A controller for a non-combustible aerosol provision system, apparatus for a non-combustible aerosol provision system, and a non-combustible aerosol provision device and system

Abstract

A detailed listing of all claims that are, or were, in the present application, irrespective of whether the claim(s) remain(s) under examination in the application is presented below. The claims are presented in ascending order and each includes one status identifier. Those claims not cancelled or withdrawn but amended by the current amendment utilize the following notations for amendment: 1. deleted matter is shown by strikethrough for six or more characters and double brackets for five or fewer characters; and 2. added matter is shown by underlining.

1 . A controller configured to determine a value indicative of an amount of usable aerosol-generating material in a non-combustible aerosol provision system, wherein the controller is configured to:
 determine an operating state of the non-combustible aerosol provision system; and   determine the value indicative of the amount of usable aerosol-generating material remaining in the system by a first process if the controller determines that the system is in a first operating state indicative that the aerosol-generating material is being depleted and that the system is not being operated by a user to deliver generated aerosol to the user.   
     
     
         2 . A controller according to  claim 1 , wherein the controller is configured to:
 determine the value indicative of an amount of usable aerosol-generating material remaining in the system by a second process different from the first process if the controller determines that the system is in a second operating state indicative that the system is being operated by a user to deliver generated aerosol to a user.   
     
     
         3 . A controller according to  claim 1  wherein the controller is configured to determine the operating state of the system based on an input received from a detector for detecting a user interaction with the system. 
     
     
         4 . A controller according to  claim 3  wherein the controller is configured to determine the operating state of the system by determining from the input received from the detector if a user is inhaling on the system. 
     
     
         5 . A controller according to  claim 4  wherein the controller is configured to receive from the detector data indicative of one or more parameters of a detected inhalation on the system. 
     
     
         6 . A controller according to  claim 1  wherein the controller is configured to:
 determine an operational parameter relating to an aerosol generating element in the system; and 
 determine when the system is in the first state based on the operational parameter relating to the aerosol generating element. 
 
     
     
         7 . A controller according to  claim 1  wherein the first process comprises determining an initial value indicative of an amount of usable aerosol-generating material in the system and applying a first rate of depletion to the initial value for a time in which the system is determined to be in the first state. 
     
     
         8 . A controller according to  claim 7  wherein the first rate of depletion is based on one or more characteristics of one or more of: the non-combustible aerosol provision system; the aerosol-generating material; and a consumable in which the aerosol-generating material is comprised. 
     
     
         9 . A controller according to  claim 8  wherein the controller is configured to determine the first rate based on one or more current usage parameters of the system, such as a temperature of a heater assembly configured to heat the aerosol-generating material or a temperature of the aerosol-generating material. 
     
     
         10 . A controller according to  claim 2  wherein the second process comprises determining an initial value indicative of an amount of usable aerosol-generating material in the system and applying a second rate of depletion to the initial value for a time in which the system is determined to be in the second state. 
     
     
         11 . A controller according to  claim 10  wherein the controller is configured to determine the second rate of depletion based on the data indicative of one or more parameters of the detected inhalation received from the detector. 
     
     
         12 . A controller according to  claim 2  wherein the second process comprises determining an initial value indicative of an amount of usable aerosol-generating material in the system and reducing the initial value by a pre-determined amount when an inhalation on the system by the user is detected. 
     
     
         13 . A controller according to  claim 1 , wherein the controller is configured to send the value indicative of the amount of aerosol-generating material remaining in the system to an indicator to be displayed to a user. 
     
     
         14 . Apparatus for a non-combustible aerosol provision system, the apparatus comprising a controller according to  claim 1  and:
 an indicator to display an indication of the value indicative of the amount of remaining usable aerosol-generating material in the system; and 
 a detector for detecting a user interaction with the system. 
 
     
     
         15 . A non-combustible aerosol provision device comprising a controller according to  claim 1 . 
     
     
         16 . A non-combustible aerosol provision device according to  claim 15  wherein the device is for generating aerosol from an aerosol-generating material comprising tobacco by heating and not burning the aerosol-generating material comprising tobacco. 
     
     
         17 . A non-combustible aerosol provision system comprising a non-combustible aerosol provision device according to  claim 15  and a consumable comprising aerosol-generating material. 
     
     
         18 . A method of determining a value indicative of an amount of usable aerosol-generating material in a non-combustible aerosol provision system, the method comprising:
 determining an operating state of the non-combustible aerosol provision system; and   determining the value indicative of the amount of usable aerosol-generating material in the system by a first process if the controller determines that the system is in a first operating state indicative that the aerosol-generating material is being depleted and that the system is not being operated by a user to deliver generated aerosol to the user.   
     
     
         19 . A non-combustible aerosol provision device comprising an apparatus according to  claim 14 .