Aerosol-generating device, system and method
An aerosol-generating device is provided, including: a vibratable transducer configured to aerosolise a liquid aerosol-forming substrate; and a controller coupled to the transducer, the controller being configured to provide a driving signal for vibrating the transducer, in which all or part of the driving signal defines a sensory output of the transducer detectable by at least one of an auditory sense of a user and a touch sense of a user, and adjust the driving signal such that the sensory output is indicative of a state of the aerosol-generating device. An aerosol-delivery system, and a method of operating an aerosol-generating device having a vibratable transducer, are also provided.
1 . An aerosol-generating device, comprising:
a vibratable transducer configured to aerosolise a liquid aerosol-forming substrate; and
a controller coupled to the transducer, the controller being configured to
provide a driving signal for vibrating the transducer, in which all or part of the driving signal defines a sensory output of the transducer detectable by at least one of an auditory sense of a user and a touch sense of a user, and
adjust the driving signal such that the sensory output is indicative of a state of the aerosol-generating device,
wherein the controller is operable to switch between:
a first operating condition in which the driving signal comprises one or more resonant frequencies of the vibratable transducer, and
a second operating condition in which the driving signal excludes any resonant frequency of the vibratable transducer.
2 . The aerosol-generating device according to claim 1 , wherein the state comprises one or more of the following:
a temperature state of the aerosol-generating device,
an energy state of the aerosol-generating device,
a fault condition of the aerosol-generating device,
a number of puffs applied by the user to the aerosol-generating device, and
a phase of a usage session of the aerosol-generating device.
3 . The aerosol-generating device according to claim 1 , wherein the controller is further configured such that the driving signal comprises one or more resonant frequencies of the vibratable transducer.
4 . The aerosol-generating device according to claim 1 , wherein the transducer comprises a membrane, the membrane having an aerosol generation zone provided with a plurality of nozzles for passage therethrough of the liquid aerosol-forming substrate.
5 . The aerosol-generating device according to claim 1 , wherein the controller is further configured such that the driving signal comprises at least one predetermined frequency, whereby the sensory output comprises the at least one predetermined frequency.
6 . The aerosol-generating device according to claim 5 ,
wherein the controller is further configured such that the driving signal comprises a sequence of two or more predetermined frequencies, and
wherein the sensory output comprises the sequence.
7 . The aerosol-generating device according to claim 5 , wherein the controller is further configured such that the at least one predetermined frequency is within a range of 0.1 Hz to 20 KHz.
8 . The aerosol-generating device according to claim 5 ,
wherein the controller is further configured such that the driving signal comprises a carrier signal and a modulating signal, and
wherein the modulating signal is modulated onto the carrier signal, the modulating signal comprising the at least one predetermined frequency.
9 . An aerosol-delivery system, comprising:
the aerosol-generating device according to claim 1 ;
a reservoir of liquid aerosol-forming substrate in fluid communication with the vibratable transducer; and
an elongate housing containing the aerosol-generating device and the reservoir, the elongate housing having a distal end and a mouth end, with a mouthpiece provided at the mouth end.