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 article having a proximal end and a distal end is provided, the aerosol-generating article including: a plurality of portions of aerosol-generating substrate arranged in a series along a longitudinal direction of the aerosol-generating article; a first barrier located between the plurality of portions of aerosol-generating substrate and the distal end of the aerosol-generating article; and one or more separators, the plurality of portions of aerosol-generating substrate including two portions of aerosol-generating substrate that are separated from one another by at least one of the one or more separators, and the first barrier and the one or more separators being substantially air-impermeable.

Abstract: An aerosol-generating device is provided, including: a first housing portion defining a chamber configured to receive an aerosol-forming substrate; a second housing portion; a heater positioned within the first housing portion; a power supply positioned within the second housing portion; control circuitry configured to control a supply of power from the power supply to the heater; and a first button and a second button each positioned on the first housing portion or the second housing portion, the first button having at least one of a different size and a different shape from the second button, the first button being configured to activate a first function of the aerosol-generating device, the second button being configured to activate a second function of the aerosol-generating device, and the first function being different from the second function. An aerosol-generating system including the aerosol-generating device and an aerosol-generating article is 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 is provided, including: a housing including a first housing portion defining a chamber configured to receive an aerosol-forming substrate; a second housing portion configured for removable attachment to the first housing portion, the chamber defining a cavity configured to receive an aerosol-generating article, the first housing portion defining an opening at an end of the cavity, and the opening being positioned at a first end of the first housing portion; an electric heater positioned within the first housing portion; a power supply positioned within the second housing portion; and a controller positioned within the first housing portion, the controller being configured to control a supply of power from the power supply to the electric heater when the second housing portion is attached to the first housing portion.

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 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: 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.