Temperature regulating system for an electronic vapor provision system

Abstract

A temperature regulating system for an electronic vapour provision system (EVPS) comprises a sensor to detect at least one parameter of the airflow within the EVPS; a user interface adapted to receive an indication from a user that a puff of the EVPS was too hot; and a processor adapted to change at least a first aspect of a vapour generation process to reduce the vapour temperature at the mouthpiece, based upon sensor data from the at least one parameter of the airflow, in response to the received indication.

1 . A temperature regulating system for an electronic vapour provision system (EVPS), comprising:
 a sensor to detect at least one parameter of the airflow within the EVPS;   a user interface adapted to receive an indication from a user that a puff of the EVPS was too hot; and   a processor adapted to change at least a first aspect of a vapour generation process to reduce the vapour temperature at the mouthpiece, based upon sensor data from the at least one parameter of the airflow, in response to the received indication.   
     
     
         2 . A temperature regulating system for an EVPS according to  claim 1 , in which:
 in response to the received indication, the processor is adapted to detect whether a difference in the at least one parameter of the airflow deviates from an expected value by a predetermined amount, and   if so,   the processor is adapted to change at least a first aspect of the vapour generation process responsive to the least one parameter of the airflow.   
     
     
         3 . A temperature regulating system for an EVPS according to  claim 2 , in which:
 the at least one parameter of the airflow is air flow rate,   and if this is below an expected value by a predetermined amount,   the processor is adapted to change one or more selected from the list consisting of:   i. an effective heating temperature of a heater of the EVPS; and   ii. an effective air intake of the EVPS.   
     
     
         4 . A temperature regulating system for an EVPS according to  claim 2 , in which:
 the at least one parameter of the airflow is dynamic air pressure,   and if this is above an expected value by a predetermined amount,   the processor is adapted to change one or more selected from the list consisting of:   i. an effective heating temperature of a heater of the EVPS; and   ii. an effective air intake of the EVPS.   
     
     
         5 . A temperature regulating system for an EVPS according to  claim 2 , in which:
 the at least one parameter of the airflow is humidity,   and if this is above an expected value by a predetermined amount,   the processor is adapted to change one or more selected from the list consisting of:   i. an effective heating temperature of a heater of the EVPS; and   ii. an effective air intake of the EVPS.   
     
     
         6 . A temperature regulating system for an EVPS according to  claim 2 , in which:
 the at least one parameter of the airflow is ambient air temperature prior to heating,   and if this is above an expected value by a predetermined amount,   the processor is adapted to change one or more selected from the list consisting of:   i. an effective heating temperature of a heater of the EVPS; and   ii. an effective air intake of the EVPS.   
     
     
         7 . A temperature regulating system for an EVPS according to  claim 2 , in which:
 the at least one parameter of the airflow is static air pressure,   and if this is below an expected value by a predetermined amount,   the processor is adapted to change one or more selected from the list consisting of:   iii. an effective heating temperature of a heater of the EVPS; and   iv. an effective air intake of the EVPS.   
     
     
         8 . A temperature regulating system for an EVPS according to  claim 3 , in which:
 the processor is adapted to reduce the effective heating temperature of the heater of the EVPS by a predetermined amount, the resulting effective heating temperature of the heater remaining above the vaporisation temperature of a payload of the EVPS.   
     
     
         9 . A temperature regulating system for an EVPS according to  claim 3 , in which:
 the processor is adapted to reduce the effective heating temperature of the heater of the EVPS by one or more selected from the list consisting of:   i. reducing the heater temperature;   ii. changing a duty cycle of the heater; and   iii. reducing a pre-heat temperature of the heater.   
     
     
         10 . A temperature regulating system for an EVPS according to  claim 9 , in which:
 the processor is adapted to reduce the effective heating temperature of the heater by an amount responsive to the difference between the detected and expected amount of the at least one parameter of the airflow.   
     
