WO2025229310A1

WO2025229310A1 - Control circuit, cartomizer for aerosol provision system and aerosol provision system

Info

Publication number: WO2025229310A1
Application number: PCT/GB2025/050890
Authority: WO
Inventors: Ruibin WANG
Original assignee: Nicoventures Trading Ltd
Current assignee: Nicoventures Trading Ltd
Priority date: 2024-04-30
Filing date: 2025-04-25
Publication date: 2025-11-06
Anticipated expiration: 2026-10-30
Also published as: CN120859218A

Abstract

There is provided a control circuit for an aerosol provision system, a cartomizer, and an aerosol provision system. The control circuit comprises: a first interface configured to receive and send digital signals; a controller configured to receive digital signals from the first interface or send communication information to the outside through the first interface, and to control the heating of a heating element according to the digital signals. When the controller sends communication information to the outside through the first interface, the controller controls the heating element to turn off. Through the embodiments of the present application, the technical effect of realizing the heating function and the communication function through the same interface is achieved.

Description

CONTROL CIRCUIT, CARTOMIZER FOR AEROSOL PROVISION SYSTEM AND AEROSOL PROVISION SYSTEM

Technical Field

The present application relates to the field of aerosol provision technology, and particularly relates to a control circuit and a cartomizer for an aerosol provision system, and an aerosol provision system.

Technical Background

In the e-cigarette industry, an aerosol provision system is configured to generate an aerosol from an aerosol generating substrate (such as a tobacco-containing or tobacco leaf substrate) for users to inhale. Currently, most aerosol provision systems on the market can only activate the heating element on the device to generate an aerosol when the user takes a puff, and it is impossible to communicate with the system to obtain relevant information about the aerosol provision system (such as the liquid level, flavor, serial number, pod authentication to check whether the pod is a verified pod, etc.). Moreover, currently, the aerosol provision system generally achieves the heating function through one interface or docking pin (probe, pogo pin). If additional communication interfaces or pins are added, it will increase the cost of the mechanical components of the aerosol provision system.

Summary

In accordance with some embodiments described herein, there is provided a control circuit and a cartomizer for an aerosol provision system, and an aerosol provision system, so as to achieve the technical effect of realizing the heating function and the communication function through the same interface.

In accordance with a first aspect, there is provided a control circuit for an aerosol provision system. The circuit comprises: a first interface configured to receive/send a digital signal; a controller configured to receive a digital signal from the first interface or send communication information to the outside through the first interface, and to control the heating of a heating element according to the digital signal. Wherein, when the controller sends communication information to the outside through the first interface, the controller controls the heating element to shut down.

In embodiments of the or any of the above control circuit for an aerosol provision system, the circuit further comprises a heating control switch circuit; the controller is configured to control the on/off of the heating control switch circuit according to the digital signal to control the start/shutdown of the heating element. In embodiments of the or any of the above control circuit for an aerosol provision system, the first interface is connected to a positive terminal of the heating element. The controller is connected to a negative terminal of the heating element through the heating control switch circuit. When the heating control switch circuit is turned on, the negative terminal of the heating element is grounded to form a heating loop to start the heating element.

In embodiments of the or any of the above control circuit for an aerosol provision system, the circuit further comprises a signal transmission link connected to the first interface. The controller is connected to the first interface through the signal transmission link to send communication information to the outside. When the controller sends communication information to the outside, the heating control switch circuit is turned off.

In embodiments of the or any of the above control circuit for an aerosol provision system, the circuit further comprises a power circuit connected to the first interface. The power circuit comprises several capacitors connected in parallel, and the power circuit is capable of storing electric energy from the first interface and supplying power to the control circuit.

In embodiments of the or any of the above control circuit for an aerosol provision system, the communication information comprises static information of the system.

In embodiments of the or any of the above control circuit for an aerosol provision system, the static information comprises one or more of the following pieces of information: i) the type of an atomization substrate contained in the system; ii) an identification code; iii) identity verification information.

In embodiments of the or any of the above control circuit for an aerosol provision system, the communication information comprises dynamic information of the system.

In embodiments of the or any of the above control circuit for an aerosol provision system, the dynamic information comprises one or more of the following pieces of information: i) the consumption amount or the remaining amount of an atomization substrate of the system; ii) the temperature of the heating element; iii) the real-time resistance value of the heating element.

In embodiments of the or any of the above control circuit for an aerosol provision system, the digital signal comprises a heating control signal and/or communication signal. The controller is configured to control the on/off of the heating control switch circuit according to the received heating control signal and/or communication signal to control the start/shutdown of the heating element.

In embodiments of the or any of the above control circuit for an aerosol provision system, the content of the heating control signal comprises starting or stopping heating.

In embodiments of the or any of the above control circuit for an aerosol provision system, the content of the communication signal comprises a request for the communication information or a heating control instruction with control parameters, and the controller is configured to determine the content of the heating control signal according to the content of the communication signal.

In accordance with a second aspect, there is provided a cartomizer for an aerosol provision system. The cartomizer comprises the control circuit for an aerosol provision system as described in any of the embodiments of the first aspect.

In embodiments of the or any of the above cartomizer for an aerosol provision system, the first interface is a first power supply pin of the cartomizer. A second power supply pin of the cartomizer is grounded.

In accordance with a third aspect, there is provided an aerosol provision system, comprising: a chamber containing an aerosol generating material, the control circuit as described in any one of the first aspect or the cartomizer as described in any one of the embodiments of the second aspect, and a heating element, configured to heat the aerosol generating material to generate an aerosol.

