Aerosol provision devices

Abstract

An aerosol provision device operable in a plurality of operating modes, the aerosol provision device comprising: control circuitry configured to control accessibility of the plurality of operating modes of the aerosol provision device: a signal module configured to receive signals from a secure source, wherein the control circuitry is configured to update an accessibility of at least one of the plurality of operating modes of the aerosol provision device based on reception of a signal from a secure source indicating an accessibility of at least one operating mode of the aerosol provision device.

1 . An aerosol provision device operable in a plurality of operating modes, the aerosol provision device comprising:
 control circuitry configured to control accessibility of the plurality of operating modes of the aerosol provision device;   a signal module configured to receive signals from a secure source,   wherein the control circuitry is configured to update an accessibility of at least one of the plurality of operating modes of the aerosol provision device based on reception of a signal from a secure source indicating an accessibility of at least one operating mode of the aerosol provision device.   
     
     
         2 . An aerosol provision device according to  claim 1 , wherein the control circuitry is configured to update an accessibility of the at least one operating mode of the aerosol provision device from an accessible state to a non-accessible state based on reception of the signal. 
     
     
         3 . An aerosol provision device according to  claim 1 , wherein the control circuitry is configured to update an accessibility of the at least one operating mode of the aerosol provision device from a non-accessible state to an accessible state based on reception of the signal. 
     
     
         4 . An aerosol provision device according to  claim 2 , wherein the control circuitry is configured to update an accessibility of the at least one operating mode of the aerosol provision device from an accessible state to an inaccessible state based on determining the signal received from the secure source comprises an explicit indication of the at least one operating mode, and wherein the control circuitry is further configured to update an accessibility of any operating mode which is not explicitly indicated by the signal to an accessible state. 
     
     
         5 . An aerosol provision device according to  claim 3 , wherein the control circuitry is configured to update an accessibility of the at least one operating mode of the aerosol provision device from an inaccessible state to an accessible state based on determining the signal received from the secure source comprises an explicit indication of the at least one operating mode, and wherein the control circuitry is further configured to update an accessibility of any operating mode which is not explicitly indicated by the signal to a non-accessible state. 
     
     
         6 . An aerosol provision device according to  claim 1 , wherein at least one of the plurality of operating modes of the aerosol provision device is associated with a function comprising collection of operational data by the aerosol provision device. 
     
     
         7 . (canceled) 
     
     
         8 . An aerosol provision device according to  claim 1 , wherein at least one of the plurality of operating modes of the aerosol provision device is associated with a function comprising aerosolisation of an aerosol generating material by the aerosol provision device. 
     
     
         9 . An aerosol provision device according to  claim 8 , wherein the function is associated with aerosolisation of aerosol generating material from a specific type of consumable article from among a plurality of consumable article types with which the aerosol provision device is configured to be coupled for generation of aerosol, and the signal further indicates the specific type of consumable article. 
     
     
         10 . An aerosol provision device according to  claim 1 , wherein the signal from the secure source indicating an accessibility of at least one operating mode of the aerosol provision device comprises an update to software or firmware used by the control circuitry to provide a function associated with the at least one operating mode. 
     
     
         11 . (canceled) 
     
     
         12 . An aerosol provision device according to  claim 1 , wherein the accessibility of the at least one operating mode of the aerosol provision device indicated by the signal received from the secure source is determined based on a property of the aerosol provision device. 
     
     
         13 . An aerosol provision device according to  claim 1 , wherein the signal module is further configured to transmit a signal to a secure source, indicating a property of the aerosol provision device. 
     
     
         14 . An aerosol provision device according to  claim 13 , wherein the control circuitry is configured to encrypt the signal prior to transmission to the secure source. 
     
     
         15 - 17 . (canceled) 
     
     
         18 . An aerosol provision device according to  claim 1 , wherein the signal module is configured to receive the signal from the secure source via a computing device acting as a relay between the secure source and the aerosol provision device. 
     
     
         19 . An aerosol provision device according to  claim 12 , wherein the property of the aerosol provision device comprises at least one intrinsic device property. 
     
     
         20 . An aerosol provision device according to  claim 19 , wherein the at least one intrinsic device property is selected from a list comprising:
 a serial number of the aerosol provision device;   a model version of the aerosol provision device;   a manufacturer of the aerosol provision device;   a design arrangement of the aerosol provision device;   an identifier of at least one component of the aerosol provision device;   a firmware version for the aerosol provision device; or   a board revision identifier for the aerosol provision device.   
     
     
         21 . An aerosol provision device according to  claim 12 , wherein the property of the aerosol provision device comprises at least one contextual device property. 
     
     
         22 - 28 . (canceled) 
     
     
         29 . An aerosol provision device according to  claim 1 , wherein the signal from the secure source indicating an accessibility of at least one operating mode of the aerosol provision device comprises an encrypted signal, and the control circuitry is configured to decrypt the encrypted signal to identify the accessibility of the at least one operating mode of the aerosol provision device. 
     
     
         30 . An aerosol provision device according  claim 29 , wherein the control circuitry is configured to decrypt the encrypted signal using a first key associated with a second key used to encrypt the signal at the secure source. 
     
     
         31 - 34 . (canceled) 
     
     
         35 . A computing device for indicating to an aerosol provision device an accessibility of an operating mode of the aerosol provision device, wherein the computing device is configured to:
 transmit a first signal to a secure source, indicating a property of an aerosol provision device;   receive, from the secure source, a second signal comprising a payload indicating an accessibility of at least one operating mode of the aerosol provision device; and   provide, in response to receiving the second signal, a third signal to the aerosol provision device;   wherein the third signal comprises information derived from the payload, indicating an accessibility of the least one operating mode of the aerosol provision device.   
     
     
         36 - 64 . (canceled) 
     
     
         65 . A secure source for indicating to an aerosol provision device an accessibility of at least one operating mode of the aerosol provision device, the secure source comprising:
 a signal module configured to receive signalling indicating at least one property of the aerosol provision device, and to transmit signalling indicating an accessibility of at least one operating mode of the aerosol provision device; and   control circuitry;   
       wherein the secure source is configured to:
 receive, at the signal module, signalling from an aerosol provision device or a computing device indicating at least one property of the aerosol provision device; 
 determine, at the control circuitry, based on the at least one property of the aerosol provision device, an accessibility of at least one operating mode of the aerosol provision device; 
 generate, at the control circuitry, a payload indicating the accessibility of the at least one operating mode; and 
 transmit, via the signal module, signalling comprising the payload. 
 
     
     
         66 - 185 . (canceled)