     
         11 . A temperature regulating system for an EVPS according to  claim 1 , comprising:
 a sensor to detect instantaneous airflow rates;   and in which   the processor is adapted to make instantaneous changes the effective heating temperature of the heater of the EVPS in response to the sensor data.   
     
     
         12 . A temperature regulating system for an EVPS according to  claim 1 , in which:
 the processor is adapted to model an inhalation profile of the user based upon instantaneous airflow rates detected by a sensor during inhalation, the inhalation profile being indicative of airflow rate during the course of an inhalation action by the user; and   the processor is adapted to change at least a first aspect of the vapour generation process responsive to the inhalation profile.   
     
     
         13 . A temperature regulating system for an EVPS according to  claim 1 , in which:
 if the processor calculates a change for an effective temperature for the heater that would be below a vaporisation temperature of a payload of the EVPS, the system notifies the user.   
     
     
         14 . A temperature regulating system for an EVPS according to  claim 1 , in which:
 the EVPS comprises a wireless communication unit operable to communicate with a remote device; and   the processor is located in the remote device.   
     
     
         15 . A method of regulating temperature for an electronic vapour provision system (EVPS), comprising the steps of:
 obtaining airflow sensor data from a sensor operable to detect at least one parameter of the airflow within the EVPS;   detecting whether an indication from a user that a puff of the EVPS was too hot is received;   and if so   changing at least a first aspect of a vapour generation process to reduce the vapour temperature at the mouthpiece, based upon sensor data from the at least one parameter of the airflow.   
     
     
         16 . The method of  claim 15 , comprising the steps of:
 detecting whether a difference in the at least one parameter of the airflow deviates from an expected value by a predetermined amount, and   if so,   changing at least a first aspect of the vapour generation process responsive to the least one parameter of the airflow.   
     
     
         17 . The method of  claim 15 , in which
 the at least one parameter of the airflow comprises air flow rate; and   if this is below an expected value by a predetermined amount, the method comprises the step of changing one or more selected from the list consisting of:   i. an effective heating temperature of a heater of the EVPS; and   ii. an effective air intake of the EVPS.   
     
     
         18 . The method of  claim 15 , in which
 the at least one parameter of the airflow comprises one or more selected from the list consisting of:   i. dynamic air pressure;   ii. humidity; and   iii. ambient air temperature prior to heating,   and the or each parameter is above an expected value by a respective predetermined amount, the method comprises the step of changing one or more selected from the list consisting of:   i. an effective heating temperature of a heater of the EVPS; and   ii. an effective air intake of the EVPS.   
     
     
         19 . The method of  claim 15 , in which the step of changing an aspect of the vapour generation process comprises reducing the effective heating temperature of the heater of the EVPS by one or more selected from the list consisting of:
 i. reducing the heater temperature;   ii. changing a duty cycle of the heater; and   iii. reducing a pre-heat temperature of the heater.   
     
     
         20 . The method of  claim 15 , in which if the effective heating temperature of the heater would need to be reduced to a temperature below the vaporisation temperature of a payload of the VPS, the user is notified. 
     
     
         21 . The method of  claim 15 , comprising the steps of:
 detecting the instantaneous airflow rate; and   making instantaneous changes to the effective heating temperature of the heater of the VPS in response to the instantaneous airflow rate.   
     
     
         22 . The method of  claim 15 , comprising the steps of:
 modelling an inhalation profile of the user based upon instantaneous airflow rate during inhalation, the inhalation profile being indicative of airflow rate during the course of an inhalation action by the user; and   changing at least a first aspect of the vapour generation process responsive to the inhalation profile.   
     
     
         23 . The method of  claim 15 , in which the steps of obtaining temperature sensor data and airflow sensor data occur within the EVPS, and comprising the step of
 transmitting the temperature sensor data airflow sensor data to a remote processor adapted to calculate the change to at least the first aspect of the vapour generation process.   
     
     
         24 . A computer readable medium having computer executable instructions adapted to cause a computer system to perform the method of  claim 15 .