Smoking device with heating profile based on puff frequency

Abstract

A method of operating an aerosol-generating device for generating aerosol from an aerosol-forming substrate during a usage session is provided, the aerosol-generating device including a power supply arranged to supply power to a heater during the usage session, the method including: using control electronics of the aerosol-generating device to associate a puff applied in the usage session with a corresponding target operating temperature for the heater based on a cumulative puff count of the applied puff in the usage session and on a time interval between the applied puff and an earlier puff applied in the usage session, and for the applied puff, control the supply of power from the power supply in order to adjust a temperature of the heater to the target operating temperature associated with the applied puff.

1 .- 15 . (canceled) 
     
     
         16 . A method of operating an aerosol-generating device for generating aerosol from an aerosol-forming substrate during a usage session, the aerosol-generating device comprising a power supply arranged to supply power to a heater during the usage session, the method comprising:
 using control electronics of the aerosol-generating device to:
 associate a puff applied in the usage session with a corresponding target operating temperature for the heater based on a cumulative puff count of the applied puff in the usage session and on a time interval between the applied puff and an earlier puff applied in the usage session, and 
 for the applied puff, control the supply of power from the power supply in order to adjust a temperature of the heater to the target operating temperature associated with the applied puff. 
   
     
     
         17 . The method according to  claim 16 ,
 wherein the aerosol-generating device stores a predetermined thermal profile defining a variation in heater temperature over a predetermined distribution of puffs, and   wherein the target operating temperature associated with the applied puff is a temperature of the predetermined thermal profile for the puff in the predetermined distribution of puffs corresponding to the cumulative puff count of the applied puff.   
     
     
         18 . The method according to  claim 17 ,
 wherein the predetermined thermal profile comprises a predetermined relationship between a puff parameter and the predetermined distribution of puffs,   the method further comprising:
 determining if a value of the puff parameter for either or both the applied puff and an earlier puff applied in the usage session differs from a value of the puff parameter for corresponding puffs of the predetermined distribution of puffs, 
 modifying the temperature of the predetermined thermal profile for the puff in the predetermined distribution of puffs corresponding to the cumulative puff count of the applied puff by using the determined difference in the value of the puff parameter, and 
 using the modified temperature of the predetermined thermal profile as the target operating temperature associated with the applied puff. 
   
     
     
         19 . The method according to  claim 18 , wherein the puff parameter comprises one or more of:
 a time interval between successive puffs,   an intensity of a puff, and   a volume of aerosol generated from the aerosol-forming substrate in response to a puff.   
     
     
         20 . The method according to  claim 16 , wherein the earlier puff immediately precedes the applied puff in the usage session. 
     
     
         21 . The method according to  claim 16 ,
 wherein the aerosol-generating device stores a predetermined thermal profile defining a variation in heater temperature over a predetermined distribution of puffs, the predetermined thermal profile comprising a predetermined time spacing between successive puffs of the predetermined distribution of puffs,   the method further comprising:
 determining if the time interval between the applied puff and the earlier puff differs from the predetermined time spacing between corresponding puffs of the predetermined distribution of puffs, 
 modifying the temperature of the predetermined thermal profile for the puff in the predetermined distribution of puffs corresponding to the cumulative puff count of the applied puff by using this time difference, and 
 using the modified temperature of the predetermined thermal profile as the target operating temperature associated with the applied puff. 
   
     
     
         22 . The method according to  claim 16 , wherein the associating of the applied puff with a corresponding target operating temperature for the heater is additionally based on an intensity of an earlier puff applied in the usage session. 
     
     
         23 . The method according to  claim 22 ,
 wherein the aerosol-generating device stores a predetermined thermal profile defining a variation in heater temperature over a predetermined distribution of puffs, the predetermined thermal profile comprising a predetermined intensity for each puff of the predetermined distribution of puffs;   the method further comprising:
 determining if the intensity of the earlier puff differs from the predetermined intensity for the corresponding puff of the predetermined distribution of puffs, 
 modifying the temperature of the predetermined thermal profile for the puff in the predetermined distribution of puffs corresponding to the cumulative puff count of the applied puff by using this intensity difference, and 
 using the modified temperature of the predetermined thermal profile as the target operating temperature associated with the applied puff. 
   
     
     
         24 . The method according to  claim 16 , further comprising detecting the applied puff by monitoring a change in heater temperature in response to the applied puff. 
     
     
         25 . The method according to  claim 16 , further comprising terminating the usage session upon the first to occur of: i) a cumulative number of puffs applied in the usage session reaching a predetermined puff limit, or ii) the usage session reaching a predetermined maximum time duration. 
     
     
         26 . A nontransitory computer-readable storage medium for use in an aerosol-generating device, the nontransitory computer-readable storage medium containing instructions for performing the method according to  claim 16  on the aerosol-generating device when interacting with aerosol-forming substrate. 
     
     
         27 . An aerosol-generating device for generating aerosol from an aerosol-forming substrate during a usage session, the aerosol-generating device comprising:
 a power supply arranged to supply power to a heater during the usage session; and   control electronics configured to:
 determine a time interval between the applied puff and an earlier puff, 
 associate a puff applied in the usage session with a corresponding target operating temperature for the heater based on a cumulative puff count of the applied puff in the usage session and on the determined time interval, and 
 for the applied puff, control the supply of power from the power supply in order to adjust a temperature of the heater to the target operating temperature associated with the applied puff. 
   
     
     
         28 . The aerosol-generating device according to  claim 27 , wherein the aerosol-generating device stores a predetermined thermal profile defining a variation in heater temperature over a predetermined distribution of puffs, the aerosol-generating device being configured such that the target operating temperature associated with the applied puff is a temperature of the predetermined thermal profile for the puff in the predetermined distribution of puffs corresponding to the cumulative puff count of the applied puff 
     
     
         29 . The aerosol-generating device according to  claim 27 ,
 wherein the aerosol-generating device stores a predetermined thermal profile defining a variation in heater temperature over a predetermined distribution of puffs, the predetermined thermal profile comprising a predetermined time spacing between successive puffs of the predetermined distribution of puffs, and   wherein the aerosol-generating device is configured to:
 determine if the determined time interval between the applied puff and the earlier puff differs from the predetermined time spacing between corresponding puffs of the predetermined distribution of puffs, 
 modify the temperature of the predetermined thermal profile for the puff in the predetermined distribution of puffs corresponding to the cumulative puff count of the applied puff by using this time difference, and 
 use the modified temperature of the predetermined thermal profile as the target operating temperature associated with the applied puff. 
   
     
     
         30 . The aerosol-generating device according to  claim 27 , wherein the aerosol-generating device is configured:
 to determine a volume of aerosol generated from the aerosol-forming substrate in response to an earlier puff applied in the usage session, and   such that the associating of the applied puff with a corresponding target operating temperature for the heater is additionally based on the determined volume for the earlier puff.