Abstract: An aerosol-generating device for heating an aerosol-forming substrate to generate an inhalable aerosol during a usage session is provided, the device including: control electronics; and a lighting array including a plurality of light emitters, the control electronics to independently control each light emitter in an off state in which the light emitter does not emit light, a first lighting state in which the light emitter emits light at a first static luminance level, and a second lighting state in which the light emitter emits light at a second static luminance level that is different from the first level, the control electronics to further control each light emitter to be in one of the off state, the first lighting state, and the second lighting state so as to indicate progression of an operational phase of the device to a user, and the progression of being a progression of the usage session.

Abstract: An aerosol-generating device for generating an aerosol from an aerosol-forming substrate is provided, the aerosol-generating device including an OLED display configured to display data indicative of a state of operation of the aerosol-generating device, the OLED display being controlled to display an outer illumination zone partially or wholly surrounding an inner illumination zone, and the OLED display being further controlled to: i) selectively display in one of the outer and the inner illumination zones to generate a predetermined first display conveying first information, and ii) selectively activate the other of the outer and the inner illumination zones to generate a predetermined second display conveying second information.

Abstract: An aerosol-generating device is provided, including: a housing having a chamber configured to receive at least a portion of an aerosol-forming article; a first helical inductor coil disposed at least partially around the chamber; a second helical inductor coil disposed at least partially around, or adjacent to, the chamber; and an elongate susceptor element configured to be inductively heatable by one or both of the first and the second helical inductor coils to heat at least a portion of an aerosol-forming substrate which is part of the aerosol-forming article, when the aerosol-forming substrate is at least partially received in the chamber. An aerosol-generating system including the aerosol-generating device is also provided.

Abstract: An aerosol-generating device is provided, including: an inductive heating arrangement configured to heat an aerosol-forming substrate, the inductive heating arrangement including: a susceptor arrangement that is heatable by penetration with a varying magnetic field to heat the aerosol-forming substrate, at least a first inductor coil, and at least a second inductor coil; and a controller configured to drive the first inductor coil with a first alternating pulse width modulated signal for generating a first alternating magnetic field for heating a first portion of the susceptor arrangement, drive the second inductor coil with a second alternating pulse width modulated signal for generating a second alternating magnetic field for heating a second portion of the susceptor arrangement, and supply the first alternating pulse width modulated signal and the second alternating pulse width modulated signal with complementary duty cycles.

Abstract: There is provided a cartridge for an aerosol-generating system, the cartridge comprising a container comprising an outer surface and an inner surface, wherein the container outer surface at least partially defines an outer surface of the cartridge. The cartridge also includes a susceptor material comprising a susceptor material inner surface at least partially defining a cartridge cavity, the susceptor material inner surface defining a plurality of interstices. The cartridge also includes an aerosol-forming substrate in the form of a gel at room temperature, plurality of interstices are configured to hold the gel.

Abstract: An aerosol-generating system is provided, including: an aerosol-generating device, including a housing including ventilation holes, a heating chamber defining a heating zone and being sized to receive at least a portion of an aerosol-forming substrate within the heating zone, an induction element disposed around, or adjacent to, the heating zone, a power supply, and a controller connected to the induction element and configured to provide an alternating electric current to the induction element to generate an alternating magnetic field within the heating zone, the induction element being configured to be controlled to sequentially provide a first alternating magnetic field having a first frequency for a first period of time followed by a second alternating magnetic field having a second frequency for a second period of time.

Abstract: An aerosol-generating device is provided for heating an aerosol-forming substrate to form an inhalable aerosol, the device including: a cavity to removably receive at least a portion of an aerosol-generating article including the substrate and an inductively heatable susceptor configured to heat the substrate; an inductive heating arrangement to generate an alternating magnetic field within the cavity for inductively heating the susceptor when the article is received in the cavity; and a control circuitry to generate power pulses for intermittently powering on the arrangement, to determine during one or more power pulses a value of at least one property of the arrangement, the value depending on an article with a susceptor being present in or absent from the cavity, and to detect at least one of the insertion or the extraction of the article into or from the cavity based on the determined value and a predetermined threshold value.

