is, the substrate layer <NUM> includes the data storage unit but can releasably contain or be releasably coupled to multiple portions of aerosolisable material. The substrate layer <NUM> may be replaced less frequently than the aerosolisable material - that is, the substrate layer <NUM> may be used for multiple inhalation sessions, where one inhalation session corresponds to generating aerosol from one portion of aerosolisable material. The substrate layer <NUM>, which could be formed from any suitable material such as paper, card, metal, plastics, etc., acts as a sleeve which is inserted into the device and is configured to receive respective portions of aerosolisable material. For such an arrangement, it may be easier and more cost-effective to provide an identifier on or in each sleeve rather than for every portion of aerosolisable material.

It should also be understood that while the above has described a system in which the heater <NUM> surrounds an outer periphery of the aerosol generating article, the heater may be integrally provided with, or in, the aerosol generating article. For example, the aerosol generating article may comprise a susceptor material (e.g.. , mild steel) which is provided in close proximity to the aerosolisable material. Instead of heater <NUM>, the aerosol provision device is instead provided with an inductive work coil which generates a varying magnetic field that can penetrate and thus heat the susceptor material. It should be appreciated that any suitable heating mechanism (or more generally aerosolising mechanism) can be employed with the present disclosure.

It should be appreciated that while the above has described a system in which the data storage unit stores an identifier for identifying the article <NUM> and causing a control unit to perform an action, the data storage unit <NUM> may also be configured to store additional data. For example, the data storage unit <NUM> may be configured to store other information or parameters concerning the article <NUM>, such as a batch number, manufacture number, data of manufacture, etc. In other implementations, the data storage unit <NUM> may be configured to store additional information such as the heating profile or parameters concerning the heating profile. For example, in this case, when the identifier is transmitted, the heating profile may also be transmitted to the device and, accordingly, the device can heat the consumable according to the transmitted profile. In this case, the identifier may just be used to authenticate the article <NUM>, and not necessarily provide an indication of the flavour / type of the aerosol generating material <NUM>.

While the above described embodiments have in some respects focussed on some specific example aerosol provision systems, it will be appreciated the same principles can be applied for aerosol provision systems using other technologies. That is to say, the specific manner in which various aspects of the aerosol provision system function are not directly relevant to the principles underlying the examples described herein.

Claim 1:
An aerosol provision system for generating aerosol for user inhalation, the system comprising:
an aerosol generating article (<NUM>) comprising an aerosolisable material (<NUM>), the aerosolisable material being a solid or a gel; and
a control unit (<NUM>) having a receptacle (<NUM>) configured to receive the aerosol generating article, wherein the control unit is configured, in use, to generate aerosol from the aerosolisable material (<NUM>),
wherein:
the aerosol generating article (<NUM>) includes a data storage unit (<NUM>) configured to store an identifier identifying the aerosol generating article, and the aerosol generating article comprises a substrate (<NUM>) and the aerosolisable material (<NUM>) is provided adjacent the substrate, wherein the substrate (<NUM>) includes at least one of: paper, card, and a metal foil;
characterised in that
the control unit (<NUM>) is configured to receive the identifier from the data storage unit and, based on the received identifier, cause the control unit to automatically begin heating of the aerosol generating article.