One or more of the above technical solutions of the present application have at least one or more of the following beneficial effects:

In implementing the technical solutions of the present application, the present application realizes serial communication and heating control through the same interface. The controller can also realize heating control according to the received signals. When transmitting communication information back, the heating element is controlled to be turned off in a timesharing manner to ensure the smooth back-transmission of communication information when using the same interface. Meanwhile, the present application adopts the form of serial communication, which has a high communication speed and can realize a large amount of data communication with the aerosol provision system.

Additional aspects and advantages of the application will be partially described in the following description, some will become apparent from the following description, and others will be learned through the practice of the application.

Brief Description of the Drawings

Referring to the accompanying drawings, the disclosure of the present application will become more understandable. Those skilled in the art can easily understand that these drawings are only for illustrative purposes and are not intended to limit the scope of protection of the present application. Moreover, similar numbers in the figures are used to represent similar components, wherein:

Figure 1 is a schematic diagram of the principle of a control circuit for an aerosol provision system according to an embodiment of the present application; Figure 2 is a schematic diagram of the principle of a control circuit for an aerosol provision system according to an embodiment of the present application (heating control switch circuit);

Figure 3 is a circuit diagram of the heating control switch circuit according to an embodiment of the present application;

Figure 4 is a schematic diagram of the principle of a control circuit for an aerosol provision system according to an embodiment of the present application (signal transmission link);

Figure 5 is a circuit diagram of the signal transmission link according to an embodiment of the present application;

Figure 6 is a schematic diagram of the principle of a control circuit for an aerosol provision system according to an embodiment of the present application (signal receiving link);

Figure 7 is a circuit diagram of the signal receiving link according to an embodiment of the present application;

Figure 8 is a schematic diagram of the principle of a control circuit for an aerosol provision system according to an embodiment of the present application (power circuit);

Figure 9 is a circuit diagram of the power circuit according to an embodiment of the present application;

Figure 10 is a circuit diagram of the controller according to an embodiment of the present application;

Figure 11 is a schematic diagram of the principle of the internal circuit structure of a cartomizer for an aerosol provision system according to an embodiment of the present application;

Figure 12 is a schematic diagram of the principle of the circuit structure of an aerosol provision system according to an embodiment of the present application (device end and cartomizer);

Figure 13 is an integrated transmission circuit diagram of the device end according to an embodiment of the present application;

Figure 14 is a signal receiving circuit diagram of the device end according to an embodiment of the present application; and

Figure 15 is a control circuit diagram of the device end according to an embodiment of the present application.

Detailed Description

The following describes some embodiments of the present application with reference to the accompanying drawings. It should be understood by those skilled in the art that these embodiments are only for explaining the technical principles of the present application and are not intended to limit the scope of protection of the present application.

As used herein, the term "delivery system" is intended to encompass systems that deliver at least one substance to a user in use, and includes: combustible aerosol provision systems, such as cigarettes, cigarillos, cigars, and tobacco for pipes or for roll-your-own or for make-your-own cigarettes (whether based on tobacco, tobacco derivatives, expanded tobacco, reconstituted tobacco, tobacco substitutes or other smokable material); non-combustible aerosol provision systems that release compounds from an aerosolgenerating material without combusting the aerosol-generating material, such as electronic cigarettes, tobacco heating products, and hybrid systems to generate aerosol using a combination of aerosol-generating materials; and aerosol-free delivery systems that deliver the at least one substance to a user orally, nasally, transdermally or in another way without forming an aerosol, including but not limited to, lozenges, gums, patches, articles comprising inhalable powders, and oral products such as oral tobacco which includes snus or moist snuff, wherein the at least one substance may or may not comprise nicotine.

According to the present disclosure, a "combustible" aerosol provision system is one where a constituent aerosol-generating material of the aerosol provision system (or component thereof) is combusted or burned during use in order to facilitate delivery of at least one substance to a user.

In some embodiments, the delivery system is a combustible aerosol provision system, such as a system selected from the group consisting of a cigarette, a cigarillo and a cigar.

In some embodiments, the disclosure relates to a component for use in a combustible aerosol provision system, such as a filter, a filter rod, a filter segment, a tobacco rod, a spill, an aerosol-modifying agent release component such as a capsule, a thread, or a bead, or a paper such as a plug wrap, a tipping paper or a cigarette paper.

According to the present disclosure, a "non-combustible" aerosol provision system is one where a constituent aerosol-generating material of the aerosol provision system (or component thereof) is not combusted or burned in order to facilitate delivery of at least one substance to a user.

In some embodiments, the delivery system is a non-combustible aerosol provision system, such as a powered non-combustible aerosol provision system.

In some embodiments, the non-combustible aerosol provision system is an electronic cigarette, also known as a vaping device or electronic nicotine delivery system (END), although it is noted that the presence of nicotine in the aerosol-generating material is not a requirement.

In some embodiments, the non-combustible aerosol provision system is an aerosolgenerating material heating system, also known as a heat-not-burn system. An example of such a system is a tobacco heating system.

In some embodiments, the non-combustible aerosol provision system is a hybrid system to generate aerosol using a combination of aerosol-generating materials, one or a plurality of which may be heated. Each of the aerosol-generating materials may be, for example, in the form of a solid, liquid or gel and may or may not contain nicotine. In some embodiments, the hybrid system comprises a liquid or gel aerosol-generating material and a solid aerosol-generating material. The solid aerosol-generating material may comprise, for example, tobacco or a non-tobacco product.

