# US 11,896,062 B2 · Aerosol-generating article and electrically operated system incorporating a taggant > Agents: this data is available as JSON from the patentgrep API and MCP server — see https://patentgrep.com/llms.txt - Number: US 11,896,062 B2 - Document ID: US11896062B2 - Status: Granted - Kind: B2 - Application number: 17/889,130 - Filed: 2022-08-16 - Published: 2022-12-08 - Granted: 2024-02-13 - Earliest claimed: 2013-12-03 - Assignees: Philip Morris Products S.A. - Applicants: Philip Morris Products S.A. - Inventors: Felix Fernando; Dominique Bernauer - Web page: https://patentgrep.com/patent/US11896062B2 ## CPC - A24F 40/95: structurally associated with cases - A24D 1/20: Cigarettes specially adapted for simulated smoking devices - A24F 40/50: Control or monitoring - A24F 40/51: Arrangement of sensors - A24F 40/53: Monitoring, e.g. fault detection - G01N 21/31: Investigating relative effect of material at wavelengths characteristic of specific elements or molecules, e.g. atomic absorption spectrometry {(G01N21/72 takes precedence)} - H02J 7/70: characterised by the mechanical construction - A24F 40/20: Devices using solid inhalable precursors - A24F: SMOKERS' REQUISITES; MATCH BOXES; SIMULATED SMOKING DEVICES (inhaling appliances for medical purposes, shaped like cigars, cigarettes or pipes A61M15/06) - A24D: CIGARS; CIGARETTES; TOBACCO SMOKE FILTERS; MOUTHPIECES OF CIGARS OR CIGARETTES; MANUFACTURE OF TOBACCO SMOKE FILTERS OR MOUTHPIECES - 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) - H02J: ELECTRIC POWER NETWORKS; CIRCUIT ARRANGEMENTS OR SYSTEMS FOR SUPPLYING OR DISTRIBUTING ELECTRIC POWER; SYSTEMS FOR STORING ELECTRIC ENERGY ## Abstract An electrically operated aerosol-generating system is provided, including: an aerosol-generating article including at least one component incorporating a taggant within a material of the component, the taggant including an identifiable spectroscopic signature; a cavity configured to at least partially receive the aerosol-generating article; at least one heating element; a power supply configured to supply power to the at least one heating element; electrical hardware connected to the power supply and the at least one heating element; and a detector configured to detect a presence of the aerosol-generating article in the cavity and to distinguish the aerosol-generating article from other articles configured for use with the aerosol-generating system, based on the taggant incorporated within the material of the aerosol-generating article, in which the electrical hardware is configured to establish a heating protocol for the heating element based on the particular aerosol-generating article distinguished by the detector. ## Claims ### Claim 1 An electrically operated aerosol-generating system, comprising: an aerosol-generating article including at least one component incorporating a taggant within a material of the at least one component, wherein the taggant comprises an identifiable spectroscopic signature; a cavity configured to at least partially receive the aerosol-generating article; at least one heating element; a power supply configured to supply power to the at least one heating element; electrical hardware connected to the power supply and the at least one heating element; and a detector configured to detect a presence of the aerosol-generating article in the cavity and to distinguish the aerosol-generating article from other articles configured for use with the aerosol-generating system, based on the taggant incorporated within the material of the aerosol-generating article, wherein the electrical hardware is configured to establish a heating protocol for the at least one heating element based on the particular aerosol-generating article distinguished by the detector, and wherein the taggant is sufficiently chemically stable so as not to decompose during manufacture of the material or the at least one component. ### Claim 2 (depends on 1) The electrically operated aerosol-generating system according to claim 1, wherein the system is configured to initiate when the detector detects the aerosol-generating article in the cavity. ### Claim 3 (depends on 1) The electrically operated aerosol-generating system according to claim 1, wherein the detector is a spectroscopic detector comprising an optical sensor including at least one light emitter and at least one light sensor. ### Claim 4 (depends on 1) The electrically operated aerosol-generating system according to claim 1, wherein the taggant further comprises an identifiable spectroscopic signature in absorption. ### Claim 5 (depends on 4) The electrically operated aerosol-generating system according to claim 4, wherein the taggant absorbs at least one specific wavelength of light. ### Claim 6 (depends on 1) The electrically operated aerosol-generating system according to claim 1, wherein the taggant further comprises an identifiable spectroscopic signature in emission. ### Claim 7 (depends on 6) The electrically operated aerosol-generating system according to claim 6, wherein the taggant, upon excitation by light, emits at least one wavelength, shifted from a wavelength of the excitation light. ### Claim 8 (depends on 1) The electrically operated aerosol-generating system according to claim 1, wherein the taggant is distributed throughout the material. ### Claim 9 (depends on 8) The electrically operated aerosol-generating system according to claim 8, wherein the taggant is substantially homogeneously distributed throughout the material. ### Claim 10 (depends on 1) The electrically operated aerosol-generating system according to claim 1, wherein the taggant is stable at up to 1,500 degrees Celsius. ### Claim 11 (depends on 10) The electrically operated aerosol-generating system according to claim 10, wherein, between a temperature of about 50 degrees Celsius and about 500 degrees Celsius, the taggant is deactivated, and wherein, in use, a temperature required to generate an aerosol is greater than a temperature required to deactivate the taggant. ### Claim 12 (depends on 1) The electrically operated aerosol-generating system according to claim 1, wherein the taggant is a powder composed of at least one of: a rare earth, an actinide metal oxide, a ceramic. ### Claim 13 (depends on 1) The electrically operated aerosol-generating system according to claim 1, wherein the aerosol-generating article is one article of a plurality of articles configured for use with the system and the detector is configured to distinguish the article from others of the plurality of articles configured for use with the system based on the identifiable spectroscopic signature. ### Claim 14 (depends on 1) An aerosol-generating article for an electrically operated aerosol-generating system according to claim 1, the article comprising: at least one component incorporating a taggant within a material of the at least one component, wherein the taggant comprises an identifiable spectroscopic signature.