Patent ID: 12260289

FIG.1shows an aerosol-generating article according to the present invention. The aerosol-generating article10is a replaceable article for use with and for insertion into an aerosol-generating device. The aerosol-generating article10depicted inFIG.1is disc-shaped and comprises two layers12a,12bof aerosol-forming substrate12that are affixed together. A sticker14comprising a three dimensional code16is attached to the upper layer12aof aerosol-generating substrate12.

The sticker14comprises a reflective aluminium foil onto which the three dimensional code16is engraved. The three dimensional code16comprises pits and lands and may have a similar construction as the pits and lands used in CD-ROM or DVD technology. In order to protect the three dimensional code16from detrimental external influence, the code structure is protected by a transparent layer made from polyethylene (not shown).

In use, the aerosol-generating article10is rotatably mounted in an aerosol-generating device. The aerosol-generating device comprises a detector20configured for reading out the three dimensional code16on the aerosol-generating article10. In the embodiment inFIG.1the detector20is an optical system comprising a laser diode22, a receiver24and a number of mirrors25,26,27and beam splitters28,29.

The laser diode22is configured to generate a light beam23having a wavelength of 405 nanometers. This light beam23is directed by the two beam splitters28,29and mirror25onto the sticker14having the three dimensional code16. The beam is reflected from the surface of the sticker14. The reflected beam is received by an optical receiver24and evaluated by the controller of the aerosol-generating device. For reading the three dimensional code16, the aerosol-generating article10is rotated in the aerosol-generating device. The rotation of the aerosol-generating article10is indicated by the arrow17inFIG.1, and is configured such that the three dimensional code16is carried through the laser beam23. The reflected laser beam is received by the receiver24and decoded by a controller.

The controller is configured to confirm authenticity of the aerosol-generating article10based on the information provided in the three dimensional code16. The controller compares the decoded three dimensional code to one or more expected pieces of information or to an expected decoded three dimensional code to determine authenticity of the aerosol-generating article10. The three dimensional code16may comprise further information on the type of aerosol-forming substrate12provided in the aerosol-generating article10. Based on this information the controller may adjust one or more operating parameters of the aerosol-generating device.

InFIGS.2aand2btwo further embodiments of an aerosol-generating article10are depicted. InFIG.2athe aerosol-generating article10is also disc-shaped and has a ring shaped outer wall30made from aluminium forming the housing of the aerosol-generating article10. The aerosol-forming substrate12is provided in the central area within the ring shaped outer wall30. The three dimensional code16is directly engraved to the outer sidewall32of the housing. The three dimensional code16is provided at plural locations, such that the code16can still be read if one of the areas comprising the code16is damaged, for example, during transport or handling of the aerosol-generating article10.

The aerosol-forming substrate12is provided in four different sections34within the aerosol-generating article10. These sections34may each comprise different kinds of aerosol-forming substrate12. The aerosol-generating device may be configured to heat each of these sections34independently from each other. The three dimensional code16provides information about the aerosol-forming substrate12provided in each section34such that the controller can operate the aerosol-generating device according to a desired predefined profile.

The aerosol-generating article10depicted inFIG.2bis not rotational-symmetric, but is square shaped. The aerosol-forming substrate12is again provided in the central area of the aerosol-generating article10. The three dimensional code16is provided on stickers14that are attached to each corner of the aerosol-generating article10.

The three dimensional code16of non-rotational-symmetric aerosol-generating articles10may advantageously be read out by a detector that does not require relatively fast rotation of the aerosol-generating article10. In such embodiments the three dimensional code16of the aerosol-generating article10ofFIG.2bmay be read out using one or more surface scanning techniques, such as atomic force microscopy (AFM).

FIGS.3and4illustrate the two main working principles of an AFM. InFIG.3the so-called contact modus is schematically depicted, in which a bendable cantilever40carrying a fine tip42is guided across a sample surface44. The tip42of the cantilever40follows the surface topography which leads to changes in the bend angle of the cantilever40. The bend angle of the cantilever40is monitored by an optical device including a laser diode46and a segmented photodiode48. The laser diode46generates a laser beam23that is directed to the backside of the cantilever40and is reflected onto the segmented photo diode48. Slight changes of the bending angle of the cantilever40lead to movement of the laser spot across a sensitive area of the photodiode48, which can be converted by control electronics49into a height profile of the scanned sample surface44.

Another working principle of an AFM, the so-called non-contact modus is depicted inFIG.4. Again a bendable cantilever40carrying a fine tip42is provided. This cantilever40is however not brought into direct contact with the surface44, but is excited by piezo element43to oscillate at its eigenfrequency at a certain distance d above the surface44. When the tip42comes close to the surface44, attractive forces between the surface44and the tip42slightly influence the oscillation frequency of the cantilever40. The oscillation of the cantilever40is again detected by a laser beam23that is reflected from the backside of the cantilever40onto a segmented photo diode (not shown inFIG.4).

