Abstract: A aerosol-generating system includes a liquid storage portion, a liquid pressure sensor within the liquid storage portion, and a control unit that is in communication with the pressure sensor. The aerosol-generating system further includes an atmospheric pressure sensor in communication with the control unit. The atmospheric pressure sensor is configured to sense the atmospheric pressure of the environment. The control unit is configured to receive the pressure signals from the liquid pressure sensor and the atmospheric pressure sensor. The control unit is further configured to determine the fill level of the liquid aerosol-forming substrate based on a comparison of the pressure signals from the liquid pressure sensor and the atmospheric pressure sensor.

Abstract: An electrically operated aerosol-generating system is provided, including a heating element to heat an aerosol-forming substrate; a power supply to supply power to the heating element; a temperature sensor to sense a temperature at the heating element; electric circuitry in communication with the heating element, the temperature sensor, and the power supply, the circuitry to regulate the supply of power based on a measured temperature, determine an adverse condition when a rate of change of power supplied required to reach or maintain a predetermined temperature falls outside a predefined range stored in the memory, and control power supplied based on whether there is an adverse condition or provide an indication when there is an adverse condition; a device and a removable cartridge, the power supply and the circuitry being in the device and the heating element being in the removable cartridge, and the cartridge including a liquid aerosol-forming substrate.

Abstract: An aerosol-generating article may comprise a liquid storage portion containing a liquid aerosol-forming substrate, and a hydrochromic material provided on the liquid storage portion. The hydrochromic material has a first colour when in the presence of or when in contact with the liquid aerosol-forming substrate and a second colour when in the absence of or when not in contact with the liquid aerosol-forming substrate. An aerosol-generating system may comprise the aerosol-generating article, an aerosol-generating element, and an aerosol-generating device. An aerosol-generating device may comprise an electrical power supply, an electronic photosensor, and a controller configured to control a supply of electrical power from the electrical power supply based on a value of an optical property sensed with the electronic photosensor.

Abstract: An electrically operated aerosol-generating system is provided, including: a heating element to heat an aerosol-forming substrate proximate to the heating element; a power supply to supply power to the heating element; and electric circuitry in communication with the heating element and the power supply, the electric circuitry including a memory and being configured to: regulate a supply of power to the heating element for a heating cycle period in response to a user input, determine a first derivative of an electrical resistance of the heating element with respect to time, determine that there is an adverse condition if the first derivative exceeds a threshold value stored in the memory during a heating cycle period at or subsequent to a predetermined time in the period, and control power supplied to the heating element or provide an indication based on whether there is an adverse condition at the heating element.

Abstract: A response procedure for an aerosol-generating device includes detecting a fall or shock using at least one acceleration value and initiating at least one response procedure using a controller. Acceleration values are provided by at least one accelerometer coupled to the aerosol-generating device. The response procedures may include at least one of: initiating a mechanical change in the aerosol-generating device, initiating a modification to an external device interface, generating a human-perceptible beacon, storing data associated with the fall or shock in persistent or non-volatile memory, initiating a diagnostic routine, monitoring for a lost device condition, and initiating a soft shutdown or restart.

Abstract: A aerosol-generating system includes a liquid storage portion, a liquid pressure sensor within the liquid storage portion, and a control unit that is in communication with the pressure sensor. The aerosol-generating system further includes an atmospheric pressure sensor in communication with the control unit. The atmospheric pressure sensor is configured to sense the atmospheric pressure of the environment. The control unit is configured to receive the pressure signals from the liquid pressure sensor and the atmospheric pressure sensor. The control unit is further configured to determine the fill level of the liquid aerosol-forming substrate based on a comparison of the pressure signals from the liquid pressure sensor and the atmospheric pressure sensor.

Abstract: An electrically operated aerosol-generating system is provided, including: a heating element to heat an aerosol-forming substrate; a power supply; a temperature sensor; electric circuitry in communication with the element, the sensor, and the power supply, and configured to regulate a supply of power based on a measured temperature, determine an adverse condition when a reduction in power required to reach or to maintain a predetermined temperature over successive heating cycles falls outside a predefined range, by comparing the power supplied in a given heating cycle with that of preceding heating cycles, the predefined range stored in the memory, and control the power supplied based on whether there is the adverse condition or provide an indication when there is the adverse condition; and a device and a removable cartridge including a liquid aerosol-forming substrate, the power supply and the circuitry being in the device and the element being in the cartridge.

