Aerosol provision device with end-of-life indication

Abstract

An aerosol provision device is provided that includes aerosol-generating material. The aerosol provision device includes an aerosol generator powered by the power source to energize the aerosol-generating material to generate an aerosol for delivery to a user. The aerosol provision device includes circuitry configured to control power to the aerosol generator to energize the aerosol-generating material. The circuitry includes processing circuitry configured to determine a temperature of the aerosol generator, determine a temperature function of the aerosol generator, and determine if the aerosol-generating material has reached an end of life (EOL) at which there is less than a threshold amount of the aerosol-generating material, based on the temperature and/or temperature function of the aerosol generator. The processing circuitry may further be configured to disable the aerosol generator when the aerosol-generating material has reached the EOL.

What is claimed is: 
     
         1 . An aerosol provision device comprising:
 a power source;   aerosol-generating material;   an aerosol generator powered by the power source to energize the aerosol-generating material to generate an aerosol for delivery to a user; and   circuitry configured to control power to the aerosol generator to energize the aerosol-generating material, the circuitry including processing circuitry configured to at least:
 determine a temperature of the aerosol generator; 
 determine a temperature function of the aerosol generator; 
 determine if the aerosol-generating material has reached an end of life (EOL) at which there is less than a threshold amount of the aerosol-generating material, based on the temperature and/or temperature function of the aerosol generator; and 
 disable the aerosol generator when the aerosol-generating material has reached the EOL. 
   
     
     
         2 . The aerosol provision device of  claim 1 , wherein the processing circuitry configured to determine the temperature of the aerosol generator includes the processing circuitry configured to at least:
 measure a current through the aerosol generator, and a voltage across the aerosol generator;   determine a resistance of the aerosol generator based on the current and the voltage, the resistance of the aerosol generator being variable and proportional to a temperature of the aerosol generator; and   calculate the temperature of the aerosol generator based on the resistance.   
     
     
         3 . The aerosol provision device of  claim 1 , wherein the aerosol-generating material is contained in a reservoir integrated with the device. 
     
     
         4 . The aerosol provision device of  claim 1 , wherein the aerosol-generating material is contained in a consumable, wherein the device further comprises one or more of a coupler or a receptacle structured to engage and hold the consumable. 
     
     
         5 . The aerosol provision device of  claim 4 , wherein the processing circuitry is further configured to perform a calibration when the coupler or the receptacle is engaged with the consumable, including the processing circuitry configured to determine a reference temperature and resistance, and
 wherein the processing circuitry is configured to calculate the temperature of the aerosol generator further based on the reference temperature and resistance.   
     
     
         6 . The aerosol provision device of  claim 1 , wherein the aerosol provision device further comprises a switch that is manipulatable by a user to activate the aerosol provision device for a time interval during which the aerosol-generating material is energized by the aerosol generator to generate the aerosol, and
 wherein the processing circuitry is configured to determine the temperature of the aerosol generator during the time interval, and to determine the temperature function based on the time interval.   
     
     
         7 . The aerosol provision device of  claim 6 , wherein the processing circuitry configured to determine if the aerosol-generating material has reached an end of life (EOL) based on the temperature function of the aerosol generator includes the processing circuitry configured to determine if the temperature function exceeds a threshold temperature function. 
     
     
         8 . The aerosol provision device of  claim 7 , wherein the processing circuitry configured to determine the temperature function of the aerosol generator includes the processing circuitry configured to determine a rate of change of the temperature of the aerosol generator, and
 wherein the processing circuitry configured to determine if the temperature function exceeds a threshold temperature function includes the processing circuitry configured to determine if the rate of change of the temperature exceeds a threshold rate of change.   
     
     
         9 . The aerosol provision device of  claim 7 , wherein the processing circuitry configured to determine the temperature function of the aerosol generator includes the processing circuitry configured to determine an amount of time the temperature exceeds a predetermined temperature, and
 wherein the processing circuitry configured to determine if the temperature function exceeds a threshold temperature function includes the processing circuitry configured to determine if the amount of time the temperature exceeds a predetermined temperature exceeds a threshold amount of time.   
     
