U.S. patent application number 14/712038 was filed with the patent office on 2016-11-17 for electronic cigarette usage tracking system.
The applicant listed for this patent is James E. Contreras. Invention is credited to James E. Contreras.
Application Number | 20160331029 14/712038 |
Document ID | / |
Family ID | 57276306 |
Filed Date | 2016-11-17 |
United States Patent
Application |
20160331029 |
Kind Code |
A1 |
Contreras; James E. |
November 17, 2016 |
ELECTRONIC CIGARETTE USAGE TRACKING SYSTEM
Abstract
An electronic cigarette usage tracking system includes an
electronic cigarette including a housing with an atomizer mounted
therein to convert a liquid within the housing into a vapor when
air is drawn through the housing. A power supply is electrically
coupled to the atomizer is mounted within the housing. A processor
is mounted within the housing and is electrically coupled to the
power supply. The processor is in communication with the atomizer
and tracks an amount of time the atomizer is activated. The amount
of time is defined as a percentage of a cigarette smoked wherein a
cigarette equivalent is defined when the percentage equals 100%.
The processor resets the percentage to 0% each time the percentage
attains 100% and the processor counts each cigarette equivalent to
define a tracking number.
Inventors: |
Contreras; James E.; (Las
Vegas, NV) |
|
Applicant: |
Name |
City |
State |
Country |
Type |
Contreras; James E. |
Las Vegas |
NV |
US |
|
|
Family ID: |
57276306 |
Appl. No.: |
14/712038 |
Filed: |
May 14, 2015 |
Current U.S.
Class: |
1/1 |
Current CPC
Class: |
A24F 47/008
20130101 |
International
Class: |
A24F 47/00 20060101
A24F047/00 |
Claims
1. An electronic atomization cigarette usage tracking system
comprising: an electronic cigarette including; a housing having a
first end, a second end and a perimeter wall extending between said
first and second ends; an atomizer being mounted within said
housing and being configured to convert a liquid within said
housing into a vapor when air is drawn through said housing; a
power supply being electrically coupled to said atomizer being
mounted within said housing; and a processor being mounted within
said housing and being electrically coupled to said power supply,
said processor being in communication with said atomizer and
tracking an amount of time said atomizer is activated, said amount
of time being defined as a percentage of a cigarette smoked wherein
a cigarette equivalent is defined when said percentage equals 100%,
said processor resetting said percentage to 0% each time said
percentage attains 100%, said processor counting each cigarette
equivalent to define a tracking number.
2. The electronic atomization cigarette usage tracking system
according to claim 1, further including a display being mounted on
said housing, said display being electrically coupled to said
processor and displaying said tracking number.
3. The electronic atomization cigarette usage tracking system
according to claim 2, further including a reset switch being
mounted on said housing and being electrically coupled to said
processor, said reset switch setting said tracking number to zero
when actuated.
4. The electronic atomization cigarette usage tracking system
according to claim 1, further including a reset switch being
mounted on said housing and being electrically coupled to said
processor, said reset switch setting said tracking number to zero
when actuated.
5. The electronic atomization cigarette usage tracking system
according to claim 1, further including a plurality of light
emitters being mounted on said perimeter wall, said light emitters
being equally spaced from each other, said light emitters each
being electrically coupled to said processor, said light emitters
being sequentially illuminated from said first end to said second
as said percentage increases from 0% to 100%, said light emitters
being turned off when a next one of said light emitters is turned
on.
6. The electronic atomization cigarette usage tracking system
according to claim 2, further including a plurality of light
emitters being mounted on said perimeter wall, said light emitters
being equally spaced from each other, said light emitters each
being electrically coupled to said processor, said light emitters
being sequentially illuminated from said first end to said second
as said percentage increases from 0% to 100%, said light emitters
being turned off when a next one of said light emitters is turned
on.
