Patents by Inventor Oliver TALBOT

Oliver TALBOT has filed for patents to protect the following inventions. This listing includes patent applications that are pending as well as patents that have already been granted by the United States Patent and Trademark Office (USPTO).

  • Patent number: 12336562
    Abstract: Disclosed is a smoking substitute system comprising a connector configured to receive a main power supply from a mobile device and to supply the main power supply to a vaporizer. The system further comprises an auxiliary power source configured to provide an auxiliary power supply to the vaporizer and/or at least one auxiliary component of the smoking substitute system.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 22, 2022
    Date of Patent: June 24, 2025
    Assignee: Imperial Tobacco Limited
    Inventors: Oliver Talbot, Chris Lord
  • Patent number: 12295419
    Abstract: A smoking substitute device is provided comprising a body housing a power source, an auxiliary component, and an airflow sensor for detecting airflow through the body. The body includes a coupling portion arranged to receive a consumable and is selectively operable in a shipping mode and an active mode. In the active mode, the power source is configured to supply power to the auxiliary component. In the shipping mode, the power source is restricted from supplying power to the auxiliary component. The body is configured to transition from the shipping mode to the active mode upon detection of a consumable being received in the coupling portion and a flow of air through the body.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 13, 2021
    Date of Patent: May 13, 2025
    Assignee: Imperial Tobacco Limited
    Inventors: Oliver Talbot, Daniel Fard, Kaikai Liu
  • Publication number: 20250082042
    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.
    Type: Application
    Filed: November 21, 2024
    Publication date: March 13, 2025
    Inventors: Oliver TALBOT, Thomas SUDLOW, Jonathan MARCHBANK, Daniel HARDEN, Brian LEACH, Britt JENSEN
  • Publication number: 20250040616
    Abstract: A smoking substitute device is described. The smoking substitute device is provided with a printed circuit board assembly including a processor; a wire antenna, configured to allow the processor to wirelessly communicate with a remote device; and a battery, for powering the smoking substitute device; and wherein the wire antenna is positioned to solely overlap with a surface area of the printed circuit board assembly.
    Type: Application
    Filed: October 16, 2024
    Publication date: February 6, 2025
    Inventors: Oliver Talbot, Daniel FARD, Kaikai LIU
  • Publication number: 20250033257
    Abstract: A method of forming a consumable for use in a smoking substitute device, the method including: providing a machine readable component which stores information associated with the consumable; overmoulding the machine readable component with an overmoulding material to coat at least part of the machine readable component with the overmoulding material; and including the overmoulded machine readable component in the consumable. Associated devices and systems are also disclosed.
    Type: Application
    Filed: October 11, 2024
    Publication date: January 30, 2025
    Inventors: Daniel Fard, Oliver TALBOT
  • Patent number: 12178260
    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.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 24, 2023
    Date of Patent: December 31, 2024
    Assignee: IMPERIAL TOBACCO LIMITED
    Inventors: Oliver Talbot, Thomas Sudlow, Jonathan Marchbank, Daniel Harden, Britt Jensen, Brian Leach
  • Publication number: 20240407460
    Abstract: A system including a smoking substitute device and a smoking substitute device having a wireless interface configured to communicate wirelessly with a computing device. The smoking substitute device may be able to send information relating to usage of the smoking substitute device wirelessly to the computing device using the wireless interface and/or to change its behaviour based on instructions from the computing device that have been received wirelessly at the wireless interface.