Typically, the non-combustible aerosol provision system may comprise a non- combustible aerosol provision device and a consumable for use with the non-combustible aerosol provision device.

In some embodiments, the disclosure relates to consumables comprising aerosolgenerating material and configured to be used with non-combustible aerosol provision devices. These consumables are sometimes referred to as articles throughout the disclosure.

In some embodiments, the non-combustible aerosol provision system, such as a non- combustible aerosol provision device thereof, may comprise a power source and a controller. The power source may, for example, be an electric power source or an exothermic power source. In some embodiments, the exothermic power source comprises a carbon substrate which may be energised so as to distribute power in the form of heat to an aerosol-generating material or to a heat transfer material in proximity to the exothermic power source.

In some embodiments, the non-combustible aerosol provision system may comprise an area for receiving the consumable, an aerosol generator, an aerosol generation area, a housing, a mouthpiece, a filter and/or an aerosol-modifying agent.

In some embodiments, the consumable for use with the non-combustible aerosol provision device may comprise aerosol-generating material, an aerosol-generating material storage area, an aerosol-generating material transfer component, an aerosol generator, an aerosol generation area, a housing, a wrapper, a filter, a mouthpiece, and/or an aerosolmodifying agent.

In some embodiments, the delivery system is an aerosol-free delivery system that delivers at least one substance to a user orally, nasally, transdermally or in another way without forming an aerosol, including but not limited to, lozenges, gums, patches, articles comprising inhalable powders, and oral products such as oral tobacco which includes snus or moist snuff, wherein the at least one substance may or may not comprise nicotine. In some embodiments, the substance to be delivered may be an aerosol-generating material or a material that is not intended to be aerosolised. As appropriate, either material may comprise one or more active constituents, one or more flavours, one or more aerosolformer materials, and/or one or more other functional materials.

In some embodiments, the substance to be delivered comprises an active substance. The active substance as used herein may be a physiologically active material, which is a material intended to achieve or enhance a physiological response. The active substance may for example be selected from nutraceuticals, nootropics, psychoactives. The active substance may be naturally occurring or synthetically obtained. The active substance may comprise for example nicotine, caffeine, taurine, theine, vitamins such as B6 or B12 or C, melatonin, cannabinoids, or constituents, derivatives, or combinations thereof. The active substance may comprise one or more constituents, derivatives or extracts of tobacco, cannabis or another botanical.

In some embodiments, the active substance comprises nicotine. In some embodiments, the active substance comprises caffeine, melatonin or vitamin B12.

As noted herein, the active substance may comprise one or more constituents, derivatives or extracts of cannabis, such as one or more cannabinoids or terpenes.

As noted herein, the active substance may comprise or be derived from one or more botanicals or constituents, derivatives or extracts thereof. As used herein, the term "botanical" includes any material derived from plants including, but not limited to, extracts, leaves, bark, fibres, stems, roots, seeds, flowers, fruits, pollen, husk, shells or the like. Alternatively, the material may comprise an active compound naturally existing in a botanical, obtained synthetically. The material may be in the form of liquid, gas, solid, powder, dust, crushed particles, granules, pellets, shreds, strips, sheets, or the like.

Example botanicals are tobacco, eucalyptus, star anise, hemp, cocoa, cannabis, fennel, lemongrass, peppermint, spearmint, rooibos, chamomile, flax, ginger, ginkgo biloba, hazel, hibiscus, laurel, licorice (liquorice), matcha, mate, orange skin, papaya, rose, sage, tea such as green tea or black tea, thyme, clove, cinnamon, coffee, aniseed (anise), basil, bay leaves, cardamom, coriander, cumin, nutmeg, oregano, paprika, rosemary, saffron, lavender, lemon peel, mint, juniper, elderflower, vanilla, Wintergreen, beefsteak plant, curcuma, turmeric, sandalwood, cilantro, bergamot, orange blossom, myrtle, cassis, valerian, pimento, mace, damien, marjoram, olive, lemon balm, lemon basil, chive, carvi, verbena, tarragon, geranium, mulberry, ginseng, theanine, theacrine, maca, ashwagandha, damiana, guarana, chlorophyll, baobab or any combination thereof. The mint may be chosen from the following mint varieties: Mentha Arventis, Mentha c.v., Mentha niliaca, Mentha piperita, Mentha piperita citrata c.v., Mentha piperita c.v, Mentha spicata crispa, Mentha cardifolia, Memtha longifolia, Mentha suaveolens variegata, Mentha pulegium, Mentha spicata c.v. and Mentha suaveolens. In some embodiments, the active substance comprises or is derived from one or more botanicals or constituents, derivatives or extracts thereof and the botanical is tobacco. In some embodiments, the active substance comprises or derived from one or more botanicals or constituents, derivatives or extracts thereof and the botanical is selected from eucalyptus, star anise, cocoa and hemp.

In some embodiments, the active substance comprises or derived from one or more botanicals or constituents, derivatives or extracts thereof and the botanical is selected from rooibos and fennel.