7. An electronic atomization cigarette usage tracking system
comprising: an electronic cigarette including; a housing having a
first end, a second end and a perimeter wall extending between said
first and second ends; an atomizer being mounted within said
housing and being configured to convert a liquid within said
housing into a vapor when air is drawn through said housing; a
power supply being electrically coupled to said atomizer being
mounted within said housing; a processor being mounted within said
housing and being electrically coupled to said power supply, said
processor being in communication with said atomizer and tracking an
amount of time said atomizer is activated, said amount of time
being defined as a percentage of a cigarette smoked wherein a
cigarette equivalent is defined when said percentage equals 100%,
said processor resetting said percentage to 0% each time said
percentage attains 100%, said processor counting each cigarette
equivalent to define a tracking number; a display being mounted on
said housing, said display being electrically coupled to said
processor and displaying said tracking number; a reset switch being
mounted on said housing and being electrically coupled to said
processor, said reset switch setting said tracking number to zero
when actuated; and a plurality of light emitters being mounted on
said perimeter wall, said light emitters being equally spaced from
each other, said light emitters each being electrically coupled to
said processor, said light emitters being sequentially illuminated
from said first end to said second as said percentage increases
from 0% to 100%, said light emitters being turned off when a next
one of said light emitters is turned on.
Description
BACKGROUND OF THE DISCLOSURE
Field of the Disclosure
[0001] The disclosure relates to smoking amount tracking devices
and more particularly pertains to a new smoking amount tracking
device for providing a user of an electric cigarette with
information regarding usage volume.
SUMMARY OF THE DISCLOSURE
[0002] An embodiment of the disclosure meets the needs presented
above by generally comprising an electronic cigarette including a
housing having a first end, a second end and a perimeter wall
extending between the first and second ends. An atomizer is mounted
within the housing and is configured to convert a liquid within the
housing into a vapor when air is drawn through the housing. A power
supply is electrically coupled to the atomizer is mounted within
the housing. A processor is mounted within the housing and is
electrically coupled to the power supply. The processor is in
communication with the atomizer and tracks an amount of time the
atomizer is activated. The amount of time is defined as a
percentage of a cigarette smoked wherein a cigarette equivalent is
defined when the percentage equals 100%. The processor resets the
percentage to 0% each time the percentage attains 100% and the
processor counts each cigarette equivalent to define a tracking
number.
[0003] There has thus been outlined, rather broadly, the more
important features of the disclosure in order that the detailed
description thereof that follows may be better understood, and in
order that the present contribution to the art may be better
appreciated. There are additional features of the disclosure that
will be described hereinafter and which will form the subject
matter of the claims appended hereto.
[0004] The objects of the disclosure, along with the various
features of novelty which characterize the disclosure, are pointed
out with particularity in the claims annexed to and forming a part
of this disclosure.
BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS
[0005] The disclosure will be better understood and objects other
than those set forth above will become apparent when consideration
is given to the following detailed description thereof. Such
description makes reference to the annexed drawings wherein:
[0006] FIG. 1 is a top perspective view of an electronic cigarette
usage tracking system according to an embodiment of the
disclosure.
[0007] FIG. 2 is a front view of an embodiment of the
disclosure.
[0008] FIG. 3 is a top view of an embodiment of the disclosure.
[0009] FIG. 4 is a bottom view of an embodiment of the
disclosure.
[0010] FIG. 5 is a cross-sectional view of an embodiment of the
disclosure taken along line 5-5 of FIG. 3.
[0011] FIG. 6 is a schematic view of an embodiment of the
disclosure.
DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENT
[0012] With reference now to the drawings, and in particular to
FIGS. 1 through 6 thereof, a new smoking amount tracking device
embodying the principles and concepts of an embodiment of the
disclosure and generally designated by the reference numeral 10
will be described.
[0013] As best illustrated in FIGS. 1 through 6, the electronic
cigarette usage tracking system 10 generally comprises an
electronic cigarette 11 with a housing 12 having a first end 14, a
second end 16 and a perimeter wall 18 extending between the first
14 and second 16 ends. An atomizer 22 is mounted within the housing
14 and is configured to convert a liquid within the housing 14 into
a vapor when air is drawn through the housing 14. A power supply
24, such as a battery pack, is electrically coupled to the atomizer
22, and is mounted within the housing 14. The above is generic to
what are ubiquitously known as "e-cigarettes" and which are found
throughout the prior art such as in U.S. Pat. No. 8,393,331 and
U.S. Publication No. 2011/0036346 incorporated herein by reference.
It should be understood that the general workings of such devices
are not germane to the present invention which is directed to
tracking the amount of vapor a user inhales when such devices are
used. Thus, the present device may include a rechargeable battery
accessible through a door 26 and re-fillable fluid cartridges used
with such devices.
