Patents by Inventor Stephane BILAT

Stephane BILAT 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: 12127600
    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.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 22, 2023
    Date of Patent: October 29, 2024
    Assignee: Philip Morris Products S.A.
    Inventors: Stephane Bilat, Guillaume Colotte, Daryl Ng Wai Leong, Ho Keat Chang
  • Patent number: 12089656
    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.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 19, 2023
    Date of Patent: September 17, 2024
    Assignee: Altria Client Services LLC
    Inventors: Guillaume Colotte, Stephane Bilat
  • Patent number: 12089654
    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.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 22, 2019
    Date of Patent: September 17, 2024
    Assignee: Philip Morris Products S.A.
    Inventors: Stephane Bilat, Guillaume Colotte, Daryl Ng Wai Leong, Ho Keat Chang
  • Patent number: 12075811
    Abstract: An electrically operated aerosol-generating system is provided, including an electric heater including a heating element configured to heat an aerosol-forming substrate; a power supply; and electric circuitry for an electrically operated aerosol-generating device, in use the electric circuitry being connected to the heater and to the power supply, the electric circuitry including a memory, and being configured to measure an initial resistance, or an initial rate of change of resistance, of the heater within a predetermined time period after power is supplied to the heater, to compare the initial resistance or the initial rate of change of resistance of the heater with a range of acceptable values, and if the initial resistance or the initial rate of change of resistance is outside the range, to prevent the supply of power to the heater, or provide an indication, until the heater or the substrate is replaced.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: January 12, 2021
    Date of Patent: September 3, 2024
    Assignee: Philip Morris Products S.A.
    Inventor: Stephane Bilat
  • Publication number: 20240244716
    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.
    Type: Application
    Filed: March 29, 2024
    Publication date: July 18, 2024
    Applicant: Altria Client Services LLC
    Inventors: Stephane BILAT, Guillaume COLOTTE
  • Publication number: 20240225128
    Abstract: A method of controlling heating in an aerosol-generating system including a heater is provided, the method including: providing a predetermined power to the heater and monitoring a resistance of the heater, the monitored resistance being indicative of a temperature of the heater; monitoring for a predetermined condition and upon detection of the predetermined condition, recording the resistance of the heater; determining a target resistance corresponding to a target temperature of the heater based on the recorded resistance; and detecting a dry puff when the recorded resistance increases above a threshold value or when a power required to maintain the heater at the target resistance decreases below a threshold value. An aerosol-generating system including a heater, a power supply, and a controller to perform the method, is also provided.
    Type: Application
    Filed: January 2, 2024
    Publication date: July 11, 2024
    Applicant: Philip Morris Products S.A.
    Inventor: Stephane BILAT
  • Publication number: 20240225123
    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.
    Type: Application
    Filed: March 27, 2024
    Publication date: July 11, 2024
    Applicant: Philip Morris Products S.A.
    Inventors: Stephane BILAT, Guillaume COLOTTE, Daryl NG WAI LEONG, Ho Keat CHANG
  • Publication number: 20240206552
    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.
    Type: Application
    Filed: March 6, 2024
    Publication date: June 27, 2024
    Applicant: Philip Morris Products S.A.
    Inventors: Stephane BILAT, Guillaume COLOTTE, Daryl NG WAI LEONG, Ho Keat CHANG
  • Publication number: 20240130436
    Abstract: A method of controlling heating in an aerosol-generating system including a heater is provided, the method including: providing a predetermined power to the heater and monitoring a resistance of the heater, the monitored resistance being indicative of a temperature of the heater; monitoring for a predetermined condition and upon detection of the predetermined condition, recording the resistance of the heater; determining a target resistance corresponding to a target temperature of the heater based on the recorded resistance; and detecting a dry puff when the recorded resistance increases above a threshold value or when a power required to maintain the heater at the target resistance decreases below a threshold value. An aerosol-generating system including a heater, a power supply, and a controller to perform the method, is also provided.
    Type: Application
    Filed: January 2, 2024
    Publication date: April 25, 2024
    Applicant: Philip Morris Products S.A.
    Inventor: Stephane BILAT
  • Patent number: 11950634
    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.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 19, 2019
    Date of Patent: April 9, 2024
    Assignee: Philip Morris Products S.A.
    Inventors: Stephane Bilat, Guillaume Colotte, Daryl Ng Wai Leong, Ho Keat Chang
  • Patent number: 11950327
    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.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: January 6, 2021
    Date of Patent: April 2, 2024
    Assignee: Altria Client Services LLC
    Inventors: Stephane Bilat, Guillaume Colotte
  • Patent number: 11944125
    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.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 27, 2019
    Date of Patent: April 2, 2024
    Assignee: Philip Morris Products S.A.
    Inventors: Stephane Bilat, Guillaume Colotte
  • Publication number: 20240081425
    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.
    Type: Application
    Filed: November 22, 2023
    Publication date: March 14, 2024
    Applicant: Philip Morris Products S.A.
    Inventors: Stephane BILAT, Guillaume COLOTTE, Daryl NG WAI LEONG, Ho Keat CHANG
  • Patent number: 11896059
    Abstract: A method of controlling heating in an aerosol-generating system including a heater is provided, the method including: a first control step in which a predetermined power is provided to the heater and a resistance of the heater is determined, the determined resistance being indicative of a temperature of the heater; monitoring for a predetermined condition, and upon detection of the predetermined condition, recording a resistance of the heater; determining a target resistance corresponding to a target temperature of the heater based on the recorded resistance; and a second control step in which the predetermined power provided to the heater is controllably adapted to drive the resistance of the heater towards the target resistance such that the heater is driven towards the target temperature corresponding to the target resistance. An aerosol-generating system and a controller for an aerosol-generating system are also provided.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 19, 2019
    Date of Patent: February 13, 2024
    Assignee: Philip Morris Products S.A.
    Inventor: Stephane Bilat
  • Patent number: 11864596
    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.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 29, 2019
    Date of Patent: January 9, 2024
    Assignee: Philip Morris Products S.A.
    Inventors: Stephane Bilat, Guillaume Colotte, Daryl Ng Wai Leong, Ho Keat Chang
  • Publication number: 20230354914
    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.
    Type: Application
    Filed: July 19, 2023
    Publication date: November 9, 2023
    Applicant: Altria Client Services LLC
    Inventors: Guillaume COLOTTE, Stephane BILAT
  • Publication number: 20230276537
    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.
    Type: Application
    Filed: May 1, 2023
    Publication date: August 31, 2023
    Applicant: Altria Client Services LLC
    Inventors: Stephane BILAT, Guillaume COLOTTE
  • Patent number: 11737496
    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.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 29, 2022
    Date of Patent: August 29, 2023
    Assignee: Altria Client Services LLC
    Inventors: Guillaume Colotte, Stephane Bilat
  • Publication number: 20230208160
    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.
    Type: Application
    Filed: March 10, 2023
    Publication date: June 29, 2023
    Applicant: Altria Client Services LLC
    Inventors: Guillaume Colotte, Stephane Bilat
  • Patent number: 11641697
    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.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 3, 2020
    Date of Patent: May 2, 2023
    Assignee: Altria Client Services LLC
    Inventors: Stephane Bilat, Guillaume Colotte