Electronic smoking device and capsule system

Abstract

In an electronic smoking system, a capsule (6) contains a liquid (28) to be supplied to an atomizer (20) and is mounted on an electronic smoking device (1). The capsule (6) may have a controller (40), which receives data from and transmits data to control electronics (14) of the electronic smoking device (1). The control electronics (14) of the electronic smoking device (1) and the controller (40) of the capsule (6) are adapted to execute a challenge response authentication.

1 . A system comprising:
 an electronic smoking device comprising:
 an electric power source for powering an atomizer adapted to atomize a liquid supplied from a capsule mounted to the device, control electronics adapted to control the atomizer, and a puff detector adapted to indicate an aerosol inhaling puff to the control electronics; and 
 a capsule containing liquid to be supplied to an atomizer, the capsule adapted to be mounted to the electronic smoking device, wherein the capsule comprises:
 a controller, which is responsive when mounted to the electronic smoking device to receive data from and to transmit data to the control electronics of the electronic smoking device, the control electronics of the electronic smoking device and the controller of the capsule being adapted to execute a challenge response authentication when the capsule is mounted to the device, based on the use of a secret key. 
 
   
     
     
         2 . The system of  claim 1  wherein the control electronics of the electronic smoking device and the controller of the capsule contain the same secret key, and wherein upon authentication, one of the control electronics of the electronic smoking device and the controller of the capsule creates a random number, which is stored and also transmitted to the other one of the control electronics of the electronic smoking device and the controller of the capsule. 
     
     
         3 . The system of  claim 1  wherein upon authentication, one of the control electronics of the electronic smoking device and the controller of the capsule is adapted to encrypt the random number, applying the secret key, and to transmit the encrypted random number to the other one of the control electronics of the electronic smoking device and the controller of the capsule. 
     
     
         4 . The system of  claim 4  wherein upon authentication, one of the control electronics of the electronic smoking device and the controller of the capsule receiving the encrypted random number is adapted to compare the received encrypted random number with a computed encrypted random number, the computation applying the known random number and the known encryption including the secret key. 
     
     
         5 . The system of  claim 1  wherein the electric power source comprises a battery and the controller of the capsule is electrically connected to and powered by the battery of the electronic smoking device. 
     
     
         6 . The system of  claim 1  wherein the control electronics and the controller store the same secret key. 
     
     
         7 . The system of  claim 6  wherein the encryption includes application of a hash function. 
     
     
         8 . The system of  claim 1  wherein the controller is located in an inner space of the capsule separate from a reservoir of the capsule holding the liquid. 
     
     
         9 . A capsule containing liquid for use with an electronic smoking device, comprising;
 a controller adapted to receive data from and to transmit data to control electronics of the electronic smoking device;   the controller adapted to respond to a challenge response authentication from the control electronics when the capsule is mounted to the device;   the controller adapted to apply a predefined secret key to a random number provided by the control electronics, to add a hash key to the random number, and to transmit the encrypted random number to the control electronics.   
     
     
         10 . The capsule of  claim 9  further including an atomizer and electrical contacts for electrically connecting the atomizer to the electronic smoking device. 
     
     
         11 . A capsule containing liquid for atomization to be supplied to an atomizer of an electronic smoking system comprising the capsule and an electronic smoking device, the capsule adapted to be mounted to the electronic smoking device;
 the capsule comprising a controller which is responsive when mounted to the electronic smoking device to receive data from and to transmit data to control electronics of the electronic smoking device, the capsule comprising an atomizer and electrical contacts electrically connecting the atomizer to a battery in the electronic smoking device;   the controller and the control electronics adapted to execute a challenge response authentication when the capsule is mounted to the electronic smoking device, wherein the challenge response authentication uses a master and a slave;   either the controller is configured to be operated as the master and the control electronics is configured to be operated as the slave, or vice versa, and wherein the challenge response authentication comprises the steps of:
 a) the master creating a random number, wherein the random number is stored by the master and transmitted to the slave; 
 b) the slave encrypting the random number using a secret key and transmitting the encrypted random number to the master; 
 c) the master decrypting the encrypted random number received from the slave in step b) using the secret key, and comparing the decrypted random number with the random number created and stored by the master in step a). 
   
     
     
         12 . The capsule of  claim 11  wherein the encryption includes application of a hash function. 
     
     
         13 . The capsule of  claim 11  wherein the controller is located in an inner space of the capsule separate from a reservoir of the capsule holding the liquid.