Abstract: Power harvesting and radio frequency (RF) transmission circuitry for an aerosol delivery device is provided. The aerosol delivery device includes power harvesting circuitry configured to receive RF energy from an external RF source and harvest power from the RF energy to charge a rechargeable power source and power transmission circuity operatively coupled to the power source and configured to convert electrical energy drawn from the power source to RF energy and transmit the RF energy. RF energy can thus be transmitted through a network of aerosol delivery devices to extend the range of an RF energy source.

Abstract: An aerosol delivery device includes a cartridge of aerosol precursor composition, and a control body coupled or coupleable to the cartridge. The control body includes a control component to control delivery of components of the aerosol precursor composition in response to detection of airflow through at least a portion of the cartridge or control body, and includes a camera system with a digital camera to capture video imagery of a scene in a field of view thereof. The camera system or the control component is configured to perform video content analytics on the video imagery to detect a temporal or spatial event in the scene, and transfer at least one of the video imagery or information indicative of the temporal or spatial event externally to a computing device configured to store or display the video imagery or information, or perform at least one control operation based on the information.

Abstract: A control body is coupled or coupleable with a cartridge that is equipped with a heating element and contains an aerosol precursor composition, the control body and cartridge forming an aerosol delivery device. The control body includes a control to control the heating element to activate and vaporize components of the aerosol precursor composition. The proximity sensor detects a presence of an object nearby the control body without requiring any physical contact with the object. And the proximity sensor or control component controls operation of at least one functional element of the aerosol delivery device in response to the presence of the object so detected. In another aspect, a cartridge may include a proximity sensor to detect a level of the aerosol precursor composition, and operation of functional element(s) may be controlled in response to the level of the aerosol precursor composition so detected.

Abstract: The present disclosure provides a control body, an aerosol delivery device, and a method of operating an aerosol delivery device. In various implementations, the aerosol delivery device comprises a control body having a housing, an electrical energy source located within the housing, a heating member operatively connected to the electrical energy source, an aerosol source member that includes an inhalable substance medium, and an indexing mechanism coupled to the heating member. The indexing mechanism is configured to move the heating member relative to the aerosol source member so as to sequentially heat one of two or more segments of the aerosol source member.

Abstract: The present disclosure provides an aerosol delivery device and a liquid delivery and atomization assembly for use with an aerosol delivery device. In one implementation, the liquid delivery and atomization assembly comprises a liquid composition, an atomization assembly, and a liquid delivery component configured to transport at least a portion of the liquid composition to the atomization assembly. The liquid delivery component comprises at least one microchannel configured to deliver the portion of the liquid composition to the atomization assembly, and the microchannel includes a variable flow characteristic defined along at least a portion of the microchannel, the variable flow characteristic being configured to control the flow of the portion of liquid composition through the microchannel.

Abstract: The present disclosure provides an aerosol delivery device that includes a housing including a power source and a control component, a reservoir configured to contain a liquid composition, a liquid delivery component including a micropump, and an atomizing assembly including a vibrating component and a mesh plate. The micropump is configured to be controlled by the control component to deliver at least a portion of the liquid composition to the atomizing assembly, the atomizing assembly is configured to be controlled by the control component to vaporize the portion of the liquid composition to generate an aerosol, and the micropump and the atomizing assembly are integrated together using a common element. In another implementation, the micropump comprises a biomimetic micropump. In some implementations, the biomimetic micropump may include a xylem model structure and a leaf model structure.

Abstract: An aerosol delivery device includes a cartridge of aerosol precursor composition, and a control body coupled or coupleable to the cartridge. The control body includes a control component to control delivery of components of the aerosol precursor composition in response to detection of airflow through at least a portion of the cartridge or control body, and includes a camera system with a digital camera to capture video imagery of a scene in a field of view thereof. The camera system or the control component is configured to perform video content analytics on the video imagery to detect a temporal or spatial event in the scene, and transfer at least one of the video imagery or information indicative of the temporal or spatial event externally to a computing device configured to store or display the video imagery or information, or perform at least one control operation based on the information.

