# US 11,432,590 B2 · Inhalation component generation device, method for controlling inhalation component generation device, and program

> Agents: this data is available as JSON from the patentgrep API and MCP server — see https://patentgrep.com/llms.txt

- Number: US 11,432,590 B2
- Document ID: US11432590B2
- Status: Granted
- Kind: B2
- Application number: 16/856,073
- Filed: 2020-04-23
- Published: 2020-08-06
- Granted: 2022-09-06
- Earliest claimed: 2017-10-23
- Assignees: Japan Tobacco Inc.
- Applicants: Japan Tobacco Inc.
- Inventors: Manabu Yamada; Manabu Takeuchi; Takeshi Akao; Takuma Nakano; Hajime Fujita
- Web page: https://patentgrep.com/patent/US11432590B2

## CPC

- A24F 40/53: Monitoring, e.g. fault detection
- A24F 40/50: Control or monitoring
- A24F 40/60: Devices with integrated user interfaces
- A24F 40/90: Arrangements or methods specially adapted for charging batteries thereof
- A61M 15/06: Inhaling appliances shaped like cigars, cigarettes or pipes
- G01N 21/3504: for analysing gases, e.g. multi-gas analysis
- G01R 19/165: Indicating that current or voltage is either above or below a predetermined value or within or outside a predetermined range of values
- G01R 31/36: Arrangements for testing, measuring or monitoring the electrical condition of accumulators or electric batteries, e.g. capacity or state of charge [SoC]
- H01M 10/48: Accumulators combined with arrangements for measuring, testing or indicating the condition of cells, e.g. the level or density of the electrolyte (constructional details of current conducting connections for detecting conditions inside cells or batteries, e.g. details of voltage sensing terminals, H01M50/569)
- H02J 7/00: Circuit arrangements for charging or discharging batteries or for supplying loads from batteries
- A24F 40/10: Devices using liquid inhalable precursors
- A24F 40/40: Constructional details, e.g. connection of cartridges and battery parts
- A24F: SMOKERS' REQUISITES; MATCH BOXES; SIMULATED SMOKING DEVICES (inhaling appliances for medical purposes, shaped like cigars, cigarettes or pipes A61M15/06)
- A61M: DEVICES FOR INTRODUCING MEDIA INTO, OR ONTO, THE BODY (introducing media into or onto the bodies of animals A61D7/00; means for inserting tampons A61F13/26; devices for administering food or medicines orally A61J; containers for collecting, storing or administering blood or medical fluids A61J1/05); DEVICES FOR TRANSDUCING BODY MEDIA OR FOR TAKING MEDIA FROM THE BODY (surgery A61B; chemical aspects of surgical articles A61L); DEVICES FOR PRODUCING OR ENDING SLEEP OR STUPOR {(Electrotherapy, e.g. producing anaesthesia by the use of alternating or intermittent currents A61N1/36021)}
- G01N: INVESTIGATING OR ANALYSING MATERIALS BY DETERMINING THEIR CHEMICAL OR PHYSICAL PROPERTIES (measuring or testing apparatus or processes other than immunoassay, involving enzymes or microorganisms C12M, C12Q)
- G01R: MEASURING ELECTRIC VARIABLES; MEASURING MAGNETIC VARIABLES (indicating correct tuning of resonant circuits H03J3/12)
- H01M: PROCESSES OR MEANS, e.g. BATTERIES, FOR THE DIRECT CONVERSION OF CHEMICAL ENERGY INTO ELECTRICAL ENERGY
- H02J: ELECTRIC POWER NETWORKS; CIRCUIT ARRANGEMENTS OR SYSTEMS FOR SUPPLYING OR DISTRIBUTING ELECTRIC POWER; SYSTEMS FOR STORING ELECTRIC ENERGY

## Abstract

An inhalation component generation device including: a load configured to vaporize or atomize an inhalation component source by electric power from an electric power source; a user interface; and circuitry configured to obtain a value representing a remaining amount of the electric power source, obtain an operation requesting signal to the load, and generate an instruction for operating the load; cause the user interface to perform a first notification in a case that the value is equal to or greater than a first threshold value; cause the user interface to perform a second notification in a case that the value is less than the first threshold value and equal to or greater than a second threshold value that is less than the first threshold value; and cause the user interface to perform a third notification in a case that the value is less than the second threshold value.

## Claims

### Claim 1

An inhalation component generation device comprising:
a load configured to vaporize or atomize an inhalation component source by electric power from an electric power source;
a user interface; and
circuitry configured to
obtain a value representing a remaining amount of the electric power source, obtain an operation requesting signal to the load, and generate an instruction for operating the load;
cause the user interface to perform a first notification in a case that the value representing the remaining amount of the electric power source is equal to or greater than a first threshold value;
cause the user interface to perform a second notification in a case that the value representing the remaining amount of the electric power source is less than the first threshold value and equal to or greater than a second threshold value that is less than the first threshold value; and
cause the user interface to perform a third notification in a case that the value representing the remaining amount of the electric power source is less than the second threshold value, wherein
the first notification, the second notification, and the third notification are different from each other, and
the first threshold value is a variable value.

### Claim 2 (depends on 1)

The inhalation component generation device according to claim 1, wherein
the user interface comprises a light emitting element,
the first notification comprises a first light emission color by the light emitting element,
the second notification comprises a second light emission color by the light emitting element,
the third notification comprises a third light emission color by the light emitting element, and
the first light emission color, the second light emission color, and the third light emission color are different from each other.