In some embodiments, the substance to be delivered comprises a flavour. As used herein, the terms "flavour" and "flavourant" refer to materials which, where local regulations permit, may be used to create a desired taste, aroma or other somatosensorial sensation in a product for adult consumers. They may include naturally occurring flavour materials, botanicals, extracts of botanicals, synthetically obtained materials, or combinations thereof (e.g., tobacco, cannabis, licorice (liquorice), hydrangea, eugenol, Japanese white bark magnolia leaf, chamomile, fenugreek, clove, maple, matcha, menthol, Japanese mint, aniseed (anise), cinnamon, turmeric, Indian spices, Asian spices, herb, Wintergreen, cherry, berry, red berry, cranberry, peach, apple, orange, mango, clementine, lemon, lime, tropical fruit, papaya, rhubarb, grape, durian, dragon fruit, cucumber, blueberry, mulberry, citrus fruits, Drambuie, bourbon, scotch, whiskey, gin, tequila, rum, spearmint, peppermint, lavender, aloe vera, cardamom, celery, cascarilla, nutmeg, sandalwood, bergamot, geranium, khat, naswar, betel, shisha, pine, honey essence, rose oil, vanilla, lemon oil, orange oil, orange blossom, cherry blossom, cassia, caraway, cognac, jasmine, ylang-ylang, sage, fennel, wasabi, piment, ginger, coriander, coffee, hemp, a mint oil from any species of the genus Mentha, eucalyptus, star anise, cocoa, lemongrass, rooibos, flax, ginkgo biloba, hazel, hibiscus, laurel, mate, orange skin, rose, tea such as green tea or black tea, thyme, juniper, elderflower, basil, bay leaves, cumin, oregano, paprika, rosemary, saffron, lemon peel, mint, beefsteak plant, curcuma, cilantro, myrtle, cassis, valerian, pimento, mace, damien, marjoram, olive, lemon balm, lemon basil, chive, carvi, verbena, tarragon, limonene, thymol, camphene), flavour enhancers, bitterness receptor site blockers, sensorial receptor site activators or stimulators, sugars and/or sugar substitutes (e.g., sucralose, acesulfame potassium, aspartame, saccharine, cyclamates, lactose, sucrose, glucose, fructose, sorbitol, or mannitol), and other additives such as charcoal, chlorophyll, minerals, botanicals, or breath freshening agents. They may be imitation, synthetic or natural ingredients or blends thereof. They may be in any suitable form, for example, liquid such as an oil, solid such as a powder, or gas.

In some embodiments, the flavour comprises menthol, spearmint and/or peppermint. In some embodiments, the flavour comprises flavour components of cucumber, blueberry, citrus fruits and/or redberry. In some embodiments, the flavour comprises eugenol. In some embodiments, the flavour comprises flavour components extracted from tobacco. In some embodiments, the flavour comprises flavour components extracted from cannabis.

In some embodiments, the flavour may comprise a sensate, which is intended to achieve a somatosensorial sensation which are usually chemically induced and perceived by the stimulation of the fifth cranial nerve (trigeminal nerve), in addition to or in place of aroma or taste nerves, and these may include agents providing heating, cooling, tingling, numbing effect. A suitable heat effect agent may be, but is not limited to, vanillyl ethyl ether and a suitable cooling agent may be, but not limited to eucolyptol, WS-3.

Aerosol-generating material is a material that is capable of generating aerosol, for example when heated, irradiated or energized in any other way. Aerosol-generating material may, for example, be in the form of a solid, liquid or gel which may or may not contain an active substance and/or flavourants. In some embodiments, the aerosol-generating material may comprise an "amorphous solid", which may alternatively be referred to as a"monolithic solid" (i.e. non-fibrous). In some embodiments, the amorphous solid may be a dried gel. The amorphous solid is a solid material that may retain some fluid, such as liquid, within it. In some embodiments, the aerosol-generating material may for example comprise from about 50wt%, 60wt% or 70wt% of amorphous solid, to about 90wt%, 95wt% or 100wt% of amorphous solid.

The aerosol-generating material may comprise one or more active substances and/or flavours, one or more aerosol-former materials, and optionally one or more other functional material.

The aerosol-former material may comprise one or more constituents capable of forming an aerosol. In some embodiments, the aerosol-former material may comprise one or more of glycerol, propylene glycol, diethylene glycol, triethylene glycol, tetraethylene glycol, 1 ,3-butylene glycol, erythritol, meso- Erythritol, ethyl vanillate, ethyl laurate, a diethyl suberate, triethyl citrate, triacetin, a diacetin mixture, benzyl benzoate, benzyl phenyl acetate, tributyrin, lauryl acetate, lauric acid, myristic acid, and propylene carbonate.

The one or more other functional materials may comprise one or more of pH regulators, colouring agents, preservatives, binders, fillers, stabilizers, and/or antioxidants.

The material may be present on or in a support, to form a substrate. The support may, for example, be or comprise paper, card, paperboard, cardboard, reconstituted material, a plastics material, a ceramic material, a composite material, glass, a metal, or a metal alloy. In some embodiments, the support comprises a susceptor. In some embodiments, the susceptor is embedded within the material. In some alternative embodiments, the susceptor is on one or either side of the material.

A consumable is an article comprising or consisting of aerosol-generating material, part or all of which is intended to be consumed during use by a user. A consumable may comprise one or more other components, such as an aerosol-generating material storage area, an aerosol-generating material transfer component, an aerosol generation area, a housing, a wrapper, a mouthpiece, a filter and/or an aerosol-modifying agent. A consumable may also comprise an aerosol generator, such as a heater, that emits heat to cause the aerosol-generating material to generate aerosol in use. The heater may, for example, comprise combustible material, a material heatable by electrical conduction, or a susceptor.

A susceptor is a material that is heatable by penetration with a varying magnetic field, such as an alternating magnetic field. The susceptor may be an electrically-conductive material, so that penetration thereof with a varying magnetic field causes induction heating of the heating material. The heating material may be magnetic material, so that penetration thereof with a varying magnetic field causes magnetic hysteresis heating of the heating material. The susceptor may be both electrically-conductive and magnetic, so that the susceptor is heatable by both heating mechanisms. The device that is configured to generate the varying magnetic field is referred to as a magnetic field generator, herein.

