Electronic aerosol provision system and method

Abstract

A method of control for an aerosol delivery system is disclosed herein. The method generates a first version of an aerosol having at least a first property modified to a first version within a first phase of the inhalation, detects a second phase of the inhalation, and generates a second version of the aerosol having at least the first property modified to a second, different version in response to detection of the second phase of the inhalation.

1 . A method of control for an aerosol delivery system, comprising:
 generating a first version of an aerosol having at least a first property modified to a first version within a first phase of an inhalation;   detecting a second phase of the inhalation; and   generating a second version of the aerosol having at least the first property modified to a second version, wherein the second version differs from the first version, in response to detection of the second phase of the inhalation.   
     
     
         2 . The method of  claim 1 , wherein the first property is the constituents of a payload being aerosolized. 
     
     
         3 . The method of  claim 2 , wherein a first in which the payload of the first version comprises first ingredient whose active effect occurs when absorbed into the bloodstream, and a second payload of the second version comprises a second ingredient whose active effect occurs when tasted. 
     
     
         4 . The method of  claim 2 , in which the aerosol delivery device comprises two aerosol generators each in connection to a respective one of two payload sources; and
 the method further comprises the step of:   generating the first and second versions of the aerosol by selectively activating each of the aerosol generators to generate a respective aerosol comprising a respective payload.   
     
     
         5 . The method of  claim 4 , wherein at least a first aerosol generator is a heater, and is in thermal connection with at least a portion of the respective payload. 
     
     
         6 . The method of  claim 4 , wherein at least a first aerosol generator is a vibrator, and is in mechanical connection with at least a portion of the respective payload. 
     
     
         7 . The method of  claim 1 , wherein the first property is aerosol particle size. 
     
     
         8 . The method of  claim 7 , wherein the aerosol particle size of the first version is smaller than the aerosol particle size of the second version. 
     
     
         9 . The method of  claim 7 , wherein generating the first and second versions of the aerosol comprises changing a property of an aerosol generator to change the resulting aerosol particle size, the property of the aerosol generator being one selected from a list consisting of:
 i. a temperature of a heater used to generate the aerosol;   ii. a frequency of a vibrator used to generate the aerosol; and   iii. a source of the aerosol.   
     
     
         10 . The method of  claim 1 , wherein inhalation is detected as an airflow using an airflow detector. 
     
     
         11 . The method of  claim 10 , wherein the first phase of the inhalation occurs until the airflow is above a first threshold level. 
     
     
         12 . The method of  claim 10 , wherein the first phase of the inhalation occurs until the airflow reaches a peak level. 
     
     
         13 . The method of  claim 10 , wherein the second phase of the inhalation occurs after the airflow drops below a second threshold level. 
     
     
         14 . The method of  claim 10 , wherein the second phase of the inhalation occurs after the airflow reaches a peak level. 
     
     
         15 . The method of  claim 1 , further comprising:
 measuring airflow during a plurality of inhalations of the user; and   modelling one or more inhalation airflow profiles of the user based upon these measurements.   
     
     
         16 . The method  claim 15 , further comprising:
 measuring airflow during a next inhalation of the user;   comparing the measurement to the one or more modelled inhalation airflow profiles; and in response to a the measurement matching a modelled inhalation airflow profiles to within a predetermined tolerance,   predicting one or more selected from a list consisting of:   i. the end of the first phase of inhalation; and   ii. the start of the second phase of inhalation.   
     
     
         17 . An aerosol delivery system, comprising:
 an aerosol delivery device;   a control processor configured to generate a first version of an aerosol having at least a first property modified to a first version within a first phase of an inhalation;   a detection processor configured to detect a second phase of the inhalation; and   the control processor configured to generate a second version of the aerosol having at least the first property modified to a second version, wherein the second version is different from the first version, in response to detection of the second phase of the inhalation.   
     
     
         18 . The aerosol delivery system of  claim 17 , wherein the first property is constituents of a payload being aerosolized. 
     
     
         19 . The aerosol delivery system of  claim 18 , wherein the aerosol delivery device comprises two aerosol generators each in connection to a respective one of two payload sources; and
 the control processor is configured to generate the first and second versions of the aerosol by selectively activating each of the aerosol generators to generate a respective aerosol comprising a respective payload.   
     
     
         20 . The aerosol delivery system of  claim 17 , wherein the first property is aerosol particle size. 
     
     
         21 . The aerosol delivery system of  claim 20 , wherein the aerosol particle size of the first version is smaller than the aerosol particle size of the second version. 
     
     
         22 . The aerosol delivery system of  claim 20 , wherein the control processor is configured to generate the first and second versions of the aerosol by changing a property of an aerosol generator to change the resulting aerosol particle size, the property of the aerosol generator being one selected from a list consisting of:
 i. a temperature of a heater used to generate the aerosol;   ii. a frequency of a vibrator used to generate the aerosol; and   iii. a source of the aerosol.   
     
     
         23 . The aerosol delivery system of  claim 17 , wherein inhalation is detected as an airflow using an airflow detector. 
     
     
         24 . The aerosol delivery system of  claim 23 , wherein the first phase of the inhalation occurs until one or more from a list consisting of:
 i. the airflow being above a first threshold level; and   ii. the airflow reaching a peak level.   
     
     
         25 . The aerosol delivery system of  claim 23 , wherein the second phase of the inhalation occurs after one or more from a list consisting of:
 i. the airflow dropping below a second threshold level; and   ii. the airflow reaching a peak level.   
     
     
         26 . The aerosol delivery system of  claim 17 , wherein:
 the control processor is configured to measure airflow during a plurality of inhalations of the user; and   the control processor is configured to model one or more inhalation airflow profiles of the user based upon these measurements.   
     
     
         27 . The aerosol delivery system of  claim 26 , wherein the control processor is configured to compare airflow measurements to the one or more modelled inhalation airflow profiles; and
 in response to a measurement matching a modelled inhalation airflow profiles to within a predetermined tolerance,   the control processor is configured to predict one or more selected from a list consisting of:   i. the end of the first phase of inhalation; and   ii. the start of the second phase of inhalation.   
     
     
         28 . The aerosol delivery system of  claim 17 , further comprising:
 a mobile communications device operable to wirelessly communicate with the aerosol delivery device; and wherein   the mobile communications device comprises one or more from a list consisting of:   i. the detection processor; and   ii. the control processor.   
     
     
         29 . The aerosol delivery system of  claim 17 , further comprising:
 at least a first payload for aerosolization by the aerosol delivery device.