The change of the oscillation frequency is a direct measure for the attractive forces between tip42and surface44. Since these forces strongly depend on the distance between tip42and sample surface44, the change of the oscillation frequency is also directly related to the distance between the tip42and the sample surface44. The distance of the tip42to the surface44can be adjusted by piezoelectric positioning elements50. In order to generate a topographic image of the surface44in non-contact AFM mode, the cantilever40is scanned over the surface44, and the oscillation frequency is kept constant by adjusting the distance between tip42and surface44according to the surface topography. Thus, by recording the vertical adjustment movement of the cantilever40during scanning of a surface area44a topographic image of the surface44is obtained.

In order to read the three dimensional code16of the aerosol-generating article10ofFIG.2b, when the aerosol-generating article10is received by the aerosol-generating device, a compact AFM device provided in the aerosol-generating device may be arranged on or close to one of the stickers14provided on either of the four corners of the aerosol-generating article10. The AFM may automatically read out the three dimensional code16of one of the stickers14. Again the control unit is configured to evaluate the AFM image and to decode the information provided in the three dimensional code16.

InFIG.5a code as used in CD ROMs is depicted. The code consists of pits62and lands64provided in a reflective surface60. Each single pit62has a width66and a length68and a depth. In some embodiments, each pit has identical dimensions, and it is simply the distribution of the pits over a surface area which provide the three dimensional code. In some embodiments, one or more pits has a different one or more dimension but an ordered distribution of the pits. In some embodiments, all of the distribution or the pits and one or more of the dimensions of the pits may differ to provide the three dimensional code. In the illustrated embodiment shown inFIG.5, each pit62has a width66of about 600 nanometers and a length68of about 800 nanometers and is about 200 nanometers deep. The pitch70between rows amounts to 1.6 micrometers. For the three dimensional code16of the present invention a single row of pits62and lands64might be sufficient, in some embodiments, to comprise the desired information. In the embodiment shown inFIG.5, a laser diode generating a laser beam23with a wavelength72of about 780 nanometers may be used. The spot size 74 of the laser beam on the surface is typically slightly larger than the width of the pits and may amount to about 1.5 micrometers. The depth of the pits62amounts to about ¼ of the wavelength of the laser beam23.

FIG.6shows a topographic image of a CD-ROM as taken by a contact-mode atomic force microscope. The pits62and lands64are aligned along rows having a pitch60of about 1.6 micrometers. The pits62appear as dark depressions between the bright lands64.

CD devices typically use the so-called eight-to-fourteen-modulation (EFM) for a binary code in which a change from pit62to land64and vice-versa corresponds to a “1” bit, and in which no change corresponds to a “0” bit. A similar encoding may be used for embodiments in which the aerosol-generating article10of the invention is rotatably mounted and in which the code is optically detected during rotation of the aerosol-generating article10. For embodiments in which surface scanning techniques are used to detect the three dimensional code16a different encoding may be applied. For example the pits62may correspond to a binary “0” and the lands64may correspond to a binary “1”.

In the embodiment ofFIG.1beam splitters28,29and mirror25are used to direct a part of the laser beam23towards the sticker14of the aerosol-generating article10and in order to read out the information provided in the three dimensional code16. The other portion of the laser beam23is directed directly towards the aerosol-forming substrate12and is used to heat, or at least to assist in heating, the aerosol-forming substrate12. To this end, additional mirrors26,27are provided. The beam splitters28,29and mirrors25,26,27may be movably mounted within the aerosol-generating device (indicated to the bidirectional arrows inFIG.1), and may be adjusted to direct the laser beam23to specific desired sections of the aerosol-forming substrate12. This may particularly be useful with aerosol-generating articles10as depicted inFIG.2acomprising a plurality of different sections34comprising different kinds of aerosol-forming substrates12. Depending on the information provided in the three dimensional code16, the controller may adjust the optical system such that the laser light is directed towards the desired aerosol-forming substrate12.

FIG.7shows an exploded view of an aerosol-generating system80comprising an aerosol-generating device81and an aerosol-generating article10. The aerosol-generating device81comprises a main housing part82and a mouthpiece part84. The main housing part82comprises a power source86, a controller88, a detector20and a rotatable mounting plate90. The mouthpiece part84is configured to be detachable form the main housing part82. For insertion of an aerosol-generating article10, the mouthpiece part84, is temporarily removed such that the aerosol-generating article10can be inserted onto to the rotatable plate90. After insertion of the aerosol-generating article10the mouthpiece part84is re-attached to the main housing part82, and the aerosol-generating system80is ready for use.

The aerosol-generating article is mounted to the mounting plate90. The detector20is an optical system as depicted inFIG.1comprising a laser diode, a receiver and a number of mirrors and beam splitters (not show in detail inFIG.7). The light beam generated by the laser diode is directed to the rotatably mounted aerosol-generating article10for reading the three dimensional code.