Heater control circuitry for vaporizer device
A vaporizer device may include a controller and a heater control circuitry. The controller may generate, based at least on a temperature of a heating coil in a cartridge coupled with the vaporizer device, an output signal for controlling a discharge of a battery of the vaporizer device. The battery may be discharged to the heating coil to increase the temperature of the heating coil and cause a vaporization of a vaporizable material contained in the cartridge. The heater control circuitry may determine the temperature of the heating coil. The heater control circuitry may further control, based on the output signal from the controller, the discharge of the battery to the heating coil. The heater control circuitry may be powered by a voltage rail coupled to a voltage regulator configured to regulate an output voltage of the battery.
1. A vaporizer device, comprising:
a controller configured to generate, based at least on a temperature of a heating coil in a cartridge coupled with the vaporizer device, an output signal for controlling a discharge of a battery of the vaporizer device, the battery being discharged to the heating coil to increase the temperature of the heating coil, and the increase in the temperature of the heating coil causing a vaporization of a vaporizable material contained in the cartridge; and
a heater control circuitry configured to determine the temperature of the heating coil, the heater control circuitry further being configured to control, based at least on the output signal from the controller, the discharge of the battery to the heating coil, the heater control circuitry being powered by a voltage rail coupled to a voltage regulator configured to regulate an output voltage of the battery, wherein the heater control circuitry comprises:
one or more resistors having known resistances, the one or more resistors forming at least one voltage divider with the heating coil;
a differential amplifier configured to determine a voltage differential across the at least one voltage divider, the voltage differential across the at least one voltage divider corresponding to the temperature of the heating coil; and
a diode disposed between the battery and the voltage rail, the diode configured to prevent an over voltage across the one or more resistors having known resistances by at least preventing the battery from discharging to the voltage rail.
2. The vaporizer device of claim 1 , wherein the heater control circuitry includes a switch controlling the discharge of the battery to the heating coil, wherein a cathode of the diode is coupled to a drain of the switch, and wherein the output signal from the controller controls a state of the switch.
3. The vaporizer device of claim 2 , wherein the output signal from the controller comprises a pulse width modulation signal, and wherein the controller controls the state of the switch by at least adjusting a duty cycle of the pulse width modulation signal.
4. The vaporizer device of claim 1 , wherein the at least one voltage divider includes a first voltage divider and a second voltage divider, wherein the first voltage divider and the second voltage divider form a Wheatstone bridge, and wherein the one or more resistors includes a first resistor, a second resistor, a third resistor.
5. The vaporizer device of claim 4 , wherein the Wheatstone bridge includes at least a fourth resistor of the one or more resistors having a known resistance, and wherein the fourth resistor is coupled with at least one of the first resistor, the second resistor, and the third resistor to adjust a range of the voltage differential across the at least one voltage divider.
6. The vaporizer device of claim 4 , wherein the first voltage divider includes a first resistor coupled in series with a second resistor, and wherein the second voltage divider includes a third resistor coupled in series with the heating coil.
7. The vaporizer device of claim 4 , wherein the heater control circuitry includes a first test node coupled to a first node between the first resistor and the second resistor in the first voltage divider, wherein the heater control circuitry further includes a second test node coupled to a second node between the heating coil and the third resistor, and wherein outputs from the first test node and/or the second node are used for determining a correction factor for the known resistances of the first resistor, the second resistor, or the third resistor.
8. The vaporizer device of claim 4 , wherein the temperature of the heating coil corresponds to a thermal coefficient of resistance of the heating coil and the known resistances of the first resistor, the second resistor, and the third resistor.
9. The vaporizer device of claim 4 , wherein the heater control circuitry further includes a switch coupled to a node between the heating coil and the third resistor, and wherein a state of the switch controls a flow of current from the voltage rail to the second voltage divider.
10. The vaporizer device of claim 9 , wherein the switch is disposed between the battery and the voltage rail to further prevent the over voltage across the one or more resistors having known resistances by at least preventing the battery from discharging to the voltage rail.
11. The vaporizer device of claim 4 , wherein the heater control circuitry further includes a switch disposed at a junction between the voltage rail, the second voltage divider, and the differential amplifier, wherein the switch is configured to prevent the heater control circuitry from being back powered by the diode when the heater control circuitry is not being powered by the voltage rail, and wherein the switch prevents the heater control circuitry from being back powered by at least preventing a backflow of current from the diode from entering the differential amplifier.
12. The vaporizer device of claim 2 , wherein the controller is further configured to determine an additional voltage associated with a Seebeck effect of the heating coil being formed from two or more metals, and wherein the voltage differential across the at least one voltage divider is adjusted based on the additional voltage in order to determine the temperature of the heating coil.
13. The vaporizer device of claim 1 , wherein the heater control circuitry includes a second diode and a second resistor forming an interrupt request line, wherein the second diode is coupled to a positive terminal for coupling the heating coil to the heater control circuitry, and wherein a presence or an absence of a signal on the interrupt request line indicate whether the cartridge is coupled to the vaporizer device.
