Smoking device with dynamic heating profile

Abstract

A method of operating an aerosol-generating device for generating aerosol from an aerosol-forming substrate is provided, the device including a power supply to supply power to a heater to control temperature of the heater during a usage session, and control electronics, the method including: determining a target operating temperature for the heater, the temperature determined with reference to a cumulative value of a user interaction parameter monitored during the usage session and time elapsed from a trigger event; and using the target operating temperature to control temperature of the heater, the target operating temperature being determined to have an initial value on detection of the trigger event, and the target operating temperature varying from the initial value at a first rate of change during a first period of the time elapsed, and at a second rate of change, different from the first rate of change, during a second period of the time elapsed.

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 to control temperature of the heater during the usage session, and control electronics,   the method comprising steps of:
 determining a target operating temperature for the heater, the target operating temperature being determined with reference to a) a cumulative value of a user interaction parameter monitored during the usage session, and b) time elapsed from a trigger event; and 
 using the target operating temperature to control temperature of the heater, 
 wherein the target operating temperature is determined to have an initial value on detection of the trigger event, and 
 wherein the target operating temperature varies from the initial value at a first rate of change during a first period of the time elapsed, the first period of time extending between the trigger event and a first time threshold, and at a second rate of change, different from the first rate of change, during a second period of the time elapsed, the second period extending between the first time threshold and a second time threshold occurring after the first time threshold. 
   
     
     
         17 . The method according to  claim 16 , further comprising optimising heating of an aerosol-forming substrate during the usage session. 
     
     
         18 . The method according to claim  18 , further comprising applying a dynamic heating profile to the aerosol-forming substrate based on user interaction during the usage session. 
     
     
         19 . The method according to  claim 16 , wherein the user interaction parameter is a parameter selected from the list consisting of user puffs, intensity of user puff, volume of aerosol generated, and energy delivered from the power supply to the heater. 
     
     
         20 . The method according to  claim 19 , wherein the cumulative value of the user interaction parameter is either a cumulative number of user puffs taken during the usage session, or a cumulative volume of aerosol generated during the usage session, or a cumulative energy delivered from the power supply to the heater during the usage session. 
     
     
         21 . The method according to  claim 16 , wherein the trigger event is a user puff. 
     
     
         22 . The method according to  claim 16 , wherein the trigger event is an immediately previous user puff applied during the usage session. 
     
     
         23 . The method according to  claim 16 , wherein the trigger event is a detected onset of a user puff, or a detected end point of a user puff. 
     
     
         24 . The method according to  claim 16 , wherein a subsequent user puff acts as a new trigger event. 
     
     
         25 . The method according to  claim 16 , wherein the trigger event is, if no puff has been taken, a detected usage session start, and is, if at least one puff has been taken, a user puff or a threshold value in cumulative volume of aerosol. 
     
     
         26 . The method according to  claim 16 , wherein the control electronics include at least one microprocessor and at least one memory. 
     
     
         27 . The method according to  claim 26 , wherein the control electronics are arranged to monitor and record the user interaction parameter, detect the trigger event, determine the target operating temperature, and control the supply of power from the power supply to control the temperature of the heater. 
     
     
         28 . The method according to  claim 16 , wherein the target operating temperature is periodically, or continuously, redetermined. 
     
     
         29 . The method according to  claim 28 , wherein the target operating temperature is redetermined with a frequency of between every 0.1 millisecond and every 10 milliseconds. 
     
     
         30 . The method according to  claim 16 , wherein the operating temperature varies from the initial value at a third rate of change, different from the second rate of change, during a third period of the time elapsed, the third period extending between the second time threshold and a third time threshold occurring after the second time threshold. 
     
     
         31 . The method according to  claim 16 , wherein the first period of the time elapsed from the trigger event to the first time threshold is between 1 second and 20 seconds. 
     
     
         32 . The method according to  claim 16 , wherein the first period of the time elapsed from the trigger event to the first time threshold is between 5 seconds and 15 seconds. 
     
     
         33 . The method according to  claim 16 , wherein the first period of the time elapsed from the trigger event to the first time threshold is about 10 seconds. 
     
     
         34 . 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 initial values of the target operating temperature associated with each 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.   
     
     
         35 . 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 to control temperature of the heater during the usage session; and   control electronics configured to:
 determine a target operating temperature for the heater, the target operating temperature being determined with reference to a) a cumulative value of a user interaction parameter monitored during the usage session, and b) time elapsed from a trigger event, and 
 use the target operating temperature to control temperature of the heater, 
 wherein the target operating temperature is determined to have an initial value on detection of the trigger event, and 
 wherein the target operating temperature varies from the initial value at a first rate of change during a first period of the time elapsed, the first period of time extending between the trigger event and a first time threshold, and at a second rate of change, different from the first rate of change, during a second period of the time elapsed, the second period extending between the first time threshold and a second time threshold occurring after the first time threshold.