### Claim 3 (depends on 2)

The inhalation component generation device according to claim 2, wherein
the first light emission color includes a cold color,
the third light emission color includes a warm color, and
the second light emission color includes an intermediate color that is between the first light emission color and third light emission color in a hue circle.

### Claim 4 (depends on 2)

The inhalation component generation device according to claim 2, wherein
the distance between a complementary color of the first light emission color and the third light emission color on the hue circle is shorter than the distance between the complementary color of the first light emission color and the second light emission color on the hue circle.

### Claim 5 (depends on 2)

The inhalation component generation device according to claim 2, wherein
the distance between a complementary color of the third light emission color and the first light emission color on the hue circle is shorter than the distance between the complementary color of the third light emission color and the second light emission color on the hue circle.

### Claim 6 (depends on 2)

The inhalation component generation device according to claim 2, wherein
a wavelength corresponding to the second light emission color is closer to a wavelength corresponding to the first light emission color than a wavelength corresponding to the third light emission color.

### Claim 7 (depends on 2)

The inhalation component generation device according to claim 2, comprising:
one end having an inhalation port for inhaling the inhalation component and another end opposite to the inhalation port, wherein
the light emitting element is arranged across the another end and a part of a side face extending between the one end and the another end.

### Claim 8 (depends on 7)

The inhalation component generation device according to claim 7, wherein
the length from the one end to the another end is equal to or greater than 58 mm and equal to or less than 135 mm.

### Claim 9 (depends on 8)

The inhalation component generation device according to claim 8, wherein
the length from the one end to the another end is equal to or greater than 100 mm and equal to or less than 135 mm.

### Claim 10

The inhalation component generation device according to claim comprising:
one end having an inhalation port for inhaling the inhalation component and another end opposite to the inhalation port, wherein
the light emitting element is arranged at a side face which extends between the one end and the another end.

### Claim 11 (depends on 2)

The inhalation component generation device according to claim 2, wherein
the load is configured to generate the inhalation component from the inhalation component source in the case that the value representing the remaining amount of the electric power source is equal to or greater than the second threshold value, and
the light emitting pattern of the light emitting element for the first notification is the same as that for the second notification.

### Claim 12 (depends on 1)

The inhalation component generation device according to claim 1, wherein
the load is configured to generate the inhalation component from the inhalation component source, in a case that the value representing the remaining amount of the electric power source is equal to or greater than the second threshold value, and
the circuitry is configured to control the periods of the first notification and the second notification performed by the user interface to vary, according to the period that the operation requesting signal is continuously obtained.

### Claim 13 (depends on 1)

The inhalation component generation device according to claim 1, wherein
the load is configured to generate the inhalation component from the inhalation component source, in a case that the value representing the remaining amount of the electric power source is equal to or greater than the second threshold value, and
at least one of the notification timing and the notification period of the first notification, in a case that the operation requesting signal is detected, is the same as that of the second notification.

### Claim 14 (depends on 1)

The inhalation component generation device according to claim 1, wherein
the circuitry is configured to control the user interface to perform the third notification for a predetermined period that is independent of the period that the operation requesting signal is continuously Obtained.

### Claim 15 (depends on 14)

The inhalation component generation device according to claim 14, wherein
the period that each of the first notification and the second notification is performed by the user interface is shorter than the predetermined period.

### Claim 16

An inhalation component generation device comprising:
a load configured to vaporize or atomize an inhalation component source by electric power from an electric power source;
a user interface; and
a circuitry configured to
obtain an operation requesting signal to the load and generate an instruction for operating the load;
control the user interface to operate in one of a normal use mode; a charge requesting mode and an abnormality notifying mode; and
cause the user interface to operate in the normal use mode in a case that a value representing a remaining amount of the electric power source is equal to or greater than a first threshold value, which is a variable value, wherein
notifications of the user interface in the normal use mode, the charge requesting mode and the abnormality notifying mode are different from each other.

### Claim 17

A method for controlling an inhalation component generation device comprising a load that vaporizes or atomizes an inhalation component source by electric power from an electric power source, the method comprising:
obtaining a value representing a remaining amount of the electric power source;
obtaining an operation requesting signal to the load and generating an instruction for operating the load;
performing a first notification when the value representing the remaining amount of the electric power source, that is obtained in the obtaining of the value, is equal to or greater than a first threshold value;
performing a second notification when the value representing the remaining amount of the electric power source, that is obtained in the obtaining of the value, is less than the first threshold value and equal to or greater than a second threshold value that is less than the first threshold value; and
performing a third notification when the value representing the remaining amount of the electric power source, that is obtained in the obtaining of the value, is less than the second threshold value, wherein
the first notification, the second notification and the third notification are different from each other, and
the first threshold is a variable value.

### Claim 18

A method for controlling an inhalation component generation device comprising a load that vaporizes or atomizes an inhalation component source by electric power from an electric power source, a user interface and circuitry, the method comprising:
obtaining, by the circuitry, an operation requesting signal to the load and generating an instruction for operating the load;
controlling, by the circuitry, the user interface to operate in notifying one of a normal use mode, a charge requesting mode and an abnormality notifying mode,
controlling, by the circuitry, the user interface to operate in the normal use mode in a case that a value representing a remaining amount of the electric power source is equal to or greater than a first threshold value which is a variable value wherein
notifications performed of the user interface in the normal use mode, the charge requesting mode and the abnormality notifying mode are different from each other.

### Claim 19 (depends on 17)

A non-transitory computer-readable medium including a program, which when executed by an inhalation component generation device, causes the inhalation component generation device to perform the method according to claim 17.