Smoking substitute device and system for managing a smoking substitute device

Abstract

A smoking substitute device having: a control unit; a battery configured to supply power to the smoking substitute device; a movement sensing component configured to sense movement of the smoking substitute device; and a battery level indicator configured to, when activated, provide an indication of charge remaining in the battery. The control unit is configured to activate the battery level indicator when a predetermined movement of the smoking substitute device is detected using the movement sensing component.

1 . A system for managing a smoking substitute device, the system including:
 a smoking substitute device; and   a mobile device;   wherein the smoking substitute device is configured to communicate wirelessly with an application installed on the mobile device;   wherein the application is configured to display on a screen of the mobile device information concerning the battery of the smoking substitute device, based on one or more measurements indicative of charge remaining in the battery obtained by the smoking substitute device that have been wirelessly communicated by the smoking substitute device to the application on the mobile device.   
     
     
         2 . A system according to  claim 1 , wherein the information concerning the battery of the smoking substitute device displayed on the screen of the mobile device includes an estimated amount of time remaining before the smoking substitute device becomes inoperable due to a lack of battery charge. 
     
     
         3 . A system according to  claim 2 , wherein the estimated time remaining is calculated by the application in a manner that is dependent on usage data concerning how the smoking substitute device has been used by a user of the smoking substitute device. 
     
     
         4 . A system according to  claim 1 , wherein the information concerning the battery of the smoking substitute device displayed on the screen of the mobile device includes an estimated number of remaining activations that can be performed by the smoking substitute device before the smoking substitute device becomes inoperable due to a lack of battery charge. 
     
     
         5 . A system according to  claim 4 , wherein the estimated number of remaining activations is calculated by the application in a manner that is dependent on usage data concerning how the smoking substitute device has been used by a user of the smoking substitute device. 
     
     
         6 . A system according to  claim 1 , wherein the smoking substitute device has:
 a control unit;   a battery configured to supply power to the smoking substitute device;   a movement sensing component configured to sense movement of the smoking substitute device; and   a battery level indicator configured to, when activated, provide an indication of charge remaining in the battery by operating in one of a plurality of indication states, wherein each indication state corresponds to a different amount of charge remaining in the battery;   wherein the control unit is configured to activate the battery level indicator when a predetermined movement of the smoking substitute device is detected using the movement sensing component.   
     
     
         7 . A system according to  claim 6 , wherein the control unit is configured such that the selection of an indication state by the control unit uses configuration information stored on the smoking substitute device, wherein the configuration information stored on the smoking substitute device provides a relationship between one or more measurements indicative of charge remaining in the battery and the plurality of indication states. 
     
     
         8 . A system according to  claim 7 , wherein the control unit is configured to update the configuration information stored on the smoking substitute device based on new/updated configuration information received from the application on the mobile device wirelessly connected to the smoking substitute device. 
     
     
         9 . A system according to  claim 8 , wherein the application is configured to prepare the new/updated configuration information based on an analysis of data concerning how the smoking substitute device has been used by a user of the smoking substitute device, and to send the new/updated configuration information to the smoking substitute device. 
     
     
         10 . A system according to  claim 9 , wherein each indication state corresponds to a different estimated number of remaining activations that can be performed by the smoking substitute device before the smoking substitute device becomes inoperable due to a lack of battery charge, and the application is configured to prepare the new/updated configuration information based on an analysis of data concerning the length of time the user typically activates their smoking substitute device per activation. 
     
     
         11 . A system according to  claim 6 , wherein the battery level indicator is configured to, when activated, provide a visual indication of charge remaining in the battery by operating in one of a plurality of visual indication states.