Rai Strategic Holdings, Inc.

Sony Ericsson Mobile Communications Ab

Sony Mobile Communications Ab

Telefonaktiebolaget Lm Ericsson (publ)

R.j. Reynolds Tobacco Company

Allen Michael East

Frederic Philippe Ampolini, Sr

Charles Jacob Novak, Iii

Raymond Charles Henry, Jr

Michael Ryan Galloway

Stephen Benson Sears

Steven Lee Alderman

Timothy Brian Nestor

William Robert Collett

Quentin Paul Guenther, Jr

Raymond C Henry

Gregory A Dunko

Glen Joseph Kimsey

Keith William Anderson

Scott Ingham

Leland Scott Bloebaum

Stuart B Sanders

Iii Charles Jacob Novak

Glen Kimsey

Jr Raymond C Henry

The present disclosure relates to articles (and the manufacture thereof) that use electrical energy to heat a material to form an inhalable substance, the articles being sufficiently compact to be considered 'hand-held' devices. In certain embodiments, the articles can particularly be characterized as smoking articles. The smoking article can be adapted to detect the status of a cartridge portion of the smoking article. The smoking article includes a control body portion having a control body engagement end, wherein the control body portion houses a control component and a power source therein. The article further includes a cartridge body portion that has a cartridge body engagement end configured to removably engage the control body engagement end of the control body portion. The cartridge body portion houses a consumable arrangement and a heating connection operably engaged therewith comprising at least one heating element and a fusible link.

Aerosol delivery device

Smoking articles, and methods for forming such smoking articles, such as an electronic smoking article, are provided. An exemplary smoking article comprises a control body portion having a control body engagement end, and having a first control component therein. A cartridge body portion includes a cartridge body engagement end configured to removably engage the control body engagement end of the control body portion. The cartridge body portion further includes a consumable arrangement comprising at least an aerosol precursor composition and at least one heating element operably engaged therewith, and a second control component. At least the consumable arrangement is configured to be in communication with the first control component upon engagement between the cartridge body and control body portions.

Electronic smoking article and associated method

Spent cartridge detection method and system for an electronic smoking article

Electronic smoking articles, and methods are provided. An exemplary article comprises a control body portion having a first control component therein. A cartridge body portion is removably engaged with the control body portion. The cartridge body portion includes a consumable arrangement having an aerosol precursor composition, a heating element, and a second control component. The consumable arrangement is configured to communicate with the first control component upon engagement between the cartridge body and control body portions. The first control component is configured to send a challenge to the second control component, and to receive a response to the challenge therefrom. The first control component is further configured to authorize the consumable arrangement for use with the control body portion, if the response corresponds to the challenge.

A method is provided for controlling heating of an aerosol precursor arrangement of an electronic smoking article. An average power is directed from a power source to a heating device arranged to heat the aerosol precursor arrangement and a heating time period commensurately initiated. The average power corresponds to a selected power set point associated with the power source. An actual power directed to the heating device is determined as a product of a voltage at, and a current through, the heating device. The actual power is compared to the average power, and the average power is adjusted to direct the actual power toward the selected power set point. The actual power is periodically determined and compared to the average power, and the average power adjusted toward the selected power set point, until expiration of the heating time period. An associated apparatus and computer program product are also provided.

Heating control arrangement for an electronic smoking article and associated system and method

A dual mode user terminal for a calling party can make calls over both a conventional cellular network and a packet data network using VoIP protocols. If the called party is not available to receive a VoIP call over the packet data network, the user terminal for the calling party can request a third party user terminal available on the packet data network to relay the call between the calling party and the called party.

Method and apparatus for relaying calls

A user may select and purchase digital content for a mobile terminal over a wireless communication system. The user may select among two or more delivery options, each having a different price. Immediate delivery may be selected at a first price; and delayed delivery may be selected at a second price less than the first price. The immediate delivery may be via a high-speed wireless channel at the first price, or a low-speed wireless channel at a third price less than the first price. The delayed delivery may be during off-peak usage time of the wireless communication system at the second price, or via a wired communication system at a fourth price less than the second price. The mobile terminal may dock to a terminal connected to a wired communication system to download the purchased digital content, transmitting a unique identifier to the content provider for identification.

Selectable options for downloading digital content to a mobile terminal

A wireless communication terminal includes a broadcast signal frequency converter that is communicatively coupled to the terminal's communication signal receiver and is configured to use its communication receiver to process received broadcast signals. In an exemplary embodiment, the converter includes a frequency shifting circuit, e.g., a block frequency converter, that shifts broadcast signal bands into communication signal bands, such that received broadcast signals are shifted into a frequency range compatible with the communication receiver's signal path. Moreover, the significant digital domain signal processing capability of the communication receiver can be used to receive broadcast television and/or radio signals, provide signal enhancements, and extract other types of information such as RDBS, IBOC, etc. Further, the terminal can be configured to maintain communication network monitoring while receiving broadcast signals by switching the receiver back to a communication network signal long enough to check for pages, etc.

Low cost method for receiving broadcast channels with a cellular terminal

Growing community of inventors

Cary, NC, United States of America

Allen Michael East