US-12623260-B2 - Article including identification information for use in an electrically heated smoking system

US12623260B2US 12623260 B2US12623260 B2US 12623260B2US-12623260-B2

Abstract

A smoking article includes identification information encoded on the smoking article. The smoking article can be used with an electrically heated smoking system having a detector for detecting the smoking article and distinguishing the smoking article from other articles based on the identification information. A cleaning article includes identification information encoded on the cleaning article. The cleaning article cleans an electrically heated smoking system having a detector for detecting the cleaning article and distinguishing the cleaning article from other articles based on the identification information. An electrically heated smoking system for receiving an article configured for use with the smoking system includes: a cavity for receiving the article having identification information encoded thereon, a heating element, a power supply, electrical hardware, and a detector capable of detecting the presence of the article in the cavity and distinguishing the article from other articles based on the identification information.

Inventors

Felix Fernando
Jean-Pierre Cordey

Assignees

PHILIP MORRIS USA INC.

Dates

Publication Date: 20260512
Application Date: 20230731
Priority Date: 20081224

Claims (16)

1 . A smoking system comprising: an article including, encoded identification information, and usage information, the usage information indicating whether the article has been used, the usage information being separate from the encoded identification information; and a detector configured to detect a presence of the article in the smoking system and distinguish the article among other smoking system articles configured for use with the smoking system, based on the encoded identification information and the usage information.
2 . The smoking system of claim 1 , wherein the article is a cleaning article configured for cleaning the smoking system.
3 . The smoking system of claim 2 , wherein the encoded identification information is configured to change when the cleaning article is used to clean the smoking system.
4 . The smoking system of claim 1 , wherein the encoded identification information is printed on the article.
5 . The smoking system of claim 1 , wherein the encoded identification information includes at least one of visible ink, ultra violet (UV) ink, infrared (IR) ink, phosphorescent ink, fluorescent ink, metallic ink, a sub-combination thereof or a combination thereof.
6 . The smoking system of claim 1 , wherein the encoded identification information identifies at least one of a smoking article type, an aerosol-forming substrate type, a cleaning article type, a cleaning means information, a cleaning ingredient type, a date of production, a place of production, a production batch number, production details, a use-by date, a sub-combination thereof or a combination thereof.
7 . The smoking system of claim 1 , wherein the encoded identification information includes a plurality of lines having spaces therebetween, each of the plurality of lines representing a first value and each of the spaces representing a second value, the first value and the second value being different.
8 . The smoking system of claim 7 , wherein the first value and the second value are binary values.
9 . The smoking system of claim 7 , wherein the plurality of lines are circular.
10 . The smoking system of claim 1 , wherein the encoded identification information includes at least a first line and a second line, the first line having a first width and the second line having a second width, the first width and the second width being different.
11 . The smoking system of claim 10 , wherein the first line represents a first value and the second line represents a second value, the first value and the second value being different.
12 . The smoking system of claim 11 , wherein the first value and the second value are binary values.
13 . The smoking system of claim 10 , wherein the first line and the second line are circular.
14 . The smoking system of claim 1 , wherein the usage information includes a thermally sensitive ink that changes when heated at a noncombustible temperature.
15 . The smoking system of claim 1 , further comprising: at least one heating element; a power supply for supplying power to the at least one heating element; and electrical hardware connected to the power supply and the at least one heating element, the electrical hardware including memory for storing heating information for the article.
16 . The smoking system of claim 15 , wherein the smoking system is configured to initiate when the detector detects the article.

Description

CROSS-REFERENCE TO RELATED APPLICATION This application is a Continuation Application of U.S. Application Ser. No. 17/108,653, filed Dec. 1, 2020, which is a Continuation Application of U.S. patent application Ser. No. 15/263,808, filed Sep. 13, 2016, which is a Continuation Application of U.S. patent application Ser. No. 14/141,116, filed Dec. 26, 2013, which is a Divisional Application of U.S. patent application Ser. No. 12/645,254, filed Dec. 22, 2009, now U.S. Pat. No. 8,689,804, issued Apr. 8, 2014, which application claims priority to European Application No. 08254145.9, filed Dec. 24, 2008, the entire contents of each are incorporated herein by reference. BACKGROUND The present invention relates to an article including identification information, for use in an electrically heated smoking system. The present invention further relates to an electrically heated smoking system for receiving such an article. The article may be a cleaning article or a smoking article. A number of prior art documents, for example U.S. Pat. Nos. 5,060,671, 5,388,594, 5,505,214, WO-A-2004/043175, EP-A-1 618 803, EP-A 1,736,065 and WO-A-2007/131449, disclose electrically operated smoking systems, having a number of advantages. One advantage is that they significantly reduce sidestream smoke, while permitting the smoker to selectively suspend and reinitiate smoking. Electrically heated smoking systems typically include a power supply, such as a battery, connected to a heater to heat an aerosol-forming substrate, to form the aerosol which is provided to the smoker. In operation, these electrically heated smoking systems typically provide a high power pulse to the heater to provide the temperature range desired for operation and to release the volatile compounds. Electrically heated smoking systems may be reusable and may be arranged to receive a disposable smoking article, containing the aerosol-forming substrate, to form the aerosol. Smoking articles developed for electrically heated smoking systems are typically specially designed, because the flavors are generated and released by a controlled heating of the aerosol-forming substrate, without the combustion that takes place in lit-end cigarettes and other smoking articles. Therefore, the structure of a smoking article designed for an electrically heated smoking system may be different from the structure of a lit-end smoking article. Using a lit-end smoking article with an electrically heated smoking system may result in a poor smoking experience for the user, and may also damage the system because, for example, the smoking article is not compatible with the system. In addition, there may be a number of different smoking articles which are each configured for use with the system, but which each provide a different smoking experience for the user. Some of the electrically heated smoking systems of the prior art include a detector which is able to detect the presence of a smoking article received in the smoking system. An improved electrically heated smoking system including a detector which offers additional functionality to the smoker, and an improved article for use with such a system is provided herein. SUMMARY OF SELECTED ASPECTS OF THE INVENTION A smoking article, including identification information encoded on the smoking article, is configured for use with an electrically heated smoking system having a detector for detecting the smoking article and distinguishing the smoking article from other articles based on the identification information. In the preferred embodiment, the identification information is printed on the article. Preferably, the identification information includes visible ink, ultra violet (UV) ink, infra red (IR) ink, phosphorescent ink, fluorescent ink or metallic ink. Also preferably, the identification information includes one or more of: smoking article type, aerosol-forming substrate type, cleaning article type, cleaning means information, cleaning ingredient type, date of production, place of production, batch number and other production details, and use-by date. Moreover, the identification information is arranged to change as the article is used. A cleaning article, including identification information encoded on the cleaning article, is configured for cleaning an electrically heated smoking system having a detector for detecting the cleaning article and distinguishing the cleaning article from other articles based on the identification information. In the preferred embodiment, the identification information is printed on the article. Preferably, the identification information includes visible ink, ultra violet (UV) ink, infra red (IR) ink, phosphorescent ink, fluorescent ink or metallic ink. Also preferably, the identification information includes one or more of: smoking article type, aerosol-forming substrate type, cleaning article type, cleaning means information, cleaning ingredient type, date of production, place of production, batch number an