Vaporizer device heater control
A system includes a current source circuit; a system power input; and load switching circuitry coupling the current source circuit and the system power input to an output configured to couple to a vaporizer heating element. The current source circuit, the system power input, and the load switching circuitry form part of an integrated circuit. Related apparatus, systems, techniques, and articles are also described.
1 . A system, comprising:
a power source;
a connector configured to electrically couple to a heating element configured to heat vaporizable material;
one or more sensors comprising at least one pressure sensor;
a power management unit electrically coupled to the connector and configured to:
provide a flow of current to the heating element through the connector to heat the heating element, the flow of current associated with a provided electrical power;
intermittently interrupt the flow of current to the heating element;
measure, during an interruption, an electrical property of the heating element; and
control the flow of current to the heating element based at least in part on the electrical property; and
a controller electrically coupled to the power management unit, the controller configured to:
control the provided electrical power to the power management unit based on the one or more sensors; and
control, over one or more input terminals interfacing with the power management unit, operation of the power management unit, wherein the one or more input terminals comprises a heat ready input configured to enable the power management unit to heat the heating element and a heater stop input configured to disable the power management unit from heating the heating element.
2 . The system of claim 1 , wherein the controller is further configured to detect user inhalation based on a measurement of the at least one pressure sensor, and wherein the provided electrical power is controlled based on detection of the user inhalation.
3 . The system of claim 2 , wherein the at least one pressure sensor comprises a cartridge pressure sensor and an ambient pressure sensor.
4 . The system of claim 2 , wherein the at least one pressure sensor is separate from the power management unit and separate from the controller.
5 . The system of claim 4 , wherein the detection of the user inhalation comprises detecting a start, an end, or a continuation of the user inhalation.
6 . The system of claim 4 , wherein the power management unit is formed as a single integrated circuit, and wherein the controller is separate from the single integrated circuit.
7 . The system of claim 6 , wherein the one or more input terminals further comprises a heat select input configured to enable selection between a current source and a load switch to drive the flow of current to the heating element and/or a pulse-width modulation (PWM) input configured to enable the load switch to vary the flow of current to the heating element.
8 . The system of claim 6 , wherein the controller and the power management unit are incorporated within a vaporizer device body.
9 . The system of claim 8 , wherein the heating element is incorporated into a cartridge connectable to the vaporizer device body.
10 . The system of claim 9 , wherein the connector comprises a cartridge connector configured to couple to the cartridge.
11 . The system of claim 10 , wherein the heating element is a resistive heating element, and wherein the electrical property comprises a resistance.
12 . The system of claim 11 , wherein the power management unit is further configured to determine a temperature of the resistive heating element based on the electrical property and a thermal resistance coefficient.
13 . The system of claim 6 , further comprising charging circuitry electrically coupled to the power source, wherein the controller is further configured to control the charging circuitry for charging the power source.
14 . The system of claim 6 , further comprising an antenna electrically coupled to the controller, wherein the controller comprises a wireless support system on chip (SOC) for wireless communication over the antenna.
15 . The system of claim 6 , wherein the power management unit comprises a measurement circuit and a field effect transistor (FET), wherein the measurement circuit and the FET are configured to provide the flow of current to the heating element and intermittently interrupt the flow of current to the heating element.
16 . A vaporizer device comprising:
a power source;
a cartridge receptacle configured to insertably receive a cartridge comprising a heating element and a vaporizable material;
one or more sensors comprising at least one pressure sensor;
a power management unit configured to electrically couple to the heating element, the power management unit configured to:
provide a flow of current to the heating element to heat the vaporizable material, the flow of current associated with a provided electrical power;
intermittently interrupt the flow of current to the heating element;
measure, during an interruption, an electrical property of the heating element; and
control the flow of current to the heating element based at least in part on the electrical property; and
a controller electrically coupled to the power management unit, the controller configured to:
control the provided electrical power to the power management unit based on the one or more sensors; and
control, over one or more input terminals interfacing with the power management unit, operation of the power management unit, wherein the one or more input terminals comprises a heat ready input configured to enable the power management unit to heat the heating element and a heater stop input configured to disable the power management unit from heating the heating element.
17 . The vaporizer device of claim 16 , wherein the power management unit is formed as a single integrated circuit, wherein the controller and the at least one pressure sensor are separate from the single integrated circuit, and wherein the at least one pressure sensor is separate from the controller.
18 . The vaporizer device of claim 17 , wherein the one or more input terminals further comprises a heat select input configured to enable selection between a current source and a load switch to drive the flow of current to the heating element and/or a pulse-width modulation (PWM) input configured to enable the load switch to vary the flow of current to the heating element.
19 . The vaporizer device of claim 17 , wherein the heating element is a resistive heating element, wherein the electrical property comprises a resistance, and wherein the power management unit is further configured to determine a temperature of the resistive heating element based on the electrical property and a thermal resistance coefficient.
20 . The vaporizer device of claim 19 , wherein the controller is further configured to detect user inhalation based on a measurement of the at least one pressure sensor, wherein the provided electrical power is controlled based on detection of the user inhalation, and wherein the detection of the user inhalation comprises detecting a start, an end, or a continuation of the user inhalation.