Smoking device with heating profile based on puff volume

Abstract

A method of operating an aerosol-generating device is provided for generating an aerosol from an aerosol-forming substrate during a usage session, the device including a power supply to supply power to a heating element to heat the substrate, and a controller, the method including: monitoring a user interaction parameter indicative of use of the device during the session; using the user interaction parameter for controlling temperature of the heating element during the session; monitoring a parameter indicative of aerosol generation during the session; analyzing the monitored parameter to identify a user puff, the user puff defined by a puff start and a puff end; analyzing the monitored parameter during the user puff to calculate a puff volume, the puff volume being a volume of aerosol generated during the user puff; and using the puff volume as the user interaction parameter for controlling temperature of the heater element.

1 .- 15 . (canceled) 
     
     
         16 . A method of operating an aerosol-generating device for generating an aerosol from an aerosol-forming substrate during a usage session, the aerosol-generating device comprising a power supply configured to supply power to a heating element to heat the aerosol-forming substrate, and a controller, the method comprising steps of:
 monitoring a user interaction parameter indicative of use of the aerosol-generating device during the usage session;   using the user interaction parameter as a parameter for controlling temperature of the heating element during the usage session;   monitoring a parameter indicative of aerosol generation during the usage session;   analyzing the monitored parameter indicative of aerosol generation to identify a user puff, the user puff defined by a puff start and a puff end;   analyzing the monitored parameter indicative of aerosol generation during the user puff to calculate a puff volume, the puff volume being a volume of aerosol generated during the user puff; and   using the puff volume as the user interaction parameter for controlling temperature of the heater element.   
     
     
         17 . The method according to  claim 16 ,
 wherein a value of the user interaction parameter is associated with a target operating temperature of the heating element, and   wherein a cumulative value of the user interaction parameter recorded during the usage session is associated with a target operating temperature of the heating element.   
     
     
         18 . The method according to  claim 16 , wherein the aerosol-generating device stores a predetermined thermal profile defining a heating element temperature with respect to a value of the monitored user interaction parameter. 
     
     
         19 . The method according to  claim 18 , wherein the value of the monitored user interaction parameter is a cumulative value of the user interaction parameter during the usage session. 
     
     
         20 . The method according to  claim 18 , wherein the operating temperature of the heating element during the usage session is controlled in accordance with the predetermined thermal profile. 
     
     
         21 . The method according to  claim 16 , wherein the user interaction parameter is indicative of volume of aerosol released by the aerosol-forming substrate during the usage session. 
     
     
         22 . The method according to  claim 16 , further comprising the step of analyzing the monitored parameter indicative of aerosol generation to identify a plurality of user puffs performed during the usage session, each of the plurality of user puffs having a puff start and a puff end determined by analyzing the monitored parameter indicative of aerosol generation. 
     
     
         23 . The method according to  claim 22 , further comprising the steps of:
 analyzing the monitored parameter indicative of aerosol generation during each of the plurality of identified user puffs to calculate a puff volume for each of the plurality of user puffs;   determining a cumulative puff volume of aerosol generated during each of the plurality of identified user puffs; and   using the cumulative puff volume as the user interaction parameter for controlling temperature of the heater element.   
     
     
         24 . The method according to  claim 16 , wherein the step of analyzing the monitored parameter indicative of aerosol generation comprises steps of calculating a first characteristic of the monitored parameter indicative of aerosol generation and analyzing the first characteristic to determine a puff start and a puff stop. 
     
     
         25 . The method according to  claim 24 , wherein the step of analyzing the monitored parameter indicative of aerosol generation further comprises steps of calculating a second characteristic of the monitored parameter indicative of aerosol generation and analyzing both the first characteristic and the second characteristic to determine the puff start and the puff stop. 
     
     
         26 . The method according to  claim 24 , wherein the first characteristic is a first moving average value of the monitored parameter computed on a first time window having a first time window duration. 
     
     
         27 . The method according to  claim 24 , wherein the first characteristic is a first moving median value of the monitored parameter indicative of aerosol generation computed on a first time window having a first time window duration. 
     
     
         28 . An aerosol-generating device for generating an aerosol from an aerosol-forming substrate during a usage session, the aerosol-generating device comprising:
 a power supply configured to supply power to generate the aerosol; and   a controller configured to monitor a user interaction parameter indicative of use of the aerosol-generating device during the usage session, and to use the user interaction parameter to control the temperature of the heating element during the usage session,   wherein the aerosol-generating device is configured to monitor a parameter indicative of aerosol generation during operation of the aerosol-generating device, analyze the monitored parameter to identify a user puff, the user puff defined by a puff start and a puff end, analyze the monitored parameter during the user puff to calculate a puff volume, the puff volume being a volume of aerosol generated during the user puff, and control the temperature of the heating element based on the calculated puff volume.   
     
     
         29 . The aerosol-generating device according to  claim 28 , wherein the aerosol-generating device is further configured to:
 monitor a user interaction parameter indicative of use of the aerosol-generating device during the usage session,   use the user interaction parameter as a parameter for controlling temperature of the heating element during the usage session,   monitor a parameter indicative of aerosol generation during the usage session,   analyze the monitored parameter indicative of aerosol generation to identify a user puff, the user puff defined by a puff start and a puff end,   analyze the monitored parameter indicative of aerosol generation during the user puff to calculate a puff volume, the puff volume being a volume of aerosol generated during the user puff, and   use the puff volume as the user interaction parameter for controlling temperature of the heater element.   
     
     
         30 . An aerosol-generating device for generating an aerosol from an aerosol-forming substrate during a usage session, the aerosol-generating device comprising:
 a power supply configured to supply power to generate the aerosol;   a controller; and   a nontransitory computer-readable medium containing instructions to carry out a method of monitoring a user interaction parameter indicative of use of the aerosol-generating device during the usage session, and using the user interaction parameter as a parameter for controlling temperature of the heating element during the usage session,   wherein the aerosol-generating device is configured to monitor a parameter indicative of aerosol generation during operation of the aerosol-generating device, analyze the monitored parameter to identify a user puff, the user puff defined by a puff start and a puff end, analyze the monitored parameter during the user puff to calculate a puff volume, the puff volume being a volume of aerosol generated during the user puff, and control the temperature of the heating element based on the calculated puff volume.   
     
     
         31 . An aerosol-generating device for generating an aerosol from an aerosol-forming substrate during a usage session, the aerosol-generating device comprising:
 a power supply configured to supply power to generate the aerosol;   a controller; and   a nontransitory computer-readable medium containing instructions to carry out a method according to  claim 16 .