Abstract: An inductively heated aerosol-generating system is provided, including an inductive heating arrangement having an inductor and a susceptor; and a controller to: monitor an electrical control parameter during an operational heating mode, maintain a temperature of the susceptor within an operational temperature range by controlling power supplied referring to a target value of the parameter, determine whether a response of the parameter meets a predetermined condition, and implement a change in operation if the response does not do so, power being supplied as a plurality of discrete pulses of current, the response being analyzed for each pulse to determine whether a value of the parameter rises or falls during the pulse, the controller further identifying upper and lower boundary values of the parameter, and the target value being set to a value between the upper and the lower boundary values.

Abstract: An induction heatable aerosol-generating system is provided, including: an inductive heating arrangement having an inductor and a susceptor; a power source configured to supply power to the heating arrangement; and a controller to: control power supplied from the power source to the heating arrangement, monitor an electrical control parameter, and operate the system in operational modes including at least: a calibration mode, a heating mode, a re-calibration mode, to verify or modify the relationship between the electrical control parameter and the temperature of the susceptor and to periodically or intermittently redetermine the target value of the electrical control parameter, and a safety mode, to adjust the power provided to the inductive heating arrangement in response to one or more predetermined criteria being met.

Abstract: A method for controlling aerosol production in an aerosol-generating device is provided, the aerosol-generating device including an inductive heating arrangement configured to heat a susceptor, power supply electronics, and a power source configured to provide power to the power supply electronics, the method including: controlling the power provided to the power supply electronics to cause the susceptor to have a target temperature; measuring, using at least one temperature sensor, a temperature of the power supply electronics during operation of the aerosol-generating device for generating an aerosol; and adjusting the power provided to the power supply electronics based on a change of the measured temperature of the power supply electronics. An aerosol-generating device, and an aerosol-generating system including the aerosol-generating device and an aerosol-generating article, are also provided.

Abstract: An aerosol-generating device for heating an aerosol-forming substrate to generate an inhalable aerosol is provided, the device including: control electronics; and substantially linear first and second lighting arrays, each extending over a length between first and second ends of the respective array, the first and second arrays being a same length and laterally spaced apart from each other to be parallel and aligned with each other, and the first and second ends of the first array are aligned with the first and second ends of the second array, the control electronics being coupled to the first and second arrays to activate both of the first and second arrays to generate a predetermined light emission indicative of and in response to at least one of a status and progression of an operational phase of the device, and to cause each of the first and the second arrays to convey different data.

Abstract: An aerosol-generating device for generating an aerosol from an aerosol-forming substrate is provided, the aerosol-generating device including a controller configured to control a usage session, to select one of a first criterion and a second criterion different from the first criterion, and to control the usage session with reference to the selected criterion, both the first criterion and the second criterion being criteria selected from the list consisting of volume of aerosol-generated, a combination of time and number of user puffs, a combination of time and volume of aerosol-generated, and a combination of time and a monitored user interaction parameter. A method of operating an aerosol-generating device is also provided.

Abstract: An inductive heating arrangement is provided, including: a first inductor coil to generate a first varying magnetic field when a varying electric current flows through the first coil; a second inductor coil to generate a second varying magnetic field when a varying electric current flows through the second coil; and a tubular-shaped flux concentrator around the first coil and to distort the first field, including a main portion around the first coil and having an inner diameter, first and second ends, a first end portion having an inner diameter smaller than that of the main portion, and a second end portion having an inner diameter smaller than that of the main portion, an inner surface of the flux concentrator defining an annular channel between the first and second end portions, and the first inductor coil being disposed within the annular channel between the first and second end portions.

Abstract: A method for controlling aerosol production in an aerosol-generating device is provided, the aerosol-generating device including an inductive heating arrangement and a power source configured to provide power to the inductive heating arrangement, the method including: controlling the power provided to the inductive heating arrangement to cause a step-wise increase of a temperature of a susceptor associated with the aerosol-generating device from a first operating temperature to a second operating temperature, the susceptor being configured to heat an aerosol-forming substrate, the power being controlled based on a measured resistance, conductance, or current associated with the susceptor, and in which the measured resistance, conductance, or current associated with the susceptor is determined based on a DC current drawn from the power source. An aerosol-generating device, and an aerosol-generating system including the aerosol-generating device and an aerosol-generating article, are also provided.

