Aerosol delivery device and related method and computer program product for controlling an aerosol delivery device based on input characteristics

Abstract

The present disclosure relates to an aerosol delivery device and related methods and computer program products for controlling an aerosol delivery device based on input characteristics. For example, a method for controlling an aerosol delivery device based at least in part on user input characteristics, includes the aerosol delivery device determining a characteristic of a user input to the aerosol delivery device, with the user input comprising manipulation of the aerosol delivery device, and with the user input being detected by a motion sensor of the aerosol delivery device; the aerosol delivery device determining a control function having a defined association with the characteristic; and aerosol delivery device performing the control function in response to the user input.

1 . An aerosol delivery device comprising:
 a sensor configured to detect a user input to the aerosol delivery device, the sensor being a motion sensor and the user input comprising manipulation of the aerosol delivery device; and   processing circuitry coupled with the motion sensor, and configured to cause the aerosol delivery device to at least:
 determine a characteristic of the user input; 
 determine a control function having a defined association with the characteristic; and 
 perform the control function in response to the user input. 
   
     
     
         2 . The aerosol delivery device of  claim 1 , wherein the characteristic comprises one or more of a type of the manipulation, an angular displacement of the aerosol delivery device, or a number of repetitively occurring motion patterns in the manipulation. 
     
     
         3 . The aerosol delivery device of  claim 2 , wherein the characteristic includes one or more of an acceleration of the aerosol delivery device, a change in orientation of the aerosol delivery device, or a direction of motion of the aerosol delivery device. 
     
     
         4 . The aerosol delivery device of  claim 1 , wherein manipulation of the aerosol delivery device comprises shaking, flicking, tapping, rotating, or tilting the aerosol delivery device, or a series thereof, or a combination thereof. 
     
     
         5 . The aerosol delivery device of  claim 1 , wherein the motion sensor is or includes a gyroscope or an inclinometer. 
     
     
         6 . The aerosol delivery device of  claim 5 , wherein the motion sensor includes an accelerometer. 
     
     
         7 . The aerosol delivery device of  claim 1 , wherein the control function comprises a function, other than heating aerosol precursor composition to form an inhalable substance, toggling a power state of the aerosol delivery device, or toggling an activation state of the aerosol delivery device. 
     
     
         8 . The aerosol delivery device of  claim 1 , wherein the aerosol delivery device is configured to determine a control function having a defined association with the characteristic by referring to a data structure having defined associations between control functions and characteristics. 
     
     
         9 . The aerosol delivery device of  claim 1 , wherein the sensor comprises a puff sensor in addition to the motion sensor, the puff sensor being configured to detect a puff input to the aerosol delivery device, and wherein the processing circuitry is configured to cause the aerosol delivery device to perform the control function at least in part by causing the aerosol delivery device to provide an indication of a level of aerosol precursor composition remaining in a cartridge operably engaged with the aerosol delivery device in response to the puff input. 
     
     
         10 . The aerosol delivery device of  claim 1 , wherein the aerosol delivery device comprises a battery, and wherein the processing circuitry is configured to cause the aerosol delivery device to perform the control function at least in part by causing the aerosol delivery device to provide an indication of a charge level of the battery. 
     
     
         11 . The aerosol delivery device of  claim 1 , wherein the processing circuitry is configured to cause the aerosol delivery device to perform the control function at least in part by causing the aerosol delivery device to modify a configuration setting of the aerosol delivery device. 
     
     
         12 . The aerosol delivery device of  claim 11 , wherein the processing circuitry is configured to cause the aerosol delivery device to modify the configuration setting at least in part by causing the aerosol delivery device to modify one or more of a configuration setting for a light emitting diode (LED) indicator, a haptic feedback configuration setting, a heating profile configuration setting, an aerosol precursor composition vaporization configuration setting, a puff control configuration setting, or a battery management configuration setting. 
     
     
         13 . The aerosol delivery device of  claim 1 , wherein the sensor comprises a puff sensor in addition to the motion sensor, the puff sensor being configured to detect a puff input to the aerosol delivery device, and wherein the characteristic comprises one or more of a duration of a puff, a total number of puffs in the puff input, an interval between two puffs, a force of a puff, or a detection of a reverse puff. 
     
     
         14 . The aerosol delivery device of  claim 1 , wherein the sensor comprises a puff sensor in addition to the motion sensor, the puff sensor being configured to detect a puff input to the aerosol delivery device, and wherein the processing circuitry is further configured to cause the aerosol delivery device to:
 receive another user input configured to change a control mode of the aerosol delivery device to cause the aerosol delivery device to perform the control function in response to the puff input, other than heating aerosol precursor composition to form an inhalable substance in response to the puff input; and   change the control mode in response to the another user input;   wherein the control function is performed based at least in part on the change in control mode.   
     
     
         15 . A method for controlling an aerosol delivery device based at least in part on user input characteristics, the method comprising the aerosol delivery device:
 determining a characteristic of a user input to the aerosol delivery device, the user input comprising manipulation of the aerosol delivery device, and the user input being detected by a motion sensor of the aerosol delivery device;   determining a control function having a defined association with the characteristic; and   performing the control function in response to the user input.   
     
     
         16 . The method of  claim 15 , wherein determining the characteristic comprises determining one or more of a type of the manipulation, an angular displacement of the aerosol delivery device, or a number of repetitively occurring motion patterns in the manipulation. 
     
     
         17 . The method of  claim 16 , wherein determining the characteristic comprises determining direction of motion of the aerosol delivery device, a change in orientation of the aerosol delivery device, or an acceleration of the aerosol delivery device. 
     
