Patent ID: 12255470

FIG.1is an illustration showing an environment10, in which one or more users12may be in the vicinity of a charger5. The environment10may be a public or social space, such as a transit station for trains, planes, or buses. The users12may each have an aerosol-generating device that may be charged by the charger5concurrently. The charger5may be in an open space or an enclosed space for the users to congregate around the charger. The charger5may facilitate social exchanges among the users12with a graphical user interface, a speaker, or mobile user devices connected to the charger.

FIG.2is a schematic illustration showing an example of one aerosol-generating device16. The device16may include a housing14, a mouth portion24, and a controller portion28. A battery60, or other portable power source, may be operatively coupled to one or more components to power other components of the aerosol-generating device16. An actuator26may be disposed on the controller portion28. The mouth portion24may include an aerosolizer35in the form of a heating blade. An aerosol-generating substrate37in the form of a heat stick may be inserted into the mouth portion24and onto the aerosolizer. A container of the aerosol-generating substrate37may include or may be coupled to a mouthpiece40. The user may inhale on the mouthpiece40to register a user puff.

A thermal brake62may be disposed between at least a portion of the aerosolizer35and a control circuit54. The aerosolizer35may extend through the thermal brake62. The control circuit54may include components to enable various functionality of the device16, which may be sensitive to heat produced by the aerosolizer35.

The control circuit54may include a controller50, which may be a microcontroller or microprocessor, and a communications interface52. The controller50may be operatively coupled to the aerosolizer35and the communications interface52. The communications interface52may be integrated into the controller50. The communications interface52may be capable of communicating using a Bluetooth protocol. A puff sensor51may be operatively coupled to the control circuit54and positioned to detect an inhalation of the user on the mouth portion24. The control circuit54may include a memory56operatively coupled to the controller50. The memory56may be used to store data.

Although aerosol-generating device16is shown, other types of aerosol-generating devices having a battery60are also contemplated, for example with different types of aerosolizers and other components.

FIG.3is a schematic illustration of one example of a charger100for an aerosol-generating device, such as aerosol-generating device16. The charger100may include a housing116, which may at least partially contain one or more components of the charger100. The charger100may include a charging interface102operatively couplable to the battery60of the aerosol-generating device16(FIG.2). The charging interface102may include one or more charging ports104, one or more cleaning ports114, and a graphical user interface120. The charging ports104and the cleaning ports114may be disposed in the housing116or formed therein to create receptacles for receiving components of the aerosol-generating device16. The graphical user interface120may include one or more specific screens122and one or more general screens124. The graphical user interface120may include one or more touchscreens associated with the screens122,124or one or more associated actuators that are part of the charging interface102to receive user input.

The battery60(FIG.2) may be at least partially inserted or coupled to one of the charging ports104. Another component of the aerosol-generating device16(FIG.2), such as the mouth portion24having the aerosolizer35(FIG.2), may be coupled to one of the cleaning ports114. When the battery60is coupled, the specific screen122associated with the charging port104may display information, such as the charging status of the battery or the user's name. The general screen124may be used to display information to multiple users charging their batteries in the one or more charging ports104. The charging ports104and cleaning ports114may, generally, be arranged around the general screen124. Each charging port104may be proximate or adjacent to an associated cleaning port114or an associated specific screen122.

The charger100may include a communication interface106to communicate with a mobile user device108, at least while the battery60(FIG.2) is coupled to the charging interface102. Various information and data may be communicated between the charger100and the mobile user device108, which may facilitate convenient charging or social exchanges with other users of the charger. The mobile user device108may include a screen110, which may display information for the user related to user data or charging data and which may include a touchscreen to receive user input. The communication interface106may also be capable of communicating with a wireless network140, for example, to send messages to the mobile user device108, which may be connected to the same wireless network.

The charger100may include a controller130operatively coupled to the charging interface102and the communication interface106to provide various functionality of the charger100. The controller130may also be operatively coupled to a locking component118(for example, a lockable compartment) to facilitate locking and unlocking in response to user input, for example, through the mobile user device108.

The charger100may include an air sensor112. The air sensor112may be used to detect one or more contaminants in the vicinity of the charger100.

The charger100may include one or more speakers126to provide sound to the one or more users in the vicinity of the charger. For example, music may be streamed from one of the mobile user devices through the speakers126.