14. The vaporizer device of claim 1 , wherein an output of the heater control circuitry comprises an analog signal, and wherein the controller includes an analog-to-digital converter for converting the analog signal from the heater control circuitry.
15. The vaporizer device of claim 1 , wherein the heater control circuitry includes a high-pass filter coupled with the output signal from the controller, wherein the high-pass filter is configured to prevent the battery from being constantly discharged to the heating coil, and wherein the high-pass filter includes a diode configured to provide a fast-discharge path for the high-pass filter when the high-pass filter produces a negative charge when the output signal from the controller transitions from high to low.
16. A method, comprising:
generating, based at least on a temperature of a heating coil in a cartridge coupled with a vaporizer device, an output signal for controlling a discharge of a battery of the vaporizer device, the battery being discharged to the heating coil to increase the temperature of the heating coil, and the increase in the temperature of the heating coil causing a vaporization of a vaporizable material contained in the cartridge;
determining, by a heater control circuitry, the temperature of the heating coil, the heater control circuitry being powered by a voltage rail coupled to a voltage regulator configured to regulate an output voltage of the battery, and the heater control circuitry further configured to control, based at least on the output signal from the controller, the discharge of the battery to the heating coil;
determining, by a differential amplifier, a voltage differential across at least one voltage divider, the voltage differential across the at least one voltage divider corresponding to the temperature of the heating coil, the at least one voltage divider formed by the heating coil and one or more resistors having known resistances; and
preventing, by a diode disposed between the battery and the voltage rail, an over voltage across the one or more resistors having known resistances, the diode preventing the over voltage by at least preventing the battery from discharging to the voltage rail.
17. The method of claim 16 , further comprising:
determining an additional voltage associated with a Seebeck effect of the heating coil being formed from two or more metals; and
adjusting, based at least on the additional voltage, the voltage differential across the at least one voltage divider, the voltage differential being adjusted in order to determine the temperature of the heating coil.
18. The method of claim 16 , wherein the at least one voltage divider includes a first voltage divider and a second voltage divider, wherein the first voltage divider and the second voltage divider form a Wheatstone bridge, and wherein the one or more resistors includes a first resistor, a second resistor, and a third resistor.
19. The vaporizer device of claim 18 , wherein the first voltage divider includes a first resistor coupled in series with a second resistor, and wherein the second voltage divider includes a third resistor coupled in series with the heating coil.
20. The method of claim 19 , further comprising:
determining, based at least on outputs from a first test node and/or a second test node, a correction factor for the known resistances of the first resistor, the second resistor, or the third resistor, the first test node being coupled to a first node between the first resistor and the second resistor in the first voltage divider, and the second test node being coupled to a second node between the heating coil and the third resistor.
21. The method of claim 19 , wherein the temperature of the heating coil corresponds to a thermal coefficient of resistance of the heating coil and the known resistances of the first resistor, the second resistor, and the third resistor.
22. The method of claim 19 , further comprising:
controlling a flow of current from the voltage rail to the second voltage divider by at least controlling a state of a switch coupled to a node between the heating coil and the third resistor.
23. The method of claim 22 , wherein the switch is disposed between the battery and the voltage rail to further prevent the over voltage across the one or more resistors having known resistances by at least preventing the battery from discharging to the voltage rail.
24. The method of claim 18 , further comprising:
preventing, by a switch, the heater control circuitry form being back powered by the diode when the heater control circuitry is not powered by the voltage rail, the switch being disposed at a junction between the voltage rail, the second voltage divider, and the differential amplifier, and the switch preventing the heater control circuitry from being back powered by at least preventing a backflow of current from the diode from entering the differential amplifier.
25. The method of claim 18 , further comprising:
adjusting a range of the voltage differential across the at least one voltage divider by at least coupling a fourth resistor with at least one of the first resistor, the second resistor, and the third resistor, the fourth resistor having a known resistance.
26. The method of claim 16 , further comprising:
controlling the discharge of the battery to the heating coil by at least controlling a state of a switch included in the heater control circuitry, a cathode of the diode being coupled to a drain of the switch, and the output signal from the controller controlling a state of the switch.
27. The method of claim 26 , wherein the output signal from the controller comprises a pulse width modulation signal, and wherein the state of the switch may be controlled by at least adjusting a duty cycle of the pulse width modulation signal.
28. The method of claim 16 , further comprising:
converting, by an analog-to-digital converter, an output of the heater control circuitry, the output of the heater control circuitry comprising an analog signal output by the differential amplifier.
29. The method of claim 16 , further comprising:
determining, based at least on an absence or a presence of a signal on an interrupt request line, whether the cartridge is coupled to the vaporizer device, the interrupt request line being formed from a second diode and a second resistor, and the second diode being coupled to a positive terminal for coupling the heating coil to the heater control circuitry.
30. The method of claim 29 , further comprising:
determining, based at least on outputs from a first test node and a second test node, a correction factor for the signal across the heating coil, the first test node being coupled to the positive terminal for coupling the heating coil to the heater control circuitry, and the second test node being coupled to a negative terminal for coupling the heating coil to the heater control circuitry.