     
         10 . The aerosol provision device of  claim 7 , wherein the processing circuitry configured to determine the temperature function of the aerosol generator includes the processing circuitry configured to determine a change in a rate of change of the temperature, and
 wherein the processing circuitry configured to determine if the temperature function exceeds a threshold temperature function includes the processing circuitry configured to determine if the change in the rate of change of the temperature exceeds a threshold change in the rate of change of the temperature.   
     
     
         11 . The aerosol provision device of  claim 7 , wherein the processing circuitry configured to determine if the aerosol-generating material has reached the EOL includes the processing circuitry configured to determine if the temperature function exceeds a threshold temperature function more than a threshold number of times during the time interval. 
     
     
         12 . The aerosol provision device of  claim 4 , wherein the processing circuitry is further configured to at least:
 detect when the coupler or the receptacle is disengaged with the consumable, and engaged with a second consumable; and   enable the aerosol generator to energize the aerosol-generating material of the second consumable when the aerosol provision device is activated.   
     
     
         13 . A method of operating an aerosol provision device, the method comprising:
 controlling power to the aerosol generator to energize aerosol-generating material to generate an aerosol for delivery to a user;   determining a temperature of the aerosol generator;   determining a temperature function of the aerosol generator;   determining if the aerosol-generating material has reached an end of life (EOL) at which there is less than a threshold amount of the aerosol-generating material, based on the temperature and/or temperature function of the aerosol generator; and   disabling the aerosol generator when the aerosol-generating material has reached the EOL.   
     
     
         14 . The method of  claim 13 , wherein determining the temperature of the aerosol generator includes at least:
 measuring a current through the aerosol generator, and a voltage across the aerosol generator;   determining a resistance of the aerosol generator based on the current and the voltage, the resistance of the aerosol generator being variable and proportional to a temperature of the aerosol generator; and   calculating the temperature of the aerosol generator based on the resistance.   
     
     
         15 . The method of  claim 13 , wherein the aerosol-generating material is contained in a reservoir integrated with the device. 
     
     
         16 . The method of  claim 13 , wherein the aerosol-generating material is contained in a consumable, and wherein the device further comprises one or more of a coupler or a receptacle structured to engage and hold the consumable. 
     
     
         17 . The method of  claim 16 , wherein the method further comprises performing a calibration when the coupler or the receptacle is engaged with the consumable, the calibration including determining a reference temperature and resistance, and
 wherein the temperature of the aerosol generator is calculated further based on the reference temperature and resistance.   
     
     
         18 . The method of  claim 13 , wherein the aerosol provision device is activated for a time interval during which the aerosol-generating material is energized by the aerosol generator to generate the aerosol, wherein the temperature of the aerosol generator is determined during the time interval, and wherein the temperature function of the aerosol generator is determined during the time interval. 
     
     
         19 . The method of  claim 18 , wherein determining if the aerosol-generating material has reached an end of life (EOL) based on the temperature function of the aerosol generator includes determining if the temperature function exceeds a threshold temperature function. 
     
     
         20 . The method of  claim 18 , wherein determining the temperature function of the aerosol generator includes determining a rate of change of the temperature of the aerosol generator, and
 wherein determining if the temperature function exceeds a threshold temperature function includes determining if the rate of change of the temperature exceeds a threshold rate of change.   
     
     
         21 . The method of  claim 20 , wherein determining if the aerosol-generating material has reached the EOL includes determining if the temperature function exceeds a threshold temperature function more than a threshold number of times during the time interval. 
     
     
         22 . The method of  claim 16 , wherein the method further comprises:
 detecting when the coupler or the receptacle is disengaged with the consumable, and engaged with a second consumable; and   enabling the aerosol generator to energize the aerosol-generating material of the second consumable when the aerosol provision device is activated.