IP Library Granted Patent US 11,606,970
Granted Patent B2
US 11,606,970 · App. 16/425,807 · Granted Mar 21, 2023

Vaporizer device with differential pressure sensor

Inventors: Joshua Fu (San Francisco, CA); Christopher Loental (San Francisco, CA); Marko Markovic (San Francisco, CA); Alexander Weiss (Oakland, CA); Alexander Ringrose (Oakland, CA); David Carlberg (Portland, OR); Robyn Nariyoshi (San Francisco, CA); Devin Spratt (Sunnyvale, CA); Nicholas J. Hatton (Oakland, CA); Yen Jen Chang (Taipei, TW); Chen Yu Li (Taipei, TW); Barry Tseng (Taipei, TW); Prince Wang (Taipei, TW); Thomas Germann (Aschau im Chiemgau, DE); Andreas Schaefer (Neubiberg, DE)
Assignee: JUUL Labs, Inc.
A24D1/14A24F7/00A24F40/40A61M11/042A61M15/0028G01N35/00732G08B6/00H01R13/521H02J7/00H05B1/0244H05B3/0014H05B3/0019H05K1/147H05K1/189A24F15/015A24F40/10A61M2205/8206F16J15/02F17C9/02G01L13/00G01P15/00H01Q1/2283H05K2201/10106H05K2201/10121H05K2201/10151H05K2201/10189H05K2201/10318
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Quick Facts
Patent No.
US 11,606,970
App. No.
16/425,807
Granted
Mar 21, 2023
Kind
B2
Abstract

A vaporizer device may include a pressure sensor and an ambient pressure sensor. The pressure sensor may be configured to measure a first pressure in an air flow path in the vaporizer device. The ambient pressure sensor may be configured to measure a second pressure corresponding to an atmospheric pressure. The vaporizer device may further include a controller. The controller may be configured to transition the vaporizer device to a first standby mode when the first pressure is equal to or greater than the second pressure for a first threshold quantity of time. While the vaporizer device is in the first standby mode, the controller may be further configured to transition the vaporizer device to a second standby mode when the second pressure is a threshold quantity greater than the first pressure and no motion event is detected for a second threshold quantity of time.

Claims (56)

1. A vaporizer device, comprising:

a pressure sensor configured to measure a first pressure in an air flow path in the vaporizer device;

an ambient pressure sensor configured to measure a second pressure corresponding to an atmospheric pressure; and

a controller configured to at least:

transition the vaporizer device to a first standby mode when the first pressure is equal to or greater than the second pressure for a first threshold quantity of time; and

while the vaporizer device is in the first standby mode, transition the vaporizer device to a second standby mode when the first pressure is equal to or greater than the second pressure and no motion event is detected for a second threshold quantity of time.

2. The vaporizer device of claim 1 , wherein the pressure sensor and/or the ambient pressure sensor operate at a first sampling frequency while the vaporizer device is in the first standby mode, and wherein the pressure sensor and/or the ambient pressure sensor operate at a second sampling frequency while the vaporizer device is in the second standby mode.

3. The vaporizer device of claim 2 , wherein the second sampling frequency is less than the first sampling frequency.

4. The vaporizer device of claim 2 , wherein the controller is further configured to at least:

transition the vaporizer device to an active mode when a cartridge is coupled with the vaporizer device, wherein the pressure sensor and/or the ambient pressure sensor operate at a third sampling frequency when the vaporizer device is in the active mode, and wherein the third sampling frequency is higher than each of the first sampling frequency and the second sampling frequency.

5. The vaporizer device of claim 4 , wherein the controller transitions the vaporizer device from the active mode to the first standby mode when the first pressure remains equal to or greater than the second pressure for the first threshold quantity of time.

6. The vaporizer device of claim 4 , wherein the vaporizer device remains in the active mode based at least on the first pressure being less than the second pressure within the first threshold quantity of time.

7. The vaporizer device of claim 4 , further comprising:

an interrupt request (IRQ) line, a presence or an absence of a signal on the interrupt request line indicative of whether the cartridge is coupled with the vaporizer device.

8. The vaporizer device of claim 4 , further comprising:

a cartridge receptacle configured to couple the cartridge with the vaporizer device, the cartridge receptacle being a part of a vaporizer body of the vaporizer device.

