# US 11,992,062 B2 · Inhaler device, and method and program for operating the same > Agents: this data is available as JSON from the patentgrep API and MCP server — see https://patentgrep.com/llms.txt - Number: US 11,992,062 B2 - Document ID: US11992062B2 - Status: Granted - Kind: B2 - Application number: 16/737,935 - Filed: 2020-01-09 - Published: 2020-10-29 - Granted: 2024-05-28 - Earliest claimed: 2017-01-24 - Assignees: Japan Tobacco Inc. - Applicants: Japan Tobacco Inc. - Inventors: Manabu Yamada; Manabu Takeuchi; Hirofumi Matsumoto - Web page: https://patentgrep.com/patent/US11992062B2 ## CPC - A24F 40/53: Monitoring, e.g. fault detection - A24B 15/167: in liquid or vaporisable form, e.g. liquid compositions for electronic cigarettes - A24B 15/283: {by encapsulation of the chemical substances} - A24F 40/60: Devices with integrated user interfaces - A24F 47/00: Smokers' requisites not otherwise provided for - A61M 11/042: {electrical} - A61M 15/0065: {Inhalators with dosage or measuring devices (A61M15/0028 takes precedence; dosage devices incorporated in aerosol cans B65D83/52)} - A61M 15/06: Inhaling appliances shaped like cigars, cigarettes or pipes - A24F 40/10: Devices using liquid inhalable precursors - A24F 40/50: Control or monitoring - A24F 40/51: Arrangement of sensors - A61M 15/009: {using medicine packages with incorporated spraying means, e.g. aerosol cans (pocket atomiser of the injector type A61M11/08)} - A61M 2205/3334: Measuring or controlling the flow rate - A61M 2205/50: with microprocessors or computers - A61M 2205/581: by audible feedback - A61M 2205/582: by tactile feedback - A61M 2205/584: having a color code - A61M 2205/8206: battery-operated - Y02E 60/10: Energy storage using batteries - A24F: SMOKERS' REQUISITES; MATCH BOXES; SIMULATED SMOKING DEVICES (inhaling appliances for medical purposes, shaped like cigars, cigarettes or pipes A61M15/06) - A24B: MANUFACTURE OR PREPARATION OF TOBACCO FOR SMOKING OR CHEWING; TOBACCO; SNUFF - 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)} - Y02E: REDUCTION OF GREENHOUSE GAS [GHG] EMISSIONS, RELATED TO ENERGY GENERATION, TRANSMISSION OR DISTRIBUTION ## Abstract An inhaler device configured to consume an accumulated capacity to contribute to generation of aerosol or aerosol imparted with flavor, a sensor configured to detect a predefined variable, an interface configured to make a notification to an inhaler of the aerosol, and a controller configured to cause the interface to function in a first mode when a detected or estimated capacity is smaller than a threshold and the variable satisfies a predefined condition for requesting the generation of the aerosol. ## Claims ### Claim 1 An inhaler device comprising: a battery; an atomizer configured to consume a power of the battery to generate aerosol; a pressure sensor configured to detect pressure in an air intake path of the inhaler device; a light emitting diode (LED) configured to output a notification to a user of the inhaler device; and circuitry configured to determine, based on a signal output by the pressure sensor, whether a criterion for triggering generation of the aerosol by the atomizer has been satisfied; and detect an output voltage of the battery upon determining that the criterion for generation of the aerosol by the atomizer has been satisfied; in a case that the detected output voltage of the battery is less than a discharging cutoff voltage to power to the atomizer to generate aerosol and the criterion for triggering generation of the aerosol by the atomizer has been satisfied, control the LED to function in a first mode and limit a supply of power from the battery to the atomizer; in a case that the detected output voltage of the battery is greater than the discharging cutoff voltage to power to the atomizer to generate aerosol and the criterion for triggering generation of the aerosol by the atomizer has been satisfied, control the LED to function in a second mode and supply power from the battery to the atomizer to generate aerosol; detect the output voltage of the battery while performing control to supply power from the battery to the atomizer to generate aerosol; and in a case that the detected output voltage of the battery while performing control to supply power from the battery to the atomizer to generate aerosol is less than the discharging cutoff voltage, control the LED to function in a third mode and stop the supply of power from the battery to the atomizer. ### Claim 2 (depends on 1) The inhaler device of claim 1, wherein the circuitry is configured to: detect the output voltage of the battery prior to discharging power from the battery to the atomizer upon determining that the criterion for generation of the aerosol by the atomizer has been satisfied. ### Claim 3 (depends on 1) The inhaler device of claim 1, wherein the criterion for triggering generation of the aerosol by the atomizer is that the detected pressure indicates that an inhalation operation is performed by the user of the inhaler device. ### Claim 4 (depends on 1) The inhaler device of claim 1, wherein the circuitry is configured to control the LED to continue functioning in the second mode for a predetermined period of time after power is no longer supplied from the battery to the atomizer. ### Claim 5 (depends on 1) The inhaler device of claim 1, wherein the circuitry is configured to stop supplying power to the atomizer when a criterion for stopping generation of the aerosol has been satisfied. ### Claim 6 (depends on 5) The inhaler device of claim 5, wherein the criterion for stopping generation of the aerosol is that the detected pressure indicates that an inhalation operation is no longer performed by a user of the inhaler device. ### Claim 7 (depends on 1) The inhaler device of claim 1, wherein the circuitry is configured to control the LED to emit light having a first pattern in the first mode and emit light having a second pattern, which is different from the first pattern, in the second mode. ### Claim 8 (depends on 1) The inhaler device of claim 1, wherein the discharging cutoff voltage is a predetermined threshold voltage. ### Claim 9 (depends on 1) The inhaler device of claim 1, wherein, in a case that the detected output voltage of the battery while performing control to supply power from the battery to the atomizer to generate aerosol is less than the discharging cutoff voltage, the circuitry is configured to stop the supply of power from the battery to the atomizer by performing interrupt processing to the control to supply power from the battery to the atomizer.