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US 11,686,858 B2Granted
Apparatus for locating aerosol generating consumables
AssigneeJT International SA
InventorFrederic Claude Hervé Estripeau
Life of this patent
Estimating the term…
Abstract
A system includes a smartphone and an electronic cigarette. The smartphone includes a GPS receiver that can determine a position. The smartphone can communicate over a network with a retailer information server that stores information regarding retailers of aerosol generating consumables, including at least a position of the retailers. The smartphone is configured to determine a plurality of distances between the position associated with the smartphone and the respective positions of the retailers. The smartphone can display a map including an indicator for the user's position and icons corresponding to the position of relevant retailers. This can assist a user of the smartphone in locating retailers of aerosol generating consumables.
Claims10
A system for locating retailers, the system comprising:
- a positioning module configured to determine a position associated with an electronic user device;
- an aerosol generating device which is adapted for communicative connection with the electronic user device;
- a data storage unit configured to store information regarding retailers of aerosol generating consumables, said information including at least a position of the retailers, wherein the stored information regarding retailers includes information on whether the retailers deal with a plurality of types of aerosol generating consumable and stock information for each of the retailers;
- and
- one or more computing devices configured to determine an overall stock of consumables for at least one of the retailers is below a threshold level based on the stock information stored in the data storage unit,
- wherein, based on determining the overall stock of consumables is below the threshold level, the one or more computing devices are further configured to:
- determine a first consumable type associated with the electronic user device based on data transferred between the electronic user device and the aerosol generating device;
- retrieve a listing of retailers that deal with the first consumable type;
- determine, based on the retrieved listing of retailers, a subset of retailers that have the first consumable type in stock;
- determine a plurality of distances between the position associated with the electronic user device and the respective positions of the subset of retailers within a first predetermined range;
- increase the first predetermined range to a second predetermined range if no retailers in the subset of retailers are found within the first predetermined range;
- and
- generate instructions to display information related to at least one of the retailers of the subset of retailers on a display of the electronic user device when the at least one retailer is within the first predetermined range or the second predetermined range of the position associated with the electronic user device.
10 more elements
A method for locating retailers, the method comprising:
- determining, by one or more computing devices, an overall stock of consumables for at least one retailer is below a threshold level based on stock information;
- and
- based on determining the overall stock of consumables is below the threshold level:
- determining a position associated with an electronic user device;
- transferring data between the electronic user device and an aerosol generating device;
- determining a first consumable type based on data transferred between the electronic user device and the aerosol generating device;
- retrieving information from a database regarding retailers of aerosol generating consumables, wherein the retrieved information includes at least a position of the retailers, and wherein the retrieved information includes information on whether the retailers deal with a plurality of types of aerosol generating consumable and stock information for each of the retailers;
- determining the first consumable type associated with the electronic user device;
- retrieving a listing of retailers that deal with the first consumable type;
- determining, based on the retrieved listing of retailers, a subset of retailers that have the first consumable type in stock;
- determining a plurality of distances between the position associated with the electronic user device and the respective positions of the subset of retailers within a first predetermined range;
- increasing the first predetermined range to a second predetermined range if no retailers in the subset of retailers are found within the first predetermined range;
- and
- displaying information related to at least one of the retailers on a display of the electronic user device when the at least one retailer of the subset of retailers is within the first predetermined range or the second predetermined range of the position associated with the electronic user device.
11 more elements
A non-transitory computer readable memory having executable instructions stored thereon which, when executed by a computer, cause the computer to undertake steps comprising:
- determining an overall stock of consumables for at least one retailer is below a threshold level based on stock information;
- and
- based on determining the overall stock of consumables is below the threshold level:
- determining a position associated with an electronic user device;
- transferring data between the electronic user device and an aerosol generating device;
- determining a first consumable type based on data transferred between the electronic user device and the aerosol generating device;
- retrieving information from a database regarding retailers of aerosol generating consumables, wherein the retrieved information includes at least a position of the retailers, and wherein the retrieved information includes information on whether the retailers deal with a plurality of types of aerosol generating consumable and stock information for each of the retailers;
- determining the first consumable type associated with the electronic user device;
- retrieving a listing of retailers that deal with the first consumable type;
- determining, based on the retrieved listing of retailers, a subset of retailers that have the first consumable type in stock;
- determining a plurality of distances between the position associated with the electronic user device and the respective positions of the subset of retailers within a first predetermined range;
- increasing the first predetermined range to a second predetermined range if no retailers in the subset of retailers are found within the first predetermined range;
- and
- displaying information related to at least one of the retailers on a display of the electronic user device when the at least one retailer of the subset of retailers is within a predetermined range or the second predetermined range of the position associated with the electronic user device.
11 more elements
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.