An aerosol-modifying agent is a substance, typically located downstream of the aerosol generation area, that is configured to modify the aerosol generated, for example by changing the taste, flavour, acidity or another characteristic of the aerosol. The aerosolmodifying agent may be provided in an aerosol-modifying agent release component, that is operable to selectively release the aerosol-modifying agent. The aerosol-modifying agent may, for example, be an additive or a sorbent. The aerosol-modifying agent may, for example, comprise one or more of a flavourant, a colourant, water, and a carbon adsorbent. The aerosol-modifying agent may, for example, be a solid, a liquid, or a gel. The aerosol-modifying agent may be in powder, thread or granule form. The aerosol-modifying agent may be free from filtration material.

An aerosol generator is an apparatus configured to cause aerosol to be generated from the aerosol-generating material. In some embodiments, the aerosol generator is a heater configured to subject the aerosol-generating material to heat energy, so as to release one or more volatiles from the aerosol-generating material to form an aerosol. In some embodiments, the aerosol generator is configured to cause an aerosol to be generated from the aerosolgenerating material without heating. For example, the aerosol generator may be configured to subject the aerosol-generating material to one or more of vibration, increased pressure, or electrostatic energy.

The present disclosure relates to aerosol delivery systems (which may also be referred to as vapour delivery systems) such as nebulisers or e-cigarettes. Throughout the following description the term "e-cigarette" or "electronic cigarette" may sometimes be used, but it will be appreciated this term may be used interchangeably with aerosol delivery system I device and electronic aerosol delivery system / device. Furthermore, and as is common in the technical field, the terms "aerosol" and "vapour", and related terms such as "vaporise", "volatilise" and "aerosolise", may generally be used interchangeably.

Aerosol delivery systems (e-cigarettes) often, though not always, comprise a modular assembly comprising a reusable device part and a replaceable (disposable/consumable) cartridge part. Often, the replaceable cartridge part will comprise the aerosol-generating material and the vaporiser (which may collectively be called a "cartomizer") and the reusable device part will comprise the power provision (e.g. rechargeable power source) and control circuitry. It will be appreciated these different parts may comprise further elements depending on functionality. For example, the reusable device part will often comprise a user interface for receiving user input and displaying operating status characteristics, and the replaceable cartridge device part in some cases comprises a temperature sensor for helping to control temperature. Cartridges are electrically and mechanically coupled to the control unit for use, for example using a screw thread, bayonet, or magnetic coupling with appropriately arranged electrical contacts. When the aerosol-generating material in a cartridge is exhausted, or the user wishes to switch to a different cartridge having a different aerosol-generating material, the cartridge may be removed from the reusable part and a replacement cartridge attached in its place. Systems and devices conforming to this type of two-part modular configuration may generally be referred to as two-part systems/devices.

It is common for electronic cigarettes to have a generally elongate shape. For the sake of providing a concrete example, certain embodiments of the disclosure will be taken to comprise this kind of generally elongate two-part system employing disposable cartridges. However, it will be appreciated that the underlying principles described herein may equally be adopted for different configurations, for example single-part systems or modular systems comprising more than two parts, refillable devices and single-use disposables, as well as other overall shapes, for example based on so-called box-mod high performance devices that typically have a boxier shape. More generally, it will be appreciated certain embodiments of the disclosure are based on aerosol delivery systems which are operationally configured to provide functionality in accordance with the principles described herein and the constructional aspects of systems configured to provide the functionality in accordance with certain embodiments of the disclosure is not of primary significance.

As described in the background art, the existing aerosol provision systems cannot achieve heating control and information communication through the same interface. Based on this, the present application proposes a control circuit for an aerosol provision system to simultaneously realize the heating control and communication functions while using the same interface. As shown in Figure 1 , the control circuit comprises: a first interface 100 and a controller. The first interface 100 is used to receive or send digital signals, receive digital signals sent from the outside and transmit them to the controller, or receive signals from the controller and send them to the outside. The controller is used to receive digital signals from the first interface 100 or send communication information to the outside through the first interface 100, and to control the heating of the heating element according to the digital signals. Wherein, when the controller sends communication information to the outside through the first interface 100, it controls the heating element to turn off. The present application aims to realize serial communication and heating control through the same interface, and the controller can also realize heating control according to the received signals. When transmitting communication information back, the heating element is controlled to be turned off in a time-sharing manner to ensure the smooth back-transmission of communication information when using the same interface. Meanwhile, the present application adopts the form of serial communication, which has a high communication speed and can realize a large amount of data communication with the aerosol provision system.

