# US 11,444,465 B2 · Charger for aerosol-generating devices

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- Number: US 11,444,465 B2
- Document ID: US11444465B2
- Status: Granted
- Kind: B2
- Application number: 16/760,634
- Filed: 2018-09-25
- Published: 2020-11-05
- Granted: 2022-09-13
- Earliest claimed: 2017-11-01
- Assignees: Philip Morris Products S.A.
- Applicants: Philip Morris Products S.A.
- Inventors: Felix Fernando
- Web page: https://patentgrep.com/patent/US11444465B2

## CPC

- H02J 7/44: between battery management systems and power sources
- A24F 40/60: Devices with integrated user interfaces
- A24F 40/65: Devices with integrated communication means, e.g. wireless communication means
- A24F 40/90: Arrangements or methods specially adapted for charging batteries thereof
- H02J 7/42: with electronic devices having internal batteries, e.g. mobile phones
- H02J 7/47: Arrangements for checking compatibility or authentication between one component, e.g. a battery or a battery charger, and another component, e.g. a power source
- H02J 7/485: {with provisions for charging different types of batteries}
- A24F 40/10: Devices using liquid inhalable precursors
- A24F 40/20: Devices using solid inhalable precursors
- A24F 40/85: Maintenance, e.g. cleaning
- H02J: ELECTRIC POWER NETWORKS; CIRCUIT ARRANGEMENTS OR SYSTEMS FOR SUPPLYING OR DISTRIBUTING ELECTRIC POWER; SYSTEMS FOR STORING ELECTRIC ENERGY
- A24F: SMOKERS' REQUISITES; MATCH BOXES; SIMULATED SMOKING DEVICES (inhaling appliances for medical purposes, shaped like cigars, cigarettes or pipes A61M15/06)

## Abstract

A charger may be used as a social recharge hub that charges aerosol-generating devices and facilitate social connections. The charger may be able to charge a plurality of batteries concurrently or simultaneously. The charger may capable of associating a battery identifier of one or more batteries to a user. The user may also be associated with an aerosol-generating device and to a mobile user device. The charger may establish a connection with the mobile user device and communicate to the mobile user device using a communication interface. User data, such as preferences, interests, and even music, may be communicated from the mobile user device to the charger and may be used to facilitate social opportunities for the user, particularly in a public or social space with other users, or to make the space around the user more comfortable.

## Claims

### Claim 1

A charger for an aerosol-generating device, the charger comprising:
a charging interface operatively couplable to a battery for the aerosol-generating device;
a communication interface to communicate with a mobile user device at least while the battery is coupled to the charging interface, wherein the mobile user device is separate from the battery; and
a controller operatively coupled to the charging interface and the communication interface, wherein the controller is configured to:
determine a unique battery identifier corresponding to the battery to allow the controller to distinguish one battery from other batteries coupled to the charging interface;
establish a connection with the mobile user device using the communication interface, the connection configured to communicate user data;
associate the battery identifier with the mobile user device in response to the determination of the battery identifier and the established connection with the mobile user device;
send the battery identifier to the mobile user device using the communication interface; and
receive a determination from the mobile user device that the battery identifier matches the mobile user device after sending the battery identifier to the mobile user device.

### Claim 2 (depends on 1)

The charger of claim 1, wherein the user data comprises one or more of: a username associated with the mobile user device, a mobile user device identifier, a maximum battery charging time, one or more battery identifiers associated with the mobile user device, cleaning data, calendar data, travel data, multimedia data, user preference data, and social data.

### Claim 3 (depends on 1)

The charger of claim 1, wherein the controller is further configured to establish the connection using a Bluetooth protocol.

### Claim 4 (depends on 1)

The charger of claim 1, wherein the controller is further configured to associate the battery identifier with the mobile user device based on user data communicated between the communication interface and the mobile user device.

### Claim 5 (depends on 1)

The charger of claim 1, wherein the controller is further configured to receive the battery identifier using the charging interface in response to coupling the battery to the charging interface.

### Claim 6 (depends on 1)

The charger of claim 1, wherein the controller is further configured to send the battery identifier to any mobile user device connected to the controller to associate the battery with a particular mobile user device.

### Claim 7 (depends on 1)

The charger of claim 1, wherein the controller is further configured to:
receive one or more battery identifiers associated with the mobile user device from the mobile user device; and
determine whether the battery identifier matches one of the received one or more battery identifiers.

### Claim 8 (depends on 1)

The charger of claim 1, wherein the controller is further configured to disconnect from the mobile user device in response to the determination that the battery identifier does not match.

### Claim 9 (depends on 1)

The charger of claim 1, wherein the controller is further configured to search for another mobile user device in response to a determination that the battery identifier does not match.

### Claim 10 (depends on 1)

The charger of claim 1, wherein the controller is further configured to disconnect from the mobile user device in response to the battery being uncoupled from the charging interface.

### Claim 11 (depends on 1)

The charger of claim 1, wherein the controller is further configured to:
detect user action associated with the battery; and
send the battery identifier to the mobile user device using the communication interface in response to detection of the user action.

### Claim 12 (depends on 1)

The charger of claim 1, wherein the charging interface comprises a screen and the controller is further configured to:
generate a viewable element based on user data from the mobile user device; and
display the viewable element on the screen.

### Claim 13 (depends on 1)

The charger of claim 1, wherein the controller is further configured to:
store an association of the battery and the mobile user device; and
search for the mobile user device using the communication interface in response to the battery being recoupled to the charging interface.

### Claim 14 (depends on 1)

The charger of claim 1, wherein the controller is further configured to send charger data to the mobile user device using the communication interface, the charger data comprising one or more of: a level of charge of the battery, a time before full charge of the battery, a warning that full charge of the battery is completed, a warning that the battery remains operatively coupled to the charging interface in response to the user having an upcoming event, a time since last cleaning of the aerosol-generating device at this charger, a geographic location of the charger, and a service suggestion.

### Claim 15 (depends on 1)

The charger of claim 1, wherein the controller is further configured to charge the battery according to one or more of: a quick charge mode and a load balancing mode.

### Claim 16 (depends on 1)

The charger of claim 1, wherein the controller is operatively couplable to a wireless network to send a message to the mobile user device related to charging the battery.

### Claim 17 (depends on 1)

The charger of claim 1, wherein the controller is further configured to:
determine social data based on the user data from the mobile user device; and
share the social data with other mobile user devices having an established connection using the communication interface.

### Claim 18 (depends on 1)

The charger of claim 1, wherein the charger comprises a housing comprising the charging interface, the housing further comprising a locking component assignable to one or more users.

### Claim 19 (depends on 1)

The charger of claim 1, wherein the charging interface allows only one user to lock the battery to the charging interface to prevent others from taking the battery.