# US 2014/0193049 A1 · Portable biometric lighter > Agents: this data is available as JSON from the patentgrep API and MCP server — see https://patentgrep.com/llms.txt - Number: US 2014/0193049 A1 - Document ID: US20140193049A1 - Status: Published application - Kind: A1 - Application number: 14/158,750 - Filed: 2014-01-17 - Published: 2014-07-10 - Earliest claimed: 2008-08-20 - Assignees: John Gibson Enterprises INC - Applicants: John Gibson Enterprises, Inc. - Inventors: John Gibson; Adam Olcott; Mark Zand; Chan Leung - Web page: https://patentgrep.com/patent/US20140193049A1 ## CPC - F23Q 2/164: {Arrangements for preventing undesired ignition} - F23Q: IGNITION (devices or installations peculiar to internal-combustion engines F02P; of cigarettes or tobacco A24F; compositions therefor, chemical igniters C06C); EXTINGUISHING-DEVICES ## Abstract A portable biometric lighter device (100) generally involving a control unit (210), a biometric sensor, such as a fingerprint sensor (140), wherein the biometric sensor is configured to scan a biometric data of a user and is operably coupled to the control unit (210), and an ignition element, wherein the ignition element is activated by the control unit (210) upon a match of the scanned biometric data of the user and a biometric data of an authorized user that is stored in a memory device. ## Claims ### Claim at position 1 1-20. (canceled) ### Claim 21 A portable biometric lighter, comprising: a body; a control unit located in the lighter body; a memory device including at least one stored fingerprint of at least one authorized user; a fingerprint sensor operably connected to the control unit and configured to scan a new fingerprint of a user; a set switch operably connected to the control unit, the set switch being configured, upon actuation by the user, to activate the control unit; wherein the control unit, when activated by the set switch, is configured to activate the fingerprint sensor to accept the new fingerprint of the user; and wherein the memory device is configured to receive and store the new fingerprint of the user. ### Claim 22 (depends on 21) The device of claim 21, wherein the control unit is configured to permit erasure of the at least one stored fingerprint from the memory device, and the set switch is configured to erase the at least one stored fingerprint from the memory device. ### Claim 23 (depends on 21) The device of claim 21, wherein the control unit is configured to prevent erasure of the at least one stored fingerprint from the memory device, and the set switch is prevented from erasing the at least one stored fingerprint from the memory device. ### Claim 24 (depends on 21) The device of claim 21, further comprising a pulse igniter, the control unit being configured to activate the pulse igniter upon a determination by the control unit that the new fingerprint of the user scanned via the fingerprint sensor matches the at least one stored fingerprint of the at least one authorized user, the pulse igniter being configured to produce a spark in response to being activated by the control unit. ### Claim 25 (depends on 21) The device of claim 21, wherein the body of the lighter includes at least one aperture and the set switch is accessible through the at least one aperture. ### Claim 26 (depends on 21) The device of claim 21, wherein the fingerprint sensor is configured to visually indicate to the user that the fingerprint sensor is ready to scan the new fingerprint. ### Claim 27 (depends on 21) The device of claim 21, further comprising a gas lever mounted to the body, and a cap movably coupled to the body and movable from a closed position to an open position, the cap being configured to actuate the gas lever when the cap is moved toward the open position. ### Claim 28 (depends on 27) The device of claim 27, further comprising an active switch operably connected to the fingerprint sensor and to the gas lever, wherein the gas lever is configured, upon being actuated by movement of the cap toward the open position, to activate the active switch, and wherein the active switch, upon being activated by the gas lever, is configured to activate the fingerprint sensor. ### Claim 29 (depends on 27) The device of claim 27, wherein the cap is configured to deactivate the fingerprint sensor upon being moved to the closed position. ### Claim 30 (depends on 27) The device of claim 27, further comprising a nozzle operably coupled to a lighter fluid valve, wherein the gas lever, upon being actuated by movement of the cap toward the open position, is configured to lift the nozzle to permit lighter fluid to be released from the lighter fluid valve. ### Claim 31 A method for controlling flame emission of a portable lighter, the method comprising: providing a portable lighter including a body, a control unit located in the lighter body; a memory device including at least one stored fingerprint of at least one authorized user; a fingerprint sensor operably connected to the control unit and configured to scan a new fingerprint of a user; and a set switch operably connected to the control unit; activating the set switch in response to actuation by a user; in response to activation of the set switch, activating the control unit; in response to activation of the control unit, activating the to the fingerprint sensor via the control unit to accept the new fingerprint of the user; and receiving and storing the new fingerprint of the user. ### Claim 32 (depends on 31) The method of claim 31, further comprising erasing the at least one stored fingerprint from the memory device. ### Claim 33 (depends on 31) The method of claim 31, further comprising preventing erasure of the at least one stored fingerprint from the memory device. ### Claim 34 (depends on 31) The method of claim 31, further comprising activating a pulse igniter of the portable lighter by the control unit upon determining by the control unit that the new fingerprint of the user scanned via the fingerprint sensor matches the at least one stored fingerprint of the at least one authorized user, and producing a spark in response to the activating of the pulse igniter by the control unit. ### Claim 35 (depends on 31) The method of claim 31, wherein the activating of the set switch further comprises accessing the set switch through at least one aperture in the body of the lighter. ### Claim 36 (depends on 31) The method of claim 31, further comprising visually indicating to the user that the fingerprint sensor is ready to scan the new fingerprint. ### Claim 37 (depends on 31) The method of claim 31, further comprising moving a cap of the portable lighter from a closed position toward an open position to actuate the gas lever. ### Claim 38 (depends on 37) The method of claim 37, further comprising activating an active switch of the portable lighter via the actuation of the gas lever, and activating the fingerprint sensor via an activated active switch. ### Claim 39 (depends on 37) The method of claim 37, further comprising deactivating the fingerprint sensor by moving the cap to the closed position. ### Claim 40 (depends on 37) The method of claim 37, further comprising lifting a nozzle of the portable lighter via the actuation of the gas lever and permitting lighter fluid to be released from the lighter fluid valve via the lifting of the nozzle.