9. The vaporizer device of claim 4 , wherein the controller is further configured to at least:

determine that the first pressure is the threshold quantity less than the second pressure for a threshold quantity of samples taken by the pressure sensor and/or the ambient pressure sensor while the vaporizer device is in the active mode; and

in response to determining that the first pressure is the threshold quantity less than the second pressure for the threshold quantity of samples, activate a heater in the cartridge to cause a vaporization of a vaporizable material contained in the cartridge.

10. The vaporizer device of claim 9 , wherein the controller activates the heater by at least triggering a discharge of a battery to a heating coil in the heater.

11. The vaporizer device of claim 9 , wherein the first pressure being the threshold quantity less than the second pressure for the threshold quantity of samples indicates air being drawn into the vaporizer device along the air flow path.

12. The vaporizer device of claim 1 , wherein the vaporizer device remains in the first standby mode in response to a detection of the motion event within the second threshold quantity of time.

13. The vaporizer device of claim 1 , wherein the controller transitions the vaporizer device from the second standby mode to the first standby mode in response to the motion event while the vaporizer device is in the second standby mode.

14. The vaporizer device of claim 1 , further comprising:

a motion sensor configured to detect the motion event.

15. The vaporizer device of claim 14 , wherein the motion sensor comprises an accelerometer.

16. The vaporizer device of claim 14 , wherein the motion event comprises a tapping and/or a rolling of the vaporizer device.

17. A method, comprising:

measuring, by a pressure sensor, a first pressure in an air flow path of a vaporizer device;

measuring, by an ambient pressure sensor, a second pressure corresponding to an atmospheric pressure;

transitioning the vaporizer device to a first standby mode when the first pressure is equal to or greater than the second pressure for a first threshold quantity of time; and

while the vaporizer device is in the first standby mode, transitioning the vaporizer device to a second standby mode when the first pressure is equal to or greater than the second pressure and no motion event is detected for a second threshold quantity of time.

18. The method of claim 17 , wherein the pressure sensor and/or the ambient pressure sensor operate at a first sampling frequency while the vaporizer device is in the first standby mode, and wherein the pressure sensor and/or the ambient pressure sensor operate at a second sampling frequency while the vaporizer device is in the second standby mode.

19. The method of claim 18 , wherein the second sampling frequency is less than the first sampling frequency.

20. The method of claim 18 , wherein the vaporizer device remains in the first standby mode in response to a detection of the motion event within the second threshold quantity of time.

21. The method of claim 18 , further comprising:

transitioning the vaporizer device from the second standby mode to the first standby mode in response to the motion event while the vaporizer device is in the second standby mode.

22. The method of claim 18 , further comprising:

detecting, by a motion sensor, the motion event.

23. The method of claim 22 , wherein the motion sensor comprises an accelerometer.

24. The method of claim 22 , wherein the motion event comprises a tapping and/or a rolling of the vaporizer device.

25. The method of claim 18 , further comprising:

transitioning the vaporizer device to an active mode when a cartridge is coupled with the vaporizer device, wherein the pressure sensor and/or the ambient pressure sensor operate at a third sampling frequency when the vaporizer device is in the active mode, and wherein the third sampling frequency is higher than each of the first sampling frequency and the second sampling frequency.

26. The method of claim 25 , further comprising:

transitioning the vaporizer device from the active mode to the first standby mode when the first pressure remains equal to or greater than the second pressure for the first threshold quantity of time.

27. The method of claim 25 , wherein the vaporizer device remains in the active mode based at least on the first pressure being less than the second pressure within the first threshold quantity of time.

28. The method of claim 25 , further comprising:

detecting, based at least on a presence or an absence of a signal on an interrupt request (IRQ) line, whether the cartridge coupled with the vaporizer device.

29. The method of claim 25 , further comprising:

determining that the first pressure is the threshold quantity less than the second pressure for a threshold quantity of samples taken by the pressure sensor and/or the ambient pressure sensor while the vaporizer device is in the active mode; and

in response to determining that the first pressure is the threshold quantity less than the second pressure for the threshold quantity of samples, activating a heater in the cartridge to cause a vaporization of a vaporizable material contained in the cartridge.

30. The method of claim 29 , wherein the heater is activated by at least triggering a discharge of a battery to a heating coil in the heater.