Abstract: An aerosol-generating device for generating an aerosol from an aerosol-forming substrate is provided, the aerosol-generating device being configured to indicate progress of an event during use of the aerosol-generating device, the aerosol-generating device including: an indicator configured to indicate progress of the event as a sequence of 1st to nth different indication states, n being a number equal to or greater than 7; and a controller configured to monitor progress of the event and to control the indicator to indicate in an indication state representative of the progress of the event, the indicator being a visual indicator including a predetermined number (i) of discrete light emitting units, each light emitting unit being controllable to emit light in a predetermined number (j) of different intensities, i being a number between 4 and 24, and j being a number between 2 and 5.

Abstract: A vaporizer assembly for an electrically operated aerosol-generating device, including: a substantially planar heating element having a first side and a second side opposite the first side; a liquid transport medium having a first side in contact with the second side of the heating element, and having a second side opposite to the first side, the medium having a capillary structure to transport liquid parallel to the second side of the heating element, the heating element extending over a first area of the first side of the medium; a liquid supply conduit having a first end in contact with the second side of the medium and extending over only a second area of the second side of the medium, the conduit further including a second end opposite the first end to receive a liquid; and a liquid retention material or capillary material in the conduit to transport liquid.

Abstract: An electronic aerosol-generating device includes a housing extending between first and second ends along a longitudinal axis. The second end of the housing defines a cavity for receiving a consumable containing an aerosol generating substrate. The device further includes a heating component comprising a heating element extending along the longitudinal axis within the cavity and configured to penetrate into the aerosol generating substrate when the consumable is inserted into the cavity. The heating element comprises a material having a Curie temperature of less than 500° C. The device also includes an inductor comprising an inductor coil positioned to transfer magnetic energy to the heating element. The inductor is configured to induce eddy currents and/or hysteresis losses in the heating element. The device further includes a power supply operably connected to the inductor and control electronics operably connected to the power supply and configured to control heating of the heating element.

Abstract: An aerosol-generating system is provided, including: an aerosol-generating article including an aerosol-forming substrate, and an aerosol-generating device having a housing, a heating chamber defining a heating zone and sized to receive the substrate therein, an induction element around the zone, a power supply, and a controller connected to the element to provide an alternating electric current to the element to generate an alternating magnetic field within the zone, the element being controlled to sequentially provide a first alternating magnetic field having a first frequency for a first period of time followed by a second alternating magnetic field having a second frequency for a second period of time, the element being first and second coils, the first and the second coils being actuatable to provide the first and the second fields, respectively, and the article and the chamber being arranged so the article is partially received within the chamber.

Abstract: An aerosol-generating device is provided for heating an aerosol-forming substrate to generate an inhalable aerosol during a usage session, the aerosol-generating device including: control electronics; and an outer lighting area partially or wholly surrounding an inner lighting area, the control electronics being coupled to the outer and the inner lighting areas and configured to: i) selectively activate one of the outer and inner lighting areas to generate a first predetermined light emission conveying first data indicative of a state of the aerosol-generating device, and ii) selectively activate the other of the outer and inner lighting areas to generate a second predetermined light emission conveying second data indicative of a state of the aerosol-generating device, the first data and the second data being different from one another.

Abstract: An inductive heating system is provided, including: a first inductive heating device including a first DC power supply configured to provide a first DC supply voltage, and a first heater module including an inductor configured to provide inductive heating, the first heater module having a first heater module input voltage that is substantially equal to the first DC supply voltage; and a second inductive heating device including a second DC power supply configured to provide a second DC supply voltage that is different from the first DC supply voltage, a second heater module including an inductor configured to provide inductive heating, the heater module having the first heater module input voltage, and a DC/DC voltage converter configured to convert the second DC supply voltage to the first heater module input voltage.