    Type: Application
    Filed: August 21, 2024
    Publication date: December 12, 2024
    Inventors: Daniel FARD, Oliver TALBOT
  • Patent number: 12162194
    Abstract: A method of forming a consumable for use in a smoking substitute device, the method including: providing a machine readable component which stores information associated with the consumable; overmoulding the machine readable component with an overmoulding material to coat at least part of the machine readable component with the overmoulding material; and including the overmoulded machine readable component in the consumable. Associated devices and systems are also disclosed.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 24, 2020
    Date of Patent: December 10, 2024
    Assignee: Imperial Tobacco Limited
    Inventors: Daniel Fard, Oliver Talbot
  • Patent number: 12144379
    Abstract: A smoking substitute device and a method of operating a smoking substitute device. The smoking substitute device comprising: a control unit; and an accelerometer, configured to detect an orientation of the smoking substitute device and provide data indicative of the detected orientation to the control unit. The control unit is configured to trigger an alert when it determines from the data indicative of the detected orientation that the smoking substitute device will function improperly. The control unit is configured to determine from the data indicative of the detected orientation that the smoking substitute device will function improperly when the data indicative of the detected orientation indicates that a gravity fed heating device of the smoking substitute device has been located above a tank containing a vaporizable liquid for a predetermined period of time (t1), wherein the predetermined period of time is at least 30 minutes.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 19, 2021
    Date of Patent: November 19, 2024
    Assignee: Imperial Tobacco Limited
    Inventor: Oliver Talbot
  • Publication number: 20240365882
    Abstract: The present disclosure relates to an aerosol delivery device (102) comprising a communication interface (124) configured to communicate with a mobile device (300), a user interface (160) configured to receive a user input sequence, and a memory (122) configured to store an access key (166). The device (102) further comprises a controller (120) configured to compare a user input sequence received by the user interface (160) with the stored access key (166). and control communication between the aerosol delivery device (102) and the mobile device (300) based on the comparison. Also disclosed is an access system for managing access to an aerosol delivery device. The system comprises a server (400) configured to store a server key (404) that corresponds to the access key (166) of the aerosol delivery device (102), the server (400) further configured to receive user verification data. determine whether the user verification data meets a user verification criteria. and provide the server key (404). upon request.
    Type: Application
    Filed: September 9, 2022
    Publication date: November 7, 2024
    Inventors: Jonathan Marchbank, Thomas Sudlow, David Thomas, Oliver Talbot
  • Patent number: 12121057
    Abstract: Disclosed is a smoking substitute consumable insertable into a smoking substitute device in at least a first orientation and a second orientation. The consumable comprising: an electrical contact configured to interface with a corresponding electrical contact of the smoking substitute device, the electrical contact located at a contact end of the consumable; and at least one data contact region configured to interface with at least one corresponding data contact region of the smoking substitute device for data exchange when the smoking substitute consumable is inserted into the smoking substitute device in either the first orientation or the second orientation.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 22, 2022
    Date of Patent: October 22, 2024
    Assignee: Imperial Tobacco Limited Bristol
    Inventors: Pete Lomas, Oliver Talbot
  • Publication number: 20240315350
    Abstract: A system for managing a smoking substitute device is described. The system comprises a smoking substitute device; and a mobile device configured to have a wireless connection with the smoking substitute device; wherein the system is configured to activate a geographic lock function on the smoking substitute device thereby disabling the smoking substitute device if the smoking substitute device and/or the mobile device is determined to have a geographical location that is within one or more predetermined geographical areas.
    Type: Application
    Filed: June 4, 2024
    Publication date: September 26, 2024
    Inventors: Daniel Fard, Oliver TALBOT, David NEWNS
  • Patent number: 12089653
    Abstract: A smoking substitute device having a wireless interface configured to communicate wirelessly with a computing device. The smoking substitute device may be able to send information relating to usage of the smoking substitute device wirelessly to the computing device using the wireless interface and/or to change its behaviour based on instructions from the computing device that have been received wirelessly at the wireless interface. A system including the smoking substitute device is also disclosed.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 24, 2020
    Date of Patent: September 17, 2024
    Assignee: Imperial Tobacco Limited
    Inventors: Daniel Fard, Oliver Talbot
  • Patent number: 12063975
    Abstract: A system for managing a smoking substitute device, the system including: a smoking substitute device, including a main body and a consumable configured to be physically coupled to the main body; wherein the consumable is associated with validity state information from which it can be determined whether the consumable is valid for use with the main body; wherein the system is configured to determine from the validity state information whether the consumable is valid for use with the main body and, if the system determines from the validity state information that the consumable is not valid for use with the main body, inhibit use of the consumable with the main body. An associated method is also disclosed.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 25, 2020
    Date of Patent: August 20, 2024
    Assignee: Imperial Tobacco Limited
    Inventors: Daniel Fard, Oliver Talbot
  • Publication number: 20240265426
    Abstract: A computer implemented method, a smoking substitute device, a mobile device, and a remote server all for updating firmware of a smoking substitute device. The computer implemented method having the steps of: logging one or more errors encountered by the smoking substitute device; transmitting the one or more errors to a second device; selecting, based on the one or more errors encountered by the smoking substitute device, an updated firmware for use by a processor in the smoking substitute device; transmitting, from the second device to the smoking substitute device, the updated firmware; and updating the firmware of the smoking substitute device with the updated firmware received from the second device.