Abstract: Aerosol delivery devices and aerosol source members are disclosed herein. In one aspect, an aerosol delivery device may comprise a control body having a closed distal end and an open engaging end, a heating member, a control component located within the control body and configured to control the heating member, a power source located within the control body and configured to provide power to the control component, and a removable aerosol source member that includes a substrate portion. The substrate portion may include a continuous heat conductive framework integrated with an aerosol forming material, wherein the continuous thermally conductive framework is configured to enhance heat transfer from the heating member to the aerosol forming material.

Abstract: An aerosol delivery device is provided that includes an aerosol precursor composition and a quasi-resonant flyback converter configured to cause components of the aerosol precursor composition to vaporize to produce an aerosol. The quasi-resonant flyback converter includes a transformer including an induction transmitter and an induction receiver, a capacitor that with the induction transmitter forms a tank circuit. The quasi-resonant flyback converter also includes a transistor that is switchable in cycles to cause the induction transmitter to generate an oscillating magnetic field and induce an alternating voltage in the induction receiver when exposed to the oscillating magnetic field, the alternating voltage causing the induction receiver to generate heat and thereby vaporize components of the aerosol precursor composition.

Abstract: An aerosol delivery device is provided that comprises a control body and an aerosol source member. The aerosol delivery device includes a resonant transformer comprising a resonant transmitter and a resonant receiver. The aerosol source member includes an inhalable substance medium at least a portion of which is positioned proximate the resonant transmitter. The resonant transmitter is configured to generate an oscillating magnetic field and induce an alternating voltage in the resonant receiver when exposed to the oscillating magnetic field, such that the alternating voltage causes the resonant receiver to generate heat and thereby vaporize components of the inhalable substance medium to produce an aerosol. In some implementations, the resonant receiver comprises part of the control body. In other implementations, the resonant receiver comprises part of the aerosol source member.

Abstract: The present disclosure provides aerosol delivery devices. In an example implementation, an aerosol delivery device comprises an aerosol source member that defines an outer surface and an interior area and includes a substrate material having an aerosol precursor composition associated therewith, a control body having a housing that is configured to receive the aerosol source member, an electrical energy source coupled with the housing, and a heating assembly operatively connected to the electrical energy source. The heating assembly includes a plurality of spikes that may be configured to articulate between a retracted position, in which the plurality of spikes is not in contact with the aerosol source member, and a heating position, in which the plurality of spikes pierces through the outer surface of the substrate material and into a portion of the interior area thereof.

Abstract: A control body is coupled or coupleable with a cartridge that is equipped with a heating element and contains an aerosol precursor composition, the control body and cartridge forming an aerosol delivery device. The control body includes a control to control the heating element to activate and vaporize components of the aerosol precursor composition. The proximity sensor detects a presence of an object nearby the control body without requiring any physical contact with the object. And the proximity sensor or control component controls operation of at least one functional element of the aerosol delivery device in response to the presence of the object so detected. In another aspect, a cartridge may include a proximity sensor to detect a level of the aerosol precursor composition, and operation of functional element(s) may be controlled in response to the level of the aerosol precursor composition so detected.

Abstract: An aerosol delivery device is provided that includes an aerosol precursor composition and a quasi-resonant flyback converter configured to cause components of the aerosol precursor composition to vaporize to produce an aerosol. The quasi-resonant flyback converter includes a transformer including an induction transmitter and an induction receiver, a capacitor that with the induction transmitter forms a tank circuit. The quasi-resonant flyback converter also includes a transistor that is switchable in cycles to cause the induction transmitter to generate an oscillating magnetic field and induce an alternating voltage in the induction receiver when exposed to the oscillating magnetic field, the alternating voltage causing the induction receiver to generate heat and thereby vaporize components of the aerosol precursor composition.

