Separate age/ID verification module for aerosol delivery device
AssigneeRAI Strategic Holdings, Inc.
InventorsSean Daugherty, Sean Lukan, Vincent Ireland
Life of this patent
Estimating the term…
Abstract
An aerosol delivery device may include a rechargeable power source configured to provide power to generate an aerosol, device electronics configured to generate the aerosol responsive to application of the power from the power source, and an authentication module. The authentication module may include a separate chip or circuit board relative to the device electronics. The authentication module may be inserted into the aerosol delivery device between the power source and the device electronics to control provision of the power to the device electronics for generation of the aerosol or between the power source and a charge port of the aerosol delivery device to control charging of the power source.
Claims20
An aerosol delivery device comprising:
- a rechargeable power source;
- device electronics configured to generate an aerosol;
- and
- authentication control circuitry that is separate from the device electronics but operably coupled to the device electronics and disposed within a common housing of the aerosol delivery device, the authentication control circuitry being configured to control transitioning of the aerosol delivery device between a locked state and an unlocked state in response to a user authentication process;
- wherein the control circuitry is configured to, in response to an unsuccessful user authentication process, cause the aerosol delivery device to be in the locked state which prevents power from being delivered from the rechargeable power source to the device electronics and prevents charging of the rechargeable power source;
- and
- wherein the control circuitry is further configured to, in response to a successful user authentication process, cause the aerosol delivery device to be in the unlocked state which permits power from the rechargeable power source to be delivered to the device electronics and permits charging of the rechargeable power source.
A method performed by an aerosol delivery device comprising:
- controlling, by authentication control circuitry, transitioning of the aerosol delivery device between a locked state and an unlocked state in response to a user authentication process;
- wherein controlling the transitioning comprises:
- in response to a successful user authentication process, causing, by authentication control circuitry, the aerosol delivery device to be in the unlocked state which permits power from the rechargeable power source to be delivered to device electronics to enable the device electronics to generate an aerosol and to permit charging of the rechargeable power source;
- and
- in response to an unsuccessful user authentication process, causing, by authentication control circuitry, the aerosol delivery device to be in the locked state which prevents power from being delivered from a rechargeable power source to the device electronics and prevents charging of the rechargeable power source, device electronics configured to generate an aerosol;
- wherein the authentication control circuitry of the aerosol delivery device is separate from the device electronics of the aerosol delivery device but operably coupled to the device electronics within a common housing of the aerosol delivery device.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.