US 12,329,208 B2
Hot wire anemometer air flow measurement, puff detection and ambient temperature tracking
Adam Parrott, Richmond, VA (US); Niall Gallagher, Cambridge (GB); Raymond W. Lau, Richmond, VA (US); Eric Hawes, Midlothian, VA (US); Ryan Newcomb, Richmond, VA (US); Terry Bache, Richmond, VA (US); Rangaraj S. Sundar, Midlothian, VA (US); and Jarrett Keen, Richmond, VA (US)
Assigned to ALTRIA CLIENT SERVICES LLC, Richmond, VA (US)
Filed by Altria Client Services LLC, Richmond, VA (US)
Filed on Jan. 22, 2024, as Appl. No. 18/418,738.
Application 18/418,738 is a continuation of application No. 16/749,692, filed on Jan. 22, 2020, granted, now 11,918,050.
Prior Publication US 2024/0206555 A1, Jun. 27, 2024
This patent is subject to a terminal disclaimer.
Int. Cl. A24F 40/51 (2020.01); A24F 40/44 (2020.01); A24F 40/46 (2020.01); A24F 40/57 (2020.01); A61M 11/04 (2006.01); G01K 13/00 (2021.01); G01P 5/02 (2006.01)
CPC A24F 40/51 (2020.01) [A24F 40/44 (2020.01); A24F 40/46 (2020.01); A24F 40/57 (2020.01); A61M 11/042 (2014.02); G01K 13/00 (2013.01); G01P 5/02 (2013.01); A61M 2205/3334 (2013.01); A61M 2205/3368 (2013.01)] 17 Claims
OG exemplary drawing
 
1. A non-nicotine e-vaping device, comprising:
a hot wire anemometer (HWA);
a first proportional-integral-derivative (PID) controller configured to control a level of power applied by the non-nicotine e-vaping device to the HWA based on a temperature of a heated element of the HWA and a temperature setpoint;
a puff detection signal generator configured to generate a puff detection signal indicating whether or not a puff is currently occurring with respect to the non-nicotine e-vaping device, the puff detection signal having a first logical value when the puff is occurring and a second logical value when the puff is not occurring, and the temperature setpoint being fixed while the puff detection signal has the first logical value indicating that the puff is currently occurring with respect to the non-nicotine e-vaping device; and
a second PID controller configured such that, while the puff detection signal has the second logical value indicating that the puff is not currently occurring with respect to the non-nicotine e-vaping device, the second PID controller
detects a change in an ambient temperature of the HWA, and
controls the temperature setpoint such that the temperature setpoint is adjusted in response to the detected change in the ambient temperature of the HWA.