# US 12,004,269 B2 · Vaporization device with lip sensing > Agents: this data is available as JSON from the patentgrep API and MCP server — see https://patentgrep.com/llms.txt - Number: US 12,004,269 B2 - Document ID: US12004269B2 - Status: Granted - Kind: B2 - Application number: 17/743,316 - Filed: 2022-05-12 - Published: 2023-01-05 - Granted: 2024-06-04 - Earliest claimed: 2016-03-10 - Assignees: Pax Labs, Inc. - Applicants: Pax Labs, Inc. - Inventors: Nicholas J. Hatton; James Monsees; Adam Bowen - Web page: https://patentgrep.com/patent/US12004269B2 ## CPC - H05B 1/0244: {Heating of fluids (H05B1/0247 takes precedence)} - A24F 40/50: Control or monitoring - A24F 40/51: Arrangement of sensors - A24F 40/10: Devices using liquid inhalable precursors - A61M 2205/13: with means for the detection of operative contact with patient, e.g. lip sensor - H05B 2203/021: Heaters specially adapted for heating liquids - H05B: ELECTRIC HEATING; ELECTRIC LIGHT SOURCES NOT OTHERWISE PROVIDED FOR; CIRCUIT ARRANGEMENTS FOR ELECTRIC LIGHT SOURCES, IN GENERAL - 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)} ## Abstract Apparatuses, including systems and devices (“vaporizers”), for vaporizing material to form an inhalable aerosol that include capacitive lips sensing to regulate the temperature of the vaporizer, including transiently boosting the temperature. Methods of operating a vaporizer having a capacitive lip sensor are also described. ## Claims ### Claim 1 A vaporizer device, comprising: a reservoir configured to hold a vaporizable material; a heater configured to heat the vaporizable material; a mouthpiece in communication with the reservoir; a capacitance sensor configured to output a plurality of sensor readings; and a controller configured to: detect use of the vaporizer device by a user via the capacitance sensor, wherein the use comprises contact with the mouthpiece; and regulate a temperature of the heater to a preselected temperature by at least applying a temperature control loop having inputs including a running average of the plurality of sensor readings, the temperature of the heater, and the preselected temperature. ### Claim 2 (depends on 1) The vaporizer device of claim 1, wherein the temperature control loop comprises a proportional integral derivative control algorithm. ### Claim 3 (depends on 1) The vaporizer device of claim 1, wherein the controller is further configured to increase the temperature of the heater over the preselected temperature based at least on the plurality of sensor readings. ### Claim 4 (depends on 1) The vaporizer device of claim 1, wherein the controller is further configured to: reduce the temperature of the heater by a first predetermined step amount when no contact with the mouthpiece is detected for greater than a first idle period; and reduce the temperature of the heater again by the first predetermined step amount when no contact is detected for a continuing idle period in addition to the first idle period. ### Claim 5 (depends on 1) The vaporizer device of claim 1, wherein the preselected temperature is selected from a plurality of predetermined temperature settings. ### Claim 6 (depends on 1) The vaporizer device of claim 1, wherein the use of the vaporizer device is detected based on the plurality of sensor readings meeting a threshold reading. ### Claim 7 (depends on 1) The vaporizer device of claim 1, wherein the controller is further configured to override the temperature control loop to heat the heater to a first override temperature based on the plurality of sensor readings meeting a threshold reading. ### Claim 8 (depends on 7) The vaporizer device of claim 7, wherein the first override temperature is higher than the preselected temperature. ### Claim 9 (depends on 7) The vaporizer device of claim 7, wherein the controller is further configured to heat the heater to a second override temperature based on the plurality of sensor readings continuing to meet the threshold reading after a threshold period of time. ### Claim 10 (depends on 9) The vaporizer device of claim 9, wherein the second override temperature is different from the first override temperature. ### Claim 11 (depends on 9) The vaporizer device of claim 9, wherein the controller is further configured to maintain the second override temperature based on a continued detection of continued use of the vaporizer device by the user via the capacitance sensor, wherein the continued use comprises contact with the mouthpiece at a second time point after the use of the vaporizer device. ### Claim 12 (depends on 1) The vaporizer device of claim 1, wherein the controller is further configured to increase the temperature of the heater based on a first sensor reading of the plurality of sensor readings meeting a threshold. ### Claim 13 (depends on 1) The vaporizer device of claim 1, wherein the controller is further configured to increase the temperature of the heater to an override temperature for a boost time period, when a difference between a first sensor reading of the plurality of sensor readings and a baseline sensor reading meets a threshold value. ### Claim 14 A method, comprising: detecting, via a capacitance sensor coupled to a vaporizer device, use of the vaporizer device by a user, the use comprising contact with a mouthpiece the vaporizer device, the vaporizer device comprising: a reservoir configured to hold a vaporizable material; a heater configured to heat the vaporizable material; the mouthpiece in communication with the reservoir; the capacitance sensor configured to output a plurality of sensor readings; and regulating a temperature of the heater to a preselected temperature by at least applying a temperature control loop having inputs including a running average of the plurality of sensor readings, the temperature of the heater, and the preselected temperature. ### Claim 15 (depends on 14) The method of claim 14, wherein the temperature control loop comprises a proportional integral derivative control algorithm. ### Claim 16 (depends on 14) The method of claim 14, further comprising increasing the temperature of the heater over the preselected temperature based at least on the plurality of sensor readings. ### Claim 17 (depends on 14) The method of claim 14, further comprising: reducing the temperature of the heater by a first predetermined step amount when no contact with the mouthpiece is detected for greater than a first idle period; and reducing the temperature of the heater again by the first predetermined step amount when no contact is detected for a continuing idle period in addition to the first idle period. ### Claim 18 (depends on 14) The method of claim 14, wherein the preselected temperature is selected from a plurality of predetermined temperature settings. ### Claim 19 (depends on 14) The method of claim 14, wherein the use of the vaporizer device is detected based on the plurality of sensor readings meeting a threshold reading.