31. The method of claim 29 , wherein the first pressure being the threshold quantity less than the second pressure for the threshold quantity of samples indicates air being drawn into the vaporizer device along the air flow path.

32. A non-transitory computer readable medium storing instructions, which when executed by at least one data processor, result in operations comprising:

transitioning a vaporizer device to a first standby mode when a first pressure is equal to or greater than a second pressure for a first threshold quantity of time, the first pressure comprising a pressure in an air flow path of the vaporizer device, and the second pressure comprising an atmospheric pressure; and

while the vaporizer device is in the first standby mode, transitioning the vaporizer device to a second standby mode when the first pressure is equal to or greater than the second pressure and no motion event is detected for a second threshold quantity of time.

Assignments (13)
RELEASE OF SECURITY INTEREST Recorded Oct 17, 2024
From: ALTER DOMUS (US) LLC
To: JUUL LABS, INC.; VMR PRODUCTS LLC; ENVENIO INC.
Reel/Frame 069185/0228 →
ASSIGNMENT OF ASSIGNOR'S INTEREST Recorded Apr 20, 2024
From: JUUL LABS, INC.
To: PAX LABS, INC.
Reel/Frame 067173/0643 →
SECURITY INTEREST Recorded Jul 11, 2023
From: JUUL LABS, INC.; VMR PRODUCTS LLC; ENVENIO INC.
To: ALTER DOMUS (US) LLC
Reel/Frame 064252/0225 →
CORRECTIVE ASSIGNMENT TO CORRECT THE THE ASSIGNEE ADDRESS PREVIOUSLY RECORDED AT REEL: 062114 FRAME: 0196. ASSIGNOR(S) HEREBY CONFIRMS THE ASSIGNMENT. Recorded Dec 23, 2022
From: JUUL LABS, INC.
To: JLI NATIONAL SETTLEMENT TRUST
Reel/Frame 062214/0142 →
SECURITY INTEREST Recorded Dec 10, 2022
From: JUUL LABS, INC.
To: JLI NATIONAL SETTLEMENT TRUST
Reel/Frame 062114/0195 →
RELEASE OF SECURITY INTEREST Recorded Oct 2, 2022
From: CORTLAND CAPITAL MARKET SERVICES LLC
To: JUUL LABS, INC.
Reel/Frame 061588/0176 →
SECURITY INTEREST Recorded Sep 30, 2022
From: JUUL LABS, INC.
To: ALTER DOMUS (US) LLC
Reel/Frame 061578/0865 →
RELEASE OF SECURITY INTEREST Recorded Jun 28, 2022
From: MUFG UNION BANK, N.A.
To: JUUL LABS, INC.
Reel/Frame 060446/0261 →
PATENT SECURITY AGREEMENT Recorded Aug 18, 2020
From: JUUL LABS, INC.
To: MUFG UNION BANK, N.A.
Reel/Frame 053535/0433 →
SECURITY INTEREST Recorded Aug 6, 2020
From: JUUL LABS, INC.
To: CORTLAND CAPITAL MARKET SERVICES LLC
Reel/Frame 053418/0664 →
ASSIGNMENT OF ASSIGNOR'S INTEREST Recorded Sep 17, 2019
From: FU, JOSHUA; LOENTAL, CHRISTOPHER; MARKOVIC, MARKO; WEISS, ALEXANDER; RINGROSE, ALEXANDER; CARLBERG, DAVID; NARIYOSHI, ROBYN; SPRATT, DEVIN; CHANG, YEN JEN; LI, CHEN YU; TSENG, BARRY; WANG, PRINCE; GERMANN, THOMAS; SCHAEFER, ANDREAS
To: PAX LABS, INC.
Reel/Frame 050400/0001 →
ASSIGNMENT OF ASSIGNOR'S INTEREST Recorded Sep 17, 2019
From: HATTON, NICHOLAS J.
To: JUUL LABS, INC.
Reel/Frame 050400/0392 →
ASSIGNMENT OF ASSIGNOR'S INTEREST Recorded Sep 17, 2019
From: PAX LABS, INC.
To: JUUL LABS, INC.
Reel/Frame 050400/0342 →
Cited By (3)
US 12,389,950 US 12,520,880 US 12,646,963