In one embodiment, as shown in Figure 2, the circuit further comprises a heating control switch circuit. The controller controls the on/off of the heating control switch circuit according to the digital signals received from the first interface 100 to control the start/stop of the heating element. Specifically, the first interface 100 is connected to the positive terminal of the heating element, and the controller is connected to the negative terminal of the heating element through the heating control switch circuit. When the heating control switch circuit is turned on, the negative terminal of the heating element is grounded, so that the positive terminal connected to the first interface 100 and the negative terminal of the heating element form a heating loop, thereby starting the heating element. Based on the above circuit, the present application can realize the control of heating and the reception of communication signals through the same interface. For the specific design of the heating control switch circuit, as shown in Figure 3, one end (Heater_enable_pin) of the resistor R9 is connected to the controller (heating control pin) to receive the on or off control signal from the controller. Since the first interface 100 is connected to the positive terminal (Heater+) of the heating element, when the MOS transistor Q5 is turned on, the negative terminal (Heater-) of the heating element is conducted to the ground terminal GND, and the heating element starts to heat. When the MOS transistor Q5 is turned off, the heating element is turned off. The resistors R9, R10 and the capacitor C4 in the circuit are designed for voltage division and filtering of the circuit, which can be adjusted according to the actual circuit design. It should be understood that the heating control switch circuit in Figure 3 is only an exemplary circuit and is not a specific limitation on the circuit structure. Other circuits with the same function and control logic should all be within the protection scope of the present application. In one embodiment, as shown in Figure 4, the circuit further comprises a signal transmission link connected to the first interface 100, and the controller is connected to the first interface 100 through the signal transmission link to send communication information to the outside. It should be noted that when the controller sends communication information to the outside, it is necessary to control the heating control switch circuit to be turned off, that is, the heating element needs to be prohibited from starting when sending communication information to the outside. The reason is that since heating and communication are carried out through the same interface, and at the same time, the first interface 100 is connected to the positive terminal of the heating element. When sending information, if the negative terminal of the heating element is not prohibited from being turned on, due to the low impedance of the heating element and the weak energy of the serial communication level signal, the communication signal will be pulled back to the ground and short-circuited, and the communication information cannot be sent to the outside. Therefore, in order to ensure smooth communication and heating control on the same interface, it is necessary to prohibit the heating element from starting when sending information to the outside. For the specific design of the signal transmission link, as shown in Figure 5, the MCU_Tx terminal of the signal transmission link is connected to the signal transmission pin of the controller and is used to receive the feedback signal with communication information from the controller. The other end P1 of the signal transmission link is connected to the first interface 100. The controller sends the signal to be sent through the switching transistor Q3 and out to the outside through the first interface 100, so that the outside can obtain communication information from the control circuit. The resistors R3, R4 and R5 in the circuit are voltage dividing resistors of the circuit, which can be adjusted according to the actual circuit design. Further, as shown in Figure 6, the circuit also includes a signal receiving link connected to the first interface 100, which is used to send the digital signals from the first interface 100 to the controller. Specifically, as designed in Figure 7, the P2 terminal of the signal receiving link is connected to the first interface 100. The received signal passes through the switching transistor Q4 and is sent to the controller through the MCU_rx terminal. The MCU_rx terminal is connected to the signal receiving pin of the controller. The resistors R6, R7 and R8 in the circuit are voltage dividing resistors of the circuit, which can be adjusted according to the actual circuit design. It should be understood that the signal transmission link and the signal receiving link in Figure 5 and Figure 7 are only exemplary circuits and are not specific limitations on the circuit structure. Other circuits with the same function and control logic should all be within the protection scope of the present application.

In one embodiment, as shown in Figure 8, the circuit further comprises a power circuit connected to the first interface 100. This power circuit can supply power to the entire control circuit, comprising powering the controller, the signal transmission link, and the signal receiving link. Further, the power circuit includes several capacitors connected in parallel, which can store the electrical energy from the first interface 100. Specifically, as shown in Figure 9, the power circuit comprises capacitors C1 , C2, and C3 connected in parallel, and one end is connected to a unidirectional conducting diode. The forward conducting end of the diode is connected to the first interface 100. In this way, it can receive the electrical energy from the first interface 100 without reverse leakage, providing stable and continuous power supply to the control circuit. It should be understood that the circuit in Figure 9 is only one type of energy - storage power circuit. Other circuits with the same function or similar structures according to actual needs should also be within the protection scope of the present application.

In one embodiment, the controller circuit shown in Figure 10 can use an MCU chip, which has at least a signal receiving pin MCU_tx, a signal sending pin MCU_rx, and a heating control pin Heater_enable_pin. The signal receiving pin MCU_tx can be connected to the MCU_rx end of the signal receiving link as described in Figure 7, used to receive digital signals from the first interface 100. The signal sending pin MCU_rx can be connected to the MCU_Tx end of the signal sending link as shown in Figure 5, used to send communication information through the signal sending link. The heating control pin Heater_enable_pin can be connected to the heating control switch circuit as shown in Figure 3 to control the on or off of the heating control switch circuit. It should be understood that the circuit in Figure 10 is only a schematic controller. Other controllers or relevant peripheral circuit designs with the same function according to actual needs should also be within the protection scope of the present application.

In one embodiment, the communication information communicated through the controller comprises static information and dynamic information. The static information includes, for example, the type of the atomization substrate contained in the system, the identification code, or the identity verification information. The dynamic information comprises, for example, the consumption amount or the remaining amount of the atomization substrate in the system, the temperature of the heating element, and the real - time resistance value of the heating element. Based on the control circuit of the present application, the sending and receiving of the above information can all be realized.

In one embodiment, the digital signals received/sent through the first interface 100 include heating control signals and/or communication signals. The controller can control the on/off of the heating control switch circuit according to the received heating control signals and/or communication signals to control the start/stop of the heating element. Based on the above control circuit, the heating control signals and communication signals can be simultaneously received through the first interface 100. The controller can directly control the start or stop of the heating element according to the content (start or stop) of the heating control signal, or it can control the heating element according to the content of the communication signal. For example, if the communication signal has heating control parameters, the controller controls the heating of the heating element according to the heating control parameters. The heating control parameters can be the heating power, heating time, etc. Further, the content of the communication signal can also be a request for communication information. In response to the received request for communication information signal, the controller replies and sends the requested communication information content through the first interface 100. For example, if the requesting communication party requests to obtain the identification code of the system, the controller can reply with the identification code content of the system through the first interface 100.