     
         18 . The method of  claim 15 , wherein determining the characteristic of the user input comprising manipulation of the aerosol delivery device comprises determining the characteristic of the user input comprising shaking, flicking, tapping, rotating, or tilting the aerosol delivery device, or a series thereof, or a combination thereof. 
     
     
         19 . The method of  claim 15 , wherein determining the characteristic of the user input comprises determining the characteristic of the user input detected by the motion sensor being or including a gyroscope or an inclinometer. 
     
     
         20 . The method of  claim 19 , wherein determining the characteristic of the user input comprises determining the characteristic of the user input detected by the motion sensor including an accelerometer. 
     
     
         21 . The method of  claim 15 , wherein determining the control function comprises determining the control function to be other than heating aerosol precursor composition to form an inhalable substance, toggling a power state of the aerosol delivery device, or toggling an activation state of the aerosol delivery device. 
     
     
         22 . The method of  claim 15 , wherein determining the control function comprises determining the control function having the defined association with the characteristic by referring to a data structure having defined associations between control functions and characteristics. 
     
     
         23 . The method of  claim 15 , further comprising the aerosol delivery device:
 determining based at least in part on the characteristic that the user input is for a control function, other than a default function associated with an input mechanism via which the user input was received.   
     
     
         24 . The method of  claim 15 , wherein performing the control function comprises one or more of providing an indication of a level of aerosol precursor composition remaining in a cartridge operably engaged with the aerosol delivery device, or providing an indication of a charge level of a battery implemented on the aerosol delivery device. 
     
     
         25 . The method of  claim 15 , wherein performing the control function comprises modifying a configuration setting of the aerosol delivery device. 
     
     
         26 . The method of  claim 25 , wherein modifying the configuration setting comprises modifying one or more of a configuration setting for a light emitting diode (LED) indicator, a haptic feedback configuration setting, a heating profile configuration setting, an aerosol precursor composition vaporization configuration setting, a puff control configuration setting, or a battery management configuration setting. 
     
     
         27 . The method of  claim 15 , wherein the user input comprises a puff input comprised of one or more puffs, in addition to the user input comprising manipulation of the aerosol delivery device. 
     
     
         28 . The method of  claim 27 , wherein determining the characteristic comprises determining one or more of a duration of a puff, a total number of puffs in the puff input, an interval between two puffs, a force of a puff, or a detection of a reverse puff. 
     
     
         29 . The method of  claim 27 , further comprising the aerosol delivery device:
 receiving a combination of user inputs including the user input and a second user input, the second user input being configured to change a control mode of the aerosol delivery device to cause the aerosol delivery device to perform the control function in response to the puff input, other than heating aerosol precursor composition to form an inhalable substance in response to the puff input; and   changing the control mode in response to the second user input.   
     
     
         30 . A computer program product for controlling an aerosol delivery device based at least in part on user input characteristics, the computer program product comprising at least one non-transitory computer readable medium having program instructions stored thereon, the program instructions comprising:
 program code for determining a characteristic of a user input to the aerosol delivery device, the user input being detected by a motion sensor of the aerosol delivery device, and the user input comprising manipulation of the aerosol delivery device;   program code for determining a control function having a defined association with the characteristic; and   program code for performing the control function in response to the user input.   
     
     
         31 . The computer program product of  claim 30 , wherein the program instructions for determining the characteristic comprise program instructions for determining one or more of a type of the manipulation, an angular displacement of the aerosol delivery device, or a number of repetitively occurring motion patterns in the manipulation. 
     
     
         32 . The computer program product of  claim 31 , wherein the program instructions for determining the characteristic comprise program instructions for determining direction of motion of the aerosol delivery device, a change in orientation of the aerosol delivery device, or an acceleration of the aerosol delivery device. 
     
     
         33 . The computer program product of  claim 30 , wherein the program instructions for determining the characteristic of the user input comprising manipulation of the aerosol delivery device comprises determining the characteristic of the user input comprising shaking, flicking, tapping, rotating, or tilting the aerosol delivery device, or a series thereof, or a combination thereof. 
     
     
         34 . The computer program product of  claim 30 , wherein the program instructions for determining the characteristic comprise program instructions for comprises determining the characteristic of the user input detected by the motion sensor being or including a gyroscope or an inclinometer. 
     
     
         35 . The computer program product of  claim 34 , wherein the program instructions for determining the characteristic comprise program instructions for determining the characteristic of the user input detected by the motion sensor including an accelerometer. 
     
     
         36 . The computer program product of  claim 30 , wherein the program instructions for determining the control function comprise program instructions for determining the control function to be other than heating aerosol precursor composition to form an inhalable substance, toggling a power state of the aerosol delivery device, or toggling an activation state of the aerosol delivery device. 
     
     
         37 . The computer program product of  claim 30 , wherein the program instructions for determining the control function comprise program instructions for determining the control function having the defined association with the characteristic by referring to a data structure having defined associations between control functions and characteristics. 
     
     
         38 . The computer program product of  claim 30 , wherein the program instructions further comprise:
 program code for determining based at least in part on the characteristic that the user input is for a control function, other than a default function associated with an input mechanism via which the user input was received.   
     
     
         39 . The computer program product of  claim 30 , wherein the program code for performing the control function comprises program code for one or more of providing an indication of a level of aerosol precursor composition remaining in a cartridge operably engaged with the aerosol delivery device, or providing an indication of a charge level of a battery implemented on the aerosol delivery device. 
     
     
         40 . The computer program product of  claim 30 , wherein the program code for performing the control function comprises program code for modifying a configuration setting of the aerosol delivery device. 
     
     
         41 . The computer program product of  claim 30 , wherein the user input comprises a puff input comprised of one or more puffs, in addition to the user input comprising manipulation of the aerosol delivery device.