FIG.4is a schematic illustration of another example of a charger200. Charger200may be similar to charger100(FIG.3) and may include many of the same components, except charger200may be modular. In other words, the housing216of the charger200may have one or more removably couplable modules, each with various functionality. As illustrated, the charger200may include a first module202, a second module204, a third module206, and a fourth module208. Each of the modules202,204,206,208may be operatively coupled to form a stack. The first module202may include a charging interface220. The second module204may provide a power supply, which may include a battery or a connection to an external power source (for example, an electrical outlet). The third module206may include an air quality sensor212. The third module206may also be operatively couplable to an air mover210to control the air mover (for example, using a wired or wireless connection). The fourth module208may include one or more cleaning ports214, each of which may include, for example, a rotating brush to clean a heating blade.

FIG.5is a flowchart illustrating one example of a method300to establish a connection between a charger to a mobile user device using a wireless protocol, particularly a Bluetooth protocol. In process302, the charger may act as a slave. In process304, the charger may advertise the connection to potential mobile user devices in the vicinity. In process306, if a mobile user device acting as a master connects to the charger, then the method300may continue to process308. If a mobile user device has not connected, then the process may return to process304. In process308, after the mobile user device is connected, the mobile user device and the charger may switch roles. In other words, the charger may act as a master, and the mobile user device may act as a slave. The method300may end with process310, in which the mobile user device may be added to the piconet, or Bluetooth network, of the charger.

FIG.6is a flowchart illustrating another example of a method400to establish a connection between a charger to a mobile user device using a wireless protocol, particularly a Bluetooth protocol. In process402, the charger may detect that a new battery has been coupled to the charging interface. In process404, a battery identifier may be retrieved from the battery. In process406, the charger may determine whether all connected mobile user devices have been checked for the battery identifier retrieved from the battery. If not all mobile user devices have been checked, the method400may continue onto process408to retrieve a battery identifier from an unchecked mobile user device (for example, from an application running on the mobile user device). In process410, the charger may determine whether the battery identifier from the mobile user device matches the battery identifier retrieved from the coupled battery. If not, the method400may return to process406to continue checking mobile user devices for a matching identifier. If the battery identifiers match in process410, then the method400may continue to process412to associate the coupled battery to the mobile user device.

If all connected mobile user devices have been checked in process406, the method400may continue onto process414to advertise the presence of the charger to other mobile user devices in the vicinity. In process416, the charger may determine whether a new mobile user device has connected. If not, then the method400may repeat process414. If a new mobile user device has been connected to the charger (for example, the charger connects as a slave to a master mobile user device), the method400may continue on to process418to switch the roles of the mobile user device and the charger. In other words, the charger may act as a master, and the mobile user device may act as a slave. The mobile user device may be added to the piconet of the charger in process420.

The charger may retrieve one or more battery identifiers from the mobile user device in process422. In particular, an application running on the mobile user device may provide the battery identifier to the charger. The charger may then determine whether the battery identifier retrieved from the coupled battery matches the battery identifier received from the mobile user device in process424. If so, then the method400may proceed to process412to associate the coupled battery to the mobile user device. If the battery identifiers do not match, then the charger may disconnect from the new mobile user device in process426. The method300may then proceed to process414to continue advertising for potential mobile user devices to connect.

The specific embodiments described above are intended to illustrate the invention. However, other embodiments may be made without departing from the scope of the invention as defined in the claims, and it is to be understood that the specific embodiments described above are not intended to be limiting.

As used herein, the singular forms “a,” “an,” and “the” encompass embodiments having plural referents, unless the content clearly dictates otherwise.

As used herein, “or” is generally employed in its sense including “and/or” unless the content clearly dictates otherwise. The term “and/or” means one or all of the listed elements or a combination of any two or more of the listed elements.

As used herein, “have,” “having,” “include,” “including,” “comprise,” “comprising” or the like are used in their open-ended sense, and generally mean “including, but not limited to”. It will be understood that “consisting essentially of,” “consisting of,” and the like are subsumed in “comprising,” and the like.

The terms “coupled” or “connected” refer to elements being attached to each other either directly (in direct contact with each other) or indirectly (having one or more elements between and attaching the two elements). Either term may be modified by “operatively” and “operably,” which may be used interchangeably, to describe that the coupling or connection is configured to allow the components to interact to carry out at least some functionality (for example, a mobile user device may be operatively coupled to a cellular network transmit data to or receive data therefrom).

The words “preferred” and “preferably” refer to embodiments of the invention that may afford certain benefits, under certain circumstances. However, other embodiments may also be preferred, under the same or other circumstances. Furthermore, the recitation of one or more preferred embodiments does not imply that other embodiments are not useful, and is not intended to exclude other embodiments from the scope of the disclosure, including the claims.