[0014] The system includes a processor 28 that is mounted within
the housing 12 and that is electrically coupled to the power supply
24. The processor 28 is in communication with the atomizer 22, or
vapor system, and tracks an amount of time the atomizer 22 is
activated. This amount of time may then be generally correlated to
the amount of nicotine delivered by a generic cigarette.
Alternatively, the amount of vapor itself may be metered as is
taught in the prior art. Again, this will then be correlated to a
real cigarette. It should be noted that the processor 28 may be
programmed to correlate the nicotine to different brands or types
of tobacco having different levels of nicotine. The amount of time,
or quantity of vapor or nicotine, is defined as a percentage of a
cigarette smoked wherein a cigarette equivalent is defined when the
percentage equals 100%. The processor 28 resets the percentage to
0% each time the percentage attains 100% and the processor counts
each cigarette equivalent to define a tracking number. Thus, as a
person uses the electronic cigarette 11, a tally will begin which
will indicate the amount of nicotine inhaled by the user as its
equivalent to real cigarettes. This is beneficial as a cartridge
for an electronic cigarette typically contains an amount of
nicotine equivalent to a large quantity of cigarettes.
[0015] A display 30 is mounted on the housing. The display 30 is
electrically coupled to the processor 30 and displays the tracking
number. The display 30 may be an LCD display, LED display or the
like. Alternatively, the processor 28 may include a transmitter to
transmit the tracking number to a user's cellular phone or other
electronic device equipped with means for receiving wireless
signals. A reset switch 32 may be mounted on the housing 12 and is
electrically coupled to the processor 28. The reset switch 32 sets
the tracking number to zero when actuated and may also be used to
reset the percentage to 0%.
[0016] A plurality of light emitters 34, indicated as the LED level
system in FIG. 6, is mounted on the perimeter wall 18 and are
equally spaced from each other. The light emitters 34 are each
electrically coupled to the processor. The light emitters 34 are
sequentially illuminated from the first end 14 to the second end 16
as the percentage increases from 0% to 100%, wherein the second end
16 is the portion including an exit conduit 38 and therefore is the
portion inserted into the user's mouth. The light emitters 34 are
turned off when a next one of the light emitters 34 is turned on.
The intention of the light emitters 34, which may comprised LEDs,
is to indicate to the user how close they are to 100%. The light
emitters 34 may be positioned in groups of light emitters 34
forming rings around the housing such that each group, in turn, is
illuminated. The light emitters 34 will be evenly matched such that
if there are five light emitters 34, the first one will be
illuminated until 20% is reached and each next light emitter 34 is
turned on at each 20% increment. The actual number of light
emitters 34, or groups thereof, is not critical but it is preferred
that at least four and up to 10 light emitters be used. Active
lights 36, showing that the electronic cigarette 11 is being used
and is working, may be mounted on the first end 14.
[0017] In use, the electronic cigarette 11 is used in a
conventional manner to vaporize nicotine containing fluids while
the processor 28, or central processing unit (CPU), tracks the
usage thereof. The amount of usage is then correlated to
conventional cigarettes and this is tracked to allow provide the
user the benefit of knowing how much nicotine they are inhaling.
This is converted to a generic cigarette standard to facilitate
comprehension of such to the user.
[0018] With respect to the above description then, it is to be
realized that the optimum dimensional relationships for the parts
of an embodiment enabled by the disclosure, to include variations
in size, materials, shape, form, function and manner of operation,
assembly and use, are deemed readily apparent and obvious to one
skilled in the art, and all equivalent relationships to those
illustrated in the drawings and described in the specification are
intended to be encompassed by an embodiment of the disclosure.
[0019] Therefore, the foregoing is considered as illustrative only
of the principles of the disclosure. Further, since numerous
modifications and changes will readily occur to those skilled in
the art, it is not desired to limit the disclosure to the exact
construction and operation shown and described, and accordingly,
all suitable modifications and equivalents may be resorted to,
falling within the scope of the disclosure. In this patent
document, the word "comprising" is used in its non-limiting sense
to mean that items following the word are included, but items not
specifically mentioned are not excluded. A reference to an element
by the indefinite article "a" does not exclude the possibility that
more than one of the element is present, unless the context clearly
requires that there be only one of the elements.
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