# US 2021/0243842 A1 · Methods and apparatus for a power supply control circuit

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- Number: US 2021/0243842 A1
- Document ID: US20210243842A1
- Status: Published application
- Kind: A1
- Application number: 17/302,119
- Filed: 2021-04-23
- Published: 2021-08-05
- Earliest claimed: 2018-10-01
- Assignees: Semiconductor Components Industries, LLC
- Applicants: Semiconductor Components Industries, LLC
- Inventors: Hideo KONDO
- Web page: https://patentgrep.com/patent/US20210243842A1

## CPC

- H05B 1/0227: {Applications}
- H05B 1/0291: {Tubular elements}
- A24F 40/50: Control or monitoring
- G01R 31/382: Arrangements for monitoring battery or accumulator variables, e.g. SoC
- H05B 1/0202: {Switches}
- H05B 3/44: heating conductor arranged within rods or tubes of insulating material
- A24F 40/10: Devices using liquid inhalable precursors
- G01R 31/3647: {for determining the ability of a battery to perform a critical function, e.g. cranking}
- G01R 31/3842: combining voltage and current measurements
- G01R 31/389: Measuring internal impedance, internal conductance or related variables
- G01R 31/392: Determining battery ageing or deterioration, e.g. state of health
- Y02E 60/10: Energy storage using batteries
- 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)
- G01R: MEASURING ELECTRIC VARIABLES; MEASURING MAGNETIC VARIABLES (indicating correct tuning of resonant circuits H03J3/12)
- Y02E: REDUCTION OF GREENHOUSE GAS [GHG] EMISSIONS, RELATED TO ENERGY GENERATION, TRANSMISSION OR DISTRIBUTION

## Abstract

Various embodiments of the present technology comprise a method and apparatus for a power supply control circuit. In various embodiments, the apparatus is adapted to control the power supplied by a battery to a heating element. The apparatus may comprise a memory for storing known data and circuitry configured to control the delivery of power from the battery to the heating element according to measured parameters, calculated parameters, and the known data.

## Claims

### Claim 1

An apparatus adapted to power a heating element, comprising:
a battery;
a control circuit connected to the battery and configured to:
store known battery data comprising a first profile and a second profile;
determine a capacity of the battery according to the first profile;
determine a resistance of the battery according to the second profile;
calculate a first power value based on the determined resistance;
generate a control signal according to the calculated first power value; and
selectively connect the battery to the heating element according to the control signal.

### Claim 2 (depends on 1)

The apparatus of claim 1, wherein determining the resistance of the battery comprises:
measuring an actual voltage of the battery;
utilizing the first profile to determine a capacity of the battery according to the measured actual voltage; and
utilizing the second profile to determine the resistance of the battery according to the determined capacity.

### Claim 3 (depends on 1)

The apparatus of claim 1, wherein the logic unit calculates the first power further based on a first resistance value of the heating element at a start time.

### Claim 4 (depends on 3)

The apparatus of claim 3, wherein the memory further comprises a third profile comprising a relationship between resistance values of the heating element and time.

### Claim 5 (depends on 4)

The apparatus of claim 4, further comprising a timer to measure an elapsed operation time, wherein the elapsed operation time is measured from the start time.

### Claim 6 (depends on 5)

The apparatus of claim 5, wherein, when the timer reaches a predetermined elapsed operation time, the logic unit calculates a new first power according to:
a second resistance value of the heating element; and
the third profile.

### Claim 7 (depends on 1)

The apparatus claim 1, further comprising a switch positioned between the battery and the heating element, wherein the switch is responsive to the control signal and electrically connects the battery to the heating element.

### Claim 8 (depends on 1)

The apparatus of claim 1, wherein:
the first profile comprises a relationship between battery voltage values and battery capacity values; and
the second profile comprises a relationship between battery resistance values and the battery capacity values.

### Claim 9 (depends on 1)

The apparatus of claim 1, wherein the control signal is defined as a ratio of a predetermined target power to the calculated first power.

### Claim 10

An apparatus adapted to power a heating element with a battery, comprising:
a control circuit configured to:
measure an actual voltage of the battery;
determine a capacity of the battery according to the measured actual voltage and a first battery profile;
determine a resistance of the battery according to the determined capacity and a second battery profile;
calculate a first power using the measured actual voltage, the determined resistance of the battery, and a resistance of the heating element;
calculate a ratio of a predetermined target power and the calculated first power; and
electrically connect the battery to the heating element according to the calculated ratio.

### Claim 11 (depends on 10)

The apparatus of claim 10, wherein the resistance of the heating element is an initial resistance value of the heating element when the heating element is new.

### Claim 12 (depends on 10)

The apparatus of claim 10, wherein: the first battery profile comprises a relationship between voltage values and capacity values; and the second battery profile comprises a relationship between resistance values of the battery and the capacity values.

### Claim 13 (depends on 10)

The apparatus of claim 10, wherein the control circuit is further configured to:
measure an elapsed operation time; and
determine an aged resistance value of the heating element, comprising utilizing known heating element data and the elapsed operation time value.

### Claim 14 (depends on 10)

The apparatus of claim 10, wherein the control circuit comprises a switch positioned between the battery and the heating element, wherein the switch electrically connects the battery to the heating element according to the calculated ratio.

### Claim 15

A system, comprising:
a battery configured to power to a heating element;
a memory configured to store known battery data comprising a first profile and a second profile; and
a control circuit configured to:
determine an actual capacity of the battery according to a measured actual voltage of the battery and the first profile;
determine a resistance of the battery according to the second profile;
compute a first power using the measured actual voltage, the determined resistance of the battery, and a resistance of the heating element; and
generate a control signal based on the computed first power and a predetermined target power.

### Claim 16 (depends on 15)

The system of claim 15, wherein:
the first profile comprising a relationship between battery voltage values and battery capacity values; and
the second profile comprising a relationship between battery resistance values and the battery capacity values.

### Claim 17 (depends on 15)

The system of claim 15, wherein determining the resistance the battery comprises comparing the measured actual capacity of the battery with the second profile.

### Claim 18 (depends on 15)

The system of claim 15, wherein the memory is further configured to store a third profile comprising a relationship between resistance values of the heating element and time.

### Claim 19 (depends on 15)

The system of claim 15, wherein the control signal is a ratio of the predetermined target power to the calculated first power.

### Claim 20 (depends on 15)

The system of claim 15, further comprising a timer to measure an elapsed operation time;
wherein, when the timer reaches a predetermined elapsed operation time, the control circuit is further configured to calculate a new first power according to:
a second resistance value of the heating element; and
a third profile comprising a relationship between resistance values of the heating element and time.