Abstract: An aerosol delivery device is provided that comprises a control body and an aerosol source member. The aerosol delivery device includes a resonant transformer comprising a resonant transmitter and a resonant receiver. The aerosol source member includes an inhalable substance medium at least a portion of which is positioned proximate the resonant transmitter. The resonant transmitter is configured to generate an oscillating magnetic field and induce an alternating voltage in the resonant receiver when exposed to the oscillating magnetic field, such that the alternating voltage causes the resonant receiver to generate heat and thereby vaporize components of the inhalable substance medium to produce an aerosol. In some implementations, the resonant receiver comprises part of the control body. In other implementations, the resonant receiver comprises part of the aerosol source member.

Abstract: Aerosol delivery devices and aerosol source members are disclosed herein. In one aspect, an aerosol delivery device may comprise a control body having a closed distal end and an open engaging end, a heating member, a control component located within the control body and configured to control the heating member, a power source located within the control body and configured to provide power to the control component, and a removable aerosol source member that includes a substrate portion. The substrate portion may include a continuous heat conductive framework integrated with an aerosol forming material, wherein the continuous thermally conductive framework is configured to enhance heat transfer from the heating member to the aerosol forming material.

Abstract: The present disclosure provides aerosol delivery devices. In an example implementation, an aerosol delivery device comprises an aerosol source member that defines an outer surface and an interior area and includes a substrate material having an aerosol precursor composition associated therewith, a control body having a housing that is configured to receive the aerosol source member, an electrical energy source coupled with the housing, and a heating assembly operatively connected to the electrical energy source. The heating assembly includes a plurality of spikes that may be configured to articulate between a retracted position, in which the plurality of spikes is not in contact with the aerosol source member, and a heating position, in which the plurality of spikes pierces through the outer surface of the substrate material and into a portion of the interior area thereof.

Abstract: Power harvesting and radio frequency (RF) transmission circuitry for an aerosol delivery device is provided. The aerosol delivery device includes power harvesting circuitry configured to receive RF energy from an external RF source and harvest power from the RF energy to charge a rechargeable power source and power transmission circuity operatively coupled to the power source and configured to convert electrical energy drawn from the power source to RF energy and transmit the RF energy. RF energy can thus be transmitted through a network of aerosol delivery devices to extend the range of an RF energy source.

Abstract: An aerosol delivery device includes at least one housing, a heating element, a sensor, and a microprocessor coupled to the heating element and the sensor. The at least one housing encloses a reservoir configured to retain an aerosol precursor composition. The sensor is configured to produce measurements of differential pressure between an ambient atmospheric pressure and a pressure caused by airflow through at least a portion of the aerosol delivery device. The sensor is also configured to convert the measurements of differential pressure to corresponding electrical signals. The microprocessor is configured to receive the corresponding electrical signals and operate in an active mode only in an instance in which the differential pressure is at least a threshold differential pressure. The microprocessor in the active mode is configured to control the heating element to activate and vaporize components of the aerosol precursor composition.

Abstract: An aerosol delivery device is provided that includes at least one housing enclosing a reservoir configured to retain an aerosol precursor composition and a heating element controllable to activate and vaporize components of the aerosol precursor composition. The aerosol delivery device also includes an antenna configured to receive radio signals from satellites of a satellite navigation system, and convert the radio signals to corresponding electronic signals and a satellite navigation receiver module configured to receive the corresponding electronic signals and determine a position of the aerosol delivery device based thereon, and output a message that indicates the position so determined. And the aerosol delivery device includes a microprocessor configured to receive the message and control operation of at least one functional element of the aerosol delivery device based on the position indicated thereby.

Abstract: An aerosol delivery device is provided. The aerosol delivery device includes a power source, an aerosol production component, a sensor to produce measurements of atmospheric air pressure in an air flow path through at least one housing, and a switch coupled to and between the power source and the aerosol production component. The aerosol delivery device also includes processing circuitry coupled to the sensor and the switch. The processing circuitry determines a difference between the measurements of atmospheric air pressure from the sensor and a reference atmospheric air pressure. Only when the difference is at least a threshold difference, the processing circuitry outputs a signal to cause the switch to switchably connect and disconnect an output voltage from the power source to the aerosol production component to power the aerosol production component for an aerosol-production time period.