Abstract: An electrically operated aerosol-generating system may be configured to detect adverse conditions (e.g., a dry heater). The system may comprise an electric heater comprising at least one heating element for heating an aerosol-forming substrate, a power supply, and electric circuitry connected to the electric heater and to the power supply and comprising a memory. The electric circuitry may be configured to measure an initial electrical resistance (R1) of the electric heater; measure a subsequent electrical resistance of the electric heater after the measurement of the initial electrical resistance; determine the difference (?R) between the initial electrical resistance and the subsequent electrical resistance; determine that an adverse condition is present if the difference is greater than a maximum threshold value (?Rmax) or less than a minimum threshold value (?Rmin) stored in the memory; and control a power to the electric heater and/or provide an indication if the adverse condition is present.

Abstract: An electrically operated aerosol-generating system is provided, including: a heating element; a power supply; a temperature sensor; electric circuitry in communication with the heating element, temperature sensor, and the power supply, the circuitry including a memory to regulate a supply of power based on the measured temperature, determine an adverse condition when a rate of change of power supplied to reach or maintain a predetermined temperature falls outside a predefined range stored in the memory, and control power supplied based on whether there is an adverse condition or provide an indication when there is an adverse condition; and a device and a removable cartridge, the power supply and the circuitry being in the device and the heating element being in the cartridge, the cartridge including a liquid aerosol-forming substrate, and the circuitry is further to determine an adverse condition only after the temperature is at a target temperature.

Abstract: A method of controlling aerosol production in an aerosol-generating system is provided, the system including: data storage, an aerosol-generating element, a flow channel configured to provide an air flow past the element when a user puffs on the system, and a flow sensor configured to detect the air flow; and the method including: increasing a power supplied to the element from a first power to at least a second power when the flow sensor detects that a flow rate of the air flow is greater than a first threshold, storing measurements taken by the flow sensor in the data storage, using measurements stored in the data storage to intermittently calculate an estimate of a remaining volume of the puff, and decreasing the power supplied to a third power when the estimate of the remaining volume is less than a second threshold being or indicative of a measure of volume.

Abstract: A response procedure for an aerosol-generating device includes detecting a fall or shock using at least one acceleration value and initiating at least one response procedure using a controller. Acceleration values are provided by at least one accelerometer coupled to the aerosol-generating device. The response procedures may include at least one of: initiating a mechanical change in the aerosol-generating device, initiating a modification to an external device interface, generating a human-perceptible beacon, storing data associated with the fall or shock in persistent or non-volatile memory, initiating a diagnostic routine, monitoring for a lost device condition, and initiating a soft shutdown or restart.

Abstract: A method of controlling aerosol production in an aerosol-generating system is provided, the system including an aerosol-generating element and a housing having an air inlet and an air outlet, a flow channel defined from the air inlet to the air outlet configured to provide a flow of air past the aerosol-generating element, and a flow sensor configured to detect an air flow in the flow channel; and the method including increasing a power supplied to the aerosol-generating element for at least a second time if the flow sensor detects that the flow rate of the air flow increases past a threshold. There is also provided an aerosol-generating system comprising circuitry configured to perform the method.

Abstract: An electrically operated aerosol-generating system may be configured to detect adverse conditions (e.g., a dry heater). The system may comprise an electric heater comprising at least one heating element for heating an aerosol-forming substrate, a power supply, and electric circuitry connected to the electric heater and to the power supply and comprising a memory. The electric circuitry may be configured to measure an initial electrical resistance (R1) of the electric heater; measure a subsequent electrical resistance of the electric heater after the measurement of the initial electrical resistance; determine the difference (?R) between the initial electrical resistance and the subsequent electrical resistance; determine that an adverse condition is present if the difference is greater than a maximum threshold value (?Rmax) or less than a minimum threshold value (?Rmin) stored in the memory; and control a power to the electric heater and/or provide an indication if the adverse condition is present.