31. The method of claim 16 , further comprising:
suppressing, by a suppressor, high frequency noise present in an electrical signal from a power supply to the heater control circuitry, the suppressor being disposed between the power supply and a switch controlling a flow of current from the power supply to the heater control circuitry, and the suppressor comprising a second resistor, a zero-ohm resistor, or a ferrite bead.
32. The method of claim 31 , further comprising:
supplying, by a reservoir capacitor, an in-rush current to the heater control circuitry to prevent a voltage drop across the voltage rail when the heater control circuitry is powered on, the reservoir capacitor connecting the power supply to ground, and the reservoir capacitor remaining charged while the heater control circuitry is powered off.
33. The method of claim 32 , further comprising:
rejecting, by a low-pass filter including the suppressor and the reservoir capacitor, the high frequency noise present in the electrical signal from the power supply.
34. The method of claim 16 , further comprising:
preventing, by a high-pass filter, the battery from being constantly discharged to the heating coil, the high-pass filter being coupled with the output signal from the controller, and the high-pass filter including a second diode configured to provide a fast-discharge path for the high-pass filter when the high-pass filter produces a negative charge when the output signal from the controller transitions from high to low.
35. A vaporizer device, comprising:
a controller configured to generate, based at least on a temperature of a heating coil in a cartridge coupled with the vaporizer device, an output signal for controlling a discharge of a battery of the vaporizer device, the battery being discharged to the heating coil to increase the temperature of the heating coil, and the increase in the temperature of the heating coil causing a vaporization of a vaporizable material contained in the cartridge; and
a heater control circuitry configured to determine the temperature of the heating coil, the heater control circuitry further being configured to control, based at least on the output signal from the controller, the discharge of the battery to the heating coil, the heater control circuitry being powered by a voltage rail coupled to a voltage regulator configured to regulate an output voltage of the battery, wherein the heater control circuitry comprises: a diode and a resistor forming an interrupt request line, wherein the diode is coupled to a positive terminal for coupling the heating coil to the heater control circuitry, and wherein a presence or an absence of a signal on the interrupt request line indicate whether the cartridge is coupled to the vaporizer device.
36. The vaporizer device of claim 35 , wherein the heater control circuitry includes a first test node coupled to the positive terminal for coupling the heating coil to the heater control circuitry and a second test node coupled to a negative terminal for coupling the heating coil to the heater control circuitry, and wherein outputs from the first test node and the second test node determine a correction factor for the signal across the heating coil.
37. A vaporizer device, comprising:
a controller configured to generate, based at least on a temperature of a heating coil in a cartridge coupled with the vaporizer device, an output signal for controlling a discharge of a battery of the vaporizer device, the battery being discharged to the heating coil to increase the temperature of the heating coil, and the increase in the temperature of the heating coil causing a vaporization of a vaporizable material contained in the cartridge; and
a heater control circuitry configured to determine the temperature of the heating coil, the heater control circuitry further being configured to control, based at least on the output signal from the controller, the discharge of the battery to the heating coil, the heater control circuitry being powered by a voltage rail coupled to a voltage regulator configured to regulate an output voltage of the battery, wherein the heater control circuitry includes: a suppressor disposed between a power supply to the heater control circuitry; and a switch controlling a flow of current from the power supply to the heater control circuitry, wherein the suppressor is configured to suppress a high frequency noise present in an electrical signal from the power supply.
38. The vaporizer device of claim 37 , wherein the suppressor comprises a resistor, a zero-ohm resistor, or a ferrite bead.
39. The vaporizer device of claim 37 , wherein the heater control circuitry includes a reservoir capacitor connecting the power supply to ground, wherein the reservoir capacitor remains charged while the heater control circuitry is powered off, and wherein the reservoir capacitor prevents a voltage drop across the voltage rail when the heater control circuitry is powered on by at least supplying an in-rush current to the heater control circuitry.
40. The vaporizer device of claim 39 , wherein the suppressor and the reservoir capacitor comprise a low-pass filter configured to reject the high frequency noise present in the electrical signal from the power supply.
41. A vaporizer device, comprising:
a controller configured to generate, based at least on a temperature of a heating coil in a cartridge coupled with the vaporizer device, an output signal for controlling a discharge of a battery of the vaporizer device, the battery being discharged to the heating coil to increase the temperature of the heating coil, and the increase in the temperature of the heating coil causing a vaporization of a vaporizable material contained in the cartridge; and
a heater control circuitry configured to determine the temperature of the heating coil, the heater control circuitry further being configured to control, based at least on the output signal from the controller, the discharge of the battery to the heating coil, the heater control circuitry being powered by a voltage rail coupled to a voltage regulator configured to regulate an output voltage of the battery, wherein the heater control circuitry includes:
a high-pass filter coupled with the output signal from the controller, wherein the high-pass filter is configured to prevent the battery from being constantly discharged to the heating coil, and wherein the high-pass filter includes a diode configured to provide a fast-discharge path for the high-pass filter when the high-pass filter produces a negative charge when the output signal from the controller transitions from high to low.