Method of operating an aerosol-generating device
A method of operating an aerosol-generating device includes detecting puffs taken by a user; monitoring a time elapsed after each puff; counting the puffs in succession unless a reset condition is satisfied; and restarting counting the puffs when the reset condition is satisfied. An aerosol-generating device includes a body having an inlet and an outlet with an air channel defined between the inlet and the outlet; a puff detector configured to detect puffs taken by a user; a timing unit configured to determine a time elapsed after each puff; and a controller configured to: start a first counter to count the puffs in succession unless a reset condition is satisfied; and reset the first counter when the reset condition is satisfied.
1 . An aerosol-generating device comprising:
a body having an inlet and an outlet with an air channel defined between the inlet and the outlet;
an I/O interface configured to provide an indication to a user;
an orientation sensor configured to detect an orientation of the device;
a puff detector configured to detect puffs taken by a user;
a controller configured to:
count the puffs in succession to determine a session mode count number when the device is in a first orientation;
count the puffs in succession when the orientation of the device changes to a second orientation to determine a free mode count number; and
correct the session mode count number by adding the free mode count number to the session mode count number when the device returns to the first orientation within a correction threshold.
2 . The device of claim 1 , further comprising a timing unit configured to determine a time elapsed after each puff.
3 . The device of claim 2 , wherein the timing unit is configured to start a timer at an end of each puff and stop the timer when the puff detector detects a start of a next puff.
4 . The device of claim 2 , wherein the timing unit is further configured to associate each puff session with a time stamp to monitor aerosol intake of the user over time.
5 . The device of claim 1 , further comprising a recognition sensor to identify an aerosol source to monitor an amount of aerosol in each puff taken by the user.
6 . The device of claim 1 , wherein the correction threshold is set based on a number of puffs in the second orientation, a set time period, or a combination of the two, and the controller is further configured to provide an indication to the user when the session mode count number, or the corrected session mode count number exceeds a puff threshold.
7 . A method of operating the aerosol-generating device of claim 1 , the method comprising:
detecting puffs taken by a user;
monitoring a time elapsed after each puff;
counting the puffs in succession to determine the session mode count number when the device is in the first orientation;
counting the puffs in succession when the orientation of the device changes to the second orientation to determine the free mode count number; and
correcting the session mode count number by adding the free mode count number to the session mode count number when the device returns to the first orientation within a correction threshold.
8 . The method of claim 7 , further comprising counting the puffs in succession unless a reset condition is satisfied, and determining an orientation of the device, wherein the reset condition is based on the orientation of the device.
9 . The method of claim 8 , wherein the reset condition is based on a length of time in which the device remains in a particular orientation.
10 . The method of claim 7 , further comprising counting the puffs in succession unless a reset condition is satisfied, wherein the reset condition is based on a determination of whether the time elapsed is greater than a first preset value.
11 . The method of claim 7 , further comprising counting the puffs in succession unless a reset condition is satisfied, wherein the reset condition is based on a number of puffs taken in a predetermined period of time.
12 . The method of claim 7 , further comprising providing a first indication to the user when the number of puffs reaches a first count when the device is determined to be temporarily held in the second orientation for less than a predetermined period of time and is turned to the first orientation within the predetermined period of time.
13 . The method of claim 12 , further comprising providing a second indication to the user when a total number of puffs at the end of a predetermined period of use reaches a second count when the device is determined to be held in the first orientation at least once during the predetermined period of use.
14 . The method of claim 13 , wherein the total number of puffs is determined by a time stamp associated with each puff.
15 . The method of claim 13 , wherein the total number of puffs is determined by maintaining a count of puffs for a period set by the user.
16 . The method of claim 13 , wherein the second indication is only provided when an amount of aerosol delivered in the total number of puffs exceeds a threshold level.
17 . A control circuitry for use in an aerosol-generating device, the control circuitry configured to actuate the method of claim 7 .
18 . A non-transitory computer-readable storage medium comprising instructions stored thereon which, when executed by a computer, cause the computer to carry out the steps of the method of claim 7 .