Application US20200154788

POWER CONTROL FOR AN AEROSOL DELIVERY DEVICE
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US20200154788

1. An aerosol delivery device comprising: (7) (6)

at least one housing; and within the at least one housing,

a power source configured to provide an output voltage;

an aerosol production component powerable to produce an aerosol from an aerosol precursor composition;

a sensor configured to produce measurements of atmospheric air pressure in an air flow path through the at least one housing;

a switch coupled to and between the power source and the aerosol production component; and

processing circuitry coupled to the sensor and the switch, and configured to at least: determine a difference between the measurements of atmospheric air pressure from the sensor, and a reference atmospheric air pressure; and only when the difference is at least a threshold difference,

output a signal to cause the switch to switchably connect and disconnect the output voltage to the aerosol production component to power the aerosol production component for an aerosol-production time period, the switch caused to switchably connect and disconnect the output voltage to adjust power provided to the aerosol production component to a power target that is variable according to a predetermined relationship between the difference and the power target.

2. The aerosol delivery device of claim 1, wherein outside the aerosol-production time period in which the signal is absent and the output voltage to the aerosol production component is disconnected, the sensor is configured to produce measurements of ambient atmospheric air pressure to which the sensor is exposed, and the processing circuitry is configured to set the reference atmospheric air pressure based on the measurements of ambient atmospheric air pressure. (1) (0)

4. The aerosol delivery device of claim 1, wherein the threshold difference is set to reflect a minimum deviation from the reference atmospheric air pressure caused by a puff action of using the aerosol delivery device by a user. (2) (0)

5. The aerosol delivery device of claim 4, wherein the processing circuitry configured to determine the difference and output the signal includes the processing circuitry configured to: (0) (3)

6. The aerosol delivery device of claim 4, wherein the processing circuitry configured to output the signal includes the processing circuitry configured to output the signal to power the aerosol production component for the aerosol-production time period that is coextensive with the puff action. (0)

7. The aerosol delivery device of claim 1, wherein the predetermined relationship is described by a step function, a linear function, a non-linear function, or a combination thereof. (0)

8. The aerosol delivery device of claim 1, wherein the predetermined relationship is described by a combination of a step function and a linear function. (0)

9. The aerosol delivery device of claim 1, wherein the aerosol precursor composition is a liquid, solid or semi-solid. (0)

10. The aerosol delivery device of claim 1, wherein the processing circuitry configured to output the signal includes the processing circuitry configured to output a pulse width modulation (PWM) signal, and a duty cycle of the PWM signal is adjustable to thereby adjust the power provided to the aerosol production component. (0)

11. The aerosol delivery device of claim 1, wherein at a periodic rate during the aerosol-production time period, the processing circuitry is further configured to: (0) (4)

determine a sample window of measurements of instantaneous actual power provided to the aerosol production component, each measurement of the sample window of measurements determined as a product of a voltage at and a current through the aerosol production component;

calculate a moving average power provided to the aerosol production component based on the sample window of measurements of instantaneous actual power;

compare the moving average power to the power target; and

output the signal to cause the switch to respectively disconnect and connect the output voltage at each instance in which the moving average power is respectively above or below the power target.

12. A control body for an aerosol delivery device, the control body comprising: (7) (5)

a power source configured to provide an output voltage;

an aerosol production component or terminals configured to connect the aerosol production component to the control body, the aerosol production component powerable to produce an aerosol from an aerosol precursor composition;

a sensor configured to produce measurements of atmospheric air pressure in an air flow path through the at least one housing;

a switch coupled to and between the power source and the aerosol production component; and

13. The control body of claim 12, wherein outside the aerosol-production time period in which the signal is absent and the output voltage to the aerosol production component is disconnected, the sensor is configured to produce measurements of ambient atmospheric air pressure to which the sensor is exposed, and the processing circuitry is configured to set the reference atmospheric air pressure based on the measurements of ambient atmospheric air pressure. (1) (0)

15. The control body of claim 12, wherein the threshold difference is set to reflect a minimum deviation from the reference atmospheric air pressure caused by a puff action of using the aerosol delivery device by a user. (2) (0)

16. The control body of claim 15, wherein the processing circuitry configured to determine the difference and output the signal includes the processing circuitry configured to: (0) (3)

17. The control body of claim 15, wherein the processing circuitry configured to output the signal includes the processing circuitry configured to output the signal to power the aerosol production component for the aerosol-production time period that is coextensive with the puff action. (0)

18. The control body of claim 12, wherein the predetermined relationship is described by a step function, a linear function, a non-linear function, or a combination thereof. (0)

19. The control body of claim 12, wherein the predetermined relationship is described by a combination of a step function and a linear function. (0)

20. The control body of claim 12, wherein the aerosol precursor composition is a liquid, solid or semi-solid. (0)

21. The control body of claim 12, wherein the processing circuitry configured to output the signal includes the processing circuitry configured to output a pulse width modulation (PWM) signal, and a duty cycle of the PWM signal is adjustable to thereby adjust the power provided to the aerosol production component. (0)

22. The control body of claim 12, wherein at a periodic rate during the heating time period, the processing circuitry is further configured to: (0) (4)

calculate a moving average power provided to the aerosol production component based on the sample window of measurements of instantaneous actual power;

compare the moving average power to the power target; and

output the signal to cause the switch to respectively disconnect and connect the output voltage at each instance in which the moving average power is respectively above or below the power target.

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Application US20200154788

POWER CONTROL FOR AN AEROSOL DELIVERY DEVICE

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