Granted Patent B2

US 12,336,572 · App. 18/312,208 · Granted Jun 24, 2025

Inventors: Raymond W. Lau (Glen Allen, VA); Eric Hawes (Glen Allen, VA); Loi Ying Liu (Hong Kong, CN)

Assignee: Altria Client Services LLC

A24F40/57A24F40/42A24F40/46A24F40/53A24F40/60

Abstract

Claims (56)

1. A nicotine e-vaping device comprising:

a power control circuit configured to generate a pulse width modulated power signal; and

a memory module configured to,

detect a plurality of pulses included in the pulse width modulated power signal,

record information based on the detected plurality of pulses, and

output the recorded information to the power control circuit.

2. The nicotine e-vaping device of claim 1 , further comprising:

a heater element, and

wherein the memory module is further configured to output the recorded information during output of the pulse width modulated power signal to the heater element by the power control circuit.

3. The nicotine e-vaping device of claim 1 , wherein the memory module is further configured to:

detect a number of pulses included in the plurality of pulses; and

record the information based on the number of pulses.

4. The nicotine e-vaping device of claim 1 , wherein the memory module is further configured to:

detect a width of a pulse included in the plurality of pulses; and

record at least a portion of the information based on the width of the pulse included in the plurality of pulses.

5. The nicotine e-vaping device of claim 1 , wherein the memory module is further configured to:

detect a frequency of pulses included in the plurality of pulses; and

record the information based on the frequency of the pulses included in the plurality of pulses.

6. The nicotine e-vaping device of claim 1 , wherein

the memory module includes a fuse memory having an array of fuses; and

the memory module is further configured to record the information by opening at least one fuse among the array of fuses.

7. The nicotine e-vaping device of claim 6 , wherein the memory module is further configured to:

record the information by opening a fuse for every set number of pulses in the pulse width modulated power signal.

8. The nicotine e-vaping device of claim 7 , wherein the recording the information further includes:

recording additional information in the memory module, the additional information representing at least one of an identifier, a flavor of a nicotine pre-vapor formulation stored in a nicotine cartridge of the nicotine e-vaping device, a date, or any combination thereof.

9. The nicotine e-vaping device of claim 1 , wherein the power control circuit is further configured to generate the pulse width modulated power signal in response to application of negative pressure to the nicotine e-vaping device.

10. The nicotine e-vaping device of claim 1 , wherein the memory module is further configured to:

output the recorded information to the power control circuit by selectively connecting a load to output the recorded information to the power control circuit.

11. The nicotine e-vaping device of claim 1 , wherein the memory module is further configured to:

output the recorded information by increasing a current during at least one pulse of the pulse width modulated power signal to output the recorded information to the power control circuit.

12. The nicotine e-vaping device of claim 1 , further comprising:

a nicotine cartridge, the nicotine cartridge including the memory module and a reservoir; wherein

the reservoir is configured to hold a nicotine pre-vapor formulation.

13. A nicotine cartridge of a nicotine e-vaping device, the nicotine cartridge comprising:

an array of fuses; and

a memory controller configured to,

receive a pulse width modulated power signal; and

apply a voltage greater than or equal to a threshold voltage across one or more fuses included in the array of fuses based on a plurality of pulses in the pulse width modulated power signal, the applying the voltage causing the one or more fuses to open.

14. The nicotine cartridge of claim 13 , wherein the memory controller is further configured to:

store information in the array of fuses based on the plurality of pulses; and

store at least one of an identifier, a flavor of a nicotine pre-vapor formulation stored in the nicotine cartridge, a date, or any combination thereof.

15. The nicotine cartridge of claim 13 , wherein the memory controller is further configured to:

apply the voltage across a fuse in the array of fuses for every set number of pulses included in the plurality of pulses.

16. The nicotine cartridge of claim 13 , wherein the memory controller is further configured to:

detect a frequency of pulses included in the plurality of pulses; and

apply the voltage greater than or equal to the threshold voltage across the one or more fuses in the array of fuses to record information in the array of fuses based on the frequency of pulses.

17. The nicotine cartridge of claim 13 , wherein the memory controller is further configured to:

detect a width of a pulse included in the plurality of pulses; and

apply the voltage greater than or equal to the threshold voltage across the one or more fuses in the array of fuses to record information based on the width of the pulse included in the plurality of pulses.

18. The nicotine cartridge of claim 13 , further comprising:

a memory module, the memory module including the array of fuses and the memory controller, and

wherein the memory controller is further configured to receive information from outside the memory module only via a wire connected to a heater element of the nicotine e-vaping device.

19. The nicotine cartridge of claim 13 , wherein the memory controller is further configured to:

receive power only via the pulse width modulated power signal.

20. The nicotine cartridge of claim 13 , wherein the memory controller is further configured to:

output information stored in the array of fuses by changing a current of at least one pulse of the pulse width modulated power signal.

Continuity (2)

References Cited (56)