US 12,102,132 B2
Nicotine electronic vaping devices having nicotine pre-vapor formulation level detection and auto shutdown
Niall Gallagher, Richmond, VA (US); Terrance Theodore Bache, Richmond, VA (US); Rangaraj S. Sundar, Richmond, VA (US); Jarrett Keen, Richmond, VA (US); Raymond W. Lau, Richmond, VA (US); and Eric Hawes, Midlothian, VA (US)
Assigned to Altria Client Services LLC, Richmond, VA (US)
Filed by Altria Client Services LLC, Richmond, VA (US)
Filed on Jul. 15, 2020, as Appl. No. 16/929,452.
Prior Publication US 2022/0015440 A1, Jan. 20, 2022
Int. Cl. A24F 40/53 (2020.01); A24F 40/51 (2020.01); A24F 40/44 (2020.01); A24F 40/465 (2020.01)
CPC A24F 40/53 (2020.01) [A24F 40/51 (2020.01); A24F 40/44 (2020.01); A24F 40/465 (2020.01)] 6 Claims
OG exemplary drawing
 
1. A nicotine electronic vaping device comprising:
a nicotine pod assembly including
a memory storing a nicotine pre-vapor formulation vaporization parameter and an aggregate amount of vaporized nicotine pre-vapor formulation,
a nicotine reservoir to hold nicotine pre-vapor formulation, and
a heater configured to vaporize nicotine pre-vapor formulation drawn from the nicotine reservoir; and
a device assembly configured to engage with the nicotine pod assembly, the device assembly including a controller configured to
estimate an amount of nicotine pre-vapor formulation vaporized during a puff event based on the nicotine pre-vapor formulation vaporization parameter obtained from the memory and an aggregate amount of power applied to the heater during the puff event,
determine an updated aggregate amount of vaporized nicotine pre-vapor formulation based on the aggregate amount of vaporized nicotine pre-vapor formulation stored in the memory and the amount of nicotine pre-vapor formulation vaporized during the puff event,
determine that the updated aggregate amount of vaporized nicotine pre-vapor formulation is greater than or equal to at least one nicotine pre-vapor formulation level threshold,
set an empty flag in the memory in response to determining that the updated aggregate amount of vaporized nicotine pre-vapor formulation is greater than or equal to the at least one nicotine pre-vapor formulation level threshold, the empty flag configured to prevent further updating of the updated aggregate amount of vaporized nicotine pre-vapor formulation, and wherein the empty flag includes a write lock configured to prevent clearing of the empty flag, and
control the nicotine electronic vaping device to output an indication of a current level of the nicotine pre-vapor formulation in the nicotine reservoir in response to determining that the updated aggregate amount of vaporized nicotine pre-vapor formulation is greater than or equal to the at least one nicotine pre-vapor formulation level threshold.