ELECTRONIC CIGARETTE WITH COMMUNICATION ENHANCEMENTS
An electronic cigarette (“e-Cig”) may include a controller for providing various operations within an e-Cig. Enhancements for the controller may provide for improved operations and control for the e-Cig. In one embodiment, there may be a communications capability that may allow for the e-Cig to communicate with a consumer device. The consumer may then control smoke properties, monitor operations, adjust settings, and/or receive product notifications or offers through the consumer device's communication with the e-Cig. The communications may enable connections to various websites on the Internet for usage tracking or social networking.
1 . An electronic cigarette comprising:
a controller configured to monitor or control operations of the electronic cigarette; and
a communications interface coupled with the controller and configured to allow communication with a computing device.
2 . The electronic cigarette of claim 1 further comprising:
an atomizer for generating a vapor; and
a liquid container for providing a liquid that is used for flavoring the vapor.
3 . The electronic cigarette of claim 2 further comprising:
a heating element that heats the liquid as part of a vaporization process where the vapor is generated by the atomizer.
4 . The electronic cigarette of claim 3 wherein the operations that are monitored or controlled comprise the generation of the vapor, the heat of the liquid, and/or an amount of the liquid.
5 . The electronic cigarette of claim 2 wherein a portion of the electronic including the liquid container includes an identifier code that can be identified with the computing device.
6 . The electronic cigarette of claim 1 wherein the computing device comprises a portable telephone that communicates with the electronic cigarette.
7 . The electronic cigarette of claim 6 wherein the communication between the electronic cigarette and the portable telephone is a direction communication.
8 . The electronic cigarette of claim 7 wherein the electronic cigarette is further configured to communicate through a wide area network.
9 . The electronic cigarette of claim 8 wherein the wide area network is the Internet.
10 . The electronic cigarette of claim 8 wherein a social network of contacts are communicated through the wide area network.
11 . The electronic cigarette of claim 10 wherein the operations that are monitored are communicated between contacts within the social network.
12 . The electronic cigarette of claim 1 wherein the communications interface comprises a communications chip that is configured to communicate with the computing device.
13 . A non-transitory computer readable medium having stored therein data representing instructions executable by a programmed processor for communicating from an electronic cigarette, the storage medium comprising instructions operative for:
monitoring a usage pattern of the electronic cigarette; and
communicating with one or more external devices regarding the usage pattern.
14 . The computer readable medium of claim 13 wherein the one or more external devices communicate with a social network.
15 . The computer readable medium of claim 14 wherein the communication with the social network comprises communication over the Internet.
16 . The computer readable medium of claim 15 wherein the communication comprises sharing of the usage pattern.
17 . The computer readable medium of claim 16 wherein the sharing comprises a notification through the external devices of a location where the electronic cigarette is being used.
18 . The computer readable medium of claim 13 wherein the usage pattern comprises a frequency, amount, liquid type, and/or time of usage.
19 . A communications system comprising:
an electronic cigarette comprising a communications interface for communicating with a computing device, wherein the computing device is coupled with a network;
a server coupled with the network and configured to provide access to information from a plurality of users of electronic cigarettes.
20 . The system of claim 19 further comprising:
a database coupled with the server that stores the information from a plurality of users of electronic cigarettes.