    Type: Application
    Filed: April 18, 2024
    Publication date: August 8, 2024
    Inventors: Daniel Fard, Oliver TALBOT
  • Patent number: 12035756
    Abstract: A smoking substitute device and a system for managing a smoking substitute device. In one example, the smoking substitute device comprises a control unit; and an interface configured to communicate with an external device. In this example, the control unit is configured to, after a predetermined action is performed using the smoking substitute device, disable the smoking substitute device when a predetermined criteria relating to usage of the smoking substitute device is met and/or a predetermined length of time has elapsed. In this example, the control unit is configured to enable the smoking substitute device when a signal indicating that an age verification test has been passed by a user of the smoking substitute device is received by the smoking substitute device. Other techniques relating to disabling the smoking substitute device are also disclosed.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 25, 2020
    Date of Patent: July 16, 2024
    Assignee: Imperial Tobacco Limited
    Inventors: Daniel Fard, Oliver Talbot, David Newns
  • Patent number: 11989756
    Abstract: A computer implemented method, a smoking substitute device, a mobile device, and a remote server all for updating firmware of a smoking substitute device. The computer implemented method having the steps of: logging one or more errors encountered by the smoking substitute device; transmitting the one or more errors to a second device; selecting, based on the one or more errors encountered by the smoking substitute device, an updated firmware for use by a processor in the smoking substitute device; transmitting, from the second device to the smoking substitute device, the updated firmware; and updating the firmware of the smoking substitute device with the updated firmware received from the second device.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 25, 2020
    Date of Patent: May 21, 2024
    Assignee: Imperial Tobacco Limited
    Inventors: Daniel Fard, Oliver Talbot
  • Patent number: 11962713
    Abstract: The disclosure relates to a technique that enables a status of a battery in a smoking substitute device to be monitored through a portable communication terminal (e.g. mobile phone). The smoking substitute device is configured to communicate wirelessly with the portable communication terminal, e.g. via a wireless personal area network, to transmit status information concerning the battery. The status information is processed either locally or in the cloud to provide feedback or other notifications to a user of the device. Usage data may also be transmitted, whereby the battery status can be expressed in terms of a predicted remaining usage, e.g. predicted number of remaining activation events.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 25, 2020
    Date of Patent: April 16, 2024
    Assignee: Imperial Tobacco Limited
    Inventors: Daniel Fard, Oliver Talbot
  • Patent number: 11871798
    Abstract: A mobile device is described. The mobile device includes an application installed thereon. The application is configured to communicate with a smoking substitute device, wherein the application is configured to: instruct a user to perform an operation at the smoking substitute device; verify whether the operation has been correctly performed by the user at the smoking substitute device; and inform the user whether the operation has been correctly performed.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 17, 2022
    Date of Patent: January 16, 2024
    Assignee: Imperial Tobacco Limited
    Inventors: Daniel Fard, Oliver Talbot
  • Publication number: 20230389619
    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.
    Type: Application
    Filed: August 24, 2023
    Publication date: December 7, 2023
    Inventors: Oliver TALBOT, Thomas SUDLOW, Jonathan MARCHBANK, Daniel HARDEN