Further, the present application provides a cartomizer for an aerosol provision system. The cartomizer comprises the control circuit for the aerosol provision system as described in any of the above examples.

In one embodiment, as shown in Figure 11 , the first interface 100 is the first power supply pin of the cartomizer. The second power supply pin 200 of the cartomizer is grounded, that is, connected to the ground terminal of the heating control switch circuit. The cartomizer uses the above-mentioned control circuit, and can simultaneously realize the heating and communication functions through its own power supply pins. It can communicate with the cartomizer without additionally adding a communication interface, and the circuit uses serial communication, which can support very high-speed communication. The specific circuit design and the communication and heating control methods in the cartomizer can be found in the above examples of the control circuit for the aerosol provision system, and the repeated parts will not be described again.

Further, the present application provides an aerosol provision system, comprising: a chamber for containing an aerosol - generating material; the control circuit or the cartomizer as described above; and a heating element configured to heat the aerosol-generating material to generate an aerosol.

In one embodiment, the system includes a cartomizer and a reusable device end. The device end comprises a power supply and a control circuit. The cartomizer and the device end can be connected through the power supply pins. The cartomizer can receive power supply, communication signals, and heating control signals from the device end through the power supply pins. In the present application, the device end can receive the communication signals sent back from the cartomizer end through the power supply pins (i.e. , the first interface 100) to obtain the corresponding communication information. Specifically, as shown in Figure 12, the device end further includes an integrated sending circuit and a signal receiving circuit. The integrated sending circuit is connected to the signal sending end of the control circuit and the third power supply pin 300. The third power supply pin 300 is used to be docked with the first interface 100 (i.e., the first power supply pin). The integrated sending circuit integrates the sending of heating control signals, communication signals, and power supply, and supplies power to the cartomizer, sends communication signals, and heating control signals through the docked power supply pins. The signal receiving circuit is respectively connected to the signal receiving end of the control circuit and the third power supply pin 300, used to receive the communication signals returned by the cartomizer through the docking pins, so that the control circuit can obtain the corresponding communication information.

In a specific embodiment, as shown in Figure 13, the Heater/Tx terminal of the integrated sending circuit is connected to the signal sending pin of the control circuit, and the P3 terminal is connected to the third power supply pin 300. The heating control signal, communication signal, or power supply sent by the control circuit passes through the MOS transistor Q1 and is sent out through the third power supply pin 300. The resistor R1 is a voltage-dividing resistor for the circuit, which can be specifically adjusted according to the actual circuit design.

In a specific embodiment, as shown in Figure 14, the Rx terminal of the signal receiving circuit is connected to the signal receiving pin of the control circuit, and the P4 terminal is connected to the third power supply pin 300. The communication signal received through the third power supply pin 300 is sent to the control circuit through the switching transistor Q2 to obtain the communication information. The resistor R2 is a voltage - dividing resistor for the circuit, which can be specifically adjusted according to the actual circuit design.

In a specific embodiment, as shown in Figure 15, the control circuit can be an MCU chip, which has at least a signal receiving end Rx and a signal sending end Heater/Tx, and the control circuit receives a stable power supply from the power source.

Based on the above - mentioned embodiments, at least one of the following tasks can be performed between the device end and the cartomizer:

The control circuit of the device end pulls up the Heater/Tx pin to turn on the integrated sending circuit to supply power to the pod. For example, it pulls up for 100 milliseconds. The power circuit of the cartomizer receives power from the device end and supplies power to its controller;

The control circuit of the device end sends a communication signal to the signal receiving link of the cartomizer through the Heater/Tx connected to the integrated sending circuit and transmits it to the controller. The controller of the cartomizer obtains the communication signal, which can contain data content, such as request for verification data, heating control power, etc.;

The controller of the cartomizer obtains power supply and replies with communication information to the device end through the signal sending link. The communication information includes information about the cartomizer, such as liquid level, flavor, serial number, pod authentication information, etc. The control circuit of the device end obtains this communication information through the signal receiving circuit. Further, when replying with information, the controller of the cartomizer controls to disable the heating element through the heating control switch circuit;

The device end sends a command to enable/disable the heating element to the cartomizer through the integrated sending circuit. The controller of the cartomizer obtains the command from the device end through the signal receiving link and enables/disables the heating element through the heating control switch circuit, realizing the control of the heating element of the cartomizer by the device end.

The device end sends a heating control signal to control the start of the heating element while sending a serial command (communication signal) to the cartomizer through the signal sending circuit. The controller of the cartomizer receives the communication signal and the heating control signal through the signal receiving link, which can realize the control of the heating element while obtaining the communication signal data, or control the heating element according to the content of the communication signal. For example, if the communication signal contains the power for heating control, the controller controls the heating of the heating element according to the obtained power.

Regarding the communication between the device end and the cartomizer, the cartomizer can realize the heating control and the sending and receiving of communication signals through the same pin. The device end realizes power supply, communication, and heating control through the pin docked with the cartomizer, which increases the communication robustness of the entire aerosol provision system. The serial communication data speed can reach 115200 baud. Therefore, a large amount of data communication can be carried out between the device end and the cartomizer.

It should be understood that the circuits in Figures 13 - 15 are only schematic design circuits, and they are not intended to convey the specific structure and component settings of each circuit. Other circuits with the same function or relevant peripheral circuit designs according to actual needs should also be within the protection scope of the present application. It should also be understood that the aerosol provision system may include other components not shown in Figures 13 - 15, such as a power supply.