Abstract: An aerosol-generating system is provided, including: a cartridge including a storage compartment configured to contain a liquid composition including an aerosol-forming substrate; an aerosol-generating device configured to receive the cartridge and including a power supply and control electronics operably coupled to the power supply; a light source operably coupled to the control electronics and positioned and oriented to emit light into the storage compartment, light emitted from the source is absorbed by the liquid composition; and a detector operably coupled to the control electronics and positioned and oriented to detect light emitted from the source, the source and the detector are both located adjacent to a same side of the storage compartment, and a surface of the storage compartment opposite the source is configured to absorb light emitted into the storage compartment from the source.

Abstract: An electrically operated aerosol-generating system is provided, including: a heating element to heat an aerosol-forming substrate proximate to the heating element; a power supply to supply power to the heating element; and electric circuitry in communication with the heating element and the power supply, the electric circuitry including a memory and being configured to: regulate a supply of power to the heating element for a heating cycle period in response to a user input, determine a first derivative of an electrical resistance of the heating element with respect to time, determine that there is an adverse condition if the first derivative exceeds a threshold value stored in the memory during a heating cycle period at or subsequent to a predetermined time in the period, and control power supplied to the heating element or provide an indication based on whether there is an adverse condition at the heating element.

Abstract: An electrically operated aerosol-generating system is provided, including: a heating element configured to heat an aerosol-forming substrate proximate to the heating element; a power supply; and electric circuitry in communication with the element and the power supply, and configured to regulate the supply of power during a plurality of discrete heating cycles in response to user inputs, determine a maximum electrical resistance of the heating element during each heating cycle, calculate a rolling average value of the resistance for n preceding heating cycles, n being an integer greater than 1, compare the resistance with the calculated value, determine an adverse condition when the resistance is greater than the calculated value by more than a threshold value, the threshold value being stored in the memory, and control the power supplied based on whether there is the adverse condition or to provide an indication based on whether there is the adverse condition.

Abstract: A aerosol-generating system includes a liquid storage portion, a liquid pressure sensor within the liquid storage portion, and a control unit that is in communication with the pressure sensor. The aerosol-generating system further includes an atmospheric pressure sensor in communication with the control unit. The atmospheric pressure sensor is configured to sense the atmospheric pressure of the environment. The control unit is configured to receive the pressure signals from the liquid pressure sensor and the atmospheric pressure sensor. The control unit is further configured to determine the fill level of the liquid aerosol-forming substrate based on a comparison of the pressure signals from the liquid pressure sensor and the atmospheric pressure sensor.

Abstract: An aerosol-generating article may comprise a liquid storage portion containing a liquid aerosol-forming substrate, and a hydrochromic material provided on the liquid storage portion. The hydrochromic material has a first colour when in the presence of or when in contact with the liquid aerosol-forming substrate and a second colour when in the absence of or when not in contact with the liquid aerosol-forming substrate. An aerosol-generating system may comprise the aerosol-generating article, an aerosol-generating element, and an aerosol-generating device. An aerosol-generating device may comprise an electrical power supply, an electronic photosensor, and a controller configured to control a supply of electrical power from the electrical power supply based on a value of an optical property sensed with the electronic photosensor.

Abstract: A aerosol-generating system includes a liquid storage portion, a liquid pressure sensor within the liquid storage portion, and a control unit that is in communication with the pressure sensor. The aerosol-generating system further includes an atmospheric pressure sensor in communication with the control unit. The atmospheric pressure sensor is configured to sense the atmospheric pressure of the environment. The control unit is configured to receive the pressure signals from the liquid pressure sensor and the atmospheric pressure sensor. The control unit is further configured to determine the fill level of the liquid aerosol-forming substrate based on a comparison of the pressure signals from the liquid pressure sensor and the atmospheric pressure sensor.

Abstract: An aerosol-generating system includes an electric heater, a battery and control circuitry. The electric heater is configured to vaporize an aerosol-forming substance. The battery is configured to power the electric heater. The control circuitry is configured to: prevent charging of the battery in response to detecting that the electric heater is in an operation state; or prevent operation of the electric heater in response to detecting that the battery is in a charging state.