It should be understood that each part of the present application may be implemented by hardware, software, firmware or combinations thereof. In the above implementations, multiple steps or methods may be implemented with software or firmware stored in memory and executed by an appropriate instruction execution system. For example, if it is implemented by hardware, as in another implementation, it can be implemented by any one of the following technologies known in the art or combinations thereof: discrete logic circuits with logic gate circuits for implementing logic functions for data signal, special integrated circuits with appropriate combined logic gate circuits, programmable gate arrays (PGAs), field programmable gate arrays (FPGAs), etc. In the description of this specification, the referential terminology "an embodiment," "some embodiments," "example," "specific example," or "some examples" means that specific features, structures, materials, or characteristics described in connection with the embodiment or example are comprised in at least one embodiment or example of the present application. In this specification, the indicative expression of the above terms does not necessarily refer to the same embodiment or example. Furthermore, the described specific features, structures, materials, or characteristics may be combined in any suitable way in any one or more embodiments or examples.

Moreover, the terms "first," "second," etc., are used merely for descriptive purposes and should not be construed as indicating or implying relative importance or implicitly specifying the quantity of the indicated technical features. Thus, the characteristics defined as "first," "second," etc., may explicitly or implicitly comprise at least one such characteristic. In the description of the present application, the term "multiple" means at least two, such as two, three, etc., unless otherwise specifically defined.

In the present application, unless explicitly defined and limited, terms such as "mounting," "connecting," "connection," "fixing," etc., should be understood broadly. For instance, the connection can be a fixed connection or a detachable connection, or integrated; it can be a mechanical connection or an electrical connection; it can be a direct connection or an indirect connection through an intermediary medium, it can be the internal communication of two components or the interaction between two components, unless explicitly defined otherwise. Those skilled in the art can understand the specific meanings of these terms in the context of the application based on the circumstances.

Although the embodiments of the application have been shown and described above, it should be understood that the above-described embodiments are exemplary and should not be considered as limiting the application. Those skilled in the art within the scope of the application can make variations, modifications, replacements, and variations to the abovedescribed embodiments.

Claims

1. A control circuit for an aerosol provision system, wherein the circuit comprises: a first interface, the first interface being configured to receive/send a digital signal; a controller, the controller being configured to receive a digital signal from the first interface or send communication information to the outside through the first interface, and to control the heating of a heating element according to the digital signal; wherein, when the controller sends communication information to the outside through the first interface, the controller controls the heating element to shut down.

2. The control circuit for an aerosol provision system according to claim 1 , wherein the circuit further comprises a heating control switch circuit, the controller is configured to control the on/off of the heating control switch circuit according to the digital signal to control the start/shutdown of the heating element.

3. The control circuit for an aerosol provision system according to claim 2, wherein the first interface is connected to a positive terminal of the heating element; the controller is connected to a negative terminal of the heating element through the heating control switch circuit; and when the heating control switch circuit is turned on, the negative terminal of the heating element is grounded, to form a heating loop to start the heating element.

4. The control circuit for an aerosol provision system according to claim 3, wherein the circuit further comprises a signal transmission link connected to the first interface; the controller is connected to the first interface through the signal transmission link to send communication information to the outside; when the controller sends communication information to the outside, the heating control switch circuit is turned off.

5. The control circuit for an aerosol provision system according to claim 1 , wherein the circuit further comprises a power circuit connected to the first interface, the power circuit comprising several capacitors connected in parallel, and the power circuit being capable of storing electric energy from the first interface and supplying power to the control circuit.

6. The control circuit for an aerosol provision system according to claim 1 , wherein the communication information comprises static information of the system.

7. The control circuit for an aerosol provision system according to claim 6, wherein the static information comprises one or more of the following pieces of information: i) the type of an atomization substrate contained in the system; ii) an identification code; iii) identity verification information.

8. The control circuit for an aerosol provision system according to claim 1 , wherein the communication information comprises dynamic information of the system.

9. The control circuit for an aerosol provision system according to claim 8, wherein the dynamic information comprises one or more of the following pieces of information: i) the consumption amount or the remaining amount of an atomization substrate of the system; ii) the temperature of the heating element; iii) the real-time resistance value of the heating element.

10. The control circuit for an aerosol provision system according to any one of claims 2 - 9, wherein the digital signal comprises a heating control signal and/or a communication signal; the controller is configured to control the on/off of the heating control switch circuit according to the received heating control signal and/or communication signal to control the start/shutdown of the heating element.

11. The control circuit for an aerosol provision system according to claim 10, wherein the content of the heating control signal comprises starting or stopping heating.

12. The control circuit for an aerosol provision system according to claim 10, wherein the content of the communication signal comprises a request for the communication information or a heating control instruction with control parameters, and the controller is configured to determine the content of the heating control signal according to the content of the communication signal.

13. A cartomizer for an aerosol provision system, wherein the cartomizer comprises the control circuit for an aerosol provision system according to any one of claims 1 - 12.

14. The cartomizer for an aerosol provision system according to claim 13, wherein the first interface is a first power supply pin of the cartomizer; a second power supply pin of the cartomizer is grounded.

15. An aerosol provision system, comprising: a chamber containing an aerosol generating material; the control circuit according to any one of claims 1 - 12 or the cartomizer according to any one of claims 13 - 14; and a heating element, configured to heat the aerosol generating material to generate an aerosol.